by Avery Rae
They chuckled, and one of them said, "It's not like you'll survive in there alone."
Once I was fully inside, the gates slowly began to shut on their own once more. The minotaurs took up a more defensive posture, more alert now that I had gotten through. Hazel stood a short distance away from them, fury and sadness contorting her expression. I gave her a wave, then shoved my hands into my pockets and turned away.
19
Hazel
"I'm going to kill him," I seethed, hands clenched at my sides.
When Nathaniel told me that Edwin was going to risk his life to save me, I'd been as flattered as I was pissed off. There was no good reason for him to do such a thing. And, most of all, I didn't want him to die. Nathaniel didn't know any specifics, but he made it clear that they were going to have to fight their way to whatever they needed to save me.
"You're going to kill him? No way. Someone, or something, else is going to kill him long before you do," said one of the horned half-man-half-bull beasts guarding the towering gate. Poorly guarding, from what I had seen so far. I hoped that meant whatever else Edwin was facing in there was just as incompetent.
Priscilla walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. I stiffened at first, but she didn't do anything weird. She just said, "I think you should go back to the fortress with Nathaniel."
"But I can defend myself. I won't get in the way. I'll—"
"They don't want you to go, sweet girl, because they're worried some demon in there might gobble you up." The melodic voice floated on the air, so beautiful that I couldn't resist looking. A woman with long, dark hair and a faint smattering of glimmering green scales along her face approached us, her body practically gyrating with each step. To my confusion, the rest of the demons immediately froze, each of them eyeing her warily.
"Delilah," hissed Priscilla, "how convenient that you would show up now."
Delilah lifted her hands out at her sides, palms up, as she came to a stop. She was close—but not too close. "I've come alone, sister."
"And why have you come, exactly?" Gael asked.
"My lamia brought news to me that the Druid had been brought to Hell." Delilah gave me a soft smile, her green, serpentine eyes surprisingly warm. "I've come to offer my help and protection."
"You've been spying on us?" Gael asked with a scowl.
"What else am I to do when nobody will speak with us?" Delilah asked. "Please, just let me help."
"Why would you want to help?" Priscilla asked.
"To prove that my people do not deserve to be treated like villains."
"You don't look like a villain to me," I said, unable to resist staring at those mesmerizing eyes. "You look like Priscilla, kind of."
"That's a whole thing we don't need to get into," Priscilla said with a sigh. "Don't stare at her too much. She can do what I did to you but worse." She paused. "Sorry about that again, by the way."
"You're a succubus?" I asked, still staring at Delilah.
Delilah nodded and smiled, revealing fanged teeth. Much more villainous-looking than I perceived at first. Demons. Bull-men. A succubus. It was all overwhelming, even more so since I could barely process it right now. All I could think about was how Edwin was likely fighting for his life in that big palace of doom over there.
I tore my eyes away from the succubus and began approaching the gates. "I don't know what you guys plan on doing, but I'm going to rescue Edwin."
"Your powers do nothing down here, Druid," a minotaur said with a chuckle. "This is not the Earthen realm."
But he was wrong. I could feel it. Somewhere deep within the ground below me. It was that same faint feeling I got when I summoned those souls. Something was reaching out for me, asking me to use it. I stopped in front of the minotaurs as they raised their axes, and I closed my eyes.
"What're you doing, sweetheart?" The lightly accented voice calling out to me was Cheri's.
"You going to stare them to death?" Amberlynn chimed in.
I lifted a hand to silence them and focused on the tangible something flowing through the ground. I reached out with my mind and touched it.
It was like a key fitting into a lock and popping it open. Something dormant inside me barreled out from its cage, wild and untamed. My body shook as it charged through me. Wind kicked up around me, rapidly gaining speed. Ash brushed at my skin and filled my lungs. But it no longer bothered me. I opened my eyes wide, focusing on the two bulls about to swing down their terrifying axes. They both stopped, weapons hovering in midair.
