Page 126 of The Prince of Demons

“Gaksi is a great asset to my family,” I said, pushing the shadows off me so that I could sit back on my knees and look up at him. I refused to be hunched over.

His cruel laughter then could have split mountains.

“Oh, innocent girl, Gaksi is your family.” His words hung in the air.

I didn’t say anything, confused. I’d always described him as family.

“How ironic, keeping a creature of the dark in the dark.” He slid a hand under mine, grasping hard enough for my shadows to burst forth.

“Do you know how Reaper knew to address your shadows?”

I blinked, trying to process the king before me.

“They’re Gaksi’s shadows, foolish girl. He was the original sin. The demon that leaped through the portal, possessed a human body, and passed his cursed shadows down the line. He is an ancient ancestor of yours.”

The… original sin? Demons passed down their shadows when they engaged with a human? Gaksi was… like a grandfather? “Those rumors you hear? Of how dangerous it is to engage with a demon? He was the original source of them all.” He brought my hand to his lips, pressing a light, cold kiss there. I shivered. “Your face spills all your emotions, little princess.”

Little princess. The only way I could become one would be if I were married to a—

“So many of them, and not one of them is fear,” he mused, awaiting a response.

Summoning my courage, I answered, “I’m more scared of my mother.”

His black lips twisted into a melancholy smile. “That’s what she said, too.”

“My mother—”

“Paid me a visit, yes.” His head nodded slightly. “Only assassination attempt that surprised me. You can ask your Gaksi all about it. I order him to introduce me to all his descendants.”

“Why?”

He cocked his head, studying me in the way Reaper often did. “To see if they are worthy of my son.”

“Is your son worthy of me?” I gambled, hoping my audacity wouldn’t be punished.

His shadows dropped at once. An arctic chill bit my bones.

“Leave the servants be. My son will find you shortly.”

He misted into nothing, leaving me and Sam alone in the devoid throne room.

* * *

Was I worthy?

Sam pecked me on the forehead, and I all but smacked her back into my dimension.

“Test me again, bird, and I will ensure the end of you,” I seethed.

She pecked again, dropping a note into my hand.

Meet me at moonlight.

I jumped. “Have you been holding this the whole time?” Sam shook her head.

I debated all day whether I should. This was the pivot point. I could feel it. Once I met him at moonlight, there was no going back.

But despite my hesitation and fear of the unknown, when I held onto those words, onto that hope, I had never felt so confident in myself.

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