by Angie Fox
"Lizzie," she hollered, as two more witches pulled back the firing mechanism. Her voice held panic and excitement. "I need something to load!"
We'd done it before. We'd locked the Earl of Hell away with a blast of angelic power. This time, now that I'd gotten under his armor, now that I'd melded my powers with his, a shot like that might just kill him.
But now it would kill me as well.
"Wait," I screamed to them. For what, I didn't know.
Witches scrambled to their feet, drawing spell jars.
"Kill them," the Earl ordered. "Now."
I couldn't do it. I wouldn't. But goddamn it, they wouldn't listen. They kept drawing weapons. I felt the power rise up inside me, the rage.
They were puny and insignificant and they actually thought they could defeat the Earl of Hell.
They deserved to die.
I lashed out a hand and struck Creely's trebuchet with a blast of angelic power. Wood splintered, ropes flew, and I laughed as I watched the startled witch fall over backward.
But I didn't kill her. Yet.
I shouldn't.
Yes, I had to kill her.
Grandma stood screaming at me. I couldn't hear her words. They didn't matter. She'd climbed on top of her altar, the crazy woman. The demon's power tore at her hair. It drove her backward and she still shrieked.
I hit her with my eyes and spun her right off her pedestal. I burned her with a red blaze of demon energy that sent a thrill straight down my spine. This was winning. This was glory.
This was power.
It had been available to me for my entire life and I never realized it. Like a blind fool, I hadn't indulged. I didn't know how it could really be.
Frieda crushed a jar that sent up a purple cloud over the entire courtyard. It flung me backward. The Earl landed next to me.
Broken glass and pottery sliced into my shoulders and back, but I didn't care. She'd attacked the nobility of hell.
She'd pay.
I leaped to my feet and almost bowed back down again when I realized I should have let him stand first. I waited. Deferred. His red eyes searched me as he stood. He wiped a trail of blood from the corner of his mouth. "By all means demon slayer," he said, the corner of his mouth turning up. "Proceed."
"Don't call me that." He was mocking me.
He'd see.
The witches cowered behind hasty barricades made from plant shelves and carts. It wouldn't save them. They fired spells at me now. The magic burst in sickening waves at my feet. But they didn't break me. I was both slayer and demon. I was invincible.
Then the dog of all creatures came running straight for me.
"Stop it! Stop it!" he hollered, dodging the witches who tried to catch him. "It's me, Lizzie." His stubby tail thrust out. His words mashed together as he tried to say them fast. He dodged broken glass and flaming pieces of the trebuchet. "I don't care if your eyes are red or if you got demon breath or you came out of hell. I love you!"
Blind trust and love shone in his eyes. He truly believed in me.
"Babydog!" I called, without even thinking. It was the thing to say, to feel, to do, when he came to me as he did at that moment.
But this was only an animal and I had a job to do.
I unleashed a killing blast of power straight at the dog.
It seized him around the middle. He gave a sharp cry and fell lifeless to the ground.
The pride of it washed over me. And the horror. And the elation.
At least I'd put him out of his misery.
In another world, I'd cry for what I'd just done. But I couldn't find it in myself to regret it. I wanted it.
Then something deeper pushed at me, stabbed at my throat and my eyes. My chest felt heavy and tears welled up, temporarily blinding me.
He'd been the smallest puppy at the pound, a runt with an attitude. His legs were so small he waddled when he walked, and he'd darted straight for me, tongue out, razor-sharp baby teeth ready to gnaw on my hand.
And when we got home, he used those teeth on my most comfortable pair of worn-in oxfords. The shoes were as long as he was, but he brought one to me to show me he'd conquered the beast.
Now that little spirit had met his last challenge. He'd trusted me with everything he had and I'd killed him.
What was wrong with me?
"Oh good," the Earl said next to me. "I was afraid I'd given you too much unmitigated evil. I do want you to suffer."
I glared at him, this monstrosity. The half man, half lizard who ruled in hell, who would bring his legions to conquer the Earth as soon as he'd wiped out the witches and anyone else who opposed him.
