Page 64 of Demonic Affliction

As fast as it came, the power drains out of me, and my knees buckle. I hit the ground hard, hauling in lungfuls of air that don’t seem to do anything at all.

All around, the demons look on, absolutely stunned. Vhalthor's soldiers lower their weapons, staring at the carnage, then at me. No one moves. No one speaks. I can feel the weight of every single gaze in the room, but I don't know if it’s in awe or fear.

Maybe it’s both.

“Willow!” Rhune yells, then I hear three sets of footsteps. My mates kneel at my side, but I can’t raise my head to look at them. I’m terrified at what I will find.

They run their hands over my back, whispering soothing words into my ear that I can’t quite make out. When that doesn’t help, Rhune pulls me into his lap, his wings curling around me as he holds my shivering body tight to his chest.

“It’s okay, pup. Just breathe. In, out, in… That’s it. That’s good. I’m here, Willow. I’m here. Just breathe with me.”

When it feels like I'm not going to collapse into a puddle, I open my eyes and raise my head. My muscles are shaking, and it takes real effort to keep myself upright, but I manage. Rhune's wings unfurl slowly, the dark orange membrane peeling back to let the dim light in. Nyx’s face comes into view, drawn tight with worry.

“Hey, beautiful.” He reaches out and cups my face in his warm palm. “You okay?”

“I should be asking you that.” My words are raw and cracked. “I thought… I was sure you were going to…”

“Shh. It’s okay, beautiful. Because of you, we’re alive. Because of you.” He leans in, pressing his forehead to mine. “You’re fantastic. Absolutely incredible.”

A shadow falls over us, and I look up to find Vhalthor standing there. His skin is covered in blood and oozing wounds, his face creased in exhaustion. His squinting eyes brim with an emotion I can’t place. Anger? Perhaps he’s thinking about how stupid it was for me to rush in alone, seeing how small and fragile he believes me to be.

I brace myself for a scathing comment.

Instead, Vhalthor kneels.

“Thank you, little human.” His voice is softer than I’ve ever heard it before, almost reverent. “You saved my men and me. We are forever in your debt.” Vhalthor dips his chin to his chest in a show of deep respect and trust.

I don't know how to put into words what this means to me. So instead, I just say, “I would do it again a thousand times over if given the chance.”

The edges of Vhalthor’s lips quirk into a half smile. He rises to standing, giving me one last nod of respect before turning and heading back to his injured soldiers.

Dagny watches him go, something unreadable passing over her face. “Never thought I'd see that,” she mutters.

“See what?”

“A humbled Vhalthor.” She huffs a tired laugh. “You really are incredible, Willow."

I turn my attention back to the pile of bodies, a chill creeping down my spine as I recall the feel of the serafyn’s power rising within me. There was something… addictive about it. Even thinking about it now, I’m itching to feel it again. To wield that kind of power.

That’s what worries me.

“We should get going as soon as we can.” Dagny looks where Vhalthor’s soldiers are collecting the bodies of their fallen brothers. “I don’t want to stay here any longer than we have to.”

I couldn’t agree more.

21

Willow

Dagny and Vhalthor gather what's left of our group, and everyone slowly starts moving again. Dagny’s mates are heavily wounded, dragging well behind Vhalthor’s forces. Malice’s wings are shredded, and Cyprien has to be held up by Fenryr and Lir because of injuries to his legs. Kaebl and Roark seem unharmed, but their matching limps prove they did not make it out unscathed, either.

My legs feel like water, but Rhune keeps an arm banded tight around my waist, half carrying me as we move deeper into the shadowed passage. The serafyn remains silent, but I can feel it lurking behind my eyes, using my sight to scan the cavern for threats.

The passage narrows, then splits, and a faint mineral scent drifts toward us. Water.

Sensing the same thing I do, Vhalthor comes to a stop, holding up a hand to signal to his soldiers. Turning to the side, he gestures to the smaller branch of the cavern. “Down there. Healing pools.” He takes a step toward it, but then stops. “Everyone stay silent, and keep your eyes out for danger. We don’t know if any of those creatures inhabit the healing pools.”

We cautiously file into the darkened tunnel, the ground sloping steadily downward. It bottoms out, opening up into a massive central cavern. Dozens of pocket spaces spread out from the main chamber, each housing its own healing pool, though they vary in size and privacy.