Page 16 of The Demon Who Loved Me

We race to the steel chariot, our hearts pounding, our minds filled with worst-case scenarios. As we speed across the desert, following the signal, I can feel the tension radiating off Evelyn in waves.

Finally, we arrive at the site, only to find a scene of utter chaos. The camp is in ruins, tents shredded, equipment scattered across the sand. And in the center of it all, what’s left of her team, huddled together, their faces pale with fear.

Standing over them is a group of demons, their eyes glowing red in the darkness. One of them steps forward, a cruel smile twisting his features.

"Ah, the traitor and his human pet," he sneers, his voice dripping with disdain. "We've been waiting for you."

“Azmodaes.”

12

EVELYN

Ifeel a surge of panic as I realize the impossible choice before me. My team, the people I've worked with for years, who have become like family to me, are in mortal danger. I turn to Malakai, my eyes wide with desperation. "What do we do?" I whisper, my voice trembling. "We can't let them die, but we can't give up the artifact either."

“Tick-tock, tick-tock. Brother, you should see the look on your face. Oh, how far you’ve fallen… and for what?”

Malakai turns back to the demons, his posture straight, his voice ringing with authority. "You want the artifact?" he snarls, his free hand clenching into a fist. "Come and get it, brother. Let me show you why you have always lived in my shadow."

With a roar of fury, he launches himself at the demons, his demonic power exploding outward in a wave of pure, unholy rage. The demons are caught off guard, their eyes widening in shock and fear as Malakai tears into them, his claws and fangs ripping through flesh and bone.

I spring into action, my own newfound combat skills surging to the surface as I engage the remaining demons. We move in perfect sync, Malakai and I, our powers complementing each other, our bond giving us strength and speed beyond anything I've ever known.

Together, we fight our way through the horde of demons, our blades flashing, our bodies moving in a deadly dance. Malakai's demonic rage is a thing of terrible beauty, his eyes glowing red, his form wreathed in shadows and flames.

"You have no idea what I've found, brother," Malakai growls, his voice low and deadly. "No idea of the power that comes from fighting for something greater than yourself, from having someone to protect."

The demons laugh, a harsh, grating sound that sends chills down my spine. "Love?" Azmodaes sneers, his lips curling in a mocking smile. "You think love makes you strong, brother? It makes you weak, vulnerable. It gives your enemies a weapon to use against you."

Malakai just smiles, a smile that is all fangs and fury. "We'll see about that," he snarls, and then he is moving, a blur of shadow and flame, his demonic power crackling around him like a storm.

Finally, he faces his brother, and after a harrowing fight, mortally wounds him.

I watch in awe as he tears into his minions, his claws ripping through flesh and bone, his fangs ripping out throats and hearts. He is a whirlwind of destruction, a force of nature unleashed, and for a moment, I am almost afraid of him, of the sheer, unbridled power that flows through him.

But then I remember that this is Malakai, my Malakai, the man who has fought by my side, the man who I must fall in love with to save the world. And I know that no matter how dark his power may seem, his heart is pure, his soul untainted by the evil that surrounds us.

Together we’re unstoppable, our movements perfectly synchronized, our powers blending and merging in a symphony of destruction. We weave in and out of the horde of demons, our blades flashing, our bodies moving with a grace and precision that seems almost superhuman.

Malakai is a force of nature, his demonic rage fueling his every move, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. He rips and tears and slashes, his claws and fangs leaving a trail of carnage in their wake, his form wreathed in shadows and flames that seem to dance and flicker with a life of their own.

My own power flows through me like a river of molten gold, my blade singing as it cleaves through demonic flesh. I can feel the artifact's energy pulsing in my pocket, lending me strength and speed, guiding my hand as I strike down our enemies one by one.

Suddenly, I’m grabbed from behind. I scream as I smell the putrid breath of the demon holding me. His hands rake up and down my body. Then he suddenly reaches into my pocket, producing the artifact. “Malakai! The artifact!”

Malakai is forced to dispatch the rest of his brother’s minions before he can turn his attention to me. By then, he’s already moving, his form a blur of speed and shadow as he chases after the fleeing demon. I race after them, my lungs burning, my legs pumping, as we pursue the demon through the twisting corridors of the ancient temple.

13

MALAKAI

As we race into the ancient chamber, the air thick with the stench of brimstone and dark magic, I feel a sense of dread settle in the pit of my stomach. The altar pulses with malevolent energy, the artifact glowing with an unholy red light, and I know that we are too late.

The new demon king is already materializing, his form coalescing out of the shadows, his eyes burning with a cruel, triumphant light. He is everything I have ever fought against - a being of pure evil, of unimaginable power, the embodiment of all that is wrong in all the worlds.

"Ah, Malakai, the traitor" he purrs, his voice like the scrape of a blade against bone. "So good of you to join us. And you brought your little human pet, too. How touching."

I snarl, my claws flexing, my demonic rage surging to the surface. "You will not touch her," I growl, my voice low and deadly. "I will not let you harm her, or anyone else. This realm is off limits."

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