Page 19 of The Fearless Witch

So that’s what he was after. If his power was not tied to me, he’d have no reason to keep me around, just like he said. But he’d also have no reason to… keep me alive. Was that what he meant when he said this was my last life? Was he planning to have me killed once he secured his victory?

I looked away from Nym before he saw the panic in my gaze. He could read me even easier than Roman did, and at that moment, I wasn’t sure I wanted him to. I didn’t think I could bear to find out who he would listen to if told to attack.

“Can he win?” I asked quietly, staring at my hands. When I realized they were trembling, I balled them into fists. Nym didn’t reply at first and I thought that maybe he didn’t hear me, but then he suddenly landed on the table in front of me, wrapping his long, fluffy tail around his legs.

“He has been trying for over fifteen hundred years,” he said. “He hasn’t won yet, but he was close once—when you were with Roman, safe and with your power almost intact.” He tilted his head, his eyes softening suddenly. “Even if he wins, he won’t kill you, Celeste.”

It should have been no surprise that he saw right through me, but it still shocked me.

“How can you be sure?” I asked before I could stop myself.

“Because I won’t let him.”

I sucked in a breath, feeling glad that I was sitting down. The overwhelming relief I felt at those words almost knocked me out of my chair. It wasn’t that I was so afraid of death or that I needed him to protect me, but… he was choosing me. He was ready to fight for… me.

Nym stared with unfaltering confidence, his gaze so warm and full of adoration, for a moment I forgot where we were and why my heart was breaking. Tears started to swell, and I felt the urge to cry and scream at the goddamn universe for ruining another good thing for me.

Rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand, I dropped my gaze.

“Can a demon be killed?”

Nym’s tail stopped mid-air, his fur bristling. I cursed silently when I realized what I had asked and I peeked at him through my lashes. His eyes had darkened, and he was exuding an aura I hadn’t felt in a long time. Fear.

It stunned me so much that I didn’t hear what he replied the first time. I couldn’t remember an instance when I had seen him show fear other than when he was watching me die. I didn’t think he could ever be afraid, truly afraid, of something. Until now.

“Why do you ask?” Nym repeated.

“I… I’ve always wondered.” I shrugged quickly, trying and failing to sound casual. “?very creature on earth can be killed, it keeps nature in balance. But not demons. We can destroy their vessels, but what about their souls?”

“Demons are not part of nature.” Nym shifted awkwardly, looking toward the door. I couldn’t feel anyone approaching my wards and when it didn’t open after a few seconds, I locked my attention back to my familiar. “You want to kill him?” he sighed in the end, giving me a disapproving look. I was surprised he cared, considering what he just told me, but before I could ask, he added, “You can’t. Only an angel can kill a demon.”

The flicker of hope that had lit up in my chest puffed out, blown out by a wind of disappointment. I wanted to cry, truly cry, and get all this frustration and helplessness out. To wash away all that desperation and rise full of determination again. But I doubted tears would help anything. They never did.

“Their souls can be shattered, though,” Nym continued. “It’s not permanent, just very painful. The demon can gather his soul back and be whole again.” He placed a paw over my hand, moving his face almost next to mine. “This is a fate worse than death. Dying is a mercy in comparison.”

I pulled away awkwardly, getting up and resuming my walk around the half-empty room. Nym’s eyes followed me, but he said nothing while I collected myself.

“So if most of the princes are fallen angels and only angels can permanently kill demons, why does he fight them? Isn’t he afraid they’ll end him?” I asked while I ran my hand over the wall. I hadn’t noticed them before, but there were deep scratches over the surface, paired with scorch marks and several layers of old blood.

“For Beleth, death is preferable to being powerless,” he said, and I froze with a finger over an especially deep gouge.

“Yeah, he does seem like the guy who values power over everything else,” I murmured.

A deep sigh sounded behind me. When I turned around, Nym had moved back to the bed.

“Beleth is… complicated,” he said, perching on the edge. “Even before he became a demon, he wasn’t… normal. He could...” His whiskers fluttered, and he winced, his sharp teeth showing over his twisted lips. “...see and hear things that others couldn’t, and as often happens with humans, he was targeted for it.” I raised an eyebrow, and that seemed like enough encouragement for him to continue. “One day, his torment became too much, and he… snapped. He butchered his entire village. The carnage was so gruesome, he secured his place in Hell with ease.”

“Sounds to me like he was sent to the right place.” I huffed a dry laugh, rubbing my wrists absentmindedly. The bruising had healed, but the sensations of being bound lingered. I had always hated getting my freedom taken away more than anything else. Even my magic.

“The man you’ve met, that’s not the… original Beleth. Well, he is, but he wasn’t born until later.” Nym winced again, his tail swishing.

I leaned on the wall and crossed my arms.

“When he first became a demon, he was different. Soft and gentle and… entirely unsuited for life in Hell. He was the weakest of them all and as such, he suffered…” Nym looked down, his nails piercing the sheet and leaving small holes behind. “... a lot. It wasn’t until he met you that he got any kind of power.”

I had never seen him this serious before, which was something because he was pretty stoic when others were around. Even with Roman, it had taken him decades to accept him and loosen up.

“When your power grew, the others wanted to take away your contract, to steal your soul from him, but he refused to give in.” Nym’s eyes brightened, his back straightening. “He suffered a great deal just to keep you, and one day, they pushed him too far.”

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