by Gwenda Bond
“Do it.”
Luke releases my hand and I don’t protest this time. He needs both of his to press up the hatch. The hinge is too new to creak, even if we did distress the floor on the other side to look like old stone.
The light in the chamber is dim, so I don’t even squint as he slowly presses the hatch up. He holds where he is and I understand he wants me to climb out first. I do.
There’s no one in here now, and I eye the stand where my book—the bargain real grimoire that started this mess—would usually be. Luke slides out of the exit behind me and replaces the hatch.
I take a breath and we face each other. “Good plan,” he says. “What next?”
“That part is a little more fly by the seat of our pants. We have to go out there.”
He glances around us. “You should take something from in here to defend yourself.”
“I’ve got you,” I say, attempting a joke.
“Just in case,” he says, taking it seriously.
I cast a quick gaze around and reject things too clunky or heavy and settle on a long brass candlestick. The idea of hitting someone with it is so foreign I have trouble visualizing it, but it does make me feel better. I think it came from the same estate sale as the grimoire.
Luke and I cross to the door customers use to enter the room. We’re taking all the paths that should be easy, the reset paths. Escape rooms are only hard to escape if you enter them from the right direction.
Or they should be.
For all I know we’ve already been seen on camera.
I glance up into the corner and see words appear on the screen: They r up front
A clue. Mag and Jared just gave me a clue. Or it’s a trap?
I point up at the corner and Luke takes the words in too. Then I go to the door and push it open.
And crap, there are two unmasked Order of Elerion members hanging out in the fake graveyard vestibule, having a low, heated conversation.
Not so heated they don’t immediately notice us though.
We stare at each other. They’re about to scream for help, I know it. I consider about-facing back through the door, but if the rest are up front then we’d be trapped in the underground exit. No, thanks.
The robed creep in front advances and I heft my candlestick, but Luke steps in my path and I abort my swing just in time. He lifts his hands like he did with Jared and Mag, and the cult members fold to the ground in sleep as before. We don’t bother to give them a soft landing.
They thud when they hit the floor.
I whirl to check the corner cam: Hurry
“Can you do that to all of them?” I ask Luke.
“Maybe? But I’m guessing Solomon will be protected by something.”
Still, it’s encouraging. I grab Luke’s arm with my free one and tug him toward the outer door that opens into the main hallway. This is the point at which we’ll be most exposed. They can easily block us in.
On the other hand, my people are at the end of it. We need to make it that far and then …
I’ll figure out something.
“Callie?” Luke asks.
He gestures at the corner screen, which still has the same message, now with an exclamation point: Hurry!
Right.
I turn ye olde–fashioned knob and press the door to the hallway open, hearing how loud the creak is. No one comes.
They probably think we’re the two prone bodies behind us, if they hear the sound at all. There’s another argument going on up front and it includes the unwelcome timbre of Solomon Elerion’s voice. He’s talking about the spear.
I make myself not listen. If he says something about Mag or Jared, like that he’s hurt either of them, I’ll lose it.
I clutch my bag tight to my side with my free hand and grip the candlestick with the other as I dart into the hallway and toward the stairs to the control room. Luke’s behind me, barely detectable, his footsteps quiet compared to mine. I’m doing my best, but stealth is not my forte.
“Boss, hey,” I hear behind us. “Boss! They’re here!”
In a blink, we’re surrounded by a fog thick as gauzy cotton. Fear comes with it.
“It’s mine,” Luke says.
“Good thinking.” I pull him forward, navigating from memory. We make it to the steps and pound up them and if we hadn’t been given away already then Bosch’s howl from inside the office door would have.
I bang on it. “It’s me, open up.”
“They were bound,” Luke says. “In the vision.”
“How were they messaging us then?”
“I don’t know.”
He waves his hand, and the fog around us forms into one of those magic keys. The wispy teeth slither into the lock and the door releases with a click. We lunge through and Bosch climbs onto me, all paws and snoot and licks.
The sound of our pursuers gets closer. Luke shuts and relocks the door. I find a chair and prop it under the knob for extra security.
Only then do we stop and take a pause. I wanted to see Mag and Jared so badly, but this is going to be complicated. I shouldn’t have thrown a fit about their relationship.
When I turn, I find Mag and Jared glued to each other’s sides, hands bound behind them and standing in front of the computer console. The two have clearly been working together to do the messages. Jared must have guided Mag as they touch-typed backward. Impressive.
Seeing them is such a relief—Jared, Mag, and Bosch—that I nearly lose my breath.
Mag stares back at me defiantly, still angry at me. They have every right to be.
“We need everyone free,” Luke interrupts. “We can’t stay here indefinitely.”
Bosch has moved on from me and is dancing joyfully around Luke’s legs.
I head toward Mag and Jared and my brother says, “Untie Mag first.”
“Why not both of you at the same time?” Luke asks.
Luke shifts toward my brother, lifting a brow in question. Jared nods, giving him the wariest look in his brother tool kit.
“Oh, right,” Jared says. “Fine.”
