That familiar stir inside me again. It almost squelched the hellfire, but I didn’t let it. Instead, I just tossed her aside like she was nothing. When she looked up at me, I stared at her and gave her a final warning.
“You’re getting off light,” I said. “You come after me again, I’ll melt the flesh from your bones. And then I’ll do the same thing to your pet snowman.”
I turned my back on her and focused on Belial and Hem. The yeti was able to match Belial for the most part in terms of strength, but Belial quickly gained the upper hand. He ran Hem through the abdomen with the flaming sword and Hem keeled over. When Belial removed the blade, Hem fell to his knees and landed face-first on the ground. His eyes blinked, and I could sense energy from him, so he was still alive.
Belial kicked him away, and now it was just him and me again. I clasped the stone in both hands and the sword started to take shape again. Except now it didn’t fizzle out. It formed properly into a long sword, with crimson lightning arcing around the edge of the blade.
“Hey, Belial, look who got it up,” I said. “Ready to dance?”
Belial grinned and charged at me. He brought his sword up, and in a fiery arc, slashed at my head. I blocked it with my own sword, and when our two flaming blades connected, there was a flash. He pushed down on me, trying to break my hold. I stood against him with my feet planted, mustering every ounce of strength I could to keep him at bay. I pushed back, and he stumbled.
I thrusted my sword at his chest, but Belial deflected and side-stepped. He attempted to go for my side and I just narrowly escaped his reach, the flames tickling at my jacket. We returned to our respective sides, each staying just out of reach of the other’s sword. Belial was good at this. He’d been wielding flaming swords since the dawn of creation. Me, this was the first time I’d ever held one. And my skills with a regular sword weren’t exactly legendary.
But I felt the stone’s power flowing through my body. Felt like I could do this all day, and I doubted even Belial could match that. In time, I’d wear him down. Important thing for me to do was to stay alive long enough for him to tire.
Not my best strategy, but what other options did I have? Lilith was gone, and I couldn’t rely on Celeste or Hem for help. I had to end this myself. Send Lucifer a message that I wasn’t to be messed with.
“You fight well, for a mongrel,” said Belial. “But you’re wasting my time. Drop the sword and tell me where Lilith is. You’ll be spared, I promise you that.”
“At this point, I’d be tempted to turn her over to you,” I said. “Problem is, I’ve got no idea where she ran off to.”
He raised his sword up to his eyes, staring past the blade at me. “Then I’m afraid I’ll have to cut the answers out of you.”
We ran at each other again. Belial swung his sword to cut at my head and I ducked. I went for his legs, but he jumped, and his wings emerged. He hovered over me and his wings receded, bringing him down fast. His foot struck my head and I hit the ground. The sword vanished as soon as my concentration broke, and the stone fell out of my hand.
I went to reach for it, but just as my hand touched the stone, Belial put his foot on my hand. He pressed down hard and I groaned, trying not to scream as I felt the bones starting to strain. I looked up at Belial, and he didn’t seem the least bit amused.
“Lilith. Tell me where she is now.”
“A-Already told you…” I grunted.
“Then I’m afraid this puts you in a difficult position.”
Belial raised his sword with the blade pointing down. He was prepared to deliver a blow. I looked at my hand under his foot, the stone beneath my palm. Its crimson light glowed brightly, shining through my hand. A burst of scarlet electricity surged from my hand, up into Belial’s leg and then his whole body.
This time, he felt it.
Belial stumbled off me, trying to recover. I quickly got to my feet and he started to rush me. I held out my hand, more electricity pouring out. It engulfed Belial and he screamed, falling to his knees. His sword fizzled out as I blasted him. I stepped closer, stopping just a few feet from him. I held out my free hand and a new sword formed in my grip. I touched the blade to his neck, ready to cut off his head.
Another burst of light appeared, drawing my attention away. I looked to the source and saw the fireplace combust, the flames flowing from outside its containment and into the center of the roof. A fiery column rose, and I could see two figures through the flames. As they died down, I noticed one was Lilith.
The other? He had short, dark hair and a goatee. His yellow eyes regarded both Belial and myself, and I knew whose presence I was in.
“Lucifer…” I whispered.
