by Lexi Ostrow
“Perfect plan, Lucius.” He stepped past the demon and put himself in the front. He was a hunter, and he was the best. If he couldn’t see Odette, it would make protecting her a hell of a lot easier.
“Alright then, children, if you’re done with playtime, we’ve got a flower to find. Onward!”
The fact that Lucius could essentially joke irked Philippe, but he walked forward. “Demon, can you do me a favor?” He sounded exasperated, and he heard Odette chuckle softly behind him, but he tried to ignore it.
“How about yes, if you stop calling me that, since I haven’t heard you call Odette Halfling yet.”
There was bite in Lucius’ voice, and he’d bet the demon’s eyes were the intimidating pools of black he liked to make them when he was pissed.
Philippe wanted to lash out at Lucius for the comment about Odette, but couldn’t. He took a step to the left to avoid a craggy rock that jutted down from the ceiling. The tunnel was narrow, but more cave-like, almost as if the entry and way to the lake had been altered.
“I’m sorry, Lucius. You’re right. I don’t view Odette as a demon. It’s time I paid you and Greyston the same respect.”
Lucius didn’t respond, and Philippe actually laughed. He’d shut the demon up for the first time since he’d known him. He turned his head and winked, more at Odette than Lucius. They both laughed, and some of the tension from the row began to slip away.
They walked in silence, and Philippe couldn’t help but worry about the many torches that lit the way. Unused areas wouldn’t be lit. Tension rocked hard through him as his hand gripped the dagger in his belt. At every turn, he was prepared for something to jump out at them, but nothing did.
The center tunnel appeared to be the proper one to pick as they kept walking. It was dark in the areas where the small torches weren’t lit, but there was nothing Hell-like about the caves.
“Not that you’ve seen Hell to understand, ” he grumbled under his breath without meaning too.
“Trust me. You’re lucky that you don’t have a guide for comparison. We aren’t there yet. When we are, you’ll feel it. A darkness will feel as if it’s seeping into your skin, into your blood. Your whole body will feel ill if you’re not a demon, and your skin will seem to be on fire from the inside out. I promise you, we are nowhere past the doorway, be glad that all that is around us are torches and walls.”
Lucius’s words sent a chill over him. None of them had ever thought to ask what Hell would be like, and if Lucius wasn’t over embellishing, he had no desire to be there.
That damned flower had better be right at the entrance.
“Lucius, have you ever seen this yellow flower?” Odette’s voice sounded far away, and yet, he could feel her presence barely two steps behind him.
“I’d love to say yes and ease your mind. I’ve never come in through an entrance. Being a lesser demon, the only way I earned a ticket here was on the back of a Fallen Angel’s flashing. Straight into Hell, and into whatever room Seraphina wanted her goons to put me in.”
“Do you think there’s a possibility Layel lied?”
Odette’s question set his arm hair on end. He’d been wondering the same thing since the attack on the airship.
“No. If the Angel’s wings were white, he could not possibly lie. If your daddy dearest was able to remain Pure after fucking your mom—” He paused when Odette squeaked. “Sorry, after bedding your mother, then he’s damn Pure.”
The conversation died again, and they continued to walk. Philippe’s stomach growled, and his mouth had been parched for some time. He was not about to disobey an order, even if he already knew from licking and kissing Odette’s body he had already consumed something from there. He hoped either the Greek myths were wrong, or they would be safe because that hadn’t technically entered Hell yet.
Weariness snaked its way from the soles of his feet up into his shoulders. They had been walking for hours, yet they were still in the somewhat large tunnel they had entered chasing after Odette.
Sixteen
“Bons cieux. Finally.” His sigh was weary, and he thanked his body for holding up after so many hours when the tunnel finally opened up just a little. They were down to three days and had decided on walking through the night, only stopping when they were dead tired.
“I take it that means we’ve reached a good resting point?” Lucius asked from behind him.
“Stay the fuck out of my dreams, Lucius. And Odette’s. Yes, I think we can stay here, an attack would be easier to defend without being crammed into a small space.”
