Page 61 of Live Like Legends

Dimitri came up behind her, placing his only hand on her shoulder. I noticed the Queen of Darkness stiffened a small bit. It was an odd gesture, one I’d never seen her display before. She exuded the same power she always had, but it was almost like I was seeing what Dimitri had been talking about. He’d taken into consideration my words about it looking as if Lilith called the shots, made the rules and outranked him.

The fact that he was gracious enough to include her in this at all was beyond my realm of understanding. Then I blinked, considering that he still needed her in some way. Maybe as a scapegoat, or maybe he actually thought I still had any desire at all to please her and bend over backwards for her attention. I nearly cringed at that thought.

There was something about the way he held her shoulder, like he was constantly reminding her of who was in charge and that her stance in this realm could be revoked with a snap of his fingers.

“I talked Lilith into bestowing a gift to you. You do remember how much I loved giving you gifts, sweetheart.” He snapped his fingers and she opened her palm out in front of her.

Ribbons of darkness and clouds of gray smoke came from her hand. Something started to form, the smoke became bigger as the ribbons spun around it. I furrowed my eyebrows, irritated and annoyed at this.

“I don’t fucking—” I started but Dimitri shushed me, placing a finger to his lips.

I was prepared to tell him where he could put his fucking finger when the smoke melted away and the ribbons unthreaded themselves from one another to reveal this ‘gift’. My hands trembled at the item staring back at me. No, not just an item. A weapon.

My weapon.

My dagger.

I never took my eyes off the curved pointed end, the razor slits down the middle, the brown leather hilt that always felt so natural in my palm. I felt my fingers twitch wanting to feel the indentation of my name along my fingertips. It looked exactly the same, nothing was out of place and it was crazy how I still felt the connection toward it.

“What the hell is this?” I asked, my eyes unmoving.

“A little incentive, pretty girl.” Dimitri knelt down so that he was right next to me. They were boxing me in and right now, I didn’t care.

Lilith removed her hand, but the dagger floated in place. “I remember the twinkle of mischief in your eye when I gave you that dagger. Don’t you remember how powerful you felt? Imagine what that will feel like along with those hybrid powers. You would be unstoppable.” She flicked her fingers forward and the dagger swayed over to me. I kept my hands at my sides, but everything in me wanted to snatch it up and let every singleounce of power she’d given it mix with mine. “Imagine what you could do if something you used to enhance your darkness could handle all that light as well.”

Dimitri lightly dusted my curls from my shoulder, running his fingers along my neck. “Do you really think those angels in that less than perfect realm would let you be who you are? Do you think they deserve to go on hiding behind all those fake smiles and deceit? We demons don’t try to be something we’re not. You’d be free to wield this weapon as you wish.” He leaned into me as if he was inhaling my scent. “They would make you work for their respect but you would never get it. That is no way to live, especially for someone of your stature. The only thing I desire from you is a simple show of power and we can makethemwork to respectyou.”

I felt his breath on my neck and I tried to imagine the picture he painted. I wanted power and I wanted the dagger that gave me comfort. I liked the power of compulsion, but it wasn’t my torture of choice. Most lesser demons who watched me loved when I used it and so I did but….the dagger wasn’t all that Iwasthough.

I didn’t want to expand Hell, but I also didn’t want Heaven’s Gate to be run by a tyrannical dictator. I didn’t want to be used and abused for what I could do by anyone, not Ariel and not byfuckingDimitri.

My hands stopped shaking. I felt the presence of both their bodies and I had to hold back my vomit when I became more aware of how close Dimitri was to my skin. I turned slightly toward him. “I appreciate your offer, but kindly gofuckyourself.” I managed to keep my light at bay as I shot out shadows at the Son of Hell, causing him to go flying at the wall.

The dagger disappeared from my view as Lilith moved away from me, standing up straight. Dimitri growled as he shoved away from the wall, stomping over to me and striking my othercheek with the back of his hand. I instinctively went to grab hold of my hurt cheek, but he grabbed my hair, pulling so hard I felt a burning sensation in my scalp. He tilted my head back so I was forced to look at him. His face started to distort, melting away into the one he was born with.

His green eyes that turned up in the corners started to sink in, almost to nothing but black holes. Dimitri’s skin started to decay into a gray color and sparks of red and black flames feathered off him. They singed my skin each time they made contact.

“You would do well to be reminded of what is at stake when you decide to be disrespectful.” His voice was hollower now, less casual. It was almost like an echo and it vibrated through every part of my body. He pulled my head back harder and tears started to form, but I didn’t let them fall.

I felt the tingles of warmth at my fingers wanting to come and protect me.

No, no. Fucking no.

I held on while the tension and pressure at my head increased.

“Dimitri, your father is waiting.” Lilith, who looked unfazed by his transformation, caught his attention.

He tightened his hold on my hair, but then swung me backwards so that my head landed on the stone. I heard a crack and there were small stars behind my eyes. I blinked rapidly, clearing my vision as I grabbed the side of my head. I pulled my hand back, noticing that blood stained my fingers.

My vision was becoming less blurry, noticing that Dimitri was finger-combing his hair back into place. His tattoos were all back in the same spots and his green eyes pierced into mine. “Ah, yes. I forgot. Planting important seeds for when everything comes to fruition.” He winked at me as if nothing had just transpired between us.

Before he could keep my attention for long, I looked over at Lilith, rounding up shadows in my hand, thinking that if I couldn’t hurt precious Dimitri then he wouldn’t mind me causing some damage to the first person to fuck me over.

My shadows were halted when he spoke, “before I forget, let me remind you, sweetheart, that lives are at stake.” He waved his hand in the middle of the room and a dark flat circle formed, almost like a portal. There was nothing but black until something began showing up. There were faces, three distinct faces.

It was Garrett’s family.

Leah, Yuri and Jasmine. Their faces looked dirty and wherever they were appeared to be cold and damp. It was likely another area of this place, but just further below. Jasmine's face looked blotchy as if she’d been crying and Leah had Yuri tucked under arm, soothing him.

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