demon - camren

seven

The world dulled. "No, " said Camila in a soft, soft voice. "Our demon forms made it easy. Made it far too easy." Camila shook her head. "You can't have done that. Please, Imelda, tell me you didn't do that." "We could never let the children reach the stage where they'd realise what they were. It was too dangerous. Too unpredictable. We got stronger with each child we consumed, but each one was born with a strength to rival our own. You're the only one I've seen actually get a chance to shift."

"Was ... was I going to be eaten, too?" Camila was suddenly standing. "They were going to eat me? They were going to kill me and eat me? My own fucking parents?" "Please sit down." "I don't think so!" "Fine, " Imelda said, sounding tired. "So go on! Tell me what you did to my brother."

"We killed him and we ate him, and he made us stronger, " Imelda said.

"We each gave a pint of our blood, which was practically sizzling with power by that stage, and by then Kirsty and Grant were expecting." "No," Camila said. "No, you can't. None of that happened. That's sick." Imelda didn't meet her eyes. "Once their son reached his sixteenth year, once we'd eaten him, it was my turn, with Alastair, and we ate my child when she turned sixteen, and then it was back to Alejandro and Sinu." "You took turns? What was it this time? Another brother? Maybe a sister?" "It was a girl."

Tears rolled down Camila's cheeks. "I had a sister. I had a sister and you killed her." "Yes, we did, "Imelda said, pulling at a tiny loose thread on her sleeve. "Every sixteen years, the seventh's power was recycled through us, making us stronger, and then the surplus was available again for the next child."

"So that's what you've been doing?" Camila asked.

"For, what, the last hundred years?" "We make it a point not to grow too attached to our children. It's the only way to stay sane." Camila laughed. "Sane? You think this is sane? This is the most insane thing I have ever heard! This is nuts! It's sick and it's wrong! It's evil! You're saying my parents are —" "Psychopaths, " said Imelda, looking up at her. "Yes. Pure psychopaths. The others, they became psychopaths. They let the power corrupt them, eat away at their consciences. But Alejandro and Sinu, they were born that way.

They just hid it until they didn't need to any longer." "So everyone's a psycho except you, " said Camila. Her fingernails – still ordinary fingernails, thank God – were digging into her palms. "That's what you want me to believe now?" "If I'm a psychopath, " said Imelda. "why haven't I killed you? The others aren't around. If I killed you now ... ate you ... I'd absorb all of your power. I wouldn't have to share it with anyone. So, if you really do think I'm the same as your parents, why are you still alive?"

"I don't know, " Camila said. "Maybe you're trying to talk me to death. Or maybe, because the Shining Demon demands a jar of blood from each of you, having me all to yourself would break the terms of your deal." Imelda smiled. "I'm breaking the terms already by keeping you alive. But I admire your logic. You're always thinking, aren't you? That's what I've always loved about you, Camila." "You've never loved anything about me, " Camila said. "Before this, you barely spoke to me."

"I couldn't do it anymore, " said Imelda. "I couldn't pretend anymore. Not like the others." "So how come you're different?" Imelda hesitated. "The last time I had a child, something went wrong. I'd tried to remain detached from her, but I couldn't. The moment I held my newborn baby in my arms I knew ... I knew I wasn't supposed to feel this way." "You loved her." "Yes." "But you still killed her." "Alastair killed her. I tried to run. I tried to take my daughter and escape, but Alastair knew what I was planning. He promised me that if I returned he wouldn't tell the others. I was scared. Confused. Weak." "So you brought your daughter back to be killed."