Page 22 of Infernal Secrets

“I don’t even know what infernals are.”

“Demon, maybe?”

Ash leaned against the counter. “Consider it the scientific name for demons.”

Zeke nodded. “Yeah. We used ‘demon’ because you’re more familiar with it.” He paused, then asked again. “Knowing that, do you believe him?”

“I…” I frowned as images of the things I’d seen just that week alone played like a movie reel in my mind. The twisted, melting face of the man near my home. The things Grandma tried to tell me about demons. Part of me wanted to believe them, to know I hadn’t been crazy after all, but I couldn’t. “I don’t know.”

“Show her,” Ezra said, voice low and cold.

“Close your eyes, Little Blackbird.”

My gaze snapped to Ash. “What?”

“You don’t want to see yet.”

“But—” I gasped as a warm hand slid over my eyes, fine hairs prickling at the contact.

Zeke’s soothing voice came from beside my ear. “Shhh. It’ll be okay.”

How had he moved without a sound? I hadn’t even heard him get on the counter with me earlier. After a minute or two, once my muscles relaxed, he slid his hand away.

Nothing prepared me for what I saw when I opened my eyes and dragged my gaze up Cyn’s body. He stood before me—but not as the man from earlier.

Darkness consumed his hands, creeping up his forearms, dissipating into smoke-like tendrils at his elbows. His once blunt nails were now sharp and lethal claws, extending a few inches from his slender black fingers.

When my gaze traveled over the rest of his body, everything appeared human until I looked at his face. His beautiful amber eyes had turned pitch black, empty voids without a sclera.

But the most startling of all protruded from his disheveled hair: a pair of thick horns, black as midnight, sweeping back in a wave. They resembled antelope horns, only shorter and thicker.

He studied me in silence. With his brows locked in a scowl, he looked cruel—like the demon he claimed to be.

“This isn’t our full form, but it’s enough to get the point across,” Zeke said from behind me, drawing Cyn’s gaze.

I noticed his ears then—no longer rounded, they now extended a couple of inches into points.

I kept my voice to a murmur, afraid that if I startled him, he’d attack. Was he in control? Was he even the same man? “What does your full form look like?”

“It depends on which of us you ask,” Zeke said. “For Cyn, not too different. He can’t show you his wings in such a small room.” He paused and tilted his head, considering. “Unless you want a bigger mess than the glass in the kitchen.”

“Wings?” I blinked and looked over my shoulder at Cyn in surprise. “Like angel wings?”

Zeke chuckled. “Nah, not us. The type of wings depends on the type of infernal. Shyrlivi have wings like bats.”

Ash moved to the sofa. “Some have bones—which aren’t very useful. It all depends.”

“This is insane.” I turned to face the others. “You’re playing a trick on me. That’s why you wanted me to close my eyes.”

Ezra rolled his eyes and leaned against the counter that separated the living room from the kitchen.

“No,” Cyn said, his voice deeper than before, but still seductive and smoother than Ezra’s or Ash’s. “I’m real.” He extended his hand, inviting me to touch him. “It’s not paint. I wouldn’t have the time for that anyway.”

I swallowed and ran a finger over his forearm, inspecting my clean fingertip when I pulled away. “This is wild.” I looked up at the horns on his head. “Those are real?”

“That’s what I said. It’s all real. I’m real.”

I slumped to the floor and stared up at Cyn looming over me.