To Hell And Back (Hellscourge Book 2)

by Diem, J. C.

  “What?” Sam said in a hushed tone, automatically cowering against me. He could be brave when he had to be, but he was fairly timid most of the time.

  “We’re being watched.” I’d never been so sure of anything before, but I couldn’t see anyone stalking us. Turning in a slow circle, I caught a flicker of movement in a distant tree. A black bird poked its head out from behind a branch then pulled it back again.

  “It is just a raven,” Sam said in relief and smiled. It should have been a hideous sight, but I was used to him by now.

  It might just be a bird, but the way it was peeking around the tree was disturbing. Uneasy without really knowing why, I tugged on his arm to get him back into motion. “Let’s get out of here,” I muttered. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

  Despite my exhaustion, I broke into a jog. Heading downhill, I slowed once we reached the bottom and the ground levelled out. Taking a different path to the one that had led me to the North Woods, we bypassed the bridge with the archway and the waterfall. The route we took brought us back to the pond. The little old lady was gone and the ducks had moved on to somewhere else as well.

  “Where is everyone?” Sam asked in a hoarse whisper.

  My hackles rose when I realized we were the only ones left. The few people who had braved leaving their homes had disappeared, as if they’d sensed trouble. Maybe the news of nearly a dozen new deaths that had sent the demon souls to me had spread already. We always hid the slain vessels of the demons that I’d absorbed, but we apparently weren’t the only ones meting out death.

  I’d stumbled across the body of a young girl the night I’d met Nathan in the flesh for the first time. She had been the first victim in a slew of them. Nine girls had been found dead now. All resembled me, at least superficially. In their teens, they were slender, pretty and had long blond hair.

  Police had issued a warning for young women to stay in groups and not to go out alone. They’d advised the media that they had evidence that more than one person was responsible for the murders. Just this morning they’d disclosed that all of the victims’ hearts had been removed. They’d found DNA from at least five different people on the girls’ bodies.

  A quiet hysteria had fallen over Manhattan once it had become known that there was a group of serial killers on the loose. That was why Central Park was so eerily quiet. Women were too afraid to leave their homes unless they absolutely had to. Their menfolk were staying close to protect them.

  I felt guilty about the girls’ deaths even though I knew it wasn’t my fault. I’d been chosen by Fate to save our world from being overrun by demons. The master of hell was hunting me. He wanted me alive, but each time his minions found a girl that resembled me, she was slaughtered. I wasn’t sure if they were killed due to frustration that they weren’t me, or if it was just for the sheer pleasure of it.

  ₪₪₪

  Chapter Three

  Feeling eyes on my back again, I unconsciously picked up my speed and pulled my hood up to cover my hair. Sam ran closely beside me. His head swiveled from side to side as he searched for danger. I looked back over my shoulder to see a gigantic raven gliding towards a nearby tree. It disappeared behind the branches, but I could feel its stare following us.

  Wishing Nathan had teleported us back to Sophia’s store after all, I sped up until I was nearly sprinting. The stitch in my side returned as we followed the main pathway southward. We passed the North Meadow to find the grassy field utterly deserted. No one was playing sports of any kind. I wasn’t sure if it was off limits at this time of the year, or if it was empty due to whatever had caused everyone to flee from the park.

  We passed the tennis courts next and they were equally devoid of life. The path took us near the gigantic reservoir that spanned nearly the entire width of the park. Apart from ducks, the area was deserted.

  Twin apartment buildings to our right caught my eye. A pair of identical towers speared up towards the sky. I’d marked them on my way through the park while fleeing from Brie and figured we were roughly at the halfway mark.

  Up ahead, a trio of squirrels chased each other up a tree. Racing around the trunk in circles, they sped back down to the ground and ran across the grass towards another tree. I envied them their carefree play, wishing I didn’t have the weight of the world on my narrow shoulders.

  Hearing a pained squeal, I whipped my head back to see one of the squirrels now in the clutches of the raven. Carried high into the air, its struggles ceased when the bird bit its head off. The bird dropped it and the head thumped to the ground right beside me. “Gross,” I complained and nearly tripped when my feet tangled together.

