Page 25 of My Demon Hunter (Hell Bent #2)

24

O N E FELL SWOOP

T here was a whooshing sensation in Lily’s stomach as she fell, and she distantly thought, It’s definitely over for me now . Paimon’s tangled wings flapped erratically as she tried in vain to slow their descent. There was no way Lily could survive a fall from this height, no way she could—

They hit the ground, Paimon’s body crunching gruesomely beneath her, and Lily was thrown from the impact.

She bounced and rolled several times. Her arm or leg should have been broken. Her ribs. Something.

Instead, she sat up with a jolt. “Mist!”

Had he fallen with them? He’d been right there in the skirmish, but now she saw nothing but—

An unholy shriek split the air. Not Paimon.

Lily looked up, way up, only then noticing what was looming in the dark.

Enormous centipede monsters surrounded her. They had no heads, only gaping mouths full of teeth. Eyes on long stalks protruded from their slimy bodies, and their legs— so many legs —looked like sword blades.

Her scream stuck in her throat.

Their sheer size short-circuited her brain. Mist hadn’t exaggerated when he compared them to airplanes. If anything, he’d understated it.

“You little fiend!” Paimon hissed from nearby, hauling herself up. Her wings snapped out, one crumpled slightly, and she charged toward Lily with ungodly speed. “How dare you defy me! You’re mine. Mishetsu is mine. Everything in this castle belongs to me ! And I will—”

Seconds before she reached Lily, one of the monsters’ huge tongues snapped out and wrapped around Paimon’s waist. Momentary surprise flitted across the Queen of Hell’s face.

And then she was yanked through the air with incredible speed, right into the gorath’s mouth.

The crown toppled from her head with a clatter to roll away on the ground. There was a sickening crunch, and Lily was unable to tear her eyes away from the sight of Paimon’s body folding like crumpled paper, her shriek abruptly silenced as blood sprayed—

She gagged. Okay, maybe she was able to look away after all.

Especially when she realized the four other monsters who had missed out on the feast were now turning their sights on her.

She pushed onto her palms, scooting back away from them.

A sudden intense burning on her chest made her gasp. A powerful sensation tugged at her chest, linking her to... something. Someone, perhaps? The energy felt familiar, safe, and she welcomed the bond without question. The pain vanished the next instant, and she quickly forgot about it in light of current circumstances.

The goraths’ eyes tracked her movement. At any second, one could eat her, and she wouldn’t stand a chance.

Frantically, she scanned the darkness for Mist. Was he somewhere, fallen on the ground? There was no sign of him or that horrible camel, whom she assumed had been eaten right before his mistress. Had Mist been swallowed too? Her heart lurched. Terror clogged her throat.

“Mist!” Her hopeless cry seemed only to reach the approaching monsters. “Mist!” He had to be here. He couldn’t be gone—

A black cloud coalesced above her.

Wings spread, claws reached forward, and she was scooped into a pair of bloody arms.

A gorath’s tongue snapped out, inches from them. Lily screamed as Mist swooped to dodge, dropping so low they nearly hit the ground.

His wings beat furiously, but they were shredded and broken, and his flight was erratic. They crashed into the wall a second later. He held her with one arm and used his claws to find purchase with the other, and then he pushed off the stone.

Another tongue snapped out, and again, they dodged. They hit the side again and then dropped halfway down before Mist could find another handhold.

Again, he pushed off, pumping his mangled wings. Again, another tongue snapped out, and he swooped hard to avoid it.

And then they cleared the mouth of the Pit.

Unable to stop properly, Mist simply curled his body around hers, wings and all, and braced for impact.

They hit the ground and slid across the floor, crashing into the far wall.

Silence fell.

Still tangled in his limbs, Lily rolled off him and turned to assess his condition, unwrapping his limp wings from around them.

“Mist?” He didn’t move, and her heart seized in panic. “Mist!” She turned him over, pushing his hair off his face with shaking hands. She relaxed infinitesimally when she felt his warm breath on her skin. The dim glow from her palms illuminated his handsome face, and she wondered how she could ever have seen him as monstrous.

