by Elise Marion
“So, is this the third test?” she snapped, annoyed at such an anticlimactic reveal after the stress of her last test. “I get to stand here and be bored to death by you? I have to say, I was expecting a lot more. You’re a disappointment.”
The smile faded, and he glared at her, mouth twisting into a sneer. “I would tread carefully. I am in a position to offer you a gift.”
Well, that was the last thing she had expected to hear. Threats, promises of death and destruction … these were the things one anticipated out of an audience with Lucifer. However, she’d once heard Lucifer referred to as The Deceiver. He certainly hadn’t earned that reputation by giving things away for nothing in return.
“Again, I’m good,” she retorted. “I don’t want anything from you.”
Keeping his gaze fixed on her, he began to move, circling her with slow steps. “Ah, but I want something from you. You see, your father thinks he can steal my throne out from under me. What he does not know, is that I have the perfect weapon to use against him.”
Giving in to curiosity, she turned to face him, unwilling to keep her back to him for even a second. “What weapon is that?”
“You, of course,” he said. “While I am the Father of Lies, The Deceiver, the Serpent … The Devil … I think you and I know there is only one demon you would like to get your hands on more than Lilith, and that is your father.”
Scoffing, she crossed her arms over her chest. “If you’re the serpent and all that crap, why do you need me to take Eligos down? Can’t you just do it yourself?”
Lucifer shrugged. “Of course I could, but I prefer a system in which I scratch your back and you scratch mine. I have no doubt that you will escape this place. Lilith’s games will end with you using the Seal to trap her here. After that, you will return to the Earth realm, where you and your assembled army will wage war against Eligos’. Do not allow yourself to be fooled. He has thousands of the Nephilim on his side. As we speak, the Guardians are creating alliances with as many of them as they can find, but your father has already gotten to most of them. You will face insurmountable odds.”
“I’m the daughter of a demon and a junkie with rage problems and abandonment issues. Somehow, I’ve managed to survive without killing anyone, or myself, or ending up in a padded room. The odds don’t get any more insurmountable than that, so you can’t scare me.”
Pursing his lips, he laughed, swinging his scepter with one hand before tossing it up and catching it with the opposite hand. “Still, I will give you my gift because it pleases me to do so. And in case you haven’t figured it out by now, I do what I please.”
Wrinkling her brow, she glanced around the stone room housing the lake of fire. “So, that’s it? That’s the third of Lilith’s tests? An audience with Lucifer and a gift I don’t want?”
He smiled, and his black irises began to spread, eating up the whites of his eyes until they disappeared. This time, when he spoke, his voice had deepened considerably, becoming abrasive like sandpaper against her eardrums.
“Of course not,” he growled. “This is.”
Pressing his hands to her chest, he gave her a shove. Empty air greeted her as she began to fall, and she realized as she scrambled for purchase that he had opened some sort of chasm behind her. Above her, he loomed at the edge, watching as she descended with nothing to grab on to and no way to stop her fall.
Her back collided with the ground, knocking the air from her lungs and scrambling her wits. Blinking and shaking her head to clear her blurred vision, she sat up and took in her surroundings. She’d fallen into a round pit, surrounded by nothing but stone walls, the tortured wails still reaching out to her from above. Squinting, she tried to find Lucifer on the edge of the chasm, but he had disappeared.
For a long while, nothing happened, and she began to think the wait itself must be torture. When she couldn’t face something head-on, then she couldn’t attack it, leaving her vulnerable. She abhorred the feeling of helplessness.
Finally, a hole opened in one of the walls, guiding the way down another dark tunnel. Rolling her eyes, Addison stepped through the opening, determined to get through this.
“What is it with this place?” she muttered, knowing she would probably have more nightmares about being stuck in pitch-black tunnels than anything else she’d encountered in Hell.
After a while, she found herself in a long corridor, flanked by small caverns lit from within. As she approached them and gazed left and right, she realized that iron bars caged people inside the caverns, while torches mounted on the walls offered meager light. Her heart sank as she peered into the cells, and she wondered what they had done to end up here. They weren’t gray-stained souls like those poor things trapped inside their bones in the lake of fire. These people looked like flesh and blood, as if they’d never died.
