by Erin Snihur
Lucifer clicks his tongue and gives me a scathing look, “I am sure Ambriel thought the same thing. Demons can be very alluring creatures. Even to a powerful angel like she was.”
My heart breaks as I think of Ambriel, “Darius loved her. He did not wish to be the one to strip her of her power.”
Lucifer nods as he proceeds to lean against his throne, “I am sure she appreciated his wish when he carved her wings from her back.”
I wince as the image of Ambriel’s wings on display in Darius’ throne room pushes to the forefront of my mind. I shake my head to dissuade the images and focus on Lucifer.
“What did you hope to gain by speaking with me privately?”
“To see if the rumors are true.”
“What rumors?”
“Tarnin has spread tales of your abilities and they have run rampant throughout the underworld and even across Earth itself. He claims to have tasted a small drop of your essence and witnessed the power waiting within you to be unleashed.” Lucifer’s words are hypnotic as my mind races, trying to keep up.
I hug myself tightly, growing frustrated with this turn of events. “We need to speak to him. All of us.”
Lucifer nods in agreement and proceeds to walk toward his throne once more, murmuring softly, “Your maker was wise to hide you away as he did.”
“Wait...what?”
Before I can ask anything more, the doors are kicked open and a growling Darius has me protectively in his arms, a sword drawn and ready in his hand. Where did he get a sword?
“Time’s up, Lucifer,” he growls and I squirm in his arms. I look around amazed as I see that Gideon and Ezekiel have drawn swords as well, their eyes on Lucifer, ready. Dina is standing behind them, glaring at Lucifer. For a split second, Dina’s eyes are drawn to mine and I freeze under her icy stare.
“Take us to Tarnin, Lucifer,” Dina orders as Lucifer glares back tensing at Dina’s tone.
I want to stop them, but Darius is pulling me out of the room as Lucifer snaps his fingers and the receptionist appears at the door. Her eyes are wary as they dart around the room at the sight of the weapons the angels are wielding.
“Take them to Tarnin, Lilith,” Lucifer orders the receptionist and my heart beats faster at the mention of her name. Wasn’t there an all-powerful demoness called Lilith?
Lucifer smiles then at all of us, his eyes landing on mine for a brief second before finally ending on Dina’s. The once composed angel is obviously furious, given her clenched fists and icy blue eyes.
“Please do come again. You are always welcome here,” Lucifer croons and turns away from the group, dismissing us as he strides away and stops before the dark windows.
Darius doesn’t waste another second and drags me out of the room. Gideon follows us, watching our back. I gaze over my shoulder to see Ezekiel dragging a reluctant Dina out of the room. It is only then that I realize we are missing Pascal, but his quiet presence appears once more as we enter the waiting room. The demoness, Lilith, shifts nervously on her feet, obviously uncomfortable with being tasked to attend to angels.
Lilith motions us back to the elevator; and when we are all inside, I grow cold and shiver. Darius notices and wraps his arms around me. I feel his lips at my ear and I feel myself straightening as I listen to his words. I am certain the others can hear, but I no longer care.
“Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”
I shake my head at Darius’ questions and gaze up at him before sending a pointed look to the demoness, Lilith, who stands facing the closed elevator doors. Her finger is on the button holding it in the down position.
I’ll tell you everything soon, Darius, I whisper in my mind, hoping he understands.
For now, I revel in the feel of his arms around me, giving me the strength to go on. Finally, the elevator stops and the doors open. I gasp as the heat, from beyond the door’s blasts, all around us. I wince at the uncomfortable feeling, that reminds me of being in a sauna, as I try to breathe naturally.
Lilith backs out of our way and motions for us to step off the elevator without her, grinning at us with an evil smile, “Welcome to Hell.”
9
Darius
I don’t like this place. The heat and moans of the dead are enough to have me on edge. Waiting for only a few minutes while Elara was locked in a room alone with the traitorous son of the Almighty, the King of Hell, had been my own personal version of Hell.
