Page 67 of Sweet Violence
He didn't have horns or spikey bits, didn't have a tail or tusks or really anything demonic. But then, neither did my mates and I. And I realised pretty quickly that meant they were more powerful.
This guy had deep golden skin, brown eyes, and a scowly, serious look to him. He was dressed casually in a black T-shirt and jeans. I'd really been picturing a big, ugly guy with spikes, spines, and a loincloth.4
"If you spoke so disrespectfully to the big guy at the top," the boring, human-ish demon replied, lip curled back from perfect teeth in a sneer, "you'd bedead. Learn some fucking manners, before we beat them into you."
Joseph growled so suddenly that I startled, his cowl fluttering around his face and the bottom of his cloak churning with black smoke. He shot forward, scythe slashing through the air, but froze when a fierce voice resonating with power ordered, "Stop!"
Every bit of movement in the foyer halted; even the demons brawling stumbled to a halt to watch the powerful bastard storm towards us. See, this guy got it. He looked human enough, with pale skin, curling black hair, and severe features that made him look like a vulture, but he had a long cloak that swooshed dramatically around his tall, narrow frame, and he flickered with power and flame.
Totalvillain vibes. I nodded approvingly, and watched his eyes flash when they landed on me.
"What is this?" he asked, not taking his eyes off me.
"Thedevilsent us," I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest in a fake sulk and sneering Dev’s name like I despised him.
Joseph spat on the stone floor, like he was disgusted by the D word in my mouth.5
"Apparently I killed too many people, and I'm a 'menace to society,' and I need to 'improve my behaviour' or he's going to put me down. Boring shit, you know?"
The big bad assessed me, something calculating and clever in his eyes that made me nervous. "If you killed so many people, why haven't we heard about it?"
X laughed, the bright sound bouncing off high ceilings and back to us. "You think the devil's gonna go around telling people someone managed to massacre his staff inside his own fortress? As if. He'd look like a right idiot."
The big bad tilted his dark head, considering that.
"How did you get inside the devil’s fortress in the first place?" the sneering, boring-looking demon asked.
"He took me in out of the goodness of his heart," I answered sweetly, batting my lashes. "He thought I was a poor, down-on-her-luck girl who'd never harm a fly. Until I took out his guards, anyway. But can you blame me? I was sobored."
The asshole scoffed, sceptical that I was capable of that. Well, the joke was on him. I'd done much, much worse. Andwoulddo worse to this whole compound as soon as they confirmed they were working with Eidolon to kill the infernal family.
"You were sent here for behaviour training?" the big bad asked, still watching me closely enough to make my stomach squirm.
"Yup."
"Well. I'm interested to see how you'll fit in among everyone here, and how badly you'll suffer. You'll have to earn your place."
Great. But how?
The sneering fucker snorted, giving me and my mates a look like he couldn't wait to see us torn apart.
You too, buddy, you too.
"First, you can join the revel in the great hall. And I'll devise a suitable trial for someone of your deadly prowess."
Uh … should I maybe have kept the bragging to a minimum? I didn't like the sound of this at all.
"Trett, you can show them the way," he said to the sneering motherfucker. With that, he flounced in a dramatic spin and stalked away.
"Nice," I said under my breath. "That is a fucking cool cape."
Joseph snarled, X hissing immediately after, and I lifted my fiery hand in mild warning at whatever had their backs up. Oh the great, sneery fucker was stalking closer. Trett. Not Trent? Not Brett? No, he couldn't possibly have a normal name.
That pissed me off more. He looked so bland and ordinary; his name should have fit.
The scent of blood wafted closer as Trett neared, stopping a few feet away when I wiggled my fiery fingers in reproach. I was lucky the fire wasn't black; that would have been a crazy giveaway. Apparently I still had enough of my own demon fire—or the magic of whoever's blood I'd been injected with, anyway—for my fire to be orange.
"That's close enough, Trett," I purred dangerously—and snorted loudly when someone shouldered him aside.
