Page 146 of Their Demon

He didn’t move to get up.

“Nicholas!” Aiden shouted, distracted for a split second too long.

Our father took the opportunity to send Aiden flying next to his twin, the two lying side by side, still breathing but making no move to stand.

“You’ll fucking pay for that.” I felt rage burn through my body like an old friend as I turned to face my father, finally getting to take him on like I’d dreamed of after all these years.

“Is that so?” His voice was laced with arrogance, amused with our predicament, and it pissed me off. “Remember, son, I’ve always come out on top, and this will be no different.”

I ran at him again, fully transforming as I used my shadows to punch and pull at him. He blocked my sword’s attacks, but I swung to the right, causing him to move all his attention to that side. It gave me the opening I needed to catch him by surprise.

My shadows snagged his foot, sending him toppling with a grunt. Even though he fell, he managed to keep his sword in his hand and block my next chop. Still, I continued to slash at him as he slunk backward.

I was so focused on my sword, wanting to end this once and for all, that I didn’t see him sweep my legs with one of his, sending me to the ground as well.

My mistake gave him time to get up, but I was up with him.

“You won’t win this.” He narrowed his eyes. “End this now, and you can still come home.”

I laughed at him. “That has never been my home.” I gestured behind me to the people I cared about most, lying on the ground. “They are my home.”

He rolled his eyes, and I thought he would say more to try and convince me to join his side. Instead, he lifted his sword, an evil glint in his eyes that told me I never meant anything to him anyway.

“Then you’ll die with your pet, and I’ll bury you next to your mother’s fresh grave,” he gritted out as he swung.

No. He couldn’t have. He’d never…

I’d let myself get so caught up in what he’d just confessed that I didn’t have a firm enough grasp on my sword. His blow knocked it out of my hand, sending it sliding across the ground, too far away to pick up without exposing myself to him.

I tried to reach into my shadows for more weapons, but he extended his hand, an unseen force grabbing my throat and squeezing. There was no escape, no matter how hard I clawed and scratched at my neck. My shadows were trying to hit him, grab him, anything, but they started retreating as I lost control of them, the lack of oxygen rendering me weak.

He marched to me confidently, and once he was right before me, he lifted his blade, nicking my cheek. I snarled, fighting him even when he clearly had the upper hand.

“Fucking do it then.” My voice was surprisingly calm. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of making me beg for my life. He’d have to take it, knowing I was ready to die for the people I loved.

“Let. Him. Go.”

My father’s eyes widened as he looked behind me and grinned with amusement. “Interesting.”

He dropped his hand, releasing me. I fell to the ground, gasping in the air I had been deprived of. My vision went in and out as I turned to see what caught his attention.

Lillian.

She stood taller than I remembered, her shoulders straight with confidence. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Her hair had been pulled out of its braid, flowing freely in the wind. She seemed… different.

Her eyes wereblack.

She held her dagger in her hands, attention trained on my father.

“No…” I tried to tell her, unsure if I could even be heard over the crowd's roar.

She was nowhere near ready to take on my father. He would demolish her in a second. I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t lose her, not like this.

“I can confidently say I was not expecting this,” my father said snidely.

She remained stoic, giving nothing away. “Just leave us alone. I don’t want to hurt anyone else.”

I tried to get up, but my arms and legs were unresponsive, my head still swimming. My ears rang, and the black stars of unconsciousness still pricked at the corners of my eyes.

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