Page 110 of Fated to the Demon Lord

A small bit of lightness slid through me. A sign that Vaelor wasn’t giving up. That he saw that winning this last fight was the only way we could be together in the end.

And it was worth fighting for.

Together we overcome, I thought. A curse, a prophecy, a promise that our days would be bound no matter the outcome.

Twenty-Nine

As the final fight approached, the human slaves lined up along the side of the crowd of demons with bowls of food. From my perch in the tree, I searched for Mira and she seemed to be at their head. She glanced toward me, and I gave her a supportive smile, even if I was unsure she’d be able to see it. She turned away, and her gaze locked onto Throk. Good.

Maybe this would work after all.

“Time for the final fight,” Throk said. “Vaelor and Raxus, come forward.”

The two stepped into the ring of stones and stood across from each other on the field. Raxus—his body covered in bloody bone armor—and Vaelor, bare-chested due to losing his breastplate in the last fight. Raxus wielded a massive sword, longer even than Vaelor’s.

A chill ran over me. Raxus glared at Vaelor. “You appear a little worn out, my lord.”

“I have energy enough to take you,” Vaelor growled, his own blade gripped in both hands. Despite his firm stance, sweat lingered on his brow.

Raxus sneered. “We shall see.”

The demon army gathered around, hungry to watch the violence. They rumbled and roared, bloodthirsty looks on their faces. The mist converged, swirling, making their glowing eyes even more eerie through the haze. The soldiers didn’t care who won. They simply wanted to see more bloodshed.

Eat the root, I thought to Vaelor.

He reached into his pocket and popped it into his mouth. I dipped my hand into my pocket as well, grasped the leaf and ate it. I made the signs and prayed to the gods, to the fates, to anyone that might be there to please let this work.

The horn blared.

Vaelor and Raxus circled each other like wolves, searching for a weakness. Raxus moved first, lunging toward Vaelor. Their swords clanged together. Raxus’s strength pushed Vaelor back, and Vaelor spread his good wing, catching air and allowing him to glide backward. But Raxus was faster. He pressed his advantage, grabbing Vaelor’s foot and throwing him against the ground.

I flinched. Raxus roared and brought his weapon down. Vaelor rolled out of the way, coming to his feet. Raxus clomped forward, his sword glinting in the sunlight, engaging Vaelor in another round of blows that threw Vaelor further backward.

Vaelor began to glow, his form blurring for an instant.

“What’s this?” Raxus snarled. “What are you trying to do?”

I held my breath. Vaelor was attempting to access the power.

He danced away from Raxus’s swing. “Have you not heard of the stories where the Spiritu Malignos were able to split their form?”

Raxus’s gaze narrowed. “That’s a fairy tale.”

Vaelor gasped for breath, and the glow faded as his hold on the power slipped.

I frowned. He’d been so close. That was our last chance.

Raxus released a roar and stomped forward. Before Vaelor could move, Raxus drove his sword into Vaelor's stomach.

"No," I whispered, the word barely more than a breath. I couldn't move. I could only watch in horror. My body refused to obey me, locked in place while panic surged through every part of me. I wanted to scream, but no sound would come.

Vaelor let loose his own roar, hate and rage burning from his gaze. He snarled and wrapped his hands around the blade plunged into his gut so Raxus couldn’t retrieve his weapon. Black blood leaked from his wound onto the ground.

I clutched the tree branch, begging the gods for this not to be the end.

Vaelor’s eyes sparked brilliantly, and then his body glowed.

His form blurred.