27. Livy

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

LIVY

" S unny, run." Malek coughed up more blood.

"For the last time. I'm not a princess in a tower. I'm a warrior. I've been fighting my entire life. I'm not going anywhere, especially if it means leaving you." My hands wrung his shirt and I struggled to keep him upright.

His eyelids drooped as he fought unconsciousness.

He coughed bitterly as the gray mist encircled us. The gas barely had any effect on me but it was poisoning him without mercy.

"You should listen to him, she-wolf. This is not your fight. You know nothing of our people or our history. Leave us while I'll still allow it. Don't make me have to kill you, too," Varcus wiped the blood from the blade with his shirt.

"I know enough." I cried. "It was you who orchestrated the coup against Malek, in the underworld. You and your demon cohorts chained and tortured him for a century! You dared call Malek cruel. You said he was crazy and evil, but you were the one who drained the light from his soul. You broke him. "

Varcus laughed at me, looming closer. "Yes, and I'd do it again if given the chance. The entire city should see him now. They would love to see their mighty Demon King brought to his knees. They should get to enjoy watching his life bleed away. It's so beautiful I wish I'd brought a camera."

He swatted a tear from his eye.

"You're sick!" I spat.

Malek's body went stiff as a plank, murderous intent turning his gray skin black. His anger salted the air, electrifying and raising every hair on my body.

He jerked himself forward, attempting to stand.

"Stop, you'll die if you fight Varcus in this condition." I restrained Malek.

Varcus lunged at us, primed to make his kill shot at Malek's neck.

Springing into action, I tackled Varcus.

We both tumbled through the mist, losing ourselves in its cloudy thickness.

I hopped to my feet, preparing for Varcus's attack. I couldn't see the hand in front of my face but I relied on my nose to guide me through.

"Sunny, are you alright?" Malek called.

"I'm fine." I said, turning around as I glimpsed something dark at the corner of my eyes.

"We both know you're just jealous of Malek's power. He's a god and you're just a spineless coward." I goaded Varcus, trying to make him focus on me instead of Malek.

"Oh please. Malek was weak in the underworld and he's weak now." Varcus's voice rebounded through the mist. "What is a demon who refuses to torture humans? Torture is in our nature, our very reason for existing. He made us that way! Human souls unlucky enough to enter our realm are there to entertain demons. That is their sole purpose for existing. Did our king really expect us to just stop torturing? Should we have rolled over and allowed him to fuck us out of our birth right?"

I made a zigzag motion, sweeping my legs wide. Figuring that if I bumped into Varcus, I could catch him unguarded and strike.

"Maybe he wanted you to be better. Maybe he wanted you to grow as a species, to learn to help people instead of destroying them." My hip smacked into the wall.

"Sunny, come to me." Malek begged.

"Demons used to be feared by all. Humans used to quake in their boots at the mere mention of demons! For centuries nobody dared fuck with us. We were great!" Varcus yelled and the beat of his footsteps echoed close by. "But the minute he made us stop torturing, they started treating us like pussies! Now nobody runs, nobody is afraid anymore. But they will be."

His voice was so soaked in animosity and resentment, it grated at me. How could I have ever thought this guy was good? I wanted to ring his dirty neck, how dare he play with me?

"I thought you wanted to stop Malek from starting up a pointless war. You said you wanted peace between all beings." I said as the thump of Varcus's footsteps grew louder. "What the hell do you even want?"

"Oh, this is about way more than that, she-wolf. Once I've killed the Demon King, I'll wage my own war, but not to capture or rule." Varcus's words were too quick and somewhat jumbled making him sound unhinged or straight up crazy. "I will kill all non-demonic life, sending them to the underworld. Demons will reclaim our rightful helm and spend eternity torturing the souls of all who dared not fear demons in life."

"You're a mad man. No one will allow you to do this." I spoke.

"Who can stop me?" Varcus said .

A dark figure broke the mist apart. He'd found me.

I drew my leg back shifting my body into a pre-kick stance. My foot launched like a rocket. The figure spun around, and a pair of deep, dark eyes pierced me.

My knee bent and my foot swiped across his hair, narrowly missing his head.

