“Morpheus? What’s going on? Answer me!” I shouted, sensing that I was left completely alone on this dodgy path. Sudden dread crawled up my spine and fear filled the pit of my stomach. The mist was so thick that now I couldn’t see anything around me.
I considered running, but then a hand or something else wrapped its claws around my leg, and I was pulled down, splashing into the ice-cold water. I didn’t even have a chance to react. The darkness shaded my vision, and my lungs failed to take in any oxygen. I wasn’t even in Hell yet, and this whole trip already sucked.
Drops of water were falling down on my face. I breathed in and out, trying to steady my racing heart. Thoughts and random memories clogged my mind. I smiled, telling myself that all this was just a really twisted nightmare. Arthur wasn’t really dead, and I’d never gone to Purgatory. My imagination liked messing around with my head too often.
I opened my eyes and a few more drops of water landed on my face. I looked up at the ceiling, quickly realising that my hands and legs were chained to the wall behind me.
Panic rose with every beat of my heart, swallowing me down as I tried to pull my hands free. Heavy metal chains were secured around my wrists and feet. This suddenly felt like my worst nightmare—only worse because it was real.
The place around me looked like a cell made entirely of grey bricks. There was a small window on the top, but it was too high up to see anything from where I sat. The water was dripping down on me from the ceiling, and my damp clothes stuck to my body. Apart from a headache, I didn’t feel any pain. Maybe whoever dragged me in here was hoping to keep me alive for a bit longer. I had no clue if I was in Hell or back on Earth.
The chains seemed old school and, when I tried to use my energy to break free, nothing happened. But I felt my energy running through my system, heating up my blood. At least that was a big relief. The cell reminded me a lot of the place where Bianca had tortured that poor mongrel to get information about Alexis. I was suddenly very glad that I killed that bitch, well, at least I hoped she was dead.
What the hell happened to Morpheus and his Watchers? He was leading me to Lucifer.
No one was meant to interfere with Satan’s order.
None of this made any sense, and I had no idea how long I had been chained up in here. My stomach growled, reminding me that half of my DNA was still human, and I needed food to survive. I didn’t even remember the last time I ate something. My head felt a little foggy, and I really needed to get some answers.
I must have drifted off eventually, sitting in the same position for ages and staring back at the locked door.
It had to be hours later when the metal door to my small cell opened up and a demon snuck through it. He was tall, slightly bony, with a square face and mousy long hair. He carried a metal bowl with something that smelled like food. My mouth instantly watered.
He glanced at me, but his expression remained neutral. Then he placed the bowl right in front of me. I recognised that he was part of Mammon’s faction.
“Hey, can you tell me where am I?” I asked, trying to get myself in a more comfortable position, but my movements were limited. My demonic energy was blocked by a charm that someone must have cast on me when I was unconscious.
“Aren’t you that important demon everyone is talking about?” the demon answered with the question.
I frowned.
“My name is Maxine and I’m a mongrel. I don’t believe that’s important at all. Tell me, why am I here, and what is this place?” I asked, telling myself to stay fucking calm.
His eyes flickered with confusion and then he scratched his jaw, glancing around. This wasn’t Hell, it couldn’t have been. Morpheus was probably still messing with me. I needed to get back to London somehow, to Summer.
“You’re in the Circle of Greed. Mammon is in control of the castle and all the gates. I’m the postman and I bring food for the prisoners. My name is Julian,” he said and then moved into my personal space. Suddenly his face was only inches away from mine and his eyes were gleaming with light. He smelled of herbs and sweat. His demonic magic circulated around, breaking through my wards and connecting with mine.
The circle of Greed? What the hell did that mean?
My heart stopped for a moment and then I couldn’t breathe properly. Something must have happened in Purgatory if I ended up directly in here. Morpheus’s plan must have fallen apart, or maybe he got rid of me intentionally. I had no idea what to think anymore.
“You know how to get out of here, right?” he whispered, and his eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. “I’ve been trying to find a safe pass to Earth for years.”
