Page 46 of Demonic Division

I clutch my chest, my mind reeling. I don’t know why I didn’t realize it before—that this is M's familiar. That she’s been trying to lead me to the truth this whole time.

Kaebl is going to kill me.

The cat whines, jumping from the table and landing nimbly onto the floor. It turns its head, flicking its tail in an invitation before running out of the library, passing through the doors just like before. Pulse racing, I run out of the library, knowing exactly where Nya is leading me.

To see M.

By the time I make it to the stairs that lead to the dungeon, I’m out of breath, my legs trembling from the speed I ran through the castle while trying to keep up with Nya. She scurries down the stairs, leaving me no choice but to follow and hope my heart can take the last stretch.

The shadows engulf me as I step onto the ground floor, the scent of rot and damp billowing up my nose and making me wince. I keep my hand on the wall, following the faint glow of Nya’s eyes toward M's cell. She stops just in front of the bars, mewling before slinking through the spaces toward her master. I step closer to the bars, wrapping trembling palms around the cool iron to steady myself.

“M?” His name is no more than a whisper, but it rolls into the air with a desperate plea. One that is answered by a glowing red eye blinking through the dark, a set of pointed white teeth peeking through the shadows in a grin.

“Wildfire.” His smile widens, eyes shining with a predatory glint. “I’m surprised to see you. What are you doing here at this hour?”

“I didn’t know who else to turn to,” I whisper, cursing the shake in my voice. “I need help.”

He remains where he is, the runes on his forearms and chest glowing molten and casting a soft red light onto his face. His lips press together in a frown as he takes in my expression. “Did they hurt you, little one?”

I go to shake my head but stop halfway through. “I think they’re going to,” I whisper. “I think Kaebl… I think he’s going to kill me. I saw his notebook—something about it being the only way to break the bond. I’mscared,M. I’m so, so fucking scared.”

M says nothing for a long while, his chest rising and falling steadily. “I wish I could offer you some comfort, little one. Or at the very least, tell you not to worry. But…” Mlets out a long sigh, dragging a clawed hand down his face. “Now you see the true evil of Jealousy. Now you see the extent to which Envy will go—what he will risk to have power and maintain control. If he’s come to the conclusion that killing you is the only way, I have no doubt he will do it soon.Very soon.”

My breath comes in shallow pants as I search his eyes for some hint of a lie, but there’s none. “M… what am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to fight him?” I shake my head, panic wrapping an icy fist around my windpipe and squeezing. “I don’t want to die,” I whisper, my voice raw and cracking. “I want to go home. I just want this all to be over. There has to—there must be a way. I can’t die here. I won’t.”

M blinks at me, his expression stoic. “There is a way.”

“A way? A way for me to go home?” I demand, gripping the bars tighter. “How?”

He shakes his head, dragging his eyes away from my face for the first time since I’ve been down here. “It’s too dangerous. I will not risk your life that way.”

“I’m already dead!” I cry, my voice shaking with desperation. “Kaebl is going to fuckingkill me!Demons are, quite literally, going to sacrifice me! If there’s even a chance of me going home, I need to take it. Please, M.Please.”

He shakes his head, a deep sigh billowing from his lips. “There is a place—a doorway, if you will—from this world to yours. It’s how Cyprien got you here. How he was able to get to you in the first place.”

A spark of hope lights my chest. “Where is it?”

“South,” he murmurs, eyes glazing over with a faraway look. “Walk south—toward the silver moon. If your aim is true, you will find your way out—theroom between worlds.”

He reaches through the bars and cups my face, dragging his thumb lovingly across the apple of my cheek. “Run, little one. Run far away from this place. You must get as far away from these monsters as you can.”

I lean into his touch, trying to think past the buzzing in my ears. “How will I know when I’ve found it?”

“You won’t.” He smiles. “Itwill find you.”

26

Dagny

I stepinto the frigid night air, pulling my jacket tighter around my shoulders as the snow and ice pelt my face. The hairs on my arms rise as I stumble down the stone steps of the castle, careful not to slip on the thick casing of ice covering each step.

My footsteps are silent on the frozen ground, the sound carried away by the screaming wind tearing through the landscape. A distant howl pierces through the commotion, causing a shiver to run the length of my spine that has nothing to do with the cold.

If you can fear, you can also be brave.

My mother’s words replay in my mind as I follow the silver moon, leaving the ominous stone palace behind me. I walk for hours, keeping my eyes locked on the glowing orb and away from the terrifying creatures that line my periphery. They stand at a distance, scenting the air, debating if my soul is fit for a meal. Some even follow for a distance, but thankfully, none dare to come close enough to pose any real threat.

The night stretches into eternity as I trudge through the wasteland, trying not to focus on the fact that my fingers have long since numbed to the cold. I begin to wonder if M lied to me—if this was just an elaborate ploy to kill me—but then I find it.

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