Eliza looked thoughtful, as if she was about to say, “I could,” but then thought better of it and strode ahead. Ken guessed she was happy that they’d made it this far unmolested and didn’t want to upset the status quo. Even after the commotion in the grand bazaar, all the creatures that had collected to watch had just drifted away.
Uncanny.
Now they paused at the threshold of the fourth and third hells. Lilith stepped up to lead the way. As before she’d brought them to a rarely traveled path. A crevice between closely set stepped hillsides fell away steeply and vanished into blackness. An uneven, irregular stairway had been hewn into the hillside, vanishing into the pit.
Lilith started down. “Watch your footing.”
Ken knew to heed her warning. So far he’d almost fallen headlong on every one of these godforsaken staircases, much to Felicia’s amusement. The sure-footed wolf never lost her stride, let alone her balance on any surface. Ken couldn’t match her poise, which surprised him no end since he was the one who’d practically been raised on a surfboard. But never mind; he picked his way carefully down the jagged steps, sometimes having to leap between them as they seemed to have been cut for someone about ten feet tall.
“Need help?” Felicia offered her middle finger.
Ken pulled a face at her. Milo laughed, a great burbling grunt, and bounded ahead. As they descended, the darkness intensified, leaving them with a world of pitch black in front of their faces. Again, the vampires and the lycan could see fairly well in the dark and Lilith appeared to have no problem. Which left Ken.
“You humans,” Milo grumbled. “Have you no uses at all? No skills? I’m amazed you can even breathe without help.”
Ken placed his hand on Felicia’s shoulder, trusting the wolf to lead him. Down they went, surrounded by absolute silence. The absence of everything that could tweak Ken’s senses scared him. It felt like being in limbo, a forever land of non-existence. Even his footfalls made no apparent sound.
At last they made the third hell. A cool breeze wafted around their bodies and a faint starshine illuminated the land. Lilith reminded them that the second grand bazaar sat a few hours journey away and that they should replenish their stocks of food and water. Ken worried about who they might encounter there.
A howl split the silence. A pattering of great paws moved toward them. Ken clutched at his sword and moved so that the entire group had a person at their backs. In another moment a pair of silvery eyes pierced the blackness ahead, surveying them with cold detachment. The real unnerving thing for Ken was that the eyes hung at a level above his own head.
That meant the beast they belonged to was . . .
Don’t even go there.
They waited. Presently, other sounds were heard and more eyes split the dark. The snuffling of huge nostrils made Ken’s hair stand on end. After a few more minutes the eyes gradually melted away as the beasts retreated.
Lilith sighed. “The way is clear.”
Eliza gazed at her, then moved off. The group clearly had some kind of free pass, though why hadn’t yet become apparent. Lilith pointed out a path and the drudgery continued for another few hours. It was only when Ken found himself able to admire Felicia’s rear view in profile that he realized they were climbing a long-drawn-out hill toward a summit where much of the sky starshine seemed happy to play. Atop the hill sat a crumbling ruin, an archaic testament to the realm that had once existed here, eons ago, the decayed outline of which still showed that it had once been a great castle.
“Oh, wow,” Ken said. “A familiar place to rest. At last. Who would’ve known castles still existed all the way down here?”
Felicia huffed a little at the shabby structure. “Not much left to rest in, surfer boy.”
“I don’t need much,” Ken said. “Never did. Wherever I lay my hat . . . and all that.”
By the time they reached the summit the light was positively vivid. The ancient stones glared dismally, the ground around them rotten with a slow-eating poison. A single arch remained and beyond it the remnants of walls, which Ken quickly climbed toward.
He found himself in a courtyard, broken steps to left and right that had once led to high walls. Toward the back of the rough square sat another half-arch that led simply to a jumble of broken down wall. By the time the others joined him, Ken had surveyed the area.
“Nothing to see,” he said. “No shelter. But at least firm ground to spend the night.”
“Humans,” Milo muttered.
