“Miss Serenity wishes to explore,” Truman told him. “Would you care lead the way, ma’am? We can act merely as…guides.”
I grinned, feeling brighter than I had in days. “All right.”
Kyle stuck close to me as we wandered through the halls, and Truman trotted at a more stately pace behind me. The whole place was hot and I felt slick with sweat in no time, but it wasn’t unbearable.
“Those are the Torture Grounds, ma’am,” Truman explained as I walked up to a lookout.
Underneath us was this huge expanse of space covered in people moaning and stretching upwards as though they were drowning.
“So, they all just… What?” I asked. “What exactly’s going on here?”
“They’re being tortured by the weight of their guilt, ma’am.” Truman came up beside me and boosted Kyle onto his shoulders.
Kyle put his hands on the safety rail and leant forward eagerly as he looked around at all the people below us.
“What did those people do?”
“Souls, ma’am.”
“Sorry?”
“They have long since been people. Down here, they’re souls. The only real person in Hell at this moment is you.”
I nodded. “Right. So, those souls… What did they do?”
“Any number of sins, ma’am. It takes more than one to send you here. Shall we move on?”
Kyle jumped down from Truman’s shoulder and started scampering off.
“This way,” he called. “Follow Kyle.”
“Where are we going?” I asked Truman as we trailed after Kyle.
“I think he wants to show you the good bits, ma’am.”
“There are good bits?”
Truman nodded as he kept as eye on Kyle’s darting form, but he didn’t seem entirely convinced. Kyle barrelled his way through other demons and devilbums and whatever else the other creatures were. Some of them shook pikes and fists at Kyle, some just shook their heads and muttered at him.
“Hell is not a simple place, ma’am,” Truman said slowly. “Many of your Earth years ago, there was only one afterlife. His lordship was responsible for all the dead – the good, the bad, the heroic.”
“Really?”
Truman folded his arms behind his back as we walked. “Yes, ma’am. Hades was not only his name, but the name of his domain. The rivers flowed free and fast, separating the places in the afterlife. Places that stayed here when the good had another place to go.”
“That’s…” That was a lot to take in. “Wow.”
“Indeed, ma’am. His lordship has had many names and many manifestations in human history. Hell…accommodates, as does his lordship.”
“So, Hell is…Hell because of humanity.”
Truman nodded. “Indeed, ma’am. Humanity’s beliefs mould us.”
“Here!” Kyle called. “Here!”
I followed him out of the tunnel and into a brightly lit field. The colours were vibrant – greens, yellows, pinks, oranges, blues. Bunnies bounced around, unicorns frolicked, teddy bears rumbled around happily. There were fruit trees and rainbows and pots of gold. Kyle went running around madly, chasing a few bunnies here and there. It looked like paradise to me.
Until a soul went running past me, shrieking in terror. He was followed by a unicorn. Which was all fine until the unicorn caught up to him and knocked him down. A teddy bear then jumped out from behind a bush and started kicking him. Another teddy bear joined in and started smacking the soul with what looked like a rainbow candy stick.
“Oh my God,” I breathed, my hand to my chest. “What the Hell?”
“God has absolutely nothing to do with it. Hell, on the other hand…”
“Why does this place exist?”
“Some souls have an…interesting definition of Hell. I personally don’t see what’s so frightening about this field. In the old days, it was all just fire and brimstone and,” he thrust his claws forward violently, “good old stabbing.”
I smiled. “I see.”
“Shall we move on, ma’am?”
I pointed after Kyle – who was head down, bum up and wriggling, as he stalked a teddy bear. “Do we leave him here, or…?”
“Kyle!” Truman said.
Kyle’s head popped up among the grass as the teddy bear spotted him and ran off quickly. “Going?”
“We’re moving on,” Truman said.
I smiled as Kyle ran towards us and then headed off through the field. Souls ran around, being beaten up by unicorns and teddy bears and even flowers. Some just sat and silently screamed as they pointed at a bunny. Others tried stealing money from the cauldrons and got punched in the nose by something popping out of the pile of coins.
