ALL US VILLAINS

Chapter Twenty-Eight

There is a demon wearing Liam's face. Diana is almost certain of it.

It looks the exact same as Liam, carrying all of his scars and markings. It has all of the freckles that dust his face and the light green flecks that accent his eyes. It carries his voice and his posture.

Whatever possesses Liam's body has subtly different behavior than him. Having spent months with the prince, Diana is painfully aware of the differences.

It mocks the prince's mannerisms, exaggerating them in subtle ways that most would not even notice. The demon makes it known that it desires Diana with its constant attempts to flirt with Diana. There's something almost predatory about the way it views her, almost as though it does not know whether it should eat her alive or pursue her. It's also full of reckless ambition, doing whatever it wants without thought. The demon is also afraid of Polaris, doing its best to avoid the juvenile dragon at all cost.

Admittedly, these differences are not what caused Diana to look further into Liam's sudden strange behavior. It had been the day in the woods when she tried to kill Anton. Liam had given her the permission needed to use her magic. She had every intention to kill the sorcerer.

Yet, when she had commanded the vines to do so, the vines had not responded to her order. They continued to harmlessly circle around his body, ignoring her push.

Though the creature has possession over Liam's body, Liam is the person she had made the deal with. He is the only one who can give her permission to use her powers to harm or kill. He is the only one that cannot hurt her because of their agreement.

Despite the large amounts of evidence she has, Diana finds herself in doubt. There are reasonable explanations for most of her evidence, making it circumstantial at best. Liam may truly want to pursue her, which explains his terrible attempts at flirting with her. He may also just want for this war to be over, so he is taking reckless action and making moves.

In order for Diana to know for certain that the Liam venturing about the palace is not a demon, she has to test it. She has to push it to do something that Liam cannot do.

The suspected creature sits inside of the library, studying a book covered in dust. It has its hands exposed today, allowing for their blackened hands to be exposed. She studies the darkness, suddenly unsure of herself. "It's grown," she remarks from the doorway.

Lowering the book to look up at her, something flashes in the demon's green eyes. That predatory look reappears on its face, making her feel slightly uncomfortable. After a moment, it smiles at her. "Hello, Diana. It's lovely to see you today."

Her stomach twists from an overwhelming sickness. She pushes past her nausea to keep her focus on the prince, who is sitting unnaturally still. Its head cocks to the side while it waits for her to respond.

Blowing out a breath, Diana expels some of her nerves. "I thought it would be best to have another training session today," she claims.

Liam and Diana have never trained before, but the creature would not know that. It'll jump at the opportunity to spend time with her, even if that time is spent fighting. Soon enough, Diana will have the confirmation that she needs.

Slamming its book closed, the demon discards it onto the other end of the couch. "Of course!" It exclaims almost too excitedly. Within seconds, the prince is across the room and walking out of the door. "We can train outside in the gardens. I've heard that the flowers are lovely this time of year."

Rolling her eyes, Diana trails after the creature. She takes shorter strides than normal to keep in line with the prince. "How romantic."

Though her tone drips with sarcasm, the demon still produces a secret smile. He sighs contentedly, casting her a sidelong glance. "Yes, I do suppose that is romantic."