Gideon had been forced to hold me back from breaking down the bastard’s doors to get to Elara a few times. I could sense her fear and my fear tripled. I had only just gotten her back, there was no way I was losing her a second time.
Now in the depths of Hell, Lilith points us in the direction of a long hallway lined with cells that house demons, young and old, the cruelest of the cruel. I keep Elara close, the others encircled around us, though Dina remains further behind.
Dina has been unusually quiet since our meeting with Lucifer and her anger is practically rolling off of her in waves. Perhaps by the way Lucifer seemed so intrigued with Elara. It is foolish. We all know where Lucifer’s eyes are firmly planted, though none of us understand the complexity of their relationship. It is inevitably up to Dina to make her choices in life.
I spare a glance down upon my Elara. She appears so calm and lost in thought. I wish for nothing more than to take her away from this hellish place and question her thoroughly about what went on in that room with Lucifer.
I feel Elara cringe as she instinctively tightens her hold on my hand. Demons hiss and call to us as we pass their cells. Some even slash the bars in an attempt to escape and attack, but are instantly brought to their knees by the power holding them imprisoned.
Ezekiel, leading our group, stops ahead of us. We are at the final cell. It is larger than the rest and more private. Probably because of Tarnins position as a general of Lucifer’s armies. Lucifer ensures all of his people are well cared for; but if you step one toe out of line, you will be dealt with a punishment worse than death.
As we step closer to the cell, I notice the figure standing in the darkened corner of the cell and my senses scream one word. Demon.
Tarnin looks nothing like the shadowy monster he’d illusioned himself as in the InBetween. When Ezekiel steps aside, I almost push myself in front of Elara to stop her from seeing what only she and I understand.
Her gasp of anguish crushes me. I’m too late. She is already staring, wide-eyed at Tarnin or at least who Tarnin is pretending to be. The others do not understand his illusion, though they do sense my anger bubbling at the sight of the despicable demon. Even imprisoned in this hell Tarnin has power. He feeds off the other prisoners’ fear and wretchedness.
I meet the clear, blue eyes I’d only had the opportunity to view once. His blonde, curly hair is dirty and greasy. His skin is pale and he’d obviously lost some weight since the moment we’d stepped into Elara’s memories.
Tarnin has illusioned himself as Elara’s father.
10
Elara
“Dad?” I whisper in shock at the sight of my father standing behind the bars of the last cell. Darius has tensed in his hold around me at the sight of my father as well. He is unable to stop me as I rush forward and pull on the bars in an effort to open them.
“Dad!” I call as the man who had raised me and been taken from me at such a young age continues to stand at the back of his cell. His clear blue eyes never leave mine as I pull on the bars of the cell.
A comforting hand comes to rest on my shoulder, as I am pulled away from the cell bars. I stare up at Darius, who sends me a pitied look before turning his angry eyes on my father’s figure.
“Elara…that’s not your father,” Darius murmurs and my eyes widen at his words. I swing my gaze to the others. They are all sending me pitying looks, even Pascal through his sunglasses, I can tell is upset for me.
I swing my gaze back to view my father behind the bars, “But…,”
Slowly my father’s eyes
shift as my words trail off and, in their place, remains darkness. The black irises have taken over as his eyes practically drip evil and his pale lips curl into a cynical smile.
His words, while raspy from thirst cause my blood to run cold, “Hello, pretty soul. I told you I’d see you in Hell.”
Tarnin.
I don’t even realize I grab the sword Darius has strapped to his hip until it is level with Tarnin, masquerading as my father, Matthew Greer. The anger I feel bubbling deep inside me knew no bounds as everything around us seems to freeze and the sounds coming from the other prisoners’ quiets.
I tremble at the weight of the sword. It isn’t like the light training swords Darius trained me with or the Flaming Sword that had molded to my hand. Tarnin, sensing my weakness, grins with glee at the sight of my arms shaking under the weight of the sword. I try to keep it level, pointed at my own father’s chest.
I hardly even recognize my own voice as I speak through clenched teeth, “Release my father’s form.”