We moved through and out of the Rainbow Fields and back into tunnels.
“Larry!” Kyle cried, throwing his arms in the air.
I turned and freaked the Hell out. My hand went to my heart again and I stepped back so far that I ran into the wall behind me. In front of me were four shadowy beings. I’d seen some of their kind at a distance, but never this close. They were like floating robes, no legs or hands at the end of their arms, just frayed shadowy material. Instead of a real head, it was like there were eyes and a mouth in a hood. The mouths reminded me of jack-o-lanterns, jagged as though with pointed teeth. A chill sprinted up my spine just at the sight of them as they leant towards me ominously.
“Hullo, boys,” one of them said, and the jagged mouth turned into a smile.
“Larry. Boys. How are you?” Truman asked.
“Oh, you know. Adequately torturous.”
Truman nodded. “Good. Have you met, Miss Serenity?”
The being that was Larry swooped forwards, looming over me. “I have. How are you Mrs Drake?”
I nodded, vaguely remembering Larry from when I met the devil. “Uh… Good, Larry. Thank you.”
“Sing, Larry!” Kyle called, dancing about.
“Oh, I don’t know if Mrs Drake wants to hear a song.”
There was enough forlorn regret in his voice, I couldn’t help but jump to disagree with him. “No. Not at all. I… I’d love to hear a…song.”
“Really?”
“It’s not necessary, ma’am,” Truman said quietly, his hand covering his mouth.
I smiled at Larry. “I’d love to.”
Larry seemed to grin as he and the other three beings pulled themselves into a line a little bit away. I’ll be honest, I had no idea what to expect from four shadowy creatures in Hell, but it had been ages since I’d heard a song. I was expecting some sort of metal – death, heavy, maybe even Christian. What I got was a barbershop quartet. It was seriously the best part of my trip to Hell so far.
It wasn’t a song I recognised, but with a whole human history of music to choose from, that didn’t surprise me. By the end of the song, I was smiling warmly.
“That was amazing!” I said, clapping wildly when they were finished.
“Oh. Thanks, Mrs Drake. We needed something to pass the time, you know.”
That I didn’t doubt.
“We’d love to stay and chat, but we should really go. Turns out some souls consider barbershop a torture,” Larry scoffed in humour.
“No?” I asked, realising I found that totally believable but putting on a good show of disbelief for him.
Larry nodded. “I know. Mad. But it gives us something to do. We’ll see you later, Mrs Drake.”
“Bye, Larry!” Kyle called, waving as the four shadows floated away.
“Well, that was unexpected,” I said as we moved on.
“There are…upsides and downsides to different notions of Hell, ma’am.”
Everything seemed to be going as well as it could on a tour of Hell. Then Kyle got super excited and Truman got rather anxious. I decided that Truman’s lead was probably the one I should follow.
I heard a growl from behind me as though in stereo.
I very slowly turned arou
nd.
“Ma’am, don’t move!” Truman hissed. “Kyle, get Master Drake. Quickly!”
It didn’t matter if I wanted to move or not. I was frozen in utter fear. Big dogs in general were something I was ashamedly uneasy around. Dogs the size of a three-storey buildings with three snarling, drooling heads? Turns out I was no better around them.
Drake
When I woke and found Wren missing, I had a rather embarrassing mini freak out. It woke Ignacio, who launched at me in surprise and attached himself to my face like some sort of startled feline.
“You good?” I asked him.
He nodded and we peeled him off my face. As embarrassed by his lack of decorum as I was by mine, we didn’t speak of it.
“The others are gone, she has to be with them,” I said as Ignacio snuffled around like he was looking for something.
“Here, boss,” he said, holding a piece of paper up to me.
I took it and saw a scribbled note.
“The boys have taken her sightseeing. She’ll see us later,” I mumbled as I read over the note.
