Lila shoots to her feet. “What did you do to him?” She rushes forward, shoving Dustin as hard as she can. He stumbles back a step.
“It wasn’t me,” he says quietly, nodding to Apophis not far away. “It was him. I tried… I thought—I didn’t want this.” He shakes his head. “I don’t know why I’m here.”
Lila makes a fist, fully prepared to punch him, but something stops her. Something inside just can’t manage to do it. She turns back to Nick. “Then go,” she says.
Elijah slaps Nick’s cheek twice. With a groan, Nick scrunches his eyes tightly. “Come on, Warrior. You have work to do.”
“Nick? Look at me,” Lila cries. She pulls on his arm. “Please, Icky.”
Nick opens his eyes. Tries to focus on his sister. She looks so scared. He attempts a smile, but the pain is too intense. He grimaces instead.
“Is Apophis dead?”
Lila looks over at Apophis’ still form. Takes in his blood covered suit. Chalky white skin. “I think so.”
“Good. The bastard betrayed us.”
Lila looks behind her. Dustin is gone. “Can you move?” she asks, glancing back to Nick. Elijah pulls Nick up to a sitting position. Nick hisses through clenched teeth.
“I don’t know,” he moans. “It hurts.”
“Stop,” Lila tells Elijah. “Lay him back down. We shouldn’t move him.”
“We need him,” Elijah says, his voice apologetic.
“What good is he if he can’t even move? He’s in too much pain.”
“Help me up,” Nick says quickly.
Sensing the urgency in his voice, Lila’s hand flies to her gun. She spins and fires. The shot hits one Demon and it howls in agony. Eight other Demons move past it and keep coming. Lila turns back to Nick, taking one of his hands. Elijah grips the other and together they pull him to his feet. Nick takes the dagger from his pants, holding it out in front of him defensively. Elijah unsheathes his sword.
“If they still have the spell, I don’t think we can take this many at once.”
“We have to try,” Nick murmurs.
***
“Where is Asmoday? I’d like to see him. I need to speak to him.” Keely drops her head. “I’d at least like to tell him goodbye.”
“Of course my child. I understand that. It is a shame the bond you’ve formed will go to waste. Perhaps you can tempt him into joining us.” His smile is radiant. His eyes soft and almost happy. He thinks he’s won. Keely scowls at his back as he moves in the direction of a door. “He’s just this way. I had to lock him up for his own protection.”
He waves his hand quickly by the handle and pulls it open. Keely steps inside the room. Her body brightens the small space. Asmoday lies on the floor in the corner. His body still. “Asmoday?” Her voice is choked with worry. “What’s wrong with him? Is he hurt?”
“Perhaps. There was a struggle, but I assured he lived.”
Keely stands over him. Watches him breathe. A rush of feeling takes over her. Pulls her mind away from this place. Takes her somewhere else. Suddenly it’s like she is in a dream. Like she is dream visiting, only she’s awake.
Asmoday stands before her. His lips move without sound, but Keely understands him. Her eyes stick to the gash on his head. It’s deep. She can see the white of bone. His skull. Tears pierce her eyes. Why isn’t he healing? He’s in a Demon realm. Either he should heal or die. There’s no in between here. Not for him.
His hands grip her arms. Fingers dig in painfully as he tries to get her attention. Forces her to focus. Blood trails down his head. Runs into his eye. Keely can’t take it. She tries to pull away. She wants to help him, but he holds onto her tighter. Repeats his soundless words. She nods.
Blinking, Keely is back in the room as if nothing has ever happened. She turns to her father. “I thought you said he was alive. He isn’t breathing…” She trails off trying to summon the courage.
The Demon King takes a knee beside her. She has to stand because even on his knees, he’s so much taller than her. He stares at Asmoday. Watches his chest rise and fall steadily. “He breathes, my daughter.”
Keely’s hands shake as she stretches the talisman in her hands. As her father turns to look at her, his eyes go wide with surprise just as she drops the necklace around his head. Simultaneously, it falls to his neck as he tries to get to his feet. She pulls the dagger from her pocket and Asmoday rolls over. He grips part of the necklace, pulling the King’s head back. Keely has one shot. She raises the dagger as she whispers, “Ego expello lux.”
