Page 48 of Oracle
I know you’re going to kill that fucker, and who knows how quickly you’ll be called home to Selene. We couldn’t feel each other when you were there before, so I’m ensuring you know how I feel now. I don’t want any regret when this phase of our life is over.
This isn’t goodbye, yet. I refuse to accept that.
Taking quick, deep breaths to calm the tears that threatened to spill from my burning eyes, I quickly turned around as I heard the jingling of their keys getting closer. Wiping my eyes to hide the evidence of my emotional state, I dug my nails into my palms, causing my brain to focus on that pain instead of the pain in my heart.
“Come on, little piggy,” a guard taunted, snorting at me like an animal as they opened my door and tossed the bread in. “Scurry after your meal like the trash you are.”
I pulled on the mask of indifference and turned around like I was in a trance, face void of emotion as they laughed at me. “You might be trash, but I wouldn’t mind taking a turn with you once the master throws you out at the end of this.”
My blood boiled and I felt my power unfurling within my chest at their blatant words indicating that they would rape me given the chance. They were the fucking trash here and I wanted to get into their souls and twist their minds until they were on their knees pissing themselves and begging for it to end.
Stay calm, Kira. Do not give them a response. It’s almost over.
Keeping my eyes averted from the bastards and on the ground, I picked up the bread and retreated to the back wall, slumping down onto the ground as I had every day since being let off my chains. They’d have no reason to tell Satan that anything was out of the ordinary and that’s all that mattered now. He was testing me with the gradual increase of freedom.
It started with removing me from hanging from the ceiling, then to removing my ankle shackles, until eventually nothing was holding me back. Each phase was a test I had passed, showing my submission.
Lux was right, this was the home stretch of my plan and I couldn’t let it blow up in my face now over their words.
“Pathetic,” one muttered as they realized once again that I wouldn’t talk back or fight them. “I can’t believe she was the shifter that the master was so fucking concerned about.”
The other grunted his agreement. “He probably could have left her running around on Earth and she still wouldn’t have been able to stop him. Stupid woman. We’re lucky they didn’t choose a man to be their savior.”
Thankfully, the door shut and I closed my eyes and took in a shuddering breath to calm the rage I felt boiling within me. After each breakfast session, along would come Satan for my daily blood dose. Anticipation was rolling through me, making me feel jittery.
It would be roughly ten minutes until he made his way down here for me, so I let my mind drift to my loved ones’ faces and all of the shifters' lives hanging in the balance. I had so much to fight for, for them. They would be the strength I needed to straighten my spine and kill him.
Soon enough, I heard the telltale unlocking of my door, right on time. Keeping my head bowed when the door creaked open and he whistled an upbeat tune as he entered, I tried to keep my breathing steady. I needed to calm my racing pulse or else he would know something was wrong.
“Good morning, little pet,” he chirped, accompanied by a vicious smile, “Are you ready for your blood?”
Nodding eagerly like I had since the beginning, I sat up, ready to take the blood when he offered it up. I had to be careful to mimic the same motions each day.
I couldn’t bring up the opportunity to leave this room. Being overly eager to escape could raise red flags. I would wait for him to mention it again.
Think happy thoughts or talk to me. Drown him out as he rambles like all mad villains do until he comes close. Remember the plan. Lure him into a false feeling of victory and security over you. That is when egotistical men slip—when they declare the battle already won in their head, when in truth, the prey has become the hunter.
It was hard not to laugh at the truth in her statement of him rambling. He did seem to be quite fond of his own voice and his story. I could almost verbatim repeat his rants at this point, as it was always the same.
The shifters needed to pay for the death of his love and he wasn’t going to stop his quest for revenge until every single wolf was wiped from existence.
So when he varied from his usual script, it piqued my interest, almost causing me to raise my eyes to look at him as he spoke, his voice drifting closer with his steps. “I wasn’t always like this, you know.”
Clearly, I didn’t know, but I had a feeling he was going to enlighten me.
His overwhelming sulfuric scent burned my eyes as he dropped to crouch in front of me. Reaching out to pull my chin up, I didn’t fight his fingers pressing on me, doing exactly as he wanted.
Focusing on the spot between his eyes, I fought to stay blank as he continued. “Well, I was once young, dumb, and would start fights, but what young demon doesn’t? It wasn’t until Lilly came into my life that I strove to be better for her. I still thirsted for power, but it wasn’t for the reasons everyone thought.”
A sigh fell from his mouth as he paused. “I wanted enough power to protect her. No, Ineededthe power to protect her. She was my treasure. My everything.”
Well, this is different. I knew he loved her and that she was kind, but why is he explaining his own behaviors?
Tell me about it. I don’t want to soften or sympathize with the creature I’m about to attempt to kill.
I began to gather all of the energy within me into a tight ball. It started off small and I willed it to grow and grow as he continued his speech. “It should have been enough. I’m Wrath. Who would dare oppose me or my love? Demons cower in fear of me and the retribution that would be bestowed upon them if they so much as looked at either of us with disdain. But I wasn’t enough for her. I failed her in my complacency with her safety.”
This was a vulnerable side of him that I was not prepared for. I heard his pain so clearly in every word that it had my power flickering as if it was going to be put out, unable to hurt this demon who was so broken.
