Death Demon (Demon Assassin Series Book 3), page 1
Death Demon
Demon Assassin Series - Book 3
A.C. Wilds
Copyright © 2020 by A.C. Wilds
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
A.C. Wilds asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
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First edition
Editing: Cynthia Shepp - Editing Services by Cynthia Shepp
Cover Design: Ana Cruz - Ana Cruz Arts
Created with Vellum
For my readers - thank you for being on this journey with me.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Sneak Peak at Death Card
Acknowledgments
Also by A.C. Wilds
About the Author
1
ANIMA
Pain.
That’s all I can remember since the battle. I don’t know how long I’ve been here, but my body is sure it’s an eternity. Cracking my eyes open, I stay still, allowing myself to check out my surroundings.
The damp and darkness tell me that I’m in the dungeon at the citadel. I’ve put more demons down here than I’ve killed. Sometimes, a bounty comes in that’s not a kill order. I was in charge of those, having the most restraint of any of the assassins.
The last time I saw Torque and Caedis, they were standing on the other side of the portal before Rahna pulled me through. Since then, she’s visited to remind me how much of a disappointment I am.
Long gone is the mother I saw in the vision. She’s not that person any longer. I’m not even sure she’s the same high priestess who raised me. I didn’t know until after I met my soul-merge fathers that Rahna was, in fact, the witch who impregnated herself.
I was born a tri-bred, but with the wards down here, it means nothing, and she knows it. Not even with the added boost of Torque’s powers could I get out of here.
“Anima,” a voice whispers. It’s so low that I think I imagine it.
I try to hold my head up long enough to see around the bend, but I’m too weak. My magic is depleted, and I have no raw source to tap into. Namir is trapped in the Demon Realm.
“Anima, it’s Cassandra. Are you awake?”
Her voice gets louder as she creeps closer. Keys jingle in her hands. For a moment, I think she’s going to free me, but then I realize she’s holding a tray of food. Something I haven’t had since I’ve been here.
I drag myself into a seated position before leaning on the wall. This time, at least, they put me on the cot and not the floor. The cold stone presses into the shift that’s draped over my small frame. They took my armor and Hubris as soon as they let me out of the bubble.
“She’s letting me eat? I didn’t think she cared.”
My voice is coarse, throat dry from screaming. I reach up to touch my cracked lips. Blood stains my fingertips. It’s been longer than a few days.
“No, but I couldn’t bear it any longer. It’s not right whether you did what they say or not.”
The keys echo around the cavern, and the door groans when she swings it open. The assassin me should be up and killing her right now, but the part of me that realized there is more to fight for than blood and death chooses to stay seated.
Wary at first, she balances the tray with one hand and closes the cell door. Placing the food tray on the cot, she picks up the bowl of steaming liquid. It smells like chicken and celery.
“It’s broth. I didn’t think you could handle eating solids again. It’s been three weeks.”
“Three weeks? Longer than I thought.” I reach for the bowl, but my arm drops to my side before it gets halfway there.
“Here, let me help you.” She moves to the other side of me and takes a seat. I want to object but my stomach growls, and I can’t deny how much I need the nutrition.
The hot spoon burns my bloody lips, but the taste of the broth floods my senses. I feel more alive after the bowl is finished. She holds out a cup of water with a straw, and I slowly sip.
“Why are you here?” I ask once my mind has cleared.
“I told you. It’s not right. You’re the best assassin I know. You trained me well, and you’ve never let me think you’d switch sides for a frivolous reason. There’s more to what they’re saying.”
“What are they saying?”
“That you’re a traitor and a witch killer. You sided with the Princep of Bloods, and now you fight for him. That your purpose is to take over the Mortal Realm.”
“She’s twisted the whole thing. It shouldn’t surprise me.” I adjust my position on the cot, then straighten my legs.
“What happened?” She scoots closer to help me to sit up more fully. My head feels clear for a moment as I think about all we’ve been through since I was given the contract to kill Torque.
“Torque Sanguis is the King of Bloods in the Demon Realm. He’s also the one who led me to my fathers and helped me find out the truth of what Rahna is doing. She isn’t here to save the humans. She’s trying to destroy them.”
Cassandra gasps, holding her hand over her mouth. “How could she? What was your proof?”
I’ve been where she is. Following Rahna has been ingrained in our blood. It’s not something that washes away as soon as someone reveals a secret.
