“Yes, I believe he is trying to get back in, and I believe he thinks she may be the key to opening those pearly gates. As much as we would all gladly pluck an angel and use their feathers as stuffing, they may have no choice but to become involved if humanity’s existence, and therefore Heaven and Hell, hang in the balance.”
“Fuck!” I exploded, causing those around me, except for River, to jump. She remained motionless beside me, looking as if she were about to fall over. “I should have seen this sooner.”
“He’s never shown any interest in getting back into Heaven before,” Morax said.
“To be honest, none of us have ever known what he’s wanted or planned before,” Magnus said. “We didn’t particularly care when all we wanted was to destroy him before he destroyed all of us. He’s also never had the key to possibly returning to the land he was cast from. He figured out how to open a gateway into Hell before. He may know how to open one into Heaven too.”
“Wouldn’t he have opened a gateway into Heaven, instead of coming here, if he could?” River asked.
“I don’t think he can, but he may know how to use you, or at least think there is a possibility he can use you, to open a gateway into Heaven,” I said.
“Delightful,” River muttered. “But the joke’s on him. I can’t open or close anything. We wouldn’t be standing here if I could.”
“As far as you know,” Magnus said. “Just because you don’t know the key to doing it, doesn’t mean it’s not possible for you to do so.”
River’s head fell into her hands, and she rubbed at her temples. Wrapping my hand around her nape, I held her against me as I massaged the tense muscles in her neck and shoulders.
“Even if Lucifer doesn’t plan to return to Heaven and take revenge on all of those who cast him out, he’ll still want her,” Magnus said.
“Why?” Shax inquired.
“Because she is one of the most powerful beings ever created, she is Kobal’s Chosen, and she is his daughter. He’ll do everything he can to get his hands on her and turn her to his side.”
“He knew he had a better shot at getting to me in Hell than he would on Earth, and we walked right into his hands,” River said.
“No,” Magnus said. “He was fully preparing for you to remain on Earth and for him to have to come to you, another reason he’s been opening the seals.”
“We must get moving then,” Verin said as she brushed back her yellow hair, “before he realizes she’s here.”
Taking hold of River’s chin, I gazed at her turbulent expression. I would not ask her again if she would prefer to leave. I knew she wouldn’t change her mind. Instead, I stroked my finger over her chin and bent to kiss her.
“When this is over, I will take you somewhere no one can bother us for at least a month,” I murmured against her lips.
Her mouth quirked into a smile against mine. “You had better.”
***
River
I stared at the illusion Magnus had created of thousands of troops standing behind the hundred plus demons and skelleins who had entered Hell. I kept my lips pressed together as I tried not to gawk at the size of the manifested army. It was like fun house mirrors except these weren’t reflections. Granted, the illusions weren’t as detailed as the real troops, but they looked as corporeal as the demon standing before me, the one I knew was real.
Amid the troops, I spotted images of myself, Kobal, and the others who would be staying with us. My skin crawled as I took in the visage Magnus had created of me as she gazed straight ahead, unaware of her surroundings. Kobal’s image stood beside her, the same resolute stare in his eyes.
I turned away from the discombobulating spectacle. “Why are we in there?” I asked Magnus.
“To distract Lucifer. He’ll think we’re coming at him head-on and not trying to stop the falling of the seals first,” Magnus replied. “These will keep him busy for a while.”
“How will we know when these troops engage with Lucifer’s?”
“Morax will let me know,” Kobal answered. “He’ll also let me know if something goes wrong, or if they walk into a trap.”
Kobal’s gaze slid toward Magnus who assumed an innocent expression that made my eyes roll. “And if that happens,” Kobal growled, “it will be the end of you, Magnus.”
“I understand, but I have always remained loyal to you, Kobal.”
Kobal continued to stare unrelentingly at him. “Can the illusions fight?” I asked to break the tension between them.
“They can move as if they’re fighting, but they can’t inflict damage,” Magnus said. “If they’re touched, they will disappear, but more will rise up to take their place.”
“You really would have been handy on the wall,” I murmured.
A smug smile pulled at his lips. “You can’t decide if you like me or not now, imagine how normal humans would react around me.”
“Good point.”
“Should we gather more troops?” Verin asked as her sun-colored eyes surveyed the masses before us.
“I have sent word out to those who remain loyal to Kobal but stayed in Hell,” Magnus replied. “They will join in with this army as it marches onward.”
“There are thousands of demons above too, at the wall,” Verin said.
“It would take too much time for them to arrive here, and they must remain behind to protect what will be left if we fail,” Kobal replied, his eyes coolly surveying the group before him. “Large numbers of troops have never succeeded against Lucifer before. It is time to try something new. Send them in.”
“Where will they be going?” I asked.
“Lucifer’s lair is deep within the bowels of Hell. They’ll head straight for it while we take a back road.”
“There’s a back road?” Hawk inquired.
“There’s always a back road in this place,” Corson replied with a stiff smile. It wasn’t his normally, easy-going smile. I found it odd to see him without his customary earrings from the latest girl he’d slept with dangling from his ears, but they remained bare now. I’m sure Kobal approved of this while it made me realize Corson’s personality was somehow diminished by this place.