“See?” Ignacio grumbled. “Fine.”
I nodded. But it didn’t feel fine. I had that weird panicky, indigestion-y feeling that always heralded something going badly for me. Nine times out of ten, the something was hot on the heels of me doing something I knew had consequences. That still didn’t put my mind at ease. Especially with Wren wandering around Hell.
I got to work and tried to take my mind off it. But even watching Ignacio eat someone alive didn’t have the same distracting effect as usual.
“You seen Cadriel?” I asked a passing demon.
“I think he’s in the Training Grounds.”
I nodded. “Thanks.”
Cadriel was my go-to for stress relief. A little time spent in the pit trying to gouge each other’s innards out always made the underworld of difference.
“Morningstar,” he said as I strode in. “What can I do for you today?”
“The usual, angel. Arm up.”
He threw me a sword and we began circling.
Cadriel was the closest thing I had to a best friend. And that was more because he was the only other being than the devilbums that I spent any significant time with. Even if most of that time was spent trying to kill each other.
But even fighting with Cadriel did little to soothe my unease. Not that he minded me taking it out on him. My sword clashed with his mighty axe, the sound clapping like thunder in the midst of a great and terrible storm.
I was just getting into stride when it was ruined.
“Drake! Drake! Drake!” Kyle huffed as he hurtled into the room, crashing into the rack of weapons. Ignacio had tried to save him, but just ended up further in the weapons rack.
I held a hand up to Cadriel and stalked over to pull Kyle out of the pile. When he was on his feet again, I bent down to his level.
“What’s the little guy all in a tizz about now, Morningstar?” Cadriel asked, leaning on his axe-head.
Kyle gabbled far too fast even for me to catch.
“Slow down. What?” I asked the devilbum, the sense of agitation I’d felt all day gnawing again.
Kyle was breathing heavily and his ears were flapping in agitation. I knew who he was worried about at least. I should have worked it out sooner. That impending sense of doom I’d felt all day. I should have known it would have to do with her.
I stood and felt my wings spring out.
“Your wife?” Cadriel asked, his tone telling me what a joke he thought it was, but I didn’t have time to answer him.
I just nodded to him. “Where?” I asked Kyle as I threw my sword to Cadriel, who caught it easily with one hand.
“Cerb…” was all Kyle managed to puff but I knew what the rest would have been.
I launched and thanked Grandad that the laws of physics didn’t work so well down here as I sailed through the ceiling. I hovered over the bowels and searched. Finally, I saw her. The idiot girl had wandered into Cerberus’ personal domain and the great three-headed beast was bearing down on her. If he got his teeth in her, even Grandad couldn’t bring her back. Not the way I wanted her.
I dove as fast as my wings would let me, calling to the hulking over-grown mutt in my most authoritative voice. Although, fat lot of good that ever did Dad.
I watched in utter horror as Cerberus beared down on Wren, stalking closer and closer to her. She wasn’t moving which, in the circumstance, was the best move. I saw Truman hovering around and knew he would be feeling an awful failure for putting her in danger. I wasn’t sure who I was planning on skinning alive first, I was too busy trying to ignore the certain dread I wasn’t going to make it to her in time.
I was right.
I was a split-second too late.
Just as I was about to reach her, the unthinkable happened.
I was thrown back into the wall with the force of Cerberus’ sudden movement. The powerful torrent of air would have thrown Dad. It would have thrown Grandad. I could only watch, my heart in my throat and my wings fracturing against the wall behind me, as Cerberus threw himself the last distance to Wren and…
And literally threw himself at her feet.
Huxley was centimetres from her toes, Todd and Rocky to either side on his paws. All three of his heads had big goofy doggy grins, tongues lolling on the floor. His butt was in the air and his tail wagged furiously. Wren’s dress and hair was blasted backwards as Cerberus breathed out heavily.
“Good dog?” Wren said uncertainly.
