by Susan Illene
With half the skittering creatures gone, the men made short work of the rest. Lucas flashed over to me, his eyes glowing golden. He took one look at my wound, tossed his sword to Micah, and picked me up.
“Put me down,” I ordered.
He ignored me. My husband was in a different place now where I didn’t know how to reach him. His face—at least, the part that wasn’t still shredded open—was a hard mask. Everyone was wounded now, but they had no trouble keeping up with Lucas’ brisk pace. He led us toward the mega stone structure. We’d gotten close enough the glamour no longer concealed it. A couple more demons got in our way, but Micah leaped ahead to dispatch them. When we reached the entrance, Lucas finally set me down.
“Will you need the sword?” Micah asked me.
“No.” I shook my head. Despite my pain, I could sense the individuals inside. There were more tortured souls in there than I could count, about a dozen mid and high-level demons, and one former archangel. “Ariel isn’t too far. I think I can work us around the few guards in the way. Besides, you’re gonna need the sword to hold this position.”
Yerik looked at Kerbasi. “You know what you need to do?”
The guardian flashed his teeth. “Of course.”
I knew what they meant. The one hitch to our plans was that Ariel wouldn’t be able to pass through the ward. Kerbasi might be able to cross, but he couldn’t alter the spell any more than I could. We’d have to take one of the demon guards inside hostage and force him to help. But if anyone could convince a denizen of this place to do our bidding, it would be the guardian.
Lucas took hold of my arm. “You will be careful.”
“I will,” I promised, trying not to react to the harshness in his voice. There was still no sign of my loving husband inside, but his instincts to protect his mate hadn’t gone away.
“Do not take long.” He let go of my arm.
Micah gave me a sympathetic look. “This is another side of him, but it will pass once the danger is over.”
I started to nod, but then I caught sight of a fresh wave of demons heading toward us. I handed Micah one of the two grenades I had left. “Make good use of this.”
He took it. “Trust me. I will.”
Without another word, Kerbasi and I stepped up to the entrance. It was nothing except a black hole. I sensed no demons near it, but they probably assumed they had nothing to worry about. It wasn’t like sensors and Purgatory guardians invaded all that often.
We pushed through the blackness—the oppressive sensation of the ward gave me chills—and entered what could only be described as an icy prison. The stone walls and floors were frozen solid. I rubbed at my bare arms, and my breath fogged as I exhaled.
Kerbasi and I had to choose our steps carefully as we made our way down a narrow corridor. Just before we reached the end where it opened into a large cell block full of moaning and screaming individuals, I detected a guard coming our way. As much as it pained me to hear their cries, at least the noise they created covered up any sounds we made.
I held up a hand and whispered, “One coming from the right.”
“Should we keep him alive?” the guardian asked.
“No. We’ll grab someone on the way out.” I didn’t want to have to drag anyone with us on the way to rescuing Ariel.
Kerbasi waited until the guard came within a few feet of us. He grabbed the demon by the neck and slammed it into the ground. I took a good look at its body and realized that other than its skin being ghastly pale and its eyes red, it appeared human. This was a much higher level demon than the ones we’d encountered outside, though not as strong as the guardian. Kerbasi pressed his hands into the guard’s chest and smote him. It was the equivalent of sending electrical charges through the demon’s body.
The pale creature twisted and flailed, but could not break free. As its eyes began to melt, the acrid scent of burning flesh reached my nose. Kerbasi didn’t seem bothered by the stench, but I had to take a step back and clutch my stomach. After a minute, the demon slumped—its life force winking out of existence.
“Could you have done that to the ones outside?” I asked. It wasn’t the most pleasant or efficient way to take the demons down, but I was surprised he’d waited until now to try it.
Kerbasi rose to his feet and wiped his hands on his pants. “Yes, but it requires a lot of power. I was saving my strength for whatever we encountered in here.”
