“Carter, go—” I started.
But before he could even assess the situation, Dimitri lifted his hand, sending Carter flying against the wall and keeping him up there.
The angel fought against the invisible restraints, muscles straining, wings twitching as his hands went to his throat, trying to ease the pressure of something that couldn’t be grasped.
“Why can’tanyonefollow orders?” Dimitri gritted out.
I raised my dagger and hit him in the face with the hilt. If I was going to die, I wouldn’t go without setting my matefree.
Chapter 40
Lola
Dimitri let out a dry chuckle as he wiped the small line of blood from his cheekbone. “So, that’s how you want to settle this,” he said. “Fine. Go ahead.”
I flipped the dagger and attacked him again, this time swiping the blade. He dodged, stepping back and to the side.
“How are you so mad at me?” he asked. “I mean, I’ve always warned you. YouknewI’d do anything for you even if it meant going against your other mates or yourself.”
His hand closed around my wrist as I missed his face again and he made me spin, holding my hand behind my back and plastering me to his front.
“He shouldn’t evenbreathe, yet I’m trying to keep him alive. I could have ripped it off like a bandaid and left him to rot,” he continued, whispering in my ear, and I hated my treacherous body for responding to his proximity as a shiver of awareness slithered up my spine. “Let itgo,zhizn moya. We could have yoursoulback!”
“Not at the cost of my matedying,” I gritted out, trying to free my arm.
“That’s what you don’t seem to understand,” he said as I reached for another dagger with my other hand. “Whatever the cost, I’ll pay it. Even if it’s someone’s life.”
I sliced his forearm and he stumbled back with a hiss. “What aboutmylife?” I asked. “What ifIdie and go down there, searching for my soul myself?”
Dimitri arched a brow and scoffed. “You think it’sthateasy?” I hoped it was…I didn’t have much more time anyway. “If for some reason you die and go to Hell without your soul, you’re trapped there. You’ll be sent to Asmodeus andsoldto the Prince of Hell whose bid is the highest, with barely any memory of your life on earth, followingin the footsteps of the Succubi and Incubi who were created for this specific purpose.”
My mouth dried out. “How would you know that?”
“Because I’vebeento Hell to try and get your soul back myself. I’ve seen how things work down there. How my father rules his desolate land. The Succubi he keeps as his personal whores and flings at his parties for his guests to enjoy. Without your soul or at least a piece of it, that’s the fate that awaits you.”
He dodged another of my attacks but he didn’t anticipate my foot kicking at his thigh and nearly fell backward.
“We could go together,” I tried. “You could look after me even without mysoul! You said you went there, it means you can do it again.”
Dimitri let out a dry chuckle. “Trust me, Wrath doesn’t want me there, but even if he did, I’d still just be a guest. I wouldn’t have any power over what happens, even less over the way they’ll treatyou.”
I groaned, throwing a punch that he easily deflected. My limbs were growingweaker…
“There has to be another way,” I insisted, throwing one of the two daggers at his face. He moved to the side but frowned, clearly annoyed by my relentless attacks. “Iwon’tlet you kill or even hurt him again.”
He was done defending himself and lunged at me, pushing my back against the wall and growling at my face, twisting my hand enough that I had to let go of my second blade.
“You don’t evenknowhim!”
“It’s not aboutchoosing! I don’twantto fucking choose, but you’re forcing me to!”
“I. Chose. You.” He insisted on each word. “I chose your soul over yourmate. Over amistakethat should never have been born! A mistake you exchanged less than a thousand real words with!”
I threw my head forward, hitting him in the nose. I saw stars, but despite his grunt of pain, he didn’t let go of me. “That’s even worse! It only means that all the reasons I’ve ever been mad at him were in factyour fucking fault!”
I managed to get one hand loose and swiped at his face, leaving four deep scratches on his skin. He let out a frustrated roar as he let go of his hold, only for me to grab another dagger at my back and stab him through his side.
All the air left my lungs as the whole room plunged in dark red smoke and I was sent flying back, my head hitting the hard wall with a sickening crack.
