Page 26 of Demonic Division (The Sundering Duet #1)

26

Dagny

I step into the frigid night air, pulling my jacket tighter around my shoulders as the snow and ice pelt my face. The hairs on my arms rise as I stumble down the stone steps of the castle, careful not to slip on the thick casing of ice covering each step.

My footsteps are silent on the frozen ground, the sound carried away by the screaming wind tearing through the landscape. A distant howl pierces through the commotion, causing a shiver to run the length of my spine that has nothing to do with the cold.

If you can fear, you can also be brave.

My mother’s words replay in my mind as I follow the silver moon, leaving the ominous stone palace behind me. I walk for hours, keeping my eyes locked on the glowing orb and away from the terrifying creatures that line my periphery. They stand at a distance, scenting the air, debating if my soul is fit for a meal. Some even follow for a distance, but thankfully, none dare to come close enough to pose any real threat .

The night stretches into eternity as I trudge through the wasteland, trying not to focus on the fact that my fingers have long since numbed to the cold. I begin to wonder if M lied to me—if this was just an elaborate ploy to kill me—but then I find it.

Or, rather, it finds me.

I blink, and the tundra fades away to a darkened room, encased on all four sides by impossibly tall white walls. It’s quiet in here— too quiet —like all the air has been sucked from the liminal space. At the center of the room lies a dark, swirling pit. It pulses with an ominous energy, breathing shadows into the corners of the room. I jut my chin up, surprised to find another mirroring the pit in the floor, spiraling with its own horrifying aura.

Unwittingly, I take a step toward the void. My ears ring with a piercing whine as my skin vibrates, something deep in my center pulling me toward that terrifying pit. The room pitches to the side violently, and I gasp as my feet fall out from under me. I lie flat on my back, all too aware of the sensation of something pulling me toward the void.

Alarm bells replace the ringing in my ears, and I flip onto my stomach, pulling myself across the floor with my palms as the vacuum increases. A pulsing, whooshing noise fills the space, and I look over my shoulder in horror to find the pit widening, sucking in the matter surrounding it.

My cry gets stuck down my throat as my fingertips rake against the hard ground, desperately trying to crawl away from the wormhole. I kick and pull, limbs flailing in panic as the pit grows stronger.

I blink, and I’m back outside. Snow and ice whip against my face, coating my lashes as I lie on the frozen ground, trying to catch my breath. My muscles shudder with adrenaline, and I press my forehead to the ground, sighing as the heat pulsing beneath my skin is quelled.

“That was too fucking close,” I whisper, sitting back on my heels. Was that the space M told me about? If so, how the fuck did he expect me to live through that?

I close my eyes, attempting to get my breathing back to normal. Trying to think of a plan.

Just when my nervous system is back to some kind of normalcy, a piercing wail rips through the air. The blood runs from my face as I whip my head over my shoulder, finding a pair of glowing silver eyes fixed on my crouched form.

The creature’s body is somewhere between bear and sloth, though it’s far larger than both combined. Long tan fur grows in matted tufts, covering the majority of its torso and limbs. Its hoofed feet are dark and padded, allowing it to move along the ice silently. A long neck slopes down below its shoulders, sporting a humanoid face at the very end that stares with unblinking silver eyes. Antler-like horns grow from the top of its head, narrowing to pointed tips encased with ice.

The creature steps closer, another shriek echoing from its lipless mouth, freezing me to the spot. The two slits it has for a nose twitch gently as it scents the air, deciding whether I’m worthy prey. Its mouth pops open, showcasing several rows of pointed, razor-sharp teeth. Thick strands of drool fall to the ground as it leans closer to my face, a strange vibrating noise filling the space between us.

“Get away!” I scream, a thread of sense returning to my panic-stricken mind. I crawl backward on hands and knees, my heart constricting as the creature follows. “Go away!”

The being tilts its head, its eyes flickering between silver and black. It releases another wail, stamping a hoofed foot against the ice.

Then it turns and begins to walk away.

I blow out a sigh, placing a hand over my thundering heart. I’m not sure what caused the beast to leave me alone, but I’m not going to sit here and wait for it to change its mind.

Stumbling to my feet, I take a glance over my shoulder before running in the opposite direction. I get about fifty feet away before another one pops up in my periphery, and I slam to a halt. It raises its long neck into the air, soulless silver eyes trained on my face as that strange vibrating call echoes into the air.

I turn away, just to run smack into another one of the furry creatures. Another, then another appears until the eerie, shrieking demons surround me. They circle me, shoulders hunched in a predatory position. One of them bellows a screech while another paws the ground, waiting for the signal to pounce. My breath comes in short pants as I spin around, searching for a gap, a way out. A way to survive this.

“I should have never come here,” I whisper, my voice hoarse. “I should have stayed in the castle.” At least then, I wouldn’t have to die by being mauled to death.