“How the fuck am I supposed to gain strength? We haven’t encountered a single demon.”
The man growled, and Philippe felt bad for him, but not terrible. He and Odette had only had a little water from the canteens Lucius carried, so they were all waning in strength.
“I don’t think stopping is the best idea, Philippe. Something doesn’t feel right.” He turned to look at Odette. She looked slightly different from the last time he’d turned to look back at her.
Her dark hair was still frazzled and hanging over her shoulders. However, her upper lip was pushed out from the fangs. Hunger must have been keeping them exposed. As a blood slave, they shouldn’t have been permanent. Her eyes were as round as saucers, and the green in them was slowly being taken over by black. He suspected the change could have been caused by being in the dark, but Kappa’s had beady black eyes, so he didn’t like it one bit.
“Does being a Halfling Angel make it easier for you than Lucius to sense things?”
“How the bloody hell would I know, Philippe?”
She snarled, and he cringed, forgetting that she knew nothing about what she really was. “Sorry,” his voice was hard but soft. He really was sorry, but letting Lucius know he had a soul during a hunt would only set the demon off taunting them. He heard her simultaneously mutter an apology just as quietly.
“I don’t feel anything. We should be safe. I’ll stay up.”
“Not a shot in hell, demon. I respect you but, you’ve attacked me once before, and I’ll pass. You sleep with Odette, I’ll take first watch.”
“Well technically…”
“Shove off, Lucius,” he growled.
“One of these days, you’re going to have to admit that I attacked your arse because you practically attacked me.”
Odette sat down, and Lucius pushed past her towards him.
“Practically. Not that I did.”
“Boys, any shot you could hold off on the interspecies pissing match? My skin is tingling, not on fire, but tingling. I don’t like it. I want to get a little rest and then get out of here.”
Her voice held an edge of fear that he hadn’t heard from her before. For a moment, he considered listening to her. She was a good hunter, she didn’t overreact, and that had bearing. So did getting that flower into her quickly.
“What time is it, Odette?” Impatience rode his question as she glowered at him. Too bad, he wouldn’t apologize for his tone. They had a mission, and she had the watch as Lucius had given his to Kellan.
“Nine o’clock. I presume in the morning. I think I would know if I’d gone a day and a half without sleep.” She snarled at him and stretched out on the ground.
Lucius stepped over her body and lay down on the other side of her. Philippe looked away from them, trying to force himself to focus on anything but comforting her.
“Do you think Kellan and Master Agardawes have had as little demon luck as we have?”
“Do you really not think of him as your father?”
Philippe physically worried for Lucius at that moment as the man asked Odette the question.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no. He raised me and brought me up to be a good hunter. That doesn’t make him my father any more than it makes him Felicia’s. That’s all I’m going to say on it.”
Lucius whistled low at her rapid-fire response but was intelligent enough to stay silent.
Philippe sighed
himself and leaned his back against the cave wall before dropping to his backside. A tiny stab of pain shot through him, and he regretted letting his weariness take him down so quickly. Overly cautious, he took the blades from his belt and boot and set them next to him on the ground.
There was no explanation in his mind for how they had walked through the gateway to Hell with no attacks, especially after the Imps had rushed them the minute the door opened. The cave around them was silent. He’d never been in one before, but he had heard tales of bats and bugs living in them. Perhaps, with it being the entrance to Hell, everything had long since evacuated. They hadn’t seen a sign of anything, nor heard footsteps other than their own. They were entirely alone in the section of the cave, and he worried it meant they were going the wrong way.
Minutes ticked on, and his eyes started to blur from boredom and tiredness. Odette’s breathing was the same as when she laid down, but Lucius’s had evened out and grown shallow, he’d fallen asleep. Philippe blew out a breath and picked up one of the daggers, twirling it in his hands.
