Chapter 118 Chapter 118
The emptiness within him consumed him and made him blind to everything around him. He forgot about the demon hunters that were still lurking nearby, waiting for the right moment to strike.
When the wild flow of magic around him died down and vanished, they saw their chance to go through with the second part of their plan. One of them readied a silver dagger and drenched it in holy water, the weakness of any demon they had fought before. It had aided them in killing the female demon, and it would aid them in ending the life of her companion.
They shared a glance before the demon hunter took aim and threw the dagger with deadly accuracy. It hit Maxwell’s back and buried itself deep in his body. He froze as terrible stinging pain flared in his back and spread through him. He shuddered and doubled over, taking shallow and uneven breaths.
The holy water stung and burned him, smoke rising from the wound. He gritted his teeth, tensing his muscles in response to the agony the weapon inflicted on him. It made him want to give up, to stop fighting and accept death. He’d lost the most important person in his life—it didn’t hold any worth to him anymore.
However, he reminded himself of Juliana’s last words and pondered over them before he decided that he would take them to heart. He would live on for her, and he would make sure that those filthy humans never killed another demon again.
He clutched the grip of the dagger and ripped it out, letting it clatter to the ground. The holy water on its blade was far from enough to kill a century-old demon like him. Ignoring the blood that poured from the wound, he got up and glared at the demon hunters who dared to throw another dagger at him. It was repelled by light and landed on the ground without doing damage.
Revenge was the only thing left on the demon’s hazy mind. The pain of his injury didn’t register anymore. Bloodlust glimmered in his red eyes as they focused on the filthy humans who had taken the one he loved most. They would pay with their lives—he’d kill them very slowly and then send their souls to purgatory.
If he was meant to destroy, then that’s what he would do.
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Her mind was hazy. Heavy exhaustion prevented her from moving even a bit. It was as if she hadn’t moved her limbs in weeks, as if they were melded to the ground. This foreign sensation worried and scared her. Breathing cost her a lot of effort, and for a moment, she was terrified, thinking she would choke. Knowing that she was in a precarious state had her panic, and then she suddenly remembered all that had happened and why she felt this way.
Fear hit her, struck her hard. Where was Maxwell? Was he still alive? Hadn’t he been as good as dead when she last saw him? She couldn’t hold back the rising horror within her and opened her eyes abruptly, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. It was shrouded in shadows, so dark she couldn’t even make out its color.
Her eyes frantically moved around the room, not recognizing it. The furniture was modern and looked rather expensive. She didn’t know anyone who could afford anything like it and wondered where she had ended up. Had someone abducted her? The longer she thought about it, the more restless she became, and eventually, she sat up, the blanket that had covered her slipping down. She moved to the edge of the bed, feeling dizzy and therefore hesitating to get up. Her magic seemed to be replenished, but her wounds were aching and stinging, prompting her to touch her neck and shoulders, only to realize that they had been bandaged carefully. Who would have done this for her?
The moment she wanted to get up, the door was opened from the other side. She flinched, fearfully looking at the intruder, only to relax when she recognized him. It was Shawn, and he seemed astounded to see her awake, his features morphing from disbelief to happiness in a few seconds.
“Valerie.” he said and approached her. “Are you okay?”
His voice lured another demon into the room, that being Xander. He joined Shawn and stood in front of the bed with him, gazing at her with his piercing white eyes.
“You’re finally awake, sleeping beauty,” Xander teased with a grin. “We’ve been waiting impatiently.”
“Where am I?” she asked, feeling somewhat relieved to see her friends here.
They exchanged a glance and hesitated to answer her. “Well, you see… how do we say it…?” Shawn mumbled until Xander had it with his slowness and just blurted it out.
“We’re in hell. Maxwell’s house, to be exact.”
“What?” she gasped, her eyes going wide and fearful as she was gripped by cold dread. “Am I dead?” she breathed in panic.
“No, no! You’re not.” Shawn cut in before she lost her mind in horror. “Xander, this is why I was hesitant to tell her. You, idiot, can’t keep your mouth shut.”
“Huh, what’s your problem? I was just honest.”
“It’s not the best moment to be honest, though.”
“Guys.” Valerie chimed in when they started bickering. “Where is Maxwell?” she asked, scared to hear their answer.
“He’s… in a room nearby,” Shawn answered, the hesitant tone of his voice terrifying her. “Unfortunately, he’s still unconscious. It’s been that way since we brought you here two days ago. You both were so drained of magic that we had to ask Gareth and Hunter to lend you some of their light magic. Otherwise, you would have both died.” The fire demon became serious, his bi-colored eyes narrowing.
“It was a fucking close call,” Xander added. “Nicholas Clarke took care of your wounds, but you should take it slow for the next few days.”
“I see,” she mumbled, trying to wrap her head around all they had revealed to her. She was glad that Thorne had found her and Maxwell in time. “Where is Maxwell? I want to see him.”