Prologue (Alexius)
"He's not one of us."
"I hear he's half-breed."
"A cambion."
The whispers of my people rang in my head even while I slept. No matter what I could do, I could never escape the scorn or disappointment that clung to me like thorns, cutting me down, tearing me open.
I wasn't like them, and I already knew that, yet they felt as if they had to constantly remind me that I wasn't normal, that I wasn't one of them. It stung that even my own guardian wouldn't look at me directly when he woke me up in the morning to begin the day. In fact, that was usually the only time he spoke to me. My own guardian couldn't even bear the thought of being around me and he already received scorn for having taken me in and I wondered every day why he bothered.
Why was I so different?
I didn't understand it. So I was a bit shorter, it couldn't be that, could it?
My people were beautiful creatures, in both demon form and human form. They were pure demon, though, through and through. They were usually very tall, leanly muscled beauties that could seduce anyone, after all, that was how we fed.
We the incubi and succubi.
Our realm was the most beautiful, but also the most deadly. While it looked like something out of a story book to humans, it was made that way in order for humans to think they've reached a sort of haven or dream realm. Little did they know that they had stumbled straight into a nightmare.
We fed off lust. It kept us powerful, alive, full.
We also devoured the sanity that the humans slowly left behind with each visit that they left with us.
See, humans were fragile, gentle creatures in their mental form. While cruel and greedy, they couldn't protect themselves from my people. We were strong and addicting. We were like a potent drug that the humans couldn't resist. They told themselves just one more, one more visit... or maybe after this one, or the next, or the next.
And before they knew it, we were sucking out their energy to keep themselves sane, to keep themselves alive. Usually the humans were driven insane by our presence and killed themselves. It was a sad existence for them, but of course, I could never voice that opinion to my people.
They were already at odds with me and voicing sympathy for another creature would only bristle them further.
While we primarily focused our attention on humans, we occasional preyed on other creatures of the world. Very few preyed on the gods, however. Rumors spead amongst our people that should we ever fall into the dream of a god, we will soon find ourselves torn to pieces. We stuck mostly to humans, feeding from them at least two to three times a day.
We were demons that fought to survive, hid away in our beautiful realm of mystery and nature that to us was home sweet home, and nightmare realm to all those who threaten us.
At least, that's how it was supposed to be for me.
But our realm could be as beautiful as it wanted and I would never feel safe or wanted here.
There was something wrong with me.
I didn't understand and no one explained it to me.
They called me a cambion... the halfling spawn of demon and human. A wretched being that could both feed from human and be fed from, or so they whispered, but my guardian, though he spoke not to me more than once a day, firmly stated that I was not food... Instead, he said my blood was poisonous to those who drank from it and it only kept people further away.
But, then, I suppose solitude was better than being attacked.
And I could never protest to the rumors. How could I? I didn't know who my parents were. I didn't know where I came from. I couldn't remember anything about my past. For as long as I could remember, I was living with my guardian, amongst the people who resented me, spat at me, curled their lip when I passed through the village.
I wasn't tall like they were. I wasn't sadistic like they were. I wasn't pure like they were.
I had the same black overgrown nails on my fingers and toes. I had hair the color of dark chocolate that fell to my shoulders in soft, smooth locks. My eyes were a very pale green, nearly silver at times, with the same thin, sharp pupil in the center. I had the same pointed ears and small, black horns that peeked through my hair.
And yet, they didn't treat me like them. I was some kind of abomination and I knew talking to my guardian would only bring more questions and pain, as I had only once asked him where I came from, only to receive a sharp slap across the face. I knew better than to ask.
I just wished for once, though, that someone, anyone, could tell me where I came from.
Where were my parents?
Were they dead?
Where did my human blood come from? My incubus blood?
"I wish you could tell me." I whispered, my knees drawn to my chest as I gazed down at the white lilies that fluttered around the garden behind my home. It seemed like only the plants wouldn't shy away from me here. They weren't scared of me. They seemed pleased whenever I touched their delicate petals, the vines even crept up from the garden to my bedroom window, and only my bedroom window.
I sighed, brushing the hair back from my face to peer down into the puddle near my feet, the silver bracelets around my ankles and wrists jingling as I moved. I paused, staring at my reflection. I'd been in plenty of dreams and fed off plenty of humans. The unsuspecting humans always said the same thing.
You're so beautiful.
Touch me more, please.
Let me hold you tightly in my arms.
They called me beautiful. They didn't mind touching me either, but they didn't know. They knew nothing of what it was like to be cursed in so many ways that it often made me wonder why I didn't simply starve myself to death.
I rested my chin on my arms, letting the gentle warm wind ruffle my loose white elbow-length shirt, tickling my skin, gazing out over the garden and from the top of the hill that our house rested on. Just beyond was a very beautiful lake that was the center of the village that went all the way around it, bustling with activity.
Even from here, I could hear the other incubi and succubi laughing and chattering excitedly, discussing their latest victims and trends and rumors. Rumors of which I was constantly involved in. I fought hard not to go into town and remained home, only leaving to the human realm to seduce humans to eat before coming back. I avoided the others because I knew I'd only receive their scorn.
They hated me...
Hated me for something I couldn't help, something I couldn't stop.
But that's okay.
A dog could only be kicked so many times before it became vicious.
And I couldn't fight the boiling heat inside me that wanted blood...
Their blood.
Everyone's blood.
Stop hating me! Stop talking about me! Stop throwing things at me! Stop setting traps! Stop hurting me!
Stop it, stop it, stop it!
Stop it or I swear to the gods that I will kill you...