Page 49 of Demon Hunger
“You should add you’re glad he didn’t, you jackass,” Jenna suggested.
“Well, I thought the callous part would be enough.”
I rolled my eyes. “I know you guys don’t want me dead, and I…”
My eyes went back and forth from Sage to Benjamin. I’d never discussed personal details of my relationship with Drevan with them, and I didn’t feel like starting now. I could only talk about this with Jenna.
“Look,” I added, “I need to think about what happened. Wrap my head around it, you know. I also need to study, so can you catch me up?”
Benjamin nodded in understanding, but Sage gave me a narrow-eyed gaze that told me he suspected more about my reasons for clamming up.
After a moment of scrutinizing my face, he pushed his textbook away and stood. “I need to take a break. Jenna and Benjamin can catch you up.”
My shoulders slumped, and whatever little desire I had to study drained out of me. I was so tired. So tired. Giving a shit was exhausting. Life had been easier when I was a prideful brat. It wasn’t hard to figure out why most people turned to resentment or indifference. It was easier to cope when you either hated everyone or didn’t give a damn about them.
We studied for a couple of hours, Jenna doing her best to summarize all the material. Eventually, hunger got the best of us, and we left the library in search of food.
“They only have sandwiches in the cafeteria,” Sage said. “Let’s go out. I want a hot meal.”
The fair at the league’s cafeteria wasn’t the best during the weekend, but I didn’t feel like going anywhere.
“You all go,” I said. “I’ll eat in the cafeteria and study a little more.”
“I’ll stay with you,” Jenna said.
“You don’t have to.”
“I insist.”
Benjamin opened his mouth to say something, but Jenna cut him off.
“You two go.” She gave him a pointed look.
Sage huffed and walked away. “Do whatever the heck you want.”
Benjamin got the hint and went after Sage while Jenna stayed with me.
“You don’t have to stay with me,” I tried, but Jenna batted a hand at the air, hooked her arm in mine, and led us toward the cafeteria.
Once equipped with a couple of club sandwiches, French fries, and a drink, we sat across from each other at a small table in a far corner of the cafeteria. She didn’t pry, didn’t ask any questions. Instead, she let me be, simply offering her moral support.
“Did you know that demons used to be humans?” I asked when we were halfway through our meal.
She dropped the French fry she’d been holding and blinked in surprise. “Where did you hear that?”
“Jophiel told me.”
“I don’t think you can trust anything that comes out of that asswipe’s mouth.”
“He said… he said that Khargon was the first Redeemer—that’s what he called me, a Redeemer.”
“Khargon?”
I nodded.
“And a… Redeemer has to be human, right?”
Another nod.
