Page 69 of Fallen Demon

But it had to be done. That was the only way he would be himself again.

With a grunt, Topaz sank to her knees.

I knelt beside her, the others moved but Lacey shouted, “No one move! Send more of your magic to Topaz. To the blade!”

The line connected them became brighter, thicker, and the magic flowed into Topaz, through the blade, and into Levi.

He gritted his teeth.

“He’s resisting it,” Topaz said, her words barely a whisper. “I can’t hold this up for long.”

“You have to. It is the only way.”

She shook her head. “He’s fightingme.”

“What?”

Her brown eyes fixed into mine. “Trust me.” Topaz pushed the dagger into my hands. I tried pulling away, but she held on to me. “Trust me,” she whispered again.

And so I did.

She transferred the dagger to me, and without breaking contact, moved her hands to lay on top of mine. A jolt rushed through me as the magic now passed from Topaz, to me, to the dagger, into Levi.

“Now, it’s your turn,” she said. “Say your intentions. Mix them with the magic.”

I looked at Levi. “Come back to me,” I said, low, timid.

No, this wouldn’t do. Hoisting Topaz with me, I stood, tall and proud, and opened up myself, my magic, my feelings. I let them mingle with the others’ magic, I let it envelop everything, sugarcoating the intent with my need to have him back.

I inhaled deeply and let it all out. “Come back to me, Levi. This is not who you are. You pretend to be this big, bad demon, like the one you are now, but that’s not really you.” My chest tightened. “You’re loyal, you’re caring, and you’re honest.” Tears burned the back of my eyes. “You’re someone I had no intention of meeting, let alone get attached to, but now I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” A lump formed in my throat. “And I know you feel the same, so come back to me!”

I pushed the magic with all my might. The line was thicker than my arm and it tremble with a spark that exploded in Levi’s chest.

Levi fell back, the line disappeared, and the flow of magic ceased.

I stared at him, at the dagger, at Topaz. “What happened? Is it done?”

Her wide eyes were as clueless as mine.

I passed the dagger back to her and rushed to Levi. I knelt beside him two seconds before Lacey did.

A shudder coursed through Levi’s body and it changed.

Gone was his gray skin, the dark veins. His horns and wings retreated, his hair shortened, and the torn pants he had on seemed a little loose now.

He shuddered again, and then exhaled slowly as he opened his eyes.

And stared right at me.

“I’m here, sweetheart.”

20

I threw myself over him,my arms wrapping around his neck, and half of my torso over his. He grunted but wound one arm around my waist and held me tight.

“By the light, I haven’t felt this relieved in a while,” I said.

Levi buried his face in my neck, placed a gentle kiss under my ear, and whispered, “I missed you, sweetheart.”

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