by Leo Romero
A repulsive grin spread up her cheeks. And to my astonishment, she began to sing.
“Hush, little Gabey, don’t you cry,” she crooned in the sweetest voice my ears had ever heard. The voice of my mother. It was her, unmistakably her.
I listened more, and that voice unlocked a multitude of childish emotions inside my mind. Comfort, peace, joy.
“Mommy’s gonna sing you a lullaby,” she cooed.
I closed my eyes and shivered. I hadn’t heard that voice in an age, and it was soothing my agonized mind the way only a mother’s could. I was a babe, snuggling up to my mother, savoring her embrace, zoning off into a comforting sleep.
I opened my eyes again. “Mom?” I uttered in disbelief, my skin pebbling.
“It’s me, sweetie,” the demon said and grinned a hideous grin. I gazed at that creature in agonized despair. That was my mom? That thing? What the hell happened to her? My mom was a sweet lady. Driven to her death by my asshole dad and her son’s unfortunate demise.
I shook my head vehemently. “No, no, no, this can’t be true. My mom was Sarah Stone. Not this thing.”
“It’s me, Gabey.”
Only Mom ever called me Gabey. My heart shredded there and then. Tears oozed out of my eyes and spilled down my cheeks. I shook and trembled, but I fought against it, not wanting Satan or his latest lackey to enjoy my suffering. My mouth scrunched up, and I breathed hard and heavy.
“The Master is telling the truth, sweetie,” Gretchen said. Mom said. “I sacrificed you in his name.”
“I was killed in a car accident!” I told them through clenched teeth. “So was Mia. That’s...what happened!”
“That’s what they told you,” said Satan. “That was the cover-up. You’ve been living a lie in death. I’m giving you the truth.”
“So nice of you,” I sneered.
“Your old man knew the truth too. He went into hiding after your mother took her own life to complete the ritual. I was so touched by such a sweet act, I decided to make her the first Princess of Hell. We’re all about equality here.”
I glowered at Gretchen. “Why?” was all I could ask.
She clasped her hands together. “I did it for us, Gabey. Look what Mommy has got for you. All this. Eternity in our palm. Every desire fulfilled. You can have it all here, sweetie. Everything you ever wanted. Join us, son. And we can be together forever. Just give the girl to the Master, and he will bless you with his divine gifts.”
“He can shove his divine gifts,” I said in disdain.
Gretchen’s eyes widened in surprise. She turned to face the thing behind the darkness. His eyes glimmered with rage. I didn’t give a damn. I stared at them with such hatred brewing inside me that my dark hand burned. A fat shitball formed. For Satan. For Gretchen.
“You’ll defy Satan?” Gretchen asked.
“Yes,” I uttered, and my hand clenched of its own accord, bursting that shitball. My mind went blank, and Draxil tore out of me.
I returned to see him straightening his back, his chin jutted out. “Leave the boy alone,” he growled at them both.
“Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged out,” Satan said. “I thought I might find you lurking in there, Draxil. Once I learned someone helped Jagelon escape his cell, I knew it would have something to do with you. In all honesty, I’m surprised you’d have the courage to come back here.”
“Thought I’d just give in?” Draxil asked with a nasty grin. “A time of high technology, Lucifer. Your six precious disciples tried to warn you. Took your eye off proceedings, eh?”
“You mock me, Draxil? A traitor such as yourself? Deceiver? Liar? Loyal servant of Hell?”
“I’m none of those things,” Draxil growled.
“Heh, still touchy I see. Gabriel, you really don’t want to listen to this guy. He’ll betray you once he gets what he wants.”
“Lies!”
“What are lies, Draxil? How you obediently served me for centuries? Told him about the wars I ordered you to start on my behalf?”
Draxil gave me a sheepish stare.
“Ah, I thought not. All those women and children slaughtered. It was you who deceived the vying factions. You who was the catalyst for murder.”
“Under duress! While acting as your ally!” He turned to face me, his shoulders slumped. “It is true. This creature forced me to commit atrocities. I did them all with a heavy heart.”
“You did it with joy in your heart,” Satan spat.
