Demon Kissed - Katie May Page 0,77
people, scored perfectly on the scantron,” Van snipes, stabbing his fingers through his reddish-brown hair.
“I thought you guys did that on purpose,” I admit, leaning forward slightly. Akor immediately protests and yanks on my thumb, propelling me backwards until my body is flush against his. The hard contours of his chest press against my soft, delicate curves, and my breath automatically hitches. Working to control the rapid thump-thump-thump of my heart, I add, “Wasn’t that the whole point?”
Raz releases a guttural growl, eyes bleeding red, before he takes a deep, fortifying breath.
“No,” he hisses simply, crossing his arms and glaring straight ahead.
I was shocked out of my mind when Kastros wrote the results on the board and put William—William freaking Washington—on top of the list. William received the highest score on the team. Honestly, it seemed so impossible that I just assumed the demons were behind it. But the expression on Kastros’s face when he read the score? The horror intermixed with something akin to loathing? That couldn’t be faked.
“Maybe he’s just super smart? He is in some of my AP classes with me. Granted, he sleeps the majority of the time, but that isn’t the point,” I argue, slightly indignant that all of the demons are adamant he cheated somehow. Though, how he could’ve done that with Kastros in the room is beyond me. The vengeance demon has laser-eyes.
Besides, I’ve known William for longer than they have. He doesn’t need to cheat. Sure, he’s not the brightest bulb, and I never catch him in the library, but that doesn’t mean he’s not smart. For all they know, his secret hobby could be reading Wikipedia.
Zolroth snorts, ignoring the glare I level his way. “Smart, my ass,” he quips.
“Shut up. Maybe he watches Jeopardy or something,” I toss out.
One thing is certain—William Washington is traveling to Illinois with me. Well, me, Alanna, Wade, Tim, and Janie. Yes, that Janie. Despite the clusterfuck that was her speech, she did surprisingly well on the examination portion. Not William-level, of course, but decent enough to come in at seventh place, beating Molly for the final spot.
“Can we stop dissing my future boyfriend?” I ask, throwing my hands in the air and dislodging Akor in the process. All five of the demons stiffen, but before I can comment on the stony glares they exchange with one another, we pull up to Adam’s preschool.
“What…huh?” I ask in disbelief as Akor reaches behind him, into the trunk, and procures a carseat.
What is going on? Why is Akor installing the carseat in between us right now?
“We hacked your mom’s phone,” Zolroth admits conversationally, seemingly unperturbed by what he just confessed. But me? I’m extremely, extremely perturbed. “Apparently, she and your dad have a dinner planned with some fancy client this afternoon at some fancy ass restaurant.”
“So we’re going to have a sleepover!” Akor squeals, leaning across the carseat, wrapping me in his muscular arms, and squeezing like a boa constrictor. Well, if boa constrictors were two hundred pounds of sinewy muscle with tattooed skin and pink mohawks. Semantics.
“But Adam…” I allow that sentence to hang unfinished. Really, there’s not much more I can say.
“He’s coming with us, of course,” Raz replies gruffly as we pull into the parking lot. Adam participates in an after-school program that allows me to stay at decathlon late when my parents can’t pick him up (which is the majority of the time). The lot is nearly empty, sans the occasional car and SUV that belong to the staff.
“Adam… Your…house… Why… No…” I’m not making a lick of sense, but come fucking on! Their house screams “demon torture lair” slash “bachelor pad for the criminally insane.” I’m ninety percent sure I saw an altar next to the washing machine the last time I visited. And I can’t forget about Jason, their newest pet human.
Hopefully, their only pet human.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head.” Akor accentuates each word with a kiss on my forehead. Pulling away, he smiles down at me with all the innocence of a convicted serial killer on death row. “We hid all the bodies.”
That’s a terrible joke.
It better be a joke.
Before I can protest their plan, Zolroth puts the car into park, and all of the demons turn towards me expectantly. For a full minute, I simply flounder in silence, my mouth repeatedly opening and closing like a gaping fish. Finally, I nod my head jerkily and slip from the car. Kastros, of all people, follows behind me.
“Katty!” Adam screams as