City of Thorns (The Demon Queen Trials #1)(6)

“Are we going to dance?” asked Shai.

I was now two mojitos and a Guinness into the evening, and so I shouted something about it being my birthday as I took to the dance floor.

They were playing my favorite, Apashe. As the beat boomed over the club, I found myself losing myself in the music. I forgot my college loans, my disastrous presentation, the spiders that crawled over me when I slept. I forgot about Jack and the five-pointed star. I let go of my lust for revenge.

At least, I did so until the music went quiet and tension thickened the air.

Sometimes, you can sense danger before you feel it, and this was one of those moments. Darkness rippled through the bar, floating on a hot, dry breeze. I went still, disturbed to find that everyone was staring in the same direction with an expression of horror. Goosebumps rose on my arms. The warmth felt unnatural, disturbing. I didn’t want to turn around.

When I finally did, my stomach swooped. There, in the doorway, was a demon with otherworldly silver hair and eyes like flecks of ice. The Lord of Chaos? His size and breathtaking beauty almost made me dizzy. He looked like a freaking god.

Maybe it was the mojitos, maybe it was his stunning physical perfection, but I felt magnetically drawn to him. I wanted to slide up closer to him and press myself against his muscular body. As I stared at him, my heart started to pound faster.

Divine. His silver hair hung down to heartbreakingly sharp cheekbones. He sported a high-collared black coat that hung open. Under his jacket, he wore a thin gray sweater that showed off a muscular body. It looked soft, but I could tell the abs beneath it were rock hard. I found my pulse racing as I thought of running my fingers over the material and feeling his muscles twitch.

I’d never enjoyed sex—not once in my life. But as I looked at him, I thought there was a man who could actually satisfy me.

I clamped my eyes shut. Wait, what the fuck was wrong with me? He wasn’t even human. He was another species, one that used to eat humans.

But when I opened my eyes again, I felt like I was melting. In contrast to his pale blue eyes, his eyebrows were dark as night. The effect seemed shocking, mesmerizing.

But when he slid those pale eyes to me, an icy tendril of fear curled through me. His fingers tightened into fists, and he lowered his chin like he was about to charge at me.

I froze. My heart started beating faster now for an entirely different reason. I had his attention, but not in a good way.

This was a look of pure, unadulterated loathing, a look of palpable hatred that sent alarm bells ringing in my mind. He hated me.

Holy hell.

What did he think I’d done to him?





Chapter 4





Tension thickened the air, and my knees felt weak.

The demon dominated the room. His eyes locked on me.

Every cell in my body was telling me to turn and run, to save myself before it was too late. He might be beautiful, but this creature was pure death. He’d tear my throat out in an instant.

It felt like ages before the look of raw hatred disappeared, replaced by a cruel, mocking smile. He dragged his gaze away from me. Now, he looked at ease, like all of this was amusing to him. He shrugged. “Well, don’t stop the fun, my mortal friends.” He spoke with a posh English accent. “One might get the unpleasant idea that demons aren’t welcome here.”

With a slow, graceful gate, he crossed to the bar, his enormous body seemingly radiating lethal power.

Though I trembled and backed away from him, I found myself unable to stop staring. Shai tugged on my arm, pulling me away, and I nearly stumbled as she dragged me from the bar.

When we were no longer so close to him, she whispered, “What was that all about?”

My mouth had gone dry, and my head was spinning. “You saw that, too? The look he was giving me? I have no idea what that was about.”

“Maybe you look like someone he knew.” She glanced over my shoulder at him. “That’s the one I was talking about. The Lord of Chaos. What’s he doing here?”

When I turned to look at him again, he slid his glacial gaze toward me. He arched an eyebrow and lifted his whiskey glass like a toast.

Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, I found myself walking closer to him again.

As I did, a mocking smile curled his lips “Didn’t think I’d be seeing you again after all these years.”

I cleared my throat. “You must have me mistaken for someone else.”

The cold smile he gave me dripped with venom. “Oh, I don’t think so, love. I’d know your face anywhere. It’s haunted my nightmares for a long time.”

The ground seemed unsteady beneath my feet. “I’ve never seen you before in my life.” I tried to steady my voice, but it came out shaky. “Pretty sure I would have remembered a six-foot-five, silver-haired demon.”

“Don’t stop dancing on my account.” He glanced away from me again, dark magic coiling around him. “Why let your horrific past get in the way of your fun?”

For a moment, I wondered if this had something to do with Mom’s murder. After all, a demon had wanted her dead. Had he confused me with her? But I quickly dismissed the thought. I didn’t look enough like Mom for anyone to mistake us. We had the same pale skin, heart-shaped face, and arched eyebrows, but my eyes were deep brown, while hers had been blue. I had higher cheekbones, a wider smile. Mom’s hair had been blonde, but mine was a shocking red with a few blonde strands.