He smiled at me and nodded. “A pleasure to finally meet you, Luther Cross.”
And Lilith by his side.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“I summoned him,” said Lilith. “Told him we have the stone and if he wanted his little pet demon to survive, he’d hear what we have to say.”
“If you don’t mind…” Lucifer pointed at Belial. “I’ve grown quite attached to him.”
I hesitated, but then looked at Lilith. She gave a nod and I lowered the sword. Belial rose to his feet and moved away from me and next to Lucifer. Lilith came over to my side and put a hand on my shoulder, then looked back at him. Like she was proving to Lucifer her and I were together.
“The son of Abraxas,” said Lucifer, shaking his head. “I see you’ve finally accepted your destiny.”
“He has, and now you’ll give me what I’ve asked for,” said Lilith. “Asmodeus’ realm.”
Lucifer wagged a finger. “It’s not quite that simple, you see. Luther is the one with the power, my dear. Not you. So, if the territory is going to go to anyone, it will be him. Who he chooses as his consort is his business.”
“Come again?” I asked. “You’re saying you want me to take over Asmodeus’ realm?”
“You’re the child of a former Hell Lord, you have the stone—you’d be the most fitting candidate,” said Lucifer. “Provided you can abide by the rules.”
“This wasn’t what I agreed to, Lucifer,” said Lilith. “I was the one who found the fragment. Luther wouldn’t even have it if not for me.”
“And he’s the only one who can use it,” said Lucifer. “Abraxas wasn’t stupid. He keyed that stone to his bloodline so it could never be used against him. Without Luther, you have nothing. And I’m intrigued to see what a cambion Hell Lord would be like.”
I looked at Lilith and then to Lucifer. Luther Cross, Lord of Hell. Had kind of a nice ring to it. Taking over Asmodeus’ former realm and all the power that came along with that. It’d definitely be a damn sight different from what the angels and the Sons of Solomon had in mind for me. And with Lilith by my side, seemed there wasn’t anything that could stop us.
“Okay, Lucifer,” I said. “I accept.”
“Wonderful news.”
Lucifer smiled and extended his hand. Shaking hands with the Devil didn’t seem like the best idea, but I felt like that was our only option here. I accepted his handshake.
“Welcome to Hell, Luther,” said Lucifer. “So good to see you taking up your father’s mantle. We’ll be in touch soon to iron out the specifics.”
Lucifer snapped his fingers and a column of fire surrounded him and Belial. Once it faded, they’d vanished, leaving Lilith and myself alone with Celeste and Hem. With my arm around Lilith, I walked towards the rooftop entrance. Celeste had since gone to assist Hem after Belial had run him through. But her eyes never left me. Her expression had changed from one of hurt and betrayal. Now she just looked like she wanted to tear my face off.
I tried my best to ignore it as Lilith and I entered the stairwell. I was in line for something new and different. No more being anyone’s puppet. Now I was the one who could pull the strings, the one who could really change the world.
But a voice that had been mostly a whisper now grew louder deep in the back of my head.
I could hear it telling me, “This isn’t over yet, asshole.”
Epilogue
The streets in Manila were a study in chaos. The Filipino driver was very experienced in navigating them and avoiding the cars and buses that sped, cut off, and swerved through traffic. But his passenger wasn’t so used to them.
Charles Morrison had seen a lot in his sixty-some years. He’d gone up against some of the fiercest supernatural entities the world had ever seen and lived to tell about it. Few things frightened him more than the Manila traffic.
Except, of course, the reason why he’d been summoned to the Philippines.
Morrison’s eyes were focused on the leather-bound book he held in his hands. He flipped through the worn pages he’d read thousands of times, looking to the printed words for solace and comfort in this difficult time. On his hand, he wore a gold signet ring with a cross in the middle of a red circle, though the horizontal bar of the cross was not in the middle, but at the very top.
After some time, they finally escaped the bustling city streets and arrived on one of the islands. Morrison looked out the window at the beautiful coastline, wondering not for the first time if he was doing the right thing by coming here. He kissed the ring and continued to read.
The car finally came to a stop and Morrison closed the book. The same symbol that was on his ring also adorned the cover. He climbed out of car and the driver directed him to where he needed to go. This was a small resort village, with gazebos and cabanas all around. It lacked the amenities of the more popular tourist destinations, which was exactly why it had been chosen.
