I didn’t know what was going on behind those beautiful eyes of hers, but I was struck with the realization that I enjoyed the way she assessed me, the way she had no fear of me. Even those humans I’d bedded on this plane had been nervous, but their desire and curiosity had won out and they’d eagerly come to me to have their curiosity quenched.
“So you can no longer open a gate?”
“I can. Anywhere I choose and I can still close it, but there is little reason for me to do so now that your world is wide open for the taking.”
“You said the demons who remained on Earth perished as if they had a choice in the matter,” she said.
“All demons are immortal—”
“Holy…” She nearly spit out the wine she’d taken a sip of.
Coughing, her hands flew up to her strange necklace again. She ran it through her fingers as she stared at me as if she were trying to figure me out. Never going to happen, young human.
“Okay, so they were immortal but died on Earth, why?” she asked.
“When demons enter into the mortal realm, we begin to age. We show no adverse effects from it, if we cross back and forth, but if we stay here we will die.”
“So, you are dying now?”
I liked that she sounded displeased by this notion. “No, with a gateway into Hell wide open, we are suffering no ill-consequences from your realm.”
“Fascinating,” she whispered. “Wouldn’t the souls of those demons come back to Hell once they died on Earth?”
“No. Demons don’t have souls like you humans do, just another part of the balancing system.”
She rubbed at her temples again. “So, the people who glimpsed between the veils and who stumbled across demon-folk on Earth spread the word about them after?” she asked.
“They did. Some were condemned and destroyed because of it, others were believed and the word spread.”
“I hate to disappoint you, but I’ve never glimpsed anything beyond this world. I knew who was going to volunteer yesterday, and I also knew one girl’s name. I could often find the hot fishing spots and could see things hidden from me, like my brother under the kitchen sink. I know nothing about other worlds, much less whole other dimensions.”
“Doesn’t mean you’re not who I’m searching for.”
“You’re the one searching for someone?” Her voice took on a razor edge.
“I am.”
All humor vanished from her face; her mouth pursed as her eyes narrowed. Her scar became more visible when her skin paled. “So you’re the reason I was torn away from my family?”
“Yes.”
A muscle jumped in her cheek, and her eyes deepened to an almost plum color. Her head fell into her hand. When she looked at me again, I couldn’t tell if she wanted to leap across the space between us and attack me, or start screaming in frustration. Her hand clamped around her goblet. “Why?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
She stood up so quickly the chair skidded away from her. Her hands fisted and un-fisted as she stalked toward the flap in the tent before freezing and coming back toward me. Stopping before me, she slammed her hand down on the table. Her lack of fear over me both fascinated and irritated me. No one, not even Corson and Bale, were so free and defiant around me.
When she leaned closer to me, her enticing scent assailed me. She smelled like the earth, of fresh spring rain and flowers in bloom. I had been on this dimension for thirteen years, and the various scents, both good and bad, had become one of my favorite things about it. Since I’d been here, I had almost forgotten the burnt smell of brimstone, and the coppery aroma of blood that permeated Hell.
I inhaled her aroma, taking it into me. Highly attuned to all scents, I knew hers would be one I’d never forget. My fangs pricked as blood rushed into my dick and I swelled against my pants. She looked like she was about to throttle me. All I wanted was to drag her into my lap and tear the clothing from her body so I could sink myself into her and have her scent all over me.
“If it’s not me, this person you’re searching for, will you allow me to go back?” she demanded, pulling me from images of her body working over mine. “I understand why volunteers are kept here and not allowed to return after what you’ve told me, but what of me? I would never tell anyone what I’ve learned here, and my brothers need me.”
I found myself unwilling to shatter the glimmer of hope I saw within her pleading, amethyst eyes, but I had no choice but to deny her.
“That cannot be allowed.”
She didn’t cry, didn’t start screaming and carrying on. She simply stood there and stared at me before turning away. I knew she intended to leave here and not look back. Something inside me couldn’t allow that. She didn’t make it two steps before I loosely seized hold of her wrist and tugged her back around.
“If you tell anyone I said this, it will not happen, but perhaps in the future, there can be a supervised visitation with your brothers,” I said to her.
I didn’t know if it was an idea I would ever be able to make a reality, but I couldn’t stand seeing such misery in her eyes. There were demons I cared for and would try to make happy, but never had I considered trying to please a human.
The callouses on her palm and the nicks on her fingers brushed over my skin when her small hand covered mine and she squeezed. She’d done no training in camp yet, but she already had working hands. What had her life been like before this?
I don’t care what it was like; all that matters now is if she is the progeny. I told myself this, but I still found myself intrigued by her.
“On my life, I would never say a word,” she vowed. “Why would you do that for me?”
I released her, unwilling to touch her any longer. She rattled my resolve in a way no other had done in all my fifteen hundred and sixty-two years. I didn’t entirely trust myself to keep touching her, didn’t trust myself to let her leave here without knowing what those plump, reddened lips tasted like.
“Despite popular belief, we are not all evil. We have needs, and we can be incredibly cruel if necessary, but we aren’t inherently evil. We are simply a means to an end. No creature, demon or otherwise, is completely evil.”