“Lily!” It was Iris’s voice, and she twisted to see her sister scrambling toward her. There was blood running down Iris’s cheek from a wound at her temple, but she appeared otherwise unharmed.

She pulled Lily into a hug. “Thank fucking god. I was ready to throw myself into that pit after you, but I saw Mist, and I knew you’d be okay.”

“H-he— I—” Lily couldn’t speak through the tremors suddenly wracking her body.

Iris tightened her grip. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

She was okay. That fall should have killed her, but she didn’t have a scratch on her. “Y-you?”

“Fine. Well, I might have a concussion and some bruised ribs, but I’m fine.”

“Lily.”

She jerked out of Iris’s embrace at the sound of Mist’s voice. His eyes were open, and she had never seen a more beautiful sight. Wary of his many injuries, she barely held back from throwing herself into his arms.

“You’re okay.” Tears blurred her sight.

He didn’t seem to have the same care for himself, shoving onto his hands and forcing himself upright. His eyes were unfocused, his whole body battered and broken, but with incredible fortitude, he started to stand.

“Have to... go now. Not safe.”

They rushed to help, taking his arms to pull him upright. It was then she noticed the cuffs were gone from his wrists, and she remembered he had turned to mist right before he rescued her. The cuffs must have disappeared when Paimon was eaten.

“We have to get back to the hellgate in your cave,” Iris said, hauling one of Mist’s heavy arms over her shoulder. “Murmur said he can activate it if you can’t.”

Lily did the same, and the three of them shuffled toward the door. She didn’t even consider the tunnel. The primary threat was eliminated, and Mist was in no state for spelunking.

“Murmur?” he asked.

“Belial made a bargain with him to help rescue you,” she explained. She left out the part where she and Iris had been in dire need of rescue themselves.

“Bel... was right. Shouldn’t have left.”

“Which way?” Iris asked. They had made it to the door and faced a long hall lined with torches.

Mist pointed left, so they steered him that way. Sounds of battle were faintly audible in the distance, along with unholy screams that sent shivers down her spine.

Get to the hellgate. Get home. They were so close.

At the end of the hall, just as they rounded the corner, Murmur stepped out from a hidden door in the wall.

Just like before, black smoke swirled about his feet, writhing like it had a mind of its own, leading Lily to conclude that it wasn’t an illusion after all. There were vague outlines of something within it... but even that wasn’t the most alarming thing about his appearance.

He was absolutely bathed in blood. It coated his pale skin and stained his luminous hair, and it was smeared all around his mouth and down his front like he had gorged upon it.

She grimaced at the sight, but Murmur just looked bored. “What took so long?”

“You were supposed to keep Paimon away, not enjoy a blood buffet!” Iris snapped.

He ignored her and looked at Mist. “Ah, here he is. The gorath killer in the flesh.”

Mist grunted.

Murmur pulled out his rag and wiped his sword, but the cloth was already blood-soaked and didn’t do much good. He gave up, pocketed it, and propped a shoulder against the wall as if he had all the time in the world. In the distance, another explosion sounded, followed by tortured screams.

“You’ve earned yourself quite the reputation. Word has spread about your triumph like wildfire. They say you let it swallow you whole and then clawed your way out of its belly, shredding the heart in the process. How delightfully horrific. Is it true you killed the biggest one?”

Mist said nothing.

“No one wants to mess with you now. The gargoyles all speak of you with something akin to hero worship.” Murmur smiled sardonically, and the shadows at his feet churned with increased agitation. “If I didn’t know better, I might think I have competition for the lair.”

“It’s yours,” Mist growled. “I don’t want it.”

“Now, how can I trust that if you won’t even bargain for it? The gargoyles believed that after your victory in the Pit, it was only a matter of time before the great Mishetsumephtai returned to defeat his mistress and claim her territory for himself. Considering that I am the one now trying to claim the territory, you can see how I might find that... threatening.”

Lily’s stomach flipped. Was he going to turn on them? Try to prevent them from leaving?

