He wore nothing more than black pants. They would have blended perfectly with his skin if it hadn’t been for the pit of doom crawling out of his chest, splitting him down the middle.
What was that?
It looked like swirling orange and black smoke trying to claw its way out of him. Were there creatures living inside of him? The thought was unsettling.
He had short black hair with two enormous horns curving backward. His ears curled inward as if burned by fire. And his eyes were deep, bright red.
At least the pictures Dad had drawn of him over the years were right.
But I supposed there was no wrong image of the Devil. He was eternal, constantly evolving with time. He could’ve looked completely different since Dad last saw him.
“Kara.”
The way my name scraped across my skin like barbed wire stiffened my spine. That voice invoked fear. And I wasn’t immune. The chills returned, sweeping through me like waves of sadness and despair radiating from him.
But I’d had a lifetime of dealing with terrifying things, so I concealed my emotions.
When he was just a few feet away, I held out my arms in welcome and hollered, “So, it’s true. You’ve come for me, mate?”
Those bright eyes swept over me.
“Does it look like I’ve come for a mate?”
His voice was inhuman and eerie—just like him. He sneered, flashing his right fang again.
“Perhaps I’m here for a pet before she floats away like paper in the wind.”
My anger spiked, but I didn’t show it. I smiled instead.
“Well, this hardly seems fair for a first meeting. Shouldn’t you ask for my name if I’m to be a pet?”
Like hell I’d be his pet.
“I’m not one to play games,” he warned, and the world burning inside his chest seemed to brighten. Now that he was closer, it looked more like lava seething beneath his skin.
When the Devil stepped forward, I took a step back.
It wasn’t smart to run. The second he tried to grab me; I’d run as fast as my legs could carry me. I would make capturing me the biggest nuisance imaginable.
“Kara.”
My name tore out of his mouth like a pained sigh, and my pulse jumped. I hated how freely he said it.
“It’s time to grow up.”
I quirked a brow.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I still live at home.”
His chest expanded as his nostrils flared, then he tilted his head.
“Tell me, did you watch your father fade away?”
My smile waned, and all too soon, I realized I had given him exactly what he wanted.
“Grim can’t protect you anymore. He’s gone, Kara. And now, who’s going to protect you? It’s better for you to come to me.”
A rock rolled across the stone path as the Devil took a step forward—while I took another back.
