When the doors closed behind us, he whispered in my ear, “What in the hell were you thinking? You should have never come here.”
“There was no way that I was going to leave you in this place.” I could feel the tears brimming behind my eyes.
“There will be none of that here, Jackson. Weakness in this realm will only serve to get you killed.” He hugged me tighter. “But now that you are here, I have to tell you. It’s really good to see you again.”
I felt the emotion behind his words. I doubted that he ever thought that he would see his family again, and then to have us snatched away from him so quickly must have been devastating. Now that I was here with him, I knew that I had made the right choice. “We will find a way out of here together, I promise.”
“There will be time to worry about that later. Now I have to prepare you for what you will face in the crucible.”
I let him guide me into the room. He smiled at me as he looked over our lavish retreat. “But first, I think a shower might be in order.”
“You could say that again.”
He smiled and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. I had no idea what was going to come next, but as long as I had my dad by my side, I was sure that I could handle it. This might have not been the best choice I ever made, but I was here now, and I would find a way to get us home. Or I would die trying.
CHAPTER 10
APRIL
Adam had been back for almost a day, and he still hadn’t sent for us. The three of us remained in the apartment that I shared with Jackson. Sarah had returned after she received my call, and we had spent a good deal of time crying on each other’s shoulders. I hoped that the time for our tears was over, but if Jackson had returned with Adam, then we would have already known.
The hours went by with us sitting on the edges of our seats, waiting to be called into action. After the first few hours, I abandoned my chair and began pacing the room. My legs still felt sluggish compared to normal, but I was done with the damn wheelchair. If Jackson had left me behind because he thought I wasn’t ready, I was going to kill him. That excuse wouldn’t ever work again. I was going to make sure of it.
Sarah came toward me and guided me back toward the couch. “Come on now, April. You need to get some rest. Your legs won’t be any good to us if you can’t even stand up.”
She was right, and I hated it. Pushing myself too hard now would make me useless to anyone. All I could do was keep working each day to get stronger. A tiny spark of hate wiggled its way into my heart. I wished that I could be there with Jackson now. I’d love to show those demons what we were made out of. The archfiend had broken my back, but I refused to be broken.
Sarah took my hands into hers. “I know how you feel.”
If there was anyone in the world who could actually know what I was feeling, it was Sarah. Her husband was in the same place. For all these years, she thought he was dead, and it must have been horrible, only to find out he was alive. Then to have him snatched away again as soon as they had been reunited.
Now she was dealing with the fact that her son willingly stepped into hell to try and get her husband back. It was more heartbreaking every time I thought about it. Sarah had sacrificed so much in her life only to have it pulled away from her again. When I thought of all she had been through, it made my problems seem just a bit smaller. Even with all Sarah had on her mind, she was here taking care of me.
“If you need anything, Sarah, all you have to do is ask.” Maybe I could do something to take care of her for once.
She gave me a sad smile, and it was all that I needed to know that she was hurting just as badly as I was. I pulled my hands free and wrapped them around her in a fierce hug. I don’t know how long we sat like that. The only thing that stopped us was a loud knock at the door.
Both of us sprang apart at the sound of it. Before either of us could stand up, Marcus was already moving toward the door. He opened it and stepped back. Adam strode into the room looking pale and maybe slightly wobbly on his feet. Henry stayed behind him in case he fell but stayed far enough back to not intrude on his space.
Britta followed them in, her eyes downcast. She looked as if she would rather be anywhere else but here. I had the feeling Adam had brought her and it hadn’t been a request. For better or worse, all of us were in this together.
Adam sat in the chair Marcus had vacated, and Henry moved to stand beside him. Henry placed a comforting hand on Adam’s shoulder. I could tell that Henry had probably told Adam to wait before coming, but that he had insisted. Britta and Marcus stood together watching the rest of us. The room grew silent as we waited for Adam to speak.
He sat silently for a moment, just trying to gather his breath. When he spoke, his voice sounded hoarse. “I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
I felt Sarah stiffen next to me. I felt the same way. It was as if my whole body had grown ridged. I didn’t breathe. I couldn’t. Not until I knew what he was going to say. My whole life revolved around the words that were going to tumble out of Adam’s mouth next.
“I was too late to stop Stillman from helping Jackson. When I arrived at his estate, Jackson was already gone.”
I let out a small sigh of relief, and I felt Sarah relax next to me. Britta buried her head into Marcus’s shoulder, and I heard her sob. The relief I felt in that moment was so intense that I wanted to tell Britta to relax. This meant he was still alive. That we still had a chance to see him again.
“And what of Joshua?” Sarah spat. “Did you let him wriggle out of this as well?”
The malice in Sarah’s voice surprised me. There was history there. I didn’t know what had happened before, but it obviously had wounded her very deeply. The heat coming off of Sarah’s body was intense. She must have been trying very hard to control herself, but the wolf was starting to poke through.
“Stillman is no longer with us. I ended him myself.”
Sarah sat back into her chair. “It’s about fucking time. He deserved it a thousand times over.”
