Demons

“How did you find me?” I hissed, straining to see my captor.
A man’s voice answered with a hint of disdain,
“I know your kind, you’re all the same.”
“You are sadly delusional, Jace.” I relaxed slightly to have identified him even though my eyes were firmly covered with a black cloth. “I am as different from the next as a human is to his neighbor.”
“Shut you, monster. You’ve already gotten on my nerves by running away and I have something very sharp in my hand and it’s inching to become better acquainted with you.”
I stopped talking.



“Jace, they really want this one.” Tom brushed up the dirt beside my body in which they were all convinced was currently asleep.
Concentrating carefully on the three boys standing around me I sensed the boy named Jace’s eyes narrow.
“And why is that?” His tone was controlled.
I felt Erick’s eyes roll. “Same thing as always, of course; she must be wickedly powerful.”
“Interesting choice of words. Do know what she can do yet?”
“No idea, Jace.” Tom said, shrugging. “We’ve kept her drugged up to the max just in case and she hasn’t talked yet.”
“When did she fall asleep?”
“Right before you arrived.” Erick answered quickly and added as though it was crucial he said it, “But she would stare at us, with a slight smile, like she could-” But he fell silent at a pointed look from Tom.
I forced myself not to smile, still straining to feel out every movement.
“It wasn’t a big deal, Jace, honestly.” Tom’s heart rate jumped as he tried to cover up for his friend.
There was a painful moment of silence.
“Erick. Look at me.” His eyes rose unwilling from my curled form to meet Jace’s. “What is the problem with falling in love with Demons?” Jace whispered in a surprising soft voice.
“They’re evil as hell?” Erick suggested and now it was Jace’s turn to hold back a smile.
“Besides that?”
“They-um-they…ummm-”
“They can’t fall in love back.” Tom finished for him, his gaze lost in the surrounding forest.
Jace nodded his approval.
“Demons are void of most human emotions, and anything as gentle or selfless as love is far past their scope.” I felt my teeth bearing slightly behind closed lips, but luckily only Jace saw it. He continued talking though, his eyes fixed on me now and I had an acute feeling that he knew I was awake and possibly awake for the entire time. “So you claim that she was watching you funnily, as though she could see right through you, perhaps?”
Erick nodded, looking a tinge apprehensive.
“That is all psychological, your ability to feel makes you incredibly difficult for her to understand you on any level besides pure physicality.”
I didn’t have time to gouge Erick’s purely physical response before I was sorely distracted by a different presence very close to where I lay, feigning sleep.
“I know you’re awake. Now sit up very slowly and don’t do anything foolish if you still value your cursed life.” I held very still as Jace whispered very close to my ear.
After a long moment or two, as instructed, I pulled myself up in a timely fashion and focused my gaze on the boy reaching manhood named Jace but again my attentions were diverted to the large, obviously sharp sword held tightly in his hand, pointed at my heart.
I was only slightly comforted by the hand dagger pressed against my left heel because even though yes, I could pull it out of my shoe and chuck it at his neck, this boy was in absolutely no danger of death by my hand, not at moment at least. At the moment, I was in shock.
I’d never seen a human so fierce or beautiful in my entire life of fifteen years. His features looked carved and perfect in the fading light of a completely crappy day for me at least. His eyes were dark but bright, alight with hatred, all for me.
My shins and knees began to burn slightly in my kneeing position. Trying to retain whatever dignity I had, I nodded coolly at his weapon and lifted my chin ever so slightly.
I heard Erick’s laughter but continued to watch Jace steadily.
“Haughty, isn’t she?” He said, delighted at Jace’s astonishment.
Astonishment? I didn’t get that from him, how strange. Now looking harder I could see the emotion etched on his face but concentrating with a bit of fury I realized I wasn’t able to read any of his emotions but had to guess them from his expression, like someone normal.
I hissed in frustration.
Erick who thought it was in response to his comment sobered up his face, eyes fearful and wary. Even Tom took a full step back. But Jace hadn’t reacted in anyway but to push his sword a few inches forward so the tip touched my chest.
Tom asked, “Well, are we just going to kill her then?”
“No, you said she was sorely wanted?” Jace asked Tom, looking thoughtful. “Oh this is ridiculous.” He said suddenly to me. “Give me that knife.”
My hand which had previously been hesitating toward the little dagger at my heel now reached down to retrieve it. I didn’t even consider taking his life as my arm obediently reached out and handed him my only weapon.
My eyes widened while I fully appreciated my hasty action and I glared at the boy now twirling my dagger.
“Pretty.” He said, admiring it.
“What are you?!” I spat out.
He said nothing, just watched me. My heart beat frantically and I was uncomfortably aware of the sword point cutting into my skin.
“He just knows how to deal with your kind.” Erick said with a savage pleasure at my helplessness. Men.
I let a smile that I’ve carefully mastered fill my face as I surveyed Jace, wondering if he would react like his friends who immediately took to me, charmed.
Instead I was rewarded by increased pressure from the sword and rather than tempting him he now looked scared, fearful of me for the first time.