Chapter 56 - Devil's Bargain*

You are the most stupid High Priestess I had ever seen in my entire existence. That's not the Pentagram of the Devil's Trap." After a few seconds, he proceeded to laugh maniacally as he shook his head in derision,  "You drew the Sigil of Lucifer, my dear. You even included Baphomet's head at the centre. This is a portal connecting Hell to other dimensions."

Muffled voices came through the Sigil of Lucifer.

Their voices were shrill grinds of metal being scratched as they let out a burst of eerie laughter which made goosebumps breaking out of her skin. 

They were creatures plucked from the depths of her worst nightmare. Another scream formed, this one lodging in her desiccated throat. Suddenly she couldn't breathe, could only stare in revulsion.

Their skins were in the darkest shade of crimson and as smooth as glass, claw-tipped fingers dripping with blood.

Gnarled wings of pitted black stretched from its back, and small horns protruded along the length of its spine.

A long, thin tail curled from the base, ending in a blood-soaked metal spike that clanged against the floor as it swished back and forth, back and forth.

Shock and horror blended, becoming an unstoppable avalanche tumbling through every inch of her. What will happen to Luna if all the demons escaped from this enclosure to the--

"Help me close the portal," Luna shouted at Lux in a terrified tone as she felt every single hair on her skin stand on end.

Lux materialized closer, and she stepped back to get away from him. Lux's face was so near hers they were almost kissing. "There is no question in my capabilities of locking the portal as an Archdemon, but why would I lock the portal if I want to be free from Hell and travel to different dimensions?"

Luna bared her teeth in desperation and scowled at him, "What do you want in exchange?"

"I wanted to have a body in this Realm." Lux looked back at her with shockingly lovely eyes that reminded her of newly cut diamonds.

Lux flashed those razored fangs in a parody of a grin—before slashing its claws playfully on her arms.

Fear overcame every other emotion inside her, yet still, she forced her voice to work. "I have your true name, Lux. I can make you do anything I want."

"But I can move faster, little girl. I can kill you before you could even open your mouth and say my name. "

Lux lurched forward and banged his fist on the wall behind Luna's head. That power punch was dangerously close to cracking her skull if Lux wasn't too controlled with his immense power. "But, I would rather you say my name in bed, though."

"You're all talk and no action. As always." Luna muttered in a challenge to the Archdemon, but her pride was short-lived.

A pause, then a hiss of breath.

When full awareness finally struck, Luna's entire body tensed and bowed, a scream ripping free of her throat.

Darkness greeted her as the pain spread, riding the too-swift tides in her veins and threatening to burst through her skin.

Luna clawed and pried at Lux's tight grip on her neck.

A warm liquid now coated her hands.

Blood?

"I can crush your windpipe in a flash. Do not test me." Lux pushed her against the wall as grisly cuts marred her cheeks, blood dripping from invisible talons raking her skin. "I can smell Gluttony on you. You smell like him. Did he possess you?"

She couldn't answer since she was too busy screaming in pain, followed by another and another, each like a serrated piece of glass scraping her throat raw.

In seconds, panic chewed her up and spat her out.

She was blind, bleeding—and dying?

"I apologize, my lady." He drawled. "Maybe you can't talk with my claws strangling your neck."

Lux let go of her, and she dropped to the ground.

She tried to speak—Ravin, help me, please, help me—but the words became hard and too jagged to swallow. And goddess, the burn migrated to her chest, flames sparking every time her heart beats.

"If you don't give me a body in the Vampire Realm, I shall bring you to Hell." Strong arms slid under her, one at her shoulders, the other at her knees, and lifted her.

The movement, temperate though it was, jostled her, magnifying the pain.

She moaned as Lux carried her back to Hell's portal.

The sharpest edges of her panic ebbed as she felt herself recover, but the healing process was too slow for her liking.

"Luxen, claude ostium." Luna almost couldn't force the spell to come out of her mouth. Instead, her voice cracked as she felt the veins in her neck throb in her ears.

A curse was followed by the pound of hard, fast footsteps.

There were no screams or grunts of agony.

Everything went still and silent.

Tiny rays of light pierced her line of vision.

One second passed, two, then the light spread, colours appearing, blue here, yellow there, until she took in the full scope.

Luna waited…and waited…seconds ticking by with excruciating slowness, the raggedness of her inhalations becoming laced with the taint of rotten eggs, fetid and sharp enough to nip at her nostrils.

She cringed, confused, and frightened by the change in the air.

Miraculously, the unbearable blaze in her eyes at last faded.

A second later, a horrified gasp filled her as she witnessed Lux destroy all the demons surrounding them and also the ones coming out of the pentagram one by one without even lifting a finger.

They just burst out in an explosion, their demon blood splattering everywhere.

The Archdemon leaned in close, his heartbeat suddenly a roar in her ears.  "Let's strike a bargain."

Author's Note:

So what do you think of the story so far? Please comment down below and let me know so that I could also improve. Your opinions are welcome, but please be kind to this sensitive author. Also please help this poor, unemployed author to get into the Top 50 by giving me spare power stones. The author is a hungry monster who eats Powerstones every day. Thank you for reading. :)