Page 95 of Hell Gate

His arms pinwheel, claws biting into my skin, scrabbling over the short horns I’ve sprouted. The injuries he inflicts on me are nothing—they heal within moments as my power beats through me with the rhythm of my pulse. I won’t let go, vicious in my attack to blind him.

“Get off, you little cunts.” Matthias growls and twists in a spiral, blasting the horde of malicious fairies away from him with a burst of flame and humid wind. He plucks one from the air and pinches its head between his fingers, squashing it. Turning his attention back to us, his lips curl in satisfaction. “You picked the wrong fight, old man. Our girl is unstoppable.”

Cessair reaches back and grabs me by the hair. I grit my teeth, digging into his face harder with a renewed shot of heat. He groans and collapses, taking me with him. I roll his body over and straddle his chest, squeezing his throat hard enough to pierce his skin with my sharp talons. His boiled skin and the charred remains of his eyes aren’t enough.

He hurt Matthias. He hurt the others. He hurt me. He doesn’t deserve to live. None of them do.

A strangled sound leaves me as I claw at his filthy, tattered suit, the material shredding beneath my furious swipes. I slice through skin and bone, panting through my unshakeable anger. He slaps me and Matthias bolts over with a dangerous growl, pinning Cessair’s arms in the smoking dirt.

“I’m going to rip your fucking hands off for that. Finger by finger,” he promises. “And then I’ll force feed them to you.”

When I stop thrashing Cessair’s chest, I’m panting and blood soaks my hands. Through his broken ribs and ravaged chest cavity, his exposed heart beats. I wrap my trembling fingers around it.

“Tell me why,” I demand. “You’re going to die anyway. You’re done.”

Cessair bucks, but between me and Matthias he’s unable to gain leverage. He collapses with a squelched gargle when I squeeze his heart.

“Why?” It comes out low, rough, and shaky.

“Power,” he grits out furiously. “You were too unpredictable. Not—susceptible to the influence I tried to plant in your mind.”

I squeeze harder, ready to fucking burst his heart between my fingers and roast it in blue flames for retribution. His mouth falls open with a choked gasp when heat builds in my hands and the stench of smoking flesh and blood rises into the air.

“When we realized—you needed to go, we wanted to put our own queen on the throne to manipulate Lucifer.” His breathing is labored. “But—But the pawn queen wouldn’t be-behave. We knew we had to claim the throne for ourselves.”

“Your greed is your downfall,” I growl.

All the pain, heartache, fear, and uncertainty I’ve battled filters through me. The unbearable sight of Matthias disappearing beneath the surface of the swamp. Of Valerian when he was severely hurt guarding me from the demon assassins. Alder’s fierce protectiveness against the demons that almost sliced him to ribbons in the motel. The looks on my mates’ faces when I almost died trapped by Cessair’s curse.

Tears sting my eyes and spill over as the riotous energy of my power culminates to a breaking point in my palms. Fire explodes through my hands, burning Cessair’s rotten heart. His body jerks and Matthias holds him down while he babbles. A wet gasp leaves me as I squeeze harder until the seared muscle in my hands bubbles to a liquid state, oozing between my fingers.

Cessair twitches, then slumps. His sticky dark blood stains my hands.

“I killed him,” I whisper.

Matthias covers my bloody hand with his, squeezing in support. “If you didn’t, I was going to do it. Or the others. Did you want to?”

I close my eyes. “Yes. Do you hate me for it?”

“No. Never.” His tone is gentle. He leans in and kisses my temple. “Do you regret it?”

I shake my head. He fucking deserved it. He was going to kill me and my mates if I didn’t end him.

“Let’s see if the others need our help.” He draws me to my feet. “I’m proud of you. We knew you could break the seal.”

I don’t spare Cessair’s body another glance. He brought his fate on himself the moment he crossed me. My focus shifts to my other mates, to needing to help them end this.

Not far off, the others have Alastor on his knees. He’s missing half an arm, the bloody limb on the ground, a scrap of Valerian’s shirt clutched in the fist. My heart skips a beat and we rush to them.

“You have not won yet, Lilith,” Alastor thunders. “You—”

I don’t stop jogging, speeding up with a scowl. Alder yanks Valerian out of my path, pride glinting in his gaze as I coat my fist in ruthless blue flames and smash it into Alastor’s face. His head snaps to the side from my punch and his chin slumps to his chest. The one hit knockout feels really damn good.

“Shut the fuck up,” I grit out.

“Fiesty little princess.” Rainer chuckles through his exhaustion, slumping against a tree, using his sword to brace himself. “Consider our life debt repaid, old friend.”

“Beautiful right hook,” Alder praises warmly.

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