Page 97 of The Demon Prince

Her heart squeezed and Spite slithered into her lap. It was getting a little stronger these days, but it certainly didn’t look like itself anymore.

Setting the book on the bed, she gently ran her hand down the back of the spirit. “You don’t look like yourself at all, little one. Is something wrong?”

It shook its pale head and seemed almost like it was ready to speak. But then they both heard a thud on the outside of the room. Katherine almost asked, “What was that?”

Why would she, though? She knew it was nothing good.

So much for getting through this visit without having someone causing an issue. Although, she supposed, that was unavoidable. She needed to find someone to help her carry this trunk back to the castle, and that wasn’t going to happen easily. No one wanted to risk their own necks to help Gluttony’s “favored”.

Sighing, she settled the little spirit back onto her bed. “You stay here where it’s safe. If someone comes into this room, hide. Run to the castle if you have to, but do not try to help me. Do you understand?”

It gave a worried little chirp.

Not at all like the Spite, she knew. The bitter little spirit was all too happy to cause trouble and mischief. But this version of it seemed... concerned. Worried. Fearful even as it plopped off her bed, made its way to her window, and then disappeared past all the people who had gathered there. They couldn’t see it, and for that, she was very thankful.

Shaking her head, she took her time walking through the boarding house. She knew there was an argument waiting for her, but she didn’t think they would actually hurt her. No one had put their hands on her before, but they might ban her from the town.

She had to be all right with this treatment. They would not accept her choices and she would not accept theirs.

Katherine lifted her hand to shade the sun that split through the mist as she walked out to greet her people. A whole crowd had formed in front of her window, and thus in the center of the town. So many faces she didn’t recognize, and many more that she did. They were all gathered together, strangers and friends alike, to glare at her with hatred in their eyes.

“Why are you here, witch?” Someone shouted.

“I’m gathering my things.”

“Leaving curses, more like,” another person muttered.

It was hard to tell who was speaking in the crowd. They all seemed to mutter over each other until all she could hear was a garbled mess of fear and disgust. They didn’t want the crippled hag to wander through their homes, leaving bad luck in her wake.

They’d never thought of her like this before. She might have come from an unfortunate family history, but she had never been some creature for them to look down upon.

Who had spread these lies? This venom that had infected her people?

Narrowing her gaze, she looked through the crowd and found them. The strangers who had infiltrated her town. They watched her with vivid eyes that saw too much. Eyes that expected her to fight or grow angry. To prove that she had turned into a monster just like the man they all hated.

But that was not who Katherine was. She’d never wanted to harm her people or make their lives harder. She just wanted them to see her as a person and to let her exist.

So instead of arguing back, she merely clutched the book to her chest, ducked her head, and started through the crowd. There was no other path for her to go. She had to walk through them to get out of the town, and maybe Gluttony would return with her to get her things later. The room was unlocked, so maybe she would be looted. But they were just things.

This was starting to feel like it could get out of hand, and she didn’t think it was safe to stay a moment longer.

The first shove came from her left, thankfully. She placed all her weight on her good leg and stumbled. But at least she stayed upright. They learned after that. More hands shoving, pulling, pushing, moving her left and right until her bad leg eventually gave out.

She’d gotten a considerable way through them, though. So when she hit the planks, she was near the edge of the boardwalk. She stared into the green water, all the more colorful in the sunlight, and she saw everyone’s reflection behind her.

Angry faces. Faces that had always looked at her with pity, but now, she only saw hatred.

She couldn’t stay here. They were going to kill her, and in a very painful way. She just wanted to go back to Gluttony. Back to safety.

“Hey!” Grace’s voice split through some of the others. “What are you doing? Shame on you! Let her through.”

But as she turned to look over her shoulder, she saw hands on Grace’s waist. They tugged her away from the crowd, away from helping her friend, and she knew this was going to get bad. Quickly.

A boot connected with her jaw. She bit through her tongue and the bitter taste of blood bloomed. She gasped and some of the warm liquid trickled down her chin. Who had kicked her? Why would they do that?

But apparently that’s what the rest of the mob had been waiting for. They started kicking however they could, connecting with her ribs and her hips. Seeking out the soft places on her body that would hurt the worst for her. All her nightmares came to life.

“Witch!” they shouted. “Cripple! The gods did this to you because they knew what was in your heart.”

---