From Hell with Love Read Online Free PDF Page A

trident through the torso of the humongous crow and continued through the newly-made hole, bursting through the demon’s back.  Lightning crackled out from the strike as Crocell passed through the demon, but it was over quickly.  The slayer watched from the air as his opponent’s ruined body fell back into the clearing with a bloody thump.
    “Holy shit,” Niccolo muttered as Räum’s still-burning body twitched and the blood pooled around him.  After a few moments of taking in the carnage, Cadmus cleared his throat and approached Räum, who was starting to shift back into his normal, mostly human shape.  The only difference was the crow’s head.
    “He’s still dangerous, reaper,” a whisper came from above them.  Niccolo was still holding his bow ready when the blue demon landed gracefully beside them, mist leaking from every pore.  The slayer cracked his neck as the wings retreated back into his body, but Cadmus was not paying attention to him.  Since he had become a reaper, Cadmus had plenty of experience dealing with slayers; he had no experience in taking the soul of an angel.
    “They’re all dangerous until they become wandering spirits.  I just can’t… I don’t want to wait for that,” Cadmus almost whispered, his voice grim.  With his black eyes, Crocell looked at him disapprovingly, but eventually shrugged before heading toward the far alleyway.
    “Then give him mercy, Horseman; the old crow deserves it.  Just be careful.  It will be different than dealing with one of you humans,” Crocell said as darkness surrounded him.  The lightning coursing through his veins grew dim and even the air seemed to turn away light.  Niccolo placed his bow back in its place before walking within a few yards of the whimpering demon.
    “He wasn’t lying, Nico.  Until he breathes his last, Räum can still attack,” Cadmus said as he walked past his friend.  Niccolo shook his head before crossing his arms.
    “I… still can’t believe this,” Niccolo said while the reaper stood beside him.
    “That he went feral?” Cadmus asked, preoccupied with the same thought.
    “Yeah, it’s just…why is this happening?  Why is it all happening now?  Räum held power and dignity for more than a million years and Crocell had to cut him down for turning into a glorified crow.  What is going on?” Niccolo asked, but he knew that his friend did not have the answer. 
    “It’s not our place to know,” Cadmus said, seeming to read his friend’s mind.  “As Horsemen, we do what we’re told.  We live with it.”  As he said the words, Cadmus realized he was just trying to convince himself, but that did not stop him from performing his duties.  Cadmus walked toward the dying beast and lowered his scythe, taking a deep breath to settle his nerves.  Reaping was never a pleasant experience, and he had no idea what he could expect from Räum’s soul.
    The Horseman of Death brought his blade across the feral demon, seeing the blade flicker into a blue ghost of itself as it cut through Räum’s spiritual essence.  Almost immediately, hidden thoughts and aspirations, emotions and fears flooded into Cadmus’ mind, causing the Horseman to reel away from the corpse.  Visions tore through his head while Räum’s voice screamed at him, threatening to shatter his mind.
    Cadmus had been the avatar of death for seven hundred years and he had been trained to take in the minds of his victims.  He had been forced to kill former humans and lesser demons, each experience more harrowing than the last.  There was a part of Cadmus that thought he was prepared for this.
    Räum’s mind was like reaping ten thousand souls at once.  Cadmus retched as reality swam about him, as he heard the whispers of millions of conversations and felt the pain of a fallen angel.  For a moment he almost felt the tranquility of Heaven, but then his mind was shunted toward the present.  Even though he could not feel Niccolo’s hand on his