Page 55 of Realm of the Wicked

‘You disgust me,’ I snarled, letting my fist collide with Jack again.

I couldn’t be certain who I was talking to.

I froze when the door creaked open behind me, clenching my hands. I thought I’d locked it behind me.

‘Yes?’

‘Damien? I, ah— oh.’ Stella’s voice caught.

I knew how the scene in front of her would play out. I knew how it looked. Blood dripping down my hands, a man strung up by his wrists in front of me. A shiver raced down my spine. I didn’t know if I even wanted to look at her.

But I knew I needed to.

Slowly, I spun, curling my hands deeper into themselves as I threw my shoulders back. Fear and shame would get me nowhere with Stella.

She was striking. Easily the most effortlessly beautiful creature I’d ever seen. Her dark hair spilled around her face, loose for once. But it was her expression I was most interested in, for Stella’s gaze hid nothing.

And now, her wide, brown eyes were practically transparent. They held every emotion I expected, calling me out for exactly who I was: monster.

‘What… what are you doing?’

I pretended I couldn’t hear the way her voice trembled.

‘Help me!’ Jack cried out behind me.

I narrowed my eyes. So fucking annoying. ‘Stella, you should leave. I’m busy.’ And very much over Jack’s whining.

‘Busy doing what exactly?’ Stella glared at me, demanding answers we both knew I couldn’t give her.

‘I’m busy. Go find Agatha. Go to your room. I don’t care where you go, just go somewhere. I’ll find you after.’ Please. Leave before you witness this side of me for a moment longer. I’ve done my best to shield you from the realities of who I am.

She huffed. ‘Seriously? You have a man strung up from your ceiling and you’re sending me to bed like a child?’

I sighed, knowing there was no good way this could possibly end. Another drop of blood trickled down my wrist, warm and sticky. Part of me wondered what she would say if I stepped away right now, leaving Jack hung up, but left him there for her. Chose her over this. Over them. Would she still be bothered by what she saw? I honestly didn’t know the answer to that. She was angry now, but Stella was unpredictable at best.

‘Stella.’ Jack groaned behind me, but I kept my eyes on the creature in front of me, practically trembling with righteous indignation. As she should.

‘Leave.’

‘I’m not going to leave and let you senselessly torture a man!’ she cried, frustration lacing every syllable. Stella was angrier than I expected her to be about this, and it lit a quiet flame in my stomach, something I’d rather ignore.

But I wasn’t one to back down from a fight, either.

‘Well, the door is right there, Stella,’ I gritted out, my nails biting into the soft flesh of my palm.

She scoffed. ‘You can’t seriously think I’m just going to leave because you said so.’

Jack was annoying, but I wished for some way to make Stella stop talking. ‘I’m the Devil, Stella. This is my job. And again, if you don’t like it, the door is right there. Feel free to use it.’

‘And… what? You expect me to just be okay with this? To sit next to you at dinner tonight and smile, knowing you beat the shit out of this man?’

I leveled her with a heavy glare. I’d wanted to save her. To protect her from the truth. I’d done a terrible job of it so far. ‘This man drugged and assaulted four women in the last six months. So you tell me. Should I just let him go?’

Her mouth closed. Her eyes grew distant. If I knew anything about her at all, which I hoped I did, she was thinking back to a time we’d both hoped to forget, a memory of me I’d wiped clean from her brain, leaving a quiet unease behind to make sure she didn’t end up in danger again. Not that it helped in the end.

Stella opened her mouth to speak. Closed it. Opened it again. ‘You can’t ask me to make a decision like that.’

Fucking Stella and her bleeding heart. I’d carry the pain of a thousand sins for her, protect her from it all, if she’d just leave me alone to do it. ‘I’m not asking you, Stella. I’m telling you. Leave.’ I bit out the last word with a growl, a commanding tone I’d never wanted to use with her. But the longer she lingered, the more hurt I caused her.