This wasn’t a hunt, this was a waiting game, and his thoughts kept trying to direct him to Odette—to talk to her, to hold her. He’d already let her know his feelings the other night. Whether she’d heard him or not, she had to know from the way they were together. He’d broken his rule of no women far beyond the bedroom activities.
Which means you certainly could go to her. The pretense is blown, and you’re not moving. There would be no harm in comforting her now.
Still holding the dagger in one hand, he pushed off the wall and pulled his body weight up. His hair snagged on a cracked section of rock, and he cursed as strands were ripped out.
He was rubbing the sore spot on his head when they were very quickly not alone. Not three hundred meters away, stood three demons. He could identify the Kappa and the Thrasher, but not the beautiful woman standing in the middle of the hideous creatures. His heart pounded in his chest, and before he knew it, his feet were walking towards them. He wanted to kiss her.
He immediately stopped in his tracks, questioning Siren, Succubus or Fallen. But he thought all Fallen had black wings. The beautiful woman, with skin as pale as snow and hair as dark as blood, had no wings at all.
“Ah, you must be the infamous, Philippe. Such a shame you seemed to be slightly in control of your actions. It must be the lighting in here.”
The woman’s voice was like dripping honey, and he had to bite hard on his lower lip to stop from racing to her.
“Such a shame the attractive daughter was bitten, I would have so much preferred to play with you.”
His hand itched to throw the dagger, but he had left the other on the ground and didn’t have a gun—only Odette did. His voice was deadpan and loud as he spoke. “Odette. Odette get up right this minute.”
Suddenly, he was slamming into a wall further away from Odette and Lucius. His vision quickly blacked out from impact, and he heard the dagger clatter on the stone as it fell from his hand.
Odette was already stirring from how loud he’d been, and he prayed that she could get her gun quick enough. The Kappa and Thrasher had not moved, though the Thrasher was dripping saliva down its yellow chin and onto the floor—barely restrained from attacking. He’d had no clue demons worked together, and the thought made him want to retch all over his boots.
“Why yes, pretty Odette. Why don’t you wake up?” the woman crooned.
Odette leapt backwards with a scream. The moment he tried to move the Thrasher lunged towards him.
“Stop! Do not move again. Not yet. You may have them both once I test her,” the woman’s voice echoed in the cave.
Philippe was shocked when the Thrasher obeyed. He’d never seen one even remotely civilized before. Who and what were they dealing with?
“Lucius. Lucius wake up, wake up, or all is lost,” Odette’s voice quaked with fear.
Philippe growled. He wasn’t ready to take on a Thrasher with just a dagger, but nothing had happened to Odette just yet.
“My, my,” the woman clucked her tongue, “so that is why the Kappa could barely locate you. You’re like me. Only not Fallen, but certainly not Pure. A Halfling is a dangerous creature.”
Odette launched towards Lucius and kicked him in the process. The demon didn’t move, and Philippe grew more and more concerned. He’d never watched the demon sleep before. Philippe wondered if Lucius was always a deep sleeper or had something been done to him by being so close to hell?
“Now. Command her, now.”
“I relinquish my blood slave to Seraphina to command and control.”
Before the words were out of the Kappa’s mouth, the Thrasher bolted away from Philippe and sliced the Kappa Demon’s head from its body. Odette screamed as the head rolled and landed with a sickening thud on the floor. Philippe hardly processed that they were dealing with the Fallen they were so concerned about.
“It won’t work. Three bit me.”
The smile on the Fallen’s lips was pure sin. “And I had already killed two of them.” The smile grew larger still. “And now I’ve killed all three.”
Philippe watched Odette kick Lucius, and the demon finally stirred. His black eyes popped open and landed on Seraphina, and then they closed again. Philippe wanted to kill him but hoped he hadn’t switched sides.
“Now, whether he is asleep or not, it’s time for you to do me a favor. End the disgusting excuse for a demon you keep pitifully trying to wake up. End him now,” her voice boomed the final command.