Tarnin merely chuckles and shakes his head, my father’s curls, though dirty and oily, still bounce and sway the way I remember. My heart feels like it is breaking into tiny pieces as I watch Tarnin approach the bars, though not touching them yet. The sword in my hands is inches from his chest. If I take another step towards him, he would be wounded, but we wouldn’t have our answers.
“That’s not how you play the game, pretty soul. A favor for a favor is how it works down here,” Tarnin replies as his eyes shift to the others before hardening.
“Still alive I see, Darius. How precious,” He practically snarls the words and I feel Darius shift closer to me, in an attempt to be close in case I need him.
“Show us your true form, Tarnin, or we leave now and you won’t get to have any fun,” Darius orders.
After several moments, I watch in horror as my father's face and form melts away to reveal the shadowy demon I’d met beyond the wall of the InBetween. The bastard.
Tarnin chuckles and shakes out his leathery wings. I try to cool my expression and hide my fear; but let's face it, I am scared. The last time I’d been face to face with this demon, I had almost died and so had Darius.
I faintly recall the cold feeling that had rushed through me as Tarnin plunged a shadowy dagger into my chest. I can’t suppress the shudder that races through me at the memory. Glaring at the shadowy demon, I stand straighter and lower the sword away from Tarnins’ shadowy chest.
I refuse to give up the sword, however, when I feel Darius place a hand on my wrist. Shaking his hand away, I feel a little bad about the way I am treating Darius with such indifference; but there isn’t time for love.
“Where is the sword, Tarnin?” I ask and glare into the demon's now white eyes. They seem to widen in delight at hearing my voice.
Tarnin snarls as his shadowy tendrils try to reach through the bars, but shrink away from the power keeping him locked up.
“You plunged it into my heart, if you recall, pretty soul,” His eyes shift around the cell and he continues, “As you can see, I do not have it.”
“What about your minions working on Earth?” Darius snarls from behind me.
Tarnin chuckles and turns his shadowy body away from the cell doors to stare out the barred windows.
“I’m not the one you should be worried about, Keeper. She will be your downfall.” With that Tarnin goes silent and the other prisoners yelling and leering voices echo louder in the dark, dank prison.
I can’t stop myself from shaking. I am so angry. This whole situation is all Tarnins fault. He is the reason why Darius and I cannot be happy. He is the reason why the world is in danger.
All Tarnins fault. Take hold. Unleash your anger, a hissing voice deep within me whispers.
I am blind with rage as I scream and lift the sword in my hand. I shock the others and swing it across the bars. White light bursts forth as the sword strikes the bars and a current of power pushes everyone behind me back.
Tarnin, not expecting it, is pushed back against the wall of his cell and held there by some invisible pressure. I continue to slash at the bars of his cell until they fall to the ground, completely disassembled. I cut through them like butter.
A voice, so unlike my own, speaks through my lips and echoes across the room, “I should have destroyed you when I had the chance, you pathetic piece of hell shit.”
Striding into the cell, I continue my assault, slashing Tarnin with the sword over and over again. A loud shout and powerful order to stop sounds behind me. It is only then that I find myself being forced to stop my assault.
Falling to my knees, I cry in pain as the sword is wrenched from my hands. Lifting my head, I stare up into the cool, blue eyes of the King of Hell, Lucifer. He is angry and perhaps shocked at the sight of me. The tears that leak out of my eyes ached as they fell down my cheeks. I can feel the darkness calling to me somewhere in my mind.
Something else is calling to me. I can’t breathe or make out the voice calling to me, but I know I love that voice. When the darkness fully consumes me, all was silent.
11
Darius
I call Elara’s name and watch in horror as she collapses to her knees. Within seconds she then collapses to the ground, unconscious. Lucifer stands over her, the sword she had used in his hand as he banishes Tarnins injured body to another locked cell.
