her. Her apology came too late.
“You’ll have to strike Ashmedai in his heart to kill him. Stay clear of his claws. They’re deadly,” Declan warns.
“Noted.” I face the mirror, taking a deep, steadying breath before I step into it.
My skin prickles as if I’m being burned by ice, but when I’m through the portal, all I feel is unbearable heat. It’s humid, and the fumes from the acrid smoke make me feel like I’m in a gas chamber. I cover my face, coughing into my jacket, while keeping all my senses sharp. If this is hell, then there must be other demons besides Ashmedai.
My heart sinks when I look over my shoulder and there’s nothing but darkness. The portal is shut. I need a marking to know where it was so I can reopen it, but there’s no obvious landmark around here. It’s hard to see anything. It’s so dark and foggy, and the only source of illumination comes from the crevasses full of lava and towers of fire. I collect a few mid-sized rocks and build a small tower with them. It’s the best marking I can come up with.
I’m tempted to call out to Saxon, but that would be a damn stupid move. I focus on our bond, hoping it wasn’t severed when he landed here. I almost laugh in relief when I find it’s stronger than ever, pulsing in sync with my heart.
The euphoria doesn’t last long. I sense a second later that Saxon is in distress. I dash in his general direction, mindful of the perilous terrain. It won’t do to fall into a lava pit while running like a fucking crazy person through hell. Death by stupidity is not how I want to go.
I tighten my hold on the athame, tapping into its strange power. Declan said that I must sacrifice something to the jewel encrusted in it, but he didn’t say how I’m supposed to that. My hand tingles from its magic, so maybe the weapon is already searching for something I want and don’t know yet. You can take anything from me that’s mine to give besides Saxon.
My hand becomes warmer, almost to a point where it would burn, while a foreign power seeps into me, invasive and aggressive. My instinct is to let go of the athame, but I fight it. I can’t fail now. Saxon needs me. The foreign force wraps around my heart, squeezing it in a barbed wire embrace. Then the image of a little girl with my eyes and Saxon’s blond hair pops in my head. She smiles at me and comes running with her chubby arms open wide. But the image dissolves into dust a moment later, leaving me with the most terrible sense of loss. A sob lodges in my throat while I deal with the knowledge of what the athame took from me. My child with Saxon.
A cry of pain brings me back to the here and now, and just then the smog in front of me thins, revealing Saxon on his knees with the athame he stole from Ryker in his hand. Saxon has gashes on his forehead and arm, which are bleeding profusely. My heart twists savagely as fear spikes through my chest. I glance at Ashmedai, my mouth going dry in an instant. He’s a giant with muscles capable of pulverizing anyone with a simple hit. Saxon is David and he’s Goliath. There isn’t a scratch on the demon’s body. To me it’s obvious he’s been toying with Saxon until now.
I’m not sure if Saxon is aware that I’m here, and I don’t want him getting distracted by my presence. I need to make an entrance, draw Ashmedai’s attention. I wonder for a second if my magic works in this place, but then I decide against using it. Instead, I search the ground until I find a piece of rock that I can throw at the demon.
His tree-trunk-like legs flex, and thanks to the barkish appearance of his skin, he looks like a walking evil tree with the face of a rabid dog. He’s much more terrifying in person, and he’s about to charge toward Saxon.
I throw the rock with all my strength, hoping I don’t miss his back. Hitting his head would give me more satisfaction, but it would also be harder. The demon staggers forward, then glances in my direction, eyes glowing orange-yellow rather than black.
“Wifey. You came for me.” He smiles in a deranged manner, showing his impressively sharp