After tugging uselessly at Mag’s restraints and then finally rummaging around in the desk to find some scissors, I saw at the thick rope.
Someone pounds on the door, but it holds.
“Aren’t you going to say anything to me?” I ask Mag.
“Like what?” they say.
I take a shaky breath. I rushed back here to save these two. Who are acting like I’ve committed a crime.
“Like that you accept my apology for being so judgmental before and freaking out. I was wrong. I’m sorry I overreacted.”
The ropes come free at that moment and Mag shakes out their arms for a second before flinging them around me.
We don’t have time for a long hug, but it’s an important one. “I really am sorry,” I say.
“Me too,” Mag says.
“Ahem,” Jared says. Luke’s almost done with his bonds.
I pull back. “Sorry I was a jerk to you too. You’re my brother and I love you. But you better not screw this up.”
“I’m trying not to,” Jared says.
“Apology accepted,” Mag says. “And I really am sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
“It’s okay. We’ll talk later.” Presuming there is one. “Have you guys heard from Mom?”
“I texted her things were cool and have been ignoring her calls,” Jared says. “I’m a little surprised she’s not here already, honestly. What’s the plan? Is my car still out front?”
I shrug helplessly. “I don’t know.”
He frowns. “How can you not know?”
The only way to say it is to say it. “We sort of, ah, came from Hell. Into the Chamber of Black Magic. We got zapped there with a spell.”
My brother opens his mouth to say something and then shakes his head.
“But you’re terrified of being in places like that,” Mag says.
I’m proud of myself for coping. “The things we do for love.”
; The pounding on the door intensifies.
“Can he zappity us out of here?” Mag asks with a head tilt toward Luke.
Up to now, Luke has mostly been taking in our conversation. I wonder how it feels for him, seeing mostly non-dysfunctional family and friends talk to each other, even in a completely dysfunctional situation.
“Forbidden at the moment. Getting here was a special case.” He continues. “But we do need a way out. You don’t have a panic room or a secret passage to the outside or something handy like that?”
I can tell from the way he says it that he already knows we don’t.
“Listen up,” Solomon Elerion says, loud and creepy from the other side of the door. “I don’t understand why you’re so determined to mess this up, little guardian. Or how you got a demon to help you. The others are doing what they’re supposed to do: preparing for the war to come. We know you have obtained the piece that we need. You could just hand over the spearhead of the Holy Lance.”
“Never,” I call out.
Everyone nods in agreement.
“That’s too bad,” says Solomon. “I suppose we’ll just have to burn this place to the ground with all of you inside it. The portion of the spear won’t be touched by the flame. It’s inconvenient for us, a tragedy for you, but what choice do we have?”
Luke’s face turns grim.
I try to decide if it’s too early to panic.
Then Solomon decides to add to his threat. “I’ll give you five minutes to decide. If you choose to hold on to what should rightfully be ours, this place and all of you except the demon will be gone by dawn. Ash.”
Bosch whines.
I’m definitely going with panic.
CHAPTER TWENTY
LUKE
Callie doesn’t move. Not a blink, not a muscle. This is the stillest I’ve ever seen her, and that includes while she slept as I carried her through Hell’s forests.
“Callie.” I say her name gently. “Don’t freeze. We’ve come this far.”
She jolts into motion and pulls out her phone. “I’m calling the cops.”
A good idea in theory, but it won’t work. “Too slow, since he’ll undoubtedly have some sort of magical accelerant. And they’re not well equipped to deal with supernatural threats.”
She doesn’t say anything for a long moment. “After all this, everything we’ve been through, Solomon Elerion’s going to win. Hell’s going to win.”
“You’re not going to ask if I can try to use magic on him?” I can’t believe what I’m hearing. She sounds close to throwing in the proverbial towel.
“Can you?” she asks.
“Probably not,” I admit. “They seem to have gotten their hands on a lot of forms of protection from the demonic and I’m not exactly on speaking terms with the angelic.”
“At least we’re together,” Mag says. “Callie … you’re still … you haven’t turned to the dark side?”
“She’s good.” I say it firmly. “And she’s not giving up.”
Callie looks at me with a plea. “I’m not?”
“We have a deal,” I say. “I promised you I’d help you stop all this. But…”
“I don’t like whatever’s coming after this but,” Mag says.
“Me either.” I stay focused on Callie.
“Three minutes,” Solomon Elerion calls out.
“Tell us your plan.” Jared motions a hand for me to spill it.
I can imagine the response I’m going to get, but we’re out of options. “I will give him the portion of the spear once you’re all safely out of here.”
“No.” Callie says it like she’s in mourning.
“Yes. Once you’re all safe, then we will get the spear back.”
She shakes her head. “How?”
“We’ll figure it out. Together.”
“Two minutes.” Solomon’s enjoying this, the douchebag of darkness, relishing his countdown.
Callie starts to pace, which is difficult to do with Bosch literally dogging her steps. It’d be endearing if we weren’t in such a dire position. I wish I thought I could protect them all from the flames—the one thing I should be able to do—but I’m not willing to underestimate Solomon again. Or, rather, I’m not willing to gamble these humans’ lives by doing it. I’ve sworn to take enough from Callie as it is.
