Page 81 of Samhain Savior

Curled over her, I spread my wings wide to provide a shield for my pretty little witch, protecting her from Astaroth’s rage.

But the blow never came. Confused, I stared down at Delilah, worried that Astaroth had somehow bypassed me entirely and managed to strike her, but there she stood, tall and proud, beneath my towering height.

Glaring at me for all she was worth.

“Archer, what the hell is this?”

It took me a moment to realize what she meant. Standing there, Astaroth screaming his anger and hatred out behind me, Delilah held the neck of her dress to the side, revealing the vicious, red scar around the freshly burned sigil over her heart.

My sigil.

It was there, pressed into the creamy flesh of her chest, right above the subtle swell of her breast, and the beast inside me thrilled at seeing my mark on her. Knowing that from that moment on, every single person who ever looked her way would know that I had claim over her.

Behind me, Astaroth continued to rage, his power lighting up the room with every stroke, but all I could see—all I could focus on—was Delilah.

And the fact that she was glowing.

I blinked, wondering if I was seeing things. Delilah glared up at me, her beautiful face scrunched into an angry scowl, her whole body emanating a soft, warm glow.

Impossible.

Delilah had proven time and again that she had little to no access to any magic, but looking at her now, feeling the strength through the fledgling bond between us, I realized that she was so much more than even she knew.

“You’ve ruined everything, Leraje,” Astaroth shrieked, his words cutting through my confusion. “You’ve brought herhere? You spit in the face of everything I’ve created?”

“Astaroth, I—” I tried to explain, turning to face him, but he cut me off.

“You brought that witch here, into my realm, and you expect to leavealive?”

“You made a deal, Duke,” I growled, once again stepping toward him, needing to draw his ire away from Delilah. “And you know what happens if you fail to honor it.”

Astaroth raised his hands, the black lightning once again erupting from his fingertips, but just as before, nothing happened. The power arced across the room, barreling straight toward us, but fizzled out before it could touch either me or Delilah. I could smell the ozone, feel the heatof the magic as it died before us, but it never came close enough to cause harm.

Turning toward a furious Astaroth, I smiled, being extra sure to show all my well-sharpened fangs.

“You cannot harm us, Astaroth, and you know it. The terms of our accord prevent it. Even your own power won’t obey you long enough to break the terms.”

He snarled his frustration, turning his power on the thick stone behind his throne instead, the force of his rage blasting a giant hole in the wall as he screamed. Above us, Balt roared, a pained sound filled with regret, and the remaining walls of the great hall trembled.

“Let us go, Astaroth. It’s the only way.”

Staring at me, his chest heaving and his slitted eyes narrowed with hatred, Astaroth considered my words for a moment before he finally nodded.

“I’ll keep to the terms,” he relented, but I could see how much he hated even saying the words. “I said you could leave unharmed, and apparently I meant it.” Blowing out a breath, he raked both hands through his hair, smoothing it back into place as best as he could. “But know this, Archer. If you or that abomination you call a witch so much as set foot back in the Void ever again, I’ll make certain you never leave.” Behind me, I heard Delilah, her anger at his words coming out in the form of a low grunt. “Your torture willbe slow and glorious. My Magnum Opus, if you will. You will scream your sorrows into the ash of my kingdom until the end of days.Thatis a promise I’ll never go back on.”

With that, Astaroth waved his hand lazily, and my magic slammed back into me with the force of a freight train. My body felt alive once more, my heightened senses returning and, in my chest, the bond exploded, the powerful thread connecting me to the captivating witch behind me thrumming like a live wire.

Before Astaroth could make another move, I reached for Delilah, my clawed hand closing over her upper arm as my other waved broadly, hoping for the best.

Within me, I could feel my magic respond, but only as a partner to hers. It was as though Delilah’s presence was the only reason I could access the earthly plane.

Taking one last look around, I breathed in the fetid air of the realm I both hated and loved in equal measure, then opened a shadow gate back into the cemetery.

“Archer!” she protested as I hauled her toward it. Through the gate, I could see the shocked faces of my men, still standing in nearly the exact same positions they had been when we’d left them.

Had it been hours? Minutes? Time was so fucked in this realm.

“You can flee the Void, Marquis,” Astaroth taunted as we headed toward the gate. “You can tell yourself that your Brotherhood has the upper hand, but even you cannot prevent the inevitable. Samhain comes, and balance must be struck.”