Could Lilith or Lucifer have more prisoners down here? More people like Alice, Derek, or Antoine who had gotten caught up in some spat between the beings on the side of Good and those on the side of Evil?
Coming toward the end of the long corridor, she glanced into the cells there, wondering why she’d been sent to this place. All she could see were the miserable forms of people wearing torn rags for clothes, their skin smudged from dirt or possibly ash. She felt sorry for them, but couldn’t fathom the purpose of this.
The shadow of the person in the last cell on the right moved when she approached, uncurling from the fetal position on the floor. Bile burned the back of Addison’s throat as a headful of mussed red hair made an appearance, shadowing the face they belonged to. The bumps of the woman’s spine were visible through her emaciated skin, her ribs protruding in a display that indicated malnourishment.
Trembling, she reached out to grasp the bars as the woman struggled to her feet and began to turn, trying to pull a tattered robe over her shoulders. The garment kept slipping off, revealing skin that held a grayish pallor with far too many bones showing through it.
Holding her breath, Addison waited, even as she realized who she would encounter.
“No,” she whispered, choking back a sob as a pair of over-large, hazel eyes met hers.
Stumbling toward her, the emaciated waif fell against the bars, gripping them with bony fingers. “Addie.”
Addison struggled to remain on her feet, the weight of grief overwhelming as she covered the other woman’s hands with her own and held on tight. “Mama?”
Elizabeth Monroe looked half dead. Yet, Addison could feel the bony hands and the warmth in her skin, as if blood still flowed in her veins.
“What are you doing here, Addie?” Elizabeth managed in a thin, ravaged voice. “You can’t be here.”
Unable to stop it now, she blinked, allowing the hot tears pooling in her eyes to fall. “Neither can you. Please tell me this isn’t real. You can’t be here.”
Elizabeth shuddered. “I’ve been here … forever, it seems.”
Addison shook her head. “No, it’s only been a few days.”
Rattling the bars, she fought with all her strength, hoping to pry them loose and free Elizabeth. Her mother had done bad things in her life, but she did not deserve this.
“Let her go!” she screamed, throwing her head back as she gritted her teeth and strained against the bars. “Let her out of here! Do you hear me? You can’t have her!”
“Addie, stop!” Elizabeth urged, sinking to her knees on the ground. Panting as if too weak to remain on her feet, she rested against the bars, still clutching one in her fist. “There’s no use. No matter how much we scream or cry or beg, no one ever comes. No one hears us down here.”
Suddenly, a wail sounded from the end of the corridor, turning Addison’s head. Her stomach roiled as she witnessed one of the cells going up in flames, tongues of fire licking out from between the bars as the person trapped inside began to scream their torment. Across from it, another cell lit up, causing a woman’s cries to rise, mingling with the first man’s.
One by one, the cells ignited, cr
eating a chorus of agony along with the odor of charred flesh and smoke.
“No,” Addison whispered, her heart thundering in her chest as panic gripped her.
Yanking on the bars again, she fought even harder to pry them loose. Her strength seemed diminished down here, leaving her without the ability to free Elizabeth from the stone cell.
“Please,” she sobbed, pressing her face to the bars. “I’ll do anything … please, don’t.”
The fire kept coming, until it was only two cells away from them. Addison wouldn’t let go of the bars, refusing to allow Elizabeth to suffer alone. Clinging to the iron rods, she closed her eyes and waited for the flames to come. They wouldn’t consume her—the knowledge of hellfire seeming programmed into her mind as something she simply knew. Hellfire only consumed the damned, and apparently, Elizabeth was among them.
Suddenly, the metal disintegrated and the bars disappeared. Addison’s weight carried her forward and into the cell just as the one next to them burst into flames. Lunging for Elizabeth, she pressed her up against the back wall of the cavern, hoping to shield her mother from the blaze.
