by Knight, TW
"Don’t. You. Dare," Cassidy growled through clenched teeth.
"She won’t last much longer. I can hear her blood simmering. Any minute now her brain will turn to mush…" He made a dismissive gesture, waving his hand in a circle as though the whole affair were common.
Rail gazed into Cassidy’s eyes and gave her a kiss. "I love you."
"Awww, isn’t that sweet—"Air burst from Lucifer’s lungs with a whoosh when Rail plowed into him, throwing them to the floor. Ignoring the sword impaling his abdomen, Rail clawed, punched, and bit with all his strength. In that brief instant of shock, Lucifer lost his concentration and Cassidy dropped to the floor with a pained gasp.
* * *
It hurt to breathe, or think, or move, but she had to. Rolling to her side, she took in her surroundings. Her mind couldn’t comprehend the situation.
They were literally in Hell.
The sounds of battle focused her attention. Rail stood off against Lucifer.
Blinking a few times to clear the sweat from her eyes, Cassidy sized up the demon. He wasn’t what she’d expect the Greatest Evil to look like. She’d expected his human appearance to be something akin to a slimy politician or used car salesman—instead he looked like a shirtless rock-god, complete with long hair, tattoos, ripped abs, and low-slung leather pants.
The better to seduce you to the Dark Side, my child.
Gulping in the heated air, Cassidy cheered for her man. "Kick his ass, Rail!"
On cue, Rail slammed a doubled fist into Lucifer’s face.
Before Rail could land another punch, Lucifer transformed.
Now, Cassidy saw what she had always believed the Devil to look like. Where Rail was dark like aged bronze in his demon form, Lucifer was the color of dried blood. Large black horns curled back from his forehead, and crimson wings jutted from his shoulder blades. Unlike the stories, he did not have the legs of a goat or cloven feet, but those much like a wolf. As the combatants spun away from her, Cassidy choked back a laugh. Lucifer’s tail stuck out through a tear in his pants.
Lucifer forced Rail back, leaving the sword sheathed in his abdomen. He’d underestimated the so-called Knight. He shouldn’t be half as strong as he was. With a grunt, Lucifer chalked Rail's determination up to the need to protect the soul-keeper. Still, he shouldn’t have been that strong. Everything Lucifer had studied about the Forced Fallen showed they were weaker than his minions because they held strong to the soul connection with their human keepers. But this Rail was a monster—a match for his own strength.
Finally a worthy adversary. He threw back his head and howled in delight.
Rail ripped the sword from his body and tossed it aside.
Lucifer smiled cruelly in answer to the challenge. "It’s been a long time since I’ve fought someone worthy of my attention. Usually, I can’t be bothered with you trifling Knights." He spat the last word.
* * *
Rail didn’t give in to the bait. As the two demons continued to circle each other, Rail scoped out the chamber they were in, looking for any sign of an exit. The space was an inverted bowl. A rough dome carved from the stone curved upward from the flat floor. Hellfire lit the arena in braziers interspersed around the circle. The wavering light sent disorienting shadows dancing across the walls and made the stalagmites appear to be alive.
Symbols covered the surfaces in intricate patterns—some in blood, others in charcoal or chalk. Some he recognized, most he didn’t. All of them glowed with power. The summoning Lucifer used was more than just blood magic. It was a summoning built of Hell itself.
A current of hot air twisted around them, yet there was no apparent doorway, no visible break in the stone. No witnesses. It was interesting that Lucifer, the ever-preening peacock, hadn’t wanted an audience. Maybe because the first summoning he mentioned had failed.
A lance of power scorched his left shoulder and sent Rail back a step.
Get your head in the game, Rail reminded himself, throwing a combination of punches. He hated splitting his attention, but he had to get Cassidy out of the cursed chamber. With luck, they were in one of the upper levels of Hell, close to a surface portal. Opening a portal would require a great deal of magic and with every breath his powers weakened, while Lucifer appeared to be gaining strength.
Rail growled. He would not fail Cassidy as he had failed Shanner, Zendril, and their family so long ago. They had been his responsibility, but Cassidy was his life.
