Page 13 of Demanding Discord
With Tumult in his demon form and I in my human, his speed surpassed mine fivefold. He kicked the knife, and it slid into a crevice beneath the statue’s feet, leaving me weaponless against his talons and horns.
I stood and fisted my hands. “No one can take my place. I was created to stand by Lucifer’s side, and to his side I will return.”
“And what of your little witch? Even with your blood bond, spending too long in Hell will drive her mortal soul to madness.” Tumult laughed. “Perhaps, if you could complete your quest…if you sacrificed her to our king…he might forgive your transgressions. But without Hecate…” He shrugged. “It’s time for the Underworld to evolve, and for that, it needs new leadership.”
I tightened my fists, my weak human nails digging into my palms. He made a point I hadn’t considered. Cinder and I shared much more than a blood bond…a fact he was not privy to. Our soul bond would maintain her sanity, but she would never agree to abandon her family and stay by my side in Hell.
We would find Hecate. We would return her to Lucifer. But never would I sacrifice my witch to his whims. She would return home if I had to take her there myself…and then what?
Return to Hell, rule with Lucifer and my brothers as we had done for millennia? It was our duty. Our birthright.
Our burden.
Tumult tensed, ready to charge. But not at me. Instead, he turned on his heel and bolted for the wall I had created to keep Cinder safe. His horns hit the stone, cracking the magic I’d used to create it. He reared back and plowed into it again. It splintered. One more thrust and he would get through.
He turned toward me and sneered. “I’ve decided to kill your witch first, so you can watch her suffer.”
His words lit a fire inside me unlike anything I’d ever felt. All logical thought slipped from my mind, leaving behind only pure, primal rage…
Hellfire coursed through my veins, a burst of magic from the core of my being healing every injury I had sustained. Power built in the nucleus of every cell in my body, bleeding outward until my skin hummed with energy, and the strength of twenty demons surged through my muscles.
“Cinder is mine,” I growled, my demon boiling beneath the surface, demanding to be unleashed.
Tumult grinned wickedly. “Only if you can get to her first.” He turned to the wall, taking a step back and coiling his muscles to strike.
Not even Lucifer could keep my rage contained.
I roared and charged, my demon clawing its way to the surface, breaking through the binding magic and unleashing its fury. I grabbed Tumult by the shoulders and hurled him across the room. He crashed into the wall, the force splintering the stone. Three massive cracks jutted up to the ceiling, and powdered stone rained onto the floor.
Tumult recovered, standing upright and running his finger over his healed arm. With his flesh reformed, he could now slip in and out of this plane. His form shimmered. I shot toward him, claws outstretched, and I swung, slicing off his finger.
He wailed, blood pouring from the wound. The injury tied him to this plane, but it didn’t slow him down. He slammed his shoulder into my gut and lifted me, spinning in a circle before slinging me toward Hecate’s statue. My back hit her raised torch, breaking it off at her hand. It tumbled to the ground, shattering as I hit the wall behind her and fell.
Tumult lowered his horns and barreled toward the failing magical wall. I scrambled to my feet and blocked him, landing an uppercut to his jaw that sent him careening into a support column. The impact knocked it loose. The base slid back while the upper part screeched across the ceiling, stopping at a thirty-degree angle.
“No woman is worth this much trouble.” Tumult spat blood, and his claws protruded to their full extent.
I plowed toward him. He countered, and we met in the center of the room, flesh slamming into flesh, horns locking as we wrestled. I jerked my head and threw him aside. He hit the other dog statue, knocking it off its base and making the temple groan. More stone dust rained from above. Cracks jutted this way and that, spiraling up the columns and weakening the walls.
He roared, blowing smoke from his nostrils and striding toward me with his fists clenched. He punched. I ducked, feinting left before landing a fist in his face. He stumbled back, his eyes watering, and lashed out a claw, striking me in the stomach.
It was merely a flesh wound this time. I extended my claws and jabbed for his heart. He turned, and they sank into his side. He spun, lifting his leg, his foot hitting my chest. I flew backward, smacking into the statue’s robes. Cracks crept us the goddess’s form.
“I did not come here to destroy a temple.” I grabbed Tumult by the neck and flung him against the wall. “But I will do whatever it takes to keep Cinder safe.”
He grunted with the impact but landed on his feet. “And you’re doing a stellar job thus far. I’ve seen how many times she’s nearly died in your care.”
His words struck a nerve, making my anger burn hotter. “You’ve seen nothing. You’re a spineless imp who hides behind cowardly magic.”
“Not hiding. Watching.” He cracked his knuckles. “Calculating. Gauging your strength. Using you to take out the competition before I swooped in and claimed the prize.”
“Relying on someone else to fight your battles, as usual. Pathetic.”
“Perhaps I won’t kill your witch. I believe I’ll keep her as my slave.” He charged, and I stepped out of the way, tripping him. He flailed, hitting the statue and cracking it more before he advanced once again.
As long as there was breath in my lungs, no one would lay a finger on my soulbride. Hellfire consumed all thought, rational or otherwise. My vision tunneled until all I could see was his chest. I barely noticed the sensation of his claws swiping across my face as I sank mine deep inside him and twisted them, shredding his heart.
His eyes bulged, and he wheezed, the light in them dimming to darkness. With one final thrust, I flung him across the room. His lifeless body landed in the crook of Hecate’s elbow, the impact cracking her statue even more before he crumbled into dust…obliterated.
