by Tara West
“Where are we?” Sarge asked.
I ran my tongue across the bridge of my mouth, which had gone drier than dust. “This is Shadow’s room.”
Boner cast a furtive glance over his shoulder before whispering. “That guy gives me the creeps.”
Me, too, I thought, and now we know why.
Jack started scratching on the door, frantically, as his whimpers increased.
Something was wrong, and I wasn’t about to wait to find out what. I retrieved my scythe from my pocket and flipped it open. “Stand back,” I warned.
Boner pulled a reluctant Jack back as I sliced off the knob with the sharp blade and then busted open the door with the blunt end of the weapon.
I looked past the silk drapes and fancy furnishings, drawn to an elevator door at the far end of the room.
I rushed across the plush carpet, everyone else trailing behind me, and then hit the down button.
“Where does this elevator go?” Sarge asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I didn’t know he had one.” The blueprints had made no mention of an elevator in Shadow’s room. There was just the one in the common room.
Whatever was going on, it was not good, and I refused to put anyone else in danger. I exhaled a deep breath, turning to Sarge and Boner. “You guys stay here.”
Sarge folded his arms across his chest, glaring. “Not on your soul. Ash is in trouble, and I’m going, too.”
Well, heck. Look who wanted to be Ash’s knight in shining armor. If I’d been a spiteful man, I would have held my ground and refused his help. But now was not the time to be spiteful.
I nodded. “I’d sure appreciate your help, as long as you’re aware of the dangers.”
“I’m aware,” he said gruffly.
Though I’d never left the safety of a Hell-bound elevator, I’d seen the trappings enough times to know what awaited me down there. A lone Grim wandering the fire and brimstone was a sure target. Demons didn’t exactly care for Grims. After all, we were the ones who’d delivered them to eternal damnation. It would be nice to know an experienced combat veteran had my back, even if he planned on stabbing me in it later.
“What about me, Sarge?” Boner asked in a voice that sounded oddly small. The guy was practically quaking in his flip-flops. Sarge and I shared knowing looks. Good. At least we were on the same page. Someone like Boner could be a detriment to our mission, and we’d probably spend more time keeping him out of trouble than searching for Ash.
Sarge grasped him by the shoulder. “Go tell Crow what happened. He’ll know what to do. Don’t say a word to the Alphas. We don’t know who we can trust.”
“Okay.” His lower lip quivered, his eyes glistening with moisture. “Sarge, if you don’t make it back-”
“I’m making it back,” Sarge said, the finality of his statement leaving no room for doubt. Maybe I’d misjudged him earlier. He may have been a young pup, but here was a man who could stand his ground.
Boner nodded and turned away, sniffling loudly before tugging Jack’s leash. The dog dug his nails into the floor, ripping up the plush carpet as Boner dragged him. There was a longing in his big brown eyes, a powerful awareness that caused a chill to steal up my spine. And that’s when I knew. How hadn’t I realized it before? All these years he’d waited in Purgatory for Ash now made sense. Jack was more than just a pet to her.
“Hold on,” I called.
He turned, his eyes red-rimmed and brimming with tears. “What?”
I nodded to Jack, who’d shredded a long trail in the carpet. “The dog goes with us.”
Boner’s eyes widened. “Are you crazy?”
“We have a lot better chance at finding Ash with Jack.”
Sarge shook his head. “If something happens to her dog, she’ll never forgive us.”
I walked over to Jack, bent down, and looked into his eyes to be sure the awareness was still there. It was. Those were not a dog’s eyes gazing back at me. The understanding I saw beneath the façade of the cute puppy stare was far more. I stood, holding out my hand for the leash. “Jack’s not just Ash’s dog. He’s her guardian angel.”
Ash
My head still hurt, only now the pain was more localized, twin migraines on the left and right sides of my skull. I moved my head side to side, and I could have sworn I felt something up there, as if Shadow had drilled nails into my cranium. I wouldn’t have put it past the sick bastard. He’d definitely done something to my spine, too. The flesh on my back felt swollen and exposed. I had to get out of here before he came up with more torture techniques.
