Demon's Web by Laura Hawks

to his children, but he had not believed he could be this generous. Although both of his parents had been training him for several years, he had always assumed he would never be able to leave the Nether Realm except on excursions. Yet, now his father was telling him to go protect the woman he had cared deeply for.
    Azamel seemed to understand his son’s quietness. “When I fell in love with your mother, I was told we couldn’t be together. It tore me up inside, but I did as I was commanded, because I had to. I don’t want that for you. If you love someone, nothing should prevent you from being together. However, son, do understand, you need to know about her and why she is running. You can’t protect her if you don’t know about her, no matter how much you love her. You need the knowledge to safeguard her appropriately, or you could lose her forever because you didn’t have the adequate information you needed to assist her.”
    “When we find my sister, I will go to her, Dad. I will get all the answers to keep her safe.”
     
              
     
    Trinity looked up when the Rougarou came into the room, heading straight for Nathan’s cage and Nathan himself. The young man tried to escape past the monster, but he was caught quickly and held immobile by the massive beast. Without a second thought, Nathan’s throat was slit.
    A scream resounded throughout the room and it was only her throat crying out in protest. She realized she was the one making the shrill sound. She stopped screaming by putting her hand over her mouth, trying desperately not to gag as the sanguine liquid flowed from the slice along his jugular. Trinity had never seen or experienced anything such as someone being killed in front of her. She had never seen anyone die and she felt so sickened by the act, as well as helpless. She was only sixteen, for gods’ sake. Why would she be exposed to something like that? Why was she being exposed now?
    She grabbed the bars in front of her. Her mouth opened again, but this time silent as she gaped in stunned surprised. She couldn’t understand why the creature, the Rougarou, just killed Nathan. No word, no explanation, no remorse.
    Had he outlived his usefulness? Had he given them what they wanted? Or did they realize he would never betray whatever secret he carried which they clamored for?
    Over the past few weeks, she had come to know Nathan. They had developed a bond of sorts. Mutual prisoners who have come to share in the experience and supported the other. In truth, he calmed her fears more than she did for him. He was the one who reassured her when she cried at night, missing her family. He was the one who got her talking about life in the Nether Realm with her family. She was careful, or at least she hoped she was, in making sure there was no relevant confidential information disclosed during their conversations. She hoped nothing she said could be used against her or her family, although she had never been in such a situation before, nor away from home, so she had no clue if what she was saying was harmful to her family or not. She could only hope.
    Seeing Nathan be murdered in front of her was, therefore, a huge shock as well as loss. Her only companion, her only friend in this predicament she had been forced into, was suddenly taken from her.
    The Rougarou turned to her and gave Trinity an evil smirk. He was holding the blade aloft, dripping with blood. He stood facing her, holding the slumped body of the youthful man with the other hand, as if waiting for her to say something, enjoying her reactions. She didn’t expect Nathan’s eyes to suddenly snap open, immediately trying to regain his footing. She hadn’t noticed moments prior: the blood flow had stopped and his wound had healed. So, Nathan was an immortal.
    In one instant, she was happy, relieved Nathan would be okay. In the next, horrified as the Rougarou sliced his throat again, repeating the previous motion.
    Trinity cried out, “No!