Cursed Demon Kissed 2 Page 0,27

and several rows back sat Shannon. Shannon's face revealed raw terror as the guard behind Eric moved slowly toward him, holding silver chains. Her green eyes were wide when she caught sight of me. It looked like she was caught in a silent scream.

Eric didn't move. He didn't speak. He remained on the chair, with his jaw locked tight. The guards pulled his wrists behind his back and bound them with the silver chain. Eric's brazen gaze did not falter. He stared at Julia.

The old Martis sighed in resignation, "Eric, you've left us no choice. You have broken our code of honor and abandoned your quest before completion. You did the unthinkable and allowed a powerful Valefar to regain life, by failing to kill your target. Your defiance makes us think that you are under the influence of another." His eyes cut to me, and then back to Eric. "Because you will not counter these claims, we have no choice but to sentence you as traitor. You are hereby stripped of your title and rank. Celestial silver made you one of us, now it will take you away." The man's face was grim, as he turned away from Eric. It was as if he were too horrified to watch.

The guard, who restrained Eric, stepped in front of him. Eric didn't move. He didn't plead, flinch or try to run. He sat rigidly; intent on taking whatever they were going to dish out. The guard tore open the front of Eric's white shirt, and ripped his Celestial Sliver necklace away. They took his only means to protect himself against the Valefar. Now there was no way to kill his enemies or hide his Martis mark.

The guard touched the small silver X pendant on Eric's necklace to his mark. The silver glowed blue before changing into a sword, Eric's sword. The guard turned, and walked toward the elder Martis with the sword lying across his open palms. He was saying something that didn't make sense to me, as some Martis handed him something. Were they speaking Latin?

The guard moved carefully, as if he were handling poison. The room was eerily silent. It wasn't until the guard turned around again that I realized what he'd done. The gleaming silver sword was covered in a black substance that clung to the blade. My heart jumped into my throat. It couldn't be. But it was.

Brimstone. They coated the entire blade with the lethal black substance.

Paralyzed, I stood there watching. I didn't know what was happening. There was no way they were going to do what I thought they were going to do. They wouldn't kill their own kind, would they? Suddenly, I wasn't too certain. Some of the Martis looked shocked, while others were outraged. But, Eric's face didn't waiver. He didn't beg, speak, or cry out. Surely he'd say something if he was in mortal danger.

Disbelief was making me stupid. The guard continued to move towards Eric. Eric continued to remain silent. If he spoke, and said why he didn't kill me that night, there was no way that this would happen. The elder Martis made that clear. But Eric said nothing. Why was he doing this?

Everything else happened in a matter of seconds, utterly horrifying seconds. The Martis guard turned. He held Eric's sword above his head for the entire court to see, careful not to touch the blade, turning slowly to each side of the room and then back to Eric. The entire assembly was on the edge of their seats. Al was vigorously pulling at the man sitting next to Julia, spewing off angry words in his ear. But, he only shook his head. Shannon was sitting rigid with a look of horror frozen across her face.

The sword. The fear. The guard. The guard was delivering the punishment. My eyes widened as I accepted the reality of the Martis penalty for treason.

Death.

This was an execution. My mouth dropped open in horror. I couldn't swallow. My body wouldn't move. Every sound in the room faded away. I stared at Eric in disbelief. He knew. He knew his actions that night were guilty of treason, an offense punishable by death - but he did it anyway. He let me live. Me and my rancid demon blood filled body. Me. The abomination. Me. His prey for centuries.

My eyebrows pinched together as trembling worked its way up my tense muscles. It was then that Eric finally looked at me. His expression softened, as he mouthed,