Secrets And Sins Part 3: Happy ever after

Chapter 55

~Beatrice~

Beatrice paced back and forth in front of the tent that held Mary and Bael. It felt like it had been hours but in reality; it had probably been about twenty minutes since she had hugged her friend and wished her luck.

This was a dangerous gamble. Mary was only human, and an already wounded one at that. Beatrice wished she could've done it instead, what use was carrying this artefact imbued with Halo power if she couldn't even use it?

Even now the power surged in her chest, testing her control. It was just as restless as she was, like it was begging for action, for a fight, but it wasn't sentient, not without being connected to Ava, and Halo, or at least, she didn't think so. The power surged again, like it was disagreeing with her, and Beatrice clenched her jaw to keep from making a sound. No wonder Ava had found controlling the Halo so difficult. It seemed to affect everything, her mood, her thoughts, she could barely think straight when it was acting up, and that was becoming a problem.

Maybe I should take it out?

A much greater power surge nearly brought her to her knees. Beatrice could feel it burning at her palms, she stopped, lifting her hands up and indeed her hands were glowing. golden sparks of energy dripping from her skin to scorch into the sandy earth under her feet.

What the fuck is going on with this thing?

A heavy thud to her left followed by the roar of a crowd snapped her out of her head. Torn between staying put or investigating, Beatrice's curiosity eventually won out and she wandered towards the sound of the clash.

A short distance away two demons were fighting hand to hand in a circle of their peers. It was bloody and harsh; the crowd cheering every bone shattering hit. Beatrice stopped near the back watching as the larger demon smashed his massive fist into his opponent's nose, most definitely breaking it if the crack of bone was anything to go by. The victim collapsed in a blood spraying howl, as the victor raised his beefy arms above his head.

Two demons in the crowd hustled the unconscious demon, blood streaming from his face, out of the ring.

"Who's next?" He roared, strutting around the edge of the ring like he owned the place.

It was then that Beatrice had a terrible idea to help quell some of her nervous energy and hopefully quiet the restless power.

She stepped forward. "Me."

The demon crowd turned as one as the gaze of the demon in the ring found her. "A human?" He laughed. "You're not serious."

"I am." She nodded, rolling the sleeves of her shirt up to the elbows as she stepped forward.

"I cannot fight a human." The demon grunted, immediately dismissive. "Especially Lord Bael's human."

"Lucky for you Lord Bael isn't here." The crowd parted around her letting her into the blood-soaked sand of the circle.

"You are too tiny." He said, and he wasn't wrong. The demon easily had three feet on her. Beatrice barely came up to his chest. "And too fragile. I will not fight you."

Beatrice sighed then, making a show of her disappointment. "Well, what a shame... I thought Bael's soldiers would be braver than this..."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Don't tell me you're stupid too?" She looked the demon dead in the eye. "I didn't think any demon would be afraid to fight a human."

"I am not afraid!" He snarled right in her face, but Beatrice refused to flinch. Pure power sung through her veins.