A/N: Hey friends! Surprise—I'm speeding up my update schedule! Y'all have been requesting faster updates and I've been saying if I can, I will. Well, it's officially happening! From here on, I'll be posting Tuesdays and Fridays until the book is complete. Thanks for the love and support! I hope you enjoy the faster updates!

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"He's here?!" James asks Vic, his eyes wide and his posture stiff. "Are you sure? How do you know?"

"I'm positive. Watch the side doors!" He points over to a nearby exit then turns back toward me. "Secure her!"

I manage to slip out of the remaining duct tape and scramble to my feet, but the demon guarding us grabs my arms from behind and tugs me back into him. I struggle, but it's pointless; he doesn't even budge. I give up, shaking slightly from the burst of adrenaline.

Okay, that didn't work.

"Trying to outmuscle a demon?" he says into my ear, laughing slightly. "Stupid girl."

Yeah, well, I guess the Empath thing doesn't come with strength.

TJ growls at him, but the man just laughs in response.

Dozens of boots rap against the concrete floor and I watch as ten or so men—or more likely, demons—make their way into defensive positions throughout the room. More pour in from the edges, until I count about twenty-five in total, some armed with blades and metal pipes.

Can Kieran handle this many demons at once?

I look over at TJ to see if he looks worried, but he seems unmoved.

"It's gonna be fine," he says. "Just let him do his thing, okay?"

"What is he going to do?"

"I honestly don't know," he says with a soft chuckle. "Kieran always has something up his sleeve, though, doesn't he?"

He gives me a soft smile in an obvious attempt to put me at ease, but I can't help but pick up on his uncertainty.

There are sounds of commotion outside and the demons start positioning themselves in a semi-circle around the entrance, leaving about a twenty-foot gap between themselves and the door. The door opens and everyone freezes, weapons drawn, as Kieran walks in.

"Victor!" he calls. He looks around at the demons surrounding him and narrows his eyes. "I see you brought friends."

Victor steps forward and the other men part to make way for him.

"They support the cause," Vic says with a smirk.

"Kiki!" a feminine voice gasps from the corner. It's Rose, and she stands with a hand covering her mouth.

Kieran looks frozen in shock, and his composure falters slightly.

She tries to take a step toward him, but the man guarding her grabs her by the arm and pulls her backward into his chest. She screams and he immediately brings a knife to her throat.

"Ah ah! Watch yourself, Kiki..." Vic says with a chuckle. "One wrong move and you're an only child."

Kieran's jaw ticks and his eyes turn completely black.

"I thought we had a deal, Victor. Sam for Rose, right? You have Sam, that means Rose is mine."

It stings a bit to hear him say it like that, but I know he didn't want to make the trade in the first place, so he must have a plan.

"You actually care about your sister?" Vic tilts his head to the side and rubs his chin with his hand. "Interesting. Maybe you're not quite as heartless as I assumed."

"Wasn't that the point?" he growls. "To kidnap someone I care about and force my hand?"

"I never thought you'd actually consider the trade. I was just hoping to lure Samantha out of hiding. With her bleeding heart, I knew she wouldn't let anyone get hurt."

So much for me thinking this was my plan. I was just playing into his hand the entire time.

"Well you have Sam now, so Rose doesn't mean anything to you. Hand her over."

"Problem with that is, if I hand her to you, what's to stop you from immediately turning around and killing me? No. You'll always be a threat, unless..."

"Unless what, Victor? Get to the point."

"Unless you're dead."

"What?"

"Azgor, come here!" The man from earlier, the one who can detect lies, comes out of the shadows. Victor takes another cautious step toward Kieran. "Tell me, your majesty... you say you care about Rose. Would you give your life for her?"

He clenches his jaw and glares at Vic.

"You son of a b-"

"Answer the question."

Kieran chews on his cheek for a moment and glances over at me and TJ before looking back at Vic.

"Yes. I would."

The lie-detecting demon—Azgor—nods. Vic smiles and my stomach turns.

Whatever he's asking, it can't be good.

