by Indra Frost
The majority of the basement was dedicated to the ring, and the area around it was where people would gather around on fight nights. It should have been vacant, but two figures were waiting for us under the dim lights. They stood beside the caged ring, but something made me glance around, searching the dark corners of the basement. There was someone else here. Someone I couldn’t see.
I didn't know the two men standing in front of us, but I felt the power coming from one of them. His aura was telling me he was a demon, and a powerful one at that. Nowhere near the level of someone like Selasi, but powerful enough to challenge Greg. He would never let a demon like him into his territory under normal circumstances.
Greg was a minor demon, and he wasn’t a very powerful one. That meant that he took threats to his position, and his territory, seriously. It didn't make sense that he would allow this demon here. It would be simple for him to take everything from the minor demon.
The terror turned my blood cold, and it made everything I had been expecting to happen fly out of my mind.
The demon was dressed in a smart suit, looking like a normal human business man, except for the dark aura and his empty eyes. The man beside him was the one who was more terrifying to look at. He was huge and scarred, but the fighter in me was already assessing him as a threat. He was built, with muscles stacked on muscles, but he was wide with a low center of gravity. That meant he would be nearly impossible for me to knock down. If I had to fight him, it could prove to be deadly. And I wasn't sure I would be the victor.
"I got a couple of interesting calls while I was in Hell," He started, his voice calmer than before, and infinitely more terrifying for that fact alone.
“What do you mean?” I asked him, fear making it hard to think.
I didn't know what was happening and I didn't know what to do. It was like all my confidence had been left with the guys, and they seemed so far away. It was like they were a dream that never happened, only here to make me wish for things I could never have.
Thoughts of the guys reminded me of all the things that I had hidden from the minor demon, and I wondered what he was referring to. I swallowed thickly, having to work hard to swallow around the lump in my throat.
It was enough to make me want the yelling.
The sound of the door opening at the top of the stairs made me flinch, but it was just two of the men he used as his bouncers on fight nights. I didn't know what I was expecting, but I was on edge, and I didn't know where the attack I was anticipating was going to come from.
The presence that I had sensed before seemed to fade, and while I should have been able to relax a bit, I didn’t.
His silence was a heavy weight on my mind, and I didn't know what I was doing down here, or what the demon and his friend were doing here either. Nothing made sense, and it was making my fear of what was about to happen worse.
"What's going on?" I finally asked, my voice quiet in the large open space.
“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Greg’s voice was a deep, angry grumble, and it seemed to echo into the chilling silence, making it hard not to flinch.
Thoughts were running through my mind, too fast for me to make sense of them, and I wasn't sure what to think, how to feel.
"This is what they're here for," Greg pulled my agreement out of his pocket and I felt my face go pale.
I started to shake the slightest bit, forcing my knees to hold my weight when they didn't want to. He finally turned to face me and the demon behind me. Waving the piece of parchment to everyone in the room.
He ran his fingers over the paper in front of him, and it made me shiver at the phantom touch that ran down my spine.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. The agreement shouldn’t have created such a physical connection between me and a piece of paper. But most agreements also didn’t contain a spell that was designed to rip out the soul of the person it was tied to.
His words both confused and frightened me. If there was one thing I knew, it was that Greg hadn't ever wanted to give up my contract. It was the only real power he held as the demon who had created it had done so with the intent of getting it back at the end of the terms.
Something else had to be going on, but what?
The smirk that covered Greg’s face was a sadistic one, and I closed my eyes, bowing my head. This wasn’t going to be pleasant.
“Alyth?” Greg’s voice was deceptively soft, almost sweet as he said my name.
I hated it. I hated him. I couldn’t wait for him to burn in Hell.
“Yes…” I hesitated, not wanting to continue, but the burning in my throat, and the violent urge to speak, let me know that I didn’t have a choice. “Master?”
The demon in front of me smirked, and I realized this was a show that Greg was putting on to prove something to him. I wasn't sure what it was, and I wasn't sure I wanted to know.
"My friend here has brought his man to fight for your contract. If you win, I get his man, if he wins, he gets you," Greg said, spelling out the terms.
I was shocked, and by the smirk on his face, Greg was enjoying that fact.
There was something else there, however. Something cunning and sinister. There was an odd light in his gaze that I didn’t recognize, and I didn't know what it meant.
I stayed silent, hoping against hope that this was a joke, and that this demon was here for another reason. But with every second that past, I was starting to realize that this was my reality. Those stolen moments with the guys seeming farther and farther away.
Greg frowned slightly, and I was assuming it was because he wasn't getting the reaction that he wanted from me. But I wasn't capable of feeling anything but anxiety and fear. There was nothing I could do to get out of this, and I was starting to lose any hope that I would ever escape.
Would I always be traded away? Worth nothing more than the piece of paper I was tied to? Was this fight even worth fighting if even winning would mean losing?
"Get in the ring and we'll get started," Greg finally muttered.
