by Sarah Bailey
“No! I don’t want her blood on my hands. You can’t do this. I don’t want you to bring Dad back,” Grace shouted.
Ophelia raised her hands, chanting a language Grace didn’t understand. Before the last words were uttered, a purple light appeared to their right. Out of the portal stepped the twins, followed by a girl and a man she didn’t recognise and finally, Alistair. Her heart ached at the sight of him.
Ophelia ignored the arrival of the newcomers.
“Inde animorum impetus excietur!”
She slammed the knife down into Lacey’s chest. The scream erupting from her mouth was almost inhuman. The earth began to crack open close by. The party Alistair had assembled ran towards it. The man and the woman she didn’t recognise transformed. They both sprouted wings and horns. Her mouth dropped open in shock. Gods, what are they?
When she looked up, Alistair was in front of her.
“Grace, are you okay?”
She couldn’t speak. He was here. Her heartbeat pounded at an alarming rate.
“You dare come for my daughter,” Ophelia shrieked.
“Alistair, watch out,” Grace said, finding her voice.
A spell from Ophelia’s fingertips shot straight at his back. It bounced harmlessly off an invisible barrier.
“You think I’d be stupid enough to come here with no defence, Ophelia,” he said.
Smoke poured out of his hands, washing over Grace. Her body felt heavy as the spell released. She almost toppled forward into him. He put his hands out to stop her from falling before he let go. She couldn’t read his expression.
“You came… how did you know?” she asked.
She daren’t reach for him. She didn’t know what to say. She’d left him. Would he forgive her?
“There’s no time for that,” he said, dumping a bag next to her. “I need you to do something for me. In there is a book, you need to find the spell to close the gate. Create a barrier like I showed you. Don’t let anyone take that book. I’ll handle Ophelia. Do you understand?”
She nodded. Erect a barrier. Find the spell. He reached out with one hand, cupping her face. Her breath caught in her throat.
“You can do this.”
He leant down, placing the softest of kisses on her lips whilst Ophelia continued to cast spells against them. They slammed into his barrier.
“I love you, Grace,” he whispered.
She didn’t have time to speak. He turned, striding towards Ophelia with blue smoke dripping from his fingers. She shook herself. She couldn’t stop to think about that kiss and his words. He still loved her even after she’d gone with Ophelia. Gods, I don’t deserve him. Not at all. Not one bit.
Creating a barrier around herself, she sat down, pulling the bag towards her. She reached in, gripping the book and pulling it out. It was very old. The leather cover worn. She looked up, finding Alistair and Ophelia locked in battle with each other. There was lightning striking around them and fire scorched the earth. Beyond them, the twins and the two winged humans were fighting off demons crawling out of the gates. One of them had a sword of blue flames and the other a sword of red.
“You shouldn’t have come here. My daughter doesn’t need you or your family,” Ophelia shouted.
“I know why you’re doing this, Ophelia. She told me this day would come. Is this chaos worth it? After all these years, you still want revenge,” Alistair said.
“Why would she tell you?”
Grace frowned. What were the two of them talking about?
“She set this all in motion. Did you ever stop to think why she refused to allow my father to marry you?”
Grace gasped. What? Ophelia wanted to marry Torin?
“Because she was a spiteful bitch.”
“Of all the words you could describe Leandra, spiteful is not one of them. You knew my grandmother. You knew of her visions. You’re too consumed by your own heartbreak to understand.”
Another storm of lightning struck against Ophelia’s barrier. Grace could tell it was weakening. How much power does he have? Ophelia was formidable, but it seemed her boyfriend was the stronger of the two.
“Leandra knew what would happen. The only thing she never predicted was your daughter.”
Ophelia sent a wave of ice at Alistair. Grace wanted to listen to their conversation further, but she needed to do what he’d asked of her.
She stared down at the book, running her fingers over the front cover. The book glowed for a moment before it flew open in her lap. The page it had landed on was in a language she didn’t recognise. She put her hand on the page and she found it stuck there. She tried to take her hand back, but it was useless. It was almost as if she had become one with the book as she rose to her feet. It carried her across the ley lines, away from her mother and Alistair towards the opening in the earth. Neither the twins or the winged man and woman noticed her.
The book set her down at the edge of the crack in the earth. She raised her hand up, the book in the other hand as she stared down at the text. The words flew out of her mouth. She had no idea what she was saying.
“De profundis terrae, oriri et claudere ad pontem sancti terram.”
She heard a commotion behind her, but she couldn’t look. Green smoke seeped from her fingers, heading straight for the crack in the earth.
“Grace!”
The earth trembled beneath her feet, the crack beginning to close. Grace lost her footing, tumbling forward. She screamed as she fell, the wind whipping around her hair. The book didn’t leave her. She clutched it to her chest as her other arm flailed. She was falling through the gate to Hell. There was nothing she could do to stop it.
She heard a shout from above her. She couldn’t look up. Had someone followed her? She landed with a thump. She lay there for a moment before she heard two more distinct thumps besides her followed by a groan.