I watched as the troops, both real and illusionary, moved out with Shax, Verin, and Morax leading the way. Shax had informed us that all the humans had survived the trip back out of Hell and were safe with the demons and skelleins who remained above to protect them.
Though they loved a good battle, some of the skelleins had been convinced to stay on Earth for the battles that were certain to unfold above and to keep Erin safe. Shax had said her safety was the main selling point for them to stay out of Hell, and they’d been happily bouncing riddles off her when he’d left to meet us here.
My fingers twitched at my sides as I thought of Erin and Vargas. I hoped I’d be able to see them again, but I’d take dying in this pit if it meant they survived above. Lisa would take care of Gage and Bailey for me, my brothers would be safe, and they would grow to live long, hopefully, happy lives.
I frowned as I watched some of the skelleins storm past us in the illusory crowd. For the first time, I realized they were still chugging alcohol like it was water, but none of them wore the clothing differentiating their sexes and personalities. Now, they all looked exactly alike.
All of these demons may be from Hell, but it was on Earth they had flourished. They’d differentiated themselves and developed a personality beyond fighting and death. In here again, all that remained for them was the fighting and death once more.
Taking a deep breath, I watched as the last of the troops vanished from view. “What if something happens to you?” I asked Magnus.
“They’ll all vanish if I’m killed.”
I glanced down at my clothes. I had no idea where he’d managed to uncover them. The material was the same shiny, lightweight material as what he wore. The pants and shirt were entirely black as they clung to my body far better than I would have expected for something borrowed from some
one else, or whatever he’d done to get them.
“You better make sure I stay alive unless you want to be flashing everyone in Hell,” Magnus said.
“I think I’ll take my bloody clothes back,” I muttered.
“Too late, burned ‘em.”
“You’re kind of an asshole,” I blurted.
He chuckled as he turned away from me. “Definitely been called worse before, but don’t fret, Your Highness, those clothes were left behind by a lady friend years ago. They’re as real as you are.”
With tender hands, Kobal turned me so my back was to him. He pulled my katana from its sheath before sliding it back into place. I had given my guns to Hawk. Every weapon counted in here, but I was coming to rely on my innate abilities more while, for now, Hawk was still mainly relying on his human instincts.
“Though normally, we don’t wear so much. Not down here, but it seems your human sensitivities have rubbed off on those demons who went above, and I would not wish to offend you by baring all of myself. Or excite you,” Magnus added with a wink.
“Enough!” Kobal barked at him. “You may need your limbs for this battle, but it will take time for your tongue to regenerate if you keep speaking.”
Magnus clamped his jaw shut. He turned away from us and walked over to stand by Corson, who smirked at him.
Kobal tore his gaze away from Magnus to focus on Hawk. “We will be going through the Forest of Prurience. It’s where the nymphs and canagh demons originate from.”
The color drained from Hawk’s face as he took an abrupt step forward. “Canaghs?”
“Not all of them are bad,” Bale reminded him.
“And most went above. Only the tree nymphs remain in the forest,” Magnus said.
“It may be difficult for you,” Kobal said to Hawk.
Hawk’s full lips compressed. “I’ll be fine.”
Kobal’s hands constricted on my shoulders. “I’m sure you will.”
Turning, I looked at Kobal over my shoulder. “Have you tried to attack Lucifer with so many troops before?” I inquired as a way to distract Kobal and Hawk from where this journey would take us.
“When I was still foolish enough to believe strength alone would take someone down, I went at him a few times with a large number of demons. I spent weeks trying to heal from my injuries after one attack, and Crux was nearly captured. Since then, our battles have been more strategic, but no ground has ever been gained one way or the other. We’ve both lost followers.”
“What do you believe is enough to take someone down now?” I inquired.
“Brains, brawn, and beauty,” he replied with a grin.
“Kobal—”
“A secret weapon then,” he said and kissed my forehead before releasing me.
“Yes,” I said, having decided that trying to brazen my way through this was better than being a walking, talking, self-doubting mess. “What happens if you lose one of the hounds?” I asked as I fell into step beside him.
“The hounds within me can be wounded so badly they have to return to me to heal, or they can be captured, but the only way they can die is if I die. However, I am weakened without the both of them.”
I was determined to make sure he was never without them. “How old were you when you were hurt so badly?”
“I was a child then, barely over three hundred years old.”
“Is that all?” I said with a laugh. “You’re right, you were only a child.”
The look he shot me warmed my soul as he surveyed me from under his thick lashes. “I’ve learned and grown much since then.”
CHAPTER 29
Kobal
I didn’t tell her that a month after that battle I’d been foolish enough to mess around with Lilitu, with the determination to conquer something. The queen of her branch of the canaghs had been a temptation difficult to resist. Three hundred was old to River, yet I’d still been foolish back then, reckless with my power, drunk with the knowledge of what I was and what I was meant to rule. The mark of Ziwa I bore hadn’t helped as it made me more volatile than any varcolac before me, but it also made me stronger.
