Asmodeus(68)
She held him as his body relaxed. There had to be a way to save him. She couldn't let them take him back to such torment. Not after she'd seen his heart, his soul. He didn't deserve what they intended to deal to him.
She held tight to him, making a silent promise.
They would not take him. She would go to the fires willingly, but they could not take him. She wouldn't allow it.
She had no choice but to summon Michael and make her plea.
Chapter Sixteen
Lev sat at his kitchen table, quiet and unmoving. Rarely had he tasted defeat such as he did now. His plan to get back on Luc's good side had failed miserably. Now the plan to acquire more powers than the bastard had failed, leaving him little choice but to face the oncoming battle, which would come any moment now. Luc would send an assassin. It was inevitable.
His wounds had healed already, though it still stung that the second-rate demon had overcome him. He'd tried to scare Asmodeus into thinking he would kill Brianna, but the bastard had realized it had only been a ruse. If he killed the witch then his plan would fall apart around him. Using his powers on his sword, fending off the other two demons and keeping Asmodeus from slicing him in two, he had been pulled in too many directions.
He should have just killed the bitch and been done with it.
Though if he had done that, he would still be left with his current problem. He had to find a way to obtain more powers.
He smelled an acidic stench in the air, indicating one of Luc's assassins would soon be materializing. His sword hung loosely as it sat underneath his sweaty palm. He eyed the blade, enjoying the deadly beauty of its razor-sharp edges. Failing in hand-to-hand combat was an anomaly for him, save for his last battle, and he wasn't about to repeat that failure. He had to control his rage. Anger would not help him in a fight, it would hinder him. And he could not lose focus when a battle with Luc's assassins was on the table.
Luc's assassins were made up of the elite of their kind. Luc sent them in to do a job, and the job was done, no questions asked. To fail as an assassin was to die.
A weight in the air around him told him the assassin had arrived. Lev slowly flexed his fingers around the hilt of his sword and stood to face the demon.
"I see you are ready for me."
The demon looked much like himself. Black hair. Light green eyes that were slowly becoming red. The air crackled, powers colliding and bending under the pressure of their proximity, both showing off their powers. The demon wore loose-fitting denim. A black T-shirt. He stood before Lev as though he already knew the outcome of the fight. He was that sure of himself.
If Lev knew anything, it was his strengths and weaknesses. Retreat had been his only option at Brianna's house. The second Asmodeus had plunged his sword in his gut he had de-materialized. He hadn't even had the strength to bring Dog back with him.
Though he was still tired from his earlier battle, fighting this demon was not an option. It was a necessity. This assassin would only keep coming after him, slowing him down in his pursuit for power.
The assassin had to be eliminated.
He didn't twirl his sword or try to intimidate with words or actions. Luc's assassins were beyond that. He merely waited for the attack, knowing it would come swiftly. He would not be kept from gaining powers from Kelly and retrieving the Demonic Book of Spells.
The assassin didn't hesitate to engage. Lev deflected the first swing of his opponent's blade, gritting his teeth when his arm shook from the force. Luc's assassins were gifted with more powers than the average demon, which aided them in their missions.
The chair he had been sitting on was knocked to the ground as he lunged at the assassin, backing him into a corner. The demon disappeared, only to reappear behind him. Lev ducked the swipe of the assassin's blade, and counterattacked with a thrust of his powers, which sent the assassin flying into the wall on the far side of the living room.
Before the demon could recover, Lev whipped his arm back and threw his sword, which became embedded in the demon's chest, pinning him to the wall.
He thrust his hand out, and his sword flew back into his grip. The wound would take a few minutes to heal, and the assassin would be struggling against the pain. Liquid fire entered his body as the demon's eyes blazed bright red.
Lev fought the blinding, burning sensation, the realization he may lose this battle against the superior demon igniting desperation. He bounded over the couch as the demon regained his footing. Both hands on the hilt, he thrust his sword into the assassin's neck and twisted it. The sizzling pain in his body reaching a fevered pitch, his vision began fading. The demon fought back with powers Luc must have given him. The fire in his chest threatened to take him down.