My Demon King and I (Book 1)

Life Hurts Alot More Than Death

Raven

It didn't take long for word to spread of the execution announcement. I suppose when on has been in hell for a millennium, torturing and skinning people becomes boring. They want proper entertainment. Witches weren't commonly found in Hell, but to have three of them brought to us and they thought they would get away with openly working with magic down here, it made me think.

No witch is that sloppy. They're meticulous about their magic and where it's to be performed. The arena where I fought Ophelia and Pieter came back to me in a flashback. The ecstasy of Pieter's death overcame me again and it brought a smile to my face.

Silence overcame the audience as Lucifer stood before them and he explained the situation. The crowd cheered as they were told about the babies, now content that three generations of kings were here so they wouldn't be lost sheep should one abdicate.

I held Liberty in my hands and cooed at her. I'm so happy to be a mother now. Maybe, after this I'll settle down with Lucien. We have a happy family now. My mate's alive and our children have two happy parents. I looked to Lucien who was trying to settle Kaden down in his arms, but Kaden was gripping his father's hair and tugging while saying "TOO-TOO" and laughing hysterically at his joke.

When Lucifer looked towards me, I nodded and stood forward. Many of my new followers, the previous audience from the arena, screamed out my name, chanting slowly. I grinned to myself. Honestly, you should only have one fan, I heard Lucien send me.

Ditto, I sent back.

Looking across the audience, I thought I caught sight of Michael, but it must have been my imagination. When the audience finally silenced, I brought Liberty to my right hand and raised my left hand in a way that brought the masts that were holding the witches in front of me. Since last night, the witches had gotten even more hideous. Their eyes turned so black, there was no white to be seen, their skin was grey and cracked and their nails were distorted as if they were scratching walls or doors.

Turning to the audience, I said loudly, "These are the bi- I mean witches, who have tried to steal the grandchildren of your leader. They meant to take them both and use their blood illegally until they could take their souls to claim immortality as theirs. Now, the shall be punished."

Just as I finished my announcement, the crowd screamed their approval at me. I looked to Lucien as he put Kaden into Clara's left arm. I mimicked his movement and put Liberty into her right arm. 

Lucien's eyes went completely black as he reached out to me. I took his hand and my eyes must have gone black because I didn't have much control over my body. I looked away from Lucien as we reached the targets. Lucifer and Khristian were already in position. Lucifer standing in the North, Khristian standing in the South, Lucien released my hand and made his way to the East and I made my way to the West.

I looked to my father and father in law. This must be the first time we've actually done anything together as an as-close-as-it's-gonna-get kind of family. I clicked my fingers and witch number one dropped from her mast. Being up there so long must have tired her legs because they dropped from beneath her. She stood up on shaky legs and made her way towards me, staggering slowly.

She raised a hand towards me and tried to twist it like I had only moments ago... It tickled. I smiled at her and grabbed her neck until she dropped her hand. I turned her body so she was facing her sisters. "Father, this one's yours," I called over my shoulder. He smiled at me and when he came over, he kissed my forehead. When he looked at the witch, all warmth had left his eyes. 

"Play time, little witch," he sang. I smothered a laugh at his attempt at being scary. To be honest, he would have made a grown man cry, but I must be immune after spending so much time around him while he smiles and laughs with me and coos at his grandchildren.

He elongated his nails and raked them down the witch's neck, causing her to cry out. Her voice was hoarse from her pleas and crying, but she continued to cry out in pain, nonetheless. Khristian pulled the witch up by her blood coated neck and pulled her to his chest. He ripped the clothes from her back as he leaned into her ear, murmuring something unintelligible. Looking to Lucifer, I saw his stoic face turn into a sickening grin that sent chills up my spine. The witch had tears running down her reddened face and she murmured something back that I could barely hear, "If that is what the Gods have planned for me, then so be it."

My father's laugh in reply sent chills up my spine. I know I thought I was immune, but this is deeper than darkness; darkness was like the shadows, you could step out if you know where to go and get lost if you don't know your way; this was like tar; it was clingy, sticking to you and not letting go. This was different from anything I've ever felt before.

Looking to Lucifer and Lucien, they knew it too. They stepped into the circle and made their way towards him only to be stopped by a gut wrenching howl. It was coming from the witch who now had nail marks raked down her back. She was screaming, no, howling in pain as black liquid oozed from her wounds. I wanted to stop this, but I couldn't seem to. It was like a part of me was telling me to stop, that this was now a part of me. I couldn't just step up and take another predator's prey, that would be suicide. Khristian's eyes were obsidian, glowing eerily in the firelight around us, and his hair, usually an onyx color was now a wintry white color, contrasting his eyes dramatically. He had some black liquid on his cheek that had spurted from the raked wounds and even more on his hands.

"Please, sun goddess, bring him back from the point of no return. This man has so much to live for now, with his daughter only just found, his wife still breathing and his grandchildren soon to be in his arms again. Please don't take him away from whatever happiness he could have," I whispered so only I could hear, and as I finished my plea, I felt a cool breeze pass my cheek and the words, If you wish it, then so be it, were whispered into my ear.

My hand started burning and as I looked at it, I saw the sun goddess's mark shine blindingly bright. Swirls and other designs were coming out of it, and when I looked up, I met the eyes of three men who have grown to mean so much to me in such little time. They all looked wide eyed and the witch started chanting.

Words were being whispered to me: If you wish for your father to be brought back from the point of no return, you too must change.

I looked at my father, bathing in the black liquid that was oozing out of the witches wounds. I wanted to stand by and watch, like he did with my match, but this was different. He was engrossed in the kill, not wanting to kill for the sake of killing or even enjoyment but killing for the sake of doing something that would haunt him for the rest of his life. 

I closed my eyes and felt a change overtake me. It wasn't like my shift to phoenix but instead, it was lighter. It felt like the sun was washing over me, warming me from the inside out. What felt like minutes suddenly felt like hours and when I opened m eyes, I saw that the witch was barely recognizable and my father was now carving designs into his body with the blood like liquid that was in his skin.

I took a step forward and, hearing his growl of warning, nearly took a step back. But something came over me then, a sort of light. And I don't mean the kind of light as in I've seen the error of my ways - more like an actual light fell over me. Suddenly, all control was taken from my body as I took a step forward and, when I reached my father whose body was shaking, I rested a hand on his shoulder - a hand that had a golden aura around it - and said in a voice that wasn't mine, "It's time time come back, nephew."