Page 37 of Fated to the Demon Lord

The other demons flying after me caught up, and their claws dug into my arms as they lifted me off the flying steed.

Vaelor! I thought frantically.

A snarl ripped from my throat, and my body twisted, kicking one in the chest. Grabbing the arm of the other, Vaelor made me shove him away. They both released me.

And I fell.

The ground rushed toward us at an alarming speed. The air flowed past me, stealing my breath. We had moved past the canyon, situated above the woods, and the treetops surged closer with deadly precision.

Vaelor! Shit, Vaelor, do something!

At the last moment, he left me. Terror seized me as my weak body neared the canopy. Strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me up, lifting me against a large chest.

I glanced up, a scream caught in my throat. Lord Vaelor flapped his wings, carrying me into the air.

“Tuck your head and make yourself as small as possible,” he said.

I didn’t argue. Either he saved me, or I was dead. I pressed my face into his chest and curled into him. His body seemed to wrap around mine like a warm cocoon.

And then he dove into the trees.

Ten

The trees sped by, and Vaelor swung hard, trying to avoid them as we descended. Leaves and twigs snapped against us. Then came a loud crack and a harsh jolt, followed by Vaelor’s cry as we plummeted through the branches. He twisted right before we hit the ground, landing on his side, taking the brunt of the fall.

His grip on me loosened, and he gave me a small shove. “Run… hide…”

I extricated myself onto rocky ground surrounded by trees. A stream trickled not far away. I turned to look at Vaelor—and paled. His left wing was bent the wrong direction. The bone cracked, so it hung at an unnatural angle.

Gods, it looked bad.

I had read that spirits could be injured when they interacted with the physical world. According to the book, even after a spirit severed its connection to the physical world, any injuries it had sustained still caused pain.

Vaelor had remained anchored to this plane as he moved through the trees because he’d been carrying me.

Vaelor clawed at the ground, his face twisted with agony. But when he looked at me with those glowing orange eyes, the desperation in them had nothing to do with his own suffering.

I reached for him, wanting to help, but he caught my wrist.

“Hide... they're coming.”

The other spirits hadn't been protecting anyone, so they hadn't needed to maintain contact with this plane. They could pass straight through the trees without difficulty. And as far as I knew, unless two demons were interacting with the physical world at the same time, one spirit couldn't harm another.

He was right.

I was the one in danger.

“Remain… near the stream,” he ground out. “It’ll drown out your heartbeat. Your scent…”

Shit. My scent. I had little time. After yanking off the bag and my cloak, I tossed it into a small leafy bush and searched the nearby area. I ran toward the stream and then along it, looking for something, anything. Vaelor must have chosen this place because the stones would hide my footprints, though they had made for a much less cushioned landing for him. Tons of rosa woodsii, or woods rose, bloomed pink in large, thick clumps, some bushes taller than I was.

I rushed forward, choosing a bush that was large. I bit my lip in dismay. Its curved and sharp thorns were meant to catch anything that might harm it. I steeled myself, then forced my way in. I kept my face close to the ground, but the thorns caught on my hair and clothes. My arms and hands took the majority of it as I shoved into the bush. Once my entire body was covered, I remained motionless, taking deep breaths to calm my racing heart.

Though I was downstream from Vaelor, I’d angled myself toward him subconsciously. I saw him through a gap in the bushes, his head bent forward, horns almost touching the earth. The muscles in his arms and shoulders stretched taut as he struggled to handle the pain.

He dove into the woods to protect me. Why? The question pulsed louder now in my brain. If this were some elaborate game, I couldn’t figure it out. Was it worth it for him to injure himself simply to trick me?

Several spirits faded past the trees. From the other direction, the winged skeleton horse trotted in unharmed, its gaze glowing orange. A silvery mist slid out of it, and Raxus coalesced into being. “Where is she?” he demanded.