by S J Doran
“Amara, easy on…”
Blinking rapidly, she became aware of the steadily growing concentration of magic, surprised at the power she sensed within the energy, enough to kill. They were both staring at her, Levistus with determination and a hint of fear. The angel with surprise and suspicion.
“Amara, who were you to Cassius?” Jez whispered, his brows drawn tight with suspicion.
Her answer came in a broken sound, a whisper barely loud enough to be heard, “I was no one...”
It was Levistus who answered, “Not true, she was his life, and he was hers...”
“I swear to the gods I will find a way to break my vow and murder you where you stand if you do not shut up this instant, old man!”
It was at that moment Jez sunk back into the chair, defeat and sorrow bleeding from the angel as if spilling from a freshly opened wound. “If he remembers his soul being destroyed, he will become self aware… he will know he died.”
“With the illusion shattered and no soul to anchor him, his mind will break and his body will follow.” She had searched every corner of the realms for anything that could protect the sin-eater while returning his memories. And instead had discovered there was a reason destroying a soul was considered a taboo, there was no undoing it. What was lost— was lost forever.
“And now the vampire may have unearthed some lingering memories while rummaging through Cassius’s damaged mind. He might start to remember.”
Her heart sank to her toes “Not might… he already has. He said things to me while the Blood Lord was searching his memories, things the sin-eater could never have known, but Cassius would.”
“What did he say, priestess?”
Levistus came to tower over her when she refused to answer, his body tense with anger “What did he say to you?”
“Assat shi, you were made for me…”
Precious words he had spoken to her moments before they had exchanged their binding vows, when doubt had plagued her. Cassius could have had anyone he wanted for a bride, and yet had chosen a warlock prisoner. She had had been thrown away to be forgotten, yet he had offered her life instead.
“Leave her be Levistus, if she says he’s remembering then that’s all there is to it.”
Having come to a decision the angel stood, and within a few large steps placed himself between Amara and Levistus, giving the demon prince his back as he turned to her.
“It will be alright, we don’t even know for certain what was done to his mind, yeah? I understand what you are asking and I vow that I will do all within my power to protect your Cassius.”
She felt a smile tug at the corner her lips, silly, for she felt her grief all the way into her soul. “He’s not mine anymore, angel.”
The sound of humorless laughter rose up from behind Jez’s back. “Sorry to interrupt this special moment you two are clearly sharing, but in case you have forgotten, we can’t protect the king if we don’t even know where in the hells he is.”
Stepping away from the herald Amara moved for the portal, her head throbbed with tension, the rest of her numb and cold. After four hundred years she had made no progress in dealing with the loss, it was the one wound that refused to heal. And it was during moments like these that she wished she could afford the luxury of death, an end to it.
The flat of her palm merged with the energy of the portal, not bothering to waste her own magic since Levistus was already using his own to keep it opened. With as much pride as she could muster Amara lifted her chin in challenge at the demon prince, cast what she hoped was a reassuring smile at the angel.
Closing her eyes, she focused on the memory of his comforting scent, the warm sound of his honey and whiskey voice, the softness of his hair as she ran her fingers through it, her lips parting as she whispered into the opened portal.
“Cassius, son of Asmodeus, Prince of Lust, King of Hell, Sin-Eater, I summon you.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
my kingdom for a map
Some parts of the Hells he recognized. Some parts, he wasn’t welcome in. As a technicality, all the Arch-Deacons were answerable to him, but in their own realms, they ruled, and he did not interfere.
He stepped over the portal fold again, from the Stygian ice through to the liquid fire of the Phlegethon. Farther and farther from the Nessus and home, hellfire trailing in his wake.
When he came through to the vast barrenness of the Dis, he dropped himself onto a jagged boulder, and watched the lightning flash through the murky not-quite-light sky.
He needed to focus and figure out how the hells he was activating these portals. His thoughts didn’t seem to be directing them, and his emotions seemed a blank void, so he was discounting that theory as well.
The hellfire sputtered and ate at itself, swallowing up the portal.
Cass stared at the spot where the portal had been for far too long, trying to will it back into existence. He was fucking stuck in the second realm. He could see the iron spires of Dispater’s fortress, miles and miles off in the distance, and this terrain was terribly inhospitable. It would take him days to reach it.
Even when he did make it to the fortress, there were no known portals to the Nessus from here, he’d have to go to the Avernus and try to sweet-talk Barbatos… he could thank him for the pretty Erinyes. Then it would be a social visit and not misconstrued as a threat.
He got to his feet, determined, brushed the dust off his pants, and started walking, when he felt her beckoning. Tugging at his mind until he could focus on nothing else.
Amara.
His heart pounded, sweat making his body clammy. She was in danger. He was trapped. He looked around frantically for an exit— some way out— to her...
There. The hellfire sparked into existence in the same spot he’d watched it dissipate. He felt her— all he had to do was follow the trail of her essence…
He landed, back in his own bedroom, facing down a furious Priestess and worn-out Levistus. He scrambled to right himself as he absorbed the sight of her, memories flitting through his mind, superimposing over the reality in front of him.
