Altered by Shelly Crane

could be what she needed. I took her face in my hands, knowing they were too rough against her soft skin.
    She sat pliable and willing, waiting for me to make a move, to say something, anything. I didn’t deserve that kind of devotion and adoration, especially not from Fay, but I still wanted to pretend. “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone so soft.”
    “You’ve met a lot,” she remarked evenly.
    “I have. This is the first time in my life that I wish I hadn’t.” The surprise washed over her face and I continued. “But I am what I am. I’m not a good guy. I’m a demon who’s messed up more times than I can remember. I eat fear, Fay.” I shook my head, hoping she understood. She just watched me. “Will you please stop looking at me like that and say something.”
    “Looking at you like what?” she asked and her eyes fluttered a little when my fingers curled under chin.
              “Like you don’t believe that I’m evil. Like you think I’m savable.”
    “ I know you are. It’s just a matter of getting you to see it.” She moved her hands to my chest and this was bad. This was so bad.
    We were just feeding off each other’s energy at this point, no pun intended. We barely knew each other, but being stuck together these past few days and all the talking we’d done had brought us closer than I had wanted. And when you save someone, they get a hero complex s ometimes. Well, I saved her several times. She was attracted to me. I had so many variables working against me. There was no way she wanted me for just me. How could she? It was this devourer’s body and what I was made to do, drawing her in. The one time I didn’t want to snatch up a female and I couldn’t seem to stop wanting to reel her in.
    “Fay,” I said, but it was more of a growl. She smiled, but it was so genuine and willing it made my chest ache. “Fay, don’t. It’s just an illusion to trick you, to make you trust us and believe that you’re safe when you’re anything but.”
    I went to scoot her up, but she gripped tighter to my shoulders. “I’m sure that most devourers are that way. And I’m sure you used to be that way. You told me so. You’ve told me the truth the entire time, not even sparing my feeling,” she scoffed. “When someone wants to change or goes through something that makes them different…it doesn’t matter what they were, it only matters what they want to be.”
    I let my thumbs caress her cheeks and balked at that revelation. “It can’t really be that simple to humans, can it?”
    “Why not?”
    “Because the rest of the world is anything but.”
    She squirmed a little, settling more on my lap. I held in my groan just barely before she asked, “We’ll be there today, won’t we?”
    “Yes,” I whispered. “And then the illusions you have of me will be over.” I let my hands fall to my lap and patted her sides, trying for a smile. “Clara will be sure to set you straight about me, don’t worry.”
    “I’m the older sister,” she insisted and finally lifted herself from my lap. I felt her absence as a relief and a burden at the same time. “I’ll handle her. I just really want to see her.” She smiled, but looked as if she could cry, too.
    “Well , go get dressed. Today will be…interesting.” I wasn’t sure if I needed to find a witch’s stone to get into the camp or not. “I need you to keep an open mind.” I got up and looked in her eyes, holding her chin. “I need you to stay calm and just follow my lead. I’ll keep you safe and I’ll get you there. You’ll see some things that won’t be normal, but you’ll be okay.”
    She smiled, looking a little dazed like they usually did and I hated myself for using persuasion on her, but knew it was best. “Okay, Enoch.”
    “Okay, Fay.”
    She smiled, back to herself so quickly. “I kinda like it when you say my name with your accent.”
    “Most women do,” I said sarcastically and leaned back against