by Lori Aisling
The toneless mantra continued and my anger escalated as I recalled my love’s teachings. Baser instincts were always the answer regardless of realm, Timeless, demon, or mortal. There was one I felt the strongest attachment to at this moment- pain. I wanted to inflict as much of it as possible. I craved it.
My intent blasted into the chanting being and he screamed in agony. I twisted the fibers of his soul, ripping at the very fabric of his existence. His howls made the savage beast inside me purr in contentment, and I increased my administration. “Tell me who sent you,” I repeated, saturating him with my sway.
His face contorted as the pain stiffened his limbs, his muscles spasming against the stone wall. The power of my sway was incredible, as numerous archangels on more than one occasion already confirmed. For this soul to resist was impressive, but he was breaking. I could see it…feel it. Between the mind-fuck of the sway, and the dehabilitating agony of my intent, he would not defy me, I wouldn’t allow it. “You took him from me. You did this. Only you can make it stop,” I cooed sweetly, as my cruel smile caused the man’s eyes to widen. “Yes, you see it, don’t you? My grasp on reality is no longer as solid as it once was. I don’t care about you and I will kill you. You thought you were safe, you fool. Death might kill the vessels, leaving the souls for judgement, but Death will never kill a soul. Every one of them must be accounted for, right? Wrong. If that is what you were told, you were lied to. I will kill you. I want to.”
The black pits flashed fear as the condemned fought for control of his own mind, the zombie-like droning becoming stuttering as he battled my sway, the incredible pain, and the control the demons of hell held over him. “Find...her…,” he struggled to speak, the emotion my pain was causing evident in his voice. “Death’s…,” a deep moan left his lips before the next word chilled me to my core. “Widow.”
No. He wasn’t dead. I wouldn’t allow it. I heard the shrill scream piercing my eardrums and realized the wail of horror was my own. “Tell me!” I screamed. “Who sent you?! Who controls you?”
I felt wetness under my palm, and saw the black, tar-like substance that held the being together leaching from his skin as my deep-seated hatred continued to batter his core. I forced myself to pull back. I wanted to kill him, God, I wanted it so fucking bad. To release some of this fury and feel this soul disintegrate under my fingers was a luxury I wanted to bathe in.
“He’s dead...saw him...they want...you,” the brutalized soul grunted through raspy breaths.
“You saw him dead. How do you know he was dead? Callon is Timeless- it would take more than any of your low-level scumlords to kill him.”
I released enough of the pressure holding him to allow him a slight reprieve of the pain and he sucked in a staggered breath. “Everyone knows...knows he’s dead. His power...they are trying to...control it...can’t...they need...you...dead, too. Find you...report back. That is all.”
“Report to WHO?!” I yelled. “Who do you answer to? I want every name of every fucking Timeless involved. Tell me and I’ll end your suffering quickly.”
“So...many...both sides. You can’t win...they’re too strong.” A macabre grin crossed his split, infected lips, his blackness coating his teeth. “Death fell...so easy. You will die...soon.”
My grasp on him tightened, and I struggled to control the emotions that flooded through me. Grief, sadness, love, and rage. So much rage. Kill him. Kill him slowly. Watch the soul separate into nothing but sludge and pieces. It will feel so good. Callon would be so proud, the darkness in me whispered, its caress like my lover’s touch.
It was one black soul. Such a small thing in the grand design. Would he really be missed? By anyone? Besides, who the fuck was going to do anything about it? That thought made me tremble with bliss. Yes- send more. More for me to torture, maim, and kill. Someone more powerful. Many of them so I could release the full force of this blackness onto those that dared to take what was mine.
Wait. Would Callon be proud? He prided himself on accounting for every soul. Granted, a few from both factions were just placed in personal purgatories for threatening me, but their souls were still very much alive. What I was craving and contemplating was total destruction; removing this being from existence completely… I warred with myself, equally torn.
