The devil's little bride

The Devil's

ng in

d was nothing like the training arenas in the mortal realm. Here, the stone was jagged obsidian, slick with ash and still warm from

lack horns, soulless eyes, and sneering grins. She could feel th

d in silver-threaded robes and armor etched with curses, he held a long whip of molten

ordered, voice c

preparation.

overed in cracks and black soot. Her hand trembled slightly as she took her stance, ign

rely twisted in time, his claws slicing the air where her neck had been. She piv

t connected, but barely. He grunted, staggered bac

r join

anot

ves, each testing her with quick feints and close swipes me

ot minutes. Pain already bloomed across her ribs where one had clipped her with a jagged elbo

t trying to

trying to

ively-too slow. His claws sliced through the fro

" the demo

were shaking now-not just from fe

mes danced along its length. "Fight lik

lene s

nees fuel her. One of the demons tried to catch her, but she drove her cracked

down her arm, hair matted to her forehead. Her staff was half-s

she spat, voice hoarse

ow into the soft flesh of his side. He grunted, but not enough. He caught her arm

d, choking, seeing red. The ground tilted.

l called, whip

She forced her body to rise. Her legs trembled

ng, letting his momentum carry him past her. She slammed the

and bleeding. Her body screamed with ev

cked on her, cur

, armored, with blades embedded in his forear

pe but caught the second across her shoulder. T

scre

fear. B

emon staggered. Selene didn't give him time-she reached out, grabbed o

emon

d it in her h

ulled everything. She slashed across his leg, then again a

a hand. The

blade in hand, body broken

eside him like a living thing. He looked her up and

murmured. "Bu

ip. Selene flinc

e air-and struck the

dn't s

en it singe

eyes hard. "Pain teac

eeth clenched, eyes burnin

, just barely. Approval? Am

. "Training is

ene remained where she stood, too dizzy to move.

t feel li

t like

something darker

ung

his

And you'll s

ion lingered-

he infernal gates, she felt t

it