Grave Mistakes (Hellgate Guardians #1)(87)

As soon as Jerif manages to throw off the demon on his back, another one is there, taking its place, stabbing straight into his side. This time, Jerif doesn’t manage to get back to his feet. Another one tackles him from the other side too, sending him crashing to the ground, barely stopping the demon from slitting his throat.

Tears fill my eyes, and rage fills my heart.

They’re killing him.

He’s going to be murdered right before my eyes, and the horror of that realization makes the black edges of my fury intensify.

Outraged by what I’m seeing, I start slashing my way to him. I take out dozens, but there’s dozens more ready to flood in to take their place. It takes me too long to move mere feet closer, because the horde is closing in, and that’s when I see the net.

They’re going to trap me like I’m a fucking animal and haul me away.

I scream, impotent fury bouncing off the walls and echoing back to remind me just how helpless I really am.

I ash everything around me, tears streaming from my eyes as I try to get to Jerif. He must hear me coming, because he turns to me from where he’s lying on the ground, bleeding, fighting off more of the attacking demons who brave the dimming fire surrounding him.

His firelit eyes meet mine, but instead of seeing hope in them, because he knows help is coming, I see stony resignation. “Run,” he mouths to me, his voice lost to the cacophony of snarls and hisses around us.

It takes me a beat to comprehend what he’s saying. I shake my head no. I won’t just leave him here. I can’t.

He sees the defiance on my face. “Run, Delta! Now!” he yells at me, and I watch as he taps into the last of his reserves and shoves painfully to his feet.

They slash at him as he burns them, and I renew my efforts to get to him. He can shove his order right up his tight ass. I release a savage bellow and curse every being between me and him, but he’s still too far away. The net is getting closer, and for every demon I kill, three more take its place.

I fight with everything I have, but it’s not enough. I’m not enough.

We’re being pressed further down the passageway as we fight, and the crowd around us grows even more oppressive and overwhelming. Iceman, Crux, and Echo are nowhere in sight, and I refuse to think about what that means. All I can focus on is trying to get to Jerif. There’s a wall of demons between us and the Duo portal, but a gap opens up in front of me, and I’m surprised to see that the way is clear.

The mass is coming from behind us, and a plan surges through me. If I’m an ūnus, maybe I can take Jerif with me through the portal? I’m not sure if that’ll actually work, but what do we have to lose? If neither of us can get through the portal to the First Ring of Hell, then we’re dead. Duo is already blocked, so fuck it, what alternative do we have?

My arms are leaden from slashing and slicing everything around me, but I scream at myself that I can do it. I can get to Jerif. I can save us. I have to.

Ash and flames dance all around me as I renew my efforts and move closer to him like I’m some Hell-blessed battering ram. I make progress, but I shove that excitement away because I’m still not near enough or able to protect him from the onslaught still raining down on his body. The demons are attacking him to kill, which answers my question about whether I’m the only one they seem interested in taking.

My body is exhausted, my arms shaking every time I swing the scythe, but I keep pushing, keep moving, even as the injuries in my limbs scream at me with every step. I keep going.

Closer.

Only a dozen demons separate us now.

I feel talons rake down my back, making me hiss and cry out in pain as I spin and poof the bastard demon who just flayed me. My cry must make Jerif aware that I’m still trying to get to him, because his head snaps in my direction. His flame-filled eyes are pissed, but there’s also something else there, and it steals my breath.

He’s scared.

And sad.

I shake my head as I watch defeat take over his face. I never thought I’d see that expression on the asshole demon’s face, and it fucking guts me.

Terror shoves me closer to him, but no matter how hard I try, demons keep us apart.

“Run,” he tells me calmly again, and I can hear his deep tone cut through the noise all around me like a knife. “You have to run, Warrior Princess. Don’t let me die for nothing.”

Tears pour out of my eyes. His face softens as it takes me in. For a moment, it’s just us. Separated by nothing but our own damn pride. I suddenly have so many fucking regrets that it chokes me.

“Jerif, please!” I shout, my voice hoarse as the plea crawls out of my throat. This can’t happen. It just can’t be this way. An hour ago, we were fine...we were all together. How did it all go so fucking wrong so quickly?

I try to fight against the loss and pain that wants to take root in my chest and tell my mind what it refuses to accept. I can’t save him, and that realization makes my heart shatter as violently as Iceman’s ice did.

I scream and slash out, begging Jerif to just hold on, but I watch as another black blade is shoved into his stomach, and Jerif buckles to his knees again.

“NO!” I scream, my voice begging the universe to stop the brutality, to give me my demon back. I’ve been robbed of too much already. How could the world be so cruel to give me this future? To dangle Jerif, Iceman, Crux, and Echo in front of me, just to rip them all away? It’s not fucking fair.