The Tumultuous World of A Demi-Demon

Chapter Seventeen

I pulled myself towards him until our chests touched and the corner of my lips quirked up. "Devlin, thank you for finally sharing that with me. I know that wasn't easy."

His eyes widened. "Wait! You knew?"

"Everett told me..."

Devlin scoffed, "Does that man know everything?"

I lifted my shoulders then dropped them. "Pretty much."

We let a slow song play between us as we rocked to its beat. The lights dimmed to give more of an effect to the rosy lyrics, but we paid little attention to them. We focused on each other.

"What's your great secret?" Devlin asked, sounding very intrigued with what I had to say.

I looked at the mural of creatures at war above my head, then took a breath in and said, "You're probably going to find it silly."

He waved me off and reminded me, "Nothing you say will ever sound ridiculous to me."

"You are the only friend I have ever had," I said with a broken but healing heart. "Growing up, I was always alone or locked up from other kids because my family feared I would hurt them. We didn't meet in the greatest of areas but being here with you is the closest to prom and a date that I have ever gotten to ... so thank you."

I meant those words of gratitude. Every single one of them had my soul poured into it.

Devlin was speechless for a moment. Then his features softened, and he said, "You're welcome, Jules. Why don't we say from now on any time I have to come for these damn things you come as my right-winged woman."

I chuckled. "Deal, you weirdo."

The song came to an end, and we decided to part ways. He needed to go to his family and didn't want to put me in harm's way out of fear of the crowd's reaction. So, he told me to go to the furthest corner possible and wait for his signal. I complied and did just that.

However, as I waited, a very familiar figure passed by me, and I couldn't help but follow it. I found myself by the beverage area and watched as the masked individual removed his mask to take a drink. My heart froze upon seeing his signature slicked-back hair and the massive red scar across his right cheek.

"Dad!" I cried out, grabbing the unmasked man's attention. Before he could utter a word or even react, I ran and enveloped him in a huge hug, "Dad, it's really you!"

"Julane?" The shock came from his parted lips as he looked taken back. "My juju?"

"Yeah," I said, pulling away from him so that I could see his olive-glazed face and he could see my shimmering chocolate one. That was when I saw it written all over his face: fear.

"Julane, you shouldn't be here! This place is dangerous for a half-human like yourself," he explained in a loud whisper only I could hear, judging by the looks of a few around us.

"Dad, you've been gone for almost a year! I wanted to see you and the underworld – I wanted to see this place for myself."

"Juju, this isn't a place for you! I've told you that for years, and, looking at how you managed to get here of all places, I can just imagine how much trouble you'll get into." Frustration bit his tongue bitter. "Whatever your reason is, you shouldn't be here."

"What do you mean I shouldn't be here? This is what the other half of me calls home, remember? I have every right to it as you do!"

He held my arm and had begun dragging me to the corner when a giant man with an equally massive crown cried out Devlin's name to the whole royal parade upon seeing him. We both froze as we turned to see Devlin and his father embracing each other's warmth. He was overjoyed to see his child after so long, and each action of his showed that. I should have been happy for him. I wanted to break into delighted claps like the other royal families, but I was overridden with a paroxysm of jealously as my dad pulled me away from the scene.

His father held his child like an Olympic torch to the gathered crowd while mine hid my small flame in the furthest corner possible. Overwhelmed with regret, tears started streaming down my face as we exited to a nearby, empty balcony. There, my father released me and asked me to keep my voice down as I sobbed.

Pushing back much of his slicked hair back, he bit his bottom lip then asked, "How in the Hell did you get here?"

I wiped the wetness off my face, then explained, "I got a courier job for an Underworld to Human World delivery services and vice versa. Got one order and ended up down here."

His eyes enlarged. "And your mother did she have any say in this since you're still living under our roof?"

I nodded. "She was fine with it under certain conditions, but I broke them and ended up down here in Caput."

Dad turned away from me and ruffled his hair out of infuriation, then looked my way and snapped, "Does it ever occur to you that we give you rules for a reason? We are trying to look out for you."

"Well, it honestly feels like you are trying to enslave me on Earth," I scoffed, feeling rather irate. I didn't want to talk to him anymore, especially if this was going to make me upset.

Dad's brows furrowed. "Julane Suzie Jones, I expect such comments from a child."

"Then stop treating me like one," I retorted, surprising the both of us.

I battered my eyes and did my best to not roll them. Irritated was an understatement of how I was feeling then. I was livid and incredibly hurt. With crossed arms, I shook my head and wished he'd disappear for a moment – at least until I had a cool head.

The Lord heard my prayers when a man in a crimson army uniform like my father rushed out and called, "Raj! It's a miracle the future king has returned! He and King Furo call for you!"

My father turned to his fellow soldier and said he'd be right there. However, before he left to return to the palace, he warned me, "We are not going to discuss why I know you shouldn't be in the Underworld. You are going to wait here until I come back, and then we are going home."

XXX

Some time had passed, and the night grew chilly and eerie. Despite all the lights the mansion had, I couldn't help but feel as though someone was watching me. Very closely.

I stood by the balcony with my hands shielding my arms from the bitter cold of the nighttime air. I had managed to calm myself down, but that didn't mean I didn't feel like shit. Like an awful aftertaste of an argument, I felt low because I expected more of a positive reaction out of him than the disdainful and belittling one that I got. Deep down, the little girl in me just hoped to see her father's smile and be welcomed into his world as she had always dreamed of. However, that was evidently far from that reality, and that hurt more than anything else.

A strong gust of wind blew by, and I hugged myself tighter. Tired of waiting around to get frostbite, I turned on my heels and began my way back to the party when I spotted two women waiting for me by the door. The fairer one had hair as red as fire and wore a slender-fitting black dress, while the other had neon green buns and a dark emerald ballgown. I was about to make my way past them when the one with green hair laid her hand on my shoulder and squeezed so tightly; I broke out in an agonizing scream. The whole party went silent, and suddenly everyone's eyes were on the two women and me.

"Now, now, kitty," the lady in green purred, releasing my bruised shoulder. "Why did you have to scream like that? It's just me, your friend, Madame Sharq."

My heart dropped. Another nightmarish blood spill was about to take place and Lady Hepler and Madame Sharq would be the root of it.