Page 145 of Their Demon

The third trial was over.

It was happening.

“Lillian!” Keir was rushing at us, the twins behind him.

Their eyes weren’t on me, though. They were focused on something behind me.

Their father.

Chapter 59

Keir

Lillian had done it. She killed Ida. I tried to reach out to her after she told me Ida was making her do it, but she blocked me out somehow.

Had I not witnessed her killing Ida myself, seen the woman who took care of me as a boy fall against my destined love limply, I would’ve thought they were just hugging, but Ida’s arms were not wrapped around Lillian, and her eyes were open and empty as her head laid on Lillian’s shoulder. As Lillian screamed into the sky, Ida’s body fell to the ground beside her.

Mavis was still nowhere to be found. She had been somewhere in the seating levels above us, screaming in horror as she watched her best friend drive a knife through her mother’s chest.

My heart was cracked; I felt lost and broken. Ida had been more of a mother to me than my actual mother, and despite everything I’d put her through, she always stood by me. Guilt settled in, threatening to empty my stomach at any second. It was my fault she was here. I left her last night. I let her go chase other leads without me. I asked her for help, and now, she was dead because of it, just another casualty in my father’s cruel games.

I swallowed the massive lump in my throat as my brothers and I ran at our father, who had his sights set on our girl, his sword drawn.

“Don’t fucking touch her!” I yelled before throwing my shadows in his direction. He hadn’t been paying attention toanything but Lillian, so I was able to catch him off guard, my attack sending him to the ground.

“She’s mine to deal with. That was the agreement,” he growled as he stood, dusting off his clothes and picking up his sword. “If I have to kill you as well, so be it. I can make more children. It would give me a chance to correct all the mistakes I made with you three.” He looked disgusted with us.

“Leave her alone,” Aiden said in a low voice. His hands were at his sides, palms glowing like embers, and he, like the rest of us, was breathing heavily, having finally reached the moment when we had to prove how far we were willing to go for our girl.

“We won’t let you hurt her,” Nicholas added. His hands were at his sides too, holding two ice blades, ready to use.

Our father smiled cruelly, extending his arms, as though inviting us in for a hug. “Give it your best shot, sons.”

I lunged first, running at him as I drew my sword from my shadows.

Clang!

Our blades collided.

I kept pushing down on him, hoping to force his sword out of his hand, but he looped his arm around, throwing me to the side. I stumbled, letting out a frustrated growl as I found my footing once again.

Nicholas threw his ice daggers, but our father sliced through them with expert precision. Aiden blasted fire from his palms, but Father dodged easily.

Aiden and Nicholas roared with anger, the two of them acting as one as they took a moment to compose themselves beforelooking at him with renewed spirit. I could’ve sworn the floor shook as they took a few unified steps closer to him. I’d never been terrified of my little brothers, but if they were looking at me that way, I would have felt the edge of fear creeping up my spine for sure.

“That’s the best you’ve got?” he yelled, throwing his arms wide and letting out a battle cry.

The twins kept throwing fire and ice at him, forcing him to focus on dodging their attacks rather than me. I used that to my advantage and swung my sword at him again, but he deflected me easily. He’d been sparring with me since I was a boy; he knew my moves before I did, knew how I fought because he’d been the one to train me.

He was focused and I was desperate, but I had more to fight for than he did. I ultimately had the upper hand, which I would use against him.

Aiden rushed at him, both hands throwing fire at our father. While he continued to dodge the strikes, it was impossible to get away from Aiden completely.

Father yelled as one of his shoulders was singed. He put his free hand on his shoulder, breathing heavily as he stared all three of us down.

“We aren’t boys anymore,” Nicholas said boldly before throwing shards of ice, nicking his body and face, leaving small, red cuts in their wake.

Our father screamed and threw his hand in Nicholas’s direction, using his power to throw Nicholas so far back, his body slid even after he hit the ground.

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