Page 124 of Dancing With Demons

“Do you remember where the door is?” Ronin went on. “We have to crawl there without opening our eyes!”

“I understand!” I found Dora’s hand and squeezed tight. “We’re right behind you! Go!”

Ronin shuffled off of us and crawled to the door. My hand on his ankle was the only guide leading me away from the deadly battle, and as we crawled for our lives, I felt it.

Warmth—soft, safe, and soothing—seeped through my pores and into my bones, filling up every corner of my soul. It was as though the floodlights flicked on, and fear fled—escaping into the shadows.

“You’re safe,” the warmth whispered. “You’re strong. You are loved. You are destined to light this world on fire, child. No one has been born or made who can stand in your way.”

Amidst my pain, terror, and panic... I laughed.

Light, lifting laughter of joy filled my heart as deep as that warmth, spreading calm to everything it touched. “It’s okay,” I whispered. “Everything’s going to be ok—”

“Goodbye, brother.”

“Errugh!”

The warmth vanished—ripped away so fast, it was as though I was plunged into an icy lake.

“No!” I screamed, tearing my eyes open... and meeting Samael’s as he fell.

He stumbled back, eyes bulged out of his head—staring confusedly down at the flaming sword stuck through his chest as if he didn’t know how it got there.

Samael dropped to his knees and Lucifer grabbed his wing, snatching a fistful of feathers on Samael’s way down.

The angel collapsed flat on his face. Dead.

“No! You monster, what did you do?!”

Lucifer grinned at me as he shrunk, quickly returning to his favored, red-eyed form. “What I did was get what I came here for.” He shook the feathers at me. “Forgive me, darling, for ever doubting you. You said you could deliver the feather of the air hallow, and here it is.”

At my feet, Dora and Ronin struggled to get up.

“What the— Fuck your stupid hallows!” I was crying. I couldn’t help it. Losing that warmth left me feeling like all the hope had gone out of the world. “You just called him your brother. How could you kill him!”

“Ehh.” Lucifer shrugged. “We weren’t close.”

“You piece of—!”

“Ah-ah,” Lucifer tutted. “What did I tell you about being mean to me right before I’m about to give you your present? Now, I was pretty mad at you for kicking off this whole Hallow Hunt bullshit. And even madder when my looking glass”—he snapped his fingers and a man-sized mirror appeared next to him, showing me and Ronin hugging goodbye in this very room—“and saw you two planning to escape out of my reach.

“Part of me wanted to come here and kill you fucking all, buuuttt,” he drew out, “since you did deliver an item for the spell right on time, I’ve decided to let you choose.”

Snap.

Lucifer snapped his fingers and the remaining servants still standing vanished from the room.

I didn’t understand what sending them away was supposed to achieve until twin shadows fell over me.

“Ahh!”

Twin pythons dropped from the beams and wound around Dora’s and Ronin’s throats. They ripped them away and up into the air before I could move.

The snakes slithered away, rushing their prizes to opposite ends of the room.

Dora choked and flailed, her nails desperately clawing at the python’s tail as it tightened around her throat.

“Choose!” Lucifer bellowed. “Who are you going to save, sweet Charlie? But don’t take too long deciding.”