The Sinner - Page 7
I’ve been sleeping through my own life long enough.
“My father is here? With me?”
“Always.”
“He’s an angel?”
“In a matter of speaking.”
“But you’re not.”
It wasn’t a question.
“No,” Casziel said. “I am not.”
“What would they call you?”
His amber gaze seemed to pour into mine. “Can’t you guess, Lucy Dennings?”
“Tell me.”
I need to hear it.
“We have many names,” Casziel said. “Hyang. Fravashi. Kami. Djinn. Yaksha. Sylph. Kakodaimon. Daimon…”
The sun had sunk beneath the tall towers, draping the city in long shadows. Casziel looked at me expectantly.
I inhaled, then exhaled the word.
“Demon.”
Three
Night had fallen and there was a demon in my kitchen eating cereal.
I sat at the window at my tiny desk, crammed full of second thoughts. I hugged my elbows, not moving or daring to take my eyes off Casziel. He sat slumped at the island that served as my dining table, scarfing down spoonful after spoonful of cornflakes. A light breeze could shove him over, but sooner or later, he was going to regain his full strength. His powers, whatever those might be.
Be brave. This is your house.
I uncurled from the chair and forced myself into the kitchen to pour a glass of water. I leaned against the counter, facing my houseguest. Even unceremoniously shoving cereal in his mouth, he was ungodly beautiful.
Ungodly being the operative word.
“How long’s it been since you’ve eaten?” I asked, watching Casziel pile cornflakes on his spoon, spilling milk on the sleeve of Dad’s coat.
“Fifty years,” he said. “Give or take ten minutes.”
“What does that mean?”
No answer. I cleared my throat.
“You must be hungry if it’s been fifty years.”
“I don’t need to eat.” Casziel scoffed as if the idea were beneath him. “I don’t need to drink. I don’t need to sleep. There is nothing on This Side that I need.” He raised his eyes to mine. “Except you.”
A shiver danced down my spine and it wasn’t unpleasant. No one had ever needed me before. Certainly not a man who looked like Casziel…
A few moments passed where the only sounds were the demon noisily finishing off his bowl of cornflakes and pouring another, his third.
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