Then Felicia’s nostrils flared. “Whoa. I just—”
She looked up, high up, at the remnants of the highest wall. “I didn’t catch the scent because they’re up high but—” her voice grew hard. “That is not good.”
Ken squinted. “Don’t worry. We have a free pass. Remember?”
Then Lilith began to cry. “Oh no. I’m sorry. So sorry . . .”
The figure sprang into mid-air, soaring through the sky and landing hard, on two feet. Concrete cracked under his boots, shards shooting to left and right. He went down to one knee, but kept his head level, so that he could stare at his new foes.
“That’s Samael,” Lilith moaned. “My guardian. An angel of death. He’s one of the seven kings of hell, and the worst after Lucifer himself. When I was younger, eight powerful demons tried to kill me. He murdered them all without breaking sweat.”
Eliza shot her a glance. “Why? Who the hell are you?”
Samael twitched. Everyone’s attention shifted. The demon rose, an odd vision in top hat, coat tails and combat boots, twirling a brass-headed cane and carrying a short sword. The tight smile he gave them couldn’t quite stop the tips of terrible fangs slipping over bloodless lips.
“Lilith,” it said. “I have been searching for you.”
Ken watched the girl cower. His protective instincts immediately kicked in. “How about you leave her alone?”
Samael regarded him with pitiless eyes. Ken shuddered despite his bravado. Looking into those depths of despair was like looking at your own ritualistic murder.
The vampires, despite their dislike and indifference to every race except their own, formed ranks before Lilith. Samael assessed them.
“Have you come to take her?”
Eliza frowned. “Don’t you know who we are? Why we’re here?”
“Sadly, it does not matter.”
Milo puffed himself up. “Oh no? And why’s that?”
Samael stayed still. “Those that would stand against me soon wish they hadn’t.”
Ken tried to stop another shudder running through him. The demon spoke so matter-of-factly, so without bluster, that his words rang a clear and true note. It begged not only the question: Who was he guarding her from? But, more importantly: Who was he guarding her for?
“You gamble much?” He sought to divert attention, moving closer. His gut told him only a fast, direct attack would pay any dividends today.
“I play chess,” the demon said. “A little poker.”
Ken drifted in. “Fancy a wager?”
“Come one step closer and I will snap your neck.”
“All right. You let us go and we’ll make you a deal.”
“Do you seriously wish to bargain with a demon like me? A king of hell? Do you want to sell your soul so badly?” The demon tipped its black top hat.
“I’m selling nothing,” Ken said. “I’m offering to spare your life.”
This time Samael did a double-take. “On what possible grounds could you—”
Even before the third word was out of his mouth, Ken struck. The vampires backed him to the hilt. Ken brought the sword around in a wide arc, making the swing big and bold and everything the demon could see. This filled the beast’s vision and gave the vampires time to flit around to the sides.
Samael twisted impossibly under the swing, back bent in half, then rotated and jabbed with the short sword. Milo ran into it, but got lucky and saw the blade pass between his legs. Eliza hit Samael hard from the other side and, sho
ckingly, found herself bouncing off the rock-hard figure. Shock blazed from her gaze, so much that Ken guessed this had never happened to her before. Then Mai leaped for Samael’s head, judging it unfeasible that the demon could attend to three vampires at once. The decision cost her her life. It was that simple. Samael employed reactions faster than lightning to flick his sword hand around and slice it directly across the vampire’s neck as she leaped at him.
Ken gaped as the blade tore into Mai. Without even a single utterance she crashed to the ground, unmoving, the only advantage to her death being that she landed atop the demon’s sword.
Eliza jumped in again, this time enfolding Samael in her arms. Milo pummeled his chest. Ken tried to find an opening. Felicia waited in the background, trying to pick her moment.
Samael hurled Eliza away, the great vampire yelling in surprise. On earth she was implacable, unstoppable. Down here, she was nothing but a baby at arms.