It had taken me centuries to gain control of myself. However, it was still easy enough for me to be pushed over the edge when angered. My hand slid to the small of River’s back as Magnus opened the doorway to exit his little corner of Hell.
Stopping beside Magnus, I halted River while the others moved past us. “I understand your reasons for retreating into this corner of Hell and your need to better grasp what you’re capable of, but if you mess up once, or do anything that puts her in danger, there won’t be a second chance.”
“I understand,” Magnus said, “and I will prove my loyalty once more.”
I stared at him for a minute more before moving River out the door and stepping behind the others into the tunnel. Corson, Bale, and Hawk moved to the end where they turned to wait for us. Before them, a few of the skelleins walked around the corner and vanished from sight.
River kept her hand in mine as I strode forward to join the others. “This way,” Magnus said and jerked his head to the right.
The skelleins led the way down a narrow trail winding deeper and deeper toward the fires below us. River’s palm grew damp within my hand as sweat beaded across her brow and stuck her hair to her face, but she didn’t complain as we walked. She pulled a canteen of water from her side and uncapped it to take a drink when we stopped for a break after an hour.
“Aren’t there supposed to be fires or something?” Hawk asked.
“We’ll get to them,” Magnus said.
“Can you still feel and draw on life?” I asked River when she recapped the canteen and hung it from her waist.
After wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her arm, she rested her fingers against the rock and leaned into the wall. Her eyes closed, and she bit her bottom lip as deep blue light lit her fingers and swirled up to her wrist. She pulled her hand away, but the glow of life continued to encircle her wrist.
“Amazing,” Magnus said.
The skelleins all stared at her, her blue light reflecting on their white skulls as they watched her. “Our queen,” one of them murmured.
River doused her light and turned away from them. I took hold of her hand, drawing her against my side when one of the skelleins wandered closer. “Are you finally starting to find your way?” the skellein inquired as it peered curiously up at her.
“Lix?” she asked.
The skellein grinned at her as it gave an elegant bow. “Of course, World Walker.”
“I didn’t recognize you without your tie,” River said.
Something like regret or perhaps loss radiated from him. “In here, we all must fight as one, be one. It is the only way to survive.”
“Here, here,” the other skelleins concurred, and each took a swig from their flasks.
“I see,” River murmured and lifted her head to meet my gaze before looking over at where Corson stood silently waiting with Bale. “I hope you kept your tie for when we are free of here.”
“I did.” Lix grinned at her before turning away. Swinging his sword against his bony shoulder, he hurried to rejoin the others.
Stepping forward, I reclaimed River’s hand. “Come.”
***
River
A few hundred feet back, the rocks had begun to fade away to be replaced with trees twice the size of the largest redwood. Their black branches, the size of an oak tree, draped over the road to provide a canopy on all sides. The canopy was so thick that no underbrush grew beneath the trees; only discarded leaves littered the forest floor.
The leaves of the trees were three times the size of my hands and such a deep black they were almost purple in the light cascading over them. Where the light came from, I had no idea, but it cast a yellowish-red haze over the road and the plants surrounding us.
Stopping, I stared into the thick canopy of the trees. Fruit the color of a plum and the size of a watermelon dangled from the branche
s, pulling the gnarled limbs further down with their weight. The sweet scent of the forest reminded me of the food I’d smelled cooking at Magnus’s carnival. My nose wrinkled, and I couldn’t tell if I liked the scent or not, but for the first time, I didn’t smell the fires of Hell.
“Is this the forest?” I breathed as I gazed around us in awe and disbelief.
“It is,” Kobal said from beside me.
“It’s beautiful and…” I couldn’t quite think of the word to describe it.
“Sensual,” Kobal suggested.
I couldn’t resist stepping closer against his side. “Yes. Is that because of the creatures who live here?”
“The forest and trees fuel one’s desire. The creatures residing here help with that.”
“I spent some time with the tree nymphs recently,” Magnus said with a smile that had my lip curling in disgust and Bale rolling her eyes.
“Nymphs,” the skelleins murmured enthusiastically and elbowed each other. I didn’t want to know how that would work as there were definitely no fleshy bits to the skelleins. There were some things I was content to remain in the dark about, forever.
“Many a soul has never left this place as carnality kept them enslaved to the creatures here,” Kobal said.
“Many a demon would come here to feed and spend time with the creatures here when the majority of the wraiths still resided in Hell,” Magnus said.
“Are nymphs like the canaghs? Do they enslave people?” Hawk inquired.
“No, tree nymphs are simply good fun,” one of the skelleins replied.
“Many rounds of good fun,” another gushed.
Yet another thing I couldn’t think about as I was sure Kobal had probably come here more than a few times. “I see,” I murmured.
Kobal rested his hand in my back, nudging me onward when I stopped. The roadway before us was made of the black rock of Hell, but I saw deep red stones mixed in with the black. The red reflected the light surrounding us and lit patches of the road as we walked. On my right, something darted amongst the trees, causing me to jump back and nearly scream.
“What was that?” Hawk demanded as he unsheathed his knife.
The Road (The Road to Hell Series, Book 3) Page 21