Page 144 of Their Demon

Her face said everything.

“Please, Ida,” I begged, my vision blurring from the tears. “I can’t lose you. Please don’t leave me.”

She pulled me in. “I’m not going anywhere, hun. I will always be with you.” She stroked my back. “I am so proud of you, my dear.”

“What’s going on here?”

His cold voice made me freeze.

Ida let me go.

“Do it now.” She placed her hand on the dagger that still sat between us. “Hurry.”

“You already made your choice,pet.” He was speaking into the microphone, trying to humiliate me in front of everyone. “Step away from the prisoner. She’ll die right after you anyway, seeing as she’s a traitor.”

The crowd booed some more.

Ida looked down. “Someone outed me. His guards found me before I could warn you.” She took a breath. “I love you, Lilly.”

She grabbed my hand and lifted it, making me hold the dagger at her chest. My eyes widened as I tried to pull away. She was strong for having the crap beaten out of her in the last twelve hours.

“Stop at once!” the king’s voice boomed.

The tip of the dagger hovered over her chest, both of us fighting to keep our hold over the other. I just had to hold on long enough for the king to get here. He’d put an end to this, and then I could figure out where to go from there. Maybe I could defend against him long enough for the princes to get Ida out of here.

“Ida, please,” I pleaded, feeling my hand starting to slip.

“Tell Mavis I love her.”

I screamed as the blade tore through her skin. It broke through so easily, and blood began to drip immediately. I wanted to gag, feeling the resistance of her flesh vibrating the handle held firmly in my palm.

I heard screams. Screams of joy and enjoyment, but I also heard a scream of sheer horror.

Was that Mavis?

Stop this, Lillian.Keir’s voice was loud and stern in my head.

I’m trying. She won’t let me.

Tears were spilling down my face.

I had no idea if Ida was in pain. She had to be, right? I couldn’t look at her to confirm; I was too busy staring at the crazy thing I was watching myself do. I was still trying to pull my hand back, fighting her.

“I’m a dead woman, Lilly,” she gasped.

I felt her hand start to loosen on mine, giving me some control.

“Stop. We can get help,” I told her as calmly as I could as I watched blood spill from her chest, pouring over my hands as I tried to cover her wound.

I heard feet hitting the ground from behind me, and I could practically feel the ground shake as the king stomped toward us.

“It's too late.” I looked up to see a single tear falling from her eye as blood began to spill from her lips. “You saved the princes. Now, go save Hell. Make him pay.”

She fell forward, all her weight coming at me. I screamed as I held her, looking around for help.

My body started to tingle, like a numbing effect was working its way up from my toes. I felt like I was about to have a panic attack. My chest burned like it was on fire, and my bones ached like someone was trying to bend them.

I had to let Ida fall to the ground as I flung myself back, excruciating pain radiating through my body. This was not a panic attack. This was something different.

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