The intruder I restrained began howling; the high-pitched screams surprised even my hardened psyche. Pieces of him began to break off, floating in the air around me. The black ooze slipped through my fingers and ran in rivers from his eyes, nose, and mouth. Stepping back, shocked, I watched the soul as he was ripped from existence, bit by bit.
I didn’t do that. There was one other being who had the power to demolish a soul in that manner: Callon. But according to the condemned I just watched die the most painful death imaginable, Death was dead and they- whoever ‘they’ were- couldn’t control his power. Did this mean they somehow harnessed his strength? And why kill their own minion?
Shaking my hands to sling the sludge from my fingertips, another thought weighed heavy on my mind: Who knew I was coming to Morocco? I told the old man who took care this place. He knew nothing about Callon Thead, let alone any of the ‘other’ aspects of our life. He spent his time with his wife, a herd of goats, and his camels. Callon kept the man’s identity secret and we paid him cash. But there was one other who knew- Jeremiel.
Descending Into the Dark
The dark soul specifically mentioned there were numerous parties involved on both sides. It appeared my itinerary just got busier. I was taking a trip to Hell. When I was done there, I would be knocking on the Lord’s door and I would find the answers I sought. They underestimated me if they thought I would simply give up. They thought they could take Callon away, leaving a grieving, broken woman who would not defy them. Oh, they broke me, all right. They grabbed ahold of my sanity with both hands and busted that shit into pieces.
But Most of the Timeless have never known love, let alone the deep, eternal, bonded love I shared with Callon. It was so much more than losing your best friend and lover. I was connected to him in every way. With my connection to him breached, I could no longer feel the emotions needed to exist as a stable being. I felt no sympathy, empathy, or compassion. There was now a void where those feelings once lived; and in its place was nothing but blackness- hate, anger, vengeance, and a desire to inflict pain and torment upon those who betrayed Death and his chosen mate.
The years I spent with my mate showed me, time and time again, that both factions understood and respected The Counterbalance, not because he was right and good, but because they desired his strength. There was never a single instance I could recall involving a Timeless from the Light or the Dark that was not in some way self-motivating. They wanted to win. Nothing else mattered.
Winning wasn’t all they should care about. The Light should have been content in their ridiculous golden palaces, looking over flower gardens and fountains. Meeting with their friends and associates to partake in the best drinks and foods from all the realms should have been enough. They should have left the Dark alone.
But Hell was not blameless in this, either. After all, they are pure evil. They crave the fight, the drama of discontent, the sickness, plagues, and wars they cause and incite. Too much death, pain, and suffering was never enough for them. They relished the torturing of the realms like fine wine on a connoisseur’s tongue. To remove The Counterbalance and swim in pure chaos would be heaven-- for hell.
It was time to teach them both a lesson. Jeremiel spoke of an ancient secret, recently discovered, as the key to removing Death. I was starting to figure out this scheme. The players in this mutual conspiracy thought they succeeded, so now I was in their sights- the last hurdle before bringing both factions to their knees. For what cause, I was still cloudy. However, I had some ideas.
My cell phone trilled for the fourth time, and I answered Kyle’s call.
“What’s going on? You can’t do this to me, Amara. I’m halfway across the effin’ globe and I
’m blind over here! The trespasser vanishes a moment after you tell me to hold tight, then you won’t answer your goddamn phone! Can I send a team in there? Where the hell are you?”
“There is no need, Kyle. The man is gone, and I’m safe. There is no cause to proceed with any kind of operation at this point. Thank you for calling me. I doubt we will have as many of these situations moving forward, but please let me know if you do.”
“Wait. No, I need more, Ms. Rush. Where are you and how do you know the man is gone? He could be outside the camera's views.”
I sighed; having a mortal on the payroll was a lot of work. The man was amazing at his job- a real pitbull. But all the lies were tiring. “I’m in Morocco, Kyle. I was here when you called the first time. I only just arrived.”