“Torque holds holy magic. It’s raw magic that was used to create the realms. Rahna also has some. She plans to reshape the worlds in her image. She started with me. I’m her creation. A stolen soul-merge she placed inside herself. She’s my mother.”
“She’s your mother and did this to you?” She reels back, mouth twisted.
“I don’t think she’s thought of herself as my mother in a long time. To make a killing machine, you have to turn off your emotions, and that’s exactly what she did before she wiped my memories.”
“And Torque knew about all of this? Before you did?”
“Yes. He figured it out before we went to the Demon Realm. It seems he’s always one step ahead.”
I don’t dare tell her that he’s my mate—one shock at a time.
“If she’s going to change the realms, why did she create you and not do it herself?”
“Holy magic is raw and powerful. It isn’t made for mortals to handle, and demons aren’t a fit either. She needed someone strong enough to transform it to her will. She also needed a puppet to take the fall.”
Pointing to myself, I close my eyes. I don’t need to see her face to know she’s disgusted. I am, too. The one person I thought gave a shit about me is a monster who wanted me for my powers.
“We have to get you out of here.”
My eyes snap open. I search for a lie or deceit, but I can’t find any. “How?”
“I’ll help. I can sneak down here and let you out through the tunnels. You’ll have to make your way from there. It’s the most I can do.”
“What do you get out of this?” There’s always a reason behind a person’s actions.
“I help to set this all right. I don’t want to be a part of something that will destroy the same beings we were tasked with keeping safe. No one should have that much power.”
“You’ll need Hallowed Grounds. Can you get a message to their head of securities Caymn? He knows about the cause. He’ll be able to either find Torque or my fathers.”
“I don’t like the idea of going alone.” She worries her lip, and her eyes drop to her lap.
“You’re afraid.” It’s not a question but a statement. One I haven’t seen from Cassandra before. She’s always been the perfect assassin, showing no fear.
“When you left, I was given your post. I’ve killed so many Bloods that I don’t think they’ll listen to me.”
“Make them. And don’t take no for an answer. You’re a Tenebris witch. Not a coward. You’re able to take them down without anyone else. I’ve seen you fight, trained you. Don’t
She straightens her shoulders and nods. Eyes burning with determination, she gets up from the cot. “Caymn. I’ll tell him tomorrow night. When she comes for you today, don’t resist. Give her what she wants. Maybe the beating won’t be so bad this time.”
“She isn’t beating me.”
I lay down as soon as she takes the tray from the cot. She pulls the threadbare blanket over me, and I curl in on myself.
“What is she doing?”
“She’s draining my magic.”
Without saying another word, she walks out of the cell. I close my eyes and try to get some sleep before the torment, but it’s not easy. My body feels as if it’s a dried husk left in the sun for too long.
“Ani,” a raspy voice calls. For the second time, I’m startled by the dark.
“Shelley? Are you down here?”
I want to get up and go to her even though I can’t see anything. Even if my legs are too weak to move, and my arms won’t support my weight as I try to get up from the cot.
“Yeah. That bitch caught me right after you left. Cunt. I’d like to snap her neck.”
I chuckle. Shelley’s human, but she has all the spunk of a witch. “Are you okay?”
“I’m exhausted and feel like I got run over by a truck. I have some sort of hole in my stomach that oozes this black stuff, but other than that, the same. She has someone feed me. There’s also a witch who changes the dressings after they suck out the black stuff, which hurts like hell.”
A spell. It has to be the one connecting them. They’re linked, but Shelley is a human and her body is rejecting the magic. I’m going to kill Rahna twice for this.
“We’re getting out of here. Torque will come for me. When he does, we’ll get you treatment to break the spell.”
“She spelled me? That bitch! Now I’m pissed. That’s a violation of my civil rights. You can’t perform magic without consent.”
Shelley’s fiery attitude comes out, and it makes me smile. “I’ve missed you. I could have used you in the Demon Realm. A sorry bunch of bores they are.”
“What was it like? All dust and fire… or was it ice?”
“Neither. It’s actually like the Mortal Realm, except there are more severe sections. The Bloodlands are different from the Darklands or the Deathlands. Each has its own beauty.”
“Sounds like you enjoyed some of it.”
“I did. It’s… it’s…” I don’t know how I can tell her I’m a demon, a witch, and an angel. What if she thinks differently about me? Humans don’t exactly love demons.
“Spit it out. Even if I can’t see you, I can hear in your voice something isn’t right.”
“I’m a tri-bred. Witch, demon, and angel.”