  Sam grabbed my arm before I could fall, but his gaze was locked on the raven. “There is something very wrong with that bird,” he said in a low voice, as if he was afraid it might hear him.

  Focusing on the raven, I saw what he meant as it glided towards a tree with the body of the squirrel still in its clutches. Its feathers were mangy and I was pretty sure I could see bone poking through in some places. Landing on a branch, it turned its head to observe us. Its eyes were milky and somehow sly.

  My breath caught in my throat when I realized what it was. “It’s the same undead bird that we saw in hell.” I had no way of knowing if it was the same one or not, but a sixth sense told me that it was.

  “It should not be able to leave hell,” Sam said and increased his pace until he was almost pulling me along. “Someone must have brought it through the hellgate into this world.”

  I didn’t want to know who or what had that kind of power, but I suspected it was the Hellmaster himself. He was searching for me and he was using undead eyes to do it.

  Somehow knowing I was on to it, the bird abandoned its pretense that it was just a normal creature and dropped the squirrel. Launching itself into the air, it gave a hollow caw as it flapped towards us.

  Almost certain to trip over if I kept trying to watch it, I faced forward, put my head down and ran. Seeing its shadow approaching, I ducked as it swooped down low. Its outstretched talons just missed me and it made a sound of frustration. Sam’s eyes were wide and terrified as he grabbed hold of my arm to keep me from sprawling on my face. He darted quick glances upwards, searching for the raven as he propelled me along the path.

  Skirting around a small lake, I almost went down when the bird made another pass. Its talons brushed my hood, but I jerked away before it could grab hold of me. We were panicking and were running in blind fear by now. I kept telling myself that if we could make it out of the deserted park that we’d be safe.

  The skyscrapers that loomed over the southern end of the park drew closer. There was no cover as we pounded down the path past the grassy expanse of the Sheep Meadow. Hearing wings flapping as the bird dive bombed me again, I ducked reflexively and again narrowly missed being gored by its talons.

  I threw a desperate glance at a building on our right as we sprinted past it. It was a small redbrick tavern with a dark gray roof. A sign told me that it was closed for the season. Even if it had been full of people, it would have been dangerous to seek help from them. They would have been no better equipped to deal with the demonic bird than we were.

  We were in the home stretch now and I could see the exit to the park coming up. Hope blossomed then was torn away when talons latched onto my hood. They were sharp enough to tear through the fabric and to dig into my scalp. Far stronger than it looked, the raven managed to pull me off my feet. We travelled for several yards before Sam wrapped his arms around my legs and yanked with all of his might.

  The raven let go of me with a startled squawk. Landing awkwardly, I stumbled and went down on one knee. Blood trickled down my face from shallow wounds in my scalp. I shuddered at the thought that I was now infected with undead bird cooties.

  Sam snatched up a fallen branch and brandished it when the diabolical bird made another pass. Golden strands of my hair trailed from its talons. He managed to land a solid blow on its back while I scrambled
to my feet. Enraged, the raven switched its attack to my friend.

  Simultaneously brave and terrified, the imp swung the branch in desperation as he tried to fend it off. Winded and exhausted, I used my sleeve to wipe a trail of blood away from my forehead before it could run into my eye and blind me. Tired of running, I pulled my dagger from the sheath in my pocket. The blade immediately began to glow crimson. It was a sure sign that I was in danger.

  It was probably unsporting of me to attack from behind, but the raven had hardly been playing fair with us. Creeping up behind it as it batted Sam with its wings and tried to tear his face off with its beak, I slashed at it with my demon blade.

  Sensing the attack, it twisted away a moment before the metal could slice it in half. I didn’t give it a chance to tear into me and lashed out again. This time, it didn’t quite manage to jerk away. The blade sliced through its left eye and it let out a shriek of pain and rage.

  Sam swung his branch at the raven and hit it on the wing. Wounded, it croaked in frustration then ponderously flapped its way higher into the air. Hovering unnaturally several yards above us, it realized that we were done with running. We were two against one and we were both armed. With a final glare through its remaining eye, it fled.

