Novel & Cerita Hornblower: The Duchess And The Devil

“Impressive restraint back there. I almost thought you’d break your little toy in half.” Lucifer’s voice coiled in my mind, sharp with warning. ‘That’s no toy. That’s his duchess. A bargaining chip… or bait.’ Draven’s smirk deepened. “Come inside, Vladimyr. Or should I bring your mate back out for another round?” The duchess flinched under his grip, and for a heartbeat, I saw something else in her—fear sharpened into a silent plea. My stake was still slick with my blood. My rage burned hotter than Lucifer’s shadow. One step forward. That was all it would take. And Draven knew it.

“She never ca-cared about the s-screams.” Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes. “I am so sorry.” “S-she is evil i-incarnate.” “She is.” A movement at the corner made my eyes open. The duke was folding his arms, still leaning against the door. He watched us with a peculiar mix of curiosity and wariness. “She is devil per-personified,” Revandrel muttered, nose brushing my neck. My nails dug into my own sides. “You are not wrong.” “People-eating, s-soul-sucking being without a soul.”

I grab the gun from my holster and drag her behind the heavy oak desk. “Luca!” I shout. “I’m here!” His voice comes from the hall. A second later, he slides into the room, gun drawn, already scanning the perimeter. “Sniper. South window. At least two.” I peek up just long enough to see the muzzle flash from the tree line outside. The bastard’s good—precise, calm. Not some street-level assassin. This is personal. “Get her out,” I order. Luca nods. “Safe room?”

A big figure flapped his wings and flew toward the sitting man, and the man didn't sit back, he also turned into a devil, changing his green eyes to red and opening his black wings, while his wing took him higher to dodge the attack of Satan. "You never have done this in hell, but today you are on fire because of that girl. Isn't it amazing?" the red-eyed devil said and rushed to Satan, Alexander. "As I've already declared in hell that only I can play with my prey and I will decide when she will die or how long she will live," Alexander growled at the devil and lobbed a punch toward him, but it didn't fall on the devil, however, it destroyed the ceiling.

“Since when did you become so concern that you gave a second chance to someone? If that’s what you think I’ll do, then you’re definitely mistaken.” It was a long scream that could break all the glass furniture around them, the devil screamed just like how the devil would, it’s annoying and irritating. The devil pulled his lash and once again whipped it on Blanche, the hit targeted her poor leg that was shot by a bullet, but after the second hit, as soon as he inhaled for much force, a hand stopped him mid-air before the devil got slammed on the wall. “It’s sad and amazing how I see you again but with this situation.”

Lucifer says, nodding to a large black colored demon holding a whip of flames. "Ranoz, meet your new queen," he grins. The large demon nods to me, then continues his torture, cracking the flames across the screaming mass. I looked away; it was disturbing, even knowing they were evil in life. We continued our journey to a river filled with souls. It was odd seeing so many apparitions in one place. "Lost souls and souls that have unfinished business," Lucifer frowns, putting his hand in the dark water. The souls moved away from his intrusion.

Seeing her stun face, yet all too eager to listen, he finished the tale by telling. “Seeing such Alice told the Cook to mind herself, and even tries to change the topic by telling about the earth’s axis. But the Duchess misheard her and thinks that she meant about axes. Alas, the Duchess screams of ‘Chop off her head!’ then she starts to sing a nasty lullaby.” Stopping with that word as Chantal is taken blankly somewhere. He then drew his signature cunning smile and whispers. “Do not worry, everything is just a game after all. And in the middle of that game it just comes that you are one of the needed sacrifices, Chantal.”

The moment she stepped inside, silence fell. Six men stood inside. One sat behind a desk, bald, broad, and smug-looking, the supposed one in charge, she guessed. He barely got a word out. Viviana pulled out the twin blades hidden beneath her jacket. Her movements were swift and controlled. The first two didn’t even see it coming. Blood sprayed as her blade sliced clean through necks and throats. Yevgeny stepped back, stunned. The man behind the desk reached for a gun, but it was too slow. She hurled a blade across the room, embedding it in his forehead. He collapsed, chair and all, with a dull thud.

The old man said while begging to Callum. I bit my lower lip and looked at Callum with emotionless eyes as he looked at the old man. He then, smirked evilly. “I hope you thought about that before you fucking did that to me, Mr. Domingo. You do know how evil I am when it comes to this kind of betrayal. I hope you remember.” I looked at the old man again. He fell to his knees weakly on the floor. He’s now crying while kneeling in front of Callum. But the latter looks ruthless and heartless while looking down at him.

My eyes darted to her tablet, it was a grainy, long-lens photo of a man emerging from a black car. Even in pixels, he commanded the space around him. He was tall,broad-shouldered, black hair and grey eyes. Lucien Alexander. The tabloids called him “The devil.” I looked back at Lina, and shrugged. “So?” I said, a teasing lilt in my voice. “You want to date him?” I gave an eyebrow waggle, knowing full well how ridiculous it was. Dating Lucien Alexander? Impossible. The rumors didn’t just say he was difficult, they said he was the devil’s own son. “Obviously,” I finished, the humor fading into simple fact. “That man is a no-go zone.”