Cerberus gave a soft rumbling ruff and dropped his arse on the ground, his tail sweeping the dust into the air around him. Rocky looked at me and barked happily. Wren followed his gaze.
“Drake!” she called. She still wasn’t moving and I didn’t know whether she was hurt or not after all.
I pulled myself off the wall and ran to her. My arms went around her, my wings instinctively folding around us even as they healed, and she fell into me with a deep breath. Cerberus whined in concern, but there were other things on my mind than pacifying the great big doofus after he scared the living Heaven out of me.
“Are you okay?” I asked, running my hands over her, checking every inch I could see for wounds. My heart beat erratically in my chest and it was not a feeling I enjoyed.
She nodded. “I’m fine. I think.”
“Are you sure?”
Something still felt wrong and I didn’t know what it was.
Panic filled me.
I’d felt this way once in my life. For a whole day, I’d looked over my shoulder. For a whole day, I’d lived with a staccato thudding in my chest and a breath that was never quite caught. And, at the moment I’d almost convinced myself it was nothing, my mother had died – to put a gracious twist on events. Everything in me demanded I remain on high alert, but Wren looked up at me with those big green eyes, shining bright with life and I gave into it. I gave in to her.
As relief flooded through me, I took her face in my hands and I kissed her.
I felt her lean into me for a moment. Her hand on my chest tightened on my shirt. She kissed me back. But just as I was about to bring her closer, she ducked her head and pulled away.
When she looked up at me again, it was with confusion in her eyes. There was no distaste. There was no anger. Just confusion. She blinked and then her eyes shifted behind me and I watched them open in awe. Her mouth dropped open as well and I didn’t need to read her mind to know what she was thinking.
“Drake…” she whispered, like she wasn’t sure if she could trust her own eyes.
All I could do was nod. There was a reason I’d kept the big reveal hidden. It was because of this. Because of the wonder and pure innocence that flooded her face at the sight of them.
“You’ve got wings…”
“It doesn’t change anything,” I told her sternly and I realised I was still shaken after thinking I’d lost her. “What were you doing here?�
�
She was still looking over my wings. I grabbed her chin and made her look in my eyes.
“Wren. What were you doing here?”
She blinked and seemed to lose a little of the wonder as her focus sharpened. “We were exploring. We went to the Rainbow Field, then Larry sang us a song, then we were here.”
“You have to be more careful!” I snapped. “Do you realise how dangerous this place is? How dangerous Cerberus is?”
In great timing on the huge mutt’s part, he nuzzled me gently with a soft whine as though it was an apology. I sighed heavily as Wren failed to stifle her smile.
“This one instance aside. I thought I’d lost you!” I finished with a yell, wishing someone would listen to me and my completely founded fears.
All humour fell from Wren’s face as she looked me over. “What?”
I took a deep breath and tried to calm down enough to make her listen. “I thought I’d lost you, Wren. Do you understand what that means?”
Naturally, she shook her head. Of course, she didn’t know what that meant. Humans never bothered to fully comprehend what their death would mean, why would she have thought about what would happen if she died in Hell?
“You’d be gone, Wren. You would cease to exist in the manner you are now. There are things even my grandfather can’t fix. And believe me, he’s tried.”
“You care.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“If I die. You care if I die.”
I took her cheeks in my hands and pinned her eyes. “Yes, I care. You scared me half to death just now. And for an immortal being, that’s a pretty fair distance.”
“Because you’d have to find another wife?” she asked. It was almost a challenge. Like she was daring me to either tell her she was right or…
I couldn’t lie. But I didn’t have to give her the whole truth. I shook my head. “No.”
Her eyes flickered between mine for the space of two very heavy heartbeats where I wasn’t sure what her reaction was going to be. I was about to put a stop to my anxiety and say something when she surged forward and kissed me.
My arms instinctively went around her body, holding her close.
Damned if I do (the Damned Trilogy Book 1) Page 8