  “Somehow, I do not think that battling a bird was quite the exercise that Nathan had in mind for you,” Sam said solemnly.

  My lips quivered then I started to laugh so hard that he had to hold onto my arm to keep me upright. Just when I thought I had control, his quizzical expression set me off again. “Sorry,” I gasped when I got my breath back. “It’s just that you can be really hilarious sometimes.”

  “I did not mean to be,” he said humbly and almost apologetically as we continued our walk.

  “I know. That’s what makes it so damn funny.” Searching my face for any sign that I was making fun of him, his shoulders relaxed when he realized I wasn’t being sarcastic. The others might still be wary of him, but I classed him as a friend. So what if he was an imp? I was far from perfect. I wasn’t about to judge him for what he’d done in the past. Right now, I needed all the friends I could get.

  ₪₪₪

  Chapter Four

  Nearing the exit that would take us to Columbus Circle, I finally saw other people again. The oppressive sense of doom that was keeping the populace away had fled along with the raven. A small group of tourists were huddled together for safety on the sidewalk. Most were taking photos with their cameras or cell phones. Sam carefully kept his face turned away. Unlike angels and demons, imps couldn’t possess a vessel to hide their true identities. If anyone got a good look at him, they’d probably run screaming.

  Relief swept through me when we stepped from the path onto cobbled ground. A large statue stood near the entrance to the park. A golden figure and several horses stood at the top of the monument. They looked almost too bright and gaudy next to the dingy gray stone beneath it. Other statues of people were arrayed around the base. Some were naked, but the rest wore robes. I wasn’t sure what significance the monument held. I was too rattled to stop and read the plaque.

  Even with the threat of death hovering over the city, the streets were clogged with cars. A never ending flood of yellow taxis and an assortment of other vehicles made their way around Columbus Circle. We waited for the lights to change then scurried across the pedestrian crossing. There were far fewer people on the sidewalks than there had been before the murders became publicized.

  I turned to face Sam. “Do I have any blood on my face?”

  He studied me carefully then used his sleeve to wipe away a few errant drops. My scalp stung where I’d been scratched, but I pulled my hood up anyway. The stone bracelets that Brie had fashioned for us contained a powerful spell. It would help to hide us from demons and it also acted as a tracking beacon for the angels to be able to find us. Even though our enemies wouldn’t notice us unless we deliberately drew attention to ourselves, I preferred to keep my face hidden.

  I felt a bit safer when the tall skyscrapers closed around us on both sides as we walked along Eighth Avenue. Spooked by our encounter, we kept glancing back over our shoulders, checking to make sure the raven wasn’t following us. There were few trees to give it cover here and it appeared that it had given up on stalking us.

  Now that the danger seemed to be over, my stomach rumbled to remind me that I hadn’t had lunch yet. I’d spent all of the cash that I’d pilfered from the vessel of Bob the demon, but Sophia had given me some more money. She’d been an angel once, but her grace had been stolen. She’d been left with the ability to see the future. Apparently, she actually had a few regular clients, but she only saw them when the rest of us were absent. At least I now knew where she got her funds from.

  Passing countless pizza joints and cafés, I opted to stop at a popular fast food restaurant. I felt like a burger and fries and a milkshake wouldn’t hurt. Finally spying the golden arches, I nudged Sam in the side. “I’m going to duck inside and grab some lunch.” It was pointless to ask him if he wanted anything. His stint in hell seemed to have changed him permanently. Just like everyone else in our team, he no longer needed to eat or sleep.

  “Nathan instructed us to return directly to our base,” he said anxiously.

  “Since when do I ever do what I’m told?” I smirked. At his worried frown, I patted him on the arm. “I won’t be gone for long. You can stand outside and keep your eye on me,” I suggested as we reached the doors.

  Unhappy, but knowing it was useless to argue with me, he stationed himself right outside and watched me through the windows as I made my way inside.