“You’re full of shit!” I shouted up at Satan.
“Come again?” said Satan.
“You heard. You sit there in darkness, getting others to do your dirty work. You haven’t got the balls to even show yourself.”
“Enough, Stone...” Draxil warned.
Satan roared, and the whole chamber tremored. He shot up from his throne and thrashed his limbs, plunging the whole room into darkness. Spiders crawled over me, scratching and biting. The hairs on their legs tickled my skin as they scuttled. I lashed my arms in desperation to get them off me, but they kept coming. More and more. I was lost in a sea of them. They crawled and crept. My mouth popped open, and they scurried down my gullet, where they continued to crawl in my stomach, through my veins, getting beneath my skin and up into my mind. They consumed me while I was forced to feel them, to experience them in intimate detail.
My screams of torment reverberated in my mind.
“Enough!” Draxil shouted.
My eyes snapped open, and I staggered back. I slapped at my own body, attempting to squash spiders that weren’t there. My hot gaze fell on Draxil, and he held a hand out to steady me. I gave him a nod, indicating I was okay, even though my mind was split in pieces. Gretchen and Satan were still there. Him in his throne and her by his side. Satan seemed to have calmed.
“You listen to me, Lucifer,” Draxil began. “The horsemen have returned.”
That got his attention. He flicked his eyes toward Draxil.
“That is why I am here,” Draxil told him. “To free Jagelon and Margaroth in preparation for battle against them. If I don’t face them soon, they’ll destroy Earth. And I know how much you wish to corrupt it first,” he added with a sneer.
Gretchen gazed up at her master. Satan’s eyes narrowed. “If it’s true, why aren’t they dealing with the horsemen?”
“Heaven is siding with the horsemen. Jehovah will not destroy them.”
“Huh. Stubborn as always.”
“He still needs them for whatever reason He sees fit. Now, we can stay here forever and bicker while the horsemen destroy everything, or we can go and destroy them.”
“And what’s in it for you?” Satan asked Draxil.
Draxil straightened his back. “I get to retain a modicum of dignity while alleviating the pain of my sins.”
Satan chuckled. “Good little boy, Draxil. Still thinks he can curry favor with Heaven and worm his way back in. Fool.”
Draxil remained stoic. “It is not all about me, Lucifer. I cannot sit back while mankind perishes.”
“Pah, they’re doomed to perish. A horribly flawed and misjudged creation.”
“As we all are. Now, the choice is yours. Either allow us passage back to Earth or keep us here to be tortured. Either way, make it quick.”
Satan sat back for a moment while he contemplated, those eyes gazing up at the ceiling. “Here’s what I’m going to do,” he finally said after some deliberation.
A burning sensation set off in my dark arm. I clenched my teeth and pulled up my jacket sleeve. Something was branding itself in my skin amongst the etchings. It was a marking. Three sixes arranged in a circle. I stared down at them in horror. That was the mark of the antichrist. The mark of Satan.
“What have you done!” I spat, rage boiling inside me.
“Given you an ultimatum.”
“Get that off me!”
“Can’t do that, Gabriel. Everything comes at a cost in these parts. Including your freedom.”
“Unmark h
im, Lucifer!” Draxil growled. “You have no right over him.”
“Oh, I have every right. He came into my home uninvited. Passed up my generous offer and killed one of my favorite flayers. I was quite fond of his daughter too; she had potential. And a cute ass.”
“What does it mean?” I asked Draxil.
“First it means your dark magic will be more powerful,” Satan answered, “as it now has my personal touch to it, which will help you defeat the horsemen. And secondly, it means if you die, your ass is mine. Your soul will come straight here, and you’ll be reunited with Mommy.”
My top lip curled up. “You—”
“Careful, Gabriel,” Satan said, tutting. “I’m not known for my tolerance. Better for you to take advantage of my generosity while I’m willing to offer it. I’ll give Draxil and Jagelon a reprieve. A day out. Judgement Day. I couldn’t have planned it better. They’ll fight the horsemen in my name. But once the battle is over, I want them back.”
