Demon Bound

crushing grip.
    She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t get the breath to scream as the burning tip of Michael’s sword sliced into her shoulder. Another cut, deep, beneath it. A stroke up, and around. A piercing stab, then a second above.
    Belial stopped. “It is done. The symbols prevent her from being teleported out of this realm, Guardian. And if you leave, you will not be able to anchor to her and find her again.” He stepped back; the hands holding Alice didn’t let her go. “And now you will stand, teleporter, as there is something I require from you, as well.”
    Jake didn’t move, and beneath the pain in her shoulder, the horror of what had been done, rose a fierce pride. Yes, she thought. Make him force you, make him threaten. But never simply obey.
    “Stand,” Belial repeated, “or I will sever her legs in two.”

    Jake was on his feet before Belial had completed his threat. His arm screamed at the movement, but he focused past the agony.
    Alice’s gaze held his, her irises glowing brightly. Either she was losing it, or she was looking forward to handing out some serious pain to Belial’s demons. Probably the second. And God knew, Jake was going to be right there with her. The symbols Belial had carved into her shoulder weren’t bleeding—the sword had cauterized the wounds. But they weren’t healing normally. The angry red should have been fading.
    It all could have been worse, though. Lucifer would have just cut off her legs, and then threatened her arms. With Belial, they had some wiggle room. He would hurt them, but apparently not just for shits and giggles. Either Belial didn’t enjoy causing pain—good—or, he just liked to hear himself talk and for others to heed him—not always so good.
    He was talking now, and Jake was pretty certain it was leading up to the not so good. If the demon wasn’t lying, this prison was at the edge of Lucifer’s territory. Belial’s army had moved in, had met little resistance, but their campaign hadn’t finished. A small tactical strike against another holding remained, and Belial didn’t want to delay it while escorting two Guardians back to his territory.
    Which meant, Jake realized, that he and Alice were going to be locked up in here, with the bulk of Belial’s army surrounding the prison while the demon led the final attack.
    That wasn’t so bad. But where was the catch—what did Belial require from him? A promise to stay? Belial might be arrogant enough to lock them in here, counting on Jake not to leave Alice in danger, but the demon wasn’t stupid. All Jake had to do was get Alice under some kind of protection, teleport out and find Michael, then head back to the prison. They wouldn’t need to anchor to Alice; they’d both already been here. And if he and Michael had to fight a few demons on the way back in—or an army of them—so be it.
    Yeah. Jake would break a promise in a second. So there had to be a catch.
    With luck, it wouldn’t be a bargain.
    “I know that Guardians cannot be trusted,” Belial said. Jake had given up trying to see him. There was too much light, too many wings, and nothing to get his head around. Belial’s demons looked like any other, though—red and scaly. “So I will leave twelve of my sentinels to see that you stay. If you teleport, they will kill the female.”
    So Jake wouldn’t be taking off to get Michael. But he and Alice would be missed in Caelum, eventually—and as long as Jake didn’t completely block his mind, Michael could still find him.
    Of course, Belial wasn’t that stupid, either. “The shielding spell will be placed around the prison, and keyed to my blood. No one will come to save you; and even if you teleport away, you will not be able to reenter this building.”
    Shit. He saw Alice’s lips tighten. Yeah, Belial might not be chopping their legs off, but he was pretty damn good at crushing every hope they had. Probably because leaving his demons here and letting Alice and Jake figure it out for themselves wasn’t as much fun as watching their reactions when he spelled it out.
    “Six will guard the prison doors and the symbols that cast the shielding spell,” Belial continued. “The others I will position around the room, near the ceiling so that if you lose your sense and decide to attack, you will not be able to reach them.”
    Wouldn’t be able to reach them . . . ? Oh, Jesus Christ in Heaven. His wings.
    Belial intended to cut off his wings.
    Icy rage spiked through