The screams of a young woman reached Morrison’s ears and he ran towards them. The door to one of the cabanas swung open just as he arrived, and a young Filipino woman appeared in the doorway.
“Charles Morrison?” she asked.
Morrison nodded.
“My name’s Shelly. I’ve been watching her.”
“What’s going on in there?” asked Morrison.
“Come.” Shelly took his hand and led him inside. The room wasn’t large, just a small kitchen at the front entrance and, past a curtain, a bed. A young American woman lay on the bed, her blond hair plastered to her sweat-streaked face. An older Filipino woman sat by her side, one hand applying a cold compress to the girl’s forehead, the other clutching her hand. The older woman looked up and said something in Tagalog, to which Shelly replied quickly.
Morrison ignored the women and focused on the American. He approached her side and stared at her large, pregnant belly. The girl continued to scream, squirming in the bed, one hand resting on her stomach.
“My God…” he muttered. “She’s going into labor?”
Shelly nodded. “We think so. As soon as we suspected, we called you.”
“The angel gave specific instructions,” said Morrison. “Raziel was supposed to be notified the instant she went into labor.”
“We’ve been trying,” said Shelly. “But he doesn’t answer our summons.”
Morrison took a handkerchief from his pants pocket and rubbed his forehead. He sighed and then felt something grab his wrist. Morrison looked down and saw the girl staring at him with fear in her eyes.
“Please…help me…” she whispered.
Morrison took her hand in his own and smiled down at her. “I’ll do everything I can to see to it that you have the best care, Dakota.”
She nodded in understanding, and then began screaming again. Her back arched and her grip tightened fiercely on Morrison’s hand, to the point that it started to cause him pain. He’d hoped that when labor started, Raziel would be here as well. But without the angel, that left it up to just this one member of the Opus Dei to bring a nephilim into this world. The first one in centuries.
What would that child mean? Morrison had been asking himself that question ever since Raziel had first come to him. He was still no closer to the answer. The nephilim would be born, and what happened after that was anyone’s guess.
The labor was long and hard. It wasn’t long before Dakota’s screams were accompanied by the cries of a newborn baby.
Thank You!
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Afterword
I opened the previous book, Devil’s Descent, with an apology for the delay in getting the book into your hands. And it was my sincere hope that I wouldn’t have to open the afterword to Devil’s Shadow with another apology.
Unfortunately, that looks like what had happened. I originally wanted to have this book released in November or December. But sadly, another sudden move and a host of new responsibilities led to some pretty extreme delays.
I want to thank all of you for your patience in waiting for this book. 2017 and the first quarter of 2018 has proven to be a period of massive transition for me.
With all the changes going on, one of the best has been the warm reception you’ve all shown Luther. I’ve been a professional author for over ten years and with Luther, I’ve finally managed to hit on a character that resonated extremely well with a very broad group of readers.
Thank you for your continued support for this series. I can’t tell you how blown away I am with everything you’ve done for me and for this series. I truly cherish all the Facebook comments, tweets, shares, emails, and reviews you’ve provided.
And I think these books are just the start. I have plans not only for Luther, but for the larger cast of characters I’ve created. Luther’s story isn’t finished yet and there’s a whole lot more coming around the bend. Things are about to get very interesting for your favorite half-demon paranormal investigator.
But maybe I’ve said too much already…
Percival Constantine
January 2018
Matsuyama, Japan
About the Author
Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, Percival Constantine grew up on a fairly consistent diet of superhero comics, action movies, video games, and TV shows. At the age of ten, he first began writing and has never really stopped.
Percival has been working in publishing since 2005 in various capacities—author, editor, formatter, letterer—and has written books, short stories, comics, and more. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English and Mass Media from Northeastern Illinois University and a Master of Arts in English and Screenwriting from Southern New Hampshire University. He currently resides in Japan where he continues to produce more stories.
percivalconstantine.com
[email protected]
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2018 by Percival Constantine
Cover design by Midnight Whimsy
http://midnightwhimsy.com
Editing by Izzi Pickering of Larks & Katydids
http://larksandkatydids.com
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
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