Chapter 26  ∣  Back to Hell

-Eris

Why?! Why would you do that?

I was practically screaming at the demonic being within me while I finished getting dressed, adjusting the same clothes I'd been wearing before Maverick had stripped me of them.

How else are we going to crossover to the Dominion Plane?

Just...I can't...what you jus-

I told you before, I no longer give my soul freely. Your mate deserves this after everything he's done. His happiness means absolutely nothing to me, only revenge. You're blinded by the illusion that you two could ever share a future together.

Her words made me cold and numb, and just as she had promised, my subconscious was completely disconnected from the demonic side while Maverick had sex with me. It was the worst feeling I'd felt so far, having my vampire so close, loving me, and I couldn't even feel just the touch of his lips on mine.

He thinks I'm becoming who I once was, just because he sees some form of the demon, doesn't mean it's me. It doesn't mean I'm voluntarily being involved in any way. I felt empty and lost, not able to decipher who I actually was anymore. This battle was hardly one I was winning anymore, one that just seemed so easy to give up, especially knowing Maverick couldn't see the difference.

What's happening?

My fear rose, feeling my body becoming even more not my own, each second passing making me feel as though I were lifting away from this world. The problem was, I really was leaving...

It was more of a sudden force of pressure around my entire body that felt like I was fading away. I was, only this time it wasn't my mind, it was my body. Inside, I felt like collapsing, though the demon held onto me, continuing to keep me upright and strong.

Glancing around, every memory came flooding back. But, it wasn't just the memories of when I'd been brought back to this place. No, they were memories from when I was a child, the ones of my parents attempting to assassinate King Bram and failing...the ones of Harlan stopping me from running away and ensuring I was captured.

I guess I could be thankful for one thing, that Kalyn wanted to keep me instead of killing me. But, if he'd just killed me, then I wouldn't be going through all of this shit and feeling completely powerless again.

What do you say we take Harlan up on that offer?

Haven't you already fucked around with one man's head today...do you really need to do it to another?

You're no fun, really.

Your idea of fun is sadistic. You want them all dead. Think about it this way, why attack someone who doesn't even know you exist anymore? Why not just live your life...

You'll never understand now because you are human, but I crave revenge and I won't stop until they're all dead.

Revenge solves nothing.

Let's find out. Oh, and just for you, I'll just kill them all instead of seducing them. Does that make you feel better?

I couldn't respond. The way this creature had no remorse for anything she did, killing Clover and hiding her where no one would find her, I couldn't imagine how far she was willing to go to get what she wanted.

I could feel the heat from the ground through the soles of my boots. My feet left the ground, wings extending out and beating against the warm air. The brilliant sun with the rusty orange sky hung low today, but I felt a sense of home in this place, despite how everything turned out. I flew high in the sky, my eyes glancing down below to the cities. Demons wandering around going about their lives, but what surprised me was the sense of peace that covered this land in a blanket I hardly recognized.

There was no more fighting in the streets, trying to steal from others because of the chaos King Bram had unleashed an awfully long time ago. He was hand-chosen to rule and what a moronic decision that had been...yet...now...I could hardly believe what I was seeing.

The air blew my hair back, feeling the warmth against my skin as my wings continued to keep me high above everyone, flying closer to the sun and staying out of sight. This world appeared to have its own beauty now, renewed by what, I had no idea.

It wasn't long before I saw the tall spires of the palace coming into view, seated on a large island in the middle of the lava lake. The bridge that had once been unsteady and ready to fall apart, had been replaced with black obsidian, demons coming and going as they pleased. There didn't appear to be segregation before, or rulers wanting to keep the poor weak. Everyone looked healthier and happier.

Who is their ruler?

Keegan.

What the fuck?! The demon is digging deeper into my subconscious and prying into thoughts I had shielded from her. We were becoming one, but not of a harmonious bond.

Keegan died.

Did you see him die? No.

Keegan was worse than his father...how do you know for sure?

Feel.

That's when I had a slight control to my body returned and I did. I felt an enormously powerful aura and instantly recognized it as Keegan's. He was here, ruling...and apparently things were peaceful. But how? There's just no way he could be kind.

Don't think too hard about it, he'll be gone soon enough.