I licked my lips, trying to play dumb. I knew that he could help me. He seemed very sure of the fact that I knew the way out of this strange place.
“Man, I’m a prisoner, so what makes you think I know how to get out of here? By the way, this is my first visit in Hell,” I said, wondering what Mammon wanted from me.
“You were on Earth, and you can always find the way back. Take me with you, please. I have gold, lots of it, and I bet that could change your life in the world upstairs,” he was saying, spraying me with spit.
“Unchain me,” I demanded, knowing that I needed to eat something fast; otherwise I would have no energy to run or fight.
Julian rose back on his feet. He glanced around the room nervously. He wore a black shirt and black pants with long pointed shoes. The postman? Mammon lived in a castle in Hell?
That whole concept sounded bonkers.
He finally leaned away from me and waved his hand a few times around my left hand. Sparks of electricity shot out of his fingertips and then the chain fell off my right hand.
The demon handed me a metal bowl. The porridge smelled good, so I scooped some up in my hand and shoved it into my mouth. It tasted better than I expected. My other hand was still chained up and Julian kept watching me until I was done, and my stomach was at least half full.
“How is it out there on Earth? How do humans treat demons?” he asked again, invading my personal space.
“Why are you here? Can you help me to get out of here?” I asked.
Julian shook his head and wiped his face with his hand. “Mammon wants to sell you. You’re valuable to him. No one can get out now because of the election. The gates have been locked away. The safe passage to Earth is in Lucifer’s circle, but no one has ever managed to come back from there alive. No one is able to get out until the dark lord lifts the curfew.”
“Curfew? So how long does this take? How long is it going to be before the election is over?” I asked, already planning my escape.
“Not sure. There is no time limit, maybe days, maybe weeks,” he explained. “But you would be able to leave. You’re from upstairs, and your magic can get both of us out, far away from here.”
“Unchain me and I will try. You need to help me and then maybe I can get us out,” I said, moving my eyes to my other hand. Julian shook his head and made an odd squeaky sound, then jumped away from me. He stuck his ear to the brick and widened his eyes.
“The Watchers are coming. There is no time,” he hissed and then opened the heavy door to get out.
“Wait!” I shouted in panic. “You have to help me. Remember the Earth and humans. I can get us out!”
He shook his head again nervously and then picked up something from the floor and threw it to me. It was a thick rusty nail. I had no idea what I could do with it. Seconds later he slipped through the door.
I pulled the chains and gritted my teeth hard in frustration. This was bad. I was alone again, and who knew what the Watchers were planning to do with me? Using my foot, I rolled the nail to my free hand and grabbed it. There was something wrong with Julian, but that was beside the point.
I didn’t understand why I would be any use to Mammon. I was supposed to be with Lucifer, and now I was chained up to a wall, without food or water. Julian didn’t shut the door. I heard the heavy steps outside first, then heard someone talking.<
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“Julian, what are you doing in the chamber?” said some other voice. “I hope you haven’t been feeding the mongrel girl. We had to starve her for a little.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but I didn’t know that I wasn’t supposed to feed her. The cook asked me to bring a bowl of porridge to her.” Julian was mumbling, sounding like a scared little lamb. I squeezed the nail in my hand, licking my dry lips.
“Cook shouldn’t be sticking his big nose into Mammon’s business. The girl belongs to him, and he is going to rip her chest apart, then send her heart as a present to Berith,” the raspy voice said. “You can watch if you want. I bet you have never seen a mongrel squeaking. I might play with her a little beforehand. She’s half human and apparently they are warm-blooded.”
Dread moved down my spine and nausea rolled through my stomach. I wanted this arsehole to at least try to get close to me. Then he would see what I was capable of. Seconds rolled by and, after I thought the voice had walked away, the Watcher walked inside my cell.
He was built like a beast, and he was bare chested with enormous black wings attached to his back. He grinned at me revealing a set of gold teeth. The tension in the cell soared, and I clenched my fists.
