Page 80 of The Road to Hell

Calyx spread his hands, all innocence. “Perish the thought.”

Eliza turned back to me and jabbed a thumb toward the cave entrance. “Go. Find yourself a nice, fat hellcat to snack on before you start looking at us like food. And as much as I’d love to see you lose your mind and attack Calyx—I’dpayto see that again, honestly—I don’t want you getting yourself killed because you’re too damn stubborn to take care of yourself.”

I dragged in a slow breath, the hunger scraping at the edges of my restraint. She wasn’t wrong. But leaving Lily…

I turned my gaze back to her. Still unmoving, still lost in her memories. I ground my teeth. I hated the thought of walking away, even if only for a short time.

As if sensing my hesitation, Vol huffed. “She’s not gonna suddenly keel over while you’re gone, vamp-boy. We got this.”

Even Purrgy, who had been eerily quiet, flicked his tail and let out a low, unimpressedmrow,as if to say,Go already.

Calyx leaned back, looking pleased with himself. “See? Even the sweet…kitty—is that what you called that thing?—agrees.”

Eliza shook her head. “Get. And then when you come back, you’ll be more useful. It’s as simple as that.”

I cursed under my breath and pushed to my feet. “Fine.”

Eliza shot me a satisfied nod. “Good. And maybe, if you’re lucky, the blood will improve your mood.”

I shot her a dry look before shifting my attention back to Lily one last time. Reaching out, I brushed my fingers lightly against her cheek. Just a fleeting touch. A reminder that she was still here.

Then, without another word, I turned left the cave, stepping out into the Hell’s blistering wasteland. I barely registered the heat. My focus was singular—hunt, feed, return to Lily.

Unfurling my wings, I took to the sky in a controlled ascent, scanning the craggy terrain below with a predator’s gaze. Every flash of movement was a potential target. Hellcats were common enough, and easy prey if I attacked from above. The sooner I found one, the sooner I could?—

A shadow below caught my eye.

Instinct kicked in, and I angled downward, narrowing my focus. But it wasn’t a hellcat I’d spotted. No, it was three hellspawn—a brimlord, netheron, and vexori. I adjusted my flight, circling lower. They weren’t heading directly toward the cave, but they were too close for comfort. If they kept moving in this direction, it was only a matter of time before they stumbled across our trail. Good thing I didn’t mind snacking on hellspawn. I shifted my position, my muscles tensing as I prepared to attack.

Until their voices reached my ears.

“Slaughtered,” the brimlord said, his voice a guttural rasp. “Bodies torn apart.”

“I’ve seen battlefields,” the netheron said. “Seen hellspawn ripped to shreds before. But this? This was pure malice. I’ve never seen so much blood before.”

“Think it was her?” the vexori asked. “I’ve heard stories about her.”

The brimlord grunted, adjusting the weapon strapped to his back. “Who cares how it happened? What matters is that someone slaughtered a hellspawn patrol in our territory. This wasn’t some random fight. It was a damn execution.”

The netheron cuffed the brimlord upside the head. “It matters because if it washer, then Lucifer needs to know.”

At that, my focus sharpened. Lucifer didn’t need to knowanything. Especially not now, while Lily was vulnerable. I shifted my trajectory, tucking my wings in tight as I dove toward them, silent as a blade slicing through the air. The moment my feet hit the ground, I moved.

The brimlord barely had time to turn his head before my sword found his throat. A clean strike, no hesitation. Blood splattered me and his friends as he crumpled, a wet gurgle escaping his lips.

The netheron snarled, reaching for his weapon. Too slow. I was already there, grabbing the hilt before he could draw and twisting his arm at an unnatural angle. Bone cracked, his howl of pain silenced by my next strike. I drove my blade up beneath his chin, punching through soft tissue and into his skull.

The vexori bolted.

I was on him in seconds.

The hellspawn barely made it three steps before I grabbed him by the back of the neck and slammed him face-first into the ground. The impact sent a dull crack through the air, dust rising in thick plumes around us. He convulsed, his body jerking beneath my grip, legs kicking uselessly against the dirt. His claws scraped the ground for purchase, but it didn’t matter. He was weaker. Slower. A lesser predator caught by something far worse.

I yanked his head back and struck.

My fangs pierced deep, blood flooding my mouth. It burned—thick, acrid, tainted with a distinctive infernal stench—but I drank anyway. It wasn’t like Lily’s blood. Hers was celestial, rich with power, uniquely hers in a way I could never forget. This? This was just fuel. A means to an end.

The vexori spasmed beneath me, his body jerking, the last remnants of his strength bleeding away with every pull. His heartbeat faltered, his fingers twitching against the dirt. Finally, the hunger dulled and strength flooded my limbs.

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