The Deal with the Demon Prince

*Chapter Thirty*

*Chapter Thirty*

A fireball zipped past Aurora, missing her head by an inch. Another two soared harmlessly past her head. The demon chasing after them grinned, showing a row of serrated teeth.

“We’re really going to get roasted. Can you not use your fire?”

A fourth fireball flew past her. This time, it was so close that she could feel the heat singeing her cheek.

“First, I need my hands. Second, I need to see him to aim. ”

Aurora focused her attention on the child once more. “This is -”

Her breath was knocked out of her. Used to the fact that Royalties weren’t affected by her power, Aurora’s guard dropped. Her eyes met the demon child’s red eyes, and a single stark desire attacked her like a punch to her stomach.

Hunger.

No matter how much he ate, the insatiable gluttony could never be mollified. It was like a tenacious survival instinct that he could not ever control. It was the only emotion he, Gluttony, was capable of feeling.

Sweat covered her forehead, and she felt sick. It was at this moment Aurora wondered how much better off if not worse the other Royalties were. Adrian, she thought and tightened her hold on him. How are you coping with this?

“Is something wrong?”

She could hear the slight frown in his voice. She shook her head then realized he couldn’t see her. “No.”

“Hold on, I’m going to find an empty area and land. Running isn’t working.”

“Don’t even think about it.”

“What?”

“You’re thinking of dropping me somewhere along the way and leading the zombie kid away to kill him.”

“How did -?”

“I saw it again.” She did. When she accidentally met their chaser’s eyes, gluttony wasn’t the only thing she experienced. “I don’t know how many more deaths scenes I can take in a day,” she choked out. “Not to mention they’re freaking vivid.”

Her heart was racing, and she was on the verge of fainting. Her eyes raked over the trees beneath the, and she let the wind to soothe her. Aurora suddenly stiffened, feeling Adrian’s breath tickling her neck. He pressed his nose against the side of her neck.

“Adrian?”

“Raven is one of the strongest of us all, and once he wants to eat something, he will not stop until he’s eaten it. It’s the absolutely lack of rationality -”

No, please no. No.

“- that makes him strong. I have to hold back when there are people around me. Hate me if you want but -”

Please tell me this is not going to happen. No. No. No.

“- I can’t have you around when I fully shift.”

No! You idiot, no!

She felt him loosen his hold around her waist. If she weren’t so frozen with shock and fear, she would have resisted. Yes, even though she knew the outcome would still be the same. Fighting against his strength was like pushing a wall. Her desperate eyes met his blank ones.

That one brief second was enough. Aurora felt useless, utterly and hopelessly useless. Once again, she couldn’t do anything while knowing fully well someone close to her was going to die. Her eyes watered, the first hint of tears moistened her mismatched eyes. She shut her eyes. A single droplet of colorless liquid left her eye and glistened upon catching the sun’s ray.