Page 55 of Live Like Legends

The Son of Hell hummed, considering me. “No idea?”

“This is harder to nail down than I thought, so maybe I’m not good enough to be your…” I almost choked on the word, “queen.”

Dimitri sighed, his green eyes sparkling with a kind of newly found delight. “Oh, no, sweetheart. Those angels just didn’t know what they were doing and that witchy queen they have, don’t get me started…” He ran his hand through his hair, the pieces that were out of place, suddenly back to being perfect. “I will get it out of you by any means necessary. You did it once, no reason you can’t do it again. I promise I’m an excellent motivator.”

“But you won’t…”

Dimitri stood in front of me, bending his knees a bit so his face was inches from mine. “Believe me while you are here, I can still fuck with your little friends while we wait. No big messes, but just enough to satisfy me. You think I still can’t taste that pitiful angel’s blood?—”

I shoved him with both my hands, but all he did was laugh. I balled my hands into fists at my sides, feeling warmth in my palms that I desperately wanted to stop. “Just leave him out of this! Has Lilith somehow decided that you can be in charge now?” It was amazing to me how I wanted to be faced with the Queen of Darkness right now and not with an obsessive Son of Hell.

“She’saround. It didn’t sit right with me, what you said about me acting like Lilith was in charge of me, how it seemed like I was the one answering to her. It made me think and well, the woman has fucked up with you endlessly, but she made you what you are so I will still involve her. She just has no say, which is honestly how it always should have been. It is quite a shame when we put our trust in the wrong people.” He raised his shoulders as if he was done for the day. “I think you’ll like the solitude here. It will give you time to think. No distractions from useless boys that can offer you nothing. You should be grateful I’m offering you a chance to redeem yourself.”

I nearly growled. “You are fucking insane if you believe I’ll ever be grateful.” I snuck a look down to where he was missing a limb. “I think you should be grateful I didn’t remove your other hand. At least you have something to help please you during all your obviously lonely nights.”

He snarled and quickly wrapped his hand around my throat, throwing me up against the nearby stone wall. He pressed his fingers against the sides of my neck, his palm crushing my windpipe. His eyes raged from their bright green to a bright red. Even with one hand, he was still strong and lifted me off the ground, scraping my back against the wall. He brought me forward just to slam me backwards again.

I gasped for air, clawing at his hands. I wanted to fight back, but his earlier threat echoed along my mind. Steam and red shadows pulsed from his hand and I bit my own tongue feeling the burning at my throat. My skin was on fire and my throat was screaming for oxygen. I felt his lips at my ear as he eased the flaming heat at my neck. “I adore you with everything I have, but if you think I won’t make you regret all the things you’ve put me through then I suggest you think again.”

He released me without another thought and I collided with the ground, my throat hurting from the desperate gasps for air. I reached up and touched my neck, my skin felt raw and burnt.

I tried to clear my throat but that hurt just as much, but I had to know something. My voice was hoarse when I spoke again. “What if I don’t?”

“Hmm?” Dimitri was already opening the door, completely forgetting that he’d just strangled me.

“What if I achieve what you want, but I don’t want to destroy things?”

Dimitri let out a low chuckle as he turned around, opening the door as he moved. “Dani, you try to kill me, everyone hurts. You refuse my offer, everyone hurts. In the end there is onlyyou alone with your thoughts making what should be the easiest decision, but like I said, you take your time and I’ll have my fun while we wait.” He closed the door behind him as he left, but I heard his voice through the opening in the door. “You have caused far too much damage to that realm for anyone to want to come and help you, so consider that fact while you are pining for a way out.”

I pressed my back to the wall, wincing as I swallowed. I pressed my fingertips to my cheek, closing my eyes. I held onto the only thing I had at the moment. He was wrong. I had people wanting to help me, wanting to find me.

I looked around and considered where I was. This wasn’t a place where people were found. This was a place where demons were tortured until the outside world, the realm, forgot about them. I swallowed roughly again, shaking off the thought.

I had people wanting to find me. I couldn’t forget that.

Iopened my eyes, the instant harsh lightning causing me to close them again. I slowly opened them again, adjusting to the sudden change. My head was pounding and I was hyper aware of each breath I took and the pain in my chest with every exhale. I realized that I was staring at the ceiling of whatever room I was in, and my head was laying on a pillow that could only be described as featherlike. I flattened my hands at my sides feeling a mattress underneath me. I was in a bed, I knew that much, but it felt way too much like the kinds of beds you find at an infirmary. I moved my eyes from side to side, searching for something that could give me any indication of where I was.

“Oh, it’s about fucking time.” I heard Elise near one side of the room.

I heard a chair scoot back and then a head of blonde hair filled my view. “How you feeling?”

I reached up, running my hand over my face. “What do you mean? How am I feeling?”

“Yeah, you—you kind of passed out from a panic attack. Natalia and Xander brought you to this cool little healing spot so that you would be more…” Reese trailed off, pressing his lips together.

I closed my eyes tightly, not really understanding. I opened them again, staring into his concerned hazel eyes. “A panic attack? Why would I…”

Beetee tentatively stepped up to my side, so that she could place her fingers gently on my arm. “Yeah, about Dani and Dimitri…”

“Beetee, shush!” Reese shooed her away. The pink haired demon widened her eyes, a look of regret forming on her face.

It only took a few moments, but it was like my mind replayed the last time I’d seen Dani all over again. The date, the library, and when I’d left her to go to Reese’s room for just a few minutes?—

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

I shot up from the mattress, my head spinning instantly. I pushed through the mild nausea, nearly kicking Reese out of the way when I swung my legs over the side. They couldn’t really expect me to sit here and not go out and find her. I couldn’t sit here and have her think that I wasn’t running around breathless trying to bring her back.

I got up from the bed, but both my arms were caught by Reese’s hands. “Slow down, Nick. Just breathe.”

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