Marcus looked shocked. “Adam, you killed a sitting member of the Council?”
Adam turned his weary gaze on him. “I did, and I would do it again. I should have killed him when he came to me a century ago. I’ll never be able to atone for all the evil he did under my watch.”
“No, you won’t,” Sarah said, “but killing him was a nice start.”
Britta was still crying, but she pulled her face out of Marcus’s shoulder and looked at Adam. “Were my parents there?”
Adam gave her a look full of sadness and remorse. “I’m not sure, Britta. I allowed several people to flee out of the back, but I wasn’t gentle with anyone who offered any resistance.” Britta started to cry again. “Once things settle down, I’ll reach out to a few of my contacts and see if we can get any information on their whereabouts.”
Britta looked as if she didn’t know what to say or who to turn to. She stood there for a moment and then headed for the door. “I have to tell Nikki.”
“Do you need someone to come with you?” Marcus asked.
“We’ll be fine. We always are,” she said as she closed the door behind her.
Henry patted Adam’s shoulder as his head slumped down against his chest. You could tell how much he loved the man beside him, even after all of his mistakes. Adam was carrying around a lot of emotional baggage. If he had only offered to help Jackson instead of sending him away empty-handed, none of us would be here right now. It wasn’t completely fair to put all the blame on his shoulders, but more than a fair share of it belonged there.
“So what do we do now?” I asked.
Adam stood up with some help from Henry and headed toward the door. “Now we do the hardest thing of all. We wait.”
Before either of us could say anything, he walked out of the door. As it closed, Marcus looked at us and spoke. “I don’t know about you, but waiting seems like the last thing I want to do.”
“I know exactly how you feel,”
I said, already starting to pace the room again.
“Unless either of you know anyone else who can get us into hell, that is all we can do,” Sarah said, sitting back against the couch looking shocked.
“Then I guess we wait, for now.” I got up and walked into the bathroom and started to pour a bath. The hot water would help my legs, and then I needed to start training again. When there was more to do than sitting around, I needed to be ready.
CHAPTER 11
JACKSON
“It won’t be long now, son. Adramelech never likes to wait long before blooding a new slave.”
“I’m not a slave.” I felt a scowl creep onto my face. No one would ever own me. If he thought he did because I was willing to fight for my father, then he had another thing coming.
John stepped forward and put a consoling hand on my shoulder. “Until you are free of this place, you might as well consider yourself one.”
“How strong is Adramelech, anyway?”
“He makes the archfiend we fought seem like easy mode, although he is all brute force, not nearly as much magic.”
A sigh escaped my lips before I could stop it. “Even with our increased power, you don’t think we could stop him?”
John’s face pulled into an easy smile, and his eyes sparkled as if he thought I was playing a trick on him. “Increased power?”
“Yeah, I felt it the first time I called on my gift here.”
“Jackson, I hate to break it to you, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Now it was my turn to wonder if he was screwing with me. How could he not feel it? “And you have used your gift here, right?”
“How do you think I know so much about fighting in the crucible? For my first year in hell, I fought nearly every day.”
“And you really never felt stronger?”
“Not one iota.”
“Weird.”
John moved and took a seat next to me on the edge of the bed. “Want to tell me about it?”
Did I want to tell him about it? As much as I wanted to trust that my dad was acting only for himself, I couldn’t really be sure if I could trust him. Not while we were still here and under Adramelech’s clutches. When we were out in the world, I felt an instant connection to him. I felt the same thing now, but that didn’t mean that Adramelech hadn’t found some new way to twist his mind. The archfiend had done it to Nitro, and by my dad’s own admission, Adramelech was way more powerful. That meant I had to be careful until we were home.
I decided to bite the bullet and tell him. The whole reason I was here and fighting was to get him out in the first place. If I couldn’t do that, then all of this was a waste of time. “When I called on my gift earlier, the magic came to me faster, and the spell I cast was much stronger than normal.”
“Interesting,” he said, scratching the stubble on his chin. “Your mother and I always knew that you were going to be special. I mean, of course there was the prophecy and all that, but we knew you had a greater destiny ahead of you.”
“So what do you think I should do?”
“I’d keep the magic thing a secret until you really need to use it. That way it comes as a shock, and you can create maximum devastation.”
Spoken like a true demon, or maybe just a warrior who knew hiding your strength meant when you did need to call on it, the effect would be swift and merciless. I didn’t know what to make of his state of mind. Maybe he had been in hell too long to know the difference anymore. The last thing on my mind was creating devastation. For the most part, hell reminded me a lot of home. Sure, some of the people had wings, and all of their customs reminded me of something from a history book, but for the most part, things just seemed slightly off. It wasn’t at all what I had expected.
“I’ll keep that in mind, Dad.”
He grabbed my shoulders and spun me toward him. When our eyes met, his were burning with intensity. “Whatever you think about this place, just remember these are demons, Jackson. Every breath is a lie, every seduction a test. Here the only thing that matters is power.”