A bright white aura surrounds his heart. Keely pitches her arm, bringing the blade down at his chest. He falls back against Asmoday before she can make contact. Asmoday’s head hits the stone floor with a wet thud. Her father kicks out at her and Keely hears the pop in her leg as her knee is forced in the wrong direction. She screams as she tumbles to the ground. The dagger slips away from her fingers.
The Demon King breaks away from Asmoday. Thrusts forward, throwing himself on top of Keely. Though his strength is weakened from the talisman, he’s still stronger than Keely. He presses down on her and grabs the necklace. Yanks it off with a snap of the lanyard.
“No,” Keely squeaks as she slaps at him. He blocks her blows easily.
“Do not think I need you, daughter. I waited this long, I can wait again. I can do it all over. Have another daughter. One that will obey. One that will not disappoint me.” He takes a handful of her golden locks. Brings her face to his as he leans over her. He kisses her cheek. “It is a shame, though. I will miss you. I thought I’d seen myself in you, but you’re too much like them.”
Her father stares into her eyes. A cruel smirk twists his features from beautiful to repulsive. His lips move quickly, his gaze on her intense. She can’t move. Her blood boils beneath her skin. A scream of agony escapes her lips and a tear slides from her eye. She’s dying. He’s killing her, somehow taking her life. Her soul. She tries to fight. Tries to scream. Tries to make him stop, but her body is useless.
Blood spurts from the Demon King’s mouth. Specks Keely’s face. She inhales a few drops as she screams again. A shadow passes over her, slams into her chest like a rush of wind and she can move again. Her father’s gaze breaks away from her and his head slowly lowers. He looks down at his own chest. His shirt sticks out to a point from his body where the light flickers. Blood forms a circle, growing bigger and bigger. “Daughter?”
Keely shakes her head and skitters back away from him. The glow from his body goes dark and he falls forward face first.
Asmoday’s hand is still extended. He drops the dagger. Keely pulls herself forward, hugging him tightly. “We’re free.”
Forty-Four:
Asmoday smiles sadly at Keely. She squints at him and pulls on his hand. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
He moves his hands over her leg and Keely feels a second pop as Asmoday twists her kneecap back into place. She stifles a moan and bites down on her lip. He closes his eyes. Blood drips onto his shirt. “I cannot go with you.”
Keely shakes her head vehemently. “Yes you can. My father’s dead. He can’t do anything now. We changed it.”
Asmoday opens his eyes and stares at her. The pain in his gaze scares her so badly, Keely looks away. She shakes her head again. “You have to come with me.”
“Nothing has changed. You still have to go. I still need to stay.”
“He’s dead. I don’t understand. He can’t hurt us anymore. Please just come with me.” She’s shaking. She can’t seem to stop. Her nose is running and her eyes burn with hot tears. This isn’t real. She’s dreaming again. She must be.
Asmoday’s voice is a choked whisper. “I did not understand until the dream visit with Apophis. It all started to fall into place then. The prophecy, the Angels may have seen it in a literal sense, but it was metaphoric, Keely.”
She speaks through
chattering teeth. “You aren’t making sense, Asmoday.” She wipes her nose with the back of her dirty hand.
“It was all meant to be exactly as it is.” He touches her cheek. “The Demon King always meant for us to fall in love. At least for you to love me. That is why he betrothed us. He wanted us to be connected as one. He needed you to be unable to leave me for you to fulfill his prophecy, but God had another plan. In His, I was always supposed to fall in love with you. You, no one else. With your father’s prophecy, the girl’s were interchangeable because he just needed them to care for me. But he didn’t realize that I would actually be able to return the feelings. He underestimated the affect you would have on me. He didn’t realize it was you, had to be you.” His thumb skims over her lips. “So you could change me. We were always meant to kill your father. This is the plan. We did not change anything. We did exactly as we were meant to do.” He smiles at her. “There will be peace now because I will stay. I will be King of Demons. I will make sure they never hurt anyone again.”
