The Demon's Half

Chapter 30

Logan barely had a second to register the teleport before he doubled over and threw up. Teleporting felt like having your whole body ripped apart. I should've said something.

I grimaced. "Sorry. Should've warned you about that."

Alexander looked at him like he was already done with his entire existence, and pointed behind me, "there."

I followed his gaze and verga. I never thought I'd see something like this in real life. Across the field, the others were gathered near a tomb. Alilla sat in the grass, staring blankly ahead—her eyes an abyss of black.
No human left in them.
Wind raged around her, spiraling in a cyclone. It looked like a barrier. Inside, Jade and the twins stood frozen, their daggers clenched tight. But their presence barely registered.
Because Alilla looked possessed.
Her arms rested on her knees, palms up, open, like she was offering herself to something unseen. Blood covered every inch of her. As if something unseen was slowly killing her.

Outside the barrier, the demons fought like rabid animals. Emmeline hurled boulders, each one slamming against the wind with explosive force. It didn't budge. Magnus's vines whipped and coiled, striking out, but they snapped before they could take hold.
Ramses threw himself at the shield, again and again, as if his brute force was enough against a witch.

The wind screamed, but the sound of my own pulse trying to break out of my skull was louder. Alilla's blood dripped into the dirt, soaking in fast, looked like the ground was thirsty for it.

"It's already taking pieces of her as payment," Alexander narrowed his eyes.

"Why?" I asked.

"This is why we don't let her use magic," Logan whispered.

"Let her?" Alexander massaged his own temples. "She's a witch, you morons."

I felt Logan tense beside me. "Listen, you smug son of a—"

"This is happening because she doubled up on spells," he explained to me, completely ignoring Logan. "One to keep you all from dying. One to stop a curse. Rookie mistake. Let's go."

Logan grabbed him by the collar, and Alexander grinned. Normally, that would've been a waste of energy. Since he usually melted through fingers like smoke. But this time he let himself be caught.

"You've got some goddamn nerve," Logan growled.

Alexander angled his head down to match his gaze. "Okay, watching her die sounds far more interesting."

"Enough," I said, and somehow my voice was steady, even if my pulse was doing gymnastics.
Alexander smirked at me as Logan, reluctantly, let him go. I turned to Alexander. "If you keep them alive, I'll do anything you want."

Logan spun toward me so fast he nearly tripped. "Morgan, what the—"

"And include Logan in that bargain."

The way he staggered back—as if I'd just punched him in the throat.

"Anything, will you?" Alexander's voice had the kind of tone that could convince you to walk willingly into hell. His gaze dragged over me. Not like Logan's, full of worry and 'why are you like this' frustration.
No.
He looked at me like I was something to own. Something he already did.

"For fuck's sake, Morgan—stop making deals with this asshole!"

He flicked his fingers like he was swatting away a fly. "Relax, lover boy. She still has her soul."

"I won't let you—" Logan's mouth snapped shut.
A strip of dark tape materialized over his lips. His muffled outrage was the only sound left between us.