Deal with the Devil - Fear the devils series book 1

Chapter 53

A few weeks later

"I love you, my queen," Blade whispered, his voice a soft caress meant only for her ears as they shared slices of their wedding cake. Celine smiled back at him, feeling the warmth of his love fill her. She no longer noticed the terrifying demons standing just beyond the candlelight, their monstrous forms blending into the shadows. All that mattered was him–her husband, her king.

A gentle tug on her arm pulled her gaze downward. Alicia, her daughter, smiled up at her, her eyes bright with joy. "Mommy!" she giggled, her voice sweet and innocent.

Celine's heart swelled. In this moment, she was at peace–true peace. No battles, no nightmares, just love and serenity. She held her daughter close, Blade sitting next to her, his gaze never leaving hers.

But a voice, one too familiar, shattered the stillness.

"Celine."

She turned sharply, her heart skipping a beat. Rylus stood at the edge of the room, his face clouded with something dark–something wrong.

Before she could react, other voices joined his, whispering in unison, their words like the rustle of dead leaves on the wind. The sound came from everywhere and nowhere, curling around her mind like a noose tightening.

"A dream so sweet, yet full of lies,
She can't see through his dark disguise.
His words are poison, tainted deep,
Promises made he'll never keep.
Wake up now, and break the spell,
Before you're trapped in twisted hell.
For what he hides, you must beware,
A rotten heart beyond repair."

The voices seemed to crawl under her skin, their meaning clawing at her. She turned back to Rylus, but her scream froze in her throat as his body dissolved, collapsing into a pool of thick, black ooze. The liquid rippled, spreading across the floor like ink devouring the light.

"No! Rylus!" Celine shot to her feet, her hands reaching out to him, but it was too late. He was gone, swallowed by the darkness.

Before she could move another step, the entire world around her seemed to warp and twist. The demons, once still and silent, began to close in, their horrifying faces twisting into sneers. Their eyes gleamed, their forms warping into grotesque, unrecognizable shapes.

Celine gasped, stumbling backward, her head spinning. Her vision blurred, her heart pounded.
Then everything went black.

Her eyes flew open.

She was back in bed, panting, her skin damp with cold sweat. The room was dark, the air heavy with stillness. She sat up quickly, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to catch her breath.

"What was that?" she whispered to herself, her heart still hammering in her chest. A nightmare, she told herself. Just a nightmare.

But when she turned to Blade's side of the bed, it was empty.

Her brow furrowed. Strange. Blade never left without telling her, especially at the hours she went to bed. An uneasy feeling gnawed at her, but she forced herself to lie back down. It's probably an emergency, she reasoned. He'll be back soon.

But no sooner had she closed her eyes than she heard it–faint at first, like the rustling of leaves in the wind. Whispers. They seemed to seep from the walls, growing louder as if the darkness itself was speaking to her.

Her eyes snapped open. The whispers didn't stop. They twisted through the room, impossible to place, yet everywhere at once.

"Who's there?" Celine demanded, sitting up in bed, her voice trembling but firm.