by Julia Mills
And I imagine you are wondering about this Focus Stone. It is a very powerful talisman that was used by the wizards who cursed the Guardsman. From what I have been told, it is hidden in the hills closest to the lair of a dragon clan whose color reminds you of the sky and sea. The evil wizards had a peculiar sense of humor and found it funny to place something so important to those who needed that item to be virtually undetectable. Dark arts wizards really are the foulest creatures. But I digress. Please be careful, for this stone is covered in the nastiest of sigils, written in the blood of innocent white witches, and when activated by the tainted blood of a Demon Lord can smite even the most faithful. Something else to consider is the fact that the higher in hell’s hierarchy the Demon Lord whose blood was used is, the stronger the effects of that blood, so be discerning before selecting your donor.
Now, I would imagine you’ve figured out the next item on your list...it is the blood of a Demon Lord. Make it one of importance to not only the inner workings of hell but also the Devil himself. The more prestigious the demon, the more evil his blood and thus the smaller amount you will need. If he sits on a Council or even higher, then only three or four drops are needed. But be careful! The black, thick sludge that runs through his veins is acidic and toxic. Your skin will burn and peel, the contamination will spread, and in less than a day, it will drive you mad. Demon blood is not to be trifled with. Once collected, keep it in a silver or bronze container.
The last piece of your puzzle may be the hardest and most harrowing to get. Please don’t think me daft. I know that getting the blood of a demon is not easy. I have tried myself and have the scars to prove it, but having dealt with these next beasties, I will tell you their bite is most definitely worse than their bark. Enough procrastination, I will just spit it out. You, my fellow occupant of hell, must obtain the hair from the belly of a hellhound and keep all your digits and all your skin while doing so. On this, I wish you luck, for these puppies will not hesitate to tear you limb from limb. Remember, they are the children of Cerberus and guard all the secrets of the Underworld. It is their sole purpose to keep you from finding the path to freedom.
Now, dear friend, plan your journey with care. For what lies ahead of you may very well be the death of you and the one you love the most.
The journal entry and the book ended there with a simple Yours Truly, AS. It took several minutes before Audrey could even move. She was afraid to hope. It had been so many years since she’d been sold to Adramelech like cattle at an auction that she was having a hard time believing there could actually be a way out of her daily nightmare.
She thought of Rian and her heart skipped a beat. Audrey closed her eyes to bring the image of him she carried in her heart into focus. She could see his expressive brown eyes outlined with long dark lashes any woman would covet, twinkle as he smiled. And speaking of his smile, it lit up her world, making her dream of spending hour upon hour basking in his presence.
His hair was just this side of black, with the perfect amount of curls and waves to make him look dashing. Strength radiated from his very being. Rian was impressive to say the least. He was a tall and imposing figure, but his six-foot-ten-inch height was only a small part of what made him larger than life. He had wide shoulders and a muscular torso that tapered to a thin waist. Her mother would’ve said he was fit or that his muscles had muscles. One would’ve thought he would move like an ox but her mate had a grace and dignity no man his size should possess. But out of everything she’d learned about him, it was his compassion and loyalty she loved the most.
Stepping out of her daydream, Audrey agreed with the writer of the journal. The love she and Rian shared, although across the divide of space and time and heaven and hell, was one of a kind. It was the only thing that had kept her going for all these years. If she was ever to lose it, or him, or worse yet be the reason her great warrior died, there was no doubt in her mind she would simply cease to exist.
From the moment she’d seen him all those years ago on the beach in the moonlight, Audrey had known he was the man for her. One glimpse and she was his...forever. Her heart had beat as it never had and her soul, although tethered to hell, had reached for his. They were the fated mates from the stories her momma had always told her. Their love was destined to be epic.
Even as she rushed back to the Underworld to keep Rian safe from Adramelech, the princess had known that he was the one she was supposed to spend her life with. Her heart shattered as she flew through the ether. She wanted to die from the pain of the separation. None of it made sense but it simply was what it was. Audrey’s life had started and ended in those few fleeting moments on the sand with the man of her dreams.
Years came and went and still the princess pined for her love. It didn’t matter how many beatings she received or how many tears she shed, all Audrey wanted was one more look into the warm, loving eyes of the man whose soul had called to hers. She knew she was wishing for a miracle and that miracles didn’t happen in hell, but her heart hadn’t gotten the message as it died a little more each day without its mate.
On the anniversary of her tenth year in hell, Adramelech made an announcement that unbeknownst to Audrey would change everything. “Well, my sweet, I have a gift for you.”
He handed her a purple velvet bag tied with a golden cord. Audrey was shocked. The Chancellor didn’t give presents, unless a concussion could be considered a gift, and even then, it came with strings attached. Nonetheless, he was indeed handing her what appeared to be a token of some sorts.
Carefully taking the package, Audrey set it on the long mahogany dining table before very cautiously untying the ribbon. Sweat dotted her upper lip and rolled down her spine as she prepared for any number of creepy crawly monstrosities to jump up and take at least a few fingers, if not her entire hand. When the bag was opened and nothing had emerged, the princess chanced a glimpse at the Chancellor. If possible, although difficult to discern, she thought the big bad demon was actually smiling.