He’d thought his emotions had gone blank?
He burned.
He stepped toward her, watching her breath catch and lips soften, ignoring the growl from Levistus, until he was toe to toe with her. He held his hand up to her face, running his fingers down the side and under her chin. The bruising was slight, her bones healed.
Pain was still bright in her eyes.
He threaded his fingers through hers, pressing their palms together in silent promise. His. She was his. He leaned in close, inhaling the scent of her, so familiar, the confusion in his mind stilling for one precious moment.
With a soft growl, he moved his palm to the back of her head and brought his lips down to hers, kissing her softly, waiting for her to give back.
His entire body was burning for her.
She softened against him and ran her hands into his hair, pulling him down harder and he groaned, deepening their kiss, one hand fisting her hair, the other running down her back to grip her hip.
She was kissing him back with a ferocity that matched his own, her teeth tugging his lip, her tongue tangling with his. He moved his hand lower gripping her leg, pulling it up to hook around his waist, he could feel the heat of her through his pants his erection straining with the need to be buried in it.
He hadn’t had sex in days. A first, surely. Mara had him so worked up, yet so fucking confused- he’d forgotten the basic need for it.
“Enough!” Levistus shouted, the room shaking with the power behind his voice.
Cass dropped her leg, breathing hard, pressing kisses to her jaw. The vampire had punched her there. And her cheekbone- it had been shattered. He kissed her eyebrow, then her other, in silent apology- he hadn’t been enough-
“Stop this madness Cassius.” Levistus said, grabbing his shoulder, “have you asked her how she got free?”
Reason came back to him slowly, and he met her
gaze with a question in his.
“You’re healed.” Cass stated, the question in his tone.
She stiffened, and moved to pull back, but his hand cupped the back of her neck, she couldn’t move too far.
“Gwynn,” she said, dropping her hands back to her sides.
Cass stiffened and stepped back. Of course it was the Huntsman.
“The Dark King is betrothed to Verity’s infant daughter, and you’re still involved with him?” She deserved better.
Mara blanched, her hands clamping down on his arms. “What?” She whispered, her voice raw.
Had she not known?
He pushed her hair back from her face, watching emotion flicker through her eyes. He couldn’t tell what emotion, but it was too strong for her to hide.
“I was coming back for you.” He whispered, taking another step back and turning to look around his room.
Jez was lounging on the bed, facing them and observing, but making no move to get up. Levistus was edging himself between him and Amara- and she was closed off once more.
“I came to bring you this.” She said, pulling a ring out. The ring. How had she gotten away with that?
“I’m remembering things, Mara.” He said, peeking up from under his eyelashes. He moved to step closer, but Levistus stepped fully in between them, putting a hand up to Cass’s chest.
He moved around Levistus to look at her, reaching for her as she stepped back.
“I remember a girl.” His brows drew together, the puzzle of the pieces of his memory still not adding up into a clear picture. Her eyes. Her familiar scent...
Her mouth set in a mutinous line and she moved around Levistus enough to press the ring into his palm, closing his fingers around it, her hand lingering over his closed fist for just a moment.
It was pain in her eyes. Her expression was completely closed off to him, so he couldn’t see it, but he felt it. Her sigil burned like flame on his chest. And he didn’t like it.
“Don’t,” she said, her expression hard. “Don’t do this Sin, don’t go down this path...”
“The two of you need to stay apart.” Levistus said, voice cold as he stared Cass down.
“I’m leaving. I have duties to attend to.” Amara stepped back before Cass could snag her hand back. “The Temple will be opened to celebrate Ostara. I will expect your attendance.” She nodded to Cass, presented Levistus with a one finger salute, then turned and slipped out through a portal of her own.
Raw anguish moved from his guts out, his body no longer burning, but frozen. Cold and numb.
“Put that ring on and calm yourself, boy.” Levistus said, grabbing Cass by the shoulders.
With trembling hands, he eased on the ring, turning his hand to admire the sheer gaudiness of it. If it worked, he’d finally be free and left alone, no longer summon-able by his father.
All he ever wanted from his existence. Wasn’t it?
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
entire list of grievances
The shackles dug into his wrists. His legs had tired out long ago, his body weak. He hadn’t fed since… he couldn’t remember. Basileus came by every day to bathe him and to encourage him to apologise to his father. So far, Cass would rather die.
He’d failed her. He couldn’t even fight for himself.
Today, his father came in. He had grown tall, but his father still towered over him. His wings were spread out and flaming behind him, and Cass couldn’t support his weight, had no choice but to hang here…
“How long have you been going to visit the warlock?” His father’s eyes blazed as he stepped close. His fingers grasped Cass’s chin and lifted his face. “How long?”
Cass growled but he was too weak to put any real heat behind it. “Mine.” His voice was raspy from disuse.
Asmodeus chuckled, the flames on his wings dousing. “You sink to this and for a woman? Son, I will enjoy the day when you truly have something to fight for.”
But he did have something to fight for. Her. His wife that he hadn’t had a chance to do more than kiss to seal their vows.
The shackles were undone, and he fell to a useless heap to the floor, his father walking out of the room without a backward glance, leaving him in Basileus’s hands.
