Page 43 of Demonic Division

A ferocious roar echoes in my mind, cutting off Lir’s explanation, and I clap my hands over my ears to try to ease some of the discomfort. My motion causes the demons’ attention to shift to me, and Kaebl scours my face, eyes flashing withconfusion.

You can hear me?

I meet Kaebl’s gaze, shock coursing through me in violent jolts. “Maybe.”

“Oh shit,” Cyprien murmurs, rubbing a hand across his jaw. “Does that mean?—”

The bond has strengthened,Kaebl says, his voice like whips of lightning in my mind.This has the potential to ruineverything.

With a snarl, Kaebl rears his arm back, sending a clawed hand in a swooping arc toward the stag. Instead of making an impact, Comet dissipates into a cloud of dark smoke. It rematerializes a few feet away, raising its snout to release one last pained bleat before running off.

Without the barrier, Kaebl reaches toward me, his expression like thunder. He wraps a clawed hand around my arm and wrenches me to my feet, paying no attention to my whimpers of pain as he hauls me across the ice.

Footsteps follow, and I look over my shoulder to see Lir, Cyprien, and Roark following like lost puppies, low-toned whines punctuating the air in different pitches.

Kaebl whips his head, releasing a furious snarl into all of our minds.Get the fuck back to your rooms. I’ll deal with you all later.He looks down at me, his mouth set in a thin line of hatred.I need to take care of this thing first.

Kaebl pulls me into the castle and up the stairs toward my room, the vein in the side of his neck throbbing violently. As soon as we step into my room, he shoves me forward toward my bed of furs, causing me to stumble and fall to the ground. My knees collide with the frozen stone, and a bolt of pain travels up my legs.

Before I have the chance to give him hell for it, his voice breaks into my mind, thrumming with twice the anger in his eyes.I should have left you in the fucking dungeons to rot.You’ve been nothing but a problem since you showed up at my door.

Tears prick my eyes, but I force them down, turning to Kaebl with a glare worthy of the hatred running through my veins.

“You’re a fucking monster,” I snarl. “I didn’t ask for any of this!”

He snorts, his mouth twisting into a cruel smirk.If you had seen what I have, little one, you would be, too.

He turns on his heel, slamming the door behind him and locking the bolt into place.

With a sigh, I crawl into my furs, pulling the blanket high up over my head to block out the world. The Welwig sap is still running through my veins, dulling my senses, so it eases some of the sting from Kaebl’s comments.

Perhaps he should have left me down there. At least there, the temptation wouldn’t be such a problem. Fighting against what I want wouldn’t be so impossible.

My breathing evens out, and I fade in and out of consciousness as the minutes fade to hours. I’m plagued with visions of a kingdom covered in ice and blood. I dream of betrayal. Of war and love. Of a demon king split by a thin glowing wire, and the pieces born of his demise.

But when I wake, sweat-slicked and screaming, I do not realize what they mean.

A part of me hopes I never do.

24

Kaebl

I stalkthe floors of the throne room, the stone crumbling beneath my powerful claws with each step. I can’t bring myself to look at Cyprien and Lir. As soon as I consider it, I can feel my hands wrapping around their throats, ripping their useless fucking hearts from their chests.

“Kaebl, you have to understand?—”

I whip my gaze toward Lir, and the fury that settles on him causes him to flinch.I understandperfectly.There is nothing you could say to make this better, Lir. Itrustedyou—of all of them, I believedyouhad the power to resist.

Lir lowers his gaze, his expression crumbling. “I thought I did, too…”

Cyprien steps in front of his blue-haired counterpart, his jaw clenching hard enough to fracture his molars. “Would you leave him alone? Weallhad a part to play in this!”

Oh yes. I would never forget about the one who brought her to this land in the first place. The one whostartedthis whole fucking mess.I bring a hand to my forehead, closing my eyes as my anger threatens to consume me.Where is Roark?

“In his room,” Lir answers sullenly. “He was… he’s not taking the separation very well. We had to restrain him.”

Good. At least you did one thing right.I rub a clawed hand down my face, a deep throbbing emanating from the fresh wounds on my wings. I had almost forgotten about them—the sight outside the castle had torn every other thought from my mind—but now that the adrenaline is leaving, I’m left with the bitter pain of my battles.He will calm soon enough.

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