double time now. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to make it all the way back to the Palace to feed if she didn’t head back soon.
“The wastelands,” she said firmly. End of subject.
The door behind her opened.
Elise didn’t turn quickly enough.
Metal prongs dug into her back. Electricity followed an instant later.
It coursed through her body, blanking her mind, crowding her vision with stars. Her teeth felt like they were about to pop free of her skull. And her hands—she could see the bones through her skin.
Sallosa moved swiftly, drawing her flamberge. “It was never about those fucking supplies. It was about getting you alone, away from the Palace.”
And she shoved the blade through Elise’s chest.
At another time, when she hadn’t been forced to resort to using ethereal magic, a little electricity and a sword to the heart would have barely staggered her.
She was already hungry. Weak.
Elise fell under Sallosa, out of mind, riding on a flaming ocean of agony.
She heard something wet and meaty. Her corporeal body jerked. Sallosa was stabbing her, trying to pulverize her organs, doing her damnedest to kill a demon that couldn’t die.
It wasn’t working, but it didn’t feel good, either.
Elise’s muscles burned as her skin faded away. She was peeling inside out. Losing her body.
As she faded, her warding ring fell from her shriveled hand. Clattered to the floor. Her mind opened wide.
Elise…
She glimpsed a mirrored hall, wooden floors. The black and white keys of a piano. Long fingers poised to play.
James’s presence brushed against her skull. It was a bad time for the fissure’s currents to open enough for them to make contact through the bond. Don’t look , she told him.
Of course he pushed against her harder, trying to see. Why ?
Trust me. Don’t.
Then she let herself go.
Elise relinquished her physical form, succumbing to the shadows.
She filled the room with herself—not deliberately, but because she was incapable of doing anything else. Elise was the flood. She occupied every inch of air and light and drew it within her.
Elise felt her incorporeal form being sucked deeper into Hell. She was too weak to remain in Dis, and if she didn’t act fast, she was going to fall into Hell’s darker pits. Maybe to Malebolge, where nightmares were formed. Maybe somewhere else she hadn’t yet seen.
Maybe nowhere at all.
No . Elise railed against it. Fought to stay in the room.
But she was weak. She couldn’t fight for long.
Sallosa nearly killed me .
The fury gave her enough strength to wrap around the centurion of the thirtieth century, slither down her throat, and engulf her body in darkness. Sallosa tried to scream, but choked on the smoke.
She kept growing. She seized Sallosa’s servant.
Once they were tangled inside of Elise, she inhaled.
For the briefest moment, Elise could feel the other demons writhing, silently screaming their anger. Then Sallosa and her servant died within her body and went limp.
Eating them was almost as good as devouring mortal life—not quite, but almost. It was enough for her to draw her body in on itself, withdrawing her tendrils from the corners of the room, allowing the hazy red light of the desert to reappear. With concentration, she reformed her limbs, and then her core.
Her hands flew to her breast. The first stab wound wasn’t gone. Sludgy amber blood oozed down her stomach.
“Fuck,” Elise whispered, lifting her eyes to the room.
Sallosa’s bloodied sword was at her feet on top of a pile of plate armor. There was no hint of any bodies. She had consumed every last atom of them. Still not enough to heal herself.
Elise pulled her clothes back on, shoving the warding ring into place before James could try to look in on her again. She winced at every movement. Blood began seeping through her shirt.
The assassination attempt had done much more damage than it should have. She couldn’t let anyone see her like this: truly wounded,
“The wastelands,” she said firmly. End of subject.
The door behind her opened.
Elise didn’t turn quickly enough.
Metal prongs dug into her back. Electricity followed an instant later.
It coursed through her body, blanking her mind, crowding her vision with stars. Her teeth felt like they were about to pop free of her skull. And her hands—she could see the bones through her skin.
Sallosa moved swiftly, drawing her flamberge. “It was never about those fucking supplies. It was about getting you alone, away from the Palace.”
And she shoved the blade through Elise’s chest.
At another time, when she hadn’t been forced to resort to using ethereal magic, a little electricity and a sword to the heart would have barely staggered her.
She was already hungry. Weak.
Elise fell under Sallosa, out of mind, riding on a flaming ocean of agony.
She heard something wet and meaty. Her corporeal body jerked. Sallosa was stabbing her, trying to pulverize her organs, doing her damnedest to kill a demon that couldn’t die.
It wasn’t working, but it didn’t feel good, either.
Elise’s muscles burned as her skin faded away. She was peeling inside out. Losing her body.
As she faded, her warding ring fell from her shriveled hand. Clattered to the floor. Her mind opened wide.
Elise…
She glimpsed a mirrored hall, wooden floors. The black and white keys of a piano. Long fingers poised to play.
James’s presence brushed against her skull. It was a bad time for the fissure’s currents to open enough for them to make contact through the bond. Don’t look , she told him.
Of course he pushed against her harder, trying to see. Why ?
Trust me. Don’t.
Then she let herself go.
Elise relinquished her physical form, succumbing to the shadows.
She filled the room with herself—not deliberately, but because she was incapable of doing anything else. Elise was the flood. She occupied every inch of air and light and drew it within her.
Elise felt her incorporeal form being sucked deeper into Hell. She was too weak to remain in Dis, and if she didn’t act fast, she was going to fall into Hell’s darker pits. Maybe to Malebolge, where nightmares were formed. Maybe somewhere else she hadn’t yet seen.
Maybe nowhere at all.
No . Elise railed against it. Fought to stay in the room.
But she was weak. She couldn’t fight for long.
Sallosa nearly killed me .
The fury gave her enough strength to wrap around the centurion of the thirtieth century, slither down her throat, and engulf her body in darkness. Sallosa tried to scream, but choked on the smoke.
She kept growing. She seized Sallosa’s servant.
Once they were tangled inside of Elise, she inhaled.
For the briefest moment, Elise could feel the other demons writhing, silently screaming their anger. Then Sallosa and her servant died within her body and went limp.
Eating them was almost as good as devouring mortal life—not quite, but almost. It was enough for her to draw her body in on itself, withdrawing her tendrils from the corners of the room, allowing the hazy red light of the desert to reappear. With concentration, she reformed her limbs, and then her core.
Her hands flew to her breast. The first stab wound wasn’t gone. Sludgy amber blood oozed down her stomach.
“Fuck,” Elise whispered, lifting her eyes to the room.
Sallosa’s bloodied sword was at her feet on top of a pile of plate armor. There was no hint of any bodies. She had consumed every last atom of them. Still not enough to heal herself.
Elise pulled her clothes back on, shoving the warding ring into place before James could try to look in on her again. She winced at every movement. Blood began seeping through her shirt.
The assassination attempt had done much more damage than it should have. She couldn’t let anyone see her like this: truly wounded,
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