“Whose smart idea was it to jump through the Gates of Hell?” a female voice complained.
“Yours,” retorted a male voice.
Grace tried to get on her hands and knees, her body screaming in protest. She looked over at who had followed her down. It was the man and woman she didn’t recognise.
“Are you all right?” the woman asked her.
“I guess so,” Grace said. “Um… who are you two?”
She got to her feet, dusting herself off. She clutched the book tightly to her chest. She had to keep it safe. She didn’t know why, but she was compelled to. They no longer had weapons and their wings and horns had disappeared.
“My name is Ella and this is Lukas.”
Lukas? Was this the same demon her father had told her to find?
“Wait… you’re… What are you?”
“It’s hard to explain,” Ella said. “We’re sort of part angel, part demon, part human.”
Grace stared at the two of them in disbelief.
“I… Okay. I don’t know much about the supernatural world, but that has to be the weirdest thing I’ve heard.”
Ella grinned, her blue eyes twinkling. Lukas gave her a lopsided grin.
“It’s complicated,” he said.
“How do you know Alistair?”
“We don’t exactly. I’ve heard of him before, but when Neave informed us what your mother planned to do, we couldn’t allow it to happen. We’re meant to stand in defence of humanity.”
“I see… Well, um, thanks, but why did you jump in after me?”
“To make sure you return to Earth, alive.”
“But you don’t know me or owe me anything.”
“You did just close the gates, saving us a massive headache.”
He smiled at her again.
“I suppose that’s fair, though I didn’t have any control over what I just did. The book did it.”
The two of them looked down at the book she was holding, eying it with suspicion.
“The book?”
“Alistair gave it to me to find the right spell, but it kind of took over. I don’t know why. I mean,
I’m not a very good witch, to be honest. I’ve not long had my magic because my mother cursed me when I was a baby.”
“That book closed the gate?” Ella asked.
Grace nodded, but she didn’t hold it out to them.
“Now isn’t exactly the time to be talking about a book,” Lukas said. “We need to move. There is no telling who knows we’re here.”
“Yes, well, we don’t want to run into my father,” Ella said.
“Your father?” Grace asked as Lukas looked around at where they were.
“Yes, Beleth, a Duke of Hell. Like I said, it’s complicated, but Lukas is right, we should move.”
Grace eyed their surroundings. This wasn’t what she thought Hell would look like. They were in an empty room. It looked clinical with bare metal walls and a concrete floor. No wonder it hurt when I landed.
Lukas strode over to a door, pulling it open and looking out. He turned to them.
“Come, we need to find Finn. He can return us to Earth, but I suppose this will come at a price as usual,” he said.
Ella shrugged and walked towards the door. Grace followed the two of them out into a long corridor.
“So, Hell doesn’t look too different from Earth,” she said.
“I wouldn’t exactly say that,” Lukas said. “I doubt you’d want me to show you what goes on down here.”
“This is my first time down here too,” Ella said, giving her a faint smile.
They walked for a long time without talking. The corridor seemed never ending with doors on either side. Grace didn’t dare think about what might be behind them. She could well imagine the types of things that went on in Hell.
Her body still ached from smacking on the concrete floor after she fell through the gate. Alistair had told her witches were capable of healing, but she still wasn’t sure of her own magical abilities. Her heart ached at the thought of him. She had no idea what was happening on Earth. Had he subdued Ophelia?
The conversation she’d overheard replayed in her head. She still couldn’t believe that Ophelia had been in love with Torin. If Alistair’s grandmother hadn’t refused to allow Torin and Ophelia to be together, she would never have existed. Neither would Alistair. It all seemed so surreal. How could she have seen this future?
“Right, you two need to keep quiet and don’t talk to anyone,” Lukas said. “Finn is temperamental at the best of times.”
Grace nodded and Ella smiled at him.
“Understood,” she said.
Lukas opened a door to their right. It led into an office of sorts. There was a woman sitting at a desk and another door behind her.
“Can I help you?” the woman said without looking up.
Grace almost gasped when she saw little horns protruding from the woman’s head.
“Is that any way to greet an old friend, Reagan?”
The woman looked up, her eyes widening before she stood up and came around the desk.
“Lukas!”
Reagan threw her arms around his neck. Grace glanced at Ella whose eyes had narrowed to slits, her fists clenched. She’d suspected they were in a relationship, but Ella’s reaction confirmed it. Lukas pushed the demon woman away, holding her at arm’s length.
“You look well,” he said.
“So do you. How’s Earth?”
“There are no signs of trouble, but we’re making progress finding the others they created.”
Lukas released her and she looked at Ella and Grace.
“I take it the one glowering at me is your partner.”
Reagan smiled, her elongated canines showing. Grace flinched. Lukas looked back at them
“Ella,” he said, putting a hand out to her.
She went over to him, wrapping her arm around his waist.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I keep Finn’s bounty hunters in work. Reagan is the name,” the demon woman said.
“The feeling isn’t mutual,” Ella replied.
Reagan grinned, clicking her tongue.
“Well, I suppose you’re here to see my lord and master.”
