Page 86 of Two Who Live On

“Twelve years ago, I came to this horrible city in search of a powerful witch possessing a branch I desperately needed.”

“Finn’s branch.” I bit the inside of my mouth, fighting back flashes of the night the gorgon grabbed Finn, vanishing through a black portal.

“Precisely.” The devil grinned. “Yet, when I sent for his retrieval, one enchanter chased him through the broken streets, his telepathy syncing so close to my quarry, I felt the frequency. I knew then you would be the perfect vessel. Some demons go lifetimes without feeling that magical chemistry. I’d gone through several lifetimes, in fact.”

“Then why leave? Why wait twelve years?” Had he been patiently observing me this entire time? Was I so oblivious I’d missed countless possessed victims, feeding me false surface thoughts for some devil’s games?

“Because of Finn. He removed my memories involving you and any desire I had to linger in this city. Perhaps the last twist of the knife before I took his branch for myself.”

“That’s just like him.” My throat was scratchy. I pushed off the ground and backstepped. It took everything not to breakdown. Finn fought until the very end. Past his end. As always, he impressed me, refusing to fail even if victory seemed impossible.

“Then, his magic sparked in the distance,” the chimera said, stealing this moment I spent treasuring the beauty of Finn. “I was halfway across the world, and I felt his branch—my branch—tugging on me.”

“What?”

“He’d left a piece of his magic tucked within your mind, a fragment from the whole.”

My dreams of Finn last semester when he helped me sort through the void vision, my regret of his death, and my feelings for Milo. He’d helped me grow and move forward with my life. I let him go then, let him find peace. And now? Now it turned out that part of him remained locked inside the demon that killed him, removed his eyes, and stole his branch.

“I thought so little of it, but then his presence faded, the last of his free magic spent, and I regained those lost memories he forcefully buried despite my protests.”

“And you decided to return to Chicago.” The words spilled off my tongue, empty. I grew numb at the realization of everything happening now, everything happening then, came back to me. I always failed. And that failure always cost everyone around me their happiness.

“That I did. I quickly learned Enchanter Evergreen had grown in notoriety, and despite my abilities, I didn’t want to risk his clairvoyance catching wind of my intent or standing in the way when we finally properly met. I wanted our meeting to be gentle and kind, something you deserve, Dorian.”

“So, you planned for hundreds of demons to kill everyone in the city, keeping Milo busy.” My knees quaked, locked, unable to move, ready to buckle and die. There was nothing I could do to prevent this. Nothing I could do to undo the damage already caused. This devil would steal my body and raze Chicago.

“Offer yourself to me willingly, Dorian.” The devil crept close. “Do so, and this mortal child will live. My hold is lethal but hasn’t reached a necrotic state. You can save him. You can save everyone in this city. I promise you, for your happiness, I will sate my own desires.”

“You don’t need permission to possess.” Why would he care?

“No, but I’d like us to be friends.” Jamie’s haunting smirk reminded me he was simply a pawn in a cruel game. “Let us make the happiest resolution to the most unfortunate of circumstances.”

“You’ll let everyone in the city live. Even…” My voice trembled. My throat was dry, tight, and each breath became more suffocating.

“Even Enchanter Evergreen.” The devil extended a hand; the cuticles of Jamie’s nails were black with toxic death. “He will mourn you, but his city will remain intact.”

“Bold of you to assume you have what it takes to kill me, you damn chimera.” Milo swooped past me, punching the air with telekinesis and throwing the devil back.

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One

Milo snatched my wrist, pulling me into an embrace, literally sweeping me off my feet, and flying past the succubus. He’d released me, safely distant from the demons, before I’d gathered my thoughts. Milo knew it was a chimera, but did he know…

“It’s an honor to meet my first devil.” Milo crossed in front of me, guarding and protective. “All the same, I’m going to have to banish you, entirely exorcising you from that child.”

I released a breath. Of course he knew the chimera was a devil. But did he know…

“I have hundreds of branches at my disposal. Do you really think you can challenge me?”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Milo knocked the succubus away when she moved into my peripheral with a precise telekinetic burst. “But the fact you went well out of your way to skirt around my clairvoyance and avoid me suggests you think I can.”

I grimaced, unable to handle Milo treating me like the damsel. Even if I very much was in this situation, I had to warn him. Channeling my telepathy, I carefully linked to his thoughts but wary not to distract his attention.

“He’s got demons all over the city. He was concerned about you bringing together the guilds, which you haven’t.” Hence him standing here with me by himself. “You need to be—”

“Relax, Dorian. Everything is under control.” Milo cocked his head, wearing a trademark smirk that I caught full view of even though I remained behind him. Whether I’d linked to Milo’s mind or not, I very much had stored memories for every type of smile he unveiled based on the slightest gesture or movement or tone in his voice. This particular smirk held full-blown confidence, a twinge of arrogance, and the most arousing smolder.

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