AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I felt a pull in my muscles to stand, but I didn’t obey. Since he couldn’t see me, I was outside of his total command. I scrambled to tear off another piece of my sleeve, momentarily hoping that Adrian wouldn’t be angry at me for ruining his shirt in so many ways.
I had barely jammed the cloth in my ears with my shaking hands when the demon had jumped onto the wall. He looked over at me as he hung off the top, his lips moving in a command I couldn’t hear.
I leapt to my feet and sped around the mound of rocks, hopping across the creek of holy water that snaked through the room. The room was too wide to hide well, but not flat enough to be caught so easily. I hoped.
The demon was quick on my heels. He must have realized that his words were not working, because he stopped talking and swung his blade at me instead. I was able to dodge at the first swing, but he was much faster than I was.
He jumped in front of me, slicing at my side. I jumped back, but not fast enough. The blade cut my hip, and I stumbled to the ground. When I looked up, the demon had the blade raised to run me through.
I couldn’t even suck in a breath to scream.
Suddenly, the yellow disappeared from Henrik’s eyes and he stumbled back. He looked into my eyes, mouthing two words that I couldn’t hear, but completely understood despite the silence.
“Fight back.”
His left hand ripped the sword from his right and threw it at my feet. It hit my feet right as his eyes turned back to yellow.
I leapt for the sword. The demon spoke again, but I didn’t hear it, and he reached for the sword hanging at Henrik’s side.
When he swung, I blocked. Even though the demon was the one wielding the sword, it was still Henrik’s body, and the demon used the same moves that Henrik had taught me.
But how could I fight back? I could keep myself alive, but in order to win the fight, I would have to…
The demon stepped forward with a jab, and I stepped to the side to avoid it. I sliced through his shoulder, gasping in horror as I watched the blood seep through Henrik’s clothes. But his movement slowed momentarily, and I knew I had to slice through his sword arm in order to keep both of us alive.
I couldn’t kill him. I just couldn’t.
I went for his arm again, but he jumped back and blocked. My ears were still plugged, but I could feel the cloth in my right ear slipping. I didn’t have a chance to put it back.
The demon took the opportunity of my distraction to step in from the side and drive his shoulder into mine. His power was far beyond that of a normal human body, and the hit sent me sliding across the stone floor. I screamed as the floor ripped open my skin, my ripped clothes brushing against and stinging the open wounds.
But most importantly, the earplugs had fallen out.
“Stand still,sssiren,” the demon commanded.
Something pulled me to my feet, even though I knew that without the command I wouldn’t have been able to stand at all. I tried to catch my breath, watching the demon hold the Eros in his fingers.
“Last chance, first mate,” the demon said. “You wanted to control her, thesssameway she controlled you. The same wayshe’ssscontrolling you now.”
“I’m not controlling him,” I forced out. “You’re the one possessing him.”
“I give him power.” The demon smiled. “You take it away. Which ofussshas the better offer?”
I shook my head. “Henrik, don’t listen to him. I would never—”
“Quiet!” Henrik suddenly screamed, the yellow from his eyes disappearing completely.
My mouth tightened, my tongue frozen against the roof of my mouth. Henrik huffed out his breath, turning to face me.
“I can’t stand either one of you,” he said, dropping the sword from his hand. “I haven’t been able to control my own self since I agreed to getting on that damn ship.”
His eyes raised to mine, the pain in them clear.
“Why am I even protecting you?” he muttered, seemingly to himself. “How have you had such a hold on me since the beginning?”
He stepped in closer. All I could do was meet his eyes, unable to move or speak, but able to read the deep emotions in his eyes.
He held up the Eros, the crimson light washing over his face. He looked at it, then at me.
