“All right, I’ll go upstairs to the staff’s quarters. Call me if you manage to track down Rodriquez,” I said. Zachary nodded, loaded his gun and started walking away in the opposite direction. I ran upstairs, taking a couple of steps at a time. My energy began rolling through me faster as I was moving further inside the palace. By the time I reached the second floor I was out of breath and my body was aching; the latest injuries were slowing me down. Ricky’s words rang in my ears. Arthur was under the influence of a demon.
I passed a few rooms and headed straight to the main ballroom that was set up for some sort of official banquet. All the lights were off, but there was someone inside. My heart started jackhammering in my chest as I searched for the source of power. The sound of footsteps neared and a deformed face came into a view, blocking whatever energy I was trying to gather.
Every tiny hair on my body rose, air filled my lungs, and fear sunk its claws inside my stomach, freezing me in place. The A’rea was in the ballroom, standing very close, and she arrived straight from the pits.
Chapter 29
“Until he shall have driven her back to Hell,” ― Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
The muscles in my legs were starting to burn. Panic punched a hole in my chest as I struggled to breathe. The A’rea was in the ballroom, trying to tap into my demonic DNA. I still had a chance. I could turn around and run, but a second later all the doors were slammed shut, and the floor seemed to roll under my feet. Anticipating danger was part of my instinct, but I had a feeling that this time around, I was in real shit.
She smelled of arsenic and rotten flesh. Her gaze dropped to my chest, and a fresh dose of excitement and anticipation drifted through her veins. Her eyes met mine again and she wasn’t moving, just standing several meters away. She wasn’t even trying to hide her true form, and her evil soul was filled with only one purpose: to kill. Warmth flared as the smell of metal wafted in the air. I swallowed hard wishing that I had a sword or at least a knife, something that could give me an advantage. I wasn’t ready for full fight mode, not yet, but I guess that choice was taken away from me the moment I stepped into the ballroom.
Tonight was supposed to be my night when I didn’t have to worry about the case or any member of the royal family. I even went as far as putting a dress on and high heels. I clenched my fists, tormented with anger. At least Arthur wasn’t here, so this fight was going to be fair. The seconds rolled on, and the A’rea vanished. She disappeared from my sight for a good few seconds, and then I sensed her zooming around, flying above me.
Then I felt someone else in the ballroom, a demon, and suddenly a high-pitched laugh broke the empty silence.
“Look, Your Highness, look who has come to grace us with her presence,” said the voice. I gathered whatever strength and energy I could. Then from the far right corner a woman appeared, and alongside her stood Arthur. Shock held me immobile until the very last moment. The woman was a stranger to me—well, that’s what I thought at first, but as she got closer everything suddenly made perfect sense. Alexis Frasier, the demon that acted as judge and jury during my fabricated hearing was in the ballroom. She was in control of the A’rea that circled above me, hissing with desire to consume my heart—yeah, that was pretty much her plan.
“Arthur? Are you all right?” I shouted towards the prince, ignoring Alexis. He seemed like he was out, filled with spells, staring blankly at the space ahead.
“Oh, he’s just fine, for now at least. I’m afraid that you haven’t been invited to this party. It’s a private affair, Maxine,” Alexis said, smiling. Only now I noticed that she changed her appearance. Her hair wasn’t chestnut anymore, but crimson red. She must have used some kind of complicated potion to cover her demonic soul the first time we met. I had a feeling that she was the one that took George and tried to control Arthur when he was still himself. I should have put it all together sooner, even back at the wasteland. All this time she’d had full access to the palace.
“I warned you to stay away from this case, and I even gave you a chance to leave, didn’t I?” she asked, standing tall and proud, like she belonged here, to this world.
“What the hell do you want?” I shouted, thinking through my options. The elixirs and dead hooker in the hotel. Maybe she killed the demon down by the canals too.
