Beyond His Evil

SEVEN.

"You seem lost."

Even though it had been days, I still recognized the voice. My mood soured instantly.

Out of all the people I could have run into, it had to be him. The demon.

I spun around, searching for him, but saw no one. My heart skipped a beat. Where is he?

A frown etched onto my features as I moved closer to where I thought I’d heard him. My eyes scanned the shadows. I turned back around, and before I could even process what was happening, I collided with something solid. Pain flared on my forehead as I staggered back.

"Ow! What the hell?"

I looked up, my breath catching in my throat. There, standing in front of me, was Devon—shirtless.

My eyes involuntarily traced the contours of his chest, the defined muscles, the strong lines of his abs. I'd seen plenty of shirtless men before, but never this close. Yeah, that was why my pulse quickened.

He was tall—much taller than me—his presence seemed to fill the space between us. I forced my gaze up to meet his eyes, locking with the deep crimson that seemed to burn through me.

"Move, demon." I snapped, trying to regain control of the situation.

He smirked, the expression curling his lips into something maddeningly smug. "I've already told you, my name is—"

"I don’t care," I interjected sharply. "I’ll call you whatever I want. Now move, demon."

His smirk only widened, his gaze fixed on mine. "That way," he said, gesturing lazily behind him at the path I’d been heading toward, "is a dead end. Trust me, if you take it, you’ll only get more lost."

I lifted my chin defiantly. "I’m not lost. I’m just… exploring." My words were sharp, but unease settled in my chest like a heavy stone. How far away from the party had I gone? "Now move out of my way, or I’ll make you."

He didn’t budge. Instead, he mirrored my movements, shifting to block my path again when I tried to move past him.

Frustration flared. "Move!" I demanded, the word sharper than before.

A glint of amusement sparked in his eyes, his lips maintaining his maddeningly smug smile. He stepped closer, his movements deliberate, slow, and suffocating.

I tried to step back, but he closed the distance between us. I took another step, but he only came closer. Before I realized it, my back hit the thick trunk of a tree.

His scent wrapped around me—earthy, with a faint hint of spice and something smoky. It was distracting.

Fear—a cold, creeping fear—began to coil in my chest. He could kill and bury me here and no one would know.

"Move," I said again, but my voice wasn’t as firm as it should’ve been. It trembled despite myself.

He stopped just a breath away, his face now close enough for me to see the sharp angles of his jaw and the mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Why do you fear me so much, Kira?" he asked, his voice sending shivers down my spine.

I could barely breathe under the weight of his proximity. I crossed my arms, trying to shield myself from the pull of his gaze. "I don’t fear you."

His eyes flickered with dark amusement. "No?" His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper as he took another step closer. My back pressed deeper into the tree. "Then why are you trembling?"

I froze.

"You know, demons can smell fear," he whispered, his hand slightly brushing against my arm. "And right now, I can smell yours. It’s intoxicating."

I wanted to scream, to push him away, but my body remained frozen. Why hadn't I already kneed him in the groin?

I swung my fist at his face in a desperate move. But before I even made contact, his hand shot out, catching my wrist effortlessly.

I struggled against his grip, but he pulled me closer against his body instead till we were chest to chest, his strength rendering my resistance futile.

"Let go of me!" My voice was barely above a whisper.

"Call me by my name," he said, his crimson eyes glowing. "And maybe I’ll let you go."

I glared at him, defiance burning in my chest. "Why should I? Aren’t you just a demon?"

Devon’s smirk faded, replaced by something more serious. "I'm not just a demon." He leaned in, the heat of his body brushing against mine. "You don’t know anything about me."

"I know enough," I snapped, my voice rising. "You’re a demon. Evil. The reason the world is falling apart."

He studied me for a long moment, his eyes gleaming with something darker, something far more dangerous. The amusement in his gaze was gone, replaced by a chilling calm.
"You hunters," he said, his voice low, "are blind to the real threat."

The words hit me like a slap, but I didn’t understand. My pulse was still hammering in my ears, the fear from earlier clouding my thoughts.

Before I could speak, the ground beneath me seemed to disappear. The sensation was dizzying, like falling through a void. My stomach lurched.

I cried out, instinctively wrapping my arms around him as we fell.

What was happening?

When I opened my eyes, the world was solid again. I was back in my room—Devon and I, tangled in an awkward embrace, surrounded by the familiar walls of my room.

I scrambled away from him, putting as much distance between us as possible. My heart was pounding erratically, my breath coming in shallow bursts.

Devon stood and surveyed the room, his lips curling in that infuriating smile again. "Good night, Kira," he said.

Before I could say anything, he was gone—vanished, like smoke in the air.

I stood there, still frozen, my heart racing and my mind whirling.

                 ___________________

                  AUTHOR'S NOTE

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