Milo hit with a force that should have felled a tree, but found his fist stopped by the palm of the demon’s hand. If Samael had a flaw it was that he liked the violence and the slaughter—no shock there, Ken thought—and sought to draw out this bout rather than end it quickly. Milo’s next thunderous blow was caught by the demon and used to flip the vampire over onto his back. He landed with a crash and a squeal.
Ken gave the vampire a chance by swinging his blade toward Samael. In one split second the sword was in flight, in the next it was stopped and held between his opponent’s hands.
The creature had caught the sharpened metal between his palms.
Ken gaped. He saw agony and death on the very near horizon. Samael was grinning at him, an unbeatable opponent taking the time to savor his terrible victory.
And what was to come next.
Then Ken saw a wisp of smoke and heard a faint hiss. He locked onto the blade of the sword where it was gripped between the demon’s hands. Sure enough, faint smoke was rising, curling away from the metal. Samael’s face turned instantly from a victory snarl to a pained grimace and he tried to jump away.
The sword went with him, dragging Ken off his feet. The metal was stuck to the demon’s hands. Samael howled. Ken tried to stay close and hold on to the hilt. His body was jerked from side to side.
Eliza rose to her knees. Milo thundered in a like a freight train. Felicia began the switch from woman to wolf.
Samael howled again, jerking his hands so hard Ken thought his wrists might break, but he held on, recognizing their only chance. At last, as the demon swung its body around so hard Ken struck one of the castle walls in mid-flight, the sword came away and hit the floor.
Flesh sizzled along the blade. Demonic flesh.
Samael stared at his own tattered hands, screaming either in pain or disbelief or disgust. Shock registered high on the decibel meter of that scream.
Ken raised the sword again. “Want more?”
Unable to comprehend its sudden vulnerability, the creature from hell leaped through the nearest gap and was gone.
Lilith ran up to them, sobbing. “Oh thank you. Thank you! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, but we must go right away. We must lose ourselves and hide our trail before he returns.”
Ken nodded at her. Eliza stared at the body of Mai and tried to hide her grief. Milo didn’t; tears sprang from his eyes. Ken raised the sword, looking along its bright edge in disbelief. Only now did he remember Cheyne’s words of what now seemed a lifetime ago, something relating to the sword he carried.
It had once killed the Devil. Why the hell hadn’t the witch queen told him more?
“The second hell is just ahead,” Lilith said. “We should go.”
Ken gulped. The second hell? Crap. We’re almost there . . .
FOURTEEN
I found myself swept away in a sudden explosion of events. On losing the artefact to Beelzebub, we quickly reconnected with the team back in Florida and tried to get up to date. The sudden movement of events stunned us.
The hierarchy demons were clearly finding their feet, or hooves, as it were. Already one had been detected searching through the city of Vienna and another was causing havoc in Honolulu, Hawaii. Tanya’s ears pricked up immediately on hearing that news and she was first to voice her desire to fly in and protect her home town. The news degenerated even further though—our second team, Lysette, Cleaver, Ceriden, Jade, Ethan and Lucy had already been dispatched to Vienna with orders to grab the artefact first.
Giles blinked hard at this and scratched the beginnings of a four-o’clock shadow. “Orders? From whom?”
Our contact, one of Cheyne’s witches merely called Lucinda, sounded unhappy when she said, “The Library of Aegis sent down the orders. We were told they can step in when Mr. Giles is incommunicado.”
“Well, they can,” Giles blustered. “But I wasn’t exactly incommunicado.”
“We couldn’t reach you or Cheyne, sir.”
“Look. It’s fine,” Cheyne broke in. “Someone had to go to Vienna. Might as well be them. We should go to Honolulu and do the same.”
I listened to the discussion, not really taking anything in. Not only had we just lost Johnny and been defeated by Beelzebub, but now Lucy was part of a group headed for Vienna. Talk about coming of age and going your own way. Talk about a stomach full of worry. My life had become an unstoppable rollercoaster that careened and lurched hard around every corner, never knowing if it would collapse. And, so far, there was no end in sight.
