Cursed Demon Kissed 2 Page 0,26

would have said I gave him a demon kiss. A demon kiss rips the victim's soul out of their body through a kiss. No, that wasn't what happened at all.

That night was a flood of images forever burned behind my eyes. Eric's face contorted with rage when he saw me emerge with Collin. He thought I was bound to Collin. He thought I turned Valefar. Eric's sword swung and slashed through Collin. There was so much blood. Collin's limp body lay in my lap, as I cradled him in my arms. Tears blurred my vision. And before I knew what happened, I kissed him. I gave him my blood...my tainted angel blood. But that wasn't the craziest thing I'd done. No, I did something more insane.

And that was what the Martis found out. That was why they were enraged. Someone told them that I'd saved Collin. Someone had told them that my kiss with Collin worked like a demon kiss in reverse. Instead of stealing Collin's soul, I gave him a piece of mine - a piece big enough for him to live.

I saved a Valefar. And not just any Valefar. The leader of the Valefar - Collin Smith.

And Eric...he did nothing to stop it, which was equally shocking since he was the golden boy of the Martis warriors. Martis came from all over the world to learn from him. There was no one better than him. But, he let this happen.

My eyes widened, and I felt myself leaning towards him. Why did he let that happen? I never realized what he did. There was a second when I was vulnerable, but Eric didn't strike. He sliced through Collin, but hesitated when it came to me. I always thought that the dark mist that swirled around Collin and I had protected me. Maybe it hadn't. Maybe Eric faltered.

My opinion of him shattered. I had no idea what to think. Eric hated Valefar. He detested everything about them, and I was half Valefar. But he saved me. He spared me when he thought I was a full Valefar? What the hell? Why would he do that? Did he really do that?

Stunned, I stood there with my mouth hanging open. I had no idea what I thought of Eric at that moment, but I wanted him to stop speaking. He was damning himself. His kind wouldn't forgive his actions.

Not for this. It appeared to be beyond an accident. Sparing me was beyond a colossal failure.

It was mutiny.

Before I realized I was moving, a strong hand clamped down on both my shoulders. I looked back at the guards, and they shook their heads indicating for me to remain where I was.

Eric swallowed hard. A vein on the side of his face was throbbing, and his temples shined with sweat. He unclenched his jaw and spoke calmly and evenly, not apologizing, "I cannot say."

Julia shot up from her seat enraged. "You can say! And you will! Why didn't you kill them? You had the Prophecy One in your grasp and she was vulnerable. She proved she can create more of her kind, and you did nothing! Nothing! A new Martis stood at your side, waiting to attack, but you did nothing! Eric, you were our most trusted warrior. You pursued the Prophecy One for almost two millennia. You did exactly as commanded; found her, befriended her, but when the chance came to destroy her, you failed. Answer for your misconduct, or we will answer for you."

The sound of silence filled the air. No one breathed. Everything felt surreal, passing slower than time allowed. Mixed emotions flooded my chest. I had no idea that he pretended to be my friend. I thought he cared about me the same way Shannon had before we ended up on opposite sides. As if he could hear my thoughts he turned his head toward me. His golden gaze softened, and there were words in his eyes that he could not speak.

Not here. Not now.

The Martis grew impatient with his lack of response. Julia screeched at him, but he said nothing. The Martis guards that surrounded the room were rigid, waiting for something that I didn't see coming. When Eric refused to answer and Julia was done berating him, another Martis spoke.

This man was older, his voice softer, but no less powerful, "Eric, if you will not defend yourself we have no choice but to find you guilty...of treason." The old man looked at Eric with concern.

Behind him sat Al,