Page 69 of Hunted By Fear

I followed God blindly for centuries, but in a moment of confusion, he’d tossed me aside. I’d questioned Lucifer too, but he’d happily discussed with me, questioning anything Father said was forbidden.

Luce said I didn’t ever have to step foot in the library again if I didn’t want to, and for the past five hundred years, I haven’t. I’ve enjoyed everything but knowledge, in the form of both men and women, angel, demon, and mortal.

I’d never intended to set foot in here again; there was no reason worth it…until there was.

Aeri, she was worth it.

She was worth everything, and I already didn’t deserve her. I’d deceived her, thinking I could fuck her out of my system like I’ve done with who even knows how many others over the years. But the universe has a sick sense of humor because now I’ll never fuck another. I know it, feel it deep in my bones and my sorry, shriveled soul.

Aeri is mine, though, and while I doubt she would ever want me, I need to fix this. She deserves so much more than what life has given her: a sadistic angel stalker, a broken demon, the devil, and Bast. At least she has Bast. He loves her well enough for the rest of us and has since the day she walked into that apartment and changed everything.

No, it’s the rest of us who suck, which is wild because he’s supposed to be the one with an aversion to women!

Poor girl.

I slam the book closed with a curse when I find nothing of use, again.

Researching is hard; sitting here while so much energy and adrenaline pumps through me is damn near impossible. Every time I close my eyes, I see her, screaming, crying in bed, woken from yet another nightmare.

I’m seething, damn near panting, and I know I need to do something, find a way to expel this energy before I lose my shit.

But maybe losing my shit is exactly what I need to do.

The usual way is out of the question, but I might have something even better.

Pushing to stand, I take a moment to breathe in the extra strength that comes from being in Hell before I teleport back to the penthouse. I stand for a moment in the too-quiet kitchen. Muted scents fill the air; it’s been a while since we were here, and even longer since she was. Despite that, I can’t seem to stop myself from moving down the hall to her room.

I feel like a creep; I probably am, but even still, that doesn’t stop me.

Standing in the middle of her room, I breathe in her barely there scent. It’s sweet and warm, and for the first time since Kai found her, not dripping in fear.

All demons can smell potent emotions, but unlike Bast and Asta, I get nothing from them, just a tight feeling in my chest that tells me to go back to Hell.

It catches me by surprise, taking me a moment to realize what it is I’m feeling.

I miss her.

Looks like I need to make this quick. After all, I have a notebook full of ideas on how to win her over that I’m dying to put to the test.

Rome isn’t hard to find, though I didn’t think he would be. He’s strong, and with that comes an ego that could crush mountains.I can’t kill him—well, probably not—and though I really want to try, that’s not the purpose of this little adventure.

No, right now my only goal is to cause havoc, which is something I’ve become quite good at over the years.

I reach out to him in his mind, and though it’s been years since I’ve done it, he’s easy enough to find.

“Come have a talk with me, brother.”

He doesn’t respond, but I feel him, and I know he hears me.

I feel him as his consciousness peeks into mine to see who has called on him, and then he’s here in front of me.

“Dantalian,” he sneers, not even trying to hide the disgust in his voice as he looks me over, as if I’m shit on the bottom of his shoe.

“Talian, now actually. Has been for the last, hm, I don’t know, thousand years now.” I plaster a smile on my face that isn’t even a little bit nice, but if he notices, he doesn’t comment.

“Have you come to bring my Aerilyn back?” he asks, and though he tries, he’s unable to hide his hope.

I laugh. I can’t help it, because he must have scrambled his brain on the trip over here.