My stomach twisted with disgust, followed by a thread of guilt. This was my fault. Right? If I wouldn’t have said anything, maybe…
I shook my head. What was I even thinking? This wasn’tmyfault. My mom made her own choices that brought us here today. My dad, too. It wasn’t likeIwas the one killing them. Then again, I wasn’t sure it bothered me much either. Maybe something was wrong with me.
Mom’s screams continued to ricochet through the room, followed by the sound of her innards hitting the floor with a splat.
I winced, taking a step backwards, only to realize it brought me closer to Alistair—the demon responsible for it all. A rancidsmell filled the space as my mom’s cries fell silent, replaced with nothing other than darkness.
“It is done,” he confirmed.
My chest rose and fell violently, confusion tugging at my thoughts until they were a muddled mess.
The shadows fell away so fast, I didn’t even have time to look away. My mom’s body lay on the floor, her skin an ugly pale color that contrasted against her usual tan shade. Blood surrounded her body, growing thicker by the second as she bled out with her insides lying beside her.
“Oh God,” I whispered, my voice cracking at the horrifying display before me.
A cold chill swept down my spine when Alistair stepped away, his shoes thudding against the wooden flooring. Instead of checking out his latest masterpiece, he moved to stand in front of me, blocking my view of my mother.
“Follow me,” he said calmly—a sound that went against the violent act he’d committed moments before.
The lump in my throat was bordering on agonizing, and my feet seemed to be rooted to the spot. All I could do was shake my head frantically, frozen in fear.
He huffed out an annoyed sigh and reached forward, gripping my wrist firmly. My gaze dropped to those soft hands of his, and my mind struggled to process how they could be so delicate and soft when their owner was nothing of the sort.
“Come,” he repeated, a bit more sternly this time.
My heart was hammering to a deadly tune, but I forced myself to obey. I had to. If not for myself, then for my baby sister.
So, I let him pull me out of the room and down the hall. I didn’t even object when we reached the staircase, even though my mind was swarming with thoughts and confusion.
My tongue felt like lead inside my mouth, but I managed to swallow pass that as well.
Alistair led me to the kitchen, and I couldn’t help but glance around. The house felt morbidly empty now. Yet, for some reason, it was equally comforting to know that. I’d always preferred my solitude anyway, and now I didn’t have to worry about judgmental parents or fighting.
“A-are you going to kill me?” I whispered, glancing over at him.
His eyes were like two, endless pits of intensity. They were so light and blue, like a stream of fresh spring water. Yet, they’d seen horrific things and buried in their depths was the soul of an evil, violent creature that promised retribution.
Instead of answering, he released my wrist and guided me toward the kitchen table. His expression was set in determination, and that thought had my heart rate speeding up.
His hand met the small of my back. “Bend over the table,” he ordered.
“W-what?” I stammered, looking at him over my shoulder.
“Bend over the fucking table, Ember.”
My breath caught in my throat at the implication, but slowly, I placed both hands on the table and bent.
He was silent for a few moments, his fingertips trailing over the curve of my spine. “Good girl.” He hummed, hooking his fingers into the waistband of my pants and tugging until they were pooled around my feet.
I sucked in a shuddering breath, the cool air brushing against my most intimate regions.
Alistair’s hand slipped between my legs, causing my body to jerk in surprise. But instead of touching me anywhere intimate, he pushed my thighs farther apart.
At last, he withdrew his hand again. A few moments of silence followed, but then the sound of rustling reached my ears, and I knew what was coming next.
“Step out of your pants,” he instructed.
I clamped my eyes shut and inhaled a deep breath before cautiously obeying him. I didn’t know why I was obeying. Probably because he could kill me with a flick of his wrist, or because he could hurt my sister. Both of those thoughts were terrifying. Especially after what I’d just witnessed upstairs.
