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Huh.

Dave paused. Was it weird to feel proud because a minion he didn’t even know existed thought he was strong? Yesterday, he would’ve berated himself and lamented how he was definitely losing it. Today, he walked faster, his chin lifting higher.

It was ridiculous, but ridiculous was the name of the game lately. No point in riling himself up or dwelling on it.

* * *

It was time to give up, right?

How long had he even been walking around for? An hour? Two? Would either of the books Melchom had given him say anything about the way time ran down here? Dave groaned, pacing the crossroads he’d found himself in. He knew for a fact that he hadn’t been anywhere near here when he’d first walked out of the room. For one thing, the walls to the right were filled with rows of paintings.

He would’ve noticed paintings.

All the walls had been bare and dark and depressing. Until now, it seemed.

“The fuck, Dove.”

Dave yelped, his body instinctively turning to the source of the sound.

Melchom was just there, blocking his view of the hall and the closest paintings to them.

“How did you get here?”

Dave hadn’t heard him—or seen him.

“I’m a demon.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“The question is, how did you get here, Dove?” Melchom didn’t look angry. He looked menacing, like a true predator, prowling around their prey.

Dave swallowed when the demon started circling him, one raised eyebrow and that annoying smirk of his in place. “Instinct?” he tried.

The demon, unsurprisingly, snorted. “You were scared earlier,” he noted, his hand gripping Dave’s waist with a scorching touch. “What happened?”

“Why would you ask?” Dave let out a shaky breath.

He hated how stupid he sounded in front of the demon and how insecure he became when he was asked questions he knew Melchom had the answers for. Dave wasn’t sure why it happened—probably because he recognized it as a game, one he didn’t stand a chance at winning. What were even the rules?

“Because—” Melchom paused, a frown marring that ridiculously gorgeous face. “Let’s head to the room.”

Melchom was already forcing Dave’s body to walk in the right direction. Dave would’ve stumbled, if he’d been in any control of his body.

“Why?”

The demon sighed, walking before him. The way he didn’t even glance back at Dave only made the whole experience more infuriating. He could barely pout about it, which made it worse.

Because I don’t want others to see what I’m gonna do to you.

“What are you gonna do to me?” he shrieked.

Dive into your brain.

“Don’t you do that all the time?”

“Not to the extent I’m going to now.”

“That doesn’t sound ominous.”