“I don’t want the lair.”

“Your word alone means nothing.”

“Fine,” Mist snarled. “Vow you will let us reach the hellgate unscathed and will not try to track us on Earth, and I will vow not to challenge you for the territory.”

Murmur smiled. “I accept your terms, Hunter.” Sheathing his bloody sword, he slashed his palm open with a claw and held it aloft. “On my own blood, I vow it.”

Mist repeated the words, though he was so bloody already there was no need to cut himself.

“Then this is where our arrangement ends,” Murmur said. “You’re free to go. I hope for your sake we never meet again.”

“As do I.”

With a dip of his chin, he melted back into the hidden passage and was gone.

“That bloke gives me the creeps,” Iris muttered.

“Never trust the Necromancer,” Mist said. “Despite his vow, I don’t believe he won’t try to follow us.”

“Let’s go then!” Lily didn’t like the sound of that at all.

“If I take mist form, I can move faster.”

“How will we know where to go?”

“I’ll guide you.” He bent his head to meet her gaze. “I won’t leave you again.”

“I believe you.”

“I was wrong.”

She squeezed his arm still draped over her shoulder. “We can talk once we’re home.”

He nodded, and then before her eyes, dissolved into mist.

“Damn, that’s cool,” Iris said.

The black cloud swept around their feet and down the passage, guiding them onward. Lily followed with complete faith in him to get them where they needed to go.

Now that they were together, they were safe.

A short while later, Murmur stood alone in the Hunter’s empty cave and dusted his hands off for a job well done. High above on the ground level, he could sense his souls still engaged with Paimon’s forces. Souls could not be eliminated, but they could tire, and his were nearing the end of their strength.

He needed to return to the frontline and declare himself the lair’s new master before he pushed them much further. Plus, he didn’t want to behead all his new subjects. Someone was going to have to clean up the mess in his shiny new castle.

But there was one thing left to do first.

The humans and Mishetsumephtai had returned safely through the hellgate, and Murmur’s bargain with Belial was complete. On Murmur’s end, at least. He was officially owed a favor from the King of Hell, and he intended to collect when the time was right.

The scent of Sheolic magic still tainted the air from the gate’s activation. As he’d vowed to the Hunter, he had not tried to track their passage.

He hadn’t needed to, to get what he wanted.

Mounting his torch in the sconce on the wall, Murmur crossed the dark cave and retrieved the tiny vial from the nook where he’d hidden it. Carefully, he lifted it before the torchlight and studied the contents. A smile spread across his face.

“Look what we have here,” he said to the souls at his feet.

The formerly black liquid was now a rich ruby red, indicating the spell had worked.

He dug out the vial’s cork from his pocket and sealed it tightly to ensure not a drop was wasted. What he had in his hands... He couldn’t begin to guess its worth. It may have been the most valuable item in all the underworld, in fact.

He couldn’t simply auction it off to the highest bidder, however. It had to end up in the right hands. It had to be given to someone who would further Murmur’s own plans. Someone he could manipulate. Luckily, he knew just who to approach.

“Shall we?” he asked his souls, pocketing the vial. He chuckled. “Of course we shall.”

They had no choice. They were bound to him until he chose to release them, which might be never. It certainly wouldn’t be now, when things were finally coming to a head, and he had just secured himself one of the most heavily fortified territories in Hell.

As he strode down the tunnel, the smile never left his face.

Having his multitudinous schemes align and come to fruition was the greatest pleasure to be had in all the realms. He would know, for he’d tried them all. None matched the high he felt now.

He had not tried to prevent Paimon from finding the Hunter and the twins, as he’d said he would. In fact, he may have accidentally guided her toward the chamber.

He’d wanted the blood-borns to dispose of her, as he’d known they would. He’d wanted to be the one aiding them so he was strategically positioned to take the castle from the inside out. He’d been secretly weakening Paimon’s wards for months so that when he’d breached them tonight, it had taken but a moment.

It was all foreseen—the witches, the fall of the Queen of Hell, all of it.

It was he who had foreseen it.