by Diem, J. C.
“I needed to know where his piece of the object of power was.” Once I had it, I’d have only one left to find. I assumed the Hellmaster was guarding the final piece of the object. It would be somewhere in the first realm.
“My Prince would never have told you where he sent the object,” she said.
“You’d be surprised how motivating it can be to melt someone’s face off with magical fire,” I said dryly.
Her eyes widened fractionally then narrowed. “You will never be able to sneak past the leviathans to retrieve it. The moment they sense your presence within their cavern, they will awaken from their slumber and they will tear you to pieces!”
Snorting out a laugh, I hefted my axe. “Thank you, Lord Vepar. You just told me exactly what I needed to know.” She’d ingratiated herself with the most powerful beings in hell. I’d figured she was the final lackey the prince had trusted enough to divulge where he’d sent the object to.
Realizing she’d been duped into telling me where it was, she cursed me. Before I could end her life, someone jumped on my back. Hands wrapped around my eyes, obscuring my vision. Dropping the lord, I tore the hands free and tossed the lesser demon to the ground. Still buck naked, Vepar didn’t waste any time escaping. She leaped out through a window, leaving her bed partner and her servant behind.
Cowering away from me, the servant gibbered with terror. He was the same male I’d seen downstairs cleaning the table. Bending down, I grabbed hold of the front of his sackcloth tunic and hauled him into the air. “Where is Nathan?” I growled.
“He is in the b-basement along with the others,” he stammered.
Dropping him, I turned and headed for the stairs. Reaching the ground floor, I searched every room until I finally found a locked door. Putting my ear against the petrified wood, I couldn’t hear anything on the other side. Pricking my finger, I quickly drew the rune that would unlock the door then activated it.
Afraid of what I would find on the other side of the door, I took a deep breath and pushed it open.
₪₪₪
Chapter Forty
A staircase leading down awaited me on the other side of the door. It was cool and almost damp compared to the dry heat from above as I descended. Sound was muffled down here, but I could hear someone breathing in harsh, pained gasps.
A single flaming torch lit the cavernous dungeon. Cages lined all four walls. Made of rusted iron bars, they were barely large enough for an average sized human to be able to stand up in. All of the cages held captives. Black skinned and hideously twisted, imps watched me with a mixture of hope and fear. I heard my name being whispered and all eyes turned to stare at me.
At the far end of the room, I saw what looked like a human. Pale hands wrapped around a pair of legs that were encased in filthy trousers. The prisoner’s head rested on his knees and unwashed black hair hung in clumps to hide his face. The harsh breathing was coming from him. My heart clenched in recognition. All he needed was a pair of wings folded around him and he would match the carving that Leo had made for me.
Rushing forward, I came to a stop in front of Nathan’s cage and dropped to my knees. A padlock with a glowing red rune on it held the door shut. From the welts on his hands, he’d tried to free himself and had been burned in the process. “Nathan?” I said as gently as I could with my guttural voice. He didn’t even stir and seemed to be unconscious.
Drawing my dagger, I scraped the blade over the rune on the padlock to deactivate it. Making my armored gloves disappear, I gingerly touched the bars and wasn’t burned at the contact. One hard yank broke the padlock and the door swung outwards when I tugged on it.
I was far too large to fit through the opening and I didn’t want to drag him out by his feet. From the sounds of it, he had a few broken ribs. Vepar had somehow negated his healing abilities. I was amazed that he’d survived in hell for this long at all.
Looking at the nearest imp, his miserable eyes met mine. “If I let you out of your cage, will you help me?” I asked.
He nodded eagerly and shuffled forward in anticipation, being careful not to touch the bars. Whimpers and pitiful moans came from the other imps. I knew I couldn’t leave any of Vepar’s victims behind.
As quickly as I could, I deactivated the runes that were holding them all prisoner and broke their cages open. Instead of fleeing, they crowded around me. They were all male and had probably been handsome before the Demon Lord had gotten her claws into them. She’d used them up until they’d become too ugly for her to abuse. Instead of using them as servants like most lords and captains did, she held them in cages like rats.
“Did you kill our master?” one of the imps asked me hopefully.
I shook my head. “She got away.” Their faces fell and they stared around fearfully. “Don’t worry, I’ll catch up to her eventually and I’ll make her pay for what she did to you all.”
“Lord Vepar is too crafty to be caught easily,” another imp told.
“Nathan and I caught her once,” I said with more confidence than I felt. “We can catch her again.”
They all turned to stare at my guardian. “I do not think he is the same man you once knew,” the same imp said sadly. “Lord Vepar is very accomplished at breaking even the strongest of men.”
“Nathan isn’t a man,” I said almost absently. “He’s an angel.”
They shared doubtful looks then two of them stepped into the cage. One took Nathan by the legs and the other lifted him by the shoulders. They carried him out and I slid my arms under him. His head lolled to the side and his greasy hair fell across his face. I’d never seen him so filthy before, but it was his pale, bruised skin that worried me the most.
Carrying Nathan upstairs, I gently placed him on the large table. Lifting his sweater up, I saw black and purple bruises covering his abdomen and ribs. Wincing at the sight, I lowered the barrier in my mind to speak to Raziel. Can you do anything to help him?
