Page 30 of Demon's Dark Love

12

ENOCH

Ibolt down the corridor, my boots echoing against the cold stone. Lily stands at the end, hesitating in front of a door, her hand inches from the handle.

I don't slow down. I grab her arm and yank her inside, slamming the door shut behind us. My back presses against the wood, and I hear the guards outside, their footsteps pounding closer.

The door shakes as the guards pound on it. "Open up, traitor!"

I grit my teeth and tighten my grip on the door handle. "Lily," I say, my voice low and urgent. "If this is the end, it's a good one."

Her eyes soften, a mixture of fear and something else—something I desperately want to believe is love. "Don't talk like that," she whispers.

"No," I say, my voice firm. "I need you to understand. I love you, Lily. More than anything."

For a moment, the world narrows to just us. The guards' shouts fade, and all I see is her—her auburn hair, her brightgreen eyes, the scar on her cheek that I hate myself for causing. She throws her arms around me, burying her face in my chest.

"I love you too, Enoch," she murmurs against my skin. "I never thought I'd say that to a demon."

I chuckle, a sound that feels foreign in this moment of chaos. "Guess I'm not just any demon."

She looks up, her eyes meeting mine, and I can't resist. I capture her lips in a kiss, fierce and desperate. Her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me closer. The taste of her is intoxicating, a blend of defiance and sweetness that makes me forget everything else.

As the door shudders under another blow, I tighten my grip on Lily.

The door bursts open, splintering under the force of the guards. I don't let go of Lily, don't even break the kiss. Our magic flares, a surge of heat and energy that makes the air around us crackle. I feel her power mingling with mine, amplifying it in ways I never imagined.

The guards charge in, weapons drawn, but they're stopped mid-stride. Their eyes widen, confusion turning to terror as they're lifted off their feet by an invisible force. I hear their screams, muffled by the rush of power that surrounds us. The room pulses with our combined magic, a living, breathing entity that bends to our will.

Lily's hands clutch at my shoulders, and I deepen the kiss, pouring everything I have into it. The world narrows to just us, our bodies pressed together, our hearts beating in sync. The guards' cries fade, and I don't care what happens next as long as she's in my arms.

When we finally break apart, breathless and dazed, the room is silent. I look around, expecting to see blood and bodies, but the guards are gone. Not a trace remains, as if they were never here. Only the echo of their fear lingers in the air.

Lily pulls back slightly, her eyes wide with shock. "What just happened?"

"I don't know," I admit, my voice rough. "But it felt... right."

She nods, her fingers still gripping my shirt. "We did that, didn't we? Together."

"Yeah," I say, feeling a strange pride. “We did.”

We turn our attention to the small wooden box sitting in the middle of the floor. It wasn't there before, and its sudden appearance sends a shiver down my spine.

"Is that...?" Lily's voice trails off, but I know what she's thinking.

"The artifact," I confirm. "It has to be, I can feel it."

We approach the box, our magic still humming in the air around us but Bethana storms into the room, her golden eyes blazing with fury. She looks every bit the terrifying demon matriarch she's known to be and I can feel the weight of her power pressing down on us.

I step in front of Lily, shielding her with my body. "Mother…"

Her cruel eyes narrow, and a wave of dark energy pulses from her, making the room shudder.

"You've betrayed me. Betrayed all of us," she hisses, raising her hand, a ball of dark fire forming in her palm. "Now you'll die!"

I feel Lily's hand slip into mine, and a surge of strength flows through me.

"Maybe," I say, my voice steady.

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