That was pretty dark and played into exactly what I had seen from the demons in our world. But everything seemed so much more ordered here. That didn’t have to mean much. I mean, shit, if you went to North Korea as a journalist, everything seemed great. That was the fiction that they sold you. Scripted tours, only the healthiest workers or military in view. Everyone smiled and waved, and the stores made it look like they had a thriving trade. All of it was a lie. If what my dad was saying was true, then that was all this was—theater.
A knock sounded at the door, and a few seconds later, it opened. Salina was standing there in all of her glory. My mind knew it was a trap, but I still couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I looked over at John, and he was doing the same thing. He tore his gaze away from her and put a reassuring hand on my arm.
With a smile, he said, “I’ll be here when you get back.”
I stood up and started to head for the door. I turned back just before I reached Salina. “Any last minute advice?”
“Give them hell.”
Laughter bubbled from my lips. Had my dad just made a pun? Phrases suddenly had a whole new meaning when there really was a hell, especially when you found yourself standing in it about to fight for your life. Salina closed the door as we moved into the hallway. She motioned for me to follow her, basking me with a sultry smile. The loose and relaxed attitude I had felt while sitting with my dad started to drift away. I had no illusions about what was about to happen. In a few minutes, I would be fighting for both of our lives.
Salina walked in front of me. Each step she took was laced with intent. I had no idea what kind of demon she was, but lust was her weapon. Although, her claws looked like formidable weapons as well. I had no doubt that when it came down to it, she would fight with everything that she had to survive. Salina turned her head back to me and gave me a wink and a bit of the pouty lips. It was enough to almost make me stumble forward.
She slowed, so I was walking next to her now. “Are you enjoying your stay so far?” she asked, her voice dripping with honey. “If you need anything, I’d be more than happy to help you get it.”
Salina asked the question like I was on vacation and she was the hostess at a hotel, but with the added hint of sexual innuendo. This wasn’t a hotel, and as luxurious as everything was, I couldn’t enjoy it. When I had come, my dad had been in chains. It could have been for dramatic effect, but I didn’t think so. He was being punished for his role in closing the portal. So when I thought about it more, despite the homey nature of this place, I hated it. It was probably better not to tell Salina about my feelings. She was probably here working for Adramelech and trying to get as much information out of me as possible.
“Everything has been fine.”
“You are sure there is nothing else I can do for you?” When I shook my head as a no, she continued. “Are you sure? A girl, or maybe a boy, depending on which way you go. It might be a nice diversion for you to pass the time. I’m sure we could find you a demon to lie with if you wanted to try something new.” She said it with a wink. “Or maybe just some kind of food that makes you feel more at home.”
“Thank you for the offer, but everything is fine. I already have all that I need.” Now I was starting to pick up on the hell vibe. Prostitution, while it was a pretty good deal on the requesting end of things, was probably a shit job for the person who had to do the work on their back. I wouldn’t indulge in anything while I was here. All I wanted to do was get these fights done with and get my dad home safely.
“Adramelech offers all of his fighters only the very best. You’ll come to appreciate your station here.”
“No offense, but I really don’t want to be here long enough to notice a difference. As soon as my dad is free, I’m out of here.”
Salina gave me a look that said I was suffering from wishful thinking, but she kept her mouth shut and slowly moved back in front of me. I appreciated the sile
nce as much as the view. We exited the castle, and there was a carriage waiting for us. The only difference that I noticed so far was it was being pulled by a giant lizard instead of a horse. Actually, it was more of a dragon without wings than your average lizard.
Salina noticed me watching the beast and motioned for me to climb into the carriage. I nestled onto one of the seats, surprised at how comfortable it actually was. The enclosed space was bigger than I had been expecting. Salina climbed into the carriage and bent over to close the door, giving me another incredible view. I averted my eyes before she turned around to get seated.
She crossed her legs as she sat and then gave me a knowing smirk. I knew that I was being played, but she was so good at it that it really didn’t seem like it. She made seduction seem effortless. Every action, every step, every look, every word she spoke was another way for her to pull you into the trap. I sent up a small prayer and reminded myself that I had April at home. If I had been single, I would have been a goner. Salina would have twisted me around her finger in an instant, and I wouldn’t have even noticed.
“It will take us thirty minutes or so to reach the crucible. Is there anything I can do for you to help pass the time?”
The question sounded innocent enough, but coming from her, it was anything but. “I’m fine, but I appreciate the offer.”
“Are you sure?” She uncrossed her legs and then re-crossed them the other way.
Damn, she was good. She just hit me with the classic Sharon Stone. “I need time to prepare myself for the fight.”
She ran her foot up my leg. I took it gently in my hand and moved it off to the side. I didn’t look up to meet her eyes. Instead, I closed mine and thought about what I had waiting for me on the other side of this world. April was probably going to kick my ass pretty good when I got home, but then she would give me a big hug. Maybe if I was really lucky, I would even be able to steal a kiss. Salina touched me again with her foot, and this time I knocked it away. She didn’t say anything, but I thought I heard a huff. I had the feeling she didn’t get turned down often, if at all.
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