Page 76 of Caught in the Devil’s Hand

She had to stand on a certain spot within the circle, so she carefully picked her way to it as power sizzled over her skin, washing up, down, and around in all directions.

Both demons, now drunk on power, lay helpless on the altar, as they had been when the noblewoman had spilled the cup of their essence on the circle. It had symbolized the rejection of their lust, but Shumei had accepted it when swallowing. The blood spread on their stomachs had been symbolic of the death of their magic. But with the Kiss of Power, Shumei had passed some of her magic into their bodies to germinate. Divine One willing, those seeds would quicken with her invocation. She clenched her hands in silent appeal.

“Saa, noroi ga tokareru toki ga yattekita.” The words flowed easily from her lips, and the translation she hadn’t natively understood before seemed perfectly clear now.

The time has come to undo this curse.

“Kono kotoba wo motte, kanzen ni moto no ningen ni modoshiteyaru.”

With these words, thou shall return fully human.

She drew her fists tight and hoped with everything she had.

“Kai!”

The sizzling sensation surging over her skin grew exponentially, flowing into the circle in great waves. Her magic buzzed in her core. Its hum filled her ears, blocking out everything else as it had done before. An immense buildup was forming, slowly filling in the lines of the circle like blood pumping through veins.

She kept her eyes open, wanting to watch the result, no matter if it was the desired one or not. But the room was so bright, as if the sun itself sat in the corner. The circle pulsed with energy, riding the beat of her heart. The two demons on the altar still lay motionless, and she had to resist the urge to check on them. She mustn’t move. Mustn’t even lift her foot off the floor lest it somehow disrupt the flow of power. The humming grew louder, roaring inside her head like the deafening din of a massive waterfall. Please…

He was lying in a river, completely submerged. The warm current gently washed the sticky remains of blood from his abdomen. Through the shimmering surface of the river, he saw the sun, bright and warm, in a clear blue sky.

He smiled as hope and love and joy filled him with every passing second, as though he were a sapling and the sunshine were feeding him. Then the sun grew larger, spreading outward. It was coming to him, sinking closer and closer, so huge he could see nothing but bright, divine light. He shut his eyes as searing heat pushed against him. The water of the river burned away, evaporating into nothingness, and all that was left was him and the heat of the sun.

A weight on his abdomen grew heavy, particularly upon his navel. He gasped as the heat pierced him, then again as it flowed into his stomach, filling his body. His sex became erect. His limbs spread as he floated in that warm space, near to bursting with heat. Every inch of his skin tingled, from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. He arched his back in breathless discomfort as the scorching heat pumped into him, never-ending.

“Welcome home,” a voice said close to his ear. He could only croak in response, too overwhelmed in more ways than one.

The last of the heat filled him, having settled into every pocket of his flesh, and he felt the splash of his release against his stomach. He became aware of a hard surface beneath his back as the world fell into place around him, reminding him he was still in the ritual room.

Shumei watched with awe as both demons writhed on the altar, tossing their heads and giving sharp cries. Their rigid cocks swayed heavily. The circle’s glow pushed into the middle, and the lines faded as the center filled with yellow light.

They grunted and shot their seed across their stomachs as if consecrating the ritual and bringing it to a close. Then their hair began to change color, starting at the roots. It was turning black.

“Vallen,” she whispered.

The divine flame was abruptly extinguished, plunging the room into relative darkness. She stayed still until her eyes had adjusted to the lantern light and she could discern her two subjects moving sluggishly.

Vallen sat up first. His hair was as dark as midnight, and he had never looked more handsome. Then Rosuke sat up, and his longer, wavier hair was just as dark as Vallen’s. They stared at her as if in a trance, mouths open, and she wondered if they were as moved as she was.

“Shumei, you…” Vallen said, voice thin.

“You’re our empress,” Rosuke finished for him.

She blinked. “What?” She had thought they’d say something about being human again, being magic-users again—being happy…

“I can feel it,” Rosuke said. “We, we couldn’t before because we had lost our magic, but now…” A tear slipped down his cheek.

“It’s the Pull of the Empress. I didn’t know it could feel so strong,” Vallen whispered. “Didn’t think I’d ever feel it again.”

“That—that can’t be true,” she said, hands trembling.

“It’s true. Gods, it’s true,” Rosuke declared.

“But I’m nobody,” she insisted, shaking her head.

“You were chosen by the Divine One to be his champion,” Vallen said. “To lead others like us in battle against the Damned One and rule over the land, for everything under the sun is your empire.”

“I don’t know how to lead. I-I don’t know nearly as much magic as I should. This can’t be,” she cried out. Her cheeks were wet with tears. Worse, exhaustion was setting in after expending so much power.