“Oh, nothing. I don’t need anything from you, my dear. Arthur and his brother George are here to heal me. You will be dead soon anyway. This A’rea is here to finish what the other failed to do,” Alexis said, sounding bored and staring back at her nails. I glanced around, sensing another human. Arthur walked past her and stopped in the middle of the ballroom, by the table. George appeared too, levelling his potions with his brother from the west side. They weren’t aware of what was going on; their minds were possessed, filled with controlling demonic charms.
I heard a loud squawk and then the A’rea attacked, zooming through the air so quickly that I didn’t have time to react. The creature from the underworld wasn’t possessing anyone this time around. She was in her true eternal form. From the outside she looked like a human woman with a slightly deformed face and bones, but she had the soul of an evil being, only wanting to cause harm. She had large wings, spanning six feet on either side of her body, made from skin the colour of dark granite, like they were stolen from a dragon or the devil himself, dripping wet with a thick oil-like substance. Whenever she fluttered them around, the noxious liquid spilled down, burning holes in the rug and melting the floor. I dodged to the side, avoiding being splashed, trying to figure my defence strategy.
“Come on, dear Prince, you must do what Auntie Alexis is asking for. I need blood from both you and your brother to repair my soul, to become whole again,” Alexis called out, laughing hysterically.
I ran to the other side of the ballroom, swinging my body under the statue of some bearded historic figure. A few drops of a tarlike substance splashed next to me, and the burning smell wafted in the air. The A’rea was hissing underneath, unable to get to me, using her large claws to push the statue down on the floor. I looked over, seeing Arthur. He had a knife in his right hand and his wrists were exposed. George was standing opposite, but I could barely recognise him. His skin was pale, almost translucent. There were bald patches on his head, and his clothes were in pieces. There was a poison in his system that had damaged some of his organs. I could only hope that there was enough time to save him.
I had at least a few minutes to pull my strength back together, when the tiny bit of a substance from the Area’s wings dropped on my leg, instantly burning my skin. I tried to get it off me, but my skin was already peeling off, creating a painful agonising wound.
“When I took control of Arthur and asked him nicely to lead Georgie to me, I didn’t think that the royals would use a damned mongrel to help them. I thought that young George would be useful, but he became difficult. His blood failed to create the potion that I needed, and his soul wasn’t strong enough,” Alexis said, walking around Arthur, like she was waiting for something. The knife in Arthur’s hand was worrying me. I had no idea what Alexis intended to do.
The A’rea was hissing and squawking underneath me, using her strong claws to destroy the statue, hoping to get to me from the outside. I was unprepared and achy. It was a night when I wasn’t expecting to get attacked, and the only elixirs that were now in my bag seemed completely useless.
Alexis’s demonic soul was dying, and she was looking to use royal blood to repair herself. I had no idea if that would even work. Both brothers were special, easily manipulated by someone who was in the palace often. I was stupid not to have thoroughly investigated all the people that were fully connected to everyone in the royal family, foolish to think that the answer lay elsewhere.
“Lucifer abandoned me when I wasn’t useful to him anymore. I had to pick myself up and start over. It took me years to climb through the ranks, to influence the royals,” she said and the A’rea stopped messing around with me. With a loud whizzing s
ound she pushed the statue off its plinth, the armour crushed into pieces, and the guy’s head missed me by about an inch.
I dodged over to the side, got up and tried to run to the other direction, but she was on me within seconds. Her sharp claws ripped the skin on my back and I was thrown across the ballroom, landing on one of the tables. The deep pain sliced across my back, and something thick and warm poured down my spine.
I wondered what happened to Zach, Rodriguez, and the guards. Alexis must have put them all under her control, but how?
The A’rea was fluttering her long powerful wings above me, dropping the deadly poison everywhere. I couldn’t escape this time around. The substance was like tiny fire balls, burning deep wounds all over my body. Her deformed face was that of an angel, beautiful pale complexion, and large eyes filled with fire. Pain burst and rushed down everywhere; my skin felt like it was burning. I was trying to breathe, but oxygen wasn’t getting into my lungs. Darkness crept over the edge of my vision. The A’rea cocked her head to the side, suspended in the air above me, and smiled.