“Mongrel whore, it’s time for a little playtime. Mammon wants your heart as a gift to Berith.”
Chapter 2
“The walls that once encircled abbey grounds are turned to dens and lairs. Monastic cowls are bursting sacks stuffed full with rotten flour.”
― Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
I glared at the Watcher and put on a brave face. I had to show him that I wasn’t afraid of him, and I was ready to defend myself. I noticed that Julian was peering down at me from behind the door. Goosebumps scattered along my arms and unexpected fear sunk its icy claws into my stomach. The Watcher had no idea that my other hand was free, and yet that didn’t make me feel any better about this whole situation.
I knew that it was pointless relying on my magic right now. The charm inside my cell was blocking part of my demonic DNA. I couldn’t even tap into my source. My abilities were useless in the chamber.
“It’s a shame that you’re skinny, but you will satisfy me before I cut your chest open and remove your heart,” the muscular Watcher said, and his eyes moved over my breasts.
I was already picturing what I would do to him if he dared to touch me.
“Over my dead body, slimy fuck,” I snarled and then spit on the ground.
He laughed and walked up to me. His chest was shining with sweat, and his wings were miserably admirable. In that brief moment when he was staring down at me, I knew that my life was coming to an end. I thought of Zachary, Paul, Ricky, and Emma. I was going to miss them.
“Feel free to beg me for your life or squeal.”
The Watcher had whiskey-coloured eyes and a perfectly straight nose. He grabbed me by my throat and squeezed, lifting me above the ground. I felt like my eyes were going to pop out of their sockets as the oxygen was cut off from my lungs. Too many things had gone wrong in the past, and now I couldn’t even fight back. Fate twisted my future, leaving me to die in Hell.
A split second later I remembered that there was something in my free hand. I lifted my hand and stabbed the rusty nail directly into the Watcher’s neck with every last bit of energy that was left inside me. I had no idea how I had missed it.
Besides, this was Hell, so anything was possible. Demons could still die or get hurt here, at least I hoped that was the case.
The nail pierced the Watcher’s skin. I shoved it further, roaring, and twisting my hands, so the nail cut his main artery. He finally released his grip and stumbled on his feet. I slammed back to a sitting position and stars appeared in front of my eyes. Blood poured out of the Watcher’s wound as he struggled to take his next breath.
“Julian, the chains!” I yelled, yet again trying to use my magic, but the charm around me was still active.
The Watcher was rolling on the ground, pressing his hand to the wound and making gagging-like sounds. Seconds went by and then Julian finally got inside. He was mumbling under his breath, stretching his long fingers and pointing at the wounded Watcher.
Julian must have done something to the other chain with his magic, because it loosened, so I slipped my hand free. The same thing happened with the locks around my legs. I rubbed the red marks on my wrists and rose back on my feet. The Watcher was trying to grab me, but he was losing a lot of blood. His face was ashen now, and when I kicked him, he finally remained still.
I’d heard too much conflicting information about Hell from others. The Watchers weren’t immortal. At least this one wasn’t, because he would have killed me by now.
“Lead away, Julian!” I said. “And I promise I’ll take you with me back to London if you get me out of here alive.”
His eyes gleamed with joy. Moments later, once I was outside the cell, I found myself in a long narrow corridor. I thought Julian was fooling me when he said that Mammon lived in the castle, but I quickly realised that was no joke. Right around me, I felt the cold draft, saw old Gothic windows and stepped on marble floors. It was all real and very medieval. As soon as I left the chamber, my magic started circulating through my veins again.
As I ran through the halls of the castle, I sensed many demons around, scattered on different levels. The Watcher was supposed to deliver my heart to Mammon, so someone was bound to check on him soon. I didn’t have much time to find the way out of here.
We reached the end of the west wing, and Julian showed me a door that was ajar to my right. I sensed a few other Watchers nearby. They seemed excited about something, and I wasn’t prepared to wait to see if I was the reason.
