Page 34 of Demanding Discord
The devil growled, his lip pulling into a sneer. “Where is Hecate? Think before you speak again.”
I swallowed hard, opened my mouth, and closed it again.
“We have yet to locate her physical form,” Discord said, “but Cinder has connected with her mentally. We know where to look next.”
“Lies.” Lucifer’s pupils narrowed into vertical slits, his irises glowing in shades of molten gold. He curled his hand into a claw and swung his arm at Discord. His fingers never made contact with my demon’s skin, but Discord’s head jerked to the side and four bloody marks sliced across his cheek.
“He’s not lying.” I struggled against my invisible chains, but it was no use. I might as well have been encased in concrete.
Lucifer turned his snake eyes toward me and made a fist, using magic to grab me by the throat, cutting off my air supply like he was the real-life version of Darth Vader. “Hecate would not waste her time on a mere mortal witch.”
Shadows danced in my peripheral vision, and stars began to sparkle in front of my eyes. The puncture wounds Mr. Beefy had made stung as fresh blood trickled down my neck. My lungs burned, and I tried desperately to draw in a breath, the devil’s ultra-low vibration threatening to crush me beneath its weight.
“There’s nothing mere about her,” Discord said. “Your Highness, please. I beg of you.”
Lucifer loosened his grip ever so slightly, just enough for me to inhale like I was breathing through a straw. The sparkling stars dimmed, my vision swimming back into focus, but I still couldn’t move.
The devil inclined his chin, looking down his nose at me before turning to my demon. “You beg of me? After all your misdeeds, you dare beg of me? I’ll rip you limb from limb and drink wine from your skull for what you’ve done.”
His grip on me loosened more. I drew in a full breath and wiggled my pinkie.
“No.” Lucifer whirled toward me. “You’ll watch as I tear your little witch to shreds. Then, I’ll lock you in the deepest, darkest prison, from which you will never escape, where you’ll spend eternity in lament, knowing the price of your folly was her life.”
Jeez. Dramatic much? I pressed my lips together, stopping myself from explaining that Discord would die along with me. In his current agitated state, I could practically see steam coming from the devil’s ears. Best not to poke the hell bear. He’d probably rip off my head and be done with us both.
“If you kill me, I can’t find Hecate for you,” I said instead. “Finding her is more important than exacting revenge, isn’t it?”
“I don’t need Hecate. I say good riddance to the damn witch.” He paced a few steps to the left, turned on his heel, and paced back. “Every action has a consequence. All misdeeds come at a price.”
“And the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Got it. But…”
“Cinder,” Discord hissed, and the imp entangled in my hair whimpered.
“Think about how miserable you’ve been since she left.” I continued pressing, letting a smidge of magic lace my words, subtly increasing my cred. “How wonderful it would be to have her back. Killing me won’t fix any of that.”
“Perhaps not, but watching you both pay the price for his insolence will be glorious.”
“Glorious enough to fill the gaping hole in your heart?” I wiggled two more fingers.
Lucifer’s hair turned blacker than black, so dark it could have been a void or even a glitch in the matrix. His nostrils flared, and white flames danced in his irises. “My heart is black as tar, and any holes are there by design.”
He tightened his fist, choking off any more words of persuasion I might have tried. The pressure around me increased, the low vibration rattling all the way to my bones as he magically lifted me from the floor. The imp squealed and untangled himself from my hair before dropping to the ground and cowering behind Discord.
My feet dangled. I wanted to claw at the invisible hand clutching my throat, but he kept my arms pinned to my sides. I wheezed, trying to suck in enough air to keep me conscious, but I might as well have been breathing through a cocktail stirrer.
From the corner of my eye, I caught Discord splaying his fingers. He strained against Lucifer’s magic, our bond giving him newfound strength. Whether it would be enough to fight the King of Hell’s power, I couldn’t say. Black spots floated in my vision, and my legs twitched of their own accord, my body protesting the lack of oxygen.
“Let her go.” Discord launched to his feet and tackled Lucifer.
His hold on me dissolved, and I hit the floor with a thunk, my knees crumpling beneath my weight. Lucifer flicked his wrist, and my demon careened across the room, his back slamming into the wall, his feet dangling three feet from the floor.
Three deep scratches formed on Discord’s neck as Lucifer curled his fingers, and blood ran down in rivulets, soaking his shirt. The imp scurried to me, latching onto my leg and sitting on my boot.
“We can help you get the amulet.” I stumbled toward Discord.
“The amulet no longer exists.” Lucifer flung his arm, and an invisible gust of energy slammed into me, knocking me from my feet.
My shoulder hit the wall with a thwack, and I bounced off, landing on my butt. Piercing pain shot from my tailbone to my neck, but I managed to scramble to standing as the imp skittered beneath the bed. “You need Hecate. You love her.”
