Page 9 of Deranged Demons

Shade sticks her beak our further as if she’s trying to get a better look at him.“Well, can I just say that he already has my vote.”

“Of course, you’d pick the male with wings,”I tease.

“Yeah,and the body of a god,”she sends back.

I roll my eyes.

She hops onto her other leg.“So, what’s the plan?The king thinks when you dance with them, you’ll just know if they’re your fated mate?”

I ponder her question as I recall everything I’ve been told about fated mates over the years. What is the first sign again?“Well, if they’re your fated mate they’re supposed to smell irresistible,”I answer.

“So, you’re dancing with them to see if they stink?”

“What, no. I mean, they’re supposed to smell so good your mouth waters, and you know they’re yours.”Okay, so I’m doing a crappy job at explaining, but that’s probably because I can’t actually imagine any kind of scent that would have that effect on me. Well, maybe if they smelled like chocolate? My lips twist into a slow smile as I think of one of my mates always smelling like sugar and cocoa.Yes, please.

Shade paces on my shoulder.“Wait, so you’re going to have to smell all these guys?”She sounds horrified, and honestly, when she puts it like that I kind of am too.“I take it back. I’m no longer volunteering as tribute.”

I grin.“It's not just that,”I go on, trying not to think about whether some of the males will smell like body odor, or worse.“They’re supposed to taste good, too.”

“Taste good?”Shade questions, and had she been a demon, I would have imagined her raising a curved eyebrow.

“I don’t know,”I admit.“I’m just reciting what I’ve learned. Also, when you’re close to your mates, Lady Fate’s magic is supposed to pull you together. Like you want nothing more than to be close to them.”My lips quirk upat the sides.“Oh, and I think you’re also supposed to have some sort of an emotional connection.”

There’s a moment of silence before she recites,“So you need to smell them, taste them, and then…”

“Bone them,”I finish unashamedly. From everything I’ve read, most know that they’re fated before it comes to this, but having sex is a foolproof way to check if you’re mates.

Shade grows silent again for a while, and I know she’s staring out at the sea of alphas who are laughing, drinking, and gawking at me. No one has approached me yet, and I wonder if it’s simply that no one wants to be the first to ask me to dance. Likely, they don’t want to be the first to be rejected.

“Out of my way you feathered freak!” a gruff voice draws my attention, and I watch as a giant smashes his shoulder into one of the archangels as he passes. The blow sends the archangel with bronze wings staggering to the floor. Before the male can get up, the giant sneers and spits a wad of yellow phlegm onto the archangel. It hits the male between the eyes and slides down to the tip of his nose and hangs there. “You look better already,” the giant laughs. “But I still think the only good angel is a dead one.” He turns away but his smile falls and he shouts a curse when a burst of wind lifts him high into the air. Prince Callan strolls casually forward, and the fallen archangel lifts to his feet as the giant shouts a stream of slurs. His face grows redder as he moves his arms and legs like he's still trying to walk in mid-air, and Ihave to suppress my smile. The music in the ballroom stops.

“Put me the fuck down!” The massive male flails, bellowing and raging. None of the other giants go to help their comrade. Though, that could possibly be because the demon guards along the walls now have their spears pointed forward like they’re readying themselves for a bloodbath.

I copy King Dalton’s position, leaning back and relaxing on my throne though the rock-hard marble is anything but comfortable.

“Wow, I had no idea this night would be so entertaining,”Shade chirps like she’s eager to see the show.“What an asshole.”

“I said let me down!” The giant screams.

Prince Callan’s lips twist into a dark smile. “As you wish.” With the flick of his wrist, the wind stops swirling around the giant. There’s a second where the male remains suspended in the air, but then he crashes to the stone floor. A distinct crack echoes through the room as one of the giant’s legs breaks, the shattered bone puncturing through his skin.

The giant grunts in pain as he cradles his injured leg. “You fucking psycho,” he spits.

“Aren’t we all,” Prince Callan drawls with a bored expression. “Now, apologize to Theon, and then beg the princess for forgiveness before I get any other ideas.”

My mouth pops open in surprise, but I press my lips together quickly. I figure he must bejoking, but he’s staring at the giant with such sincerity that I soon realize he’s serious.

“Mmm, sexy and commanding,”Shade muses.“Did I mention that he has my vote?”

I have to admit I’m impressed, but the thought of bonding with an archangel makes my stomach tie in knots. I’ve made it a point never to go to Toralyn, realm of the angels. That way, it’s easier to pretend that side of me doesn’t exist.

The giant gapes at Prince Callan like he’s sure the archangel has lost his mind, then he turns his attention to the giants watching from across the ballroom. Despite their grim expressions, no one goes to his aid.Guess he’s an asshole to his own kind, too.

Realizing that none of them are going to help, his jaw ticks and he jerks his head toward the archangel, Theon, who’s standing there with an amused expression. “I apologize,” the giant snarls through gritted teeth, but there’s hatred in his eyes like he’s imagining creative ways to kill the archangel.

Prince Callan flicks his wrist again, and the air moves around the giant making his body twist and putting pressure on his broken leg. The giant cries out, pain contorting his features. “I fucking apologized already!” he yells.

Prince Callan stares at him with a blank expression. “Like you mean it,” he says calmly.

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