Chapter 12

Hard to feelhopeful when I lay in a pool of my own blood, staring up at the massive Moloch. Some folks would be like, hey, at least you didn't die to free his evil ass, but I kind of wished I had because as the demon king stared down at me, it forced me to remember what he'd promised to do.

I'd never been so terrified, and the bastard knew it, judging by the grin that stretched his lips and showed off his sharpened teeth.

"I told you we'd meet soon," he rumbled.

"Fuck off." My surprisingly courageous reply.

"What is it humans like to say? You get better results when you fuck on. Guess you'll soon be finding out." I didn't think his smile could get any wider, but oddly enough, rather than get more scared, anger sputtered to life.

"I'd rather die," I spat.

"Oh, you'll be wishing that more than once, I promise you. I can't wait to add your tears and screams to your aura of despair."

"You're sick."

"I'm horny," he countered with a leer. "It's been a long while since I've had a female struggling underneath me."

My stomach churned, but before I could reply, Emilia stepped into Moloch's line of sight. The traitor witch offered an enthusiastic greeting. "Dark Lord, welcome."

He glanced at her. "You dare interrupt?"

"Sorry for my eagerness, Dark Lord," she apologized with a deep bow. "I'm Emilia, the one who helped you to escape. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." She couldn't have fawned harder if she tried.

"Ah yes, the witch who betrayed her coven," he commented.

"To serve you," she replied with a frown.

"Will you, though? Or will you find a reason to betray me as well?" A sly rejoinder.

Emilia turned pale. "Of course not. I am loyal to you, Dark Lord."

"The witches thought the same, and yet all it took was a few dreams, a handful of conversations with me, and you were eager to do my bidding. Drugging the messovenata. Convincing her to leave the coven behind."

"Because that was part of the deal we made," Emilia argued.

"It was, and it served to prove your duplicitous nature."

"I would never double-cross you," she declared vehemently.

"You're right, you won't." With that, Moloch reached for Emilia faster than any living thing should ever move. Fast enough she didn't even squeak before he snapped her neck and tossed her limp body to his demons, who wasted no time tearing her apart.

I'll admit to being shocked. I mean I kind of warned her he'd probably fuck her over, but the rapidity with which he ended her life… It didn't bode well for me. There would be no appealing to his better nature because he didn't have one.

"Where were we?" murmured Moloch, once more turning to stare at me. "Are you ready to beg me to leave you alone? Or will you part your legs willingly?"

"I'll never submit."

"Good. I prefer it when my bedmates fight me."

My skin crawled when I noticed his loin cloth starting to rise. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!

The evil dark king found himself distracted as the demons, finished with Emilia's body, began to ululate and grunt in excitement. They bounced up and down and stamped their feet.

"Rejoice at my return, faithful minions," Moloch boomed. "For too long you've been slaughtered by the humans. Used by my princes in their war games. But that changes today. Soon, you will be the apex predators in this world. You will feed and sow terror. We shall transform this world into a violent utopia."

The way they hooted indicated they understood him. That or they would have cheered anything that emerged from Moloch's mouth.

Their excitement died down when Moloch held up a hand. "We will depart this location at once. The witches are sure to have noticed my return." Moloch eyed me. "Bring the messovenata, and make sure you keep what's left of her in one piece. I'm not done with her."

The comment made me wonder if I could accidentally slice myself on a claw. A good artery tear would foil Moloch's plans for me.

As the demons busied themselves untying me from the stakes they'd just planted, Moloch paced, his steps heavy enough to vibrate the ground under me.

"First, I'll need a base of operations. Somewhere not easily accessible but large enough to accommodate my legions." He stopped to stare at me. "Where is such a location?"

"How the fuck would I know, and why would I tell you?" I winced, as suddenly Moloch had his hand around my throat, squeezing, his face mere inches from mine.

His eyes bored into me, and his hot breath washed over my skin as he whispered, "Your defiance excites me. I look forward to breaking your courage."

Courage? That wasn't bravery that spoke but fear. I wanted him to end my misery. The sting of my cuts, the hopelessness of the situation… I didn't know what else to do.

"Perhaps I will inhabit the castle my minions forced the guild to evacuate. Wouldn't that be ironic?"

"What, not going to hide in shit-filled sewers like your pathetic army?" My dumb ass had decided antagonizing was the way. It backfired, given he chuckled.

"My minions won't need to hide anymore now that I've returned. Soon, this world will cower in fear as I bring about eternal darkness."

"Humanity will fight. We have weapons the likes of which you can't imagine."

"They are no match for me!" Moloch roared, beating his chest in a primal way that had his demons grunting and copying.

As if his mega ego were a cue, a fireball came out of nowhere and hit Moloch in the chest. It splashed like a cannonball hitting water. It didn't harm him one bit; however, the demons closest to him caught fire and squealed as they ran around in a panic. Another missile, comprised of crackling electricity, headed right for his head but never connected. A grinning Moloch batted it aside.

"How lucky I am to have the Regina herself come to welcome me."

The claim had me craning to see, and I gaped as I spotted Nova standing atop the roof of my childhood home, palm outraised, a ball of energy cradled in it.

"You aren't welcome on this world, Moloch," Nova stated.

"And yet here I am."

"You will leave. Return to Inferis or else."

Moloch's eyes glowed as he exclaimed, "Or else what? You are no match for me, Witch."

"Alone maybe I couldn't prevail, but I never go hunting without my friends." At Nova's claim, reapers appeared in the yard, spilling in through the side gate, some vaulting the fence at the back and sides. I recognized most of them, their grim faces a welcome sight. My heart stuttered to see Cain with them, his face a mask carved in angry stone. As for Vance, he appeared beside Nova on the rooftop.

The reapers went to work slaughtering the demons that hissed and charged. Scythes and blades rose and fell, slicing the monsters, sending them back to the hell they'd crawled out of. Not one demon survived, mostly because Moloch didn't lift a claw to help them. He remained fixated on Nova.

"Do not tell me you are the strongest in your coven?" Moloch asked mockingly. "In my day, one such as you would have never attained the lofty rank of Regina."

"A lot has changed since you were imprisoned, starting with the fact humans aren't the lambs easily slaughtered anymore," Nova stated.

"And our weaponry has improved," Vance said a second before he took aim with a rifle. The bullet he fired actually penetrated Moloch's chest, punching a hole and drawing a surprised gasp from the monster. A dark ooze sluggishly rolled from the wound.

"My turn!" bellowed Moloch, holding out his arms to cast some kind of—most likely nasty—spell. A spell that failed, as Vance kept firing. Bullet after bullet peppered Moloch's body until he clapped his hands and a shield erected around him, an opaque bubble that pinged when the missiles hit it.

Nova began lobbing magic energy balls at the dome protecting Moloch, hammering it until the demon lord uttered a frustrated noise and growled, "You might have won this battle, but this is only the beginning. I will plunge this world into darkness and take pleasure in making you all suffer." With that threat, his hand rotated, palm outstretched, faster and faster, the blur of it hypnotizing. A shimmer appeared within the bubble shield. Moloch stepped into it and disappeared.

In the silence that suddenly fell, the reapers cheered. "Take that, fucking demon bastard!" shouted one of them.

I might have been more excited at not dying—or becoming Moloch's concubine—however, my body finally realized I'd lost too much blood and sent me off into darkness.