Without looking at the other demon, or the bouncers, I stiffly moved to the cage door, glaring at it with hate. But the contract bound me tighter than any physical chains ever could. And so, with Greg holding open the door, contract in hand, I stepped into the metal lined ring that would decide my fate.
The other demon stepped inside before the cage door was locked, and I was forced to watch him as our masters discussed something I couldn’t hear over the sound of my pounding heart.
This entire situation was a lose-lose for me, learning the details wouldn't do me any good anyway. Instead, I thought about the past week, about the men who had snuck through the solid wall that I had surrounding my heart.
It was strange, caring for people, and I wasn't sure that I liked it. I had loved Lucy, in my own way, and Clara and Ralph were family, even if I had been hurt by them. But with the guys, it was different. I cared about them in a different way that I wasn't sure I understood. I wasn't used to the emotions and, to be honest, I found them hard to deal with. Caring about people only led to pain, but no matter how many times I told myself that, it didn't stop me from doing it. Lucy should have been enough of a deterrent to stop me from getting close to anyone, but I wasn't able to control what I was feeling, and it was just another thing in my life that was out of my control.
A fist to the face brought me back to the present. My vision flashed white and I smelt blood, the soft cartilage of my nose crushing under his rock-hard knuckles. It took me completely off guard, and I fell without a chance to brace myself. I blinked stupidly on the ground for a few seconds before my vision cleared.
It was just in time for me to catch Greg smirk, his arms crossed over his chest as he stood beside the other demon. I didn't like the look he was giving me, there was something conniving in his eyes. Was he happy that I took that hit? Did he want me to lose?
Before I had time to think about it, the demon grabbed me by my shirt, using it to lift me until my feet were
left dangling above the ground. I grabbed at his arm with my hands on instinct, but nothing came to me after that. There was no urge to punch or kick him. I didn't even move to poke him in the eyes. I just wanted to give up and roll over, and the urge to do just that was stronger than all of the fighting instincts I had hammered into myself over the years.
I had fought so hard to be who I was, but it didn't seem to mean anything. Nothing I did ever seemed to mean anything. So, was it really worth trying?
Was this all life my life would ever be?
I met the demon's eyes, and I started to wonder if it would be better to die like this. My soul would be bound to Greg for all eternity, but I would be free from this ring. Free from this place and all its horrors, even if I wasn't actually free from him.
The demon glared at me, frustrated that he wasn't getting the reaction that he wanted, that I wasn't fighting back. But what was the point?
He threw me to the ground, the impact hard enough that it rang out through the basement as I felt the reverberations through my bones. I saw what he was planning, saw him draw back his leg for a kick, but I didn't have the energy or the desire to block him. The impact would have killed a human, but unfortunately only left me with bruises.
With a growl the demon left me alone, pacing back and forth instead of kicking me like I had expected. His master wasn't giving anything away, unlike Greg, whose eyes gleamed as he watched us.
I couldn't seem to make myself care about that either; didn't bother to try and figure out what he was up to.
The demon with me in the ring got me again with a hit to the face, and the only reason my jaw was still intact was that I wasn't human. His hits were hard enough that if I hadn't been a Supe he probably would have caved my head in. As it was, my eyes felt puffy even as they healed. I knew they were probably black and blue.
I laid there for a moment, staring at the hallway as I wondered why he didn’t just kill me. Why was he dragging this fight out? He had already one, I wasn’t going to fight him. There was no point.
The door to the basement smashed open suddenly, wood bits flying down the stairs and clattering against the ground. Greg’s head snapped up and the men that had come down immediately stood and moved towards the hallway.
The sound of pained grunts and swearing was followed by scuffing against the cement. I weakly lifted my head from my place on the ground as Reed and Copeland were dragged into view. They were bound in magic, no doubt traps that Greg had gotten ready for them. The thin wires of the spell pressed into them and seemed like it was seconds away from cutting them to pieces.
It got tighter the more they struggled, pressing so hard it looked close to drawing blood.
Greg had known about them.
Greg wore a chilling, yet smug expression. His satisfaction oozed from him, and I was left shocked; I had no idea what they were doing here, but it sent odd feelings through me.
"Welcome to the ring, boys. You wanted to get in, didn’t you? It’s too bad you’re late, the fun started without you,” he gestured to where I was laying in the ring.
I wasn't sure why he had assumed they would come, even I hadn't thought it would happen. I didn’t even know how he knew about them, and it made confusion and fear sweep through me. But the fact that he had the spells ready was proof enough he suspected something was going to happen.
Copeland glared at the minor demon, a snarl on his face, but Reed just took a look around, cold and blank. His eyes met mine in the ring, and something flashed across his face before he looked away.
I could feel the minor injuries trying to heal already, but something more was running through me. It had started the moment that I had seen them dragged into the room. Seeing them was a reminder of everything that had happened over this past week, of everything that could happen.
