The Demons within the room either snickered or remained silent but oppressing.
“Where the fuck is he?” Reia snapped out as she rotated back and forth on the balls of her feet, pointing her sword at multiple monsters.
“He’s either taunting us” – Lindiwe stepped closer to Emerie – “or waiting for more Demons to arrive.”
“Well, fuck that,” Reia muttered under her breath before stepping forward. “Knock knock, you fucking bastard!”
The laughter that reverberated against the walls echoed throughout the room, diabolical and sinister. It was soft and sane, which made it all the more bone-chilling.
Emerie only had enough time to turn her head and gasp as the Demon King appeared and picked Reia up by the throat. Then he was gone, taking her to the podium where his throne was.
Lindiwe threw her hand against the ground and the doors sealed shut with a thunderous bang, causing Emerie to jump in surprise. Black glittering sand blocked any more enemies from entering the room.
“Reia!” Delora screamed, lifting her bow and arrow in their direction.
“I have a fucking bone to pick with you,” Jabez snarled, rotating the hand not around her throat like a wave until his claws were facing upwards towards Reia’s abdomen.
She kicked at first, one of her hands grabbing at the clawed one he had wrapped tightly around her throat. In the next moment, she turned incorporeal, eyes narrowed and a sneer marring her features.
She flittered back as she hovered in her ghostly form.
His shark-toothed grin brightened at the woman, as if he knew she’d escape him all along.
Emerie took in his side profile and tried not to gawk at the oddity of him.
His skin was dark brown but made utterly inhuman by the grey undertone to it that only became obvious when shaded from the candles above. His ears were long, pointed, and appeared Elvish, whereas the black horns curling up and back over his head were Demonic. He was tall, perhaps not taller than a Duskwalker, but he still towered over Reia’s tiny form.
Although he wore long, genie-like dark pants that had a layer of loose material draping over them like a skirt, he was shirtless. It revealed he had strong but lean muscles, as well as void-like, thick black streaks – that almost appeared like claw marks – over his sides, neck, shoulders, and down his biceps.
Red eyes flicked to Lindiwe, and his long white hair, coming to the base of his spine, flowed in a glossy straight curtain when he turned.
His lips were full, his nose straight and thin, and his cheekbones were high, framed by a sharp jaw. His large, grinning mouth widened even further to reveal more sharp fangs. He had a chomp that would be devastating.
His features were handsome, despite the strangeness that came from the Elvish and Demon mix of him.
A multitude of jewellery glinted from him in the form of gold bands. Three pliable ones hung around his neck, whereas the other seven were hard. Two dug into the meaty flesh of his left biceps, versus only one on his right. Four more were in pairs around his ankles, and they jingled when he moved.
His black, curling claws, that also tipped his bare feet, glinted as he cupped the side of his own face and drew his claws down his jaw. His grin gentled into mocking humour at Lindiwe.
“This is your plan?” He laughed. “Three Phantoms and a human? The least you could have done was to give me the pleasure of killing one of your Mavka.”
His gaze diverted to Reia as she floated through the Demons to return to them.
“It seems pointless to bring three reincarnating Phantoms to a battle they’ll lose. They will return to their Mavka only to dwell with the loss and the pain they suffered beforehand.” His grin twisted back into snide humour. “I’m guessing they don’t even know their females are here.”
“You underestimate our determination,” Lindiwe stated darkly when Reia turned solid at their sides.
“My head, is it?” Jabez asked rhetorically as he swiped his claws across his own throat. “Have to get to it first. You haven’t been successful the many other times you’ve tried.”
“I could just put a sword through your heart like I did to Katerina,” Reia mused. The Demon King’s expression morphed into a dead stare. “I’ll make you pay for everything you put Orpheus through. Should have killed me when you had the chance, Jabez.”
“No. It’s much more fun to see you pitifully fight first. It’s entertaining, just as it was entertaining when you crumbled to ash in Orpheus’ arms and I watched him cry.”
Emerie could almost taste the hateful tension between Jabez and Reia. The fight between them was personal and bitter.
Emerie couldn’t help it. She tucked her hand into the pocket of her borrowed weapons belt and clenched it around the sun stone.
They had one shot at this. If Emerie failed... if she died, they’d have to find someone else willing to make this sacrifice.
That wasn’t what had her feeling like the entire world rested on her shoulders. What if I mess up? What if she shattered the stone at the wrong time and Jabez got away?
They didn’t have a second one. This was it. What was currently nestled in her sweaty palm was their only hope.
To Emerie’s left, the tension of string and wood pulling against each other creaked. An arrow was purposefully loosed, and it sailed through the air with a whistle.
He ducked to the side, his hair fluttering as he caught the arrow aimed for his forehead. He stared at it, inspecting the sharp point of the arrowhead before bringing his gaze to Delora.
“You talk too much,” Delora announced, her usually sweet voice hard as she confidently stomped one foot forward. “I would like to go home.”
They all wanted to go home.
“You,” Jabez chuckled. “I remember you being quite... tasty when–”
“Yes, yes, when you ate me alive,” she bravely cut in, making him scowl. “I remember, and I’m still here. I’m not cowering like you said I would.”
This was personal for Delora as well, and Emerie dearly hoped she didn’t disappoint them all. Every second longer weighed on her fear of failing.
“Enough of this,” Reia shouted, as she stepped forward and sliced her blade through the air.
The surprised silence was swiftly interrupted by the wet plop of a Demon’s severed head falling to the ground.
She backed up when its body fell on top of it.
Nothing happened. No one leapt forward to defend or fight. The tension vibrated to a new height as malice bled from the Demons.
Emerie’s wide gaze trailed from the corpse to Jabez. Although prideful, his expression darkened at his obedient servants.
“Go,” he whispered.
When the remaining Demons all leapt at the same time, a squeal erupted from Emerie, and she ducked down, holding her sword up. A wave of them rained down with their thick, meaty bodies from all around.
She hadn’t expected them to all come at once and to jump like that!