Together We Stand (Book 6)

Chapter 17

"Your face, it haunts my once pleasant dreams. Your voice, it chased away all the sanity in me. These wounds won't seem to heal. This pain is just too real. There's just too much that time cannot erase." - Evanescence

Christina was lying on the floor, blood seeping from the burn on her arm and from another one on her stomach. 'I can make this stop right now Christina.' He reminded her. He was pacing again. 'Just be my queen and all of this could be yours.' He held his arms wide and motioned to the candle lit underworld.

'Can I.... Redecorate?' She asked jokingly, closing her eyes.

'You can do whatever you like.' He said, taking her seriously.

'Can I teach you about sarcasm?' She turned to look at him and anger washed over his face. He waved his arms and she was lifted from the ground. She hung there in the air and he made his way over to her. He circled her, looking her up and down. 'Can I help you with something?' She asked.

'I'm trying to figure you out.' He said honestly.

'Honestly, there's not much to figure out.' Christina told him.

'Oh but there is.' He smiled. He ran a long finger across her back and she shivered. 'I just can't put my finger on it.'

'Well, keep trying.' She said as he came back to her front. 'I'm sure you'll get it eventually.'

'Do you remember any of your past lives?' He asked her.

'What kind of question is that?' She looked at him. 'No, I don't.'

'You seem so familiar to me.' He said, taking her face in his hands. 'But something has changed since our last encounter.'

'Sorry, don't know what you're talking about.' Christina tried to shrug her head from his grasp but it only made him hold on tighter.

'One thing I do know is that it's going to take a lot to break you.' He said, studying her. 

'Better get started then.' Christina snapped back. He squeezed her face tighter and slashed across one cheek with his skeletal finger. Her skin split open and blood started dripping down her chin and neck. 'We've played this game before.' She reminded him.

'Wasn't it fun?' Belial asked.

'I wouldn't.... use the word fun, exactly.' Christina swallowed.

'We could spend eternity together playing these games.' He suggested.

'No thanks, I'd like to make it to eight-five, maybe ninety. Then I'm off to see my mum.'

'I could kill you now and banish your soul to hell?' He said. Christina rolled her eyes before settling them back on hid face. 

'You keep saying you're going to do these things and you haven't really done anything. So please.... get on with something!' She shouted in his face and soon felt the full force of an energy ball to the stomach. She flew backwards and hit the wall hard before falling to the ground. She rolled onto her front, some dust kicking up underneath her. 'Jesus.' She whispered to herself. 'I'm getting too old for this shit.' She pushed herself up until she was leaning against the wall. Belial came over to her slowly and knelt down in front of her. He reached over and pushed some of the hair out of her face.

'You have your mother's eyes.' He noticed.

'I know.' Christina agreed.

'You really wouldn't join me to save your own life?' He asked sincerely.

'Not in any lifetime.' She assured him.

'What about to save your sisters lives?' He asked, and this got her attention. 'There it is.' He smiled. 'What would you do to save their lives?'

'I'd do just about anything.' Christina said.

'Just about? But not everything?' He asked curiously.

'Some things they'd never forgive me for.' Christina said.

'Hypothetically...' He started.

'That's a big word for a demon.' Christina smiled. He lashed out and struck her across the face before continuing. She held her palm to her cheek and watched him.

'Hypothetically, if I said I would call all my demons off and let your sisters walk out of here unharmed. Would you join me?' Christina looked to him and thought for a moment.

'No, I wouldn't.' She said honestly.

'You would let your sisters die, rather than spend eternity with me?' He stood and looked at her inquisitively.

'That decision is bigger than them, or me.' She said. 'We don't know what affect a witch defecting to rule the underworld would have on the magical world.'

'So they die, but magic lives on.' He clasped his hands in front of his body. 'How poetic.' He grinned. Christina felt slightly nauseous at that moment. She took her eyes from Belial and looked up, as if she could sense something coming. A blue orb was floating above her head. 'What is that?' Belial asked. Christina smiled and waited for the orb to float down and settle in her body. The sickly feeling vanished as soon as the orb did and she closed her eyes, taking it in. Belial stood shocked for a moment. Christina opened her eyes once more and they were sparkling blue. She held out her hands and sent a wave of blue energy towards Belial. It hit him in the stomach and he was stunned, gripping his now bloody side. 'How is that possible?'

'I guess they thought I needed some help.' Christina said, using the wall to push herself to her feet.

'It's a little late for that.' Belial straightened. 'You're weak, and you will not defeat me.'

'Try me.' Christina growled, sending out another blast. He sent his own wave of energy back and they collided. Christina could feel the strength of her own powerful and she was so glad to have it back. Belial took a step forwards, he was winning. Christina directed more energy into her beam and he stopped for a moment. She knew he was right about her being weak, and she knew she wasn't going to win this fight, but she hoped her sisters were on their way. Another few seconds passed and Christina felt herself giving out. She didn't have the energy left to sustain a battle of this magnitude and Belial started to easily push her power down. Her arms gave way and she had no defences left as his energy slammed into her. A huge crash resonated in the room, sending an earthquake like shockwave throughout the underworld. Luckily, she was already nearly passed out and the hit she took against the wall was nothing more than a dull ache. She landed heavily on her side and tried to stay awake, but her vision darkening and the last thing she saw was Belial walking over to her.