When It Reigns (Cursed Reigns, #1)

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

AERYN'S POV

I sprawled onto the splintering strips of wood and cursed as my hand landed in a sticky substance, coating my palm with the sharp smell of iron. I recoiled, swiping the blood on my pants as I jumped to my feet. Penn and the demons were gone, but small puddles of the Cursed demon's blood were spattered across the ring, sizzling as it scorched the flimsy wood.

I could only hope that Penn had used her Insignia's ability to heal infections to rid herself of the Curse before she turned into one of the brainless demons. I refused to consider the other options; the ones where it was already too late, or she was dead.

The door opposite me creaked as it was lifted and a single Cursed demon rushed from the opening, sprinting at me on all fours as its greasy hair flew behind it. I unsheathed my dagger as the demon launched itself at me, flashing its pointed incisors as it sailed with its arms outstretched. When its serrated claws were mere inches from tearing into me, I ducked and rolled out from under it. The demon coasted above me and crashed to the floor, getting a leg caught in one of the many holes littering the area.

I transferred my dagger to the hand covered with the fresh blood of the previous victim I refused to think about as I brandished a throwing star and whipped it at the trapped demon, grazing the translucent skin on its back. The star sliced through the thin layer of skin, drawing the black blood. The demon shrieked and pulled its leg free, gathering itself on all fours as I took out the other star. The demon pounced with a horrific snarl, and I released the weapon, making it spin in a curved path for the advancing demon. The star struck its throat, knocking its body sideways.

I ran over to the demon and threw myself at its legs. Wrapping an arm around its flailing limbs, I jammed my dagger into its slender thigh and reached for a knife as the demon tried to fling me off it. It kicked its legs and struck the base of my chin with its pointed kneecaps, causing me to bite my tongue and lose my grip. The bitterness of my own blood flooded my mouth, and I spat a wad of the gore onto the ground as I gingerly got up on my hands and knees, dragging in greedy breaths of stale air.

The demon's red pupils among its entirely black eyes zeroed in on me and it bowled right into me, knocking me flat on my back. My head hit the uneven flooring and dark spots floated in my vision as I willed myself to remain conscious.

The demon wrapped its hand around my neck, constricting the airflow to my lungs. My eyes bulged and my chest burned as terror overtook me, making me freeze as the demon's fangs closed in on me.

I strained to crane my neck out of the way, but the demon was surprisingly strong for its feeble appearance. A harsh sting pierced the sensitive spot where my shoulder connected with my neck as the demon sunk its fangs into the skin at the tender location. My back arched as fire burned a blazing trail into my veins, heating my blood in excruciating agony. 

I couldn't hear the blood-curdling scream tearing out of my throat as my heart pounded, trying to pump out my pure, oxygen-enriched blood to dilute the venom invading my body. I bucked as the demon's bite discharged a toxic amount of poison into me, filling me with the blistering matter.

Darkness draped across my vision, obscuring my view of the demon as it completely drained its toxin into me. My body stilled, losing the battle to the demon's venom as the terminal realization of my terminal fate devoured the last of my consciousness.

I was Cursed.

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I couldn't tell if I was screaming or drowning, or both. My eyelids were compressed together, enveloping me in a permanent blanket of darkness as a searing trail charred its way down my throat, burning the flesh raw. My entire body felt like it was nearing combustion as liquid fires sparked through my veins. I writhed in agony as my body convulsed, back bowing as I fed the flames with the oxygen I sucked into my lungs. Another screech tore up my throat as my neck blazed in torture and I collapsed, twitching on a solid surface.