Page 111 of Not Today, Satan
He studies me, his eyes boring through me like he can see my soul. Except, unlike those he’s condemned unfairly, I don’t have one. “You’re part angel? Face it, Princess, you’re an atrocity who’s disappointed everyone you’ve ever loved.” He spits out the last word like it’s dirt on his tongue.
They’re lies. He wants to weaken me, but all he’s doing is fueling my fires.
I lift my chin. “That’s where you’re wrong, Ferus. I’m not a perfect demon. And I’m not a perfect angel. But it’s those imperfections that make me who I am, and I’m proud of all of me.”
My fingers tighten around the hilt of my sword. “For your information, the souldiers are locking up the escaped shadelings as we speak. They don’t care where I come from because I’m kind, and I’m fair, and I’m notyou. Face it, Ferus. The only reason you’ve always hated me is because you know I’m smarter than you, I’m stronger than you, and I’m better looking than you.”
I step closer, but he doesn’t flinch. “And as of right now, I have a longer lifespan than you.”
I bring my sword down, and he brandishes the blade he’s hidden behind his back. The weapons crack as they meet, the blow breaking us apart and throwing me across the room and into a chair. I topple to the ground, pain shooting through my side.
“I always knew we had electricity between us, Princess, but I wasn’t expecting that.” Ferus dusts off his black pants and wields the sword in front of him. “Let’s try that again, shall we?”
The metal in his hand glows with a green wave that ripples through it, like water battering against a glass.
A shiver runs down my back as I push onto my knees. “What is that?”
“It’s my sword.” He slices at the air. “Well, with a bit of an upgrade. Remember when you knocked it into the Ignis River?”
“After you threw it at me.” I stand and lower my brows at him. “Don’t blame me for your bad aim.”
He sucks in air through his teeth. “Anyway, I climbed down to get it and found it on a ledge. An idea occurred to me as I watched the flames. We know the Ignis River can kill demons, but what would it do to a demon weapon? So, I dipped my blade in to find out.”
My jaw drops. “Youwhat?”
Ferus strides to the front of the room and up the stairs. “It didn’t destroy the sword. It made it so much better. Watch.” Before I can move, he slices the blade across Diripo’s throat, who gurgles and grabs at his neck before falling to the ground, lifeless.
“Diripo!” I stare at the body of the demon who’d protected me since I was a child, my jaw agape. Frozen, I wait for him to heal and stand up, but he doesn’t move. The blood drains from my face, and my throat clenches.
He’s gone. Forever. And I never told him how sorry I was for betraying him.
Tears sting my eyes, but I blink them away. “Why, Ferus? He did nothing wrong.”
Ferus brandishes the blade in my direction. “To prove that you need me. I’m an innovator, Princess. Your father wasted so much time marching traitors to the Ignis River. Imagine how they would’ve stayed in line if they knew he had a weapon that could kill them in seconds.”
“You’re not an innovator.” I swallow the bile rising in my throat and study the ground as he pokes at the demon. “You’re a monster. And I’ve listened to you long enough. It’s time for you to go away for good.”
LII.
I charge up the stairs, but he darts behind the chair and my sword hacks at thin air. I huff in frustration and steady myself.
“What’s the matter, Ferus?” I ask. My sword trembles, and I grip it with both hands so he can’t see my fear. “Why are you hiding from me? Surely a little princess and her angel sword are nothing to be afraid of?”
He leaps from behind the throne, and his blade scrapes my bare arm. I hiss as the metal sears my skin and blood oozes from the wound. He laughs triumphantly, and I take that moment to strike out, slashing at his chest. He dodges me, so my blade only scratches him, but it’s enough to tear through his vest to his skin and make him cry out. A drop of orange liquid blooms in the cut.
The sight of his blood boosts my confidence. Ferus backs down the stairs and I follow, wielding my weapon at him with my uninjured arm. He swipes at me, but I duck and his blade whistles over my head.
We circle each other, our eyes locked.
I stab the air between us, but he’s too quick and avoids my blow. He eases forward, backing me into the wall.
My knees tremble, the memory of him trapping me against his door filling my thoughts. He grins as though he can read my mind, and he licks his lips. I scowl back at him, heat rising to my chest. I’ll never let him get the best of me again.
When he brings his sword down, I dive and then spin and kick his arm. His weapon sails across the room and settles at the base of the throne.
My heart picks up speed as I skirt around him and dash up the stairs. I kick his sword under the chair, and he swears.
The sound sends chills down my spine and although I’ve disarmed him, Ferus is still a threat. I wipe sweat off my brow with the back of my hand and turn to Diripo. My stomach lurches as his blood pools around his head like the goriest of halos.
