Page 90 of Demons of Eden

Ash reaches the window first, shattering it as he blasts through the glass, followed by Rio and Torrin.

I do my best to rush after them, taking the stairs like a civilised beached whale. Rather than risk leaping through the window, Suvi and I go for the backdoor, but my wings make me too wide. I curse, because I’ve already been slowed down by my stomach, and I can’t hear what the guys are saying or tell what's happening inside. I tuck my wings, but it’s not enough, so instead I concentrate for a few seconds and will them away. I’ll just have to hope they don’t knock someone else out when they return of their own accord.

“Eden, wait.” Suvi grabs my shoulder, pulling me back before I can rush headfirst into danger.

I could scream at her, despite knowing she doesn’t have bad intentions for holding me back. They need me. I can feel it. It’s like I can feel their fear, and as I turn to look at Suvi, my contractions decide now is apparently the best time to kick it up a notch.

Goddess, who did I piss off in a past life to deserve this terrible ass timing?

“Suvi, whatever you’re about to say, spill. I need to get in there before this baby decides to water slide itself out of my birth canal, right into a haunted house,” I growl, while trying not to sound too pissy with her. This isn’t her fault.

“Fuck, Eden. You make my life so much more complicated,” Suvi hisses, shaking her head as she watches me clutch my stomach. “Where you go, I go. Just be careful, you pain in my ass.” Suvi lifts her chin, ready to follow me into whatever hell I’m about to drag her into.

“If the baby goes flying out of my hoo-ha, catch them, please,” I say teasingly, trying to lighten the impossibly dark mood.

I don’t have any more time to waste, though, so before she can agree, I’m already heading through the house and towards the room we’d seen through the window. We find Daion still in Paimon’s grip. His hand is wrapped tightly around my demon hunter's throat, though now he’s turned his head to glare at the interruption to his plans.

For a brief moment, I simply stare as I realise Daion’s changed. His dark eyes are now slit with yellow, and there are black horns sprouting from his head. I reach up, touching my own head, and searching for horns I might have missed.Nothing. Thank fuck.Daion also has massive wings; they’re actually bigger than mine, but his are pinned to the wall, much like he is.

The contractions become so intense that my steps falter. They’re maybe three minutes apart, at best. I don’t have the time for this to drag out.

“Stop!” I yell, throwing my hands up, making all the men around me pause. “Take me. Let Daion go, and take me, instead.” The words are like acid in my mouth, but I only need to get close enough to Piehole to take him down.

Daion’s eyes blaze as he struggles to shake his head with a hand on his throat. “Fuck no!” he snaps out furiously, but the demon lord holding him chuckles.

“I can simply have both.” Paimon shrugs. “I can bond your baby to me, and then the three of you will all bend to mywill. Thanks to his mother, I can’t bind my own petulant spawn directly. He’s too old now, but that baby? Oh, they’ll be forced to listen to my every word, and in turn, so will you. Your pathetic sentimental loyalty will be your undoing.”

I take several steps forward, intending to use myself as leverage so I can get my hands on him and then hopefully drain him dry. Surely I can repeat what I did before, even if it is without the ritual’s assistance, at least, I hope I can. However, the second I’m a step closer to Paimon than the others, chaos breaks loose.

Rio loses his shit, freaks out, and launches forward at Paimon. Daion’s eyes fly wide as he realises his brother is moving in at a frightening speed with a terrifying look on his face. Torrin and Ash move as one half a second later, while Paimon realises what his words and my steps have triggered.

In the chaos, Daion manages to free himself from Paimon’s hold, but instead of fleeing like I want him to, he spins to face the older demon head on. The violent demonic power filling the air has me shaking as my uterus rebels against me. I can barely think straight as I try to approach, but there’s no need. It’s clear these four men are willing to do anything to protect me, even when that means stopping me from protecting them.

Ash and Daion are both using their demon powers against Paimon, who returns their attacks in kind, with a frightening sort of efficiency. I can’t help but think if it weren’t for a rabid Rio attacking him, along with Torrin, he might have overpowered the other two already. He’s just…so overwhelmingly powerful. It’s even more terrifying to consider that he thinks Daion and my baby could be stronger, simply because of what they are.

Suvi grips my arm, holding me up to keep me from falling to my knees as I shake. I watch as Rio jumps on Paimon’s back, latching onto him like he’s possessed and attempting to chokethe twisted demon out. I notice he’s using one hand to dig a small blade into the back of Paimon’s neck above where his other arm is choking him. It doesn’t seem to be enough to finish the bastard off, though.

Daion catches a black dagger that Torrin tosses to him. He then leaps into the air, arms raised, while Ash’s power works overtime to help Rio with subduing Paimon long enough for Daion to plunge the dagger into his heart.

Everything comes to a sudden standstill as Rio continues to cling to the older demon’s back, waiting. Paimon blinks once…twice. He falls to his knees, then tumbles to his side as Rio lands on his feet beside the body. He looks between the body on the floor and Daion a few times, as if not wanting to believe the obvious is true.

“So, you’re half-demon, and this skeevy fuck is your…” Rio squints, searching for a word, “sperm donor?” He doesn’t look as angry as I expected; he sounds more outraged at not knowing, actually.

There’s a sudden gush of wetness between my thighs, and the pool of liquid it creates at my feet makes me cringe.Lovely. Fabulous timing, baby.

“Is Lord Piehole dead?” I ask, not wanting to dignify the bastard with his actual name as I cling to Suvi for dear life.

“Yeah. I didn’t know it washimuntil recently, but I knew I was half-demon,” Daion admits, dropping his chin. Now probably isn’t the right time to admire how handsome he looks like this. Demonic looks surprisingly good on him.

“Hmm.” Torrin shrugs, seemingly unfazed, which gets more of a reaction from Rio.

“You didn’t tell me either!?” Rio demands, throwing up his hands. “Did you know?” He gestures at me next, and I can’t muster more than a nod. It wasn’t my secret to tell. “Let me guess, you both knew as well?” He turns to Ash and Suvi.

“I figured it out.” Ash glances between the brothers and then to me. “I thought everyone knew and just didn’t care?”

“Well, I didn’t know, and I don’t care,” Suvi snaps as she glares up at the men, her eyes bugging. “We have more important things to deal with right now!” She nods to me, and the guys all move forward at once, seeming to realise the urgency of the situation.

“Eden,” Daion rushes over, slightly slipping in the fluid on the floor, but focuses on me as he stabilises himself. “Are you okay?”

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