Chapter 12 Chapter 12
When Valerie woke up the next morning, her eyes were drawn to a strange creature sitting on her bed. It was translucent, made of light, and had a shape similar to that of a cat. Its glowing eyes focused on her, igniting a spark of fear within her. She screamed, moving back until she hit the headboard. The creature flinched but didn’t leave. Instead, it fixated her with a curiosity typical of a feline.
Mere seconds after her shriek had shattered the silence in the apartment, Maxwell nearly tore the door from its hinges and scrutinized her, expecting her to be dying, but his shoulders relaxed when he saw the scene before him. He smirked at her apparent fear of the unknown creature, his eyes gleaming with malicious joy.
“Get that thing away from me,” she screeched.
“No,” he retorted, thoroughly enjoying her torment.
“Why not? Can’t you, for once, do something useful?” she whined, not taking her eyes off the weird creature. It kept moving closer to her, perking its ears up.
“Don’t be ridiculous; it won’t hurt you.” And he was right. The strange cat sat beside her, putting a translucent paw on her thigh without harming her. The small feline reminded her of a ghost.
“What is that?” she asked, her curiosity now piqued.
“It’s a lower-class light demon,” he explained. “All demons pertain to a certain element, and this one belongs to mine. I’m guessing it’s attracted to you because it sensed our bond. Normally, demons like this one would hurt regular humans,” he added with an evil smirk, and Valerie cringed.
“Why did it appear suddenly?” she asked.
“Oh, it didn’t appear suddenly. It has been lingering in this apartment for days, following you around,” he sneered.
Valerie furrowed her brows at his revelation. “What? Why didn’t you say something? And why didn’t I notice it sooner?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t care. And as for why you didn’t see it… the longer you’re around me, the more your body will grow accustomed to the supernatural. It seems like you can see demons of my kin now, and soon you will be able to see other creatures too.” He arrogantly raised his chin. “Only high-class demons can make themselves visible to humans; ghosts and lower-class demons remain invisible to regular people.”
“What if I don’t want to see them?”
“Should have thought about that before you bound yourself to me,” he snarked and left the room, deeming their conversation over.
This, yet again, was a lot to take in. Seeing ghosts and demons wasn’t something she wanted; she was content with living in obliviousness. Ignorance was bliss. Besides, she doubted all demons were as friendly as her stalker cat.
Speaking of which, it snuggled up against her leg, purring quietly. She observed the creature with wide eyes, discovering tiny light particles within its translucent body. Reluctantly, she reached out her hand and touched it with her fingertips, feeling soft fur under her skin. Even though the cat was translucent, she couldn’t reach through it since its body was solid.
It was fascinating and a little disturbing, but since the demon didn’t pose a threat to her, she didn’t shy away from touching it anymore. She was upset at Maxwell for never mentioning its presence, but then again, she would have freaked out or thought he was messing with her. Valerie wondered what other side effects she would experience in the future—some of them might be dangerous. Too dangerous for a human to handle.
She nudged the cat a little, gently pushing it off her because she wanted to get up. Valerie headed to the bathroom to shower and got dressed in a comfy shirt and sweatpants afterward. Next, she went to the kitchen, the tiny demon trailing after her. It observed her curiously while she made breakfast. When Maxwell joined them a while later, he watched the scene with raised eyebrows.
“If only you were as nice as this cat,” was Valerie’s snarky comment to him, which instantly was instantly rewarded by a scowl.
“Don’t compare me to such a lowly demon,” he growled. Valerie wasn’t offended by his rude tone since she was already used to it. Her new roommate was either indifferent, irritated, or making fun of her. In other words, Maxwell had the emotional capacity of a teaspoon.
“It’s much nicer than you, though.”
“Disrespectful human,” he scowled.
Valerie swallowed her pride and smiled reluctantly. “Look, I’m sorry. Maybe we should make an effort to get along better. We just keep arguing, but we should focus on breaking the bond instead. What do you think, Maxwell?”
His silence prompted her to glance at him—and he seemed downright shocked at her proposal. However, when he narrowed his eyes at her, Valerie knew he would disagree. “You’re behaving strangely, human. Are you sick?”
“Can you not complain about everything I do?” she said annoyedly. “Reed wouldn’t act like this.”
“Is that the name of your new boyfriend?” he asked with a sour tone and stood right in front of her. Stunned by his proximity, she hardly registered the slight tingling of her mark and the warm light it emanated. “I bet I could easily make you forget about him,” Maxwell added, his gaze filled with an emotion Valerie couldn’t describe. The air felt heavy all of a sudden, laden with tension.
Her gaze moved from his bright blue eyes down to the chain on his cheekbones and lower until they reached his lips. His hand found its way to her chin, holding it in place. As he leaned in, his breath grazed her soft lips, making her shudder in anticipation. She was spellbound, the unnatural power he radiated enveloping her, yet she didn’t back away. A thrill she had never experienced before rushed through her body.
Valerie took a shaky breath as his fingertips danced over her skin, cupping her cheeks. Then, he kissed her for the very first time. She instinctively closed her eyes, leaning into his touch, feeling his lips move against hers. The kiss was demanding and rough. He tasted like cinnamon and ash, an intoxicating mix that clouded her mind. This felt different than it did with Reed—it ignited a fiery hot passion in her stomach.