I felt like I was back in the hotel room again, but this was so much worse. The shadows of my past blinded me for a moment. There wasn’t a part of me that didn’t scream with pain. My body spasmed uncontrollably; burning pain was splitting my cells, sharper and more intense with every passing moment. I was trying to gather my energy, draining the last bits of strength inside me, but the A’rea was tapping into my demonic abilities.
She landed on the floor and used her leg to kick me. I gritted my teeth, wanting to lift myself up, but my muscles refused to comply. I was going to die in a moment.
When she stood in front of me, staring and penetrating my cells, I prayed for this torture to end. Her poison was filling my body with painful blisters. I hissed for air, for something … anything that could bring me back. I couldn’t even get my lungs to function.
The pain eased when she stepped away, lifting her claws, probably because she wanted to finish me off with the last final deadly blow. In a haze filled with agonising pain, I launched myself and rolled over in my last final attempt of escape. Then next to me, the A’rea’s claw hit the red rug. It was the exact place where I had lain down only a split second ago.
“Oh yes, spill more blood, my Prince. I need to be like before, strong and powerful,” Alexis shouted, dancing around, like she was in some kind of trance. The A’rea was trying to pull her claw off the floor; she was stuck between the two wooden boards. Both brothers were immobile, holding their knives as blood dripped down their faces. I had no idea if they were injured, or where that blood was coming from, but their souls were weak, damaged.
The A’rea squawked loudly, trying to free herself, easing the vibes of her control over me. The blazing fire on my skin faded and I finally could move.
The smell of burning flesh drifted around, but I couldn’t just lie down, like I was defeated. I had to fight back. I jumped back to my feet, connecting with my demonic soul again and tapping into Alexis’s source of power. This was my only way to pull back, to gain enough strength.
The whole floor began to shake, and the wind whizzed in my ears as I gathered energy from the outside, the earth, and the energy stored in the A’rea herself. Arthur was going to slash his own wrist; he was just about to do it, and George too. Both of them were being compelled to die, so Alexis’s demonic soul could be saved.
Light shot across the room in a bolt, hitting the A’rea in her chest. The walls vibrated as a thunderstorm raged outside. She spread her large wings trying to protect herself, but another blast hit her again, straight in her heart. The impact threw her across the ballroom.
The bright and violent energy rolled through me. I flopped on the floor dizzy and disoriented. The A’rea wasn’t important anymore, but I hoped that I disabled her for at least a moment.
“It’s too late, mongrel. Both brothers’ blood is already flowing through me. My soul is being repaired.” Alexis laughed, using her hands to smear the blood on her face, like she did during the hearing. I let go of a ragged breath when she stopped and pointed at Arthur. “You, my boy, finish this. It’s time.”
I let out a hoarse scream, launching myself towards Arthur, the man that loved me as a woman and taught me how to love. He began slashing his wrists, pushing the knife into his skin, releasing more blood. Alexis was laughing hysterically.
Terror formed knots in my stomach, because I felt her demonic soul. It was transforming, filling with new power. I had no idea if it was too late or not, but I reached Arthur and knocked him off his feet. Then the air shifted, turning chilly.
The floor underneath my feet began descending, and everything vibrated. The walls, the furniture in the ballroom, the paintings and statues around. Right in front of my eyes the large hole began to appear, pulling the table and chairs down. The heat sucked in the air from the room, knocking me off my feet. Suddenly there was an entrance to hell right in the middle of the Queen’s ballroom, the fiery pits. I felt something whip through the air, the sudden pull of energy that began dragging every living being down to the hole. In my last attempt, I held on to the metal bar that was attached to the wall.
Alexis was now near Arthur, who was lying on the floor motionless only a meter away from me. The sudden shock registered in her features when she realised what was happening.
