Blood spilled from his wound like crimson diamonds. The blade had sliced easily through skin, separating the cells like a hot knife through butter. Excited roars and hoots of amazement erupted in the arena. I watched on, not taking part in the cheering festivities surrounding me. I no longer took any sort of pleasure in watching the executions that took place at the end of every year. The only time adrenaline would run high within me was when I would play the part of executioner. I suppose that was good for a demon. To enjoy killing.
My best friend, Elena, however, hated to kill. This, I only vaguely understood, but she was always the pure one. The one who believed in redemption, even for the unredeemable. I don't believe anyone could truly be redeemed because no one could forget. There are certain things that can be forgiven, but nothing could ever be forgotten. You may not remember who took your blade, but you'll never give anyone the opportunity to do it again.
Trust is a feeble thing and once lost, it could never be regained. No matter how many meaningless apologies were spoken. They would always land on deaf ears. In my opinion, anyway.
"Disgusting." Elena muttered next to me and I grinned, broadly. Yes, her discomfort amused me to extremes. She had a bit of a temper and was adorable when it exploded.
"Oh, c'mon, Lena." I purred, leaning over to speak quieter.
"Admit it." I grin against her ear.
"It turns you on." I flick her earlobe with my tongue and she swats me away. I laughed and the sound drowned out amongst the roaring crowd.
"Caroline, that wasn't funny." She pouted and I shrugged, not caring. Emotions were problems for me. Unlike my fellow demons, I wasn't born with the ability to switch them off. I was born with them already off and my switch was the on, kind. And they turned on at the most inopportune times, if I was being completely honest. However, at the moment, they were blessedly under control. Which meant I felt nothing. I felt numb.
I bounced in my seat. I did, however, feel impatient. "I'm hungry." I pout, the smell of blood intoxicating my senses and causing my mouth to water demandingly. Elena scrolled through her phone and promptly ignored me. I rolled my eyes and leaned obnoxiously close to stare blatantly at her text messages. I was also incredibly nosey, just saying.
She was texting her boyfriend, Stefan. My eyes hurt from the roll they performed after finding out this piece of information. "Are you seriously still with that thing?" I demanded and she cast me an irritated glare. But, I wasn't in the mood to play. I was in the mood to be bitch. This seemed to be a constant for me, though.
"He's sweet." She defends and I snort.
"He's incompetent." I challenge and she snorts.
"Sexually?" She questions, wondering if that's what I meant.
"Well, duh!" I exclaim, tossing my hands in the air. She rolls her eyes.
"Tell that to my happy orgasms from this morning." She chirps, smugly. I chortle.
"If Stefan fucking Salvatore is giving you orgasms than either, A: You're helping him. Or B: He's finally acquired the knowledge of where the female clitoris resides and the brain capacity to use it to his advantage." I huff and she pinches her eyes.
"I don't understand why you get on him all the time." She was exasperated and I shrugged, not having an answer, because I didn't have one. He just bothered me. There was something about him. Perhaps it was the whole Devil wannabe vibe he gave off. Or, it could have also been the fact that he told me where to shove it when I propositioned him. Of course, I wasn't going to go through with it. Sex is so not my thing, but I knew Elena liked him. I just wanted to find out the kind of guy he was. Turns out, he's an ass.
"Lena, my point is, you could do so much better than him. Like, totally." I wave my hand indifferently and she stands with a sigh.
"Thought you said you were hungry." She changes the subject and my stomach was in complete agreement. I smiled deviously as I stood with a giggle that sounded psychotic to my own ears. We moved through the crowded aisles, hands clasped in assurance that we wouldn't be separated. Just as we reached the bare steps, a body collided harshly with my side and I growled in fury, the sound quieting the people in my immediate surroundings.
"Watch it, witch." I snarled at the girl that had bumped into me. She turned back to face me and frowned.
"Bite me, demon." She returned and through her pupils I watched my blue eyes glow silver in a primal hunger only known to a few of my kind.
"Are you offering?" I return, sharply, my body jerking toward hers threateningly before Elena yanked me back. She laughed, awkwardly, as the witch and I continued to glare at one another with unconcealed hatred.
"Hey, Bonnie." Elena waved uncomfortably and I snorted at her pathetic show of peace.
"Move, Elena, before your arm becomes a casualty of her death." I hiss, trying to move forward without actually hurting her. Friends were a hard thing to come by and I really didn't want to test Elena's loyalty to me at the moment.