Beside him, Cassidy also assessed the situation, scanning the area for an escape route. Drawing on her strength and resolve, Rail rushed Lucifer once again.
* * *
An angry roar tore the air, snapping Cassidy’s attention back to the fight. Rail rushed forward like a linebacker, shoulder down, lifting Lucifer from the floor, and flattening him against the opposite wall. The crack of stone and bone echoed around them like a gunshot. In seconds, Lucifer sank his claws into Rail's shoulders and rolled, reversing their positions.
Rail's suffering was incredible. Cassidy felt every wound as if they were her own. Gasping for breath, she struggled to her feet. Her steps faltered and she fell back into the heated wall, adding new burns to the mix. Desperate, she threw herself forward and bit down on the scream clawing its way up her throat, afraid she would distract Rail. At the moment, Lucifer had the upper hand, beating the shit out of Rail.
The two demons were a whirling tangle of slashing claws, punishing blows, and snapping teeth. At times, the pair became nothing more than a swirling mass, moving too fast to follow. Watching Rail struggle and even land a few blows renewed her strength—she had to find a way to help him.
When they broke apart, Cassidy took a moment to assess the damage. Both man-beasts were drenched in blood seeping from a multitude of injuries. To her joy, one of Lucifer’s wings now hung at an odd angle, and while Rail had been nearly gutted with the sword early on, he was holding his own.
Cassidy’s heart jumped to her throat when Lucifer charged, sidestepped, and lunged for the discarded sword. Rail sidestepped, but slipped in a puddle of blood and stumbled in the wrong direction. Lucifer took advantage of the miscalculation and plunged the sword into Rail once again.
"No!" Without thinking, Cassidy ran toward the battle and jumped onto Lucifer’s back. Screaming like a banshee, she clawed at his face and neck.
With a furious howl, Lucifer bucked and reached around to grab Cassidy. With little effort, he plucked her from his back, pulled her over his shoulder, and tossed her toward Rail.
The two crashed to the floor.
Air exploded from Rail when Cassidy landed on his chest. "God! Rail, I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?" Instead of Rail's answer, all Cassidy heard was Lucifer’s cruel laughter. Struggling to right herself, Cassidy pulled the sword free of Rail's body and brandished it at the approaching demon. "Stay away from him!"
Lucifer laughed harder, clasping his abdomen as he wiped tears from his eyes. "By the Dark Lord, I can’t believe you are such a cliché." He took a deep breath and straightened to his full height, sobering in a second. "Seriously?"
With a pain-filled groan, Rail rolled to the side—one hand locked around Cassidy’s waist, the other clasped to his chest wound. "The chamber is a sealed ceremonial space." He grunted. "No way out unless he lets us go."
"Bullshit," Cassidy snapped, watching Lucifer patiently, almost lazily, pace. "He wouldn’t lock himself in a room with no escape. Would he?"
"He would if he wasn’t expecting this kind of fight. One magic word from him and the place opens up." Rail pushed himself up on one elbow and brushed his fingers along her cheek. "I’m sorry, sweetheart. Looks like this time I can’t rescue you."
"Then I’ll rescue you." Cassidy bent forward and kissed him softly. Before he could guess what she planned, Cassidy jumped to her feet and took a defensive pose with the sword pointed directly at Lucifer’s heart. "Let us go," she demanded.
"Why?" Lucifer stopped pacing and gave her a confused look. "We’re not done
having fun yet."
"What do you want? This seems like an awful lot of trouble just to grab one of us.”
"I want the prophecy.”
Cassidy lowered the sword slightly. Hopefully, the bastard wouldn’t call her bluff. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Or I could be lying. If you kill us, you’ll never know.”
"I could always torture the information from you," Lucifer relaxed, some of his human form returning, "and I would so enjoy that."
Shit. She’d hoped he wouldn’t jump straight to threats of torture. So much for the egomaniacal villain who talks you to death about his plans for world domination giving you time to develop an escape plan. "I won’t talk," Cassidy responded, fighting the quaver in her voice.
"Sorry, Lucifer," Rail growled, pushing to his feet, "but I don’t think she’ll be accommodating you. I’m the one with the information. Let Cassidy go, and I’ll talk."
