Chapter 116 Chapter 116
Maxwell was getting annoyed at the people in line in front of him who seemed unintelligent. They all took forever to decide on the kind of ice cream flavor they wanted, and he was tempted to just push them out of the way. Who did they think they were? Making him wait? He found the audacity with which they treated him preposterous. Then again, they were blind and oblivious. They didn’t even know that demons existed in the first place, so he couldn’t blame them for their stupidity.
He didn’t want to make Juliana wait for too long. He’d already been gone for a good fifteen minutes, and knowing her, she would get distracted by something, perhaps even wander off somewhere. Maybe he shouldn’t have left her alone; she could be a troublemaker.
Glancing at the long line in front of him, he let out an exasperated sigh, and just when he wanted to curse at the humans, he sensed something that scared him to the core. He turned around abruptly and looked back to where he had left Juliana. A strong surge of frost magic flared somewhere in the vicinity.
Juliana very rarely used her magic—she was too kindhearted and gentle to use it offensively, except for when she had to defend herself. He reacted quickly and ran in the direction of the magical power, using his heightened demon senses to follow its trail. He was panicking, fear making his heart pound faster. Something was wrong; he just knew it. Something very bad was happening to her, and he had to help her now.
He sprinted over the street, headed into the next alley, and ran on until he reached the edge of town. A forest surrounded it, and since her magic was easier to sense here, she had to be close by. Looking around undecidedly, he felt another surge of magic followed by a blood-curdling scream that had his fear reach its peak. His eyes colored red, and he took off towards the desperate sound of her voice.
“Juliana.” he screamed, but he didn’t receive an answer. He was scared, so scared. Where was she? What was happening to her? His thoughts were running wild, his imagination already showing him the worst. He jumped over bushes, ran past trees, and then he reached a clearing, spotting Juliana immediately.
The scene he was faced with was worse than anything he could have imagined, and it tore his heart apart. All air left his lungs. He was frozen to the spot, couldn’t move, could only stare at her.
She stood in the middle of the clearing, bathed in moonlight. Blood covered her frail body, its sickeningly red color pouring from deep wounds on her skin. The blue fabric of her blouse soaked it up until it was dyed scarlet. A tremble ran through her delicate body, and her lips parted, opened in a silent scream. Another violent shudder shook her entire form before she collapsed and fell to the ground.
He was overwhelmed by panic and rage. His eyes were brimming with boundless wrath and hatred as he stared at the group of demon hunters who were responsible for her injuries. They glared at him, readying themselves to fight him. Light magic burst from his body in waves, its raw and unbridled power keeping the filthy humans around him away. It was bright and burning hot like molten lava. He barely heard their cries, focused entirely on Juliana.
Sprinting towards her fallen body, he feared the worst. Even from afar, it was plain to see that she had sustained too many wounds, that she was losing too much blood. There was a limit even for a demon; they weren’t immortal, and they could die just like any other being. He drew in a shuddering breath as he finally reached her and knelt on the grass.
“Juliana. Juliana.” he yelled at the top of his lungs, his desperate voice reverberating around him. Numbing cold took hold of his heart, and icy tendrils of fear crept through his body.
She lay on her back and stared up at the night sky without reacting to his voice. It was as if she were in a haze, her senses failing her. Her face was as white as a sheet, and her skin turned an unhealthy grey.
“Juliana, can you hear me?” he breathed desperately, leaning over her and hoping for a reaction. Anything. Any kind of reassurance that she was alright.
She wasn’t, and he knew it, but he wasn’t ready to accept it. She was turning to ash slowly, her beautiful blonde hair withering away at the ends. Her heavily injured body couldn’t take the damage anymore, and her life faded before his eyes.
All he wanted was to hold her and tell her that it would be fine in the end, that he could fix it somehow—but he’d be lying to them both. Seeing a tear slip from her eye ripped his heart apart. Even though she wasn’t moving, wasn’t speaking, he knew that she was in pain, and he wanted to help her, but he was unable to, and he hated himself for it.
Maxwell had always prided himself on his strength, being one of the most powerful light demons that existed, but his strength couldn’t save her. It meant nothing. For the first time in his entire life, he’d lost control over everything. For the first time, he couldn’t rely on raw violence to solve the problem. Right now, he was at a loss. His hands were tied.
Juliana would die, and it was his fault.
Maxwell took her ice-cold hand and held it to his chest while he leaned over her. “Juliana, please don’t leave me,” he begged.
His voice broke. He felt like he was trapped in a nightmare, but this scene was very much real. Never had he felt such overwhelming horror. Fear had been foreign to him, but now it held him in its grasp, made his heart beat nervously in his chest.
Her chapped lips parted. She blinked, and finally, her gaze moved to him. The corners of her lips lifted just a slight bit as she attempted to smile at him. However, it didn’t look like a smile at all. She looked like she was about to cry.