“What about Hitler?” she asked.
“That one is debatable.” This time, the smile she gave me caused her eyes to twinkle. She sat back down into her chair. “I’m not promising you anything, you know.”
“I know, but something, anything, is better than the solid wall of nothing I’ve met for the past two days.”
“Understandable.”
“So, what exactly happened on your side when the humans cut into your world?”
“Hell broke loose.”
She gave a small laugh as she drew her feet up onto the chair and hugged her legs to her chest. “So you’ve said. I know what happened on this side, we watched it unfold on TV, but what about you? Where were you? What did it look like?”
“I was right where the gateway opened,” I told her. “At first, it was only this small beam of light piercing through the veil between our worlds. Normally, for us to see into your world, we had to go to the oracle.” At her furrowed brow, I expanded on this. “It’s a lake of fire deep in the bowels of Hell where we could look upon your world if we wanted to. Few made the journey, as the lake was also the central source of all the heat in Hell.”
“Oh,” she murmured.
“When the humans tore through the veil, I was with the rest of the higher-level or arch-demons.”
“Much cooler where you were?” she quipped.
“It was, but even if I’d been near it, the heat of the lake has no effect on me.”
“Why is that?” she asked.
“Maybe one day we will have that conversation.” Her eyes burned with annoyance, but I continued before she could speak. “When the first pinhole of light showed through, I was drawn to it. Bale and Corson followed me. They are here with me in this camp and are also my seconds-in-command. Looking through the hole, we
could see into your world, but unlike when we looked into the oracle, we couldn’t get a full view of different places in your world. All we could see was a street and a building on the other side.
“Then it exploded. The force of the blast threw many of the higher-level demons into the lower-level pits. That was the first war we fought. The lower-level demons mistakenly assumed us weakened by the blast, and though some of us perished in the ensuing battle, more of them did.”
“I see,” she murmured. “What is the difference between a high-level and a low-level demon?”
“High-levels are all born in Hell, lower-levels are souls who were so hideous they were never allowed to leave Hell again. Hell forged them into twisted monstrosities that fed off our leftovers.”
“So they’re the vultures of Hell.”
“Yes. They also all possess some kind of deformed, animalistic appearance. They are physically strong, and because higher-level demons don’t breed often, they outnumber us, but they are weaker than us and they have no powers. All of them are on Lucifer’s side.”
“But I saw demons with you who had horns and tails like an animal.”
“Horns and tails can be a demon trait. If you ever have the misfortune of seeing a lower-level demon, believe me, you will know the difference.” And if she is who I seek, she will most likely see more than one.
“But Lucifer wasn’t born in Hell, wouldn’t he be considered lower-level?”
“He is a fallen angel. Heaven works like Hell does; Lucifer was supposed to perish on the mortal plane after being cast out, along with the others who were cast out with him. Instead, he somehow managed to find his way into our world and brought his cohorts with him; there is nothing lower-level about that. Many demons decided to follow him because of that fact alone.
“He didn’t try to take over Hell the minute he arrived, or so I was informed by elder demons who passed on our history. He bided his time and grew a following who believed they should be allowed to pass freely between Hell and Earth whenever they chose, and should be able to rule over the weaker and more desirable human plane. Over time, Hell became divided into two factions who have battled each other ever since. The Palitons, my side, who fights against Lucifer, and the Craetons who follow him.”
“So God tossed the angels onto Earth to die; what about the humans there at the time? Didn’t God have any concern for their safety?”
“Lucifer and the other angels couldn’t have killed them all in the time they were here, considering he was as vulnerable to injury as the humans were. There was no concern about the angels being discovered, as humans already spoke of demons and angels, Gods and Goddesses. At the time Lucifer fell, the world was an entirely different place. One of magic and mystery. The angels would not have garnered the same reaction from humans as we did when we were thrust into your world.”
“Trying to bomb you into oblivion?” she asked with a smile.
“Exactly.”
“How did Lucifer make it into your world?”
I drummed my fingers on the table. “That is something only he knows the answer to, and he’s not very forthcoming. Unfortunately, it’s an answer we require as we think it may be the key to closing the gateway the humans created. He opened the hole and my ancestor closed it after him. No demon has been allowed to cross into the mortal realm since.”
“Why not?”
“No one would risk opening the portal while Lucifer was in Hell. He had discovered a way in, but he couldn’t find a way out, and we couldn’t risk what he would do if he walked freely back and forth between the two dimensions.”
“Is there any way to find out how he got in?”
“If there is, we will find it.” That was all I could tell her on the matter. Fortunately, Bale standing outside and requesting entrance saved me from any more of her questions.
CHAPTER 14
Kobal
“Enter,” I called out.
Bale pulled back the flap and ducked to come inside. Her gaze slid over River before glancing at me. Over her shoulder, I could see the lengthening shadows of the day; I hadn’t realized how much time had passed. River’s feet hit the floor, and I followed the direction of her gaze to a plate I hadn’t noticed in Bale’s hands. I kicked myself for not realizing River was probably hungry.
