It sounded like barbed wire rasping through a dozen throats, layered over itself—coming from every direction.
I flinched and nearly stumbled, when something latched onto my pants leg. Looking down, I saw a black tail coiled around my calf. I thought I saw a lava-like substance swirling through cracks in his skin, but I looked away too quickly to be sure. My mouth parted. And I had a terrible realization: If I peeked behind the Devil…
I’d probably see that appendage hanging off him. Which was absurd—because I would’ve seen something that big. Hades. I could feel it coiling farther up my leg. I shuddered.
“Where did that come from?” I shrieked. “It wasn’t there earlier!”
“If I’d known it would have this effect,” he said, voice like smoke wrapped in teeth, “I would’ve revealed it sooner.”
I kicked at it with my foot, but the tail didn’t budge. Instead, it tightened.
It should have been obvious the Devil had a tail, but somehow, it still caught me off guard. I stiffened, revulsion climbing up my throat like a sickness.
Ryan—Payne’s dad—had one when he was Fear, and I’d never gotten over my aversion to it. I was pretty sure Maureen used to beg him to swing her around by it when she was a kid. The thing was weird, hairless, and way too powerful.
Considering the Devil created Fear, I assumed his tail was just as creepy—if not worse. My skin itched and buzzed like it wanted to melt before that thing could touch me.
There was no way in Hades I was going to look at the appendage. The fact that it was coiled around my pants leg was already enough to make me spiral.
Loosening my shoulders, I blurted, “So…does this mean you’re my pet since you’re the one with the—”
The Devil moved faster than my mortal eyes could follow. Suddenly, pressure crushed my stomach and ribs as the long extension wrapped around me, squeezing tightly. Fear and disgust ripped down my spine like lightning.
Is this it?
Was I going to die by a fucking tail because I didn’t know when to shut up?
I wheezed. My middle ached with blistering heat, and the burn only deepened as the tail hoisted me into the air. My feet dangled. My lungs refused to work. There was no room to breathe.
“I—”
The tail slithered higher, wrapping around my mouth. The scent of burned marshmallows grew stronger.
That’s it,I decided. I was ready to die. Everyone had their weaknesses. I’d just found mine. I couldn’t handle the tail. And that bothered me more than the pain. As my heart hammered and my body ached, I still managed to glare at the Devil as he looked into my eyes.
“Do you get it now, Kitten?” he asked, voice cold. “You are at my mercy. My bringing you here is not a game. You’ll stand by and watch as I take what I’m due.”
If my vision wasn’t blurry from lack of oxygen, I might have rolled my eyes.
Then I felt it.
Hope.
It felt like the sun peeking through the clouds on a rainy day in the human world. Power surged through me. A rush of energy sparking every cell. The Devil’s grip was no match for my true strength.
His eyes narrowed as he sensed it too. “I wouldn’t,” he warned.
“But I’m going to,” I promised, calling forth my scythe.
I morphed it into a thin blade and slashed through his tail.
The appendage loosened, and I landed on my feet like a cat.
The Devil didn’t flinch, but he grabbed the blade as black blood spurted between us.
I didn’t need the weapon. With my free hand, I rose to my tiptoes and snatched one of his horns.
“So, I was thinking…How about Spot for a nickname? You’ve got those hellish spots peeking out of you, and it’s a great human pet name.”