"Oh, that's just cheating," one of them said.
That was when I struck. The ground beneath them erupted. Gouts of lava burst up beneath their feet and coiled around them. Once they were fully encased, I clenched my hands shut, and the glowing, molten liquid hardened into seamless stone. Each of the minotaurs were frozen, staring at each other in shock. I was fairly certain my expression was exactly the same.
20
Edwin
I stumbled through the doors of the palace, a giant gash in my side that came courtesy of a hellhound bigger than any I'd seen before. Each demon I had fought just to get inside had been harder than the last as they all became more and more alert.
I was still nowhere near the throne room. Or at least, I had a feeling I wasn't. It wouldn't be easy to get to, I knew that much. It was where the power of Hell itself accumulated. That wasn't something you had a map pointing to. Especially when you're in the business of housing humanity's biggest assholes.
I had no idea where I was going. I knew Samael had been here before, and it would probably be a hell of a lot easier with him here, but he would sooner have Hazel wear the crown. I looked around the massive castle's foyer, trying to choose where I would go first.
A sweeping staircase was at the back of the room, wide enough for thirty men to stand side by side on the bottom step. There were twenty doors and open hallways on the bottom floor alone. I had a feeling there were horrors waiting for me in each of them.
I backed into a wall and slid down the smooth surface, wincing at the pain in my side. It was healing, but slowly. That hound had managed to gouge me pretty deep with claws as long as a damn arm.
"You owe me, Hazel," I said with a groan as my insides stitched themselves back together.
"You should've just listened to me."
My head shot up in surprise. Hazel stood in front of me—only she looked different from my sweet, quiet girl. Her eyes glowed that telltale crimson. She didn't just look different. She felt different, too. Power rolled off her in waves so tangible I could see the air shifting around her. The sheer force of it had me flattening my back against the wall.
"Babe?" I asked, my voice hoarse.
"It's happening again. It's worse." Although she was whispering, her voice rolled out on the waves, as loud as if she were shouting. Her voice wavered with confusion, terror, and strength unlike anything I'd ever heard. Despite the waves battering my aching body, I forced myself to my feet and took a limping step toward her.
"It's alright, Hazel, I'll help you figure it out. We're gonna be fine."
"I don't think I'm fine," she said, tears welling in her bright eyes.
I took another step toward her, and a hand grasped my shoulder.
"Do not approach her," Samael's familiar voice said from above me. I cursed. Of course he would show up.
I shrugged off his hand. "Would you stop telling me what to do? She's scared, Samael. She needs help."
"The only thing that can help her is the crown," a second voice said, this one feminine and soft. "We must get her there."
"What the hell is Delilah doing here?" I bit out. "Is she the reason why Hazel is like this?"
"No," Delilah said as she stepped forward, "but this is why Lilith was so interested in her."
"Because she's part demon?"
"Not just any demon," she replied, eyes sweeping over Hazel's trembling form. "Her bloodline is far more complicated than that."
"You're stil
l hiding shit, are you?" I scoffed. "Big surprise there."
Before Delilah could reply, Hazel whimpered and said, "I don't know what it is, but I can't control it anymore. I can't—" A scream tore out from somewhere deep inside her, and a wave of heated air blasted out from her, even knocking Samael to his knees. The rest of the Brotherhood hit the floor behind him just as they stepped inside.
"What the shit is happening now?" Amberlynn cried out from the floor, her arms wrapped tightly around Cheri, who looked like she was truly regretting her choice to follow us out here.
"We need to get her to the throne room," Delilah said. "Quickly. Do you know the way, Samael? Lilith wasn't exactly forthcoming about that sort of thing."
Samael eyed her for a moment, then nodded. "This way."
My eyes were still on Hazel's tortured ones as they began to walk to a door on the far left. I didn't have the first goddamn clue what was happening to her or how to make it better, but I knew I would do everything in my power to make sure that I would. Her life had already been plagued with so much bullshit. She didn't deserve to have this happen to her, too.