With me at his side, he was invincible.
No one should have that kind of power. I had to kill him. I had to end this now.
But I didn't want to.
A wave of spells exploded around us, blinding me for a moment. The fucking witches didn't know when to quit. I drew a switch star.
"Leave me alone!" I hollered, hurling it straight at the one in the wheelchair. He'd tried to retrieve the body of the dog. Useless sap.
Then I saw a man stride through the smoke. Dimitri.
He held his body rigid, his mouth set in a grim line as he walked through the front line of witches. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of black trousers, but he didn't shift.
It was a very foolish move.
As a griffin, he might have given me a challenge.
As a man, he was worthless.
The Earl smiled. "Kill him."
The order was clear. I knew what to do. Still, I felt myself hesitate. "What happens then?" I asked, hardly recognizing my own voice.
The Earl crossed his arms over his chest. "We eliminate the witches and get what I want." He'd steal their power. He'd have what he needed to open up the gates for his six-hundred and sixty-six legions of demons.
Dimitri, the fool, walked straight for me, even though I had to kill him. Even though he had no power to stop it.
He was going to make me do it, just like the Earl. And I hated him for that.
He didn't hesitate. He refused to make this easy. "You're stronger than the demon," he said, like a warning.
Was I? I'd blasted Creely. I'd killed my dog.
Yes, I had immeasurable strength, but darkness flowed through my veins. I was the walking weapon for the Earl of Hell.
Love and concern flooded his expression. Behind it was fear.
Smart man.
No good could come out of this. I drew a switch star.
I took one step toward him, then another. My boots felt heavy. We'd end this together.
I itched to plant my switch star in his chest. To blast him to hell with demon power. He deserved it for this reckless pride, this insistence that I be something I wasn't.
I held out, just barely.
We met in no-man's-land. The witches' artillery had ceased, replaced by a choking blue smoke. It stung my eyes. It burned my throat. But it didn't stop me. Nothing could anymore.
My husband watched me, the pain clear in his eyes. Caustic smoke tore into my lungs. My body shook, my head swam. I needed to kill them all and be done with it.
We'd both faced death before. It was part of what made us so good at living. This was the man who battled werewolves and banshees with me, who had made love to me on an ancient altar, who tied me to a tree to keep me out of a particularly gruesome fight. Come to think of it, I'd never gotten him back for that one. Now I never would.
We'd never make love in the rain again, or go crazy trying to entertain my mother. We'd never have children. Never grow old together.
We'd been given more than I'd ever hoped for in my life, but it was over now. There was no winning this time.
Instead, I had to die. It was the only way to save him.
"Kill me," I told him.
His nostrils flared with shock. "You don't mean that," he said quickly. He reached for me, then thought the better of it and withdrew. "You're corrupted."
"You know it's worse
than that," I said, glancing behind me. The Earl watched us. I didn't know how much time we had left. Dimitri had to see it. I certainly did. "It's the only way to kill the Earl and end the power cycle."
He had to destroy the demon. And me, too.
This time, Dimitri pulled me close. He wrapped me in his arms and I relished the heat of him. Hades, I felt so cold.
Tears swam in my eyes. I refused to return the embrace. It would hurt too much. We both knew what he had to do. My nose touched the base of his neck. I brought my lips up to his ear. "I don't want to hurt anyone else," I whispered. He had to understand. "Please. Do this for me. For us. Trust me. Save me. It's the only way."
The Earl hit me in the back with a blast of power. It drove into me. I clutched Dimitri's arms. For the first time, I tried to fight it. But it was no use. I felt myself grow stronger, bolder. I wanted to kill.
Dimitri hissed as my fingers tore into his skin. I was just like the demon.
The tears in the muscle excited me. I wanted to lick the rivulets of blood. They were mine. I'd marked him. Too bad I had to kill him.
He stared at me in horror. "Lizzie…your eyes."