I met Draxil’s stare. Draxil puffed up his chest. “So be it. Jagelon and I will be yours.”
“Draxil, no,” I said.
Draxil showed me his palm. “It’s the only way, Stone. We don’t have the time or resources to negotiate. Defeating the horsemen is paramount. Over and above my soul.” He lowered his eyes. “And Jagelon’s.”
“Wise move,” said Satan. He flicked his hand, and his branding appeared on Draxil’s forearm. He gazed down at it in disgust.
“That’ll bring you straight back here once the battle is over,” Satan told him. Draxil and I exchanged grave glances.
“I’ll be sending for the Dark Bearer later.” Satan spun his hands on the air, and a dark portal opened ahead of us. Energy crackled from within it, drawing Draxil and me in against our will. I tried to fight it, but it was too strong.
“See you soon, Gabriel,” Satan said as I went. “Don’t be a stranger.” I got a final glimpse of Gretchen. She was grinning.
“Take care, Gabey,” she said, and contemptuous laughter burst from her chest. Satan chuckled alongside her. I wanted to kill them both.
I entered the portal, inky darkness taking over, while Gretchen’s sniggers continued to echo in my mind. The sound tore my heart to pieces.
Chapter 23
We emerged outside the gates of Hell. Jagelon followed Draxil out of the portal before it closed in on itself. All three of us looked around in a daze. We barely had time to think before the gates started to open. We watched on in bemusement as a bunch of horned demons leaped out from behind the gates, their hungry gazes fixed on us. They probably wanted to use us as a way of getting to Earth.
“Quick, ring the bell!” Draxil shouted. “Call the ferryman.”
My face contorted in disbelief. “And spend the rest of the day with that crazy bastard?” I blurted. “I’ve got a better idea.” I just prayed it worked. I pulled out my joker card and swiped the bottom edge on the air. A tear opened to the roof of Dark Suits Tower, the last place I was on Earth. Perfect. I nodded in pleasant surprise at the dimensional overlap now that we were outside Hell.
“Let’s go!” I shouted and jumped through the portal. The other two followed up. I ushered them through to Chicago and zipped up the portal, right as a demon’s ugly mug dominated it. The tear closed in time, and the path from Hell to Earth was lost for them.
Not even a couple of seconds passed before the skies darkened and thunder rumbled through the sky. The horsemen. Oh boy, no rest for the wicked.
“Get in there!” I said, pointing at the portal to Tartarus.
“Please tell me this leads to Eden,” Jagelon said as I led him toward it.
“Sorry, Jag. None of us are that lucky.”
He groaned as he stepped into the portal, Draxil swiftly following up. I jumped in, and we were safely back in Tartarus.
“Oh, back in some hellhole. Wonderful!” said Jagelon as he looked around.
“Gabe!”
Aurora came rushing through the gargoyle rubble toward us, Nigella trotting up behind her. On reaching me, Aurora threw her arms around me. I hugged her tight, the remnants of Hell still lingering in my groggy mind.
“You made it!” she said, burying her head in my chest.
I gave her a tired nod. “Yeah.”
She pulled away and gazed into my sorrowful eyes. “Where’s the Fleece?”
“Ah, I lost it. Doesn’t matter.”
She gave me a concerned stare. “You okay?”
I shook my head. “No. I...saw something in Hell that’s messed with my head.”
“What was it?”
I went to speak but couldn’t. Every time I thought of Gretchen, pain tore through my mind. I shook my head. “Nothing. I’ll...tell you some other time.”
“You managed to find Jagelon and Margaroth then,” noted Nigella. Margaroth let out a yelp as he crawled up onto my shoulder. Aurora saw him and jumped in fright. I gave her an apologetic shrug.
“And who might you be, my sweet?” Jagelon asked as he approached Nigella.
She looked him up and down, a nonchalant hand on her hip. “Down boy. I’m already taken.”
Jagelon turned to face me, his brow raised in intrigue.
“She’s Lothar’s vessel,” I said with a sigh.
Jagelon faced her and grinned. “Well, there’s always room for one more.”
“Three’s a crowd, darling.”