"Shut up, Rail," Cassidy hissed under her breath.
Rail ignored the comment and stumbled to her side, snatching the sword from her hands. With a grunt, he shoved her back, blocking her with his wings. "Let her go, and you can have me."
"But I already have you and her." Laughing maniacally, the Devil rushed them.
Rail braced for the impact. Raising the sword at the last second, he caught Lucifer in the side. It was only a glancing blow to the ribs, but it broke the demon's momentum, causing him to break his stride and stumble.
Enraged once again, Lucifer fully transformed, twisted to the side, and kicked Rail dead in the ribs. Pivoting, he raked Rail with his claws, tearing chunks of flesh free, and sending the Knight spinning.
In shock, Rail looked down at the gaping hole in his side. Flesh hung in bloody tatters, exposed muscle and bone gleaming through the ruined flesh. Somewhere beyond the thundering in his ears, he thought he heard Cassidy screaming. Drawing breath into his damaged lungs, he called out to her, only to find he couldn’t catch enough air.
Stars blinked in his vision.
He was dying, leaving Cassidy completely unprotected.
Chapter Forty-Six
Cassidy wrapped her arms around Rail, guiding him to the ground. His life was slipping away, escaping in each ragged breath that passed his lips. Slowly, he changed back to his human form.
"Rail! Rail! Come back. Don’t you dare leave me alone with that freak." Tears dropped onto his lower eyelids. “You are not going to die. Do you hear me?”
Wiping blood from his lips, Cassidy willed him to live. The connection between them was still palpable, but fading fast. Closing her eyes, she searched for the feeling. In her mind’s eye, she found silver threads running between her and Rail. Grasping hold of the threads, she forced her energy, her life, her love, along their path.
Nothing happened. Could he still feel her? Cassidy trembled, fearing he’d given up. In her soul, she felt their connection fray and separate. Strands unraveled. Her heart stuttered.
"No!" Grasping the mental image of the threads tighter, she turned them into chains and pulled him back to her. Cassidy strained against the tug of war, continuing to force her energy into Rail. Nothing else mattered. She had to keep him alive. Together they could find an escape. The alternative played through her mind like a bad horror movie featuring Lucifer raping and torturing her in front of Rail to break his will. Forcing her to watch and feel Rail die over and over until she lost her mind. A sadistic game to see who gave in first. The idea of Rail dying again and again for the sake of the Devil's pleasure created an inferno in her very soul. Rage she’d never felt before seared through her veins.
The blaze spread through her body, igniting every cell until there was nothing left free of fire. Cassidy inhaled the heat, welcomed the pain. On her exhale, the flames moved to Rail, engulfing them.
Lucifer stood to the side, panting, watching in fascinated disbelief. When Rail had fallen, he crowed with delight, planning to torture the brave little soul-keeper until Rail returned to life.
That was until a glow began to radiate from Cassidy. The light came from deep within her, filling her completely, spreading until it encompassed the fallen Knight as well.
"Impossible," he muttered, shading his eyes as the light filled the cavern. Lucifer had no idea what was happening. A mere human, even a soul-keeper, should not have the ability to call forth the Holy Light—a light held only by the One itself and the highest ranking angels.
After a few moments, the light dimmed, though it never wavered. Stunned, Lucifer found himself kneeling before a creature of legend—a being equally high-level demon and purist angel. Neither male nor female, yet both.
A being of pure iridescent light, radiating all the colors of the spectrum. Enormous black-feathered wings extended from its back, casting a shadow over Lucifer. There were no facial features, but Lucifer knew the creature stared into the deepest parts of him—hunting the remnants of his burnt soul. A wave of power washed over him, and for the first time in over a thousand years, Lucifer trembled in fear.
* * *
Cassidy looked down at her hands and skimmed them over her body. She couldn't find a single injury. They’d mysteriously vanished with her pain and fatigue, leaving her humming with energy. She felt fantastic. More than fantastic—she felt perfect. The bright white light filling the cavern didn’t bother her eyes. Rail lifted himself from her lap and stood, pulling her with him. He appeared to be completely healed as well, glowing with life and power. She leaned into him for a kiss.
