Page 66 of A Monstrous Claim, Part 2

After several minutes on the ground, I force myself back to my feet.

The giant demon moves, finally managing to fight off a number of monsters attacking him, and makes to get up until Rafe slams into his chest, knocking him back to the ground. For a moment, my hopes lift, and I think the giant might really be down for the count, but he slams his rock-hard fist into Rafe’s form and sends him flying to the side.

I gasp and rush forward–which is more of a power walk at this point because I’m still recuperating–desperate to help in any way I can. If I can get close enough, another blast of magic might take the demon out for good.

But do I have it in me?

Common sense says no, but my pride begs to differ. It swears I have one more good swell of energy in me somewhere, and that keeps me moving forward toward the fight.

I’m so focused on the giant Malev and getting to Rafe’s side, that I forget about the smaller annoying demons, and one manages to rush me from the side, slamming into me and knocking me to the ground. It laughs, a sickening hissing sound, and my head knocks against the ground so hard that the edges of my vision go dark.

“Fuck,” I cry through gritted teeth, struggling to get back up. A squat, lumpy demon the color of mud presses a foot to my chest, shoving me back to the ground.

“That was a nice trick back there,” it hisses, the foot pressing down harder on my chest until every breath is a struggle. “Bet you can’t do it again.”

“I bet you can kiss my ass,” I grit out, grabbing at the thing’s foot and attempting to shove it off me, even though I know it’s futile.

The Malev laughs. “So feisty. I can see now why the monsters keep you around.”

It bends so low that its face is inches from mine, the smell pouring off it enough to make my stomach sour. Do these things eat a balanced breakfast of farts and rancid meat?It smells like they do.

“It’s too bad I have to kill you,” it says, raking a single claw down the front of my shirt and splitting the material. “Otherwise I might keep you as a pet myself.”

Its claw digs deeper the farther it trails, slicing my skin with white hot pain that makes me scream. I writhe beneath his foot, fighting to get away, but it’s no use. I’m pinned exactly where he wants me, and it feels like I’m being cut in half.

By the time he reaches my belly button, the front of my torn shirt is soaked with blood, and I’m screaming so loud my voice cracks. My entire body feels like it’s on fire, the overwhelming pain blocking out every other thought as tears stream down my face, and the world around me disappears. I reach for my magic, but it doesn’t react. Not even a flicker of power comes when I call it, and panic slams into me.

This is how I die.Not an epic death while facing down a fifty-foot giant. Not sacrificing myself for the greater good that people will talk about for years to come.

I’m being gutted by a pathetic Malev that attacked me while I was recuperating. How lame.

The worst part is knowing what my mates’ reactions will be when they find me here, in the middle of the field, dead. They’ll be so angry at themselves for not saving me. They’ll never forgive themselves, and it’ll all be my fault.

I’m sorry,I think, as I squeeze my eyes closed and wait for death.

At least my final thoughts will be of the three of them. My men, my mates.

Hopefully they know how much they meant to me.

ChapterThirty-Four

DEVYN

An explosion of light bursts behind my closed eyelids, and the pressure on my chest disappears in a flash. For a moment, I’m almost certain I’m dead. I’ve died, and my soul has gone through whatever veil separates this world from the spirit one.

But then I realize I’m still in a ton of pain, so that can’t be right.

Do worldly wounds carry over into the afterlife? Am I doomed to suffer with this blinding pain for the rest of my soul’s existence?

I pry one of my eyes open, expecting to see anything other than the stretch of green sky overhead and the nearby war that’s still raging, but that’s exactly what I find. The Malev that had been intent on killing me moments ago lays a few feet away from me, unmoving..

What the hell?

I’m still alive, but something clearly killed the Malev.

Was it me? Did I summon the last reservoir of my magic to help me get free, to save me from being fileted like a fish?

If I did, that doesn’t make sense. I didn’t feel the tug of magic I normally do before I perform a spell? There was nothing but pain. Did my subconscious perform a spell without me knowing to save my life?

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