He choked on an indrawn breath as he was shaken awake, disrupting the nightmare… no, he was kidding himself to think that was anything less than a memory of his past. So why couldn’t he place it?
Jez was looking down at him with concern and Cass realized the lumps digging into his back were the angel’s legs.
“Bad dream?” Jez said, brows furrowed with contemplation.
Cass nodded, “Why would someone remember being married when they clearly never have been?” The question was more rhetorical, he wasn’t expecting Jez would be able to answer.
“What exactly are you remembering?” Levistus spoke from somewhere in the room, startling Cass.
“Everyone just hanging around watching me sleep now?” Cass said, swiping his hand down his face and sitting up.
“Waiting for you to wake up,” Levistus said with a shrug. “You passed out shortly after Amara left, before you could tell us where you’d been.”
“After you made her leave you mean.” Cass scowled at the other demon.
“You need to be worrying less about the priestess and more about your father’s next move.” Levistus said as he walked over to prop himself against the mantle, blocking the low flames from Cass’s sight.
“We thought your father may have summoned you again,” Jez added, his arm reaching behind Cass’s shoulders to rest along the back of the sofa.
“Fuck.” Cass clenched his fists and looked back to Levistus. “The ring might be too little, too late.”
Levistus stilled, looking Cass over. “That’s where you went then? He summoned you?”
“I think…” Cass’s brows pulled together, “I made my own way to him.”
“Did he hurt you?” Jez leaned up and over Cass, moving his hair out of his eyes.
“No.” Cass groaned and leaned back, “he played me like a fucking pawn. I signed an agreement. Levistus…”
He’d fucked up. Given his sister free reign of his realm. How had that become the least important matter on the table?
“I almost forgot about Glasya.” Cass said, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling.
“What did you do, son?” Levistus asked, voice cold.
He looked up slowly, flinching just the slightest at the judgement burning in Levistus’ eyes.
“I had to agree to a compact between my sister and I,” he swallowed hard, shaking his head, “It gives her free access to the Nessus, and me to the Malebolge.”
Levistus’s wrath hit him like a whip. Jez threw his arm over Cass’s shoulders, glaring up at the other demon, who hadn’t moved. He was completely frozen in place, his black eyes gleaming with calculation.
“It was that or bind my power to hers. Which wasn’t even an option.”
“If it wasn’t an option,” Levistus said, fury leaking into his tone. “Then you can be sure Asmodeus planned to push you to the lesser. He wanted this compact- why?”
Cass took a deep breath and admitted the worst of it, “if I try to banish her again, it gives him a loophole to come back.” He braced himself.
“You know what this means, don’t you Cassius?” Levistus sighed and turned back to Cass, exasperation on every line of his face. “She’s going to be pushing you to your wit’s end. She wants her father freed.”
“I’m going to call my own Herald here to stay, he’s needed closer to home now, I’m thinking.” Levistus said with a firm nod. “There’s nothing in the contract that gives her free reign?”
“No.” Cass scoffed. “Access. Only access.”
“You better warn your generals.” Jez said, surprising Cass. “Better to prepare.”
Levistus nodded. “Time to get your own game on the table. You need to know who your players are.”
“If I eve
n have anyone on my side.” Cass shook his head sadly, then looked up as understanding dawned. “You want me to go meet with the Arch-Deacons.”
Cassius was King of all the Hells, in title. The Arch-Deacons held fealty to him, but ruled their own rifts within the Hells. He’d taken for granted that they’d be loyal to his crown.
Levistus gave a brusque nod. “It’s time. I’ll send out the missives. We’ll meet with Mephistopheles first, since he guards the main portal to the Nessus. She won’t be able to bring an army through if he’s on your side. Then Barbatos, since he has the most portals in his realm.”
Levistus took a step toward the door then turned back, “and don’t go to the temple for Ostara’s celebration.” His eyes went bleak. “Just… not a good idea.” He turned and walked out before Cass could question him about that statement.
Of course it was a good idea. He glutted at that celebration every year. An orgy dedicated to fertility? The level of depravity there taught even him a few things.
“You’re upset about her? The warlock?” Jez asked as he pulled Cass closer.
Fuck. All he wanted to do was not think of it. The fact that he was living in a surreal state of memories that didn’t seem real and reality that didn’t seem possible. Locking the memories back away wasn’t working, the fuckers were persistent. For each one that he pushed out of his mind, ten more screamed out from the darkness.
“Cass.” Jez was shaking his shoulder, “are you even all there?”
“Someone messed up my head.” Cass shook it, trying to set things to rights.
“You keep dissociating, it creeps me the fuck out.” Jez’s hot palm landed on his thigh. “Stop digging through the rubble.”
Cass scrunched his nose and glared at the angel. “What?”
Jez just shook his head, eyes full of sadness. “You have issues, demon. Get some rest for tonight before anything else comes up.”
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
blessed are the lusty
Worshippers descended upon Asurim from all corners of the realms for the festival of Ostara, an annual celebration held in honor of the goddess of fertility, whose blessings were highly sought after.