Page 58 of Hell Gate

My demons, my heart tethers, my home.

I pick up the gauzy material of my skirts and hurry down the halls, passing columns lit from the floor by pools of eternal hellfire flames. The closer I get, the longer the hall stretches. That’s not right. I know this wing of the demon king’s castle.

“Matthias?” I call. “Alder? Valerian!”

My voice echoes off the high walls. An inky swirl of black smoke rises from the floor to my right, circling faster in a churning frenzy until it forms a portal. The king—?

Red eyes glow within the magic and the demon’s clawed hands snatch me. Something pushes me back hard.

When I blink my eyes open with a wheezing gasp, Lane’s face is pale, her attention locked on a bowl of water that bubbles and turns black.

“My wards.” It’s the only thing she gets out before Valerian wrenches me from the seat, sending both of us crashing to the floor as the back door blasts open in a rain of fire.

“Go!” he commands.

Four terrifying cloaked demons charge through the door with impossible speed, short, deadly black horns, and white hair. Two of them converge on Lane. Horror traps me in place when they grab her by her hair and slash her neck before she can do any magic to counter them. The sachet clutched in her hand falls to the ground and her eyes bulge in shock. Then her body drops to the floor, severed from the head the demon grips by her hair.

An ear-splitting scream rips from my lungs.

Grunting viciously, Valerian pushes to his feet. His tattoos shift as hellfire erupts from his fists. He punches the first demon he rushes, throwing up an arm to block the second that goes for him. He’s a sight to behold when he fights, his speed and ruthlessness unmatched. His black elongated talons spear one of his opponents under their wide jaw while he holds the other back with a wall of firepower.

The other two turn their attention on me, dropping Lane’s head. Opening their fanged maws, they both let out chilling growls. They advance on me and I scramble back, banging my head on a cabinet. My flames spark along my arms and sputter out at my fingertips, blocked by the fear coursing through my veins.

Valerian’s demanding voice fills my head.Don’t panic. Control it. It’s followed by Alder’s gruff encouragement.The power is yours, blossom. It’s not something you need to fear. Then Matthias’ warm tone wraps around me.You’re more amazing than you realize, pretty girl.

I can do this. I can help fight against our attackers.

This is my power. My life that’s been toyed with, stolen, and locked away from my access. Whoever the hell the demon is trapped inside me, these fuckers don’t get to kill her or me.

They come for me as a unified force, undeterred by the ball of flame I morph between my palms. I fling it and curse when the one on the left dodges while I scramble to my feet. The demon’s yellow eyes flash like he’s mocking me. As I gather tingling energy in my hands to form another blast, they draw swords, dragging their claws along the blade with an awful screech. Fire licks along the weapons and they raise them.

Oh god. I’m not as fast as them. How do I block a fucking flaming sword?

“Lily!”

Valerian’s hoarse roar cuts through the terror freezing me in place as the demons’ swords arc down. He throws himself in front of me, directly in the line of attack. My mind splits in two, the scene overlaid with a strange vision—instead of his black shirt, he wears a knight’s attire like Rainer’s.

The swords find a new mark, slashing into his sides as he blasts them back with a strong wave of flame and hot air before he staggers on his feet and falls to one knee with a groan.

“No! Vale!” My chest aches as if the blades pierced my heart.

This is my worst nightmare come to life. The sight of him hurt, crouched on the floor in pain because he protected me unlocks a fathomless well inside my chest that demands retribution. It’s the same fierce feeling that erupted from me when Alder threatened to kill Matthias.

A savage noise bursts from me and my power explodes like a furious star. Bands of fire lash out from me, my arms spread and my head thrown back. They whip around the room, claiming the neck of each demon. I choke them, my flames forcing down their throats. Their legs kick as I lift them into the air, their strangled sounds of pain not enough to pay for what they’ve done. Baring my teeth, I eviscerate them, burning their bodies to ash from the inside out.

Blood rushes in my ears and I collapse, the power retreating. I gasp for air from how much it drained my energy, taking in the destruction surrounding me—Lane’s wrecked kitchen, her dead body, and what little remains of the demons.

My heart leaps into my throat when I lock eyes with Valerian. He’s propped against the cabinets, intense gaze trained on me. Straining against my dizziness, I rush to his side.

He stares at me in astonished reverence. “Lili—” He cuts off, gritting his teeth and pressing a hand to his side. His hand comes away bloody. “Damn it.”

Grabbing his wrist, an agonized breath catches in my throat. His dark blood soaks the tattered black shirt, the deep gashes visible through the holes. “You’re hurt. Don’t move.”

I swallow the painful lump clogging my throat and scrounge around the kitchen in search of medical supplies, casting an apologetic glance at Lane. This is my fault. Her death, the attack, Vale getting hurt.

“Sorry Lane.”

There’s nothing I recognize, only herbs and unmarked bottles. A floral tablecloth in the next room catches my eye. With a sweep of my arm, I knock the contents from the table and shred strips off the tablecloth. Kneeling at his side with a bowl of water and the makeshift bandages, I grimace at how much blood there is. I’ve never seen any of my demons this badly injured.

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