Chapter 750: Caught
Every shadow on the hill seemed to flow together, moving like water and filling an invisible container, forming a towering wraith of darkness. Red eyes appeared in the forming head as Rash’alon stared down at me, glowing with pleasure. He had no facial features, but it was obvious he was grinning. A cruel, malicious, very pleased grin.
I stood shocked still, unaware of the blood still trickling down my arm and side. Time stood still. The whole world seemed swallowed up in those eyes, a gateway to endless darkness and pain. Dread gripped my heart, and fear crept into every fiber of my being. I felt no different than the frightened girl who’d sworn her soul to a demon lord in exchange for the life of her friend. Trapped, helpless, and alone. Willing to give everything for even a whisper of warmth.
"So the slave’s come out of her cage," he murmured, gliding closer. "How you’ve grown. I could smell your soul across the continent."
"Stay away from me," I stammered, backing up.
He followed me, step for step. The wraith was a good seven, eight feet tall, hovering an inch off the ground. Just being near him made my skin crawl, and my tail curl in fear.
"Did you think you could escape me?" he asked. "You swore your soul in exchange for another. Did I fail to uphold my end of the bargain? What gives you the right to betray your oath?"
I released mana, no longer concerned with hiding. For a second, my aura soared, a beacon to every demon in a hundred miles, but then it fizzled and abruptly vanished. A dark sphere spread from Rash’alon, enclosing a space a hundred feet across, with him and me in the center.
The constant, chaotic murmur of the internal mark went silent for the first time since I marked Borealis. Even Fable’s bond was cold, a gaping hole in my soul.
"There’s nowhere to run, no allies to call. None but curse demons can enter or leave this barrier. You should feel honored for making me show this card."