  It was frowned upon to wear a hood in stores, so I pushed it back and scanned the room. I relaxed when I didn’t spot any flickering faces that indicated any of the patrons were demons. They didn’t need to eat, so there was no point in them staking a claim over the premises.

  The line was short, so I didn’t have to wait long to give the girl my order. Turning to check on Sam, I saw a familiar handsome face across the street. Nathan was talking to a man and a woman who were nearly as gorgeous as he was. Unless they were uncommonly beautiful, that meant they were probably angels. The man had light brown hair, but the woman was just as blond as I was. Both of them wore dark, somber suits. The female wore her hair in a severe bun.

  A stab of jealousy went through me when she put her hand on Nathan’s arm. He shook his head unhappily, then his shoulders sagged as she said something to him. Her companion spoke next and his expression was stern even at a distance.

  My number was called and I reluctantly turned around to collect my order. When I turned back, Nathan and the two strange angels were gone. Sam had been watching me through the window the entire time and he hadn’t seen the trio. He perked up when he realized I was about to leave the restaurant and he stepped forward to open the door for me.

  “Thanks,” I said and absently held out the fries towards him.

  “Do you wish for me to hold that for you?” he asked me doubtfully.

  Realizing what I’d done, I drew my hand back. “Sorry. I forgot that you don’t eat for a second there.”

  “It is not so much that I cannot eat, but that I do not need to.”

  “Have you ever tried a French fry?” I asked. He looked at them and shook his head. “Have one,” I urged. “You might like it.”

  I proffered the fast food to him again and he took one dubiously. Chewing it slowly, he swallowed it down.

  “Well? What’s the verdict?” I asked.

  “It was edible, I suppose.”

  His expression of distaste told me otherwise. “You don’t have to tell me what you think I want to hear,” I said. “I’d prefer it if you told me the truth.”

  He made a face. “In that case, it was awful. I do not know how you can bring yourself to ingest something that tastes so horrible.”

  I grinned at him, taking no offense at his blunt honesty. “They taste pretty awesome to me,” I said and stuffed a handful of fries into my m
outh. “I’m just glad that I won’t have to share them with you.” It came out mangled, but he grasped my meaning and grinned in return.

  We continued to keep an eye out for anyone or anything that might be following us as we walked the last couple of blocks to Sophia’s store. I spotted a group of flickering faces, but the demons didn’t pay us any attention. The raven hadn’t made a reappearance either, so it looked like we were in the clear.

  I didn’t bother to knock when we reached the door that proclaimed a psychic was inside. I barged inside with Sam right behind me. Sitting at the large round table, Sophia looked up sharply. She smiled when she saw it was just us. “Would you like some tea?” she asked.

  I showed her the milkshake that I’d purchased along with my meal. “I’m good, thanks. Have the others returned yet?”

  She shook her head as we took our usual seats at the table. Sam was now confident enough to give me some breathing room so we didn’t brush elbows anymore. “Leo and Brie stopped in briefly to advise me of what happened,” she said. “It may take some time for them to search the entire island for the culprits.”

  “Have you ever heard of any animals being brought through a hellgate?” I asked.

  She blinked in surprise and frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Tell her about the raven, Sam.” I started on my meal as he relayed what had happened in the park.

  “I have never heard of this happening before,” Sophia said when he was finished. Disturbed, she pondered on the problem. “Were you badly injured by the bird?” she asked at last.

  Scrunching up my now empty wrapper, I shrugged. “Not really. It just gave me a few scratches that bled a bit. They still sting a little.”

  “It is just as well that I bought some antiseptic cream,” she replied and stood. “We should take care of your wounds immediately.” It didn’t take a clairvoyant to know that I’d end up getting hurt at some stage. Unlike the rest of my friends, I couldn’t heal quickly. At least I couldn’t when I was on Earth. Even Sophia and Sam had healing powers that were far greater than anything a human was capable of. Nathan had demonstrated his ability to heal me, but I was pretty sure the others didn’t know about it. Brie for one wouldn’t be happy to know that he dispensed his treatment by a kiss.