As much as I hated to admit it, I was glad the guardian had come with me. His body was covered in partially healed wounds, but his injuries appeared to have only sapped part of his strength. I, on the other hand, felt every bit of my blood loss. The punctures on my thigh were making it difficult to walk. As long as I could brace myself along the walls, though, I could keep moving. We had a mission, and I wouldn’t allow anything to stop me from completing it.
“Ariel is up one level. We’re going to have to find some stairs,” I informed him.
The guardian’s silver eyes swirled. “When we transported souls here, the portal from Purgatory led directly to this place. I know where to go.”
He led the way, walking slow enough that I could keep up with him. We passed cell after cell, stacked on top of each other. Most of them were tiny, maybe two feet by two feet—just the right size to store a soul—and the doors were solid with no way to see inside. About every ten paces, though, we’d walk by a human-sized chamber. I was baffled as to why they had two kinds.
Just before we reached the stairs, I sensed a demon inside one of the larger cells, torturing someone. The soul he tormented had a physical form, though my senses told me it was unnatural. The level of pain and agony in the place was messing with my ability to distinguish the countless essences around me. I’d almost missed the powerful demon.
“Wait,” I hissed. “There is a guard in that one.” I pointed at the door a few feet ahead of us.
Kerbasi gave it a careless glance. “I doubt he’ll come out anytime soon. They like to spend hours torturing their prisoners.”
“How is it possible for some of them to have physical forms?” I asked once we reached the stairs. They were made of the same stone as the walls, but I was glad to find there was no ice covering them.
Kerbasi gripped my arm to help me make my way up. “Humans can be provided temporary physical forms here. The demons torture them until their new body dies. Then they start the process all over again whenever they choose.”
“I should be seriously bothered that you know that,” I said through clenched teeth. Sharp agony tore through me with every step we took. Anything that could keep my mind off of the pain helped—even disturbing topics of conversation.
“There was a time when I thought their methods quite fascinating,” Kerbasi admitted.
We reached the second-floor landing. The place went up at least thirty stories, so I had to be grateful they’d put Ariel on a lower level. I indicated we should go to the left. We might not have to climb any more stairs, but we had some distance to walk before we reached the former archangel’s cell.
“You’re not fascinated by demons anymore?” I asked, managing to add a teasing note to my voice.
Kerbasi continued to take on some of my weight as we walked. “I’m afraid you’ve ruined me in that regard. Torture does not have the same appeal it once did, though I won’t deny getting hold of one of these guards will be most enjoyable.”
“Yeah, well, you’re welcome to it,” I said.
We didn’t speak much after that. I had to concentrate on every step I took and turn the guardian down twice when he offered to carry me. It was bad enough Lucas did that. If I could have had a few minutes to rest, my wounds would have started to close up, but I didn’t have that option.
“That’s it,” I said when we reached the end of the corridor. The cell before us was at the corner with the door set apart from the others, making me think it was an extra large space. Ariel’s terrified agony coming from inside swamped my senses, dwarfing my own pain. “Th
ere’s a powerful demon inside with her now. He’s…he’s hurting her.”
Kerbasi’s expression hardened, and he reached for the door handle. Sparks shot out at him, making him flinch. “You did not tell me it had a separate ward.”
“Oh, sorry.” I’d been so distracted by the torment surrounding me that I hadn’t paid any attention to the magic shielding her. I stuck my hand onto my thigh wound, coated my fingers in blood, and grabbed the handle. This ward was much smaller than the one on the prison and fizzled out in seconds.
“The demon inside is the strongest one I’ve felt since we entered this place so don’t underestimate him,” I warned. In fact, he was a lot stronger than Kerbasi and I combined, but I wasn’t going to let that detail slow us down. We could take him if we worked together.
Kerbasi drew his sword. “Open it.”
“Shoot him up first—the weaker he is, the better.” I swung the door wide and winced as Ariel’s screams poured out toward us. They’d been muffled before. She lay on the frozen floor naked and covered in nasty wounds, convulsing as a huge man-like figure stood over her shooting some kind of demonic energy into her chest.
