Page 50 of The Fallen
His nakedness is concerning, but he’s alive and I don’t see any wounds. The blood isn’t his.
He had to watch as Dimitri cut into that woman. And to then be bathed in her blood? What the fuck is Dimitri trying to accomplish?
Clambering onto the raised platform, I skirt the woman and fall to my knees next to Ben, my hand cupping his face. His eyes search mine in a panic, then dart back to the fight still ragingbehind me, but I summon warding glyphs, wrapping us in a shield of thickening air.
I don’t know where Dimitri is, but I trust Asenath to fight off whatever creature was left to guard these two.
And we have Ben back.
I’m reaching for the duct tape when that oily power surges, and the white-hot tether connecting me to Ben flares hotter. Ben’s eyes roll as his body convulses. I jerk away from him, scanning the large room.
Dimitri is still here. Somewhere. Probably fist fucking his own dick as he tortures Ben.
“We must leave. Now,” Asenath orders, appearing beside me. His shirt is torn, healing lacerations covering his torso and blackish-green ichor splattered over him.
I look around, terror fueling me as I unhook the ropes keeping Ben’s bound wrists above him. He groans at the movement, those brown eyes of his opening to stare up at me in bleary confusion.
With a flick of his wrist, Asenath cuts through the ropes with one of his handy retractable claws, and I wince as Ben’s arms flop down to his lap, the wrists bloody from fighting.
“You really don’t learn, do you?” Dimitri asks reproachfully, appearing on the other side of the woman’s body. She lets out a shrill noise of terror and he crouches next to her with a smile, petting her thigh like she’s nothing more than some favored dog.
That oily power washes over me, and I can’t help but gag. Whatever magic he’s dabbling in is repulsive and I want nothing more than to take a bath in bleach to get the feeling of it off me.
Asenath lets out a growl, his tail thrashing as he regards the mage cautiously. No, not cautiously — fearfully. He’s afraid. A Demon Lord is afraid of the power Dimitri possesses. That can’t be good.
“First off, I’m stubborn,” I bite out, standing up and shielding Ben. Well, doing my best to shield him since I have zero muscle mass and don’t look threatening in the slightest. “Secondly, do you really have to haul around a whole fucking dumpster with you? You smell like shit and don’t look much better.”
Dimitri’s eyes narrow and he slowly stands, black tendrils of magic twisting around his form. The shadows drift across the woman and I flinch when the smell of burning flesh hits my nose. But then they draw back, dissipating as Dimitri smiles that too wide smile again.
“Pesky little human and his pesky littleAzajhan. While I only need the woman as a sacrifice, I suppose two will probably be better.” He turns that smile to me and I shudder at the look in his eyes. “And the little human can be a plaything. See how wide I can stretch him before he rips apart.”
“Oh sweetie, I think I’m going to sit that one out. But if you send a request to not gonna happen dot com I’m sure I’ll inform you when I change my mind, which will be never,” I reply with my own little smile.
Yes, I’m probably writing a check that my ass can’t cash, but there’s a method to my madness. Okay, no there’s not, but I get sassy when I get scared. Sue me.
“Why do you need a sacrifice?” Asenath asks, and I nod my head way too fast at that question.
“Yeah, I mean, seems a bit excessive if you just want to summon a State Farm agent,” I babble.
Dimitri tilts his head, neon green eyes flickering in a really creepy way. He focuses on me, and I really don’t like the look that he’s giving me — something between rage and revulsion. “Your kind are a blight. No matter which universe we go to, your species is there, taking what is rightfully ours. I am ending it, bringing us back from the Between and erasing your kind from existence.”
I cross my arms, giving him a bored look. “Your ass must be jealous right now,”
Dimitri’s head snaps back. “What?”
“Your ass,” I reiterated. “It must be jealous of all the shit that’s spewing from your mouth. Just admit it. You’re envious, and this is just you having a temper tantrum.” I stop talking, my attention snapping to his eyes. Hisneon greeneyes. “Oh my God! You’re literally the green-eyed monster.”
“Issac, please stop talking,” Asenath says quietly.
Wonder if I can quickly request what to have in my obituary after this. Judging from the furious look on Dimitri’s face, he’s about to do exactly what he threatened.
I stumble back, my bravado going the way of the dodo, as shadows erupt from his body, twisting into a seething mass above him.
The woman screams, the guttural shriek echoing off the walls of the church, and the shadows become thicker, solid. Shadows aren’t supposed to have physical form.
“The woman. Her pain is powering his spell,” Asenath hisses.
Oh, that’s just fucked up.
