Page 21 of Fallen Demon

I took a deep breath and reminded myself that wasn’t the case. I did fit in and my friends would help me, and somehow everything would be all right.

But right now, I didn’t feel like staying here.

I left the room and went to bed.

7

“Sweetheart,wish for me to take her to the fiery pits of the underworld.”

Levi jumped, grabbed Ylena, and disappeared into a portal.

And before the portal closed, I jumped in …

Into darkness.

My heart racing, I gave it a couple of seconds, but my eyes didn’t adjust. Everything was pitch black.

“Levi?” I called.

Nothing. No sound. No sight. No smell.

I took a few careful steps, my hands outstretched in front of me.

Then suddenly, a scream filled the air around me.

A cliff appeared three feet from me and raging fire billowed up, up, up … to the infinite dark sky. The heat licked at my skin, and I recoiled.

The scream echoed again and this time I saw the shape inside the fire. A large figure, with curling horns atop his head, and wide bat-like wings.

A demon.

Levi.

I started forward, but the fire exploded up again, pushing me back.

The fire didn’t let up, but Levi became more visible and I could see the flames burning his skin, his wings, his entire self. He thrashed and screamed, a guttural, deep sound that hurt my soul.

“Levi,” I muttered, desperate.

How could I save him? What could I do?

His black eyes met mine and he stretched his hand toward me. He was several yards away, but I needed to get to him. I stretched my arm.

The flames erupted again, catching my bare arm.

I screamed.

I sat up in bed with a jerk, breathing hard, my skin slick with sweat.

Holy shit, it had been a dream.

A nightmare.

By the light, I hoped that wasn’t true. That what I had seen had been only my imagination, manifesting all of my fears, and nothing else.

I glanced at my phone on the nightstand. Shit, it was just past five in the morning. Way too early to start the day. But I knew that I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep now.

I got up, took a quick shower to wash the sweat off my body, brushed my teeth, put on practical training clothes, and went to the kitchen to find some breakfast.