Page 36 of Cuddly Demon

Onyx holds me tight. "I'd love to hear about your family."

I sigh. "My family was much more conventional. As you know, my parents are lawyers, so I grew up surrounded by boring conversations about legal cases and court rulings. Even when my parents weren't working, they were still stuck in their work mindset—they'd talk about politics and current events as if those were the only things that mattered."

"That sounds tough," Onyx says softly.

I nod. "It was especially hard for me since I wasn't like my brother—he was the golden child, the one who did everything right. I was always the black sheep, doing something wrong or not living up to my parents' expectations. It made me feel like an outsider in my own home."

"Did you ever take any fun family vacations? Or have a blast with your brother?"

"Not really. When my parents weren't working, they'd usually take us to some stuffy dinner party, or a boring museum. We never did anything exciting as a family. I remember one summer, my parents rented a beach house for us to spend a week together—but my brother was so busy with his studies that he didn't have time to join us. So it was just me and my parents, sitting in silence most of the time. We never had any real bonding experiences. I guess my parents were too busy with work to really pay attention to us or spend quality time with us."

"I'm so sorry. That's no way to grow up."

I squeeze Onyx's hand. "I'm so glad I have you now," I whisper into his chest. "You make me feel like I can do anything."

Onyx's eyes lock on mine. A pulse of gratitude thrums inside me, and I feel myself leaning in towards him.

Our lips meet in a soft, tender kiss, and my heart swells with emotion.

At last, Onyx pulls away and looks deep into my eyes. "You are so special, Saint," he says, his voice full of emotion. "Don't ever forget that. You're strong, brave, and capable. No matter what your family thinks or how they try to make you feel—you can do anything you put your mind to."

He smiles at me with a warmth and understanding that I've never felt before.

"Thank you." Love overwhelms me. Goodness, Onyx is perfect.

Onyx plants one last kiss on my forehead. "Let's figure out how to track my brother down."

FIFTEEN

SAINT

Standing on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, I gaze at the enormous, awe-inspiring portal that looms before me. It's almost like a violent hurricane, except it's transparent, and it pulsates with an otherworldly light. The portal seems to stretch on for miles, completely dwarfing everything around it.

The colors swirling inside the portal are a dizzying kaleidoscope of dark, brooding blues, deep indigos and violent sapphire. They seem to stretch and contract, like writhing tendrils seeking to ensnare anything that comes too close.

The air around the portal is heavy, almost thick with the energy it emits, as if the very fabric of reality is being warped and twisted by its power.

Fear and wonder washes over me.

This... is it.

The portal that leads demons to the spiritual realm.

"Holy shit." I lean into Onyx, a beat of unease drumming in my chest.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes."

Despite the overwhelming sense of trepidation the portal inspires, there's something undeniably alluring about it. Perhaps it's the sense of adventure it evokes in me. Or maybe it's the hope of helping Onyx meet Azazel and freeing himself from the curse.

Whatever it is, I know that I'm looking at something beyond human comprehension.

"How does it work?" I bite my lower lip as I look at Onyx.

Onyx smiles at me, his face illuminated by the portal's light. "It's actually quite simple in theory. The portal is powered by a combination of spiritual energy and magical spells. When someone from the spiritual realm wishes to visit Earth, they simply need to enter through the portal that connects their world with ours. The portal then opens up and allows them to travel between realms."

Onyx pauses, his gaze turning distant as if he's lost in thought.