Page 7 of Tortured Soul (Soulless #1)
We all had different stories, motives. I knew he wasn’t going to tell me—I rarely did.
Demons didn’t like to talk about their before.
About the time we were still humans. About the time we were still deeply connected with our souls.
Even though most demons were still supposedly tethered to it, it felt foreign after a while.
Sometimes I wish I knew what it felt like to still be whole. To own that missing part of me.
“Did you come here to escape something?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I was recently freed. Although I got attacked twice in the last week by humans, so maybe…”
“Doesn’t count.” He shook his head in return. “Unless you think they attacked you because an Immortal commanded it?”
“I don’t think so.”
Forcing a smile, I was careful not to mention the little tracking device the humans had pointed at me. I’ve never seen it before, and I doubted I’d encounter one of these again.
He typed for a while in silence, filling some questions that didn’t need actual answers. I took advantage of his focus to study him a little more.
He was only wearing dirty black jeans, and I was almost certain his shoes were mismatched.
He didn’t bother to put on a shirt before heading here, showing a large collection of scars and tattoos on his lean chest and arms. His monolid eyes were a dark brown, nearly black—like most demons—and hair was a thick, dark ruffled mass on top of his head.
I wondered what could have caused these scars as Hellrisers and Divines couldn’t die of any injuries. Our blood was toxic and could fight any blade or bullet. Poison was non efficient, and fire burned but did not melt our skin.
For something to leave scars like these ones, it must have been done before he became a demon. Or maybe if he was being held and tortured for decades.
“How often do you need to—well … feed?”
“I’m guessing you’re not talking about pepperoni pizza?”
“Again, you’re guessing right.”
“It depends. It can go from less than a week if I’m using a lot of energy to a few. The longest I went without absolutely needing a feed was about three weeks.”
Kai nodded and resumed his typing. “Does it have to be…humans?”
I swallowed through the knot clogging my throat. “It doesn’t.”
He froze over his keyboard, his head turning slowly toward mine.
“Since you’re here alone, I assume you’re unbinded.”
“Correct.”
“And since every Succubus already produce enough pheromones to appeal even other Immortals when they can’t feed off them, I take it you—”
“Yeah.” I cut him off with a shaky voice. “My pheromones could lure even the most virtuous of Divine if I neglect my needs for too long or the horniest demon even if I had a boost an hour before.”
“Would you be open to finding yourself a fuckbuddy quickly?” he asked anxiously. “I—we don’t have individual houses…”
I gave him a shaky nod. “Marcus said that, yes. I was hoping I could quickly join a binded group and make myself small or—”
“I would have offered,” he jumped in, “but we’re already really crowded. There’s five of us. And only one bed and the couch.”
I shook my head hastily, eyes wide. “I wasn’t asking you to—”
“I know. I’ll ask around for you. But for now I’ll have to set you up in a shared house with others unbinded…I’m sorry.”
I wasn’t expecting him to be able to help me. Yet, I had to hide the pang of disappointment at the prospect of sharing a house with people who might eventually try to force themselves on me.
“Hold on a second.” He lifted a finger and stood abruptly to go rummage through a drawer in a cupboard behind his chair. He was mumbling and grunting as he opened a few, searching for something. “Ah! There it is. It should do it, at least until we find you better accommodations.”
He turned back to me and let himself fall in his chair ungraciously, holding a small, milky white stone between his fingers.
“That’s an opal.”
I hid a wince with an arched brow and narrowed my eyes at him. Damn, I hate opals. It brings back terrible memories.
“Is it the time I tell you that stones are just stones, and unless they were blessed by a witch, they hold no magic?”
Kai rolled his eyes. “Who do you think I am? Some random human called Karen, holding a stone store, telling you you’ll sleep better if you slip it under your pillow during a full moon?”
“I’m just making sure we’re on the same page here… ”
“It’s not an opal from here ,” he insisted. “This one was retrieved from the River of Tears back in Hell. I have a couple of them, it can always be useful.”
That piqued my interest. A stone from the River of Tears? It was said that the source originated from the lowest level of Hell and was fed by the lost souls’ cries. I didn’t even know that river was real. Or that it produced stones…
“You’ll need to bleed on it, then place it next to your room window.
Usually, a few drops would do the trick, but in your situation, I suggest you soak it.
It should act like a repellent. Except for you, everyone will feel the need to turn back from entering your room, no matter how potent your pheromones get. ”
“It should ?”
He nodded frantically. “I’ve used one before when I was entrusted with something that no one was to get their hands on. It worked. I’m guessing it’ll work for you too.”
How ironic that I’d be protected by a stone from Hell after I was freed by Lucifer himself.
But it couldn’t hurt to try, right?
“Why can’t I wear it all the time, even outside my room?”
“Do you want people to avoid you like you’re the embodiment of the plague?”
I wasn’t against that idea, but I guessed not.
I shook my head slowly. “If people attack you outside,” he continued, “guards should come to your help. This camp is a safe place for all, no matter how bad a first impression Carter made.”
I gave him a slow nod and reluctantly accepted the stone. Why does it have to be a fucking opal? It looked like a regular one, but on closer inspection, the inside seemed to ripple like water. Like the whole River of Tears was running through it.
His chair groaned as he leaned back to focus on his computer again.
“Alright, let’s get you sorted in the least risky house I can find. Then I’ll escort you and install a few locks, just in case…”