I closed my eyes, focusing my energy into the restraints around my hands. My eyes shot open when I felt the first tear. It was working! But the strange thing was, the energy surging from my palms felt different, almost electric.
Unfortunately, Sasquatch Demon was still staring into my cage, licking his furry lips and rubbing his hands together, his eyes glued to my tits. I knew he was wishing for some chicken rub and a carving knife. Somehow, I got the feeling he wasn’t taking Shadow’s threat seriously, and I’d be missing a chunk of breast meat before Shadow came back.
I closed my eyes again, channeling my power with more urgency, hoping Sasquatch Demon didn’t catch on to my escape attempt. Energy burst through my hands, making a loud ripping sound as it blasted off the trappings. Okay, that definitely felt different than wind as a strange tingly feeling raced up my arms.
“What in tarnation was that?” the demon asked.
I opened my eyes, flashing a rueful smile. “Sorry,” I said. “I had chili for lunch.”
He licked his lips as a string of drool fell to the floor. “Mmmmm. I bet you’d taste good in chili.”
Ugh. Maybe the food image hadn’t been such a good idea. Well, at least my hands were free. Now what to do with the rest of my restraints? The demon would see if I untied them. I had to distract him. I sized up the bars of my cage. They looked pretty sturdy, but I’d blasted doors off hinges before, and I was sure as heck going to try to blast the bars, too.
Panic seized me at the sound of keys rattling. Sasquatch Demon was coming inside!
“Just a little piece of breast meat,” he mumbled.
He threw open the gate, dropping the keys to the floor with a clank as he produced a big-ass knife from behind his back. Oh, this was so not good.
I held out my hands and blasted him with a roar. The last thing I saw were the whites of his eyes before he flew out of my cell. And, holy heck, what had come out of my palms? I never remembered my wind being that bright or that full of static.
By the time I’d untied the bonds on my ankles and pulled the ropes off my shoulders, I saw a flash of fur outside the cage.
“Damn bitch don’t know who y’all’s messin’ with!”
Shit. The only thing worse than a redneck Sasquatch Demon with a big hunting knife was a pissed off redneck Sasquatch Demon with a big hunting knife.
I stood on shaky legs, holding out my hands again, preparing to strike, but the demon moved so fast, I couldn’t see where he’d gone. Oh, great, he was Speedy Gonzales, too.
Another flash of fur whizzed by the cage, a glint of steel hitting the bars with ear-splitting clanks. His ominous laughter echoed through the cavern. He was toying with me. The gate was still open. He was expecting me to make a run for it, and then he’d strike fast, dissecting me into pieces like a Ginsu chef dicing raw meat.
Another flash of fur and steel, and the clanking was louder. I felt a splash of water on my face. He was trying to unnerve me, send me into panic mode, running from the cell and into the blade of his knife, but his plan backfired. The water tasted cool and refreshing, and surprisingly energizing, as in my skin buzzed with pleasure. Weird.
One more pass across the cage, and then my bars lit up with fire. I shrieked and ducked, crying out as I felt the raw wound on my back tear open.
Heat filled the cage as the inferno flared and then slowly died.
What the hell just happene
d?
I froze when a new demon entered my cage. I recognized him instantly as the Dragon Demon from my last ghosting assignment, the same demon who’d wrestled with my boyfriend all the way back down to Hell. I’d been sure Aedan would come back with bruises and burns, but other than a few minor scratches, he’d looked whole. He’d never spoken of the encounter after that night, no matter how many times I’d broached the subject.
The dragon held a hand down to me. “He’s gone now. Are you all right?” His voice had an oddly familiar ring, and those eyes…. Though they were red and glowing, there was something about them that made me think I knew this demon. But that was impossible. We’d only met once under very unpleasant circumstances.