Burning red, no doubt. "Do you see it now?" I dug my fingers harder into his skin. The Earl was playing with us, no doubt enjoying our pain. But he'd tire of it soon and the next blast of power would make me his slave. Dimitri had one last chance to end it all. I used my nails like claws, feeling his flesh give way under them, watching the tears spring up in his eyes. "Shiloh's in hell. Rachmort is dead. Pirate is dead. I came here to kill you all. Now you have to love me enough to kill me.
"Please," I said. It was now or never. "Love me enough to save me."
His shoulders shook and his breath was hollow. "I do."
I released him. Blood smeared my fingers as I slipped off his wedding ring and held it out to him. The Skye stones contained griffin power. They were enchanted to protect me.
The Earl chuckled behind me, delighted as I dropped the ring into Dimitri's outstretched palm. His fingers closed over it, clasping it tight.
"Now," he said tightly.
Dimitri stepped back and so did I, until I was once again side-by-side with the Earl.
"You forgot something," the demon said.
I looked into his soulless black eyes. "I'm ending this my way."
"It had better be good," he smirked.
"Don't interfere," I spat at the demon. "I've challenged the griffin to a duel."
The Earl tossed his head back and laughed, just as I hoped he would.
I would die while the devil laughed. But the demon would lose his weapon. He'd be robbed of me and my power. And maybe someday, someone else would have the power to defeat him for good.
One thing about my husband—once he committed, he was on board 100 percent. Dimitri stood facing us like a god of war. His shoulders shook. His eyes shone with moisture as he raised both hands and blasted me with a wave of griffin power.
It was like being on fire. Pain seared through my skin and stuck to my body. It boiled my insides. It melted my bones. My hair blazed. And I screamed.
Dimitri's Skye power, his love and his loyalty, had been all I'd ever craved. Now it decimated me on a cellular level. I felt the evil lift. It sizzled as it burned away, torching the rest of me at the same time.
The Earl's laughed turned to a scream. He fell to his knees next to me, on fire. His skin curled black. His hair was gone. His eyes blazed red.
No wonder I'd never been able to kill him before. He had angel power.
But that was no more.
The base, animal part of me struggled against Dimitri's power. I'd told him to kill me. I needed him to do it. But on a fundamental level, I wanted to live.
Sacrifice yourself.
I had to see this through. I used every bit of strength, every bit of love to push back enough to lift my arm. My entire being screamed in pain as I unhitched a switch star. In my last act on this Earth, I reared back and plunged it into the demon's chest.
Ice-cold fire exploded all around me.
I felt him dissolve. I felt his body turn to ash and scatter at my feet. I'd dropped to my knees. My vision faded and a sudden sense of peace washed over me. I didn't have to fight anymore. I couldn't feel my body anymore. I'd done what I set out to do. I'd killed the Earl of Hell.
Now I'd be dead soon, too.
Chapter Twenty-Six
I lay in Dimitri's arms. He clutched me tight, his face against my hair. His chest heaved. "Oh my God," he murmured. "I'm so sorry." My skin felt wet where it touched his.
I really did sacrifice it all. I was dying. In doing so, I'd broken the man I loved.
Light streamed down behind him, like heaven. Everything was so bright.
I couldn't move or breathe. I could feel my angelic half lustrous inside me. I was whole again. The light filled me. It wanted me to rise up.
Except I didn't want to leave him. Not now. Not like this.
Couldn't I at least kiss him one last time?
He pulled away and gazed down on me. I saw it all in that moment: the longing, the hurt. The love.
Could he see that I was here? I tried to reach for him, but couldn't.
I blinked my eyes.
Hope flared to life in him. "Lizzie?" he stammered, as if he couldn't quite believe what he'd seen.
He searched my face. He wanted me to do it again. I didn't know if I could. My body felt heavy, as if I might actually be a part of this world.
I blinked once more, and then coughed.
"Thank God!" He held me tightly, as if he were afraid I'd somehow slip away.
"Am I dead?" I asked against his shoulder. My voice sounded rough and strange, even to me. Maybe this was heaven. I might have killed him too. The shame of it washed over me. I'd tried so hard not to fight. "I'm sorry." I struggled to move, but my arms didn't cooperate.