Her brown hair hung in tangles about her face and she’d lost the golden glow common among angels. There was a slight taint in her signature now, but nothing worse than what I might pick up from some of the older supernaturals on Earth.
“Please, no!” she cried out.
The demon laughed in a way that sent chills down my spine. “That’s it. Beg, little angel. Let me hear it.”
He had his back to us and was enjoying his torture of Ariel so much he hadn’t noticed our arrival. As one, Kerbasi and I lifted our rifles and opened fire. The demon jerked several times before twisting around. He lifted his hand and sent out a shot of the same energy he’d used on Ariel. I stepped in front of Kerbasi, deflecting it. The demon’s face twisted in disbelief.
“Nice try, asshole, but I’m no angel.”
As he moved toward me, I pulled out my last grenade. I’d just freed the pin when he grabbed hold of my throat and spoke in a malevolent tone. “Whatever you are—you will pay.”
“You first.” I shoved the grenade through a hole I’d made in his stomach with my previous gunfire, and let go of the lever. Grabbing the arm holding my neck for leverage, I kicked off of his body and broke free.
I went crashing back into Kerbasi, who rolled on top of me just before the blast hit. The guardian jerked as the shrapnel dug into his back, but I sensed only minor discomfort coming from him. The demon took the brunt of the damage.
“Okay, you can let me up now, you big oaf,” I said, shoving at him.
He grunted. “This is the appreciation I get for protecting you.”
I pinched his cheek. “Thanks so much—you’re my hero. Now get off of me.”
“That’s all you had to say,” he grumbled.
Kerbasi clamored to his feet, pulling me up with him. We turned to examine the demon, who was slumped against the far wall with most of his guts strewn around him. The red glow of his eyes had diminished significantly. He might be super strong, but we’d damaged him enough it would take many hours to heal.
“Get the chains on him,” I ordered Kerbasi.
“Gladly.” The guardian dug through his pack and pulled out the chains I’d stolen from Purgatory when I rescued Lucas. I’d always known they’d come in handy for something aside from kinky sex. Not only were they unbreakable, but they sapped all the powers from the wearer.
Satisfied the danger was over for the moment, I hurried over to Ariel. She was covered in so many fresh and festering wounds it was difficult to tell if she’d been further hurt by the grenade. If I’d had an easier way to take down the demon, I would have done it.
Her body shivered, and she moaned. I dug into my pack and pulled out a robe I’d brought with me. After the way I’d found Lucas in Purgatory when I rescued him, I’d thought bringing a garment might come in handy this time.
She opened her eyes and looked up at me. “Melena? Am I dreaming?”
It was hard not to wince at her hoarse voice. It had once been beautiful.
“Of me? I doubt it,” I said, attempting to keep the mood light. It was the only way I could handle seeing the broken angel without reducing to a puddle of tears. She was a mere shell of the woman I remembered. I could only hope some of her glow would return once we got her back to Earth.
Ariel gave me a weak smile as I pulled the robe over her head. She even managed to sit up so I could pull it down farther. “Only you would be this brash and invade Hell.”
“Ahhhh!” The demon in the corner screamed as Kerbasi carved one of its eyes out. The guardian was interrogating it on how to get through the ward, but of course the damn thing wasn’t cooperating.
“I’m not the only one who came,” I said, hoping Ariel wouldn’t look toward the mutilation going on in the corner. To distract her, I continued pulling the robe down to her legs. It would help to protect her myriad wounds until we could tend to them properly.
“How?” her voice cracked.
“Long story I’ll tell you all about later.” I handed her a fresh canteen from my pack. “Drink this.”
She didn’t hesitate to gulp down the water, almost finishing it. Ariel probably hadn’t had a drop since arriving in this place. Within a few moments, I could sense a small fraction of her power returning as her body absorbed the fluids. That’s what I’d been hoping for, considering I was in no shape to carry her and Kerbasi needed his hands free to kill any demons on the way out.