My thoughts invaded, I felt there was nowhere I could hide anymore. What was the point in me even being here anymore?

Spinning around through the sky, I slowly made my descent, dropping down low right for the lava lake before pulling up at the last second. Staying close to the rock face, I slowly began to fly back up to the area behind the palace, the area that would be least guarded. My eyes scanned over the edge, watching for any sign of movement, but there was none. Coming up over the edge, my feet planted firmly on the ground, everything appearing noticeably quiet.

Is everyone asleep?

I walked toward the nice garden that had been planted, but it surprised me how anything could grow. Yet, there were beautiful trees extending their leafy branches to the sky, climbing high, and providing shade to most of this area. My tail flicked back and forth, uneasiness settling around my form, my eyes glancing around for any unseen shadows. There was nothing.

Breathing out, I took about five more steps toward the golden engraved door before I felt my heart stop and my breathing becomes uneven. I cried out, the pain searing through my back as something dove through my flesh and latched its fingers around my heart. The demon did not take to the attack too lightly though, a pulsation of electricity flooding through my body and encircling around the hand.

I heard a young male yell and quickly retrieve his hand, the electricity forcing his grip to let go. I straightened my back, my wings swinging around, and knocking the form to the ground before I whirled around, my electric blue eyes narrowed on my attacker. Taken aback, my eyes fell on a boy who appeared to be in his mid-teens, his black hair a mess across his eyes and shielding most of his face from view.

The entry wound was painful, my body trying to heal.

"Yo-You won-won't ki-kill anyone!" The boy growled at me through the fear he held underneath. I arched a brow, amused by his statement, and took two steps toward him. He quickly scooted back, his chin lifting and his eyes locking onto my own. That's when I noticed something off about him. He had an incubus' tail, his bat-like wings extended from his back and his two upper and one lower set of fangs bared at me, hissing. But what took me off guard, was his eyes coloration.

One iris was blood red, like when a vampire's emotions were pushed farther than normal.

One iris was electric blue, like when a sex demon's emotions were forced the same way.

"Aren't you a little young to be playing guard?" I asked him, tilting my head to the side as the electricity sparked just beneath my skin.

"Y-You're an assassin...th-there are no more left a-alive," he tried to scramble to his feet, but I shot a short bolt through my feet and to the ground, the electricity traveling to him and striking his leg. He yelled and growled in pain, grabbing his leg, and trying to rise once more to his feet.

"Looks like you were misinformed," I giggled, watching his fear rising with each passing second.

What is he?

His eyes flickered to just over my shoulder and then quickly back to my eyes. Sighing in irritation, I had already felt the aura approaching me. Dropping to my knees, I glanced over my shoulder, and sure enough, not a foot away from me, my eyes locked with purple ones. My tail flicked out and wrapped around Harlan's ankle, pulling him to the ground and then throwing him a few yards away.

"Uncle Harlan!" The boy yelled and then snarled at me like he was going to try and push his luck.

Harlan shook his head, gaining his surroundings and rising to his feet. The boy was worried, stating, "She-"

"I know Scáth," Harlan's eyes trailed over me, reaching his hand into his pocket, "your mother informed me when you connected with her. Get inside."

"Bu-But I c-can help!" He was on his feet now but staggering when he took a step back.

"No, you need to leave now," Harlan never took his eyes from me, and when Scáth looked to me and then to Harlan he exhaled, and before I knew it, he had dematerialized.

The warm air blew calmly, Harlan the first to speak, "Eris."

"A little late to realize that," I sighed, keeping my electricity just below the top layer of my skin, just in case the boy tried to attack me again against Harlan's better judgment.

"How come I couldn't tell?" Harlan asked, taking a few steps toward me, but his right hand remained in his pocket, my eyes drawn to what he was concealing.

"Hmmm," I placed a finger to my chin and then exclaimed, "might have something to do with my soul not entirely being intact when you came across me."

Harlan growled, "You died. Your existence was felt entering Hell." When I began to walk around with him, circling one another, he stopped and stated, "I want to speak with the real Eris."

"She's asleep, don't want to wake her," I giggled again, Harlan's eyes becoming harder, his muscles tensing.

