Page 66 of The Nephilim's Finesse

"Time to begin," I whispered to myself, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves. In the back of my mind, I knew the danger this entailed; one wrong move could spell disaster. But the thought of our past arrangement drove me forward, pushing away any lingering doubts.

I drew a triangle with the hazel wand by striking towards the south, east, and upwards. The air crackled with energy as I began reciting the ancient conjurations, the harsh syllables clawing up my throat, dripping with power.

"Beleth, I command thee to enter this realm!" I bellowed, my voice echoing throughout the chamber. My heart raced, and my hands trembled ever so slightly as I gripped the wand tighter.

My eyes were fixed on the centre of the triangle, waiting for the demon king to appear. As I spoke the words of the incantation, the candles flickered wildly, and the temperature in the room dropped. A chill ran down my spine, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. It worked. The room filled with an oppressive, otherworldly chill as the final words of the conjuration left my lips. I gripped the hazel wand tightly, feeling its rough bark dig into my palm as I braced myself for what was to come. The triangle I had drawn earlier seemed to pulsate on the floor before me, as if alive with anticipation. A low, haunting melody began to echo through the room, its source impossible to pinpoint.

There was a sound like a thunderclap. A pillar of acrid smoke erupted in the centre of the circle. The room filled with a dismal and suffocating purple aura as Beleth began to materialise before me. A sudden burst of flame erupted within the triangle, and as quickly as it appeared, it extinguished, leaving behind a dense cloud of sulphurous black smoke. Through it strode the hulking form of Beleth, king of Hell. His blood-red skin was etched with scars that glowed like lava, and two curved black horns sprouted from his brow. Eyes of liquid fire, burning with a hatred that threatened to consume everything in its path, bore through me. His sneer revealed rows of razor-sharp teeth, glinting in the dim light. My heart hammered in my chest, but I stood my ground, refusing to cower before the king of Hell.

"Victorija," Beleth hissed, his voice a menacing growl. "You dare summon me again?"

Fear gripped me, but I stood firm. I swallowed hard but kept my gaze level with Beleth's, determined not to show fear. "I do," I replied, trying to maintain my composure and bowed lightly. "We had an arrangement, Beleth. It's time to discuss its terms."

"Very well," he sneered, baring his sharp teeth. "Speak."

“I want to call the deal off.”

The demon's voice rumbled like an earthquake. “Which one? Our deal was agreed. You promised to bring me the witch in exchange for an army, which I provided. But you failed to bring me the witch. So tell me, why shouldn’t I kill you?”

Fuck. I had to think fast. “I couldn't know that angels would interfere. Forgive me. However, the witch isn’t out of reach,” I replied, forcing my voice to remain steady even as my insides quaked at the sight of him.

He studied me with those fathomless eyes. “She isn’t here, is she?”

Ignoring his statement, I came again to the point of why I summoned him today. “I want you to call off the deal you made with Thorne.”

His laughter boomed through the room, the sound akin to stone grinding against stone. “And why should I do that?" he asked, his fiery eyes scrutinising me in a way that made me feel like prey. “He promised me much more than you, and he already delivered. Giving a small portion of my army a taste of what will come.”

“Enough. I want you to stop this,” I spat, my nerves fraying under his relentless gaze.

"You are brave, but do not mistake courage for wisdom, vampire," Beleth mused, flames flickering in his eyes as if he were savouring a delicious secret. “You have no say in this deal.”

“Even when Thorne is dead?”

The demon king leant in closer, his breath hot and acrid on my face. “He’s not dead yet, is he? And even if he was, there will be others who will open another portal to let my minions through as they do all around Earth, according to Thorne's instructions.”

“Don’t you fear that the angels will interfere?”

Beleth laughed again, his skin slick and glistening in the candlelight as if it was freshly spilt blood. “Oh, that would be splendid. So much fun! I haven't had that for millennia.”

“Is there nothing that you want more than to see the world burn?” I asked desperately. I feared that Thorne had opened Pandora’s box.

Beleth tilted his head, thinking. “There is one thing: bring me the witch. I mean literally. Bring the witch before me here in Hell. Then we can negotiate again.”

In my mind's eye, I saw Alissia, the pregnant witch with dark hair and green eyes. She was a key player in this twisted game, and I needed to know why he was so interested in her.

"Tell me more about Alissia," I demanded. "What role does she play in all of this?"

He fixed me with his red eyes, as endless and empty as the void. "She's more important than you realise, Victorija."

“How so?”

"That’s none of your concern," he growled, a guttural rumble resonating through my very bones. “Bring her to me, and you’ll see.”

As Beleth was so intent on getting his hands on Alissia, my mind raced with possibilities. The stakes were higher than ever, and I knew there'd be consequences. But I was willing to pay any price to stop the demons from roaming on Earth, even if it meant making a deal with the devil himself. Not that I ever wanted to meet Lucifer personally.

I knew that Beleth likely wanted to deceive me, so I had to make our deal watertight. “I want you to swear. When I bring the witch Alissia before you in Hell, I can make a demand, and you’ll fulfil it.”

He bobbed his head, his menacing form towering over me. His twisted horns curled around his head like a demonic crown and threatened to impale me as he leant closer, but I didn't retreat. “I swear that if you bring me the witch, I’ll grant you a favour if it’s in my power.”

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