Page 81 of The Fearless Witch

Alastair snarled in annoyance, and the sound of his chains coming out of his body made me focus my attention back to him. I could see clearly, despite the pitch black surrounding us, but judging by the way his eyes darted around, he couldn’t.

“Come out, you coward!” Alastair shouted, green spit flying out of his mouth as he hurled one of his chains toward where I was standing. I sank back into the shadows.

The metal passed through me, slamming into the wall and cracking the stone. Alastair hissed when he realized he had missed, launching the rest of his weapons in different directions. The hint of panic that twisted his features made me smirk as I floated toward him.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The force of the impact made the cave shake like it was about to crumble. Alastair hissed again, throwing his hands up to summon his chains back. The demon princes had all risen to their feet, their eyes glowing bright red, but I wasn’t sure if they could even see me. Alastair certainly couldn’t.

Celeste was still kneeling on the floor, squeezing something in her hands. Roman’s eyes, the only part of his body he could still move, kept darting left and right as if in search of her.Belphegor had pressed her back against the wall, her demonic features coming out like she was preparing to defend herself. Asmodeus smiled. Even Mammon and Satan seemed intrigued now.

And Alastair… his fear was the most delicious thing I had tasted in years.

His chains shot out again and again, aiming without a target, like he was hoping to hit me by chance. The dark veins on his body had become so thick, his skin had cracked in several places and more of that green substance was leaking out.

My steps made no sound as I circled him. I wasn’t sure if I even had a body or if I was part of the shadows now, but I loved it. I had never felt this powerful, and it was intoxicating.

Another chain smashed into a stone wall, this one whooshing too close to Celeste’s head.Rage flooded my body, and I commanded the shadows to release me.

“Thanks for letting me know how to kill you,” I said from behind him, pouring all my hate and frustration into those words.

He whirled around, but it was too late. The blade that had formed in my hand sank into his gut, the bones, and muscles tearing with ease as he bared his teeth at me.

I smiled, repeating the words Celeste had said to me. “Finish him.”

Tendrils of dark, hungry power wrapped around his arms and legs, pulling in all directions. He screamed, sending his cursed weapons through them, but even as they disintegrated, more shadows enveloped his chest, his torso, his neck. He thrashed, his rageful roar making the whole cave tremble, but that only made me laugh.

Delight filled my heart when the sound of his body ripping apart silenced his screams. His blood, putrid and burning like acid, splashed at my feet, but I ignored it, too focused on the crescendo of my victory. He burst like a ripe fruit, flesh, bones, and poison shooting everywhere. My shadows moved to protect me, making sure nothing touched Celeste either, and when the blood dripping from the ceiling was the only sound to be heard, I allowed the darkness to retreat to the corners.

The chamber was a gruesome mess. The only thing that wasn’t covered in guts was Celeste and the ground around her. Even Belphegor had gore dribbling from her long blonde hair, and she didn’t seem happy about it.

I smiled, despite the wave of nausea that washed over me the moment I released my power. I slid a hand over the wall to keep myself upright when Asmodeus descended the steps, his eyes locked on me. Picking a piece of skin from his shoulder, he dropped it on the ground, looking completely unbothered by the carnage around him.

Dread fought with the desire to scream in victory, but I showed him neither. Keeping my face blank and my back straight, I studied him for any hint of what he was planning to do. His expression was closed, body relaxed.

When he reached the spot where Alastair was standing before his fortunate demise, he bent down to scoop something from inside a pile of sizzling flesh. At first, I thought it was one of Alastair’s chains, although it looked a bit too thin for that, but when he moved closer to me, I realized it was a crown. Dark, iron, and without any ornamentation except for its pointy edges, it held a single glowing rune in its dead center.

Hate, it said. Alastair’s power.

Asmodeus raised the crown, and I tensed, but no matter how much I searched, I found no hostility in his gaze, no threat or anger. The room was so quiet, I could almost imagine it was just us. The rune blurred, changing to something else, but I didn’t get the chanceto read it.

The demon prince deposited the crown on my head and my knees almost gave out under its weight. Fighting under the strain, I kept my chin up. His expression told me he knew the struggle.

“Congratulations, Prince of Pain. You’re one of us now,” he said and this time, my feet wobbled and it wasn’t just because of the weakness spreading through my body.

I had done it. I had won. I had secured us power that would keep us strong and safe and…

“Unfaltering faith and resolve is what it takes to rule over others,” Asmodeus said as he turned his back to me. I forced myself to focus on him, even though the edges of my vision were becoming blurry. “Lose that and you’d end up like him.” He stepped on one of the pieces lying on the ground and the flesh squashed beneath him. He didn’t so much as glance down.

“I never liked that piece of shit,” Satan muttered, pulling the lapels of his jacket. With a single tug, all the gore disappeared from him. “He was always so full of himself.” Eyes scanning the bloody chamber, he chuckled at his joke, then disappeared into the depths of the cave. The others followed. Belphegor was the last one to leave, looking at the limp strands of her hair with disgust before sending me a dirty look.

“You’re paying for this!”

Once they were gone, I finally allowed myself to look at Celeste and Roman. She was trying to get the vampire out of the stone, her magic chopping it piece by piece. With a wave of my hand, the wall crumbled and Roman fell out, landing deftly in a crouch. Wrapping an arm around his waist, Celeste steadied him before turning her attention to me.

“Is it done?” she asked, her voice hoarse like she had been screaming for hours. Perspiration coated her brow and her hands shook, but she was unharmed. Unharmed and glowing with delicious power.

“Yes,” I whispered.

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