"Rail, what happened?”
"I was dying and something pulled me back. I was at the edge of the Void staring into the darkness, then light.” Rail smiled and stroked Cassidy’s hair. "That would have been you, I guess."
She nodded and squeezed his hand.
Rail’s loving gaze turned confused and filled with concern.
"What’s wrong?" Prepared for an attack, Cassidy turned. Rail kept staring at her. Catching her reflection in his eyes, she grasped the reason for his concern. She was semi-transparent.
A flare of panic squeezed her heart, realizing Rail was semi-transparent as well.
The shock passed quickly, and Cassidy found herself overflowing with energy, pulsing with a strange sense of peace and renewed determination. The charge made her feel as if she could take on the world.
Smiling with a wicked gleam in his eye, Rail turned away from her to face Lucifer. Cassidy followed his line of sight and gasped in disbelief. It appeared Lucifer had somehow shrunk. He was back in his human form, but was less rock-god and more heroine junkie. It was as if all the imposing confidence and power had been sucked right out of him.
Emboldened, Cassidy took a step forward, ready to lay a major smack-down on the bastard. Rail held her in place.
"Unless you want to continue this fight," Rail rumbled, "I think you should let us go now."
* * *
Lucifer stared slack-jawed as the being before him spoke. The voice resonated in his head, ringing like a thousand bells and roaring like a thunderclap. Nodding numbly, he waved his hand and spoke a few words under his breath. In a flash, the arcane symbols turned to ash, and the blood ran from the walls. "Go," he mumbled, voice wavering. "The seal is broken."
“This is not over, Lucifer.” Rail pulled Cassidy close to him, unsure how exactly they were going to be deported from Hell. Energy skittered over his skin. Cassidy gasped. The summoning was being reversed. Afraid they would be returned to the compound—possibly creating a permanent portal to their home—Rail concentrated as hard as he could on an alternate location. A little island he’d purchased in the South Pacific to use as a second base. Hopefully, they would return to Earth there and not at home. He couldn’t risk the safety of the others. With a rush of air, Rail felt himself and Cassidy lift from the floor. Everything went dark and on the next breath, they shattered.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Cassidy woke to the warm caress of sunshine on her face and soft sand beneath her hands. Shifting slightly, she gasped, the brea
th stolen from her. Pain shot across her back. "Rail?" It was barely a whisper, but she knew wherever he was, he’d hear her.
"Right here, sweetheart." Strong arms slid under her shoulders and helped her sit up. "Here, drink this."
Something rough rubbed against her lips. Sweet nectar flowed into her mouth, cooling her dry throat. "What is that?" She coughed.
"Coconut water." Rail set the coconut aside, taking Cassidy in his arms. When she flinched, he let go immediately. "What’s wrong?"
"I hurt everywhere. Especially my back." How long had they been lying there? Carefully, she stretched to work out the stiff muscles. Forcing her eyes open, she inspected her arms and legs. There wasn’t a sign of the injuries she’d suffered. "If we’re healed, why do I hurt?"
Rolling his shoulders, he answered with a grunt of discomfort. "Apparently, there are some lingering reminders."
Blinking a few times against the bright sun, Cassidy gazed up at Rail. Smiling, he brushed a lose strand of hair back from her face. "What happened, anyway? One minute I was sure I was going to lose you and the next, Lucifer lets us go."
"I have no clue. And before you ask, I have no idea what that light was or why we became translucent for a while. Or why we healed."
"I know it sounds strange, but I think the light was coming from us. And it scared Lucifer."
Rail nodded sagely, his brow furrowed in concentration. "I think you may be right. I remember feeling a flood of energy. Feeling you fill me…and then…" He shrugged.
Cassidy smiled shyly. When Rail raised an eyebrow in question, she explained what she had done. "I just refused to let you go. For a moment, I felt you become part of me too."
"Well, whatever happened, I’m eternally grateful."
"Do you think God intervened?" Cassidy shifted in the sand and clasped Rail's hands in hers.