Page 200 of The Demon's Pet

But it was as if time slowed as the blade moved toward him. Was this going to kill him? Was this the end?

Could I stand that?

And in that moment of weakness, he punched me in the stomach so hard the air was knocked out of me, grabbed his sword back, and shoved it through my neck.

I gurgled as he pulled it out again, unbearable pain echoing in me as blood spurted out of me once again.

This isn’t over,my inner demon said.

I felt my healing take over, my skin and internal parts quickly pulling together again. But I was tired, and what’s more, I didn’t know how much fight I had left. Or how to kill him.

Gabe pushed to his feet, holding his sword over me. “Idiot demon. I can feel you holding back. You don’t truly want to kill me. I do want to kill you. That’s what will decide this fight. Your indecision makes youweak.”

He stabbed the sword down at me, but I rolled, missing what probably would have been a finishing blow. I kicked upward, knocking the sword out of his hand.

We both lunged for it, but he got there first, and I could still feel something in my heart that had almost let him.

Because I didn’t truly know what I’d do when I got the sword.

How I’d feel if I killed him.

There had to be another way out of this. But as I looked into his cold eyes as we circled, still holding the sword, I wasn’t sure.

My fists tightened, and I tried to ignore the pain in my chest and neck as Gabe and I circled, his sword ominously reflecting the clouded sunlight.

He was breathing heavily, so clearly, the fight had taken a toll on him as well.

I glanced at Griffin, wondering just what it would take to save him, and Gabe took advantage of that split second of inattention to slide his sword right into my thigh, making me cry out and lose the ability to stay up on my leg.

I felt magic surging from his sword, suppressing my healing, and then he yanked it out, making me nearly scream in pain, though I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

He circled me as I struggled to push myself up, hoping my leg would heal faster. But perhaps fighting a celestial like this took a lot out of me, or perhaps his sword was special, because I was finding it harder to heal as this went on.

My skin was weakly, slowly knitting together, but I had lost so much blood, and it was hard to think for all the pain.

Looking up at Gabe as he walked closer, triumph in his eyes, his sword raised for the final blow, I felt utter despair run through me.

I’m sorry, Sam. I couldn’t do it. You believed in me for nothing. I’m not a killer. I’m just not.

Don’t give up,my inner demon roared, and I struggled to stand again.

Gabe raised an eyebrow, almost amused by me. “I’ll give you credit. With the killing power in this sword, you should have succumbed to the first blow. Your power to survive is truly something, Morningstar. It’s too bad you can’t be allowed to live and see your powers awakened to their full extent. But I’ll behead you now, and even you can’t survive that.”

He put a boot to my face and pushed me back onto the ground on my back. Holy fuck, he was still so strong.

“This is the power of the ninth realm,” he said, glowering over me. “Now die, demon.”

The sword swung down to my face, and I reached up to grab the blade, not caring as it cut through my fingers to the bone.

I have to live. I have to live.

I pushed as hard as I could, but the blade moved closer, closer.

The pain grew unbearable, and I realized as the blade came within inches of my face that this was it.

I was going to die.

I struggled, but it was pointless.

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