Not while I am in this dimension, he replied.
I appealed to the demons next. Can you heal him through me, Morax?
I cannot, he said with a hint of regret. You do not appear to have the necessary skills to be able to heal anyone but yourself.
Letting out a sigh, I cocked my head when I heard footsteps shuffling on the second floor. The servant hadn’t fled as I’d expected. He was still tending to his mistress’ home. “You two,” I pointed at two of the imps. “Bring the servant down here.”
Exchanging a look, they gulped down their fear and headed for the stairs. To my surprise, the servant didn’t try to fight them. He shuffled ahead of them and came to a stop before me. His bravery when he’d attacked me in defense of his master had been short-lived and he cowered away from my stare. “Can you heal others?” I asked.
He nodded jerkily. “I am not as skilled as some demons, but I can heal basic injuries.”
“Good. Fix him.” I pointed at my unconscious guardian.
Moving closer to the table, he placed his hand on Nathan’s forehead. With a look of fierce concentration, he did his best to mend the broken bones and internal injuries.
I felt the tingle in my head that told me magic was being performed. It was something only the stronger demons could sense. Nathan’s back arched and I held him down with my hand on his chest. He let out a moan of pain and his eyelids fluttered. When the servant was done, my guardian went limp. His breathing was easier now and his bruises had faded. His face smoothed out, which I hoped meant his pain was gone. “Thank you,” I said to the demon.
“Are you going to kill me now?” he asked fearfully.
“No. I don’t kill people who help me.”
He seemed almost disappointed rather than relieved to hear that. Shoulders slumping, he headed back upstairs to resume his duties.
“Is the Prince of this realm dead?” one of the imps asked.
“As a doornail,” I confirmed.
“Will you head to the first realm to confront the Hellmaster now?”
I sh
ook my head and gathered Nathan into my arms again. “I have to find something here first. Then I’m going to take Nathan back to Earth.”
“What are we supposed to do now?” he asked plaintively.
“You could join the other imps who are heading to the first realm,” I suggested. “They’re planning an uprising.”
“How do you know this?”
“I ran into a group of them when I was heading to this realm. I gave them a ride in my carriage and they told me their plan to demand better conditions from the Hellmaster.”
They were understandably dubious to hear that. “He will not listen to us,” the imp said. “We are far too insignificant.”
I gave a gravelly laugh to hear that. “Tell that to Rashida and the other imps who helped me take down the Prince of this realm.”
Their eyes nearly bugged out of their heads. “ Imps assisted you to defeat the Prince?”
“Yep. They saved my butt, just like Sam did a bunch of times.”
“We have heard of Sam,” he said reverently then squared his shoulders. “I will no longer allow myself to be oppressed by demons. I am going to join the revolution!” Afraid, yet determined, the others nodded in agreement.
“Good luck,” I told them. “Maybe I’ll see you in the first realm when I finally head there.”
“Thank you for freeing us, Hellscourge. We will not forget this.”
I nodded in acknowledgement then headed for the front door. My nightmares materialized with the carriage right on cue. An imp scurried forward to open the door for me. Climbing inside, I placed Nathan on the seat across from me then sank down onto the soft leather surface. With a final wave out the window to my new friends, I mentally ordered the nightmares to take off.
₪₪₪
Chapter Forty-One
At my command, the nightmares headed for the gate that would take us to the closest cavern where leviathans slumbered. We left the capital city without incident. I wasn’t sure where the raven was. I hadn’t seen it since I’d killed the prince and had ascended to my new rank.
After all the warnings I’d received that disaster would befall humanity when the princes were all dead, I was uneasy. Something inside me had changed dramatically when I’d succumbed to my darkness, yet I still felt the ability to care for others. Lexi had been right. Not even becoming the first Demon Princess was enough to make me turn completely evil. My love for my guardian was too strong to let that happen.
Fate had planned well when she’d placed Nathan in my life. She knew I’d need someone to cling to who would stop me from turning to the dark side. I now had the strength and size of the strongest of demons, yet I’d retained my humanity.
As we rumbled along a badly rutted road, Nathan mumbled in his sleep. I found it disturbing that he could sleep at all. Whatever spell Vepar had put over him was strong. He didn’t seem like himself at all. I should have been able to feel him through our link, but I didn’t feel anything. Being in hell must have negated our bond.
I was staring out through the window when we hit a small boulder and Nathan fell to the floor. Landing on his back at my feet, his eyes snapped open. His look of pure terror when he saw my face broke my heart. I called on my helmet and hid the hideous sight from his view. “Don’t be scared,” I said as soothingly as possible when he scrambled as far away from me as he could get. “It’s just me.”
“I do not know you,” he rasped as he pressed his back against the door. His cobalt eyes peered at me through his filthy hair. “Who are you?”
I doubted he’d believe me if I told him, so I tried another tactic. Holding out my hand, I called on the angel carving and his sapphire rune stone.
His eyes widened and shifted to the scarlet bracelet that Brie had made for me. He took in my horns, wings, cloven hooves and general size. They lingered on the long blond hair that hadn’t quite been contained by my helmet this time. Some of it had escaped to spill down my chest. “Violet?” he said in a wondering tone. “Is that really you?”
