she ran away when shit got real. She never should have gone back and allowed him to get closer. It only broke more of her barriers down, leaving her exposed and raw. That’s how the archdemon managed to catch her off guard.
Dante wasn’t to blame for ending up in her current situation. She was the only one responsible. Dante had never given her any indication that he’d treat her like a piece of unwanted trash when he got tired of her. He’d vowed to protect her no matter what she chose and put himself and his friends on the line time after time in an attempt to keep her safe. It was her fear that drove her away.
Pain lanced through her thoughts, forcing her out of her head. Metal sliced through the skin on her right side. A groan was all she let out as she struggled to catch her breath. The beautiful Daeva demon was snarling and hovering an inch above her face. The face of evil shouldn’t be so good looking.
Her cambion was far better looking with the sexiest smile. The corners of her mouth lifted when she pictured Dante looking down at her, covered in sweat and breathing heavy. That only enraged the demon torturing her more.
The demon screeched and reared back then punched her where he’d just cut her side open. Her breath left her at the same time black dots spotted her vision. Automatically, her body curled in on itself, trying to protect her core.
A fist slammed into the table close to her head. She bounced as the impact made her body jump on the platform. She swore she heard the wood creak beneath her. Any fucking second now she knew the thing would break, just like her body, under the demon’s blows. His fists didn’t slow as they landed on her body next.
Enough! You can’t let this fucker win. Fight! Chloe shook herself and tried to disconnect the message her nerves were sending her brain. It was that communication that forced her body to feel every single slice and blow. Unfortunately, while she was good at staying under the radar, she was shit at controlling these small pathways.
The Daeva turned away from her and snarled something. Chloe sucked in a breath, wincing when it hurt more than it should. There was immense pressure in her chest, and she was nauseous and dizzy.
Shifting her position, she tried to see if there was anyone else in the room with the demon. Shadows along the floor made her think there was a smaller being with them, but she couldn’t be sure. Her vision was blurry and going black around the edges.
He hadn’t taken her back to the same basement as before. The floors were stained concrete, but there weren’t any shelves like the last place. There were at least three tables, although she couldn’t see any of them at the moment. She thought there were some old wood crates in the far corner. She hadn’t gotten a good look earlier to know for sure.
She expected to see the jars, candles, and black crystals like before. Her head was already spinning, and she’d broken one of her legs by the time the demon had shoved her down here, so they might be somewhere in one of the shadowed recesses. She’d been in a fight for dominance against the Daeva. To make matters worse, her weapon of Light, not that it lit on fire anymore, refused to come to her when she called it.
No doubt it had finally been confiscated by whatever higher power ruled her existence. There was no telling if it was God or Lucifer. She wanted to deny it could be the Devil, but it was never a good idea to underestimate him.
The Daeva shifted his stance and pointed in the corner of the ceiling. Chloe followed his arm and a scream slipped out of her when she saw the group of spider demons clinging to the roof. At first all she saw was a cluster of countless legs amidst sticky white webs. Hair stuck out every which way from skinny, black appendages bent at 90-degree angles. It wasn’t until the multifaceted eyes blinked that she was able to spot the bodies buried within the mass.
The sight of them shouldn’t surprise her. No way would any archdemon act on his own. They all needed to have a posse feed their egos while they worked. They were all narcissistic beings that needed recognition and praise for even