Lily flinched, though Paimon’s voice was level. She expected shouting and wrath, but this cool detachment was somehow worse.
“I knew there was a reason Murmur chose to attack my lair all of a sudden. I’m surprised he chose to ally with mortals, however. Then again, the famed blood-borns are no mere mortals.” Her thin lips curved as she surveyed Lily's glowing form. “What a unique phenomenon. I wonder what purpose it serves?”
None at all, unfortunately.
Mist inched closer to her, his grip tightening around her hand. “Run,” he hissed. “I will hold her off.”
Paimon ignored him. “How convenient of you to visit my lair and save me the trouble of locating you myself. Lucifer will be pleased.” She flicked a hand at Mist. “Step aside, my Hunter. Or better yet, why not throw yourself in the Pit and save me that trouble as well.”
Despite her paralyzing fear, Lily heard herself say, “He’s not yours.”
Paimon’s brows rose. “No?”
She shook her head mutely, bravery dissipating as quickly as it had come.
The demon queen threw back her head and barked a laugh that echoed around the chamber.
“If he’s not mine, then why can I do this?” Her gaze snapped to Mist, and she lifted a hand and flexed her fingers.
The sulfuric burn of Sheolic magic singed the air. Mist shuddered, and a low groan escaped him as he fell to his knees, clutching his chest. With a cry, Lily dropped beside him.
Paimon’s hand relaxed, and Mist slumped forward onto his hands, panting. He glanced at Lily through the hair falling in his face, pain clouding his vision. “Run… now.”
“In every way, he belongs to me,” Paimon said. “Even his heart does not beat without my permission.”
The brands.It all came back to those cursed, awful brands. Lily shook her head in response to his beseeching gaze. There was no way she was leaving him.
“Unfortunately, I haven’t got time for games right now, as much as I enjoy your screams. I need to go take care of Murmur before he dispatches too many of my soldiers. Recruitment is a nightmare these days.” Paimon glanced at her camel. “Throw the Hunter in the Pit, Shaheen. Now that I’ve got the twins, we have work to do.”
Before Lily had a second to react, the beast knocked her and Iris aside and closed its jaw around one of Mist’s wings.
This is not happening.She leapt at the camel, pummeling its hateful face with her fists.
“Go, Lily!” Mist snarled. He put up no resistance as it dragged him away, the chains at his wrists scraping on the stone floor. What was he doing? Why wouldn’t he fight?
Iris was there too, but instead of helping, she was trying to pull Lily off the camel, begging her to listen to Mist and run while they could.
The commotion progressed toward the looming edge. There had to be some way to stop this. Something she could do.Anything.
They reached the Pit.
Without hesitation, Shaheen swung his neck and tossed Mist over the edge.
Lily’s scream echoed around the cavern.
But then… a familiar gray tail snapped over the side, wound around Shaheen’s leg, and tugged. The camel tripped and, with wide eyes, went sailing into the abyss.
Paimon’s shriek of fury rent the air.
If there had been chaos before, it was nothing compared to what was unleashed.
With her great scream, the halls began to shake with a rumbling earthquake. The dishes on the table rattled, vibrating off the edge to smash on the ground. Rocks dropped from the high ceiling amidst a shower of dust.
Ducking under falling rubble, Lily caught a glimpse of black claws clinging to the edge of the Pit.Mist.She ran to him.
Paimon saw too and charged toward them. A boulder fell from the ceiling in her path, and she swatted it aside as if it was a balloon.
Dropping onto her belly, Lily reached over the edge. Her fingers closed around Mist’s chains just as Paimon reached her.