Turning the bag upside because there was absolutely no way in all that was holy she was reaching into the dark abyss of the deep purple velvet, Audrey was shocked when what appeared to be a deep red pile of silk fell onto the tabletop. Poking it first with one finger and then another to make sure nothing nefarious was wrapped in the beautiful material, the princess reached forward right before the sound of Adramelech’s voice caused her to jump back.
“Oh dear Hades in a handcart, pick the damned thing up. It’s a gown. You know, a dress...you wear to a party?” He paused and opened his eyes as wide as he could, which made them look even scarier with their weird pupils and freaky color, before slamming his paw-like hands to his hips and huffing, “For you to wear this evening to the Blood Moon Ball.” To further assure Audrey that she was indeed losing her mind, the Demon Lord proceeded to raise his right hand and wave it through the air as if he was conducting an orchestra, flourishing pinky finger raised and all.
“You...you want...” She paused to clear her throat and stepped back up to the table, lifting the dress while she continued, “You want m-m-me to g-g-go with you?”
He answered with a single nod.
“And I’m...I’m t-t-to wear this dress?” Audrey knew she was stuttering, but the one thing she’d learned long ago was to trust nothing Adramelech did. He always had ulterior motives and they usually resulted in her losing a pint or two of blood.
Again, his only answer was a single nod.
Throwing caution to the wind, she asked, “But why?”
He sighed as if she’d asked him to donate a kidney instead of explain himself before pulling out his chair made of the bones of his conquests and sitting down like he was convening court. After adjusting his robes and straightening his collar, he finally answered. “Because, dear Audrey, I am the envy of all the other Lords and Ladies simply for having you as a slave. I must take this opportunity to flaunt my wealth in front of the masses.”
It had to be the most disgusting thing Audrey had ev
er heard and even more than that—the scariest. If Adramelech was envied for having her as a possession, then was there a chance someone or something would try to steal her away? Fight him for her? She’d heard the anguished cries, seen the hellhounds carrying away the lifeless bodies, and smelled the entrails that were left lying about by the other demons who’d tortured their slaves until they were dead. The Chancellor was a bastard to live with, but he was not the worst bastard in hell. The princess wasn’t ready to admit she was lucky to be bound to him, but she knew there was worse to be had. Worse she didn’t want to witness first hand.
She saw that the Demon Lord was waiting for her to say thank you and thought about ignoring him. There was one sure way to get to stay behind and avoid being gawked at or fought over, and that was to take a beating, but her wounds from the one before were still healing, so Audrey took the path of least resistance.
Throwing up a little bit in her mouth, Audrey swallowed the bile and spoke as sweetly as she could. “Thank you for the beautiful gown and the opportunity to accompany you to the ball.” Adramelech’s nod of approval was the last thing she saw before dashing into her quarters to escape the Demon Lord and get ready for the festivities.
After procrastinating as long as she could, Audrey made her way into the parlor. The Demon Lord sat on a couch made of human bones, covered with human skin, and decorated with pillows fashioned from the fur of the poor animals who’d unknowingly stumbled through the gates of hell only to be dinner for the hounds. The Chancellor’s castle was eclectic in its décor. Some rooms looked as if they had been taken right out of Architectural Digest and others had most definitely come from Better Dungeons and Grave Yards.
Adramelech signaled with the raise of his hand for her to stop and stand still. Audrey held her breath as the Chancellor casually strolled around her several times, tapping his chin with his forefinger and mumbling under his breath. When he finally spoke, she was light-headed from lack of air and gasped as his huge scale-covered paw slid along the underside of her arm, stopping when her hand was atop his.
“You look as beautiful as a human can.” Turning them towards the door, he escorted Audrey out into the scorching heat beyond the Chancellor’s castle and down the path to the Hall of Iniquities.
The Demon Lord was walking with more pomp and circumstance than usual, which was saying something since he always made a production out of the simplest things. It only took a few moments for Audrey to realize the way every creature they passed stopped, bowed, and complimented Adramelech. If she could have, the princess would’ve laughed aloud as one after another, the inhabitants of the Chancellor’s region of hell all but pawed the ground the Demon Lord walked on.
“You are looking fine this evening, Your Honor.”
“Nice to see you looking so well, Chancellor.”
“Your slave is of the highest quality, Lord Adramelech.”
Audrey had to admit to herself that the ones about her ruffled more than her feathers, even if they were meant as a compliment. It was not the first time the princess was forced to realize that she was simply an object to all of these things, and that her sole existence depended on the very entity that had doomed her to hell. It was truly a no win situation that would last forever.
As they walked, and in between accolades, Adramelech explained the importance of the Blood Moon Ball and his part in it. “You see, my dear, tonight is the fourth lunar eclipse in a matter of eighteen human months. It is the night before Samhain and the night when the moon will appear as a blood-red sphere of fire in the sky. Tonight is the night our Hunter Demons will venture topside and take advantage of the change in the energy of the earth to seek out the souls ready to do hell’s bidding. The veil between hell and the human realm is but a whisper between the worlds, making the presence of our scavengers undetectable to only the most sensitive. But then those people are considered the quacks and the mentally incompetent in your world, so very easily dismissed.” He chuckled and added, “This will be the final harvest of souls before the long cold darker half of the year commences. These are the fodder that will keep hell’s fires burning bright and hot.”
