Chapter 23 THE JEALOUS DEMON
The manor was silent, save for the rhythmic dripping of wax. Nikolai sat motionless in the center of the candlelight, his face a mask of cold indifference. He held his thumb directly over a dancing flame, the skin charring, the scent of burning flesh filling the air.
Beside him, Shadow let out a long, low purr, his yellow eyes reflecting the fire.
"Hungry?" Nikolai asked, his voice a gravelly whisper.
The cat tilted its head and let out a huff that sounded remarkably like a "no." Suddenly, the air around the feline began to shimmer and warp. The sound of cracking bones and stretching skin echoed through the stone hall. Within seconds, the small black shape expanded into the silhouette of a tall, lean, and strikingly handsome man.
Shadow, in his human form, stood completely naked amidst the candlelight, stretching his limbs as if waking from a century-long sleep.
"Damn! I miss being human" Shadow rasped, his voice smooth but edged with a wild, animalistic grit. He didn't wait for permission as he walked toward the closet and began rifling through Nikolai’s designer shirts.
"We will work on it so you can be able to transform anytime you want" Nikolai said, finally pulling his thumb from the flame. The burn vanished instantly, leaving his skin flawless once more.
Shadow pulled on a pair of black trousers and a silk shirt, buttoning it halfway. He looked in the mirror, running a hand through his messy dark hair. "You should shop for new clothes, Nikolai. Stop letting me wear yours. We have different tastes"
Nikolai stood up, his presence filling the room like a gathering storm. "You’re lucky I let you wear anything at all"
Shadow rolled his eyes, a playful smirk crossing his face. "Gosh, I badly need to fuck. It’s been a while since I had a pair of legs to use. Maybe I'll go back to the campus tonight..."
Nikolai’s head snapped toward him. "Should I make you a cat forever?"
Shadow quickly raised his hands in surrender and let out a nervous laugh. "Oh no, please. I was just joking! Just joking"
"Better," Nikolai muttered, turning his gaze back to the window that faced the university. "Because the only person you're watching tonight is the doll. And if you touch her, I’ll skin you while you're still human"
One moment Anya was walking alone to her hostel, and the next, she was standing in the center of the candlelit room at the manor.
She didn't scream or panic this time. She simply sighed, her shoulders dropping with a weary resignation.
"What do you want from me this time?" she asked tiredly.
It was then that she noticed him. A tall, lean man standing by the dresser, buttoning up one of Nikolai's shirts.
He turned to her, a charming grin spreading across his face. "In case you’re wondering, I’m Shadow" he said.
Anya’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. She looked at the man, then at the spot on the bed where the cat usually sat.
"You’re... you’re a human?" She scanned his face, her shock momentarily overridden by a flash of honesty. "And a very handsome one at that"
Shadow’s grin widened, his chest puffing out slightly. He took a step toward her, bowing with mock gallantry. "You make me blush, my lady. It’s a pleasure to finally be seen by—"
Snap.
Before Shadow could finish his sentence, the air rippled with a violent surge of golden light. In an instant, the tall, handsome man vanished, replaced by a small, black ball of fur that tumbled on the carpet with an indignant meow.
Anya blinked, looking at the cat on the floor and then at Nikolai, who was standing by the window, his jaw clenched and his eyes burning with an irrational fire.
"Why did you do that?" Anya asked, startled.
"Handsome, my foot!" he hissed.