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

“Of course, I miss her, but you wouldn’t understand. You’ve never loved anything but yourself.”

“I’ll love my grandson.” A cruel grin splits his dry lips. “I’ll teach him how to be a proper son of a devil.”

My arm whips out through the bars, but my father backs up too soon.

“Selene will never let you have our son. She’ll protect him with her life, and so will my brothers.”

“Brothers,” he sniggers. “I’ll kill every one of them. She’ll be begging to have you back.”

“If you knew her, you’d know how wrong you are.”

“There’s always a way, son. Every creature has a breaking point. I broke Cataleya. I’ll break Selene.” He shrugs a bulky shoulder. “If that doesn’t work, I’ll shapeshift into you and fuck her until she’s pregnant with my child.” Stepping back, he ensures he’s clear of my wrath. “Considering the pleasure I’ll receive from either option, I think I’ll go with seducing her first. She is a tasty-looking witch.”

Flames burst from my hands, and I launch them at him. Laughing, he blocks the fireballs with his own magic, thrusting the fireballs back at me. They hit me, but nothing happens. The flames skirt over my skin and fade to smoky air. Interesting. My own magic isn’t deadly when used against me. Now, to use that to my advantage.

Stepping back from the cell bars, I move to the center. “Too bad she’ll see right through you. She’ll know it’s not me.”

The devil lifts his smug chin. Leathery skin changing to tattooed skin, he morphs his body, his appearance gradually matching my own. Disgusts churns my stomach. It’s like looking in a mirror, only the reflection is the devil.

“I’m sure my cock will do the job just fine,” he smirks, brushing a hand through his black and blond-tipped hair.

The asshole walks off… with my body!

When he’s out of sight, I kneel to the dirty cell floor and press my fists to the ground. Ash and dusty bones coat my skin as I unleash my magic, full force. Flames lick up my arms, my skin undamaged. Pushing my energy harder, the flames reach the ceiling of the cell, the raging heat of the fire burning through bones and weakening the iron. A shift in the cell bars tells me the roof is deteriorating.

As the rage I feel exits my body in magical energy, another shift happens, but it’s not the cell frame—it’s from inside my body. Bright, white light bursts from my core and sears the bars in front of me in half. Golden-white flames simmer around the bars, dissipating as I stare in disbelief.

Angel fire.

It’s a gift my mother had, but I never experienced it until now. Walking out of the cell cage, I grin.

Ol’ devil dad is really going to hate this surprise.

Selene

Casting my magic at the ground where the devil took Emeric to hell, I say the spell and push my magic toward the earth. Slowly, the ground opens, flames emerging through the soil.

“It worked.” Cyrus stares at the ground in astonishment. “I wasn’t sure it would. It’s the first I’ve ever seen or heard of a supernatural, who isn’t demonic, creating a gateway to hell.”

“Cataleya said druid witches are connected to everything. We just had to find the right place and the right spell.”

Killian, Phoenix, and Griffin return from clearing the cave of any demons. Cyrus reaches into a backpack and tosses new pants to Killian. Catching them midair, he stops on the spot and puts them on.

“You did it,” Killian smiles, his expression prideful. “I knew you would.”

Griffin puts his chest to my back and rests his hands on my belly. “Now, it’s my turn to get us there safely.” With a tender kiss to my cheek, he rubs my belly.

I know it was hard for all of them to accept the child isn’t theirs, but not one of them has shown resentment. They’ve come together to support me, and my love for each of them has grown.

Phoenix stares into the fire, the orange glow dancing in his light eyes. “The only part we can’t control is where we end up.”

“We’ll have to be ready for whatever is on the other side.” Cyrus rolls up his sleeves, then throws the backpack over his shoulder.

“I’m sure there will be more demons, but it doesn’t matter.” Killian stands next to Cyrus. “We’ll handle it.”

Griffin takes my hand, then extends the other, creating a water bubble. The bubble expands as Griffin focuses on it, its massive shape wiggling above the fiery gateway.

“Get ready to jump.”

Releasing the massive sphere of water, Griffin lunges forward, taking me with him. The water sloshes against the flames, dousing them and dropping us through foggy smoke.

My feet land and I wave my hand in front of me, trying to clear out the fog. Thankfully, Griffin’s hand is still in mine.

“Phoenix, Killian, Cyrus?”

“We’re here.”

Killian’s hand touches my arm, and I turn to meet his bright amber eyes.

“Demons aren’t far. I can smell them.”

Phoenix emerges from the fog and stands in front of me, protecting me from whatever could be around us. Cyrus joins my left side and mutters a spell, creating a ball of light in his hand. The foggy smoke clears, and we find ourselves on a plateau of dirt and ash. Beyond the edge is a fiery pit on three sides. The only direction we can go is north. In the distance, a dark castle with steepled tips is barely visible in a sea of red clouds. Silhouettes of vulture-like creatures circle the castle as though searching for rotting carcasses.

Cyrus’s gaze studies the landscape. “This has to be the center dimension of hell.”

“What makes you say that?”

“The books I’ve read have only mentioned a castle in the center dimension of hell.”

Killian brushes fallen ash off his bare shoulder. “This land is barren and dead.”

Griffin squats down, water bubbling in his hand before he drops it. It lands in the hot dirt and sizzles. “Explains why the