"Malek."

"I'm so sorry, Sunny. I never should have allowed it to get this far." Malek's breaths were labored and though he was standing, his every move appeared to bring him pain.

"Please just listen to me for once and run as fast as you can." He begged through clenched teeth.

I eyed his blood splattered shirt with worry.

"Don't worry. It'll take more than one stab from a cursed blade to kill me." He feigned a smile. "But the poison has slowed and weakened me. I cannot protect you like I normally could."

"I'm not leaving you alone with him." We both knew that if I left him in this state, he would be a sitting duck. Why was he so willing to die?

"I'm staying right here. We'll kill Varcus together."

"Sunny!" He roared, angry ridges crumpling his nose.

I embraced him, sticking to him like glue so that he would finally accept that I wasn't leaving. How could I leave him after all we'd been through?

Despite his stubbornness, my instincts were right all along. All I'd learned today made it clear, Malek was good. He could turn away from the war path. All he needed to do is heal and make peace with the demons who tortured him. Come to terms with his past then there'll be no need torture or subjugate anyone. Malek can be saved.

Varcus sprouted from the mist, taking a dagger swipe at Malek's throat .

Moving with the force of a hurricane, Malek grabbed me, twisting away at the last second.

Malek's heavy breaths sounded like an engine that was about to burn out. If he pushed himself anymore, he would succumb to his injuries. I needed to step up and fight Varcus alone.

I summoned the shift, glaring murderously at Varcus.

I felt Mellow's presence, but she brushed off my command to shift, nestling herself into a deeper sleep.

Fuck. She was still angry at me.

"Hand me my mother's necklace." Malek said.

Not knowing why he'd need it right now, I slunk it off, tossing it into his palm.

Varcus came at us again and I raised my fists, clocking him in the jaw hard enough that I heard a crack.

He snapped his jaw back into place and ran his tongue over his upper lip. "You're stronger than I gave you credit for, she-wolf."

To my confusion, Malek stuck out his tongue and pressed the emerald to it.

The pendant elongated, morphing into a sword with a sharp blade made of pure sparkling emerald.

"I hope you know how to use it." Malek handed me the sword, clutching his chest in pain.

My sword training sessions with Chasten came bustling back. I widened my stance, positioning the blade just as he'd taught me.

The mist rose up around us again, and using it as cover, Malek bared his claws, starting for Varcus like a bull that had seen red.

Malek shifted to beast form, I was shocked he could still summon his beast. His moves were slowed by his injuries, but he gave Varcus all he had left .

Malek roared in pain as Varcus cut into his side.

I marched on Varcus, taking Malek's place. His giant beast toppled on his side, having spent all he had left.

My sword clashed with his dagger like the bang of a cymbal.

"You should have listened when you were warned, she-wolf." Varcus strained. "You are no match for the Angel Song Dagger. It was forged by the gods and imbued with their celestial power."

My arms burned like fire, and we were locked in a death stance. My sword was five times the size of his dagger. Yet the weight of the dagger defied all logic. Just trying to hold him back punished every joint in my body. It felt like I was trying to stave off a boulder from crushing me.

"Which god in their right mind would give you a celestial dagger?" I grated out.

Sliding his blade sideways, he took a swift stab at my thigh. My dress sliced as the dagger stabbed me. It was a shallow wound, but it stung like hell.

"You don't know the extent to which the gods hate your lover." Varcus boasted, seeming to relish the news that someone hated Malek just as much as he did. "Why do you think the gods let me torture him for all those years without lifting a single a finger to help him?"

He left his left side wide open, and I took a swipe and I aimed my sword there. He wormed his way out of my path and instead of his arm, all I managed to take was a few stands of his hair.

We sliced the air between each other in a game of cat and mouse. I did most of the aggressing, my blade moving so fast it was hard to follow with the naked eye. He dodged most of my blows and I'd only managed to draw an insignificant amount of blood from him.

It was harder for him to strike with such a short blade, but he made up for it with his incredible agility and speed.

He was different from the last time I'd fought him. He was faster and more sure-footed. The blade must have supplied him with added abilities.