“No, he can’t summon me, not without the prince,” her squeaky voice rang in my ears. My body was wrecked and my fingers were slipping away from the metal as the power of hell was pulling me down.
The air whizzed, and smoke began filling the space. Arthur was unconscious and he was slipping away too, when Alexis grabbed his arm, determined to stay away from the pits. She was ready to sacrifice the future king to save herself from being dragged down.
“Let go, you bitch! Let go of him and go back to hell!” I roared, and released my grip, sliding down the floor. I grabbed Arthur’s hand and let go of an inhuman roar, spilling the elixirs from my back pocket that I thought weren’t useful at first. The elixir made from unicorn tears lifted him above the floor, and he spun in the air on the other side of the ballroom, where the power of the pits couldn’t reach him.
The demon inside me rose, and the evil power started dragging Alexis down to the hole.
“Oh no, I’m taking you with me before I die,” she screamed. When I glanced down, I saw her creepy smile, her bloody teeth gritted in determination as her hand held my ankle and then pulled. I slammed on the ground, losing my balance. I was lost too. I could no longer fight with the power of hell.
Then time stopped. I could still hear her curses, hear my raspy breath, but part of my demonic soul was connected with hers. My heart plummeted and a scream got stuck in my throat.
Alexis stopped moving and opened her eyes wider. In that short moment, she was feeling and experiencing everything I had gone through in the past twelve months. She was seeing my memories, feeling the pain and the secret that I had been carrying inside me since last year. A dark craving swelled from deep within. I was fighting to untangle myself, but our energies were linked as long as her fingers were wrapped around me.
The fresh burst of pain stunned me. I realised that Alexis was seeing everything that I was forced to give up. Her face twisted in shock. Blood was dripping down from my nose as I tried to conceal my memories from her, tear my soul away from hers.
A moment later the time restarted, and the smell of sulfur nearly choked me. I couldn’t let her drag me down with her, so I shook my head, recovering and then kicked Alexis’s hand with my right foot. It was like a razor struck me, like I was suddenly aware that she had to be stopped. Her hand slipped and she began falling down to the pits. Her screams rang in my ears when the blistering heat hit me, causing tiny dots of sweat to break out across my arms and neck.
A thunderstorm appeared in the sky. The sound followed. Then the wind howled, and the heat and burning smell receded. Everything disappeared, and the floor was in once piece again. The shattering noise of brea
king glass broke the silence moments later. I couldn’t see what happened, but I presumed that the A’rea must have thrown herself out of the window in her last attempt to escape. She was weakened, and the Watchers were probably on their way to capture her.
I collapsed to the floor. Arthur was covered with blood. He was strong, so he would pull through somehow. The space where the pits opened up was scorched, the floor charred through the red thick rug. I closed my eyes until I could feel the flow of oxygen through my lungs.
Just before she was pulled down to the fiery pits Alexis had touched me and had connected with me. In that small space of time she learnt everything about me, discovered my deepest secret.
I told myself that no one could survive in the underworld and Alexis was possibly dead. I had won. But that one question was burning me inside—what if she somehow survived the fall?
Chapter 30
“And I was told about this torture, that it was the Hell of carnal sins when reason gives way to desire.” ― Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
I had no idea how long I lay motionless on the red rug in the ballroom, using whatever energy I had stored to rescue George. He was dying, and I was too broken to even lift my eyelids. I would survive, but the young prince was in bad shape. The warmth of healing power drifted down, causing my body to tremble. The pain was settling in my bones though I tried to ignore it, hanging on to the one last positive memory in my drenched mind.
“Max… Max, is that you?” Arthur’s muffled voice asked. I kept breathing in and out, wondering if the agonising pain would ever ease. The fact that he was lying there next to me was calming. He was safe at last.
“Yes, I’m here, so you don’t need to worry. George is here too,” I said, forcing my raw throat to work.
Doomed Cases Series Box Set Page 23