“Yes, is he free?” Lukas said.
“For you? Always.”
The door to the office beyond opened. Lukas and Ella walked over to it with Grace trailing behind them. She shied away from Reagan as she walked by.
The office they entered was large with floor to ceiling display cases. There were strange artefacts in each of them. Various coins, a tie pin, a gauntlet and other things Grace didn’t look too closely at. The chair behind the desk was turned away from them. Lukas approached it whilst Ella and Grace hung back.
“Well, Lukas, to what do I owe this pleasure?” came a deep voice.
The chair turned slowly. A man with enormous horns sat staring at them with black eyes in soulless pits. It was all Grace could do not to melt into a puddle of fear. The man in front of them was downright terrifying. What if he doesn’t help us? Will we be trapped down here forever?
The silence ticked on as Lukas and the demon stared at each other.
“You wish to return to Earth, do you not? Well, all things come at a price, Lukas, and I am in no mood for games. Beleth wishes an audience with his daughter.”
Chapter Twenty One
“Over my dead body,” Ella said, taking a step towards the demon.
Lukas put his hand up.
“Finn, is that really a reasonable request?” he asked.
The demon, Finn, folded his hands together on the desk.
“It is the only deal on the table. If you wish to return to Earth through my portal, you will accept.”
Grace had no idea what was going on. She clutched the book tighter. Could it get them out of this mess? She wanted to get back to Alistair, back to Earth. She needed to know what was happening up there. The book began vibrating in her arm. She looked down at it. It glowed.
“What is that girl holding?” Finn asked, staring right at Grace.
“It doesn’t matter. We aren’t taking such a deal, Finn,” Lukas said.
“Bring that to me, girl.”
Grace took a step back as the book began to twist out of her grasp. It hovered in the air, the pages flying open. She looked at the text on the page. She wished Alistair was here so he could translate it for her. He no doubt knew exactly what everything said.
“I think… I think it’s going to take us home,” Grace said.
“I said bring that book to me, girl,” Finn said, his voice hard as steel.
Lukas and Ella moved towards Grace, both reaching out and holding an arm each.
“This better work,” Lukas said.
Grace touched the book. Her magic flared and the words etched into her mind.
“Revertere ad me voluntas quidem cordis mei.”
“Stop! Stop right there,” Finn said, rising from his seat.
A light began to glow around the three of them. The room faded and for several moments, all any of them could see was the bright light surrounding them. Grace still found magic disconcerting despite possessing it herself. Every part of being a witch took a lot of getting used to.
The light began to fade and they found themselves in another room. The wall to their right had manacles attached to it, but no one was in them. Grace looked around.
“We’re still in Hell,” Lukas said, releasing her arm.
She spied a body huddled in the corner.
“Hello?”
The body shifted and a pair of green eyes looked out at them. Her knees almost buckled.
“D… Dad?”
“Grace?”
She took two steps forward, stumbling in her haste to see if it was really him. Her father uncurled himself from the floor, putting his arms out to her.
“Dad!”
She dropped to her knees, placing the book down carefully before she wrapped her arms around him. He felt real.
“Dad, I missed you so much.”
“Grace, my sweet girl. What are you doing here?”
He pulled away, loo
king at her with confusion.
“It’s a long story, but… Mother opened the Gates of Hell and I fell into them trying to close it. I was wrong to believe anything she said.”
“She promised she could return me to you, didn’t she?”
She nodded, a tear slipping down her face. Her father wiped it away.
“It’s okay, Grace. I understand. She was always spinning things to her advantage. That’s just who she is.”
“You knew all this time, didn’t you? You knew what happened between her and the coven.”
“Yes, she told me everything. I thought she was heartbroken, but she wanted revenge against them all. It’s why I made her leave you with me.”
She buried herself in his arms again. She was so relieved to see him.
“I know. I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Hell is no piece of cake, but I’m serving my time. My only regret is we didn’t get to say goodbye.”
“We can remedy that now at least. I can’t stay here long, but there’s something I need to tell you before I return to Earth.”
He smiled and cupped her cheek.
“I am proud of you, Grace. You are such a strong girl.”
She flushed. Praise from her father was always rare.
“Thank you. I don’t want you to worry about me. I’m safe. I… I found someone who cares for me, loves me.”
Her father nodded.
“It’s the witch you met.”
“He’s Torin and Henrietta’s son.”
He shook his head, smiling. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of his reaction.
“Your mother can’t be too pleased about that.”
“Well, no.” She glanced back at Ella and Lukas who were waiting patiently, watching them with interest. “We should get back to Earth. I may have left Alistair battling with Mother.”
“Be happy, Grace. It is all I ever wanted for you.”
They held each other for a long moment.
“I love you, Dad.”
“I love you too. Goodbye, my sweet girl.”
She stood, picking up the book and walking over to Ella and Lukas.
“Do you think it will take us home now?” Lukas asked. “I thought your heart’s desire might be Alistair, but I see that wasn’t the case.”
“Is that what the spell mentioned?” she asked.