Page 89 of Fated to the Demon Lord

We lifted the sword, and Raxus let go of me. A cruel smile curled on Lanzin’s lips.

“You want to fight?” He pulled the sword at his waist. “Let us fight.”

Our swords clanged together, and the force of it rattled my whole body. We stumbled back.

He’s too strong, Vaelor thought, and I sensed his intentions. We needed to be careful about a full-on frontal attack, or he might knock us off our feet.

We had to let the blow push us—give with the strike until we saw an opening.

With each clash of the blades, we fell back. Each time our blades met it vibrated through my entire body—my arms sore, my body too weak. Though Vaelor controlled my movements, he could do nothing about my lack of physical strength. Raxus lunged, and we dove to the side, landing hard against the roots of a tree, breathing hard.

I need to get you out of here. Vaelor’s worry settled upon me as if it were my own.

Raxus suspects about Derand and knows about Lanzin’s plans to attack Misophae.

We can worry about that later. There is nothing to be done about that now.

Ice-cold sweat rolled off my body, and my limbs shook from fatigue, but Vaelor forced me to rise and round the tree.

Raxus was there. We raised the sword, but we were too slow. Raxus hit the blade from our grasp, and it fell to the ground.

Vaelor’s frustration soared.

Raxus reached out and clamped his hand around our throat and squeezed. “Poor little human body, no matter who is possessing you, did you really think a creature so weak could defeat me?”

He squeezed tighter, and I had almost no air.

Then Vaelor left me.

Panic surged, clutching my aching chest tightly. I fought for breath, to cry out, to tell him to wait.

He left me on the verge of death.

I kicked and dug my fingers into Lanzin’s hand as Raxus watched me with delight through Vaelor’s brother’s eyes.

“Ah good, I want you to be fully aware while I kill you.” He motioned for Tricken and the other demons to come. “Come, my brothers, we will share her.”

Vaelor coalesced behind Lanzin’s body, sword in hand, fear and deadly intent in his gaze. Vaelor lunged and suddenly Lanzin stiffened, surprise coming to his face as Vaelor drove the sword from his back through his chest.

The hold on my throat loosened as Lanzin’s body stumbled, blood coming to his lips. He dropped me, and I landed on the ground, gasping for breath and holding my bruised throat.

The spirits stood back, watching in shock. Lanzin fell to his knees as blood soaked through his shirt, more dripping from his mouth. Vaelor stared at his dying brother, rage and agony fighting for dominance in his expression as Lanzin dropped to the ground, fighting for one more breath before the life drained from his eyes.

I lay collapsed, wheezing, my throat on fire, when the realization struck me as though a sword had pierced my own heart.

Vaelor had killed his own brother.

For me.

Raxus faded out of the dead body, no longer able to continue possessing it. “I’m surprised you had the guts to do that. And now that you have used up your time on this plane killing your brother, you have no way to stop me from finishing what I came to do.”

He spun, his deadly gaze landing on me. I staggered to my feet, my hand landing on the bone in my dress pocket. I brought the hedge back up in my mind and tried to run. I had only taken a couple of steps when Raxus’s huge troll form landed on top of me. Pressing me to the ground. I cried out.

He slammed a fist into my right leg, and I heard the sickly crack. I screamed, my bone shattering under his force. “No more running away for you, possessed or not.”

The agony in my leg felt like a thousand fires, but I saw Raxus’s evil gaze as he stood and moved to the side. “Have at her, brothers.” Shit. I saw their ugly, hungry faces close in. They reached for me. They might not be able to touch me long, but it would be enough to rip my helpless body apart. Demons didn’t need long to break a weak human body like mine.

Tricken leaned in, almost salivating with his desire to get his fill. “I have been waiting for this.”