“Yep. It’s me alright,” I replied unhappily. “I bet you must be pretty surprised to see me in this condition.”
“‘Surprised’ would be an understatement,” he said dryly. Climbing to his feet, he sat across from me as I made the carving and rune stone disappear again. “How did you find me?” he asked. “After the horrible things I said to you, I am not sure why you even bothered to come to my rescue.” He looked down in shame and couldn’t meet my eyes.
“Did you mean what you said? Would you really rather see me die than become a full Nephilim?” Without my essence, I would never be whole. I’d always be a shadow of what I was supposed to be.
He shook his head almost vehemently. “I swear, I never meant to say any of that! It felt as though someone else had taken me over and was speaking through me.”
“It was Fate,” I told him. “She needed me to fall into the depths of despair so I could turn into this.” I swept a gloved hand at my body. “This was her way of forcing me to become the warrior she needs me to be.”
His lips thinned to hear how we’d both been used. “I hope she has a good reason for her manipulation of us both.”
“It isn’t just the fate of our world that hinges on me taking down the Hellmaster.” His gaze sharpened to hear that. “Apparently, I’ve been chosen to join two other champions. We’re supposed to take on some kind of mega bad guy who is threatening all worlds in all dimensions.”
Staggered to hear that, he slumped back against the seat. “That is a lot for one young girl to shoulder.”
“You might not have noticed, but my shoulders are pretty big now.” He sent me a frown and I sniggered.
“If I had not already recognized you, that laugh would have persuaded me,” he said dryly. “Only you would be amused at a time like this.” He put a hand on his chest and grimaced as if he was in pain.
“What’s wrong?” I asked in concern. “Did the demon miss something when he healed you?”
“I am afraid that no one can heal what ails me,” he said sadly.
A horrible suspicion came to me. Taking in his appearance, I couldn’t see any runes on him or anything that was marked by a spell. As an angel, he shouldn’t have been able to survive being in hell. There was only one way Vepar could have possibly brought him here. Acting on my hunch, I reached out and lifted his shirt up to expose his chest. Staring at the freshly made scar that lay over his heart, I made a sound of utter grief. “Vepar harvested your grace.”
“No,” he said and pulled his shirt back down again. “It was not the Demon Lord who stole my essence.”
“Who was it then?” I asked then voiced the answer myself. “Hag did this to you.”
He nodded wearily. “It was the second part of the bargain she made with Vepar. The demon gave her the vial to harvest my essence and Hagith agreed to hand me over to her.” The first part of their deal had included the demons handing over the piece of metal I’d brought back from my last trip to hell once they wrested it from me.
“I’ll kill her,” I said in a low, vicious tone. “I’ll kill them all for this.”
“Vengeance is a dangerous path to embark on,” he warned me. “But in this instance, I do not blame you for your anger.”
“What did she do with the vial?” I’d promised Sophia that I’d get her essence back and I was no closer to fulfilling that vow. Now I would have to find Nathan’s grace as well.
“It is kept somewhere in their base.”
“If I find it and give it back to you, can you draw it back inside yourself?”
“I believe so, but only if you were absent when I attempted it.”
“Good. We’ll have to make that our priority when we get back to Earth.” He’d be drawing his grace back inside himself rather than trying to possess another body, but there was still a risk that the demonic wards wouldn’t allow him to ingest it. I had an idea of how he could pull this off and hoped it would work for him.
“Once my grace has been restore
d, I will retrieve your soul from where I hid it,” he added.
My mouth dropped open in shock. “You will?”
“Of course. Not even Fate can stop me from making you whole now that I am aware of her manipulation of us both.”
My brow crinkled, not that he could see it behind my helmet. “Why the change of heart? You’ve known where my soul was the whole time and you made no attempt to give it to me before.”
“It has become clear to me that you will need your soul to be able to defeat the Hellmaster. You will be much stronger with it. Besides, this could be the cure that you were promised.”
I now had my own ideas about what the cure would be, but I kept them to myself. Nathan was still recovering from his trauma. Even without his essence, he was still more than human. He would have healed on his own without the demon’s assistance. Being beaten repeatedly for several weeks had taken its toll on him. I didn’t want to worry him about the pain that I would have to go through. I only hoped it would work and I wouldn’t go through it for nothing.
Looking out the window at the wasteland, Nathan voiced a question. “Are we heading for a gate that will take us back to New York?”
“Not yet. I have to retrieve the eighth piece of the object of power first.”
“Where does it lie?”
“In a cavern where some leviathans are nesting.”
He stared at me in silence. He was unable to read my face due to my helmet. “You are not joking, are you?”
“Nope. I tricked Vepar into telling me where the Prince stashed it.” I smirked at the memory. “You should have seen her face when she figured out that I’d manipulated her.”
He shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself. “I fervently hope that I never see her face ever again.”
My amusement dropped away at the reminder of the abuse that he’d suffered. “I’m sorry I didn’t stop her from taking you to hell. I wish I could turn back time and kill her before she could sully your purity.”