Page 1 of Fallen Demon

1

I stoodin place for a long time, frozen and in complete shock.

This couldn’t be happening. No, I hadn’t just witnessed Levi and Ylena disappearing in front of my eyes.

“Sweetheart, wish for me to take her to the fiery pits of the underworld.”

That was what Levi said. And in that split second, I didn’t consider the full extent of his words. I simply thought that with his powers, he would open a portal and send her through.

Not that he would go with her!

I took a step forward, as if I could follow them, and almost fell to the ground as a pang of pain cut through my side. Damn, I had forgotten Ylena clipped me with her magic. I glanced down and saw a red line on my shirt, and it was growing wider and larger by the second.

For half a second, I panicked. What should I do?

Then I kicked myself into gear and moved. I ran back to the motel room, the pain growing more intense with each step. Gritting my teeth, I endured it. I couldn’t pass out just yet.

In the room, I found my purse, almost dropped it with my shaking hands, but I found the coins. I closed my hand around one.

Instantly, a portal appeared before me.

I stepped through it.

Into the library in the Great Eternity Hall.

“Ariella?” Abbie asked, coming to me. She grabbed my arms as my knees gave out and I sank to the floor. She crouched down with me. “What happened?”

In a flash, Maggie was beside us. “Where’s Levi?”

“He’s gone,” I rasped, the words thick in my throat.

“What?” Abbie’s hand tightened around my forearms. “What do you mean?”

“I—” I gritted my teeth and hissed as the pain went up a few notches.

“She’s bleeding!” Maggie yelled.

I turned to her, but dark spots filled my sight. My head swam.

“She’s going to?—”

The world revolved and I sank into darkness.

* * *

I woke up with a start,lost and confused.

It took me a moment to remember what happened and where I was—in the infirmary of the Great Eternity Hall. I was lying in one of the beds on the far back, right beside Lacey’s bed, though she wasn’t there. The sheets were messily folded, as if she had pushed them off her legs and walked away.

Was she better?

She probably was, but not her brother.

My heart squeezed at the thought of him. He had come for me. He had known I was in danger and came for me. He wanted to protect me. And I had sent him to hell.

A sob made its way up my throat, but I swallowed it. I wouldn’t cry. No, instead, I would do something about it.

I reached for the side table to grab my phone, an automatic movement, but stopped halfway when I remembered, I didn’t have it with me. To my surprise, my bag was on a chair beside the bed. The girls must have gone back through the portal and gotten it after I passed out.

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