Alice in Demonland

11. He Stole My Tart

Kade was quiet, witty, and had a serious love of tacos. If we had eggs and toast for breakfast, he stuck the eggs on the toast and wrapped it like a taco before eating it. Whatever meat and veggies we were served for dinner were stuffed between two halves of a roll and eaten like a taco. For snacks, he put cucumber into a tortilla or shrimp or tomatoes or corn. It was crazy and strangely endearing.

He was also very regimented. Each morning he woke, stretched, and took a cold shower. Heathcliff had us stay in the sick bay for only one night and then we were moved to a regular dorm room. It was in the trainers' hall closest to the exit.

I figured I would tire of being in such close proximity to a person for so long, but instead I grew to like his silly stories and the way his voice lilted on certain words. Sure, he'd answered the basic questions, but while he didn't lie he hadn't given me the whole truth either.

Kade could fight better than anyone, especially as he continued to heal. Peter sparred with him a couple of times and I could tell he let Peter win. It was the same with weapons training and hand-to-hand combat. Kade held back. I wondered why, but each time I tried to bring it up he changed the subject.

I knew the feeling about holding back. Not once had I fully freed my demon power. It surged within, like boiling black lava waiting to erupt. Just below the surface. Sometimes antsy to get out, but I kept it in check.

Over dinner on the third night, I finally blurted all of the questions Wrythe wanted answered at once. "How did you know about Demonland? What do you want? Why are you here?" He'd already said he wasn't a Dark Moth and it was obvious since he had no marks, but he was more powerful than many of the trainees, and even Peter.

Kade offered me a secret smile. "What do you think I want?" He bit into his chicken fried steak.

I dropped my fork. The man was infuriating. "Were you friends with a Dark Moth and he or she told you about this place?" I sipped my water.

He rolled his eyes playfully. "No."

He was vague about everything, except the personal stuff, like where he worked.

"You stole the Dark Moth blade after killing the owner?" He didn't seem like the type but what did I know?

"No." He was offended.

I picked up a roll and took a bite. "Don't you want to return home? Aren't there people who must be missing you?" He wouldn't be free to leave Demonland until he answered our questions since the compound was supposed to be secret.

He used his fork to cut into his cherry tart. "There's no one," he finally said after he swallowed.

I sensed sadness in his voice and realized that even after several days together I knew very little about him. "What about your job? Don't you need to go to work?"

He shrugged before shoveling the tart into his mouth.

It was apparent he didn't want to talk about it, but I couldn't be put off so easily. "What's the name of the place where you work?"

Pam and Georgia had been talking, but at my question, they stopped and focused their attention on Kade.

Steve and Gilbert also quieted.

The attention didn't seem to affect Kade though. He kept chewing, swallowed, took a long drink of his water, and then looked at me. "The Caterpillar's Place."

"That's a silly name." I dunked my roll in gravy before taking a small bite.

"Well, that's Wonderland for you." He reached over and picked up my tart. "You gonna eat this?" Without waiting for a response he stuffed half of it in his mouth.

I shook my head. I wasn't fond of the fruit, but he could've waited for me to give him permission. "Not now."

"Oh, come on. I know you don't like cherries."

It was true. Cherries made me queasy. "Still," I said, pushing the dessert plate toward him. "Where are your manners?"

Kade finished off the other half. Picked up his cloth napkin, and dabbed each side of his lips. "I have them when I need them."

With my fork, I pushed around the green beans still on my dinner plate, desperate to get him to answer the important questions.

When he swallowed, he went on, "In this life you have to take what you want and damn the consequences."

His words shocked me and I gasped. It felt like something had changed within him. "Really?" I tilted my head, feeling my eyes squint as I studied him for answers.

"Very few humans and even fewer demons will wait for you to ask for what you want. They will take without remorse." He chugged the rest of his water before slamming down the glass.

I didn't like that. "I don't believe you," I said. But I'd lived with humans until I was twelve. They had been some of the vilest people.

"It doesn't matter whether you believe me or not. That's the truth and you'd do well to listen." He stacked his dessert plate as well as mine on top of his dinner plate, tossed his napkin over them, and stood. "I'm done. You ready?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm not finished." I stabbed a bean and put it in my mouth. It was cold and didn't taste very good, but I wasn't going to be bossed. His strange attitude was annoying.

"Fine. I'll see you later then." And with that, he walked away.

We weren't supposed to be apart, but I didn't care. I watched as Kade put his dishes on the conveyor belt and prepared to leave the dining room.

Wrythe walked in. When he saw Kade, the king's stopped. "You, come with me." He then found me and bid me follow as well.

"Great."