Page 53 of Sleepless Beauties

That batshit crazy laughter cackles through my nerves once more.

“Hellfire, no!” He says like a snap of bones. “She summoned me. And then… she imprisoned me.”

Summoned.

“So you’re a demon?”

“You’re a demon, ‘Arry!” He mocks in a strange, high-pitched accent. “I’m a fucking Prince!”

Okay…

He is… an unstable asshole.

“Why did Zavia imprison you?”

“Tsk, tsk. Do not ask of others what you wouldn’t want others to inquire about you.”

…what?

“You can’t tell me things about Zavia?”

“I cannot provide you with anything other than advice for yourself.”

“You’re a demonic advisor?”

“Aren’t all advisors demonic?”

I blink into the light and wonder if he can see through to this side.

Why would Vuitton think that this psychotic demon could be helpful?

“You can tell me about myself. You can tell me all about Kyra Vega.”

A beat passes.

“Very bold of a human, to try fooling a whole den of vampires, I like that,” he whispers like a spider crawling over the dark wall. “But it’s much harder to deceive a prince of lies,” he adds quietly.

His voice sounds worn and broken.

How long has he been in here?

And how many people have used him like a thing rather than a conscious being?

“What’s your name?” I ask.

I wish I could see him.

“I cannot give you my name. To give my name would be to give up my soul after I’ve already lost everything else.”

My heart dips.

“I understand,” I say gently. “I don’t want to continue without… giving you value for your service to this council of vampires. You have value, and you should have a name.”

That scathing laughter rakes out once more. “Humans always try to be humane to things that don’t need it. I’m not like you, pretty human. I don’t need your validation, I have my own.”

“Okay.” My words come drily, so I won’t push that subject any further. “Tell me about the last time you saw Kyra Vega, My Prince.”

The waves in the light halt. It all flatlines into a pale blue and I swear I can see bright eyes looking at me through the veil.