Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 5

was accustomed to pain from his vestigial members, and he ignored it. The flash had momentarily weakened Semiazas, and this time Renat came at his opponent's face, slicing away two of the fingers on one grasping hand as he drove his blade at Semiazas' swamp-colored eyes.
    The demon lowered his head defensively and the sword impacted a curling horn instead, half-severing it before Renat could draw back. It stuck there for a moment, caught in the bony whorls, and Semiazas took the opportunity to grab Renat.
    The heat scorched the outer layers of his chest, where Semiazas gripped him tight. Gritting his teeth, Renat used what little leverage he had and managed to jerk his sword free just as his opponent's other, injured hand rose to try to clamp his lower half and rip him in two. He hacked the rest of the fingers from that unlucky hand, and when Semiazas howled with pain and reflexively loosened his grip, Renat tore free. Instead of flying away, though, he dropped to the ground, and moved directly beneath the heavy body of his opponent. Before Semiazas could think to try to crush him, Renat had run the span of his belly, dragging his sword through the thick hide above him. He emerged behind Semiazas and watched as the perforated bag of guts drooped slowly downwards, finally spilling out in a mess of writhing, coiled intestines. Semiazas bellowed with pain and came down hard on his forelegs.
    Renat walked slowly around to the front of the demon. The fire burning along Semiazas' arms was almost gone, and his eager arrogance had been replaced by resentful fear. Renat placed the point of his sword beneath the demon's chin. "You will release the angel's binding chain now," he said softly, "or I will deal with it myself by leaving you a corpse."
    Glazed, muddy eyes blinked once, twice. A second later the hellfire chain holding the angel dissipated completely, vanishing like a mirage. Renat immediately stalked over to where the angel had struggled back onto his knees and took up position in front of him, one hand still firmly holding onto his sword. The other hovered for a moment over the angel's head before retreating to his side. He couldn't touch him yet, not in front of this group. Not without revealing more than he cared for them to know. Renat stood and looked around at the gawkers, and his gaze was met with awed silence. Princes of Hell did not often do battle like this, in front of a crowd. It was only a matter of time before word got back to Satan, and Renat felt sure than he would need every second alone that he could get with the angel crouched before him.
    The angel leaned forward until his forehead rested against Renat's body. The touch was electrifying, and spurred him to act. Renat reached out and wove a length of binding chain out of his power. It was much thinner than what Semiazas had used, but it would make the angel his captive all the same. He wrapped it quickly around the base of the angel's wings, then jerked him to his feet. Without another word Renat flew aloft and raced back to his castle, dragging the angel behind him on the length of chain.
    He entered his home through a high window, not the door. There were petitioners outside of his grand entrance, lower demons who were ready to swear fealty to Renat in exchange for his patronage, but he had no time to deal with them now. Hot, dry air swept through the room as Renat gently lowered his burden to the ground before landing himself. His eyes hungrily tracked the angel's weakened movements, devouring every tremor and gasp as the celestial creature slowly levered itself to its feet. Its wounds were already healing, the burns disappearing as the angel's grace permeated them. The one thing that remained unchanged was the binding chain that glowed like a brand around its wings, and Renat felt a surge of possessiveness unlike anything he had experienced for millennia. When the angel finally met his eyes, though, the first emotion Renat felt was not one of tenderness, but rather pure fear. Something this perfect had no place in Hell.
    "What in His name has possessed you?" Renat hissed furiously, turning to pace so that he wouldn't have to stare into those crystal blue eyes. "To wait at the Western Gate like a lamb waiting for slaughter…this is pure idiocy! You belong in the Kingdom of Heaven, not the filth of Hell. What is your great sin, that makes you want to sacrifice yourself to the pleasure of Satan's minions?"
    "Renat." His name flowed with sweet