Sure, Greg was a horrible person, but he was the devil I knew, and if I had a chance of ending this nightmare once and for all, then I needed all the help I could get. That meant fighting to stay with the man that I hated for now, and figuring out a way to break free later.
Reed and Copeland were here, and they had reminded me of my hope to be free. Now it was time to fight for it.
"Well this makes things interesting," the demon standing next to Greg said, looking from the guys to me. "What are they doing here?"
"A few of my fighters had mentioned that the newest members had shown an interest in Alyth, and while I hadn't expected them to show up, I was prepared for it nonetheless," Greg bragged, and I wanted to roll my eyes, but I knew better.
Seeing Reed and Copeland may have reminded me about my reasons to fight, but that didn't mean that Greg couldn't still cause me pain. And I still had a fight to win.
A fight I was reminded of when the demon kicked me hard enough that my body was lifted from the ground.
I slammed back down, rolling until my limp body came to a stop.
My usual fights only lasted a few minutes before I faked passing out, but this time I had to fight and actually win. That was something I had never been allowed to do before.
I pushed myself painfully to my feet, and just managed to dodge the next blow as Greg and the other demon stalked around the ring to stand near Copeland and Reed. The bouncers dragged them further into the room and closer to the cage.
The demon in with me aimed to swing, and I ducked out of the way, almost smiling at the surprise on his face.
I went to do it again, but pain flared throughout my body.
I called out in surprised pain, my head jerking over to look at Greg as my knees threatened to give out. He was clutching my contract in his fist, and that caused me enough pain that I was having a hard time fighting back. His fist was clutched next to his side, and I noticed that he wasn’t being obvious about his interference.
Did that mean he didn’t want the other demon to see?
The fight continued the same after that; anytime I tried to dodge or land a punch, Greg would squeeze the contract, forcing me to fight both the demon and the pain. The brand flared whenever I tried to fight back, and I couldn’t get in a decent hit.
I didn't know what was going on, but Greg was up to something.
Mutters reached me, and then I heard Reed cry out in pain.
My head whipped over and my vision narrowed as the other demon pulled a dagger out of Reed's side. What was he doing? Why was Greg letting him hurt the angel?
I couldn't think of a reason unless Greg had no intention of releasing them. Was he planning to kill them down here so there would be no witnesses?
Something inside me snapped, and my angry gaze rose to meet Greg’s smug one. Copeland snarled, but the magic kept him from being able to do anything. The magic binding him glowed and squeezed tighter when he tried to move.
Greg smirked, and his eyes flicked behind me with a clear excitement in his gaze. It was his expression that alerted me to the other demon’s attack, but it also let me know what he was playing at. Greg didn't want me to win this fight, and he didn't want the other demon to win, either. He wasn't trying to win another contract; he was trying to end my life and steal my soul for himself.
The world seemed to slow down as my anger rose, chasing out any logical thought that may have remained.
My guys were here, and my angel was hurt. This demon had hurt what was mine. That angry vicious thing inside me rose up, and I let it. I dodged the demon behind me, using momentum to turn and conjure a blade.
Greg crunched my contract in his hand, but it was too late to stop me.
The blade slid through the demon’s neck like butter, catching on his spine for a brief moment before cutting cleanly through. His head rolled toward a furious Greg, and the other demon was staring at it in shock, my angel’s blood still dripping from his blade.
I saw red, and without thinking, I lifted my hand, blue flame erupting in an arc that burned the demon to a crisp where he stood. He screamed, but the echoes quickly died as he was turned to ash.
As soon as my flames st
opped, time and logic seemed to catch up to me, and the look on Reed's face made me realize what I had just done.
My eyes flicked to Greg; whose fury turned into a dark expression of greed even as I watched. I wanted to turn my flame on him, but the brand burned, and I knew I wouldn't be able to.
"Well, this changes things," Greg muttered, chuckling.
Fear flooded through me. What did that mean? What would he make me do now? I had no doubt he meant to use me, and I had tried so hard to hide this part of myself from anyone that would be able to just that, but now all that was ruined.
Reed fell to his knees, blood running from his side, and Copeland leaned over him as best he could, his eyes glowing an angry red as he snarled.
Greg's eye roved over them as that calculating expression returned to his face. I realized with a start that he was going to try to use them against me. My reaction had proven that I had an attachment, and now he was going to think of a way that would benefit him.
A crash sounded from upstairs, and their head snapped up to the stairs again, distracted. The look on Greg's face let me know that he wasn't expecting anyone else, and my fear rose again. That changed everything.
I couldn't let Greg live, not with what he knew, and not with the guy's lives on the line.
While he was staring at the hall that led to the stairs, I brought up my dagger, unable to keep from screaming in pain as fire consumed me. It was too late to stop as I lunged, but that's exactly what I was counting on.
My dagger was glowing with blue fire as it sliced through the chain-link like butter. I vision narrowed on Greg, the minor demon all I could see. But my hand was stopped by the metal cage, the knife only plunging a few inches into Greg’s flesh. I had missed.