He pulled back, laughed. Tried not to cry. "You didn't kill me," he said, blinking hard.
Look at that. I'd made a grown man cry. I tried to touch his tears and failed.
He'd released his full griffin arsenal on me, the power of his love and his loyalty. It had purged me of the evil.
He touched my face, cupped my cheek. "I watched the darkness leave you at that last moment, so I stopped. I thought I'd lost you."
He couldn't have possibly known whether or not I'd been fully exorcised. "I could have killed you."
"I know," he said simply.
I stared at him in amazement. The one thing the Earl never considered was Dimitri's love for me. The demon couldn't possibly understand the kind of bond I had with my husband.
"It was the only way," I said, still amazed I'd made it out of the battle alive. I'd corrupted myself. I'd had to atone for that choice with sacrifice. I just hadn't thought Dimitri would join me in it or that he'd find another way.
The Earl was gone. He was no longer a part of me.
I sat up slowly, with Dimitri's help. We were on the battlefield. Nearby, witches drew each other to their feet and waded through the wreckage.
Several feet away from me, a caustic burn mark scorched the ground. It was all that remained of the demon. At long last, I'd killed the Earl of Hell.
I was just about to remark on it when I heard a sharp, hoarse bark. "Hey." It melted into a series of tight, dry doggy chokes. "Anybody want to see if I'm alive?"
Oh my God. Dimitri helped me turn and I saw Pirate stumbling for me. His legs were stiff like a puppy's, his fur thrust out at strange angles. "Babydog!" I reached for him, folding his scratchy, warm little body into my arms. My throat constricted, along with my chest, and I felt my eyes go liquid again. "I thought you were dead."
"Aww, I'm tougher than that," he said, nuzzling his nose into my elbow.
I stroked his head, the silk of his ears. "How did you ever survive me?"
"He didn't." Carpenter stood over me. He had a wicked cut on his cheek and a series of bruises blossoming across his neck. "I revived him."
&
nbsp; "How?" Carpenter should be in hell.
He stared me down. "I'm a necromancer," he said, as if that were any kind of an explanation.
He really was one of the most annoying people I'd ever met. But he'd saved one of the most precious things to me in this world. "Thank you," I said. "I can't imagine how I'll ever repay you."
His eyes lit up at that.
Rachmort walked next to him, trying to button his torn waistcoat. "I'm getting too old for this sort of thing." He gave me a once-over. "Nice work, Lizzie."
Dimitri helped me to my feet and I embraced Rachmort. Carpenter, I left alone. "How did you escape hell?" I asked my mentor, still surprised to see him.
Carpenter scoffed. "You think you're the only demon slayer?"
He glanced behind him and I followed his gaze. Damien and Shiloh were behind him, making out.
Dimitri snorted.
Carpenter rolled his eyes. "They need to get a room."
"We have plenty," Grandma said. She was limping a little, and she looked like hell, but from what I could tell, she was unhurt.
"How are the witches?" Dimitri asked.
Grandma shook her head, as if she couldn't quite believe it. "A few twisted ankles. Some cuts. A broken wheelchair. But everyone survived."
That was a first. I'd never been more grateful.
I leaned against Dimitri. My legs still didn't feel very solid.
"You okay?" he asked against my ear.
"I will be."
Maybe I didn't feel as powerful or secure as I did when I had demon power inside me, but I certainly didn't need that anymore. I could make it on my own.
Carpenter had begun to ease away from our little group. Social he was not. I'd let him go, but I had a question for him. "Why were you so into that black crystal? It didn't do jack when we needed it."
He froze mid-retreat. "I needed it for my mission, not yours," he said, as if the answer were obvious. He gave me a pointed look. "And now you owe me one."
"Right," I exchanged a glance with Dimitri. No doubt he'd be collecting soon.
"Look at this," Frieda said, coming up behind us. "I broke my heel."
I looked down at the outfit she'd lent me. The leather was torn, and no longer a pristine white. "I owe you a trip to the mall."