I blink, and one of the creatures lunges, mouth wide and poised to bite. A choked noise escapes my throat as I turn, stupidly giving my back to the evil being. Fire spreads from the back of my thigh as the demon’s teeth slice into my skin, and I fall to the icy ground in a heap. Warm liquid flows from the wound, pooling around me and turning the ice to a disgusting mud color.

More jaws join the first—ripping into my shoulder, my back, and my arms. For a while, I try to fight the assault. I kick and punch and scream, but none of it does any good. I’m only a human, and these are demons. My vision lines with spots as the world spirals out from under me. I lie in a pool of my own blood, unable to move as the life is stripped from my veins. And I know I’m going to die.

“ Please, ” I whisper, my lids growing heavier by the second, impossible to keep open. “ Please, someone. Anyone. Help… me… ”

I press my cheek against the ice, the last bit of fight flowing from me, joining the life spreading in a halo around my destroyed body. “I wanted… more,” I choke, metallic liquid coating my tongue. “I wanted…”

But it doesn’t matter. None of it does. None of it ever did. I close my eyes, waiting for the sweet kiss of death. An end to all of this pain.

A faint thudding sound fills the air, and my eyes crack open a sliver. A silhouette stands out against the silver moon, great white wings spreading out from its shoulders and blocking the light from the glowing orb. Golden fissures spread across the demon’s body, casting a pale yellow light across its snow-colored flesh.

Wings beat the air, dusting the freshly fallen snow as he shoots across the landscape like a missile. Its mouth opens wide in a silent wail, showcasing each one of its razor-sharp teeth.

My eyes slide shut once more, and I wait for the final blow.

A cacophony of screams fills the air, though none of them belong to me. Claws, teeth, flesh, and blood fly through the air as the battle rages around me, drenching the snow in a horrible wine-colored substance.

Just as soon as it begins, it stops. A heavy blanket of silence falls over the barren land as a stillness settles in my bones. My breath comes in shallow pants, the blood coating my skin long since chilled and causing me to shiver.

Is this it? Is this the end?

Ice crunches beneath clawed hind legs, vibrating the ice beneath my head as the demon stalks toward me. It crouches by my shoulders, breath billowing in thick clouds as it scents me.

A low whine pierces the air as the demon reaches out, wrapping a clawed hand around the back of my neck. He squeezes slightly, cutting off what little airflow I had left, and shadows swim in my eyes.

Sweet little thing, it whispers into my mind, voice a caressing touch. What a terrible situation you’ve gotten yourself into…

His other hand grips my shoulder, using his leverage to flip me onto my back. I stare numbly up at the sky, the last whispers of life draining from my throbbing wounds.

You should not have run away , he growls. Not when it gives me so much pleasure to catch you. The demon lowers its face over mine, caressing my cheek lovingly as it stares deep into my eyes.

Half of me thinks I should leave you here. Watch the last bit of life drain from these beautiful eyes of yours, he whispers, nuzzling the tip of his nose against mine. What do you think, little one?

A rattling cough is the only answer I can give. Blood fills my mouth and dribbles down my chin, coating my skin in warm red liquid. The golden-eyed demon smiles, swiping his thumb across my bottom lip in a languid motion. He places his thumb into his mouth, eyes closing in bliss as he sucks the digit clean.

They were right. You are delicious . His eyes snap open, glowing molten against his pale skin. Perhaps I’ll keep you after all.

I try to swallow past the blood coating my throat, to breathe despite the fluid filling my lungs. My body twitches uselessly against the frozen ground, desperate to get oxygen to my brain. When the demon sees this, his smile morphs into a thin-lipped frown.

Not so fast, little one, he murmurs. You’re not leaving me just yet.

He moves his palm to the center of my chest, closing his eyes as a crease forms between his brows. A gentle warmth builds at the space where his hand rests, and when I glance down, I’m surprised to find a pale golden light emanating from his skin.

Slowly, my wounds close, pulled together by an invisible thread. The deep gashes on my thighs fill in. Fresh skin grows over the area, leaving me without even the faintest hint of a scar. I suck in a deep breath, my eyes rolling to the back of my skull as crisp oxygen flows easily to my lungs.

The demon stares down at me, a hint of a smile tugging his lipless mouth.

“Kaebl?” The howling wind carries my voice away, but he still nods. Before I can try to stand on my own, the demon scoops me into his arms and stands, his great leathery wings snapping straight out to the sides. I gaze downward, my face heating at the sight of the ginormous thing situated between his legs, standing erect.

I avert my eyes, looking up only to find his golden eyes trained on my face, pulsing with the faintest hint of pink.

Hold on tight, he murmurs, giving me zero time to react before launching us into the air.

I push my face into his chest as the icy wind whips around my head, fighting the urge to look down. “Where are you taking me?” I whisper.

He replies almost instantly, his voice a rumbling growl in my mind.

Home.

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