Page 70 of The Devil's Waltz

Turning my head, I catch sight of a young woman jogging on the sidewalk across the street. She looks to be around my age, with golden blond hair haphazardly tied back and a matching animal print workout set that Blake would most definitely approve of. Studio headphones cover her ears, playing an upbeat tune, and her gaze is focused, her breathing measured with each inhale and exhale.

I’m moving before I can overthink it, stalking behind her but keeping enough of a distance to stay conspicuous to any onlooker. Until she approaches the mouth of an alley between two storefronts. That’s when I strike. I move faster than any human can see, snatching her off the sidewalk and dragging her into the alley, clamping my hand over her mouth before she can make a sound. The surrounding stores are closed for the day, the sun fully absent from the sky, but I’m not taking any chances of getting caught. Not when I’m so fucking starving. You’d think I haven’t fed in weeks with how eager my demon side is to get my claws in her.

The music continues playing in her ears, and her eyes bulge out of her face. The fear in them has the corner of my lips twisting up as I hold her against the brick exterior of the building. I don’t even need to project fear into her subconscious—she’s terrified of me already.

She shakes in my grip, her heart hammering in her chest as a sheen of sweat covers her face and chest. Even still, she tries to fight, to push me away. Her screams are muffled by my hand, and they only grow louder, more desperate when a shudder ripples through me, turning my eyes black as I lean in to devour her fear. I inhale deeply, letting the power of her terror feed the worst parts of me as tears stream down her cheeks. Blood drains from her face, leaving the girl white as a sheet. Within seconds her knees buckle, and she slides down the wall until she’s sitting on the ground. She’s still conscious, but she has stopped screaming. Her head tips back against the building as soft whimpers escape her lips.

“Pl-please,” she croaks, peering at me through her tears as she shakes her head back and forth, shivers racking her body. “Let…me go.”

I cock my head to the side, crouching in front of her as I pull her headphones off. “I will,” I offer in a smooth voice.

More tears slip down her cheeks. “Why are you doing this to me?”

I press my lips together for a moment before sighing, reaching toward her and tucking a bit of hair that escaped her tie behind her ear as she continues shivering. “Because I don’t have a choice.”

The fear radiating from her fills my veins with a jolt of energy, and the monster in me makes a sound of delight, a soft, growl-like rumble in my chest. It feels like waking up from the most restful sleep. The dull ache in my muscles melts away and the throbbing behind my eyes fades, allowing me to see everything in such detail it’s almost overwhelming.

I’m fairly certain the human has gone into shock. She isn’t fighting me or screaming anymore. If I had to bet, she has completely disassociated. I don’t blame her—it’s pretty much what I’m doing too. At least, the human part of me is. The demon part revels in the power I take from my prey, and as I straighten and back away from the woman, I’m filled with a conflicting mix of satisfaction and remorse.

My boots echo off the pavement as I walk away from the alley, tuning out the broken sounds coming from the human I left on the ground. She’ll likely report the attack to the police, but the hunters will step in before it can make it to the media. Keeping secret the monsters that hunt in the shadows, just as they have for decades. But not for much longer, if Lucia gets her way.

At some point, I resigned myself to whatever outcome will arise. This is the most destructive plan she’s had in my lifetime, and whatever threat the hunters believe me to be, I have no power when it comes to this fight. Because I will follow Lucia’s orders, do what she expects of me. And it will be the last time.

TWENTYCAMILLE

The next time I open my eyes, I find myself staring at the ceiling in my bedroom. The darkness gives way to a blurry haze, and I have about ten seconds of relief where I trick myself into believing the horror I endured was nothing but a terrible, twisted nightmare. And then it all comes rushing back.

I bolt upright, gasping for air, as if my lungs have forgotten how to breathe.I can’t breathe. Same as when I watched my friends die.

“Camille.”

I whip my head toward the sound of Harper’s voice. “What happened?” I force out, my voice cracking. “How did I get here?”

She frowns. Her eyes are bloodshot and dark circles cast shadows beneath them. “You were dropped off at HQ. The back service entrance, where you couldn’t be seen from the street. The security team spotted you on one of the surveillance cameras and sent a few hunters after the demon who left you there. We carried you inside to get you checked out before your mom and I brought you home.”

“Did they catch her?” I ask in a small voice.

She nods. “They, uh, found her getting into a vehicle, and Phoebe—” Her voice breaks, and she stops talking as her eyes well.

My own eyes burn, and my vision blurs with tears. “Phoebe and Grayson,” I whisper, unable to erase the memory of watching them…I choke on a sob. “I couldn’t save them.” I shake my head, as if that will change what happened. As if that will bring back our friends.

Harper nods and swallows hard. “I know.” She glances away. “Your mom is still here,” she says hoarsely, then clears her throat and looks at me again. “She thinks you should visit your dad for a few days.”

I exhale a shaky breath. Instead of responding to that, I ask, “What happened to the demon?”

“She was captured and interrogated. We found out her name was Madeline. Seems like she was trying to work her way into Lucia’s inner circle. She was tasked with returning you and…disposingof Phoebe and Grayson.” Her voice shakes with a mix of anger and grief, her jaw working as she struggles not to start crying.

I close my eyes against the burn of more tears, my stomach coiling tight. “What’s going to happen to her?”

“Exactly what she deserves,” Harper says firmly.

Lucia gave Madeline a task she knew the demon wouldn’t survive, and she did it without hesitation. Because the only thing that mattered to Madeline was gaining her queen’s approval.

I nod absently. “Where’s my mom?” I’m not sure I’m ready to face her, but I also want to get it over with.

“Living room. Want me to get her?”

“Sure.” I lean back against the headboard, reaching for the glass of water on the nightstand, and down half of it.

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