A Demon's Drink {Book Three-Kat}

Chapter 38

--- Katrina’s POV---

I woke up with the worst kind of headache. Have you ever stayed up late crying after a bad breakup and stuffed your face with your favorite flavor of ice cream? Well take that, throw in a little hang over, a pinch of jackhammers at two AM and you might understand what this felt like. Worse than the pounding in my head was the rock in the bottom of my stomach.

I sat up slowly with closed eyes and prayed that last night was simply a bad dream. My eyes flashed open to red walls and a gold comforter that belonged in the guest room downstairs. I could hear footsteps walking around in the room above me; they were pacing nervously. Flopping back on the bed I decided that today was officially cancelled and went right back to sleep.

“Wake up, Katrina.”

My eyes flew open at the sound of his voice. Ra’s stood in the doorway to the bathroom with a satisfied smile on his lips. He wore his dark otherworldly clothes and kept a firm grip on the hilt of his blade.

“Time for your second task.”

“No,” I sat up shaking. “Not after last night. You lied to me Ra’s, you killed them all. I swear I’m going to kill you.” My voice was more feral than I ever thought a human being could sound. He took a step forward and I sat further back in the bed.

“You do not get to decide when you work for me, Katrina. You owe me a debt.” His voice wasn't hostile, but every word was edged in cold steel. He extended a hand toward me and waited.

“Did I kill Celia last night?” I had to know what was going on. Bruce said I had animal blood on me last night and it didn't make any sense. Ra’s lips twitched the slightest bit into a smile.

“You did. You took a sword and ran it through her ribs.” His voice was solid, no wavering, and no chance for any lies.

“And why do you think I’ll go with you again,” I hissed.

“Because you liked it.” His lips curled up over his teeth as he leaned closer to me. “I watched you drive my blade into her body and I saw the way your eyes lit up. There’s no hiding it from me and you are right to revel in it. She was not fit to reside in the new world that we’re building.”

“We?”

“You don’t get to be half in and half out, Katrina,” Ra’s mused. “You are a part of it or you are not.” I contemplated everything for a moment before shaking my head.

“No, I won’t kill again.”

“Unfortunately, you don’t get to decide that.”

I jerked awake and nearly fell out of the bed in doing so. The house was silent in every form of the word and that set my nerves on end. I couldn’t hear the heartbeats of anyone in the house or outside on the grounds. Nervously, I slid out of bed and padded over to the door. It opened and the house had all its lights on like someone had just walked through. I walked into the living room to see the vacuum cleaner plugged in and sitting on the carpet waiting to be used. I was two seconds away from grabbing the nearest phone and dialing nine-one-one when the grandfather clock in the hallway swung out and Alfred stepped through.