Page 61 of Claiming Demons

Ramsey had also staggered to his feet.

“Go to Hel,” Fen spat at Erini.

“Been there. Born there. I’m all the worst thatishell and Hades,” she responded, then lifted her sword over him.

“No!” I cried out, hoping to get her attention as I launched myself at her. I managed to get my sword between hers and Fen, blocking her blow. But that left me defenseless and one of her free hands backhanded me so hard, I was sent flying once again.

I landed hard, skidding over the ground, though my armor protected me for the most part.

Ramsey came at her next, his conflict spinning about him.

Erini smiled at him, extending one arm, and somehow siphoned off his chaos into her outstretched hand. She drank in his strife like it was the sweetest nectar, draining him of his aspect while strengthening herself, because strife and conflict were simply the end result of hatred, rage, and jealousy.

Ramsey, devoid of his chaos, staggered a few steps, then fell on hands and knees, gasping for breath.

Erini laughed, triumphant. When I groaned, rising again, one of her heads whipped around to face me, glaring daggers.

“You!” she spat. Turning back to Fen, she hissed, “I’ll come back for you, once I’ve finished off your whore.” Then she punched him so hard he went limp.

I cried out, but Erini only smiled and darted over to Ramsey as I struggled to my feet. She banished her weapons so all five arms could pummel him with rapid precision before I could even take a step. Without his chaos as defense, Ramsey was left broken and groaning on the ground.

“No!” I whimpered, summoning my war: my armor, sword, and shield yet again.

Erini stalked toward me, fury whipping around her, envious ire burning in her eyes. She was at the pinnacle of her power and I… suddenly had no clue how I was going to defeat her.

She stopped half a dozen paces from me, summoning her weapons and shield again, even as fiery bolts appeared in her two free hands. All three faces were grinning, all six eyes triumphant. “Who will save you now, little bug?”

ANAIS

Erini let fly her bolts.I tried to toss myself out of the way, but she was too close and the bolts were too fast and they both—

Hit Grey as he put himself between me and the devastating attack. He was thrown back, crashing through the brush next to me, and Erini blinked, confused and stunned.

I had an opening and I should have attacked Erini, but I couldn’t. I threw myself at Grey instead.

Don’t be dead!I mentally begged.

He groaned, writhing on the ground, a large gaping hole in his chest. His muscles were gone and his ribs were exposed, cracked and charred. He was alive, but even with all his daemonic powers, I didn’t know how long he might survive after a hit like that.

I couldn’t risk losing him, so I knelt next to him and touched his shoulder to heal him. The wound began to close, but only a trickle of my power seeped into him before Erini was on us.

“Zaggy?” she whispered, her voice ragged. “What did you do, brother? Why would you protect this woman? I didn’t mean to…” The pitch of her voice rose with every sentence, her madness escalating. “You,” she snarled at me, drawing out the word, pouring all her vitriol and hatred into that one syllable. “You did this!”

Yeah… I was in for it now.

I rose, surging all my aspects. Healing pulsed through me, strengthening me. War sent every possible tactic to my mind, and Law reinforced war since I was on the side of justice and order. I didn’t know if my peace and love and sex and fertility would be of any use, but they were all at the ready.

“You want me? Here I am,” I muttered. “Let’s do this, woman to woman, no bolts of destruction, just you and me, fighting it out to the end.”

Erini’s six eyes literally blazed with blood-red hellfire.

“Yes,” she hissed, her voice seeming to echo within itself.

Stratagems swirled in my head. How did one beat a superior foe? A wise warrior needed to use cunning tactics or favorable battlefields to win. This field of battle was far from favorable, which meant all I really had was cunning.

“Fen, no don’t!” I shouted, eyes going wide, looking behind her.

Erini half turned, only to find Fen wasn’t there at all. I flew in and struck while she was distracted, lopping off another of her arms.