"Come at me, bitch." Bonnie goaded and hollered oohs erupted around us as a circle formed with the anticipation of a fight.
"Don't tempt me." I warn and Elena spun to face me.
"Care, please calm down, okay? You know violence is restricted at these events and the last thing you need is to spend the night in the seventh circle of hell." Elena pleaded with me. She was right. I didn't need to be thrust within a war of violence for my sins. Especially considering the fact that she wasn't worth it.
I smiled sweetly at Bonnie. "Sorry, witch, but I'm afraid my girl is right. You just aren't worth the non-existent breath it would take for me to rip your throat out." I wrap an arm around Elena's shoulders, wiggle my fingers in goodbye, and then lead her away. Ignoring the shouts of deflated fury from the crowd. With a single flick of my wrist, I flipped them the bird.
"You really shouldn't let her get to you." Elena spoke as we waited for the elevator in an empty corridor.
"Who says she gets to me?" I challenge, with a bit more vehemence than necessary. In return, she rolled her eyes. The ding of the elevator signaled its arrival, but it in no way prepared Elena or me for who resided within.
It opened and the voices immediately stopped. I moved to step in, but Elena's gasp cut me off. I looked at her, but she was frozen just outside the doors while I stood between them. Well, at least they wouldn't close while I waited for her to break from her spaz attack. I blinked at her and then let my eyes travel toward the interior. Ah, I see. Damon Salvatore leaned against the back wall of the elevator, speaking to another man. I cast him a quick glance, before going to tell Elena to hurry up, but the words died on my lips and my head swiveled back to the man.
"I didn't think The Devil took elevators." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. Damon erupted into laughter and Elena squeaked in response to my momentary word vomit. I suppose I should feel inferior to the man currently staring at me, but I didn't. Was that weird? Yes, it was. I also suppose I should feel something other than appreciation for his looks, but I didn't. Wow, I really was insane.
"Ladies." Damon greeted and Elena moved inside, standing far away from the King of Hell, but I couldn't tear my gaze away. Not for all the blood in the world. Because, he was gorgeous. You'd think the reincarnation of all evil would be hideous. Perhaps, smell a bit. You know, look evil. Not like he should be on the cover of some male beauty magazine.
He stood tall, over a head taller than me with broad shoulders leading down to a lean build of cut muscle that radiated strength and obvious power. He also wore Armani. Now, that's just being cruel to the female ovaries. Or at least the ones that worked. Mine didn't work. At all. I felt nothing in response to the electric blue gaze currently boring into me or the way his three piece suit molded to him as if it were specifically designed to. Nothing. I felt nothing.
I did feel hot. Very hot. It was uncomfortable and it annoyed me. I moved closer toward the doors, tempted to just break them open. Sweat broke out across my body as heat pooled like liquid lava between my thighs. My heartbeat picked up in panic. I'd never, ever felt like this. Not even with the boy who took my virginity. Not that I remember much of that, but still.
I crossed my arms at the tightening sensation that tingled against my nipples and tensed my shoulders at the shudder that ran down my spine, only to envelope my entire body. As if the cells that lay beneath my skin were igniting to life. What the fuck was happening to me? What was this sorcery and by all the demons in hell, if it was because of the man next to me, I was going to kill him. Or, at least maim.
The doors opened and I shoved them, hard. They broke, but I didn't care as I continued out of the building. More heat flooded through me when I stepped out into the air of Hell. Why did I come here, again? My mind came up blank.
"Caroline?!" Elena called. Her voice was frightened and that was the only reason I stopped. She grasped my wrists and I stared at her. Obviously, whatever was happening to me wasn't external. Oh, hell.
"Let's go home." I say, yanking her off.
"You broke the elevator!" She exclaimed and I shrugged.
"So? I can't be the first!" I retort and she releases a cry of exasperation.
"Maybe not, but you'd be the first to do it in the devil's presence!" She shouted over the crackles of our surroundings as we moved down a staircase carved and molded from brimstone. A pool of lava stretched out for infinity bubbling and bursting with angry spouts of liquid fire.
After getting out of the main section and into a different part. A rather cooler part where lava was non-existent. We ran along the river Styx and toward the gatekeeper. I tossed him some coins before climbing onto the raft with Elena and a few others, who were chatting mindlessly.
"Caroline." Elena whispered, still trying to get me to explain. I cast her a glance.
"For once in your entire immortal existence, Elena. Drop it." By some miracle. She did. But I would be naïve to believe that was the end of it. Naïve indeed.