Terror crossed over Odette’s face as she leaned down next to Lucius. Philippe had no idea what was happening. She had not turned yet, but she was so close, did that mean her command work? He watched the internal struggle visible on her face. Pain and determination were etched in her brow. Tears spilled down her cheeks, and he also noticed that she leaned closer to Lucius than she would need to in order to strike a killing blow.
As Philippe lunged towards her, the Thrasher sunk its claws into his shoulder. He felt the pain but didn’t stop. He had a singular focus. Get to Odette. Save the woman he loved. His fist drew back and slammed into the demon’s nose. He heard the shatter of bone and felt the sting as sharp teeth sunk into his hand.
A shriek pierced through his consciousness, but it wasn’t Odette’s. Tears of pain obstructed his vision as he tried to look and see who screamed. Seraphina’s mouth was twisted into a mask of terror. She was no longer facing Odette but striking rapidly into the air just behind her. He blinked, trying to force back the tears, thinking his vision was failing. It wasn’t. Seraphina was shrieking and helplessly raking her nails into the air.
“Kill the demon. Leave the hunter,” she screamed at the Thrasher.
The claws rescinded from inside his shoulder and neck, and Philippe felt warm blood trickling down his torso as he tried to regain his balance.
Lucius leapt off the ground, an irritating smirk on his lips. If Philippe wasn’t mistaken, Lucius had just entered the fight with his ex-employer, and he just might win.
“That’s right, Seraphina. Every fucking time. Every time you close your eyes, every time you’re alone in that glorious bed of yours, it will be so much worse now. Keep meeting me like this—” His rant was cut off as the Thrasher sliced across his neck.
Blood trickled out but didn’t race down quickly so Philippe knew the demon would be ok, sooner or later. “Odette, shoot her. Just destroy her!” he screamed.
Her eyes locked onto his. Next to them, the Thrasher and Lucius were locked in a struggle. Protocol told him to protect Lucius, a hunter down was the most important thing to choose. He didn’t like the way Odette and Seraphina were standing, though. Terror still marked the Fallen’s face, but when she whispered something to Odette, Seraphina’s face became eerily calm. She didn’t make a move for the gun that lay at her feet. In fact, she was almost frozen, despite the struggle directly behind her and his order.
“You’re not fully transitioned, something I can’t take care
of with such guests, but let’s see how good you are. Kill Philippe.”
He stopped moving towards Lucius. His eyes locked with Odette’s and he saw they were green-turning-black, and when she took a step forward, he felt his heart stop. His heart was beating so hard he could hear it pounding in his ears. One step, two steps, and then she stopped.
“Never!” She was still staring at him as she spat the words.
“As I feared.” Seraphina reached out and grabbed Odette’s shoulder. One moment they were standing there, and the next, they were gone.
“No-o-o!” he roared and jumped at the empty space, slamming into the ground with his shoulder and choking at the pain that tore through him.
On impact, the Thrasher turned to look at him. Lucius’s collar was coated in blood and Philippe’s dagger was still on the floor. Odette’s gun sparkled under the torchlight, and he jumped for it. His fingers wrapped around the metal handle as a claw slashed across his leg. It wasn’t deep, but the sting slowed him down and ruined his aim. His shot hit the creature’s shoulder, and yellow blood oozed down its shoulder as it threw its head back.
He was about to aim again when the demon’s entire body began to convulse. Confused, he turned and saw Lucius with his eyes closed tightly and one hand to his throat. Without lowering his gun hand, he let Lucius do his thing. Carefully, raced betwixt the two, ready to protect Lucius if he wasn’t controlling the demon’s fear and something else was occurring. He couldn’t be certain that was what was happening until he watched as the injury to his friend’s neck slowly began to stitch up.
With one final twitch, the Thrasher demon’s body hit the ground, still as could be.
“Are you done?” His gun was aimed at the demon’s chest, ready to make absolutely certain it wouldn’t be an issue.
He saw Lucius stand up and brush dust off his suit coat as if that was going to save it beyond the gory mess and tears. “Fully. By all means, have at it, though.”