Page 77 of The Mating Fire
“You puny mound of flesh, do you think to play with me?”
“Why not?” Jared flicked a hand and the file vanished. “Playtime’s over.”
Jared raised his hand, power surging inside him. Malevolent energy crackled in the air, as the shadows lengthened. Out of the corner of his eye Jared spotted several lesser demons. The Dark Lord’s minions, ready to claim the victor as a new supplicant for their master.
This was more than a battle for power, or even his sorry soul. Harper’s life hung in the balance. Should Saqra defeat him, the demon would pounce on Harper and siphon her dry. Or worse – let her live in exchange for an impossible bargain.
Her life for joining the Dark Lord in the ultimate battle to destroy humans and Others who opposed him, and leave the wreckage for Others loyal to the Dark Lord.
“You look pale, Saqra. Napping underground too long?”
Saqra sneered, his voice guttural and grating. “Give it up, Jared. Join us, and Harper will join you as well. You can be together forever.”
“The hell I will and in hell? Too toasty for me. I prefer the cold.” Jared flicked out his claws. “You can’t have her.”
“You will die.”
Jared laughed. “That’s been an inevitable conclusion for decades, you fool. Tell me something I don’t know.”
“I will siphon out Harper’s soul as well.”
The words stopped Jared in his tracks. For a moment, confidence fled. “You cannot. A soul has to be offered.”
“She will offer hers to me when she thinks it is the only way to save you.”
Without warning, Jared hurled a barrage of fiery red energy balls towards the demon, who retaliated with a flick of his hand,conjuring burning red flames that devoured Jared’s energy balls. The fire slammed into Jared with the force of a wrecking crane. He staggered backwards, his back hitting the splintered rock wall. Jared glanced down. Moonlight showed an ominous patch of burned flesh.
Mind racing, he glanced up at the demon, who chuckled.
“That’s correct, Jared. I used your own feeble powers against you. Every time you throw fire at me, I absorb it and become even more powerful.”
Like gasoline on roaring flames. I have no weapons against this.
His mind flashed to Harper. Harper, who stood to lose everything if Saqra won this battle.
Suddenly Jared knew he was going to die. Inevitable. He knew it from the moment Xavier had told him “last chance, buddy.”
But never had he regretted it until now, until realizing how much he wanted to live. The thought of losing Harper, spending eternity in the Shadowlands, separated forever from her, pierced his heart.
The thought of watching her die in agony broke him.
With newfound resolve, he straightened, dusted off the ashes of burned flesh from his chest and shrugged. “Is that all you have, you fugly, spineless, worm dick?”
Screeching, Saqra rushed him, tossing more bolts of energy at him. Jared ducked and rolled, managing to avoid them, smiling inwardly.Wonder what got him more upset? The reference to fugly or wormdick?
When Saqra ceased to regain his breath, Jared sprang up and attacked. Surprise was key.
Two bolts of fire hit the demon, nearly knocking him off his feet. Snarling, Saqra attacked again.
The ruins trembled with turbulence as they engaged in a high-stakes duel. Jared, fueled by desperation for Harper, dodged the other’s fiery bolts with a dancer's grace. Malevolent laughter echoed through the ancient stones as Saqra pummeled him with more dark energy.
Panting, Jared advanced, his mind racing. Throwing power at the demon only made him stronger. He must try to get closer, close enough to sever the other’s arms, the weapons Saqra used to both draw in power and expel it.
Getting closer meant risking his life.
Getting closer meant saving Harper. Without his limbs, Saqra couldn’t siphon away her magick.
The adversaries circled each other. Saqra’s black eyes gleamed with triumph as Jared leapt forward, his claws at the ready.