Belinda touched my arm. “She’ll be fine. She’s part of a capable team.”
I nodded, thinking, So was Johnny, but not saying the words whilst Natalie was in earshot. It was pointless saying them at all. We were evolving, becoming a powerful entity, a force of guardians advancing with every victory and every setback. If we yielded who would save our planet then?
The hours passed in a whirl. Cheyne didn’t forget Kinkade’s request and, without Leah Aldridge’s complicity, arranged for her to attend a Hawaiian tropic fashion show on Waikiki Beach the very next day. It would at least put the gargoyle within talking distance. Then we boarded an Aegis jet bound for Honolulu and settled back to rest.
Belinda lay flat out beside me, the seat cranked all the way back. She’d changed her t-shirt for the flight and the slogan read—Mile High Club Black Card? – Ask me about the Benefits. I shook my head yet again. I didn’t ask. I knew there’d be a juicy true story and just didn’t want to know.
We were no closer to finding out how to locate the artefacts. It was tough enough sifting through the thousands of pages written about all the hierarchy demons, never mind identifying which parts might be truth and then reducing those down to clues as to the whereabouts of some ancient artefacts. All we knew was that they were a part of the demons themselves, a part that called to them. It didn’t need to be said that with every second that passed we were falling even further behind in the race.
The plane finally landed and we disembarked. Even in the airport we could track the demon’s progress. The seas off Waikiki Beach were a mass of mini-typhoons and sudden tidal waves. The skies were desperately angry, red with wrath. Thunder and lightning stalked the waves like vengeful gods. Seen in its entirety, the newscasters were shouting about the end of the world.
Cheyne led the way. “I wish we had the elemental with us,” she said carelessly as we all jumped into waiting cars. “The seas and oceans are her dominion.”
She meant Lucy. I knew the witch was under pressure but it still took a hard squeeze of my arm from Belinda to keep my mouth shut. Of course, we were all under pressure. A ton of it.
If only we’d known the sacrifices we’d have to make. If only we’d known the depths we’d have to plumb. The lives we would lose . . .
It almost felt like we were back in Miami as we parked up and headed for the beach. The demon, identified as Astaroth, rolled back and forth out across the ocean waves, looking for something, searching, trying to piece together a part of some ancient puzzle that would bring all of hell to earth.
“It knows we’re here!” Giles cried above the clamor. “Brace yourselves!”
The waterspout homed in on our position, shooting as if it had been blasted out of a cannon. Time stood still for a second, then Belinda bore me roughly to the ground. I saw Cheyne flinging her arms at the small typhoon, conjuring some sort of shield, before I got a face full of sand. A moment later water cascaded over me in sheets, making me feel like a Mini in a monster wash, and stopped me breathing. I coughed, breathed in a lungful of water, coughed again. More chutes of water poured over my head. Sand pushed its way up my nose. In the midst of this tumult I heard the repeated striking of bolt after bolt of lightning. I felt the beach shake each time it struck. Thunder blasted all around until I thought it might be the last sound I would ever hear.
The clouds came down on me.
End of the line.
Then I heard Belinda scream, muffled against the sand but raw with acceptance and endurance. Instant wild fury burst from my chest; crazy strength infused my body. I rose up, kneeling amidst the deluge, feeling its waves wash down my chest but fighting against the angry force. The power rose inside like a phoenix, an eagle, ready to take flight. And even though I could not see—for my eyes were full of running water—I felt one other join with me.
Tentatively. Tenderly. Deftly.
We unleashed the force, sending it blooming out at every angle. The pure strength of it was absolute. Nothing could hope to stand in its way. The waterfalls stopped almost immediately with a last downpour, similar to a curtain falling, then nothing. Soaked to the bone, we lay and knelt on the beach, looking to the ocean.
The seas were calm again, the waves back to normal height. The skies were dark but clear. A black-robed figure groaned on the beach before us; half-in, half-out of the water.
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