Page 41 of Thanatos' Craving

My hood fell back, exposing my head. Koozoth’s eyes widened, even the one that was nearly swollen shut.

“Fuck!”

With a sinister chuckle, I forcefully drove my scythe into the cold stone arena, causing it to shatter. The fragments cascaded downwards, disappearing into the abyss below. As the dust settled, flickering flames illuminated the darkness emanating from the fiery pit that lay beneath. Above the inferno, the demon writhed in agony, dangling helplessly from chains that strained under its weight.

“You hurt what was mine. You choose the wrong handler to follow,” I snarled. “You hurt innocent lives, you had a choice.”

The demon cried out, feeling the flames charring his hooves.

I took my scythe and slung it into the empty air. The demon’s body easily cut in half, even being yards away. He stopped screaming while half his body fell into the fiery flames. The chains let go, and the top half of his body fell into the lake below him.

He would regenerate tomorrow and have to endure being tortured all over again.

I shook my head and let the ground be sewn back together.

My fingers wrapped around the wood of my scythe, and I took the long trek back up the stairs.

My human, my Juniper was in my dwelling and I would no longer stay away from her.

She had endured countless hardships, far more than I can fathom, and I was determined to shield her from any peril in the future. The depth of her suffering, revealed through her resilient smile and infectious laughter, is a testament that surpasses my comprehension.

Now I had to win her over, which will prove difficult.

I took the first step out of the torture pit and looked to the deep red sky above of the Underworld.

Juniper would never leave this place; she was mine and she would know it soon enough.

Chapter Fourteen

Thanatos

Now I lay me down to sleep

I traversed the Underworld, I caught glimpses of tormented souls, their anguished cries echoing in the sulphur stench they must smell. Yet, their pleas cannot slow my determined stride. All that consumes my mind are the haunted images of that demon’s eyes piercing through my Juniper’s delicate skin. His hunger, his want of her body.

The stench of despair lingers, mingling with the oppressive weight of sorrow that hangs heavily on my shoulders. Many, including humans, demons, and supernaturals, wanted her, and I despised them for witnessing her in that state.

I pray to the Lord my soul to keep.

How many souls looked at her in want over the years? Countless men gazed at her naked body in hunger, want, andlust. They wanted her for their own depraved desires to take upon themselves with their animalistic breeding rights.

How many touched her? Were they allowed to do anything else to her?

If I should die before I wake,

I could only see what the demon could see. He had touched her, wanted her. He was going to buy my Juniper. Yet she stood tall, proud, and was determined she would never be his. She would belong to no one from that club.

How did she still stand, still smile, and live her life day by day with such hope?

I pray my soul the Lord to take.

With a fierce snarl, I unleashed the power of my wings, feeling the rush of air as I soared through the murky depths of the Underworld. Darkness enveloped me, its suffocating presence surrounding my every move.

I would soon enter Juniper’s mind and find out who had seen her body, who had seen her in her vulnerable state, then rip their souls from their bodies. Fates be damned if their life threads were yet to be cut. They would pay for what they all had seen or done.

Once I landed in front of my domain, I ruffled my feathers and strode into my home. I rushed inside to make sure I was there when my mortal woke, because I would not let her wake in my empty home.

When I pulled back the curtain, instead of seeing only my Juniper wrapped in the bed with Fluffy at her side, I saw my brother sitting in an oversize chair he likes to travel with beside the bed. His mouth hung open, drool on his shoulder, snoring.

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