Page 55 of Demonic Cage
My fingers immediately find their way to the drawing of Pandora. It’s on the same page, in exactly the same spot. It’s adorned with artistic letters, yet clearly handmade. How could anyone make such an exact copy without the assistance of a printer?
I head to the dark bookshelf made of pitch-black bricks. I take down a large, brown leather-bound volume and flip through it. Sizeable drawings cover the yellowish paper. I first saw these creatures in ancient history books. A three-headed dog and a hundred-headed sea monster slain by Heracles. Lion and snake-headed monsters snarl, and cyclopes and blood-sucking harpies fight on the pages. We learned about them in stories at home, but maybe I grabbed the book titledHow to Train Your Pet in Hellfrom the shelf. I check the beginning to confirm my suspicions.Creatures of Défteros Kósmos– Beings of the Second World. These really exist! Which one will I have to fight against?
I gaze into the blood-speckled eyes of the three-headed dog. If I remember correctly, he always guards something. Maybe a weapon? And what if this monster is the Demon King’s house pet? I slam the book shut. Kripot is right. It doesn’t matter which monster I get, I have no chance. Maybe I should make better use of my remaining time.
With this thought, I look up from my book, straight to Darya lying on the black covers. The same thought as when I was with Nathan crosses my mind.
I just go there. I’ll get what I want. A momentary pleasure. It won’t hurt. Not afterward, because I don’t care.
Although, I know this is a lie. It always hurts. Every rejection from Nathan pierced my heart, hurting more than Darya’s bite, which made my lips swollen. How well does the Kraldem sleep?
I put the book back and slowly approach the bed. My heart beats in my throat as I approach the Demon King, who sleeps so deeply next to me. How many people does he trust this much? Did he sleep like this next to Léthé, too?
I don’t even notice how close I am until I tower over him, looking down at his flawless, pale body. No, I reassure myself. He’s not human.
As I move carelessly, I accidentally bump into a black wing hanging off the bed. I freeze, not daring to breathe. However, the Kraldem just sighs and continues sleeping. I exhale slowly and curse. How could I be so stupid to even get this close to a snake? I’m about to return to the scrolls when a cold hand grabs my wrist, and a moment later, I find myself among the black covers. I desperately try to break free.
“Let me go!” I shout, striking at the Demon King, but he easily restrains me.
“If you stay calm, I won’t bite you,” Darya says, too vividly for having just woken up.
“This isn’t fair! Let me go!” I shout.
“Why did you come here?” Darya’s eyes are close to mine, too close. I feel the fiery scent of his breath. Without thinking, I respond.
“So I could strangle you in your sleep!”
The Kraldem’s face darkens and his eyes’ deadly glare overwhelms what’s left of my fighting spirit. Only now do I realize what I’ve done. I threatened the king of demons. Sometimes I forget who Darya really is. My palm becomes moist, a drop of sweat trickling down my neck as Darya pins me ontothe bed. Thanks to Sylla, he knows how to break my soul. My hatred for him is replaced by fear.
“So much better,” says the Kraldem, and his face breaks as quickly as before, when fear slid up the back of my neck. His lizard-like grin brings forth my anger once more.
“I love it when you’re afraid!” he adds, and now I realize how much he enjoyed frightening me earlier.
“You asshole…” I mutter.
Darya closes his eyes, and with a demonic smile, he embraces me. He pulls me tightly to him, causing me to blush all the way to my ears.
“Just five more minutes!” he grumbles, and immediately drifts back to sleep.
The Demon King’s cold breath evokes the secret corners of vast limestone caves. His arm sinks deeper into my side, and for the first time, I feel warmth where our bodies meet. I want to touch his face, but I hesitate. This man is a killer. He’s not even a man, but a monster – the king of demons. The more convincing the arguments are that I repeat to myself, the weaker they seem. I should feel hatred, but I don’t. Desire rises within me. I need to escape from here – these feelings suffocate me. However, at my next slow movement, the Kraldem pulls me so close that every possible part of our bodies touch. My head rests on his bare chest and my lips brush against his cold skin. Every muscle in my body tenses, and it stays that way for a while.
Then I relax. I don’t feel the fear, I don’t feel the terror anymore. I know this is a dangerous game, but I lose myself in Darya’s chest. I inhale the scent of deep caves, and as I rest my forehead against his pale skin, I let his steady heartbeat lull me to sleep.
“Good morning, my little champion,” Darya greets me. I blink awake and wriggle from his arms.
“I didn’t expect you to be such an early riser,” Darya grumbles with feigned annoyance as he stretches, his wings extending with such speed that I jump back. He flips off the bed, and I can admire his finely sculpted, beautiful back. I’ve never seen how the wings connect before. It’s terrifying yet mesmerizing. It’s evident his entire body is built for this. His shoulder blades have thickened, and tight muscles starting from his slim waist and gripping into the broad expanse of his back merge with his wings as though they have become one. The sight dazzles me.
“What’s it like when you fly?”
Darya flaps his wings. The motion sends ripples through his well-defined back muscles, and I take a deep breath. He walks over to me.
“You move with them. When you transform, your body molds around them. For a demon, wings are crucial. They make us both earthly and celestial beings simultaneously. If a demon loses his wings, he not only loses his connection to earth and sky, but it also disrupts his relationship with himself.”
“And if the herebias lose them?”
Darya’s face creases, but it’s more of a smirk. Perhaps because I’ve referred to them as herebias for the first time.
“You mean like fallen angels…? I don’t think it’d be worse or better for them. They’d face the same rupture in their bond as we would. They wouldn’t be free anymore.”