He breathed in deeply and then sighed, "Well, if you don't want to talk like civilized beings, I guess we can do this my favorite way." The gleam in his eyes made me uneasy, seeing the shift in his features to be replaced by ones more demonic. His purple irises were replaced with electric blue ones, gazing into mine as he chuckled, "Let's play love."

He pushed off the ground, his wings carrying him quickly toward where I stood. I immediately jumped into the air, leaning to the left as he bypassed me. I felt something though. Something wrapped around my wrist and snapped into place, an automated lock sealing the object to my skin. The electricity subsided within a few moments, my eyes widening as I flew further to the left and halted. Glancing down, I saw a black chain with rubber coiled around the links, my heart skipping a beat when I looked back up to see Harlan smirking at me.

"Looks like you're not as smart as you thought you were," he chuckled again before glaring at me, flying directing for me. Instead of running away or escaping, this demon inside of me would not quit. My body was pulled in the direction of Harlan, both of us soaring toward each other now.

His fist connected with my stomach as mine did the same to his face. I gasped, his free hand wrapping around my neck and flipping me over his body. I crashed onto the ground hard but took hold of his wrists with both of my hands, bringing my feet up and connecting them with his chest. In a few quick seconds, he was now the one pinned to the ground, a growl coming from the back of my throat.

I quickly punched him over and over again in the face, his grip loosening around my neck until I felt his hands fall away. My tail coiled around his neck, squeezing hard as I glared at him with so much hatred, I hardly knew I possessed.

He coughed once before I felt something slither up around my own neck. He squeezed hard; the airway cut off as I gasped for air. There was just one problem, I was weaker than him and it showed when my tail lost its grip, uncoiling and loosely laying on the ground next to me. My hands clawed at his tail around my neck, Harlan slowly lifting me off of him and standing to his feet, bringing me with him.

"You'll always be weaker, Eris. Why the hell would you ever come back?" He laughed at the way I obviously couldn't respond and when he got bored he sighed, "Oh, let me help you with that," I was thrown through the air, my body smashing into one of the trees. But I was able to breathe again, gasping as I groaned and tried to stand.

"Oops, was that a bit too rough?" He knelt down in front of me, grabbing my shoulder and dragging me to my feet. I was slammed back down on the ground, crying out and struggling to get out of his grasp. He grinned evilly before stating, "Then again, I thought you liked it rough."

I finally found my strength again, my fist colliding extremely hard with his jaw and knocking him backward off of me. Sitting up quickly, my vision crossed for a moment, the lack of oxygen, and now finally being able to breathe again, made me out of sorts.

"I'm going to enjoying killing you..." I growled, both of us at each other's throats again, a fury of punches and kicks, my body aching, and becoming numb in some areas. I did feel it though, two auras that had emerged from inside the palace and one of them extremely familiar.

"Keegan!" The woman was angry.

It was Keegan's voice that sent a chill down my spine when he said, "It's alright, Adrasteia."

"She could have killed Scáth," I finally got a good look at her, her long light brown hair tied back away from her face, angry crystal blue eyes shifting to a bloody red in the next second. I didn't understand what was going on, but from the energy she was giving off, I could tell she was a vampire.

What is a vampire doing in the Dominion Plane?

I yelled, Harlan grabbing my hair and this time when my body contacted another tree, I couldn't move. Laying on my side with my chest rising and falling, I saw Harlan breathing hard just a few feet away. He turned to Keegan and asked, "What do you want me to do with her?"

"Eris..." Keegan's voice drifted off, my eyes meeting with his as the pain began to take over my body. It hurt so much, but the demon inside would not settle and quit. I knew we were done, but she just kept pushing it, trying to push up on my arms to raise my head further.

Harlan growled, his tail reaching down and taking hold of my neck again, bringing me to my feet and close to his body. His hand latched onto my jaw, forcing it opened before I felt the energy leaving my body. Whitish blue wisps traveled between us, leaving my lips, and filling him. My eyelids grew droopy, trying to keep them open because if I didn't, I might now wake up this time.

"Don't kill her," Keegan's gray orbs replaced Harlan's electric blue ones, my body having been tossed to the ground.

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To Seduce a Mortal by K. A. Young and Laisha C. Gardner

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