Twisted

Chapter 19

*Hell Oct. 31, 1933*

It feels like he just stabbed my heart. My heart so busted and cracked, so cold and unforgiving. My heart that beats only for him. I didn't think it could get any more bruised, but I was wrong. So very, very wrong. 

My eyes search his ruby ones for any hint of recognition but all I see is a burning rage fueling his drive for power. There's nothing I could say that could get him to stop. 

But I try anyway.

"Alastor." One of my hands reaches down to the knife sticking from my side. His own hand is still wrapped around the handle. I feel my warm blood dripping from my side. "please-" Please what? Stop? Remember? Say anything? I don't know where I wanted to go with the begging, but I didn't get anywhere with it. 

Alastor just smiles wider and twists the knife violently. I scream as the pain spreads to every nerve in my body. The ground below me shakes and the windows shatter. 

I shove myself away from Alastor and clutch my side. I breathe deep trying to control the pain. I close my eyes and try to calm my rapidly beating heart. My mind wanders back to that night all those years ago, choking on my own blood. Unable to stop myself from sinking. 

I'm pulled back to the present by the sound of helicopter blades. I open my eyes and see a channel 666 news camera focused on both me and Alastor. They'll expect me to kill him. But I can't. 

I'll be seen as weak if I don't. 

I won't be able to live with myself if I do. 

Alastor swings his staff at me. I duck and roll to the left to avoid getting my head bashed. I hiss as more blood spills and the movement causes a new wave of pain to enter my system. My vision goes dark for just a second. I blink the shadows away and refocus. Somehow I need to defeat Alastor so he doesn't kill me, but do so in a way that I don't lose respect as an overlord. No doubt the king is watching this right now. He probably wanted this to happen all along.  

I silently curse Lucifer before focusing back on the task at hand. Alastor swings again and I duck out of the way. I don't want to hit him. I don't want to hurt him. But if I don't begin fighting back he will kill me. 

I try to think of something but I can't focus with the constant sound of the helicopter in my ears. I take a deep breath and sing a singular note directing the energy toward the helicopter. It cuts the tail of the helicopter off causing the vehicle to spin out of control and crash a few miles away. 

"Now that that nuisance is out of the way I can think," I mutter. I turn to Alastor and his Cheshire cat smile, "I'll make you a deal."

Alastor pauses and tilts his head. "What kind of deal could be better than killing you where you stand and taking this territory for myself?" He asks. His voice sounds different like it's coming through a radio speaker. 

"This isn't my territory," I explain, "The overlords who ruled this area before are dead on the pavement." Alastor rises a single eyebrow promoting me to continue, "What I offer you is this, demons like you and me don't last long down here unless we're smart about our moves. This is just one big game of chess, and one wrong move could send you to the void. You're the only other mortal-born demon I've met to have the strength to become an overlord as I did. You can have this territory and all the neighboring ones you want, all I ask is that you don't come for mine in the north."

"And why would I do that? When I can kill you still and claim your land?" Alastor asks. 

"Because I can help you. Once other hell-born overlords hear about what you did here they will come seeking vengeance." I explain.