Sympathy for the Demons (Promised to the Demons #1) - Lidiya Foxglove Page 0,66

two. For the moment, we were united in protecting the homestead.

I never wanted to admit that I was impressed with the familiar. I didn't expect him to be a capable rider, or to have a decent grasp of battle strategy. It almost made me wonder what it would be like to have a brother.

And then, the protection on the house started to break down. Once such a spell is breached, it all falls apart like a house of cards. The shingles started blowing off, scattering to the winds, as the windows shattered violently inward.

"No!" Bevan shot into bat form again and flew toward the house, but he had already done his best to protect it and failed. I sprung down from the tree and put myself in front of the blasts, roaring out a deflection spell.

The Ethereals fanned out wider so that some of their spells shot right past me, while I was still fending off two or three of them singlehandedly. Bevan's house started to collapse in on itself as they destroyed the beams of the porch and the foundations. The window frames splintered and I heard the horrible sound of plates and crockery shattering into millions of pieces.

“No…” Now Bevan's scream was strangled. It was too late for anyone to save the cottage. Even though it was such a humble dwelling, I was unexpectedly furious about the loss of the cabin, and I would feel as if a piece of my own soul was missing if my castle was ever destroyed.

A spell punched me in the gut and struck me down into the ruins.

"You've done it now," I growled, springing to my feet and grabbing Wingless with a hand. He and his horse both seemed so small and petty to my size. I hauled him up by one arm and opened my mouth to bite him.

"Wait, sir, you don't have to go that far!" Gillian cried, tossing a pail of water at Wingless. He screamed as the water burned him. A little of it singed me as well, because god forbid Gillian not mess up something. Gillian was a water witch when I met her, but she rarely used her magic. I was still a little surprised she entered the fray at all.

“Got him! Good work, Gil!” she congratulated herself, as the man retreated with angry burns on his arm from the water turned acidic.

"We've done enough for today!" Nils said. He looked at me. "You will never have a home in Etherium, demon. Build something else, and I will have the pleasure of destroying it as well."

"You talk big because you outnumber me," I said. "And yet, we have killed or wounded a third of your number. Cowards. Leave my lands at once!”

They had managed to get most of their wounded and dead onto their horses, but one horse and fallen rider was left behind as they rushed away—for now—and only because I was pointing another arrow at Nils. I didn’t feel as if I had won, that was certain, despite the casualties on their side.

The Ethereals had barely turned the bend out of sight when Bevan lunged at me, pure anger twisting his face, and dug his fingers into my shoulders.

"You brought this on me. You ruined my house. Jenny might be in trouble. And you're still stuck here. You're an asshole to everyone. You're not Lord Variel the Devourer anymore, you know that? You don’t deserve this power."

Bevan had surprising force of will. I underestimated him, I thought. He’s—he’s getting to me. As Bevan gripped me, I felt I was weakening.

He's devouring me.

"How did you know you could—“

"Everyone has a weak point," Bevan said. "Yours is obvious."

"Get your little hands off me," I snapped, grabbing him back and digging my claws into him until I felt his warm blood well up against my fingers.

Bevan screamed but he didn't let up. "Piers!" he gasped. "I'll take your bargain!"

The avornax ran out from under some of the rubble and climbed Bevan's trousers and shirt to his shoulder. That traitorous warlock loaned power to Bevan and I realized that I was actually shrinking while Bevan was getting taller.

My weakness is the toad girl.

Gods, the humiliation of it all. I had given her to Bevan and now he had this power over me. I had handed him the key to my own destruction.

I thought of my father, my castle, and the life I had always known, and I couldn't let him take that from me. I struck him off