Chapter 3 Asmodeus

• I felt a painful pain in my head. I tried to move my arms, but a thick rope was tied to my wrists tightly behind a metal chair. My ankles was tied also to the chair legs.
• "Look who decided to join us," a cold voice said.
• I forced my blurry eyes to focus. Bernard stood a few feet away, tossing a small pocketknife into the air and catching it. Behind him, Diane Lavel sat on a wooden crate. The three men from earlier stood by the door.
• So they hadn’t left my house because they were scared. They had simply wanted to isolate me. My family must have helped them, because how the hell did they find me so quickly.
• "You had us worried for a second back there, Gwen," Bernard said, walking over until his shoe touched mine. He leaned down, his breath hitting my face.
• "Asmodeus. You actually had my mother shaking. How does a girl like you even know that name?"
• I swallowed hard and kept my voice steady. Since they feared the name so much, then the only way to survive was to stick to my lie.
• "I told you. I'm married to him." I said, keeping my voice as convincing as possible.
• Diane let out a laugh. "Don't waste your breath lying, girl. If you were actually marked by the Lord of Lust, our hands would have burned to ash when we touched you. You are completely normal."
• Bernard grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him. "You lied with a holy name to save yourself. You have no idea what you've just done, do you?"
• I didn’t answer, I simply looked away.
• "What are we going to do with her, Bernard?" one of the men by the door asked. "Do we get rid of her?"
• "No," Diane cut in, standing up and adjusting her coat. "We don't touch her until the Elder gets here.” She glared at me. “Besides, what’s the rush? The Elder is already on his way to inspect her."
• Bernard smirked, letting go of my chin and wiping his hands on his trousers. "You’re right, mother. If she is lying, the Elder will decide how we punish her blasphemy. And if she's somehow telling the truth... the Elder will want to see it for himself."
• I kept my face completely blank. The Elder was coming. In my past life, I never met the coven leaders. I was just handed directly to the family.
• Just then, a metallic sound echoed from the front of the warehouse.
• "He's here," Diane whispered.
• The doors slowly opened. Every person in the warehouse straightened at once. Even Bernard lowered his head slightly. Whoever this Elder was... even monsters feared him. An old man in a black robe walked in. He looked ordinary, but the way the Lavels bowed their heads showed his authority.
• He walked straight over to me, squinting. He placed his cold, bony hand on my forehead, closing his eyes for a long moment. I tried to pull away but it was useless.
• When he opened them, his face was completely neutral.
• "There is nothing on her," the Elder announced, stepping back and wiping his hand with a handkerchief. "She is a fraud."
• Bernard laughed out loud. "I knew it."
• "Where did you hear that name, girl?" the Elder asked, his voice suddenly turning harsh. "Who told you about our Lord?"
• My heart skipped. I couldn’t tell them I was reborn, it would sound fucking crazy. Besides, that would be like putting the knife into my own heart.
• “Just stick with the plan Gwen’ I tried to convince myself.
• "I told you," I spat, my vision blurring slightly from the exhaustion. "I am married to him."
• The Elder didn't even look angry. He just turned to Bernard's guards. "She is stubborn. Make her talk. I want to know who leaked our secret."
• One of the guards stepped forward and slammed his fist into my ribs. I felt the pain through my chest, forcing the air straight out of my lungs. I coughed violently.
• "Speak," Bernard demanded, leaning in close. "Who gave you the name?"
• I kept my mouth shut. Another blow hit my face, making my head fall to the side. My ears rang, and the entire warehouse began to tilt. They kept going, hitting me, trying to force a confession out of me.
• I’d rather die than tell them I was reborn. Once again, I felt my body go numb.
• “Please—help. Anyone…” I muttered.
• I was right on the verge of passing out when a sound echoed. It wasn't a human sound; It sounded like dozens of creatures crying out at once.
• The hitting stopped instantly.
• "What the hell was that?" I heard Bernard’s panicked voice.
• Another sound erupted, much closer this time, like it was right outside the walls. But I could hardly focus, my visions blurred completely as my body gave out.