Death Stops for No One

My heels tapped against the floor, the sound echoing through the corridor. I trained my features into a scowl, but it didn't quite meet my eyes. There was a hint of emotional turmoil in those blue orbs as the upper demon Obsidian rounded the corner.

"Inferna! You're exactly wh--" he began.

"Piss off," I bit out, moving past him. My eyes flashed red as he cut me off. "Get out of my way!!" 

"The Demon Lord wishes to speak with you."

"And so does the rest of the Pantheon apparently. Get in line!" I spat, before darting around him. However, I didn't make it far before I was ripped off my feet by some unseen force and slammed into the nearest wall. I fought against my invisible restraints, but I was effectively pinned into place. 

"That wasn't a request," the familiar deep voice now emanating from Obsidian sent a chill down my spine. His amulet gave off an ominous, pulsating glow, and his eyes had turned crimson and etched with the Mark of the Deceived. That only meant one thing. The Demon Lord was here.

"What do you want?" I felt something tighten around my throat. "M-my lord."

The demon tilted his head, a wicked gleam to his eyes. "I heard about your trouble in paradise. Such a shame you were unable to keep the god satiated. Then again, they are fickle beings." 

"Y-you had something--to do with our--breakup. I'm sure of it," I choked out.

A deep chuckle reverberated through him. "And why would I need to do that? It was never going to work out anyways, and you know it."

My nostrils flared as he stepped towards me. I shivered as his cold hand caressed my face. "Such beauty, such talent. Wasted. He did you a favor breaking up with you. He made you weak. I expect much more from you than this." 

With a flick of his hand, I was released from my bindings and crashed to the floor.

"We are expecting new arrivals to the castle. King Mortem and his clan of Deathstalkers are due in the next day or two. I trust you to be on your best behavior and give our new allies a cordial greeting."

. . .

The wind whipped through my ebony hair and a chill overtook me as I stood on the castle steps. The sun was blotted out by the flapping of hundreds of shadowy bat like wings. The Deathstalkers descended upon the outer courtyards, touching down in formation with the gracefulness of cats. They raised their scythes and stepped aside, creating a passage down the middle. 

That’s when my eyes landed on him, King Mortem Decapitus. Eerie glowing red eyes locked on me as he folded his massive wings up against his back. His skin was ashen grey in color, and his bare chest was heavily covered in tribal tattoos and scarification. Large black horns jutted up from a head of nearly platinum hair that was braided down his back. Long elf ears stuck outwards, and as he drew closer, I could see the sclera of his eyes was completely black. There was an air of composure and confidence to him as he stopped before me.

“Welcome, King Mortem. It’s a pleasure and an honor to have you and your Deathstalkers here at my castle,” I greeted, giving him a slight bow of my head.

“The pleasure really is all ours, Your Grace,” Mortem drawled, taking my hand up to kiss the back of it. His long black claws lightly dragged against my porcelain skin as he released my hand. He tilted his head a bit to the side. “Interesting.”

“What is?” I asked, standing a little taller before him. 

“You, of course.” His lips pulled up into a heart stopping grin, and a soft smile managed to work its way onto my features in return. 

I turned, gesturing to the castle doors. “Care to join me?”