Page 20

Libra

A fter a few more hours of punishing Axelle for breaking another demon rule, the effects of demon blood had finally worn off, my body started to feel sore and tired.

Reluctantly, I had to stop and focus on the dilemma ahead.

As Axelle’s human, I needed to make the ultimate sacrifice to save him, and I had an idea ofjust how to do such a thing, even if it made me sick.

“There you are!” Sterling greeted me at the front door of the party, dressed in the most seductive angel costume. He twirled, showing off the beautiful wings he made.

“You look glorious, Sterling!” I screamed over the loud music and voices.

“Who said angels can’t rock leather?” He winked, raising a red solo cup to his mouth.

“Mmm, and look at you, you sexy little devil!” He grabbed my hand, twirling me around as I showed off the tight, vermillion latex bodysuit and fishnets, complete with matching pumps and devil horns.

I even added a little collar to my neck, a nod to Axelle.

“Well, come in. It’s Halloween! Find a cup, fill it, and dance your ass off, bitch! ”

Axelle stuck close, hovering behind me as we stepped into the crowded house, smoke clouding the air as lights flashed and humans in all sorts of sexy costumes partied like it was their last night on earth.

Ironic , I laughed to myself.

I grabbed a cup, drinking the nasty, cheap beer and swaying to the music. Axelle watched me, enjoying the sight of my body moving, my breasts barely contained in the latex. I pointed to him and motioned for him to join, grinning.

“Are you sure?” he asked, hesitating.

“Half these people are high, the other, drunk.” I gripped his leather jacket, pulling him against me. “No one knows what’s real and what’s not. So relax and be with me. This may be our last night together.” He gently stroked my cheek as I closed my eyes and leaned into it.

“What about your sacrifice?” I pressed my mouth to his, wrapping my arms around his neck, moving against him as I rocked to the throbbing beat of the music.

“I’ve got everything under control,” I whispered. “Just be with me.” My fingers moved his arms, wrapping them around my body as I turned, rubbing my backside against him, grinding against the bulge growing under his pants.

Axelle and I lost ourselves in the music, dancing together, fully entranced by its spell, melting into one another. It was sensational, being with him in public, not worrying about who saw us—saw me. We just blended as one, and I wanted to savor it while I still could.

My mouth broke from him for air, grabbing his hand and leading him from the dancing crowd. I dragged him to a dark corner where it wasn’t too loud.

“Can you help me with something?” He narrowed his eyes, nodding. “I need you to seal the doors and windows.” I motioned in the air. “All of them.”

“Why?”

“I have to make the ultimate sacrifice, right?” He nodded, still confused by what I meant. “Well, the only person here I care about, other than you, is Sterling.”

“Libra—”

“No.” I stopped him. “All I need from you, my demon, is to seal this house shut so when I burn it down, everyone inside, every human, dies. So that Sterling dies.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, gripping my face. “Is this really what you want to do? Kill your best friend? Murder him and countless others just to save me?”

A tear fell from my eye and onto his claw.

“Yes. I’d do anything for you, Axelle.” He kissed me with fiery passion, forcing himself to break from my lips.

“Show me every window—every door. I need to seal them individually. Then, you can burn it all down.”

Axelle

Libra had grabbed my hand, dragging me all over the house and through the thick crowd of masked and costumed humans.

They were all so unaware, too drunk or high, too lost in their own minds to realize what was about to happen to them.

One by one, I sealed the doors and windows, leaving only the back door left to seal.

I couldn’t believe she was doing this for me.

She was sacrificing her best friend, not even sure if the ritual would work, willing to lose him and risk it all for me.

She was unlike any other fleshbag I had ever had, and I damn sure wasn’t going to fuck this up and lose her now.

Even if in the end the sacrifice didn’t work, I knew it wasn’t for nothing. It was all for her.

“Libra!” Sterling appeared by the back door as she gasped, shocked to see him inside.

That’s odd.

“What’re you doing? Are you leaving?” He gave her a look, noticing the face she made.

“Is everything okay?” Libra grabbed the drink from his hand, shoving him outside through the open back door.

“What the hell?” She slammed the door shut in his face, locking it as he tried to get back in. “Libra, let me in!”

“What the hell are you doing?” I yelled as she tried to hold the door shut, keeping him out.

“Libra, open this door right now. Libra!” Sterling yelled.

I grabbed her arm, turning her to face me as I slammed her into the door, startling Sterling as he backed away. My tail wrapped around her throat, anger enraging me.

“Why did you do that?” I demanded. “If you lock him out, you can’t make your sacrifice! These humans—they mean nothing to you!” She didn’t fight me, only lifted my claw, touching it to the door as it sealed, leaving her inside with everyone else.

“I know.” My tail released her as I stepped back, realizing what she was doing.

“No,” I breathed. “Libra, you can’t.”

“It’s the only way, Axelle. What better sacrifice is there than to kill yourself?”

“I won’t let you do this. I won’t let you fucking do this, Libra!”

She ignored me, gathering bottles of alcohol, filling her arms with them, pouring the liquid around the door. I followed her, trying to get her to stop, but she refused, randomly spilling and pouring the flammable liquid all over the house.

“Fuck, Libra! You can’t do this!”

She stopped at the basement door, opening it as she made a puddle of alcohol, pouring a trail down the stairs and into a large circle with herself in the middle.

I rushed to her, ripping the bottle from her hand, tossing it against the wall as it shattered.

I grabbed her face, forcefully making her look at me.

“Libra!”

She smiled, touching my face sweetly. “It’s okay, Axelle.” Her eyes began to water, burning with tears as she smiled. “I’ve made my choice.”

“Libra,” I choked. “Even if you do this and it works, I’ll be alone. My life will be chained to a new soul, haunting them. You’ll be gone.”

“I know, but at least you get to live.”

“What about you? I want you to live.” I grabbed her body close, inhaling her scent. “I need you to live. Please,” I begged. “I’ll do anything. Anything, Libra. Just don’t do this.”

She pulled something from her latex costume, striking it as she looked at me, grinning, tossing the lit match onto the circle she poured.

It shot to life, flames instantly igniting as they circled us.

The fire ran up the stairs and out the basement door, almost instantly engulfing it as screams erupted through the music upstairs.

“Be with me. One last time.” She kissed me, moaning faintly into my mouth.

“Libra,” I breathed into her.

“Axelle.”