After what seemed like forever, they reached the ball and entered the hall. If she could’ve thrown up where she stood without being beaten to within an inch of her life for embarrassing her master, Audrey would have. It was the most grotesque display she’d ever seen.
The guests included creatures out of every child’s worst nightmare and some that hadn’t even been dreamed up yet. They were the things parents threatened their children with to get them to eat their vegetables or go to bed on time.
She saw two and three-headed ghouls with green skin and blood red lips wearing tuxedos and sipping red bubbling liquid from champagne flutes. There were horned beasts and scaled beings of every size, shape, and configuration anyone could imagine. Some she knew would haunt her dreams for years to come.
These guests doused various skewered body parts, mostly of unknown origin, into a steaming blood concoction she knew was meant to resemble chocolate. The dark, viscous fluid poured from huge silver fountains adorning the ends and middle of every banquet table. There were displays made of wine glasses strategically placed throughout the room to catch what she now knew was bubbling blood and could only assume was hell’s version of champagne.
Bodies in various stages of decomposition decorated the walls, while part human, part animal, part reptilian beings served as targets for the demon’s game of darts. Shrunken skulls painted with various body fluids clanked together as ghouls struck them with pool cues made of human long bones on a billiards table constructed of brimstone.
Luckily, Adramelech was too busy fawning for his fans and showing off to offer Audrey anything to eat or drink, because it was all she could do to remain standing as one atrocity after another came into view. A loud gong echoed off the tall rock walls drawing everyone’s attention to the front of the room, where an incredibly unassuming six-foot-three-inch red-skinned man impatiently waited.
The room was immediately silent. Not even the sounds of breathing could be heard. It was as if all the air had been sucked from the hall. Audrey’s heart beat loudly in her chest as she wondered what horrible fate was about to befall them. The man on the stage looked from one Demon Lord to the next, his gaze collecting information before nodding and moving onto the next. He left each of his victims gasping for air and swaying on their feet. The entity grew larger, not only in height, but also in girth, with every probing look.
When he finished, his skin had become so dark it was closer to brown than red, his muscles so large he resembled Atlas, and the antlers on his head so thick and long they were more like legs growing from his brow than horns. Even though he spoke in low tones, his voice reverberated through Audrey’s body, making her feel lightheaded and weak in the knees.
“Lords and Ladies, aristocracy of the realms of hell, I, Beelzebuth—the Supreme Chieftain of the Underworld and second only to Satan himself—welcome you to the Blood Moon Ball. May your hunters find untold bounties and your reapers an abundance until now unknown to your coffers. Eat and drink to your undead heart’s desire. The Ritual of Retrieval will begin at the stroke of the darkest hour. Be well, for tonight is our night—the night of the damned.”
No sooner had the last words left the Supreme Chieftain of hell’s tusked mouth than the air around them thinned to normal, the black candles sitting in the countless candelabras again burned bright, and every being breathed a sigh of relief. Audrey watched her master attempt to act as if Beelzebuth’s mere presence had not affected him as it had all the others. She would’ve laughed aloud had she not feared losing her teeth. Thankfully, Adramelech was more interested in working the room than bothering with her, so the rest of the evening was spent parading around like his favorite show pony.
Lost in thought and trying to look anywhere but at the festivities and monsters around her, Audrey jumped when the Chancellor leaned down and lisped into her ear with his forked t
ongue. “Gwyllgi and Barghest will escort you home. I must stay for the ceremony. I will be home before morning, so be sure to have my meal prepared.”
Without another word, Audrey was turned over to Adramelech’s henchmen. Walking back to the Chancellor’s castle, sandwiched between a half human, half goat and a zombie—although the undead woman preferred reincarnated—prostitute who chattered incessantly about getting paid for her services, the princess had never been happier to see the tarnished brass goblin-shaped door knockers on the ten-foot-tall stone doors that led into the Demon Lord’s abode.
Without a word, Audrey climbed the forty-eight steps to her room on the third floor, cursing each one as she went. After walking across the threshold, she made sure the door was locked before flopping face first onto her rock hard bed. Eyes barely closed. Mouth stretched wide in a yawn. She was counting the seconds to the sweet oblivion of sleep when the air around her began to swirl like tiny cyclones floating about her bed. Her long, dark locks blew into her face as she was lifted from the covers and flung through a dark, misty opening that appeared in the concrete wall of her room.
Audrey found herself traveling through an all-encompassing darkness so quickly her clothing clung tight to the front of her body and her limbs pushed back to the point of pain. A loud pop and blinding flash of light had her tumbling from flight and landing with a thump on a hard, cold surface.
Used to being on guard, Audrey jumped to her feet, threw her hands out on front of her, and began turning from side to side to ward off any attack that may be coming her way even before she had regained focus. Her ears were still ringing, by what had sounded like a gunshot, but somewhere in the distance, she could hear a man shouting her name.