I wanted to reach out to her. To hold her in my arms. To take back all those times I had left her. Left her alone. Time I could've spent with her. I was worried that I was going to lose it all. Hell, I had come here planning to lose it all. But not like this. I walked as close as I could before the waves rolling off her began to push me back. She reached out for me, and a lump formed in my throat.
"We're going to get you fixed up, babe. Just hold on for me, alright?"
A tear rolled down her cheek as she put her hand down by her side. I screwed up my face and looked off to the side, fighting against my own tears. I'd never cried before. Not even as I felt my life slipping away from me did I shed a tear.
Seeing her hurt, though? It was even worse than being betrayed and having my life stolen from me. I did a lot of shady shit. I probably deserved what I got. But all she did was what she knew. What she had been raised to do. She was a product of her environment. I chose to do bad shit. She did it because she thought she was doing good. I should be the only one suffering out of the two of us.
"Come, everyone." Samael's deep voice rolled through the tense air. As I tore my eyes from Hazel to start walking, I saw how terrified and unsure they all looked. I shot each of them a glare. She obviously didn't know what was going on and it wasn't her fault, so they needed to stop. It was only going to make it worse for her.
As everyone filed through, I motioned for Hazel to go in front of me. She slowly made her way past me, and hot air slammed me back and away from her. It was like there was a fire burning hot inside her, desperate to escape. What happened to you, babe? With a pang of guilt, I realized that whatever it was probably happened when I made the choice to come in here alone. I hoped that wasn't the case, but it was a futile sort of hope because I knew I was lying to myself if I thought for a second that couldn't be the reason.
Our group had only made it partway down the dark hallway when we were met by a large, horned demon woman who had to have been more than ten thousand years old. Once they passed that point, they got a certain look about them. You just knew.
She had muscles that made a large swath of Berith's army look weak; her form filled up the vast majority of the hallway. She let out a furious roar and started toward us. Everyone braced themselves, but they didn't need to. Those waves of power rolling around Hazel suddenly tightened, as if bunching up, and propelled her upward. She rose above the others, narrowly missing the ceiling.
"Leave them alone," she shouted, her voice echoing off the walls.
The demon froze, tilting her head to the side. "Master?" she asked, her once furious voice now laced with confusion.
Master? I eyed Hazel's floating form as a million thoughts slammed through my head at once. I didn't like a single one of them. I was starting to think I had made a huge mistake by bringing her down here. I shoved my hands into my hair and cursed under my breath. As if that wasn't already obvious enough.
"I will escort you to the throne room," the demon said, despite still sounding unsure. "It's just up ahead."
Hazel slowly lowered to the ground, the heat pouring out from her once more. Her shoulders slumped.
"You doing alright?" I asked.
She looked over her shoulder with a sad smile. "I can feel it, Edwin. Hell. It's alive."
"Sure, babe. Just be careful, alright?"
"I'll try," she whispered as she turned her head back around and started after the receding crowd.
As I watched her, I noticed Delilah staring back at us, her green eyes flashing in the torchlight on the walls. When our eyes met, her lips quirked up ever so slightly at the corners. Is this what she wanted to happen? Is that why she told me about Hazel being in danger?
I was starting to understand Hazel's frustration. It was rough when you didn't know who you could trust.
21
Hazel
Something had awoken inside me. Something that terrified and excited me. I thought I felt powerful that night when I first made souls bend to my whims. The power now coursing through me made that seem like child's play.
This must be what it feels like to be a god. Nothing could hurt me. That thought excited me. I could destroy something with a snap of my fingers. That thought terrified me. I was no judge or jury; I was not fit for such power. But there was something addicting about it. I wanted to break something. Destroy something. I was scared that if something didn't happen soon, I just might. I couldn't explain why. I wasn't sure.