Yet, instead of fire, she found them enveloped in a burst of white light so brilliant, she could hardly withstand it. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for pain, or some force that would pull them apart—because, surely, she should not be inside this cell, shielding her mother from the torment God had obviously decided she deserved for her sins.
After several seconds, Addison realized that nothing was happening. Clutching Elizabeth in her arms, she opened her eyes as her nostrils became filled with the aroma of fresh-mown grass. The blinding light faded away, giving way to the bright rays of the sun. Summer heat clogged the air, and the humidity characteristic of Louisiana caused a light sheen of sweat to appear over her skin. Gasping, she gazed at the woman in her arms and found that Elizabeth had transformed.
She stood with Addison in an open green field, appearing as she had in life—only far healthier and more beautiful. Hair a vibrant red with freckles dotting her cheeks, her skin held a healthy pink glow, and her waif-thin body had transformed into the curviness of womanhood.
“Mama?” she whispered. “I don’t understand.”
Elizabeth dislodged from her hold and pointed, indicating a large white house in the distance. “Look.”
Taking her hand, she began pulling Addison toward it, leaving her with no choice but to follow. Squinting against the brilliance, she took in her surroundings in open-mouthed awe. The large field stretched on for miles, the big white house seemingly the only one close by. The picturesque home boasted bright red shutters which matched the painted front door, and a porch swing covered in soft cushions. Massive weeping willows surrounded it, their long fronds drooping toward the grounds. Flower beds bloomed with bursts of color, while butterflies flitted around them in a joyous dance.
“What is this place?” she asked, looking to Elizabeth again for answers.
Her mother seemed to know—walking toward the place as if she owned it. Releasing her hand, Elizabeth made her way up the house’s front steps, the heels of her demure white sandals clicking against the stained wood.
Addison noticed for the first time that her mother wore a prim sundress covered in flowers that swished around her ankles when she walked. Frowning, she tried to reconcile this version of Elizabeth with the one who had raised her.
“What’s going on?” she asked again.
Ignoring her, Elizabeth guided her into the entryway of the house, pausing at the foot of a mahogany staircase.
“I’m home!” she called out to someone Addison couldn’t see.
Stepping over the threshold, Addison paused near the door, very aware of the fact that she stood in a pristine house covered in ash, grime, and demon blood. Her hair hung in a hopeless tangle around her head, and she’d torn a hole in the knee of her jeans.
The sound of footsteps on the stairs alerted her to the presence of more people. A man’s long legs appeared, and beside them, a golden retriever with a glossy, golden coat. Her breath caught in her lungs as the man appeared with a little girl on his shoulders, her arms wrapped around his neck. He held the girl’s legs, keeping her safe on his broad shoulders as he bounded to the ground floor.
She’d never met this man before in her life, but she knew him—just as she knew the big dog at his side and the girl on his shoulders, as well as this beautiful house.
This was the place she’d dreamed of to escape a trailer infested with roaches. The dog would have been hers if she hadn’t suffered from fantasies of choking her new puppy to death as a child. Goldie; that was his name. And this man … it was the father she’d always wanted; a tall, handsome man who liked to play hide and seek and knew how to barbeque the perfect hamburger.
The girl was her—or rather, the little girl she had wanted to be. Happy and carefree, instead of surly and brooding. Soft red curls bounced around a cherubic face dotted with the same freckles as her mother.
“Mommy!” she cried out as the man knelt to let her down.
Rushing to Elizabeth, the girl threw her arms around her mother’s neck with a wide smile. She stood, holding little Addison tight as she spun her in swift circles.
“We were about to send a search party after you,” the man said, reaching out to pull them both into his arms.
Charlie. The man’s name was Charlie, and he was a schoolteacher who had summers off so he could play with little Addison and Goldie.
“I went a little further than usual on my walk,” Elizabeth replied, balancing the little girl on her hip and making her way toward the spacious kitchen. “Now that I’m home, how about some dinner?”
Addison followed them at a distance, taking in the scene with wide eyes. Her mother set the little girl down on her feet and went to the stainless-steel refrigerator.
“What are we having?” Charlie asked.