Silence fills the air, and I wait for her to say something. It’s the longest few seconds of my life. Rejection would hurt from anyone, but it would be devastating from Shelley.
“You’re all of them together? How is that even possible? I didn’t think they could breed with one another, or we’d have half-bred demons running all over.”
“They can’t. Not in the traditional way, but you can with magic. It’s similar to human IVF. My soul was created by a demon and an angel in what they call a soul-merge. A mixture of true essence. That was then placed inside of a witch’s egg to make me. I was carried to term by a witch.”
“Holy shit. You’re like a sci-fi experiment. A superhero from another world.”
She sounds way too excited to be given all this information. I’m not even sure what I am. Am I considered a mortal because I was born in this realm and was carried by Rahna, or am I a demon because those powers are stronger?
“I’m glad this amuses you. It was a shock for me. It took a while for me to come to terms with it. After meeting my fathers, I’m better with it.”
“After we get out of here, we’re going to have a major conversation about what went down in the Demon Realm. I have a feeling it’s way more than I think it is.”
“It would be a long chat. I’d kill for a burger at Bobby’s or an omelet from Manny’s.”
She groans, and I hear her shuffle. Her voice comes out stronger, closer, as if she came up to the bars.
“A burger with bacon and a beer would be heaven right now. When we get out of here, I’m going to eat for three days and then pass out for four. You can come collect me in a week.”
“I’d give anything to join you, but we have work to do. Now that she’s pulled you into this, we have to find a way to get that spell out of you or use it against her.”
“Do you know what it does?”
I let out a long breath. I don’t want to tell her, but she must know.
“It links the two of you. If someone kills you, she dies, and vice versa. That’s why they haven’t tortured you. She can’t risk becoming weak because of it.”
“That fucking bitch. If I didn’t love myself, I’d run into traffic to teach her a lesson.”
“Don’t get any ideas. I’ll fix this. I’ll fix all of it, Shelley. Starting with getting the fuck out of here.”
2
TORQUE
It’s been three weeks, and there has been no sign of Anima. We’ve been in the Mortal Realm since she’s been taken, but the witches have gone to ground. No one has seen them since the battle. I know she’s in the citadel somewhere, but it’s impossible to break in.
“Pres,” Caymn says behind the door to my office.
“Come in.”
He shuffles in with lips tight and brows furrowed. “A witch is at the gate. Says she knows something about Anima and asked for me.”
I jump out of my chair and make my way down the stairs, running like my ass is on fire. Caedis blocks my path. His shiny blond hair and angelic good looks makes me want to punch him.
“Get out of my way,” I growl, fists tightening at my side.
“It could be a trap. Send your man out to see what she wants. The whole point of holing up in this shithole is so people won’t know we’re here. Don’t blow it.”
His glare makes me shift my weight to the back foot. If I have to, I’ll kill him. Nothing will stand in the way of Anima and me.
I push him off me. Before I can swing, Mammon is in front of me. “My King, he’s right. This could be a way for Rahna to gain intel. Let Caymn go. It’s one witch.”
My hands return to my sides, but I never take my eyes off Caedis. His smug face lifts in a smile before he sits on the barstool and sips his beer.
The King of Death looks perfectly at home with his jeans and leather jacket. As if he’s always made to be in an MC. A few of the club bitches even offered themselves to him, but he shrugged them off. He’s hiding something, and I’m going to find out what.
I’ve never trusted the Death King. Just because we share a mate isn’t reason enough to make me start now. He’s only a mate because he says he had a vision. What if he tricked Anima into somehow believing it? There’s more here than we can see.
Caymn walks out the club door, and I go to the window to see who this witch is. I don’t recognize her, but she’s not in fighting leathers. Her swords are strapped to her back, but her SIG is missing. No weapons are in her hands. She’s either stupid or telling the truth.
Caymn approaches her casually like he doesn’t have a care in the world. They begin to converse, but I can’t make out what they’re saying. The witch crosses her arms over her chest and pops her hip out. Caymn laughs and copies her, giving her the full-watt smile.
“Have a seat. We’ll find out soon enough,” Caedis says.
“Shut it, Death. This is my club. I’ll do as I please,” I counter, spinning back around and staring out the window.
“Forever the royal dick. It’s going to get you in trouble one day. Conform or die.”
“Was that a threat?” I growl, stalking over to him.
He ignores me and continues to drink his beer. “No, it was a statement of fact.”
