Page 27 of Demon Bound

“If you’d never met a mortal before now, how did you feed in the hells?” she asked.

He tilted his head back to look up at her. His eyes were blazing cerulean. “We feed on emotional energy. Demons have emotions.”

“You fed on other demons?”

“Yes.”

“Like this?”

A tiny crease formed between his brows as he got to his feet. The lazy, satisfied look was gone. “No.”

Curiosity ate at her. She had to force herself not to ask again. Instead, she pulled the bracelet from her pocket and held it out in her palm. Azreth looked down at it blankly.

“Our agreement?” she reminded him.

He gave her a look that seemed faintly disapproving. But he picked up the bracelet and held it lightly between his hands. A light grew between his palms as magic pulsed through the air, flowing into the bracelet. Raiya watched, rapt. It was a rare joy to have one of her creations actually imbued with magic.

How amazing it must be to be able to have magic at your fingertips. He used it like it was completely natural, like an extension of his body. Like he thought nothing of it.

She glanced up at his face, expecting him to be focused on his magic, but he was watching her. Watching her watching him.

“Are mortals preferable to demons for feeding?” she asked. “Is that why your people come to Heilune? Because we… taste better?”

“They are preferable,” he said, “because they are soft and weak and easily frightened. Your plane is a feast for us.”

She bristled. “We are not weak.”

He gave her a look. He wore no particular expression, but somehow it seemed like an argument anyway.

“We’re not weak,” she repeated.

“You are not strong,” he said slowly. He spoke matter-of-factly, as if trying to convey that he didn’t intend it as an insult. “Mortals are small and easy to break. They cannot put up much of a fight. It is different in the hells. We must fight every day in order to survive. That’s why many try to make their way here, even when it comes with great risk.” He glanced up at her, shrugging one shoulder. “That, and you taste better.”

“Perhaps other demons would have an easier time if they all behaved like you.” She hesitated, weighing whether she should say what she was thinking. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “It isn’t so bad being fed from when you do it like that.”

His eyebrows went up a touch. She felt herself blushing.

He lowered his gaze to the bracelet again. “Perhaps. Not everyone has such a willing donor on hand.”

Donor. She preferred that to “victim.”

The light between his palms faded as he finished charging the bracelet. When he held it out to her, light shimmered from the runes. Raiya smiled, excited to see it work.

“Put it on,” she said.

His eyes narrowed. “You first.”

Raiya’s smile faded. Just like that, the speck of goodwill between them seemed to evaporate.

“I can tell you are a man who does not trust easily, Azreth” she said dryly. She took the bracelet and slipped it onto her arm.She sensed the enchantment latch onto her mind, waiting for instruction. She willed it into action.

Magic darted over her skin, and her complexion darkened to a cobalt blue to match Azreth’s. She rapidly switched through all the colors of the rainbow.

“It changes your coloring,” he observed.

“Yes. And it didn’t even strike me dead in the process.” She took it off and held it out to him. “Now will you use it?”

Hesitantly, he took it from her and slipped it over his wrist. He had to bend the metal open wide, but eventually it fit.