Page 79 of The Fearless Witch

The vampire’s eyes shone red as he fought against his constraints, but the wall only swallowed him deeper until he was almost fully inside. Realizing that, he froze, and so did the stone.

“No!” Celeste screamed, but she was smart enough not to move. “Let him go!”

Belphegor rolled her eyes, leaping from the platform and letting her gray wings carry her to Celeste’s side. I held my breath when she landed beside the witch, leaning down until their faces were almost touching. My body moved on instinct again, and I took a step toward them, ready to charge. I’d barely turned halfway when I noticed Alastair’s smile widening. Swallowing a curse, I forced my attention back to him.

“I’m simply putting the fragile things away, dear,” Belphegor chuckled. “Stay still and quiet and this will be over before you know it. One way or another.” Belphegor tapped Celeste’s nose, giving her an almost friendly smile before looking at us. “Oh, do carry on. I’m just keeping them company. We wouldn’t want them to be hit by a stray curse, would we?” She winked at me, then glanced at my opponent. “Come on, Alastair. I thought you said earlier that you’d wipe the floor with him. This place could use some cleaning.”

Too busy staring at her, I didn’t see his attack until it was almost too late. My shadows spread in front of me, forming a protective wall against the horror that shot out of his body, but the curse barreled through my defenses like they weren’t even there. A long, thick chain slammed into my chest and the air whooshed out of my lungs as I collided with the wall. When the dust from my fall settled, Alastair was staring at me with a mix of disdain and annoyance.

“Pathetic,” he spat, raising his hands again. Two chains shot from his torso this time, like extra limbs made from metal and flesh, tiny spikes sticking out from each link. I hadn’t even noticed the latter until I rubbed my chest and found it sleek with blood. The burning it had left behind suggested that those were definitely cursed with something.

‘We shouldn’t let them hit us again,’ Cyrus whispered.

‘Thank you, Captain Obvious,’ I spat back. ‘The thought didn’t cross my mind!’

‘Don’t be mean. Look out!’

I threw myself aside just as the chains rammed into the wall where I was standing seconds ago, creating spider web cracks all the way to the ceiling. By the time Alastair recalled them, I had sent my shadows after him. His face remained bored while he watched them approach and just as the first one was about to wrap around his neck, another chain shot from his chest.

I’d never wished for a different power than the one we gained after we made our first few deals. The shadows never failed me or came up short—not against the living or the undead, not even against other demons. But as that cursed weapon snuffed my darkness with laughable ease, something like fear crept inside my stomach. This… this had never happened before.

Another chain shot out, then a third and a fourth, catching my shadows and twisting them until the darkness sank into the metal links, defeated. I didn’t even get close to his body to deal some damage. Even as I tried again and again, he saw them coming, and with a flick of his fingers, he snuffed them out.

In just a few minutes, I was gasping for breath, my chest burning from more than effort.

“Tsk.” Asmodeus clicked his tongue loud enough for everyone to hear, even over the rattle of the chains retreating into Alastair’s body. The princes were silent, watching us intently as if waiting for something.

Asmodeus’ face tightened, his disapproving gaze making my skin crawl.

What was I doing wrong? I still had so much power and my control over the shadows was stronger than ever. I could make them do anything. So how were they so useless against Alastair? What else could I do?

‘What if Celeste was right?’ Cyrus whispered while I took a step back, trying to decide what to do next. Alastair watched me like a predator that was about to go for the kill.

‘Shut up! Stop distracting me!’ I snarled back. He knew better than to talk when I was fighting. I couldn’t afford to lose my focus, especially not now.

‘What if what Asmodeus said the last time really was advice?’ Cyrus persisted like he didn’t hear me. ‘What if he knew it would be Alastair’s turn next, and he was giving you a clue about how to beat him?’

I snarled in frustration. Why would Asmodeus give me any clues about how to defeat one of their own? It made no sense!

‘The reason you keep failing is not the lack of strength, but the lack of resolve. You can’t expect to gain something big without risking something of equal value,’ Cyrus recited the words the demon prince had spoken, his voice thoughtful. His fear lingered, rooted deep in our mind, but for once, panic wasn’t the only emotion he exuded. ‘But what could this mean against Alastair?’

I had no time to reply because another chain shot my way. The Prince of Hate had crossed his arms, most of his veins retreating to his hands like he thought he didn’t even need his full power. One look at the other princes told me they were getting bored, except for Belphegor, who seemed too amused by her conversation with Celeste to even bother watching us.

‘I think it means…’ Cyrus started when I finally got the chance to catch my breath.

‘... that I need to stop playing it safe.’ I finished for him, cursing myself for being such an idiot.

My shadows slipped out of my body again, but instead of sending them Alastair’s way, I held them close, willing them to form a long, curved blade in each of my hands. Asmodeus’ lips curved upward, and I was almost sure he gave me an approving nod.

‘But how? We’re already risking our lives!’ Cyrus whispered, his desperation coiling in my gut.

‘Alastair… he relies on range attacks. His power does the work while his body stays safe. And since he is a lot stronger than lower demons, he can always win by exhausting them.’ I took a step toward my opponent. His chains were lying on the ground beside him, but he hadn’t moved like he could sense the shift in me. ‘I did the same when I first fought him, and I was doing it now. I could never match his power, so I lost. But… the thing is, those who go for ranged attacks are usually weak in close combat.’ My fingers tightened on my blades and I grinned at my opponent. ‘But I’m not. I’ve been fighting in close combat in these trials for centuries. I can beat him there.’

Alastair moved the moment I broke into a sprint. The first chain missed my head more by luck than my skill; the second one, aimed at my feet, I redirected with my weapon, using it as a stepping stone for my jump. Eyes wide with surprise, he watched me soar, blades ready to slice him in half.

He dodged at the last possible second, but I nicked him over the cheek before landing in a crouch. I would have given myself a moment to gloat, but if there was one thing I learned in two thousand years, it was that when you fight, you make sure your opponent is dead before you celebrate.

Without giving him the chance to adjust, I attacked again, forcing him to concede step after step while my blows drew ever so close to his heart. Another chain shot from his abdomen, this one smaller and faster, but even though I evaded it, its spikes grazed my arm. I hissed as pain exploded from the wound, stronger than a puny cut like this warranted, but I had no time to dwell on that. I expected him to use the chance to turn the tables, but he retreated, drawing his weapons inside his body.

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