Julian was confused. He was talking to himself, pointing at the stairs and then at the door. He was the only one who could get me out of here, so I had to calm him down somehow. And trust him. When we both heard voices nearby, I was done waiting around. The bottom line was that I couldn’t let Mammon get to me. He was ready to rip my heart out, just so he could sell it to Berith.
“Julian, we need to go now,” I urged him, wiping the sweat off my forehead.
“The stairs, the stairs will lead us out,” he said anxiously, and I nodded. There was no point asking questions, because no one seemed to be following any rules around here. We ran down, and for a while, it looked like the stairs were never going to end.
We must have stopped at some point. We both heard demons on the higher level. I had no idea what was waiting for me behind the walls of the castle. I felt magic moving through me, tingling all over my body, and that was a good sign.
After some time, and passing several other doors, we found ourselves in a large open dark chamber. The silence rang in my ears and I hated it. We were surrounded by demons, and I started to doubt that I’d ever get out of here. There were many demons behind the wall and outside. My heart skipped a beat when I heard more noises from the room straight ahead.
I checked my back pockets, looking for potions, but the Watchers must have confiscated everything when they chained me up.
“This way, they won’t—”
I didn’t let him finish and pushed him over to the window and then covered us both with a long, heavy curtain. A moment later three figures appeared, standing only a meter away from us. I knew that this was it. There was no point hiding. My energy could shield me and Julian but only for a short amount of time. Whoever was there would sense me pretty soon.
“Sir, sir … the mongrel girl, she’s gone. She killed Lubos,” a Watcher shouted, approaching a demon who wore a long brown cloak. I slammed my hand over Julian’s face when he tried to leave our stupid hideout. I was high on adrenaline, but I needed to slow down my breathing to make my bouncing energy subside.
The demon in the brown cloak dropped his hood, revealing a bald head. My breath caught in my throat when I recognised him from a few demonic books. It was Mammon himself. His demonic energy spread widely, affecting my own. I couldn’t believe I wa
s seeing him. On the other hand, this was his castle—his part of Hell.
His face twisted in rage, and he grabbed the Watcher by his throat, bringing him closer to his face. Julian moaned quietly, so I squeezed his face harder. For some reason Mammon didn’t sense us, and we needed to stay hidden until it was safe to run.
“I want her heart. I told you how valuable that mongrel is to me. Find her. She couldn’t have gone far,” Mammon snarled, and a second later he let go of the Watcher. Sparks streamed down my arm while the Watcher massaged his neck.
“You want her alive, sir? What … what about the heart?” he stuttered.
“Forget about the heart. We’ll send Berith a different one, and we’ll keep her close. She will be useful during the election,” Mammon responded with a vicious smile. A moment later, he grabbed the edge of his cloak and started marching away.
His energy was suffocating, strong, vibrant, and I had a feeling that he could control any demon around him. I didn’t understand how he didn’t sense me. My clothes were still covered with blood, but it seemed he wasn’t even aware that I was still in the castle.
We waited until the Watcher and Mammon had vanished from the chamber.
“Julian, tell me why they didn’t sense us,” I said, trying to understand if Hell changed demons’ abilities.
He shrugged his shoulder. “I don’t understand what you mean. We can get out from the servant quarters,” Julian said, and urged me to keep moving.
I followed him, thinking that Mammon was perceived as a king. He had his guards and servants, and I’d bet a real army, too. There was obviously so much more that I didn’t know about Hell or the Circle of Greed. Mammon must have recreated his own circle to match the medieval times on Earth. Apparently, demons in this circle weren’t able to use their magic in order to sense others like those on Earth; that was the only explanation for what happened here only a second ago.
Julian led me through other empty chambers, muttering incoherent stuff to himself. I got a little concerned when we were passing other demons who seemed to be working in the kitchen, or in what looked like a laundry room, but no one paid any attention to us.
Doomed Cases Box Set: The Complete Collection Books 1- 4 & Prequel Page 72