"What's happening?" I ask TJ. His lips are pinched in a thin line and he shakes his head.

"Victor wants him... to give himself up."

"What? How??"

"He wants him to surrender to it. To let Victor... kill him. Fucking bastard."

"No. No, he can't. Nobody can kill a Demon King, right?"

"You can if the King doesn't fight back."

"No! Kieran, don't!" I shout. "Just leave—go home! He'll let her go, he promised!"

Kieran looks at the floor and shakes his head.

"Sorry, Sam," he says. "We need to end this now. This is the only way."

"No! Kier-" I'm cut off by the demon's hand covering my mouth and his other twisting my arm.

"Shut up!" the demon growls in my ear.

Kieran flinches and looks toward TJ, whose expression is menacing and furious. Kieran subtly shakes his head, as if telling him to stand down.

"Then it's agreed?" Vic asks.

"Agreed," Kieran says.

No. He can't be serious. He's not really going to do this, is he?

"I have one more question for you."

"Fine. But it's your last."

"Just to put Samantha's confusion to rest..." Vic licks his lips and smirks. "Are you in love with Sam?"

Kieran's eyes widen and he looks at me with a sorrowful expression.

"That has nothing to do with this."

"That doesn't sound like an answer."

"I'm not answering that."

His nostrils flare, he starts to fidget, and his expression shifts to one of frustration. The floor beneath us shakes just slightly and it seems to fluster Vic a bit.

"You said you'd answer one question. This is the question."

"Yes, okay?" he says, the quake ceasing with his words. "Yes, I love Sam."

Azgor licks his lips and smiles.

"Lie," he says.

What? No... he... he loves me. He does. He told me.

A knot forms deep in my gut and my chest feels tight.

He does. He said it first.

The demon releases my mouth, but I say nothing. I don't even have words. My body has gone numb and my throat feels tight.

Victor looks back at me with a self-satisfied smirk. Kieran gives me an apologetic expression and mouths the word 'I'm sorry', like that would be enough.

No.

A tear makes its way down my cheek and my body starts to shake.

"I hate to say I told you so," Vic says to me, even though his expression tells me he's not hating it at all.

I look over at TJ and he stares back at me with a mix of pity and guilt.

"Sam..." he says softly, but he can't seem to find any other words.

My chest feels like it's cracking open down the center.

"Alright, let's do this," Vic says.

He holds out his knife. Kieran folds his arms behind his back and holds his chin up. Vic plunges the knife toward Kieran's chest.

"No!" I shout. Vic's arm stops, the knife just an inch from Kieran's chest.

"You lying bastard!" Vic shouts through gritted teeth. "Kill the sister!"

"No! Wait!" Kieran says, looking at me with pleading eyes.

"Let him go, Sam," TJ says softly. "Do it!"

Let him go? I'm doing that?

Before I have a moment to process, Kieran launches himself forward and impales himself on Victor's blade. Vic releases the dagger and Kieran staggers back, the knife protruding from his chest. He starts to cough up blood and collapses onto the ground.

"Kieran!" I scream. The demon holding me lets me out of his hold and I fall to my knees sobbing.

"It's okay," TJ says softly. "Please don't cry, Sam. It's gonna be okay."

I hear several voices as the demons conglomerate around him.

"You did it, Victor!"

"Holy shit!"

"Is he really dead?"

"Looks like it. Kings don't bleed like that."

My ears ring and the world seems to spin around me. I can't feel anything but the empty feeling in my chest.

No. He can't be gone. He's not gone.

"Sam!" TJ whispers. "Sam!"

I follow his voice to see he's been freed from his restraints and is now crouched beside me.

"What..."

He grabs my shoulders and gives me a shake.

"They're distracted. I need you to get Rose and run."

I look at Rose and see that everyone has gathered around Kieran's body and left her unguarded. Even our own guard seems to have joined them.

"I... but Kiera-"

"I'm so sorry you had to see that. But I promise it's going to be okay," he says softly, stroking my cheek. "Not everything is what it looks like, Red."

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