Our Demons {Kai Parker Book 1}

fifteen: In Which She Awakes

She could feel their stares even before fully gaining consciousness.

Ria remembered everything.

She was having an argument with Kai when he grabbed her locket from around her neck and stormed out the room. She had stomped her foot, glaring as his shadow left the room and debated leaving him for good this time.

What was the use for her to stay anyway?

They had cracked the code, she promised to get him out and technically she did. All Kai had to do was find his sister's magic and poof* he'd be gone. Kai had no use for her anymore.

Still, Ria only contemplated a dozen ways he would react to her sudden disappearance. Would he harm himself again? Would he burn down a house? All the houses on a road? The entire city? Or would he indifferent?

She sat up on the couch she was laying on and stared at each hooded figure.

The first man was leaning on the wall, glaring at a woman who had her arms crossed beside him. They both had angry and dark eyes hiding behind long black bangs, but the man's short hair was pulled in an elastic behind him where as the girl's long hair fell over her shoulder.

"You're awake," the third man said from beside Ria. He didn't look like the others. He was bald, appearing older than them, his eyes were more gentle.

"Why am I here?" Ria breathed, feeling the anxiety racing through her body.

"You're here because of Malachai Parker," the third man explained. "Ria Emmers, this prison world was designed for him and he must remain in it until the end of time."

"Wuji," the woman warned as her gaze hardened, "the girl will not understand why this is the way of life until she knows who we are."

The man beside her grunted in agreement.

Wuji pointed to himself "My name is Wuji, I represent the boundless and infinite sphere of life and creation. I represent the nature of every form."

"My name is Yang," the girl said. "There are infinite descriptions and explanation of myself and by brothers, but for you, I am a representation of logic and reasoning. The same logic and reasoning that will prove to you that what you have done is wrong."

The last man pushed himself off the wall and placed a hand on his sister's. "I am Ying. Physical strength, in which I will physically force you to correct your ways."

"What are you talking about?" Ria stood up and began to back away from the trio. "I have done nothing wrong. I was sent here against my will."

"There are over presently nine hundred and fifty-seven prison worlds with one thousand and nine prisoners in them. We have no care for who is sent anywhere against their will."

"But when a prisoner attempts to escape, that's when we become interested."

"Malachai Parker would never have been able to leave this place had you not shown him the way."

Ria's back hit the wall and she eyed the door.

"You'll never make it," Ying growled out and in half a second he was standing by the door, guarding it.

"Ria think about," Yang stepped forward, "he is a killer, the moment he escapes he will murder more people, destroys lives. Malachai Parker is not worth the lives of those people."

"He's changed," she bit back, "Kai isn't like that,"

"But he is, Ria." Wuji sighed, "You cannot see it but I can feel the dark energy emitting from his soul. Ria, you need to kill him."

"What?" she blinked in response, then glared at the three hunters. "Absolutely not."

"We would happily do it," Ying cracked his knuckles, "but the problem is that demon won't stay dead. For that to happen, you have to kill him. A human."

"No,"

"It's the way of life which maintains balance, Ria, you must."

"I won't," she continued, standing her ground. "Kai has done some terrible things, he's killed, but that's not his fault entirely and I won't kill him when I know he can change."

"Oh Ria," Yang laughed and Ria found her lips quivering in fear. The woman stepped closer and closer until she was in front of her, then she held her head between her hands. "You can say no all you want. But the moment we're inside your head, your true feelings will come through."

Ria's eyes widened just as pain ripped through her brain.