“Elara? Elara!” I collapse next to her and pull her into my lap. I press my fingers to her neck, feeling for her pulse. It is slow, as if she is sleeping. Gazing over my shoulder, I find Pascal standing at the entrance of the cell, “Heal her, Pascal. Quickly.”
Lucifer grunts, “It will do no good. She is going through a major transition.”
Pascal ignores him and rushes forward at my urging. Placing a hand on Elara’s forehead, he turns his covered eyes in my direction.
Pascal murmurs, “I cannot sense anything. She is in a fog. We must find her a safe place to rest.”
Swinging Elara up into my arms, I follow as Lucifer leads us out of the cell. Elara doesn’t even stir as we move. Her eyes are firmly shut.
“She may rest in the guest quarters of my palace. Stay as long as you wish,” Lucifer gruffly states and Lilith appears as we make our way toward the elevator.
I freeze then and call out to Lucifer, who is making his way back to what is left of Tarnins cell, “What did you mean Elara is going through a major transition?”
“I’ll explain everything once you have her settled,” Lucifer answers. Turning his back and leathery wings to us as he lets out a menacing growl at the demons still trapped in their cells.
Lilith speaks then drawing our focus, “This way please.”
She escorts us through a hidden door and down a secret hallway. As we pass through another hidden door, Elara still has not woken and I grow increasingly worried as time passes.
Finally, we emerge into a light and airy courtyard. I stare in amazement at my surroundings. The sky is so blue and bright. The courtyard we are in is surrounded by a beige wall and at the center of the wall is a large building with towers and balconies jutting out in different positions.
As we make our way inside, the home gives off a medieval feel. However, as we enter our quarters, I note modern functions still take precedence here. Once Lilith departs, we all converged in my bedroom. I can feel my brothers and sister’s anxiety all around me, as I place Elara on my bed as gently as possible.
Elara is still peacefully sleeping on my bed as Pascal sits beside her, his hand resting atop her pale forehead. His lips begin moving and I sense a calming presence overtake both Elara and Pascal.
When I turn to face the others, I take in Dina and Ezekiel both drinking from a decanter they found in a corner of the room. Gideon is pacing. Every once in awhile his eyes dart toward Pascal and Elara before glancing away and shaking his head. It’s hard for me to keep my distance from Elara as Pascal works his healing, but I somehow manage it.
Finally, Gideon is the first to speak
as he grunts, “What was that shit?”
I shake my head and shrug in confusion, “I have no idea. She’s never done that before. I’ve never seen her so angry.”
Dina mutters softly, her eyes darting to each of us, “That amount of power must only be a side effect of the sword, right?”
Ezekiel shrugs and swigs back the remainder of his drink before setting the glass down. “She didn’t have the Flaming Sword. She was just wielding a regular angelic blade. I’m surprised she was even able to swing the damn thing.”
Dina turns to me and shoots me a desperate look. “Perhaps she did take the sword and lied to us?”
I clench my fists and shake my head. “She would never. She isn’t like that. How dare you...”
Pascal spoke then, interrupting our argument, “She didn’t steal the sword, at least not on purpose. Everything is so fuzzy. Her past, the present and her future are all melted together. It could take months to sort it all out.”
All eyes turn to him and before I can ask anything further, the sound of the doors to my quarters opening have me turning away from Pascal. Lucifer stands there, bare arms crossed as he stares past me toward Elara’s still form.
“I happen to agree with your blind friend about the sword,” Lucifer mutters and saunters into the room. He plucks Dina’s glass from her hands and takes a drink with a wink to her blushing face.
“What is going on? What did Tarnin do to her?” I ask, the desperation in my voice evident.
“He didn’t do anything to her. It was all Elara,” Lucifer shrugs and fills the glass once again before chugging it and setting the empty glass on the table.
“What do you know of Elara’s parents?” Lucifer asks me, his voice tense and wary.
“They died when she was a child.” When I see his eyes shift, I step in front of Elara, as if to shield her from his gaze. I say more, hoping to figure out his line of thought, “They were good people. Mortals living out the rest of their days in the afterlife.”