Read Online Lord of Hell (Alex Holden) by Devin Harnois - Free Book Online

gripped her arm and put Animus under her chin. “If I let you go, you’ll try to escape again.”
    Her green-yellow eyes went wide with fear. “No, I swear. Don’t kill me.”
    “You swear? Why should I trust a promise from a demon?” The blade just barely touched her blue skin.
    “Please. Please don’t kill me.”
    I needed to make an example of her. I needed to make sure she couldn’t escape again and torment humans. But I didn’t want to kill someone, even a demon, who wasn’t fighting back. Who was begging for her life.
    “Kill her!” the demons lurking near the columns shouted. “Make her bleed! Tear her apart!”
    Semiazas approached slowly and stopped a few feet away. “Why are you hesitating?”
    “You’re all so fucking bloodthirsty.” I looked into the demon’s pleading eyes. Animus sang for the demon’s blood. You, too? I thought.
    “Please.” Naamah trembled. “I will do anything. I swear I won’t go back to the human realm.”
    I imagined letting her go, how she’d thank me and then laugh maniacally at what a sucker I was. Demons are liars and connivers. That’s what they do.
    But what if she was telling the truth? What if she was really afraid?
    What about all the people she’d led to sin? People who were down here suffering right now because she’d whispered in their ears.
    I yelled, the wordless sound of frustration echoing off the walls. I shoved Naamah away and pointed Animus at her. “If you go to Earth again, so help me I will find you again, and I’ll kill you.”
    The demons kept calling for her death while a few of them grumbled.
    Naamah stared as if she couldn’t believe it. “You’re letting me go?”
    “Yes. Now get out of my sight.”
    “Thank you, my lord. Thank you.”
    “And put some fucking clothes on.”
    “Yes, my lord.” She hurried past the crowd of demons and into the shadows behind the columns.
    The demons complained, saying I should have killed her, should have at least punished her, beaten her for disobedience.
    “Shut up!” I roared, causing them to cringe. “Get out, all of you.” I glared and they scrambled into the darkness.
    I needed to go home, spend some time with Hayley and maybe Casey and my other friends. I sheathed Animus and noticed Semiazas was still standing there. “I told you to leave.”
    “Why did you let her go, my lord?” He didn’t look angry or frustrated like the other demons. He looked genuinely curious.
    “I couldn’t kill her when she was pleading for her life.” I glanced at my arm where she’d scratched me. There was no sign of a wound. I felt tacky blood in my nostrils and on my upper lip, but my nose didn’t hurt anymore.
    “Then why not beat her to teach her a lesson?”
    “The way my father used to beat me? Yeah, that taught me to be obedient, didn’t it?” I glared at him. “Are you disappointed you didn’t get a show?”
    “I did get a show. We all did. You showed mercy to a demon. Even Jehovah wouldn’t do that.”
    I snorted. “That guy is a jackass.”
    “You are so like your father, and yet so unlike him.”
    “I guess I’ll take that as a compliment rather than punch you in the face for comparing me to Satan.” I still wasn’t sure I could trust this guy. He seemed so different from the others, but maybe he was just craftier than them.
    “Send Ernaz if anyone else tries to escape,” I said. “I’m going home.”
    ***
    I had dinner with Hayley and Casey and their parents. I needed to do something human after spending so much time in Hell. I didn’t want to forget what it was like in the mortal world or leave behind the normal life I’d fought so hard to get. Only a week and half after I’d taken over and I could already feel my life here slipping away. I told myself it would get better when school started again.
    Then I wondered if I’d be able to go to school at all. How was I supposed to go to class when demons might be escaping Hell and sowing evil when I wasn’t looking?