Page 8 of My Best Friend is a Demon

“I’ll always help you however I can. No matter where it leads. We owe you a debt.”

I cock my head, unsure. “I don’t know why.”

She just smiles wryly. “You will.”

When I walk out the door I feel even more unsettled. The woods feel too dark, too mysterious. Like there’s more hiding in them than bunnies and fox.

The path narrows and I feel something brush along my side. Something fiery-hot. I gasp, turning to see if it’s Anders. I gasp and then feel a jab of pain on my throat. Reaching up, I scratch at the spot and then blackness tugs at me, my head spinning like I’m on a tilt a whirl.

“Help me,” I whisper. But Anders isn’t here to save me this time. Just like the first time he left.

ANDERS

“She’s gone! I can’t find her anywhere. I have this horrible feeling that it’s my father.”

I stand in front of Saar and he groans. “The Devil. Just say it. I know what you are. Why are you here?”

I nod at the sheriff off to the side. “I was here for him and his mate. But now I have new plans. A new future.”

Serenity smiles beside him. “A mate. Love and fate are wondrous things aren’t they?”

I snort and shove my hands through my hair, pacing back and forth. “Unless you’re trying to hide it from the Lord of the Underworld. Then not so much.”

“Would you give up this feeling and her?”

“No!”I roar, turning to face her. My whole heart feels like it’s about to tear out of my chest. “I think that he’s got her and it’s driving me crazy. I know what he did to my human parents. How he toyed with them until he won my fealty. I can’t let him do that to her. And I can’t tie myself to him if I want her. I want it all. The woman, the life and the family that I should have.”

Saar nods. “Tell us how we can help you.”

“I think that I can fool him into thinking that he’s won and he’ll let her go. But I need you to wait at the veil. I’m sure thathe’ll break that pact and try to keep her and as soon as he does, I’ll be free from my vow. But if he has her, he still has me and my vow. I will never be free and neither will she. If you can grab her before she’s dragged back, I will be free, the vow broken and I will be able to leave.”

“But what if he doesn’t try to keep her? What if he keeps his vow?”

I snort. “I can’t see that happening but if it does, she’s free to live her life. If you can do something to ensure that she doesn’t remember me, that she doesn’t hurt, I’d appreciate it.”

“You’ll be trapped.”

“It’s a chance I’m willing to take to protect her and keep her from being used.”

Saar nods, his eyes sad. “I wish that there was another way.”

“There isn’t.”

I stalk from the room. “I’m heading to the entrance to the veil. You wait for half an hour and then follow me when hopefully he’s distracted with me and my mate.”

“Good luck. You’re a good male.”

I smirk at him. “Don’t let it get around. I’ve got a rep, you know.”

The mistsof hell swirl around us and I feel the sizzle and heat abound. There’s no shortage of it in hell that’s for sure.

I gasp when I come out into the open ring of fire when I see her. Her eyes are wide, tortured. A demon is picking at her hair and she’s struggling in its grasp. Another demon is building another god-damned fire at her pretty feet.

But it stops as soon as I show up. “Son.”

I nod at my father. The bastard. “You’ve got my attention. What do you want?”

“I want you to do what you’re born to do. I want you to take your rightful place at my side and cast these humans out of the earth and into the fires where they belong.”

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