“Not where I come from.”
“All right, enough you two,” I said. “We don’t have the time.”
“Oh, I’ve got plenty of time,” Jagelon countered. “Been locked away for over a millennium. I’ve earned a bit of fun.”
“You’ll get your fun soon enough,” Draxil told him. “A big battle awaits us.”
“Even better,” Jagelon said, rubbing his claws. “Nothing like a good fight. Will we be drinking beforehand? I hope so.”
“Same old Jagelon!” Draxil said with a wry grin, holding out his claw.
“Wine, fights, and wenches! In that order. Nothing better!” Jagelon declared as he grabbed Draxil’s hand. They gave one another a hearty hug. “Thanks for getting me out of there,” said Jagelon, and I thought I saw a hint of sadness in his eyes.
“I’m sorry it took me so long,” Draxil said. “I can only imagine what it must have been like in that cell.”
“Well, the food was terrible. Apart from that and the smell, it wasn’t so bad.”
Draxil gave him a brotherly pat on the back, and they released one another. Draxil looked into Jagelon’s eyes and nodded. “Now, we only have to find Vlahm. Do you know where he is?”
Jagelon nodded. “He told me has was fleeing to the realm of magic.”
“Why didn’t you go with him?”
Jagelon grimaced. “I cannot tolerate those damned fairies. All that pixie dust gets up my nose! I took my chances in Hell. It didn’t take them long to capture me though. Maybe I should’ve fled to the magic realm myself after all.”
I let out an exasperated sigh. The magic realm. The Chicago Underworld. That meant King Bracken. Wonderful.
“Looks like we’ll be paying Bracken a visit,” I said without much enthusiasm.
“Looks that way,” Draxil said.
I turned to Aurora. “Can you get us there from here?”
“I’ll try.” She got to work opening up portals while I faced the two demons. I had no idea how Bracken would react to them entering his palace, but I had a good idea. This was gonna be fun!
Aurora got a portal to Bracken’s palace opened.
“Looks like you’ve really got the hang of that now,” I said, impressed with her work.
She gave me a cute grin. “Practice makes perfect.”
“Yeah, now let’s go see your dad. Hope he’s in a good mood.”
“It’s my dad we’re talking about.”
“Yeah,” I said, lowering my eyes. Oh boy!
*****
I led us through the portal and into Bracken’s palace. Margaroth looked around him,
sniffing the air. He let out a series of yelps, which caught the attention of the green-haired guy snoozing on his oak throne. He snapped out of his sleep and gave his head a brisk shake, his solid-green eyes taking in everything. Margaroth yelped louder. Bracken’s brow furrowed as he focused in on the hellhound barking at him.
The others stepped in. First Draxil and then Jagelon. They came and stood either side of me. Bracken’s jaw dropped. He leaped to his feet and waved his hands over the air. In a split second, a big ball of magicity—half-magic, half-electricity—was brewed. “Why are there demons in my home, Stone!” Bracken bellowed, his rotund belly wobbling.
Before I could answer, Draxil’s etchings flared, and dark fire engulfed his palm. On the other side, Jagelon’s hands shimmered with a thick, dark mist. Man, things had gone south very quickly!
I threw up my hands. “Easy, Bracken!” I shouted. “They’re not evil demons!”
“All demons are evil, you fool!” Bracken shouted and went to throw the ball of magicity our way.
Aurora leaped ahead of us. She hit her father with a small siren blast. The noise sent Bracken staggering. He fell back into his throne while the ball of magicity shot up to the high ceiling where it obliterated and frazzled away into nothing.
Bracken rubbed his head. “What is the meaning of this?” he growled, gingerly getting back to his feet.
“Sorry, Father. But you were about to trigger a full-scale riot, and I couldn’t allow it.”
“What has he got you into this time?” Bracken sneered.
“Me?” I said. “None of this is my fault. I’m the one trying to fix things.” Margaroth gave me a yelp of encouragement.
“You couldn’t fix a leaky privy,” Bracken said, straightening his back.
“There’s gratitude for you!” I faced Draxil. “Told you he’d be happy to see us.”