“We should go,” I said, helping her to her feet. She wobbled a little but managed to stay standing.
“Wait.” She nodded in the direction of Kerbasi and the demon. “You must get the disc from him or else I won’t be able to pass the ward.”
“The disc?” I asked.
“Yes. It is how they transport prisoners from this place once they are deemed dark enough.” She paused and shuddered. “Whoever carries the disc can move through the shield.”
“Kerbasi?” I turned to the guardian.
“I got it,” he said, holding up a flat, black disc. It didn’t register to my senses as good or evil, but I did detect how it tied into the shield. The device shared similar magical properties.
I checked my internal radar and didn’t sense any guards between us and the exit. Relief swept through me. Our infiltration hadn’t been discovered yet. They didn’t have much reason to patrol the place, and probably figured between all the wards and the horde outside they didn’t need greater security measures. No doubt a lot of demons would be in trouble if we managed to make it out of here alive.
Ariel slumped against me, on the verge of losing consciousness. I grabbed hold of her and looked at Kerbasi. “Can you take her?”
“I can,” he agreed. “But if we run into any trouble…”
“You can return her to me until the danger is over.” It was the best compromise we could come up with since I was in no shape to move quickly with Ariel in my arms, and he was the stronger fighter.
Kerbasi picked her up and cradled her against his chest. “I am ready.”
I checked my rifle and put a fresh magazine in it. Better to be safe than sorry. Then I glanced at my watch—it was almost eleven o’clock. I had to hope we made good time on the way out. “Alright, let’s go.”
Chapter Thirty-seven
Lucas
Cold, calculated rage fueled Lucas. The demons kept coming, but they were no match for him and his sword. The blade was an extension of his arm, obeying his every command. Together, they did not know the meaning of mercy—only the need to spill blood.
As another wave of the enemy horde approached, he leaped toward them, cutting and slashing his way through their lines. He was the deliverer of death, and they were future corpses who came to surrender their lives to him. Lucas reveled in meting out justice to the demons. He’d created a pile of the creature’s bodies that stacked nearly as high as his head.
&
nbsp; But it was an exercise in futility.
They could not stay here much longer. Hell had an endless supply of demons it could keep sending toward them. While Lucas enjoyed the test against his skills, he could see the others were tiring. Their munitions ran dangerously low, and it was only a matter of time before something more powerful arrived. If it were only him, he’d welcome the challenge, but he could not risk the life of his mate. Above all else, she must live.
After slashing a few more of the oversized bugs, Lucas glanced back at the entrance. Yerik and Micah stood in front of the dark door, shooting at the rare demon that made it to them. Anytime now, Melena would return. He knew that, though he could not describe how other than their bond told him as much.
In his present state of mind, Lucas could connect with her in a way he’d never done before. It was almost as if he could feel every beat of her heart through their link. Somehow, shedding his persona and allowing his primitive side to take over gave him an edge—one that would bother him later, but served him well now.
More skittering creatures approached, at least twenty of them. Lucas didn’t hesitate to jump into their midst, slashing into their hard backs with a vengeance. A few of the demon bugs managed to bite his legs and arms, but he did not care. He reveled in the power of the kill and suffered no pain.
In a matter of minutes, Lucas had created a fresh pile of body parts. He did not see any more bugs coming toward him on the ground, but he did spy one of the flying demons heading straight for his position. Before it could reach him, Micah destroyed it with his rocket launcher. Lucas had yet to use his. Perhaps he would give his warheads to his brother since he seemed to enjoy the weapon.
There was movement at the door. A moment later, Kerbasi came out holding a frail Ariel. Melena followed close behind with her rifle at the ready. Their timing could not have been better. There was a break in the demon approach they could use to their advantage. Lucas flashed next to the group and checked over his mate. She did not appear to have sustained any fresh injuries, though the one on her thigh troubled him. He sensed that it pained her considerably, and it still bled.