Page 29 of Demons and Debts
‘You can stay in this room while you're here. We don't have any others free right now.’
‘Where will you go?’ I ask.
‘I’ll bunk with one of the guys.’
‘Thanks, I guess.’
He snorts. ‘You're probably hungry … I know I am,’ he mutters as he turns away. ‘I'll get you something to eat … Unless you’re feeling up to coming down to the kitchen yourself?’
I should do a little recon of this house while I can.
‘I'll come down with you,’ I say because there's no fucking way I'm staying here for any longer than I need to. If I see an out, I'm going to take it.
* * *
Theo
I leadthe girl to the kitchen, taking her past the other guys’ rooms and down the back stairs instead of via the grand staircase that leads to the foyer.
I glance back at her once in a while to mark her progress since she was hurt pretty badly last night, but she doesn’t look at me at all, instead surveying everything she passes from the original wood paneling of the hall to the plush, cream carpet runner we follow.
Although she seems to be taking everything in, her face remains mostly blank, giving nothing away although she’s a human locked in a house of incubi. She must be nervous at least, but I can’t see any real evidence of it. I do notice that the painkiller must be taking effect, however, because she’s not holding her ribs anymore.
The stairs lead us directly to the kitchens, which, despite this house being old as fuck, is a contemporary masterpiece fit for a Michelin Starred chef. The abrupt change in décor makes her stop and she blinks, looking around unhurriedly at the marble countertops and modern appliances. She steps further into the room and does a slow 360, stopping at the wide fridge.
‘Thought you guys didn’t eat …’ she trails off as she opens it and finds it well-stocked.
Stan, the guy we pay to bring our groceries every week, just made his delivery yesterday so it’s full of fresh produce.
‘Food?’ I snort. ‘Yeah, we eat food just like humans do. We just need a little extra for our demon sides.’
For the first time, I see her twitch and I know she’s suppressing a shudder. She’s scared, I realize. She’s just better at hiding it than most humans I’ve come across.
She closes the fridge and turns away, looking out the bi-fold doors to the patio that leads to the lush, green lawn and then to the forest beyond. She’s back to giving me no inkling of her emotions.
What would it take to make that wall she’s hiding behind crumble I wonder … Maybe I should show her my other form. That’d probably do it! Hiding a grin, I open the fridge she just closed.
‘Hungry?’
She nods, not looking at me still, and I frown. Why doesn’t she …
Then I roll my eyes. I know why. I’ll bet she got told that we need eye contact to exert our power over her kind. I almost laugh out loud.Humans.They’ll believe anything.
‘Silly, silly girl,’ I mutter to myself as she wanders aimlessly around the room. ‘Want some cereal?’ I ask louder.
‘Ok.’
She abruptly sits down at the breakfast bar, looking at me expectantly and I frown. What is this broad’s deal?
But I grab the carton of milk from the door of the fridge and get a bowl and a spoon out. I rummage around in the pantry for my cereal, and I set everything out in front of me. But as I open the box, she stands.
‘I can do that,’ she says, giving a flinch when I look over my shoulder at her.
‘It’s no problem.’
‘No. Of course,’ she acquiesces, but her body remains tense.
With another roll of my eyes, I grab everything and put it down hard in front of her.
