A Demon’s Touch by Ella Jade

Chapter 31

Angelo

When we arrived at our destination, I gauged our surroundings. The rough terrain wouldn’t deter us from the climb to the top of the cliff that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea. Sounds of the waves slamming into the mountainside offered solace to my restless demon. The water would prove a challenge, and maybe after this was over, I could go for a swim.

“No one’s here.” David checked the area. “Are you sure this is where we’ll find him?”

“He’ll be here.” I glanced over the cliff, admiring the waves. “This is where he met my mother.”

“Well, that’s a little twisted.”

“We’re dealing with the most twisted individual we know,” I reminded him.

“What are you going to do when he gets here?”

“Negotiate.”

“You can’t give him that sword.”

“I can’t let him hold Harper over my head either. We need to find a compromise. One where I win, and he loses.” I wasn’t sure how I would achieve such an impossible task, but as long as I had the Inferno Sword, I was in a pretty suitable position.

“Harper!” A blood-curdling scream filled with desperation and panic occupied the surrounding air. “Harper!”

“Kiki?” David took off down the mountain. “Kiki,” he yelled. “I’m coming.”

“I’m here,” she called out to us. “Please, he took Harper.”

All the blood drained from my body when we reached Kiki, and she wasn’t with her sister.

“Who took Harper?” I didn’t have to ask, but I didn’t understand what they were doing here. How had they even found me? “Who, Kiki?”

“I don’t know.” She held onto David. “We were here. One second, we were talking and the next I turned my back, and she was gone.”

That’s all the time my father would have needed.

“Which way did they go?” I asked. “Focus, Kiki.”

“Um, up that way.” She pointed to the top of the mountain. “He was so fast. Harper didn’t even scream.”

“It’s okay.” David held her close. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s a long, stupid story, and I regret every second of it,” she cried. “Angelo, find her.”

I closed my eyes and breathed in the salty air. Blocking out Kiki’s fear and David’s anger, I focused my energy on connecting with Harper. Following my instincts, I headed up the mountain.

“Stay here,” I said.

“I can’t let you go alone.” David moved toward me. “I protect you, remember?”

“Protect Kiki now.” I patted his shoulder, appreciating all the years he’d stood by my side. “You can’t leave her here alone, and she can’t go with us.”

“Please, you have to save Harper.” Kiki hooked her arm in David’s. “I’m sorry I didn’t make her stay at the convent.”

So am I.

“Angelo, you better come back.” David’s frustration crashed into me. “I’ll never forgive you if you don’t.”

“It’s been an amazing ride, brother.” I shook his hand. “But it’s not over.”

He frowned as I took off toward the top of the mountain. I sensed Koradon’s elation now that he had the leverage over me. Fuck, did this plan backfire or what?

When I reached the top of the mountain, Harper attempted to struggle out of his hold but we were up so high. One wrong move and I could lose her forever.

“Koradon, let her go,” I shouted as I came toward them.

“Stop.” He held up his hand as he backed closer to the cliff’s edge. “You know I’ll survive the fall. She won’t be so lucky.”

“Angelo,” she whispered as the fear pounded from her chest.

“Just breathe, baby.” I smiled, trying to reassure her. “It’s going to be all right.”

“Aren’t you two cute?” He gripped her throat, causing her to gag. “Give me what I want, and you can have her back.”

“I don’t have it here.”

“Then, it looks like your attorney is coming with me.” He tightened his hold on her neck. “I hope she likes a tropical climate.”

“You’re not taking her.” When I stretched out my hands, the veins in my arms lit up a fiery red. With my left hand, I pulled forward, concentrating on Harper and trying to free her. My father held tighter, so with my right hand, I pushed him closer to the edge of the cliff. It took every ounce of strength I had to inflict my power on him.

Harper screamed, trying to fight the sensation. She kicked at the dirt and rocks under her feet, sending them off the mountain and into the ocean.

“Harper.” I continued to pull her toward me. “Stop struggling.” My muscles hardened, and my jaw tightened as I carried on with the pulling of Harper and the pushing of Koradon. The process exerted too much from me, draining me. My attempts weren’t working.

“You do realize if I go over,” he said. “She does too. I admire what you’re trying to do, but you’re not strong enough for that.”

The more I pushed him, the harder Harper tried to break free from my hold. I had to change my strategy, or she would fall to her death.

“Get her away from the edge, and we’ll negotiate.”

“I don’t think so. The time to negotiate is over. You’re going to do what I want.” He planted his feet firmly on the ground. “Back off.”

“Not until I know she’s safe.”

“We can stand here all night,” he challenged. “I won’t release her, and you will not push me off this cliff because if you do, you’ll kill her.”

“I told you I don’t have the sword here, but if you give her to me, I’ll deliver it to you myself.”

“You’re right, you are going to deliver the sword to me, but that’s when you’ll be retrieving this goddess of a woman.” He yanked Harper’s head back. “That’s if she wants to come back to you.”

Harper cringed when he ran his lips along her neck.

“Leave while you still can.” I shoved him back, but despite my hold on Harper, she went with him. The more I prodded him, the more danger she faced. If he went over the cliff, he would survive. She wouldn’t.

When he wrapped his arms around Harper’s waist, she panicked and stumbled backward. I released my hold on him, focusing all my energy on her. When he moved out of the way, she flailed her arms, teetering on the edge. I heaved her a few inches from the edge but couldn’t bring her to me. Something was draining my energy.

“How long can you keep her there?” He raised his hand, blocking my force field. He’d found a sudden burst of strength. “Where do you think you inherited that power from?”

“Stop! She’ll fall.”

“Get me the sword, and we’ll negotiate her return.”

“I’m not going with you.” Harper shoved him and tried to run to me, but she lost her footing.

“No!” I yelled when Koradon turned to grab her, knocking into her and causing her to fall over the edge.

I ran to the side of the mountain as the horror ascended from my core. It was too dark to see anything, but I heard the scream of terror that escaped her lungs as she plummeted to certain death.