Page 40 of Wings of Destiny

A wrought iron door groaned open on the opposite end of the room. A Demon, their skin matching various shades of blue, walked in, dragging three bodies behind them.

I squinted my already strained eyes to catch a glimpse of who was being dragged into this hell hole. I gasped. Seth, Libby, and Derik were all knocked out and chained together. A bead of hope flickered in my chest.

They came.

Immediately it extinguished. They were unconscious and now damned with me, stuck in this medieval torture chamber. And I could do nothing to help them.

The others have arrived.

Erebus’s overly-excited voice replayed in my mind. He was expecting them.

I was his bait.

It was as if a knife had been thrust directly into my stomach.

This is all my fault.

The Demon that had dragged them in, yanked Libby and Derik toward the wall adjacent to where I was suspended and lumped them together. Libby had a patch of blood that stained her shirt around her middle. Derik seemed unscathed beyond being unconscious. Seth was dragged directly across from me. The Demon adjusted his shackles, linking the cuffs around his wrists to the chain encompassing his ankles, bolting him to the floor. He was slumped over on his side, a gash on his forehead steadily bled onto the stone floor, his shaggy onyx hair became matted with it. From where I hung, he didn’t seem to be harmed anywhere else.

Okay, so nothing too serious. Yet.

I breathed. Until I caught sight of Erebus sauntering his way to Seth, another smaller Demon trailing behind him. It was about the height of a large dog. Short, maroon wings jutted out from its back, twitching as they neared Seth’s unconscious body. The little Demon snapped its fingers and a small blade appeared in its hand. A lump lodged in my throat.

They’re going to hurt him.

I have to do something.

Anything.

I swallowed the lump down and yelled with all the venom I could manage, attempting to keep my voice from shaking, knowing full well what I might be subjecting myself to again. “Hey shit brains!” I took a quick breath.

Better me than him.

“Was that all you got? Here I thought you were supposed to be some big bad Demon,” I forced a cocky grin. “Clearly, you’re all talk, asswipe.” Erebus snapped his attention back to me. But not before kicking Seth in the stomach.

The Demon nearest Libby and Derik followed suit, nailing each of them in their middles, Libby in her unconscious state coughed up blood. I lurched forward in my suspended restraints. “Leave them the hell alone.” I spat in Erebus’s direction. He growled and motioned for Asier, before vanishing into thin air.

What the?

Asier stepped toward me, his whip cracked. Landing directly on my thigh once again.

I focused my line of sight on Seth. He began to stir. I gritted my teeth as another lash came barreling down on my flesh. The little Demon pushed Seth upward, so he was kneeling. Head tilted upward.

These sick fucks.

He blinked, his ocean blue eyes blurry and unfocused. They widened as he seemed to register where he was. I kept my eyes steady with his, the distraction a lifeline as I heard the whip crack again, biting me in my side. Seth thrashed in his chains, only to be yanked back. I could feel sweat as it coated my forehead. Seth panted heavily, eyes darting around the room.

Erebus took that moment to saunter back into the room. His hands clasped behind him as he strode in. He looked between me and Seth. He chuckled as he moved to stand behind me.

Seth growled, “Get thefuckaway from her, you piece of shit.” Fire rumbled in my veins.

I felt Erebus’s slimy tongue jut out, tasting my neck. I held back the shivering that threatened to overtake my body and forced the images of moments prior to the back of my mind. Erebus snaked his tongue along my jaw, gripping my chin. “Lovely, isn’t she?” His tongue flicked my jaw, a demonic purrrumbled with the movement. “And she tastes just as delicious as she looks.”

His tongue began to slip lower, flames charged forward, enveloping me. I sent them racing outward toward Erebus, unleashing them onto his deviled wings.

Burn you son of a bitch.

Erebus jolted back, hissing. “How. Dare. You,” he ground out. He snatched the whip from Asier, raised it, and landed a blow directly on my throat. The air left my lungs. My flame disappeared.

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