Mutually exhausted, we paused to take a breath. "Why. Would. The Gods Hate. Malek?" I panted choppily.

"You're smarter than that. Isn't it obvious?" He grinned, licking the blade of his dagger like a lunatic. "They hate all demons, but none more than Malek because he's our king. Malek is their antithesis. The gods of the heavens detest the god of the underworld because he represents what they fear most. Damnation."

He spun around, raising his heel to head level in a split second. The shoe rammed me in the face and I cursed myself for not seeing the surprise blow coming.

I'd lost my footing, stumbled over my own feet and my cheek swelled. Using his sudden advantage to the fullest, he struck me in the abdomen and chest.

I couldn't have avoided the last blow but allowed it to connect as it left him wide open. My sword removed a chunk of his calf.

He hopped twice, leaning most of his weight on his uninjured leg. His blood trickled on the floor as he chuckled like this was all a big game. "You're faster than I thought. But it doesn't matter. I've got Heaven on my side."

His eyes glistened as they flittered along the shining dagger's edge. "The gods sent me this gift because they revile what Malek plans to do to their creations. They know that the only way to protect life on Earth is for him to die. That's why you can't be allowed to win. The gods won't let you defeat me."

I wiped the sweat from my palms and tightened my grip around the sword. I was nearing my limit. I caught a glimpse of Malek as he writhed on the floor several feet away. It gave me hope to see that at least he was still alive.

Music formed as emerald connected with gold, both our weapons hungry for blood. We fought toe to toe, his calf wound barely seeming to slow him .

The air was supercharged with righteous fury, my blood pumping so fast I thought my heart would give out.

The only thing that thundered faster were my thoughts. From the moment I'd arrived at Malek's castle, I'd devoted myself to preventing war and saving all the innocent lives it would steal. To bring death and destruction may have been in a demon's nature but I was no demon.

"Maybe the gods do hate demons..." I piped up and Varcus lowered his weapon, seeming surprised by my sudden outburst.

"Oh, are you still awake? I couldn't tell by the impish way you've been fighting." Varcus mocked.

"I'm not a demon." I murmured.

Varcus cackled, throwing his head back and casting his arms wide. "And? Are you just realizing that now?"

"Humans, shifters and mages are all the creations of the celestial gods. If they cared anything about saving us, they wouldn't allow their weapon to be used to kill me. Nor would they entrust wicked vermin like you to save us."

"And you think you can save the world?" The smile blew off his face as he scanned my ankles for a wrong step.

"I know I can." I summoned all my strength, finding my center of gravity.

Chasten had taught me several sword fighting techniques but none more difficult or lethal than the one I planned on using now.

My blade formed an ‘S' and before he could figure out what I was doing, I stabbed four points below Varcus's knees. It did little more than graze his skin but if positioned perfectly, they would split crucial arteries that moderated a demon's circulatory system.

He peered at me with confused eyes and took a step closer. His legs immediately failed him, forcing him to his knees.

"What is this sorcery?" His eyes lashed about, mirroring fear and alarm .

I initiated my final blow, aiming center left on his chest, right to the heart.

He tried to stand but it was impossible as his legs were rendered useless.

In a desperate Hail Mary, he shielded his chest with the dagger, setting it over himself like a crucifix.

My sword clanged with the dagger slicing it in two like butter. The dagger which had been so powerful all along, had become as flimsy as cardboard.

It was as if the gods had heard me and in the final moment retracted all power from the dagger, leaving Varcus to his fate.

I stabbed him through the heart and pure shock had him grasping for something invisible.

His jaw gaped, and before he could say a word I made a horizontal cut. It was deep, quick and merciless.

His upper half flew left, his bottom falling right. Blood gushed like a fresh spring. His dead eyes were frozen permanently open as his lips went slack for the last time.

Proud as I was, I knew I hadn't done this alone. This was about more than my vengeance. And more than Malek's revenge. This was an act of the gods.

An unspoken covenant had been forged between the gods and I the instant they revoked their power from the dagger.

The gods decided to hedge their bets off of Varcus and put them on me instead. I would be the one to stop Malek's war and save our world. And now that I knew about Malek's painful past and how it darkened his soul, I had an idea of where to start.