“Did Ristan just lie to me?” I asked slowly and watched as Dristan nodded his head.
“He can and does,” he shrugged as the words flowed. “Don’t ask him about the wings and the things you think a Demon should have, Synthia.”
“Why, he tells me just about everything else. I didn’t think anything of it since even his sex life is available in all its sordid details upon request.”
“Ristan had them, Synthia. He had wings, horns, and the tail. For about two hours after he finished his version of our Transition. Alazander docked them just as he had with Alannah. He wasn’t perfect enough for our father, and so he made him as he wanted him to be. Ristan was born to be a true Demon; he just wasn’t allowed to remain so.”
I felt sick as I looked up at Dristan in unhidden horror at the monster that had sired him. “But wouldn’t they just grow back eventually? The Fae heal their wounds, even he did when the Mages tore him to pieces.”
Dristan shook his thick chestnut colored curls and lifted his tri-colored eyes to meet mine. “He uses glamour to hide the scars, but he has them still, his skin never healed from the damage. When Alexzander was of a mind to take something, it stayed gone. As you know, it’s part of the power of the Horde King, to scar when he wishes it. You saw your brother and what happened to him,” he said softly.
Liam had extensive damage to his face that had never healed. His hands had been taken during his imprisonment, but they had grown back, and Ryder had done that to secure my place in his pavilion. The difference was, one was the Horde King, and the other had been the Horde Heir. “If Ryder had been the King when he’d cut Liam’s hands off…?” I asked.
“Ryder was never as cruel as our father,” he said with a distant look in his eyes. “The only wound he ever delivered that was permanent was our father’s death. He is just in his rulings, and never abuses his powers to bring others down unless he’s backed into a corner.”
“I should find Ristan and apologize for stirring up the pot,” I said as I mulled over what had been said.
“He’s just outside the door. He wouldn’t leave you unprotected while we are scheduled with your care. Ryder is afraid I’d try to get into your pants. Even with your blooming condition. It is probably why one of my brothers is always scheduled to be here during your lessons.” He grinned with a roguish look filling his eyes. I’m sure that look had left panties littered on the ground in the Human world. I patted his hand and pushed up from the table and grimaced as I felt like a penguin waddling to the door.
Sure enough, Ristan was there in the corridor, staring off into space. Or, maybe he was reliving old nightmares because I’d opened my mouth and swallowed my swollen ankle. “Hey, Demon,” I said softly as I looked up at him. His smirk was on cue, as if he had expected me. He offered me his arm and I accepted the extra support.
“Hey yourself, Flower. You ready to be delivered back to your tower?”
“Towers aren’t really my thing,” I said with a small smile. “My hair’s too short, and I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t make great rope,” I said as I crinkled my nose. I caught the start of a smile on his lips. “I wanted to say sorry about sticking my foot in it.” He snorted and looked down at me as he slid his fingers into my hand and held it protectively.
“I should have prepared myself for it. You were bound to ask it sooner or later. You know what they say about curiosity though, right?”
“That it killed the cat?”
“No, it ate the *,” he said slyly and winked.
“That’s so not what they say, Demon,” I laughed.
“No, the truth is, I don’t like to talk about it.”
“Why would he do such a horrible thing, though?”