Page 149 of Death is My Ride or Die

Layla came skipping barefoot through the wall, melting through it like a phantom.

Behind them, Malphas stormed in with Ace in his clutches. Death’s chains rattled, his features sharpening into somethingelseas his gaze laser-focused on his father.

Malphas had his hand wrapped around Ace’s upper arm. He steered the warlock toward the front of the room. Ace’s limp from his bad leg was more prominent than usual, and he was so delirious that Malphas practically had to carry him.

Layla climbed onto the edge of a raised platform beside the portal and balanced on her knees on the edge. I thought she was reaching seductively toward Ace, but I realized it was toward Malphas as he came over to deposit the warlock into her care. Malphas shrugged Layla’s advances off and jabbed a finger at Ace. Rolling her eyes, Layla turned her affections to Ace. She ran her hands all over his short white hair, smooshing his bruised and cut-up face with kisses.

Malphas pivoted sharply toward me and Death, his determined strides, paired with the chilling blackness webbing out from his onyx eyes, making my pulse spike. I took a protective backward step toward Death, and Malphas came to a sharp halt. He stood in a wide stance with his hands clasped behind his back, reminding me of a general.

“Faith Williams,” announced a voice that made my blood curdle. At the head of the room, beside the portal, stood Ahrimad. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

Ahrimad looked even worse than he had in my vision, but he was powerful. I could feel it on my skin as he crossed the room toward me, like a high-voltage power line looming closer. His eyes were a vibrant amber, blazing so brightly they seemed to flare like stars bursting in the dark.

“I feel congratulations are in order,” Ahrimad continued, while I tried to maintain my cool under his frightening, piercing stare. “After making it through all those vampires and the twists and curves of this building, you also managed to break free of your confinements and free the warlock. I must say, I’m impressed. Especially because you’re a woman.”

Misogynist dick.

“It’s hard kicking ass in between reapplying my lip gloss and changing my tampons, but I do my best.”

Ahrimad’s brows bowed inward. “I’m afraid you have referenced a word I do not understand in your language.” He turned his head to the side, drawing my attention again to Death’s father standing dutifully behind him. “What istampons?”

“Cotton devices females use for menstruation, my liege,” Malphas answered.

My liege?I stared at Malphas in in puzzlement. Eyes arrowed straight ahead, he did not flinch or exhibit any signs of life. Like a robot.

“I am delighted all my guests are here,” Ahrimad continued, drawing my attention back to him. He reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder, and my whole body went rigid. “There is much we have to discuss.”

I didn’t have to see Death’s face to know he was seething with rage throughout this entire exchange. A low growl unfurled from his throat like a warning. “Do not. Touch her.”

“Or what?” Ahrimad asked, gently amused.

“Or I’ll shred you to pieces with my teeth.”

“You can try all you want to pull in the reins of your darkness,” Ahrimad said. “But I know the truth. You never really had it under control. You never tapped into your full potential. Now it’s closing in on you like a black hole. Soon your monster will take over. You’ll be a creature of pure, animalistic instinct, and your power? It will be mine. Along with your soul.”

Death’s lips pulled back from his teeth as Ahrimad let go of me and moved closer to him.

“Are you frightened, Alexandru? You will be.” Ahrimad reached behind Death and yanked the dagger from his spine. Death tensed and tightened his lips together.

The moment Ahrimad held the blade again, his soul became more solid in appearance. His complexion gained color, and his golden eyes flared to life.

Ahrimad pointed his hand at the brackets connecting Death’s chains to the ceiling, snapping them off. Death dropped to the ground, landing perfectly balanced on the balls of his feet. Two menacing high-level demons caught the ends of his chains and kept him restrained.

Darkness nearly consumed Death’s furious features, expelling off his shoulders in tendrils.

“You once used the mortals for their true purpose, Alexandru,” Ahrimad began. “As your sustenance. Oh yes, I saw glimpses of the havoc you wreaked from the Underworld. But you’ve become too entrenched in the mortal world. It seems you’re right back where you began. Back to that sad, pitiful, naïve little boy who wanted to be loved.” Ahrimad gestured vaguely in the air toward himself. “Bring the girl to me, Layla.”

“Sure thing, honey bunny.” Layla clutched my braid in a tight fist and hauled me to the front of the room.

As we walked, my gaze clung to the enormous portal, its mirror-like surface swaying back and forth like waves. We passed what appeared to be a broken marble structure at the center of the room that was a few feet tall and shaped like a circle. Something compelled me to peer over the rim of the marble wall as we went, and my stomach churned at the sight of blood filling the container to the brim.

Layla shoved me so that I smacked right into one of the terrifying demons holding Death’s chains. The gruesomely ugly creature had skin made of scales. Orange heat glowed along the cracks of the scales like lava. As the demon glared down at me with its freaky, fiery eyes, I felt a little faint. Balanced between its lips like a cigarette was a chewed-off finger.

I shrunk back so that I stood flat against Death’s chest. “At least we have a great view of your giant pool thing filled with more blood,” I said, nodding toward it. “Ties in perfectly with the whole ‘teaming up with vampires’ theme. Solid evil lair vibes all around. Although—and this is just my opinion—a hot tub would have been a much more welcoming piece of furniture.”

“Because bubbles and jets of hot water firing up my ass is exactly what I need right now,” Death seethed.

“I apologize that my lair does not reach your expectations, Faith Williams,” Ahrimad said, linking arms with Layla as he came to stand before us. “I’ve had very little time to redecorate.”

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