Silencing The Siren

6. The Man Who Would Be King

Calliope barely managed to push herself into a sitting position, leaning against the wall. Her legs were shaking from even the smallest movements.

Asmodeus squatted in front of Calliope and let out a short, bitter laugh. Then, his gaze softened. He reached his big, tan hand out to stroke her sun-kissed cheek, and he almost looked sorry for his actions.

Calliope flinched away from Asmodeus, terrified, and let out a quiet whimper. He had the audacity to appear hurt. Suddenly, she could feel the way that he had been longing for her, needing her... But also hating her for it.

Then, Asmodeus' lust was gone. It had been replaced with a rage that was so terrifying, that Calliope was afraid to look at him. Yet, she forced herself to peek at his face from underneath her long lashes.

He's still so handsome, Calliope thought. Asmodeus had long black hair, unnatural ocean-blue eyes, which would turn a nightmarish black when he was angry, and flawless tan skin that was accentuated by his pouty lips, high cheekbones, and sharply arched eyebrows–one with a thick scar cutting through it and down over his eyelid, ending right underneath his eye.

I remember that scar, Calliope thought. He had a party one night. Menoetius tried to hit on me, and he grabbed me and hurt me when I turned him down. Then, he tried to force himself on me. Asmodeus caught him, pulled him off me, and started beating him... But his half-brother pulled a knife on him. She stared up at Asmodeus' eyes, remembering the way that he used to hypnotize her with his piercing gaze, and the way that she would get lost in the waves. She sat there, leaning against the wall, her body aching. She searched the storm in his eyes for an answer, watching as his eyes began to turn darker...

Remembering Asmodeus' feelings for her, Calliope took advantage of his emotions for a few moments, breathing in the anger that he felt and using it, little by little, to try and heal herself. Anger didn't work very well for healing, but it was the only emotion that she had to work with at that moment.

Calliope opened her mind to allow Asmodeus to feel everything that she was feeling. She sent him the physical pain first—from the ache in her muscles to the sharp pain that came from trying to breathe using her swollen and bruised throat—before sending him the emotional pain that she was struggling with. She sent him the longing that she had felt for him in the time that they had been apart. She also sent him the terror, mixed with the excitement, of the possibilities now that they were reunited... Then, she closed her mind, cruelly blocking him out of her mind.

Asmodeus jerked back like Calliope had slapped him when he stopped feeling the mental connection. He appeared sad at first, but his face soon contorted into a murderous rage. As his mood changed, so did his eyes. They became darker and darker until both were entirely black.

"Finally! The demon comes out to play," Calliope sang, then laughed. "Asmodeus wasn't even really trying to hurt me, was he? Well, I can't wait to see what you do, demon."

"I don't know who the fuck you think you are, or what you fucking did to me, but I'm not entertaining your drama! ¡Maldita perra!" the demon hissed through gritted teeth, with a vicious snarl on his face. "I used to feel nothing for anyone. I was smart. I was a damn good ruler. Then, you came along. I started... feeling things. I cared about you. I... Loved... You. But, the moment that you saw this side of me, you left me. You ruined everything!"

"You and your pathetic demons were hurting people and destroying their lives for fun. I couldn't be part of that. You know what? It fucking sucked, dude, because I wanted better for you. Even knowing that you're a cambion, and the literal Prince of Demons, I cared about you so fucking much," Calliope said. She forced a shaky arm up and brushed her fingers delicately along Asmodeus' skin. She caught him admiring the way that her small hand and turquoise nails looked gliding along his chiseled jawline. She felt his muscles tense underneath her hand. He was expecting her to slap him, or to do something else cruel–the way that he would... But she didn't. He shuddered under her touch, and she could feel his desire flare inside of him.