Page 143 of Their Demon

“What’s the matter,pet?” he asked her, loud enough to be picked up by the microphone. “All you have to do is stop that woman’s heart. It’s that simple.”

Lillian turned away from him to look at Ida.

She was facing away from us, but there was no mistaking the way her body shook from her sobs. Lillian began to shed tears of her own, mouthing an apology to Ida.

Our girl turned back to him, still shaking her head.

He watched her for a moment then looked to the crowd, feigning disappointment. “She said she won’t do it.” The crowd booed. “I know, I know. She’s a spoilsport.” He turned back to Lillian. “They want to see someone die, human, so you either take her life, or you offer yours as a replacement.”

The entire arena stood still, as though frozen in anticipation, waiting for her to reveal her choice.

“Then take me,” Lillian shouted boldly, putting herself between Ida and my father.

Chapter 58

Lillian

“No!” I heard the twins shout.

Don’t do this, princess.

What’s the alternative? Kill her? I won’t do it.

He went silent, and I fought the urge to look back at him.

The king looked amused, no doubt happy to accept me in exchange for Ida.

“If that’s how you want to play, then so be it.” He turned around, talking to his guards and a selected few councilmen who had been gifted a VIP box for this game.

The crowd was losing their shit, pointing and booing, disappointed they weren’t going to see me kill someone for their king.

“Lilly,” I heard Ida’s raspy voice behind me, making me turn.

She had always been the strongest, most incredible woman I’d ever met, but right now? She looked so small, so beaten down. Purple splotches covered her face, and there was dried blood beneath her nose. Her arms were tied tightly behind her. I was horrified to see such a powerful woman on her knees.

I rushed to kneel in front of her, wincing when my knees collided with the unforgiving ground. Tears were running down her face as I revealed a small dagger hidden on my thigh, careful to keep it between us.

The crowd shouted and pointed, and I expected to see the king watching me, seeing what I’d done, but he had his back turned.

I cut the ropes binding her hands and held her when she collapsed into my arms.

“You have to do it, hun. You have to do it.”

She tried to pull away, probably to look at me to emphasize her words, but I shook my head, holding her tightly, refusing to let her go.

“I won’t. I can’t.” I began to sob onto her shoulder.

“You areher.” She grabbed my arms, prying them open so she could look me in the eye.

I was still shaking my head.

Her eyes were soft, nothing like I imagined they’d look when they were facing death—and at the hand of someone they considered a friend. She held my face in her hands, wiping my tears away.

“You are her, Lilly. You are the woman who is going to save Hell. One day, you are going to replace that vile man as Satan, and you will bring peace to this place.” She paused, tears falling down her cheeks. “The only way to do that is to finish your trials. If you let him kill you now, all of this will have been in vain. Do you want that?”

I shook my head. “But… I can’t. Please don’t, Ida. Don’t make me do this.”

I didn’t understand how she could be smiling at a time like this, but she was. She looked like a proud mom, and it crushed my heart. No one had ever looked at me that way, but at the same time, she was asking me to take her life.

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