I heard a snarl on the other end of the line. “You know what that means, right? We have a cockroach in our ranks. A leak, somehow. There is no other explanation. I find it way too convenient an intruder happens to show up at a remote property with no ties to his business at the exact time you arrive in the country. I already know the answer, but would you allow me to assign you a watch detail, Ms. Rush? Shit, I’ll do it myself!”
“That won’t be necessary. I trust you 100%. I know you will keep me safe without having to follow my every move. Remember that trust thing we talked about? Let’s remember it at this point, ok?”
More growling was followed by an exasperated sigh. “Alright. I will respect your wishes, of course. But I don’t like it. I’ll be contacting you numerous times a day with updates and I would appreciate at least having a vague idea of where you are. Can you at least tell me when you hop continents? I can have men on-call in case they are needed.”
“I will do my best to keep you in the loop.”
“I’ll take it. Thank you. Goodbye, Amara.”
“Good day, Kyle.” I started to push the ‘end’ button when I heard his voice again.
“Ms. Rush! I just want you to know that I will keep you safe. I will not allow anything to happen to you or Mr Thead’s legacy. I will make him proud. I owe him more than I could ever repay. Please know that.”
The gaping chasm that swirled with the bitterness I was morphing into warmed slightly at his words, and I felt just a tiny tinge of the compassion I used to embrace so freely. I felt a small smile on my lips, but it was laced with sadness. “Yes, Kyle. I know. We are grateful.” I disconnected the call before any additional words could be spoken.
With all the unknown factors swirling in my head, I began to compartmentalize each of them, trying to link the pieces together somehow. Lost in thought, I stripped from my jeans and hoodie and slipped on a lightweight summer dress and a pair of sandals from the closet. I left my tote closed; I couldn’t handle the memories that would become visible when the zipper parted. I needed to embrace the darkness. My grief was my weakness and I was getting ready to walk into Hell: the last place I needed to have a chink in my armour.
I still had a list of responsibilities to consider: I called Callon’s accounting firm and spoke with the lead accountant concerning the signatures he needed; I promised him I would attend the signing as soon as possible and answered a few questions concerning some of my love’s investments. With that addressed, I took a moment to center myself. I used my commitment to my mate and my deep-seated desire to correct the wrongs done to us to pull the blackness back to the surface.
Feeling it course through me, I smiled. I was ready. It was time to visit Hell.
Mortals have it all wrong. Ask any of them, from any realm, to explain Hell and the descriptions were all similar: Fire, brimstone, heat, a red devil with horns or something along that line. Even I believed the same things, and when Callon brought me to Hell the first time, those images are exactly what I expected. Yet it wasn’t like that- at all. If I were honest, my own realm was much more likened to the descriptions: The vast, empty space with stark landscape- nothing but the wisps for company. But I developed a fondness for the void and missed it when I was away.
Hell, on the other hand, was more like the ghettos of Detroit. Sad to say, but true. Dilapidated buildings crowded each other while trash blew down busted sidewalks. The residents of hell had no care or respect for their surroundings, so landscaping and a sense of community was completely vacant. I once made a comparison the first time I visited the Dark: As a child, I loved the action movie, Robocop, and if I didn’t know better, the screenwriter had taken the Devil’s home as a template for the film. Silence was broken only by blood-curdling screams as one of the residents outwitted or overpowered another. The vile nature of the place fed off of its own treachery, self-sufficient in that regard.
I walked down the middle of the street, unafraid. Nothing in this place could hurt me, of this I was certain. Part of me hoped something would try, though. It would allow me to let out a little more of the blackness casting its taint on me. Lesser demons and dark souls scurried through the dim alleys and side streets like gutter rats, wanting to get a closer look, soon realizing what they hoped was prey was instead an apex predator.
I planned on starting my visit at the prison, but decided to start at the top. I was tired of all the games, and if they wanted a battle, I would give it to them. These beings loved blood, and I was more than happy to spill theirs.
