The Sacrifice

"Witch," the voice rumbled again, boots coming down the last few steps, making their way around, into the light from the window, revealing one of the men I had seen at the parties, a profile I had caught once or twice coming down the stairs before.

Minos.

He was handsome in a different way than Ly with his long hair, half pulled up and wrapped into a bun, and his facial hair, extremely tall body, and well-defined muscles.

There was something cold in his eyes, despite the hint of red I came to recognize in all the demons.

"Go away," I demanded again, yanking the blanket higher, holding it under my chin.

"Trust me, that is of no interest to me," he rumbled at me in a voice that sounded like gravel.

"What do you want?" I asked.

To that, his brow raised. As did his arms, making my gaze fall to see the tray there. "You haven't been upstairs for three days."

Had it been that long?

I spent the whole first day after the party asleep, finding myself tired down to my bones. The day after that, I wallowed. And this day, I daydreamed so deeply that I felt none of the calls of my body.

But now that Minos mentioned it, my stomach felt knotted and angry with its emptiness.

"You can sulk all you want, but you have to eat."

"If I don't, will you force-feed me?" I shot back, getting a little sick of these demons bossing me around.

"That shit is up for Ace to decide. I bring the food. That's what I do. You eat it, you don't, not my problem. Though, I was told to stop bringing you flesh, so I did that."

He made his way to the bed, dropping the tray onto my lap.

There was an odd array of foods arranged there. Carrot and celery slices with some sort of white dip, raspberries, slices of plain rye bread, and a small bowl of almonds and walnuts.

The vegetables and fruit were new.

Someone had been to the store to pick them up for me since my garden wasn't producing yet, and the last time I had been in the kitchen, there hadn't been any of it in the refrigerator.

"I forgot the tea," Minos said, shaking his head.

"You made me tea?"

"No."

"Ly?" I asked, his name a bittersweet thing on my tongue.

"Why he wouldn't bring it the fuck down himself is beyond me," Minos said, sighing.

"I heard Drex say you always feed us."

"No one else would remember," Minos admitted, shaking his head. "Except, apparently, Lycus. But only this generation," he said, eyes probing, making assumptions, coming to conclusions. "Are you coming upstairs today?"

"No."

"Tomorrow?"

"No."

Minos watched me for a long second before shrugging.

"Suit yourself."

"You're judging me."

"If you have freedom, and you don't use it, you're a fucking idiot," he told me, then turned away, making his way back up the steps.

Alone, I tore into the food, finishing everything provided to me, but feeling famished even after.

I tried to convince myself it was enough, that I would get fed again soon, and that I could stay where I was and tolerate a little hunger.

In the end, the desire for more food—especially that interesting dip—overtook me.

I inched my way up the stairs, stopping at the top, listening at the door for a long moment. When I was sure no one was there, I rushed out, making a beeline for the refrigerator, finding more carrots and celery, and a bottle of something that said "ranch" on the front that appeared to be the interesting dip.

"You're fucking stubborn," Ly's voice said, making me whip around, a gasp escaping me as I spun to find him standing in the doorway to the front of the house.

He looked even better than he did in the explicit dreams that plagued me when I closed my eyes. In those dreams, he was behind me, inside me, touching me the same way the man had been touching the woman at the party.

Feeling my body start to respond to him, I ducked my head and made my way toward the basement door.

"Not so fast, witch," he said, moving across the room in a few strides, blocking my retreat.

"Don't touch me," I snapped, voice coming out sharp, shrill. And I could only hope he took it as a warning.

"If I remember correctly," he said, voice silky, "you like it when I touch you."

"Hey now, what do we have here?" a female voice asked, heels clicking as she walked into the room.

Ly's eyes closed for a second at her voice, taking a steadying breath, like her presence was putting a crimp in his plans.

Turning, I found the woman who I'd heard at the party. The one named Red. Which was a fitting name, given her hair.

I wondered while looking at her how any man could see her and not realize she couldn't possibly be human. She was too perfect, too beautiful.