Page 56 of The Demon Prince's Accidental Mate
I growled at her. “You can hate me all you want if that’s what you suddenly desire. But you’ll do so from somewhereotherthan this prison. I will see you set free first. That is not negotiable.”
“I’m not here to negotiate,” Victor said, motioning behind me for the Gray Knights to approach.
Their armor clanked as the heavily armed minotaurs prepared to arrest me. There were only two ways out. I go through them or Victor. Both would leave Lily open to being snatched up by the other side.
“Give it up,” Victor said, impatiently tapping the tip of his sword on the stone. “You aren’t escaping. Not tonight, and certainly not with her.”
Lily struggled against me, but I easily held her tight to my shoulder. There wasoneoption still left to me. One I didn’t want to use. One that would certainly lead to repercussions I did not want to face.
But what choice did I have left? Letting them get Lily wasnot an option.
Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself and prepared to release the control I kept over my body. Even in the courtroom earlier, I’d never truly brought my demonic self fully into that realm. If I did, I would violate all sorts of treaties. If I weren’t fast enough, Dannorax would arrive, and I would have to fight him.
And then Astaroth would come for me. To bring me back home, where I would be unable to leave for a long time. Banishment from all realms but my own. It was a hefty price to pay.
But if Lily went free, it was worth it.
“Belial,” Victor warned, sensing that I had somehow come to a difficult decision. “Don’t do anything dumb now.”
Victor wouldn’t stand a hope against my true form. He knew that. His only chance was to keep me contained.
“Belial, what are you doing?” Lily asked as my skin grew warm.
“Saving you,” I said simply, my decision made by that point.
“At what cost?”
I set her down, looking deep into those beautiful golden-brown eyes. “Everything,” I whispered, feeling my horns grow.
Behind the Gray Knights came the sound of metal scraping on stone. A moment later, something beastly screeched in anger. I whirled to see the troll come flying up the hallway. The big stinky swamp-thing snatched up the closest Gray Knight before it could set itself and swung it into its nearest comrade, tearing the arm off in the process.
“No!” Victor shouted as I took advantage of the abrupt change of situation, snatching Lily up and blowing a path through the chaos caused by the troll.
I leaped over the steel door that I had torn free and casually kicked it back down the hallway, spilling several knights to the ground as they sought to give chase.
Victor came after us, moving as fast and ethereally as any master vampire, but we had a head start, and he was forced to play catch up. My long legs carried me down the hallway, Lily holding tight to my chest. She screamed as the walls blurred past.
“Close your eyes,” I warned before my wings wrapped around us, shielding us as we went through the window at the far end of the hallway, shattering the ultra-thick glass.
Then we fell.
Lily screamed as the wind burst through the shell my wings had formed around us, whipping at her hair and clothes and forcing her to screw her eyes shut. Leaving her unable to do anything but trust that I hadn’t just killed us.
“I’ve got you,” I said, my wings spreading wide, carrying us away from the Black Tower and Victor.
He shouted something from the window, but I ignored him. With any luck, I would never have to deal with him again. Though, knowing how things had gone of late, I wasn’t feeling all that lucky. There were unresolved grievances between us. I’d embarrassed him in the courtroom. A vampire like Victor would not let that slide.
Just someone else I added to the list who wanted me dead or banished. It was a growing list.
“Where are we going?” Lily asked stiffly from within my arms.
“Earth,” I said.
“Home?”
“No. Your home isn’t safe anymore. But staying here isn’t either.”
We landed near the opening above the city. Alarm bells were ringing, and Victor and the knights would be in pursuit. But for the moment, we were safe.
