Page 85 of Dark Souls Academy: The Sacrifice

These were my parents. My Succubus mom, Ava. My Incubus dad, Bin. My Fae father, Darik. My wolf dad, Lewi. My witch dad, Aaron. Then, my troll father, Rock. They all looked barely alive.

Images of how we used to spend so much time together when I was a kid flashed in my mind. How I would ride on one of their backs as we played hellhound. How they taught me so many different games that could be played with my ball. How even with the red clay covering my body, so I could camouflage myself better, I never felt like the odd one out. They always made me laugh and knew the perfect time that I needed a hug. My twin and I never wanted for love. My parents weren’t perfect, but they were perfectly imperfect, and they didn’t deserve this.

I pushed down all of the emotions that wanted to drown me and cemented my knees to the ground. I had to save them. They didn’t survive this long just to die here.

“If you kill them now, I'll kill myself.”

My soul weapon appeared as I said the words. I shoved the sharp edge against my neck, nicking it. The warm blood that travelled down from the small wound gave me back the power that I desperately needed.

Lucifer's face morphed into a frantic fear like a man who had waited far too long for a prize he was about to lose.

A thrill went up my spine. My eyes flashed red letting him know that my demon was on board. If he killed my parents, I’d end my life.

“Ivy!”

“No!”

There were more shouts, but I ignored them. I checked on my men. Dex had been pinned down. He was out of magic since he couldn’t feed. Trigger helped Alaric as several men tackled his wolf to the ground, and Bones was also on the ground every inch of his body covered by an enemy. Fuck. We had truly lost. I never thought that I would have to think those words, but there wasn’t anything else I could do.

I glanced at the stage. Finally, my mother lifted her shaky head. Those pink eyes found me. They widened, but instantly a sadness so deep I felt it in my soul took over her. Followed with horror. She took in her surroundings and began to cry. They were the wails of a broken woman finally giving up. I had to look away, or I’d succumb to the same grief.

Another drop of blood slid down my neck into my cleavage. It made Lucifer growl. To my horror, it was in delight as much as worry, as if he got off at seeing my blood leave my body. But there was an uncertainty in his stony eyes that said he didn’t know what would happen next. If my mother was still alive, thenher seer book couldn’t possibly have been finished. He didn’t know what would happen here, which meant I could still get the upper hand. There was no hope left for me, but maybe there was for everyone else.

I knew his answer even before he said it. The resignation was a mirror image of my own.

“Very well. Give yourself up, don’t fight me, be obedient, and my willing Queen. If you agree to those things in blood, I'll let them go.”

My gut plummeted and a splash of vomit entered my mouth. I put my big girl panties on and swallowed that shit. I would have to fuck him. Let him use me. Let whoever he wanted to use me. I'd be a freaking party favor. Yet, I'd endure it all if my loved ones got to survive.

“Everyone. My faction. My parents. My mates. All of them.” I clarified before he could say anything else. I needed to be crystal clear, even if the sickness of agreeing to his demands made it hard for me to speak in full sentences. “No dungeons or injuries. From you or anyone else. Completely free.”

He scoffed. His fists clenching as his jaw bounced with his fury. “That's a big fucking request.”

Who was he kidding? His request was way bigger than mine. He just didn’t like that he wasn’t getting absolutely everything he wanted. There was nothing Lucifer liked more than a prideful revenge, and I took that away from him.

I pushed the blade at my neck down more to show him that I wasn’t kidding. If I was losing my freedom, it was going to be for a good fucking reason.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

All his army had stopped fighting. They had everyone captured anyway, so it was silent when Lucifer spoke. “You drive a hard bargain, my Queen. It’ll be a useful asset against our enemies.” With a sigh he continued. “I agree to your terms. Cut your palm with that fancy blade of yours and say,I give my demon fully to you Lucifer Morningstar and only you.Then, everyone else is free to go. None of my people or anyone else with my knowledge will touch them again. Of course, I’ll make a blood oath as well to satisfy my Queen.”

Everything he said was a win for my side, except for me. If I did this everyone would have a life. Not one stuck in a dungeon, being starved and tortured, but a real life. Who was I to stand in the way of that?

I removed the blade from my neck and sliced my palm as quick as I could before I backed out. I might be sacrificing myself for my loved ones, but myself preservation was still there. It was screaming for me to refuse. To be selfish and not care about anyone. Drained of magic like I was, a slash on the throat would free me.

I didn’t understand the first time I watched the Night Duty ceremony. How the chosen six didn’t at least try to fight. Theychose to end their life instead because that was their form of freedom. They took back their power by not playing the game. That was exactly what I wanted to do.

My thoughts were disturbed at cry on the stage. My eyes drifted to my parents. They were so beat, but they still fought. Several demons had to run on stage to stop them from running to me. My dads thrashed in the arms that held them. My mom lifted her hand toward me and shook her head. The tears matched mine as they stung my eyes.

They had suffered enough. It was my turn to take on this burden. I opened my mouth.

“I give my demon fully to you?—”

“Stop!” The rumble of a deep voice that I knew too well had me freezing. My heart skipped a beat. With a gust of air, dark shadow beasts swarmed the area. A sharp breath escaped my lips.

“Kain?” I whispered. My mouth dropped as tears blurred my vision. A wave of utter relief repaired my broken heart.

My mate had come. He was here. Love poured into my soul from him. I stood, ready to run to my Kain.

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