“Hot dogs!” the little girl declared, jumping up and down.
“You’ll get spaghetti and like it,” Elizabeth declared.
Charlie rested his chin on his hand against the counter. “No cookies?”
Little Addison joined him, climbing up on a stool and settling next to Charlie with a pout.
Glancing at them both, Elizabeth burst into laughter. “Oh, I can’t resist those cute little faces. Why not? Cookies after dinner.”
“Yay!” the little girl squealed as Charlie scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder, spinning around in circles before jogging out with her into the massive backyard.
Addison watched them through the bay window cradling the kitchen table, her insides a maelstrom of emotions she couldn’t even begin to sort.
“To answer your earlier question,” Elizabeth said, her attention fixated on the tomatoes spread out on her wooden cutting board. “This is the life we should have had … the life you always wanted.”
Approaching the counter, Addison braced her hands against it, watching as Elizabeth sliced the tomatoes with deft hands—hands that didn’t tremble from heroin withdrawal. She didn’t know how to feel about any of this. There was too much to process, and what seemed like very little time. Was this supposed to make her happy? In truth, it made her bitter over what her life had actually been … sad, that Elizabeth had never been this cheery person standing in front of her. More than anything, it made her anxious to get to the point of it all.
“We were just in Hell,” Addison murmured, brow furrowed in confusion. “Why would Lilith show me this? Why are we here?”
“You and I have never been the best at making good choices,” her mother continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I suppose I set a bad example for you. But now, we can fix our mistakes. We can start over.”
She frowned, searching Elizabeth’s face for answers. “Would you stop chopping tomatoes and look at me? Talk to me! Tell me what’s happening here.”
With a heavy sigh, Elizabeth paused, lowering her knife to the cutting board. Making eye contact, she inclined her head and st
ood in silence for a moment. After a while, she took up a towel to dry her hands, then rounded the island toward Addison.
“In a few moments, a portal will open up, giving you access back to Hell and the end of your third test. But, Addie, you don’t have to walk through it.”
“What are you talking about? Of course I do! There are people counting on me. Alice stays a prisoner in Hell if I don’t go back. The war with Eligos … Micah and Jack …”
Taking Addison’s face in her hands, Elizabeth smiled. “None of it will exist here. Stay until the portal closes, and this becomes your new reality. You get to be a child again and grow up with a father. We can have a beautiful life here—me, you, and Charlie. He’s a wonderful man. You can believe that, because you created him.”
Shaking her head, Addison fought against the notion that any of this could truly exist. “Mama, it’s just a dream. This can’t be real.”
“What would you rather have? The burden of the Seal, along with everyone’s expectations that you can save the world? Or a normal life, where you can grow up happy and loved?”
Reaching up, she clutched the ring, heavy against her chest. She could never grow used to the weight of it—the mixture of iron and brass against her skin a cold reminder of the mantle that had been thrown on her shoulders. With this war against Eligos brewing, the weight of her responsibility had grown even greater.
“I’m tired, Mama,” she whispered, lowering her eyes. “I’m so tired.”
Elizabeth nodded and sniffed, seeming to wrestle with tears herself. “I know, baby. It’s okay. We can end it now.”
Closing her eyes, Addison sank into the warmth of her mother’s embrace, laying a head on her shoulder.
Would it really be so bad to just give it all up? Here was everything she’d ever wanted. What was there for her to go back to? A tattered relationship with Jack that might not be repaired. Feelings for Micah she didn’t understand. A dead mother who she now knew was suffering an eternity in Hell. Seven demons who wanted her dead. A war she didn’t want, yet had no choice but to fight.
A burst of heat at her back warned her that the portal was opening behind her. There was no time left, and she had a decision to make. Her heart yearned for this place and the peace that permeated it, while her demonic half pulled her toward the portal, craving more of the darkness. The constant battle of light versus darkness inside her had become one she no longer wanted to fight. But if she didn’t, what would happen to the Earth and mankind? What would happen to all the Oracles, Guardians, and Nephilim who were counting on her to lead them?