The minotaur said my powers wouldn't work here. But these weren't my powers. I didn't even know what my powers were anymore. I didn't know what I was. Back before that first sacrifice, before Edwin, I thought that I just had some silly Earthen magic in my blood, passed down from generation to generation. But I was different somehow. With the power to do more than summon a few souls. Now? There was something else there. Something dangerous and old that I had never felt before.
The demon that walked ahead of us guided us through countless enemies that would have undoubtedly stopped us in our path. The moment they looked at me, however, they would step aside. Finally, we stopped in front of an arched, ceiling-high door made of heavy metal. An ornate pattern with sharp, jagged lines was carved into it.
"Let her through," the demon said, looking at me.
The crowd of demons in front of me parted, and I strode forward, aware of Edwin following close behind. Everything inside me wanted to burst and break free, and I was terrified I would hurt him if I wasn't careful. The demon bowed her head as I approached. Considering she looked as if she could crush me in her fist, it was an odd sight.
"We've waited so long for your return." She sounded deferential. "It's an honor to usher you into your rightful place."
"My rightful place?" I looked down at the way the air pulsed around me. "This doesn't seem right."
"It will be soon, I promise you." She pushed open the door. As it swung open, the air around me shifted and rushed inside. There, hundreds of torches flamed to life, bringing a black throne into view. Upon it sat a thin band of polished black stone that glinted in the light.
It called to me. I didn't even need to be told that it was what I needed. It would make everything better. As I took a step forward, eager to place it upon my head, a voice called out, "Wait."
I didn't want to wait.
But I looked over my shoulder and met the eyes of Samael. He stepped as close to me as he could. "You need to know what will happen if you take that crown."
It wasn't a matter of if I would—I was going to wear it. I had to.
The succubus, Delilah, stepped forward. "That's Lucifer's crown. Legend has it that if you wear his crown, you must lose something precious to you. He lost his access to Heaven. What do you risk losing?"
My eyes flicked to Edwin, then Nathaniel, then back to Edwin. I watched his Adam's apple bob up and down.
"You don't have to do this, bab
e," Edwin said. "You don't."
But I did. I couldn't deny its call. I took a deep breath, tears pricking at my eyes as I swiveled my head back around.
The worst part was that I couldn't touch him to say goodbye. But we'd had so many goodbyes already. Maybe it was for the best. Heaven, Hell, and Earth were all pulling us apart.
I stepped up onto the stairs leading to the throne, each one feeling like it took more effort than the last. The moment my fingers touched the simple band that was Lucifer's crown, I knew that it was meant to be, and it tore me apart. I gripped it tight, and with one final look over my shoulder, eyes meeting Edwin's, I lifted it and placed it upon my head.
A shuddering breath fell from my lips as the air around me stilled. I closed my eyes as the terrified trembling beneath my skin began to still. My entire body relaxed. When I opened my eyes, everything was clearer. Everything made sense. As much as it hurt, this was my place. I sat upon the throne.
Everyone, demons and angels alike, even those nearly as old as time were lifted from their feet. As if an invisible hand pulled them, they rushed backward through the doors, which slammed shut. I was alone.
22
Edwin
We all fell against the ash-covered ground as the gates to Lucifer's palace slammed shut behind us. I was instantly on my feet and rushing toward Nathaniel. I pulled him up from the ground by the collar of his shirt. He didn't even resist. That was when I knew the answer to the question I hadn't even asked yet.
"You knew this was going to happen, didn't you? That's why you offered to stay and watch her."
Nathaniel looked to the side, his expression filled with so much guilt that I wanted to punch it off. Instead, I tossed him to the ground, sick to my stomach with fury at myself. I shouldn't have left her with him. I thought I was giving her what was best for her. I really did. I mean, hey, a fallen angel is better than a demon, right? I knew I could trust myself to put on that crown for her and make sure nobody could ever hurt her. That was the best thing I could have done for her.