“I assumed she might like some food,” Bale said. “The other humans have all returned and are eating.”
“Yes, please,” River said. Bale strode forward and placed the plate before her. River stretched out her finger and poked it into the chunk of meat on the plate. “Steak?”
“Yes,” Bale said.
River smiled at her. “Thank you.”
Bale shot me an incredulous look before focusing on River’s bent head. It wasn’t often the humans thanked us for anything.
River grabbed her fork and knife and happily cut into the piece of meat on her plate. After shoving a chunk into her mouth, she let out a low groan. Her eyes closed as she enjoyed the bite. “Delicious.”
I waved toward the flap. Bale had been right to bring her food, but I wanted more time alone with her. “I will escort her back shortly.” Bale’s eyebrows shot up, but she bowed her head in deference to me and left the tent. I watched River eat with an enthusiasm I’d never seen before. “Do you not have such food where you are?”
“No,” she answered after swallowing. “It’s been years since I’ve had any beef. Some chicken, yes, but as a fishing community, seafood has been our main supply since the war started. I’d forgotten how delicious it is. Is that woman your girlfriend?”
I hadn’t expected the abrupt change in subject or the absurd notion she believed I would have a steady relationship with a woman. “Bale? No.”
“You sound surprised I would ask. She’s stunning.”
This little human was the most enthralling and unexpected creature I’d ever encountered, and I’d encountered thousands over my lifespan. She found Bale stunning when many of the human women avoided her, either because of their uneasiness around her or because of how much she outshone them. I’d watched some of the human men trip over themselves to get closer to her.
“We do not have girlfriends.”
She paused in the middle of cutting her food. “I see. Well, are you two together in whatever way demons are together?”
“No. Bale is one of my commanders and that is all.”
“Oh.”
Finishing off the meat, she turned to the potatoes and vegetables still on her plate. “The fliers only started circulating around my town four years ago,” she said when she placed her fork and knife on the empty plate. “Why?”
“It took a couple of years after the gateway was torn open to regroup and to assure the humans we weren’t all here to kill them. That was one of our main obstacles, but after the first two years, we managed to convince them we were on their side by helping them to fight back the Craetons who were trying to spread further out. Mac had a big hand in getting them to accept us after I encountered him twelve years ago. Over the years, we’ve spent a lot of time building the wall, training and educating the humans on what they need to know about us, and fighting back the waves of Craetons trying to spread further across the land.”
Her mouth parted on a breath as she lifted her foot onto the chair again and draped her arm over her knee. My eyes tracked the way the movement caused her shirt to pull tighter over her breasts. What I wouldn’t give to take those breasts in my hands and knead them before bending my head to suck on one of her nipples. To hear her moans—
“The volunteering started eleven years ago,” she said.
I tore my gaze away from her breasts and compelled myself to focus on what she said. Getting involved with a possibility would be the worst decision I could possibly make; it could never happen. I told myself this, but it did nothing to ease the raging hard-on I had right now. Shifting uncomfortably in my chair, I lifted the goblet and took a drink of wine.
“Yes,” I said when I was finished swallowi
ng. “And four years ago, we learned there was a hope out there for us, we only had to find it.”
“How did you find out about this… hope?”
“Bale can also sometimes see things.”
“And what did she see?”
“That is not for you to know, human.”
She placed her chin on her knee. “Can’t blame me for trying.”
“Not at all. We have made much progress over the years with the humans, but there are still a large number who are distrustful of us.”
“I can understand that. It’s not every day you learn of a whole other plane of existence and that the plane is actually Hell. It’s a tough pill to swallow.”
“You seem to be swallowing it quite well.”
She drank down some more of her wine. “For tonight. Who knows, maybe I’ll be drooling on myself in the morning.”
“I doubt that. You’ve taken this better than any human I’ve seen before.”
“Devil’s eyes, remember? Visions, knowing things. I think that makes it a little easier for me to believe there’s something more out there. Would I have guessed Heaven and Hell would be that something more, probably not, but it does make it easier for me to take at least some of this. Though, I’m still not at all pleased about being torn from my home.”
Her eyes filled with malice when they turned toward me. I was contemplating lifting her onto the table and sinking myself into her, and she looked as if she were contemplating my death. I remained silent, amazed she so relentlessly held my gaze when many others wouldn’t.
“That could not have been changed,” I told her. “It is extremely important, for everyone, including the entire human race, that we find who we are looking for.”
Some of her antagonistic spirit slipped away as she turned to look at the wall of the tent. “I almost hope I am this person,” she murmured. “At least then there would have been a reason.”
I hoped she wasn’t. The realization hit me with the impact of a hellhound barreling into my chest. I barely knew this woman; the person we sought could well be the key to taking back a throne that was supposed to have been mine at birth; a throne Lucifer stripped from my ancestors before I’d had a chance to claim and defend it. I’d spent my entire existence working toward this one goal. Now, all I could think about was how much I hoped this woman was not the one who could help me regain my rightful position in Hell.
Good Intentions (The Road to Hell Series, Book 1) Page 10