It wasn’t hard to know where to start. Whereas the residents of this realm floundered and suffered in filth, the leaders of Hell lived in opulence. A wrought-iron fence surrounded a huge, cathedral-like building, numerous towers jutting to the sky, the belfries topped with massive, pointed spires. The architecture was more reminiscent of old churches than the home of Lucifer, but evil saturated the structure. There would be no peace within these walls.
I knocked on the Devil’s door, noting the ornate carvings in the thick wood. If studied, one could make out the flames, screaming faces, and torturous acts depicted, but at first sight, it appeared only as a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. Like so many things between the two factions, you always needed to look deeper to see the true colors of those surrounding you.
Hearing footsteps approaching, I steeled myself for the conversation to come. I was ready to start a war. If Callon knew something was brewing, hence his proactive approach to his legacy, then I had money that the answers were at the top.
The Red
The massive door swung open without a sound to reveal a young, beautiful woman. Her jet-black hair hung in a sleek curtain to the middle of her back and the red dress she wore did little to cover her perfect body. Almond-shaped eyes sized me up, from my face to my feet before slowly tracking back up. “Yes?”
“I’m here to see Luc.”
“Do you have an appointment?” she asked, a snide smile appearing on her perfectly painted lips.
“Don’t make me repeat myself again. I am here to see Lucifer and I would appreciate it greatly if you didn’t make me wait.”
The beauty flipped her hair over her shoulder, the smirk growing. “My master is incredibly busy and he doesn’t have time for...commoners.”
I smiled sweetly at the antagonist standing in front of me, grateful for the chance to release some of my poison. “Are you sure this is how you want to play this, you silly little nothing? Think carefully before you answer.”
Hatred clouded the woman’s eyes before her smooth, chocolate irises filled with the inky-black of her soul. The tar-like pits glared their malice and her sugar-sweet voice warped to the scratchy, high-pitched whine that accompanied demons of her rank. “I know who you are. You are the one that is nothing! You are nothing but a shadow of your former mate. His insignificant Widow.”
For the second time that day, that two-syllable word freed the fury inside me. Tossing my hand in her direction, the demon flew through the huge foyer, her body slamming into the solid marble wall across from me, a large crack snaking its way up the smooth stone. “I warned you. You should have been cautious in my presence. I am no shadow. I am Death. And right now, I am yours.”
The
black receded in her eyes leaving expressive brown orbs staring at me in shock. “Forgive me, Mistress. I meant no disrespect.”
“Yeah, actually you did,” I snarled, not at all swayed by her act. “That’s the problem with the factions- neither of you realize how good you had it, for so long.” I spun her body against the stone and she shrieked as I increased the speed until she was nothing more than a live-action, vertical roulette wheel, her howls fueling my anger. “You’ll know now, though, won’t you?” I questioned, before bringing her to a sudden stop.
Gagging and attempting to keep from throwing up all over Lucifer’s fine entry way, the demon stared back at me, the contempt in her eyes obvious. “You will pay for this, bitch,” she screeched. “You can’t walk in here and-”
“Silence!” The command was obeyed immediately, the demon lowering her eyes as her hands began to shake, her lip quivering.
“I’m sorry, Master. I’m so, so sorry. Please forgive me. I didn’t know who she wa-”
“I said, SILENCE!” This time, the order was followed up with a reassurance of the demon’s compliance. From her eyes down, smooth flesh remained. No nose or mouth was left for her to draw breath. She struggled, her chest heaving, generous breasts threatening to escape the skimpy dress.
Looking at the man of the house, I smiled, nodding my head at him.
“Amara, Dear. Please accept my sincere apologies concerning the rude behavior of my...whatever she is,” he said waving his hand dismissively in the demon’s direction. “As they say, good help is hard to find.”
“Hmm. I can see that. Your timing is impeccable. I was just getting ready to add another soul to the roster.”
“Oh, please. Don’t stop on my account!” he gushed, his hypnotic amber eyes sparkling with curiosity.