Our Demons {Kai Parker Book 1}

eighteen: In Which There's Jealousy

Damon threw his hands up and glared at Kai who was running off topic for the millionth time.

What had started with the plans for leaving the prison world turned to Kai reminiscing about his road trip around America and the time he serenaded a mannequin.

"I've got a question for you first."

Damon rolled his eyes but the siphoner didn't wait for a sarcastic reply.

"Why do you think we're stuck on a repeating loop of May 10th, 1994, doomed to relive a solar eclipse forever and ever and ever?"

Damon took a long sip of bourbon, "How should I know?"

"I heard you tell Bonnie this was your own hell, I'm curious why?"

Bonnie and Ria entered the room saving Damon from having to even form a response for Kai. Bonnie carried the bag of items Kai had asked for, she listed off each one as she went around to the table and dropped them off.

Ria shuffled in and stood by the wall, arms crossed over her chest feeling the familiarity of being ignored and the least helpful again. She watched feeling alone and hurt for no apparent reason as Bonnie cut the tape bounding Kai to the chair She ignored Damon's warning.

"Okay, fine," the vampire looked to Ria. The doe eyed girl froze under his icy stare unsure of what to do. But Damon gave her a gentle smile, as though trying to comfort her. "How's this crap gonna get us out?"

"I'll explain as soon as you tell me what you did on May 10th, 1994."

"What difference does it make?" Damon's voice rose in anger.

"Put it this way; Bonnie's magic is one part of the equation. My as-yet undisclosed knowledge is the other. Ria obviously has no intention of leaving anytime soon which means you'd be hitching a ride home for free. I just want to know if you deserve to come along."

Damon turned to Ria and pointed an accusing finger, "You have some explaining to do young lady," he then grabbed the knife from Bonnie, holding it to Kai's neck as he pulled the siphoner to his feet. "I could just torture you until you say something useful."

"If you torture me I'll get mad, and then I won't want to help you. What kind of person needs to have that explained to them?" Kai looked to Bonnie for help and the witch snatched the knife.

She narrowed her eyes and muttered to Damon "Play nice,"

"Stop trying to impress the new guy."

"Why don't you just tell him?"

"Maybe because I don't want to talk about the worse thing I ever did."

"Ooh," Kai listened in, grabbing a handful of jam and eating it straight from the jar. "Now I'm listening."

"Stop this, Kai stop it." Ria shook her head and walked closer to Damon and Bonnie who were staring down Kai. "You know how to leave and Bonnie has magic. Stop torturing them and just do the spell to leave."

"Wouldn't you like that?" he snapped back sarcastically, pushing himself up again her and she stumbled back.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her close, his breath fanning across her face as he raged out. "To have all your problems vanish before your eyes. wouldn't you just love that, Ria?"

"Hey, that's enough. You stay away from her," Damon pushed him back and stood protectively in front of Ria who was too startled to speak.

"Or what, Damon? You'll call me mean names? You'll push me? We both know you won't kill me."