“No. Apophis is supposed to be King. You gave him the thrown.”
He shakes his head. “Apophis is no more by now. It has to be this way, Keely. Please try to understand. If Apophis were to have the thrown, there would be no peace. Only more war. You would always be in danger. It has to be me. It is the plan.”
“You’re wrong. I’m supposed to walk up the steps. I’m not supposed to look back. That’s the prophecy.”
“You said it yourself, how does walking up a set of stairs bring peace?”
“It doesn’t, so just come back. You can be the Demon King from Earth.”
“No. I have to stay. You have no idea how hard it is to control a Demon. There are too many that can slip by if I’m not here. This is the part about not looking back. You have to let me go.”
“I’ll stay with you. I’ll help you.”
Asmoday flinches. His hands begin to shake. He looks away. “No. This is not the life you want. This place, what it does to people… And you want children. You cannot raise children here.”
Keely reaches for his hand. He shifts away. Moves to his feet. “I don’t need children. I need you. I love you, Asmoday.”
He drops his head. Runs his hand through his hair. It’s the first time she said those words. He hates himself for what he is about to do, but that’s good. She’ll feel his animosity through their bond. It’ll be more convincing this way. He turns back to her, his face blank. “You will only be in the way. This is what I always wanted. What I waited years for. I never wanted to love you. It was forced on me by your father. By this tie that binds us. I need to be free of it now. I am a King, Keely. I cannot have you around distracting me from my duties. I do not want to share the power with you. I want it to myself.”
Keely stares at him until his image blurs. “You’re lying. You have to be.”
“This is precisely what I mean. I do not have time to nurse your feelings. I have Demons to manage. Don’t worry, because of this bond, I will assure your safety. You will always be protected.”
Keely glares at him. Tries to understand his emotions. He’s furious. Rage and hatred fill his heart. The tears spill from her eyes. Run down her cheeks. Drop to the floor. She pushes herself up. Her leg screams in pain. Asmoday looks at her and she swears she feels something in their bond, like a quiver on the chord. Swears she sees concern pass over his face, but she blinks and it’s gone.
“You told me you would never leave me. Never hurt me. Never lie to me. But you did lie, because you’re hurting me now. Look me in the eye and tell me it doesn’t matter. Tell me you don’t care that you are breaking my heart, and I’ll…I’ll go.”
Asmoday closes his eyes. Takes a deep breath. He opens them slowly and moves in front of her. Bends his knees so he’s eye level with her and holds her gaze steadily. “It does not matter enough. I want the thrown more than I want you.”
Keely’s eyes go big. Her head feels light. She nods. “O.k. O.k. I…” She squeezes her hands into fists. “I’m going to go then. I just…” She shakes her head. The tears won’t stop and it’s hard to see. She can’t even concentrate. “I don’t know where to go.”
Asmoday swallows hard. He points at the door. “Back the way you came.”
“But the stairway-”
“It is a metaphor. Walking into darkness. Now you must leave it. Go back into the light. Go be the Doyenne.”
Keely blinks tears from her eyes and nods again. Her throat is dry and the agonizing sadness is ripping her heart in half. She turns and limps through the door. Tells herself over and over not to look back. At the last second, she fails.
Keely glances over her shoulder at Asmoday. In that moment, she sees it. The lies he’s told her. His anguish. His loss. She sees the love he still has for her and it gives her the strength to make it to the next door. Words he once spoke to her replay in her mind. I cannot wait until the day it no longer surprises you. The day when you know without a second thought that I would lay my life down for you.
Keely steps back into chaos. The screaming. The fighting. The horrible smell of decaying Demons. She reaches for her dagger and remembers Asmoday still has it. Something hits her hard from behind and she falls forward. Her knee explodes with agonizing pain as she lands hard on it. She doesn’t have time to react before she is struck again. Her vision is blurry while she fights to keep her eyes open.