Jared holds up a hand. “This is the Holy Lance we’re talking about. What will it allow them to do?”
“Whatever they wish,” I say. “But they want to please my father, so there’s that limitation. The forces from Above will ride into battle in an attempt to stop them. They think this was all my father’s plan, when really it was an accident. The forces of Below will respond in kind. We’ll have a short window.”
In theory, I’m answering the question, but my words are for Callie. We might be able to pull this off. There is a chance. Slim, yes, but present nonetheless.
“Your father?” Mag asks.
“Oh, right,” Callie says. “This is Luke Morningstar, Lucifer’s son. Prince of Hell.”
I wave a hand dismissively at the honorific.
Mag glances at me with new curiosity. “Wow. Okay.” They hug their arms around their torso. “Look, I know I should be the kind of person who would sacrifice myself and you guys without a thought … I don’t think I am.”
“Me either,” Callie says.
I hope she knows that’s not true. She’d sacrifice herself in a heartbeat. I won’t let her.
Not until it benefits me.
“Upstairs and downstairs love to put humans in positions like this,” I say, reassuringly. “That doesn’t mean it’s a fair choice. What kind of person lets those they love go without a fight? And he’s going to get what he wants either way. There’s no point in dying to prove that you’re a good person. If we fail, it’ll all be pain and misery soon enough.”
“Is that supposed to be comforting?” Mag asks.
“Sorry.” I shrug. The situation is what it is.
“I say we do it, Luke’s plan,” Jared says. “What isn’t a gamble right now?”
Callie has stopped walking. “You’re right. It’s our only call.” She pins me with a gaze. “You promise we’ll keep fighting to stop all this? After?”
“I already made you that promise,” I say, thinking again about the one she made in return. And, if I’m being honest, thinking about her lips on mine back in my bed. “I meant it then, and I mean it now.”
“One minute,” Solomon calls.
Callie nods to me. Her eyes are as deep as the part of the ocean where the krakens live.
“Solomon?” I ask.
“Yes?”
“Let’s make a deal.”
Solomon hesitates for only a moment. “I’m listening.”
Even someone like me who didn’t pay enough attention to their tutor knows how to make an ironclad deal with a human. This is the easy part.
“You allow safe passage to all three of the humans in this room and swear that no harm will come to them by you or your people’s hand or efforts.”
“And…” Solomon drags out the word.
“And in exchange, I will give you the spearhead of the Holy Lance.”
There’s quiet as Solomon considers or confers with his cultists. Callie has her hands clasped nervously under her chin, waiting beside me.
“In the interest of time, I accept your terms,” Solomon Elerion says. “We have a deal.”
I say the words fast, before he can change his mind: “It is spoken, it is sealed.”
I trust Solomon Elerion about as far as I trust myself, which is saying something. We’re in negative numbers territory here.
This is what we’re doing though.
“Then let’s get this show on the road,” Solomon says. “We’ve wasted enough time on your games.”
Callie has a death grip on her bag and I can’t blame her. I extend my hand and hide my reaction to how hard it is for her to hand over the lance to me.
For all I kn
ow, I’ll burst into flame upon touching the thing. I don’t think it would kill me, not that I did that reading either, but it would certainly remind everyone here why Callie should never have been within a million miles of my side. Not that they need it.
It would also remind Callie.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
And it seems I’ve lost even my ability to put a good face on. Fantastic news.
“You have to ask?” I say.
“Fair,” she says. “It’s going to be okay, right?”
She wants my reassurance. She continues to wait for it. I feel a twinge at the back of my throat and nod. “We got this. No problem. Easy peasy. Don’t—”
“That’s enough. I knew it was bad.” She reaches into the bag and pulls out the spearpoint with its dinged metal and aura of good. Light and peace wash over me and it’s no trouble at all to accept it.
Until my skin touches the surface …
Unholy Hell, every point of contact burns against my skin like it’ll smoke away every sin, every error, every piece of me. I don’t let her see my pain. But it’s not easy to hide.
Maybe it will kill me. Which means time is even more of the essence.
“Time to go,” I manage.
Callie hesitates and I nearly scream. “Should I go first?” she asks.
“I’ll go first,” her brother says. There’s no arguing with that tone. “If they don’t hold up their end…”
“They will,” I say through gritted teeth. “It’s kind of a thing. Deals and demons. If they break it, it’ll hurt them more than it will anyone else.”
“I’m still going first,” Jared says.
“I’ll go with you.” Mag leans toward Jared, and if they think we can’t hear what they say next, they’re wrong. “They might want a moment.”
“What?” Jared asks quietly.
Mag elbows him. “Shut it. I think maybe…” They crook their head from me to Luke. “They’re…”
“Really?” Jared scoffs. Which hardly seems fair given his secret romance with Callie’s BFF.
“We don’t have time for this,” Callie says and her ears must be bright red with embarrassment.
I do my best to keep from screaming in agony.
“Are you coming out or not?” Solomon Elerion says from behind the door. “Those are the terms.”