Unveiled: The Cursed Trilogy, Book Three by Betty Legend (recommended ebook reader txt) 📗

a stray tear and hold his hand the rest of our hike through the mountains.

With sweat dampening my back and my calves burning, we finally reach the area of the map where my blood has dried. Hidden in the trees, we survey the landscape. On the cliff bluff, there’s a cut-out of trees with an opening into a cave. With only the moonlight above, I can’t see any details.

“What can you see?” I ask Phoenix.

“There are tracks in and out of the cave. Fresh ones.” He sniffs the air. “They reek of demons. There’s no light coming from the cave, but I’m sure the deeper we go, we’ll find firelight.”

Griffin crouches down next to me, his voice low. “We should try to lure some of the demons out, so we’ll have less to deal with inside.”

“I agree. Any ideas how?”

Phoenix snickers. “I do.” Like a flash of a lightning bolt, he’s gone, running into the trees and disappearing just as fast. I catch a glimpse of his figure as he jumps, clears several feet, and lands in a tree. The echoing snap of a massive branch makes its way through the woods, and we head toward the sound. A couple of demons emerge from the cave, their beady red eyes finding each one of us.

Phoenix jumps down next to me, fangs bared, his eyes violet as he outstretches his arm and releases his magic. The demon closest to us screeches in pain as blood seeps from his body. Moments later, he drops to the ground, lifeless.

Griffin has a demon held in the air, turquoise blue magic swirling around the demon. Cyrus casts a spell on the demon, and it writhes in pain before reaching for its throat. Griffin releases his magic, and the demon drops to the ground.

“Two down, however many to go,” Phoenix smirks.

“You like this, don’t you, killing demons?”

Violet eyes turn to me, his handsome face bearing a wicked grin. “Yes, the predator in me does.”

“Good, because we need that predator right now. Kill as many as you can.”

Phoenix winks and licks the tip of a fang. “Will do.”

Staring at the cave entrance, I wait just in case more demons come.

“Once we go in, do just as we planned. Do everything you can to get Emeric and Killian free while I distract the devil.” Extending my arms, I release my magic, and a circle emerges, swirling between my hands, every color of my magic bleeding into the next. “It’s time we bind this asshole to hell.”

With the light of my magic illuminating our path, we enter the cave. Several demons come running toward us, no doubt alarmed the first two demons haven’t returned.

Throwing a firebolt, I incinerate the closest two demons. Phoenix is next to me, releasing his magic into the next demon, killing it as Griffin raises one into the air and slams his body into the wall. The demon drops with a thud, unmoving. Cyrus releases air magic, and two demons reach for their throat as the air is stolen from their lungs.

Passing the bodies of the dead demons, we continue down a winding cave path. In the distance, firelight dances on the walls. We’re getting close. Keeping to the cave walls, we creep closer, using rocks and boulders as coverage before announcing our presence, but it doesn’t matter—the devil already knows we’re here.

“Selene Delavore.” My name rolls off his tongue like a snake whispering the words. “I knew you would come.”

Stepping into the firelight, I take a good look at the devil, and shock jolts me. He’s no longer in his fake human form. Just like my vision of the past, black leathery skin clings to his skull. Red beady eyes are below curling black horns that reach his pointed ears. Long, sharp fangs bite into his bottom lip as he smirks.

“What’s wrong, witch? Not what you expected to see?”

Keeping my magic swirling in front of me, I take a step back along the rocks as he takes steps forward. Claws, black and razor-sharp, extend from his leathery hands. Feet like a predatory animal have shorter claws extending from his toes. He is the epitome of a monster, the very nightmare that haunts your dreams. Fear is a thorny knot in my gut, but I refuse to show it.

The devil laughs, the sound frightening and cruel as it echoes off the cave walls.

“You can’t hide your fear from me. I can smell it,” he snarls.

“Fear reminds you that you’re alive. I’m not afraid of a challenge.”

Still creeping toward me, he licks his lips with a snake-like tongue, and I grimace at the way his gaze devours me.

“I’ve been waiting for a witch like you for over a century. I can feel your power, Selene, so much stronger than Cataleya’s. You’ll be an asset to my reign if only you can give up your pitiful human life.”

“There is no chance, no way I will ever help or join you!”

“Then you leave me no choice. I’ll have to kill the men you love and force you into obedience.”

“You can damn well try.”

Anger grits my teeth as I slam a fireball at his chest. It knocks him back a couple steps, the fire searing his leathery skin, but he heals as quickly as he regains his footing. Shaking it off, he laughs.

“Your magic is stronger than that, witch. Show me what you can really do.”

Fury shakes my limbs, and I release it, all of it, my magic coming at him with a trajectory of power and swirling colors. The energy of magic is about to hit him when he raises his arm and redirects my magic toward the wall. Rocks and dirt come crumbling down where Emeric and Killian are chained and bound. My heart aches at the sight of their wounds and exhausted bodies.

“They are your weakness!” The devil roars so loudly, the ground beneath me quakes.

Staring at the ground, I release my magic, pushing the roots and earth up and around him, holding him in place.