Something grips her ankle and drags her across the stone walkway. Her shirt bunches up around her chest and her stomach is skinned raw. Keely kicks out attempting to cease the movement, but it’s no use. Her foot swings idly in the air.
She’s rolled over and now she can see him. Sees the disgusted look on his face. Cringes at the pure revulsion he regards her with.
“Why are you doing this?”
He laughs coldly. “Why?” He removes his glasses and rubs his forehead. Grips the front of her shirt and yanks her up. Leans her against the building. “You took everything from me. I want—no, I need you to die. I need you to suffer. Slowly. I hate you, Keely. I hate you so much, I can taste it.” He throws his arms out and spins in a slow circle. “Because of you, all of this happened. I don’t know who you think you are. I don’t know what they see in you, but I am not fooled. Not for a second. You stole my life.” He shrugs. “So now I’m going to take yours.”
***
Lila takes Nick’s hand. She gives it a firm squeeze. “I love you, Icky.”
“It’s not over yet. Don’t get mushy on me.”
The Demons keep coming. More join the others as they move to circle around, enclosing them in. Beyond that, Bryon rushes in their direction, Israfil beside him. Lila looks at her brother. She can’t reload quickly enough and Bryon will never make it in time. “I love you,” she says again. “I need you to know that.”
“I do,” he says. He pushes her behind him. “I love you too.”
“This is no time for goodbyes. You’re a warrior. Fight,” Elijah yells.”
Nick nods and jabs his dagger into the chest of the closest Demon. It smiles at him as blood trickles from its mouth. Licks its lips and laughs. Lifts a finger, moving it side to side while shaking its head.
Bryon throws his sword, it hits its mark. The tip of the sword comes through the Demons chest, nearly touching Nick’s. Kicking his foot up, Nick pushes the sword back out and knocks the Demon down. He rolls it over and grabs the sword from the ground. Slices into the neck of the creature next to him.
Elijah swings his sword, cutting off a misshapen arm of another. Spinning himself, he swings again severing the other arm. Kicks the Demon away from him. It falls to the ground flailing its legs.
Israfil brings his arms out at his sides and tackles two Demons at once, knocking them to the ground. He flips his blade and stabs it into the back of one. Twists it. The spine breaks free of the flesh, pulling away with the sword. He raises his eyebrows and
shakes it off.
One by one, the Demons begin to disappear. Blinking out in an aura of darkness.
Nick looks around before cocking his brows. He gazes at Lila. “Did their time run out?”
“I don’t think so.” She breathes quickly in and out. Across the grounds, Lila makes eye contact with Micah. He turns and says something to Ramuell and their heads turn in the direction of Mount Zion. A cold pang sits in Lila’s stomach. She twists and runs for the building.
Her feet falter when she sees him. She should have killed him when she had the chance. Lila screams his name, certain of his intent. Dustin’s body jerks. He spins around. “Stay back Lila.”
She doesn’t stop, but she slows. Walks hesitantly up the steps, her hands out in front of her. “What are you doing?” Her eyes flick to Keely’s unconscious body.
“I’m making things right,” Dustin spits.
“How?” Lila steps silently, leaving little space between them.
“Look, Lila. I love you. I have loved you from the very first time I saw you. I wanted a life with you. I wanted to marry you.” He jabs his finger in the air, pointing at Keely. “She took it all.” His voice is quietly pained. “She has to pay.”
“She has, Dusty. Look at her.” He turns and glances at Keely. Lila raises her gun. Rock salt won’t do much to a human, but it’ll hurt like hell. She aims for his back. Pulls the trigger. Dustin grunts and staggers a step. He spins, face contorted with pain and confusion. He wrenches the gun from her hand and throws it.
“Why did you do that? How can you turn on me? Everything I did, I did for you. Because I love you.”
“You don’t love me, Dustin. You just think you do. This isn’t love. This is insanity.”
“No, Lila. Don’t say that. You are my whole life.”
Lila shakes her head. “I can’t be anymore. I’m done. You’ve lost it.”
Dustin takes her arm. “After she’s gone, everything will be all right. You’ll love me again.”
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