I slowly slid up the wall, wincing at the sharp stabbing pain in my spine. I held out my hands, preparing to unleash my energy. The only thing holding me back was fear this demon would probably burn me to a crisp.
I eyed him warily. “Keep away from me.”
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, his gruff voice softening. He took a step closer, and the light from the wall scones illuminated his features. Though the sides of his face and the rest of his body were covered in reddish scales, there was still something oddly familiar about him. He looked part dragon, part human, and was bigger than most men, about as tall as Aedan but even wider. He wore no clothes other than what I could only describe as a loincloth covering his private dragon parts, which I assumed to be rather voluminous, because damn if the bulging cloth didn’t jiggle when he walked.
Ewww, gross. I was ogling dragon dong.
I pushed my back against the wall. I thought about blasting him and then making a run for it. But where would I go? My brain had been foggy when Shadow captured me, and I didn’t remember the way to the elevator. What if another demon captured me?
Even though something about this demon seemed oddly familiar, maybe comforting, I reminded myself this creature could easily burn my eyes out. He’d almost taken me to Hell during my last ghosting assignment, after capturing me in a painful grip right before Aedan saved me. He was just trying to sweet talk me so I’d obey. Maybe he was the kind of demon who liked to tenderize his meat before he barbequed it.
The power forming at the center of my palms made my skin itch. One good blast, and I could run like hell. Where I’d go, I still had no idea.
“I use a lot of lavender moisturizer,” I said as I unclenched my fingers, “so I probably don’t taste good.”
He chuckled, a deep throaty laugh, as a plume of smoke escaped from his mouth. I fanned my face as his breath washed over me like a heat wave.
“I’m not going to eat you, either,” he said, waving to the bars behind us. “We need to go before Shadow gets back. You’re not safe here.”
I arched a brow. “And you’re telling me I’d be safe with you?” Why was this demon trying to help me? Surely there was something in it for him. Maybe he wasn’t hungry at the moment. Maybe he was going to ransom me back to Shadow, or maybe he needed to make a virgin sacrifice to Satan. Err, scratch the virgin part. Maybe he just needed to make a sacrifice.
He nodded. “You’re Aedan’s woman, right?”
“Yeah,” I answered hesitantly. Oh, great. He and my boyfriend were on a first-name basis. Why did I get the feeling I wouldn’t like the reason?
He slapped his broad, scaly chest. “It’s me, Callum.”
Did he expect me to know who he was? I was fairly certain I’d never hung in the same social circles as dragons, and if I did, I would have known about it. “Callum who?”
A look of shock crossed his demonic features. “Hasn’t my brother spoken of me?”
Brother? Does he mean Aedan?
“No.” Surely if Aedan had a brother in Hell he would have told me, right?
There was no mistaking the hurt in the demon’s gaze as the embers in his eyes darkened to a dull glow. “Aedan is my twin.”
“You guys don’t look anything alike.” Even as the words came out of my mouth, I somehow sensed he was telling the truth. Earlier today, when Aedan had caught me with Sarge, that angry look in his eyes reminded me of Dragon Demon. And looking at this demon now, I did spy some similarities. Although it was a stretch, could this demon be Aedan’s twin? And if he was, what the heck was he doing in Hell?
“Look,” he groaned as steam poured out of his nose, “do you want to go back to my brother or not?”
A hand flew to my heart. He would really take me back to Aedan? This had to be some sort of trick. “You mean you’d help me get back to Purgatory?”
He folded impossibly huge, scaly arms across his chest. “That’s what I’m saying.”
My jaw dropped. “Why?”
There was a loud bang from somewhere beyond the dark recesses of the cavern.
His eyes widened, and he stepped back, casting a glance over his shoulder. His nostrils flared as he turned back to me. “Someone’s coming. This is your one chance to escape.”
I must have gone certifiably crazy, because I put not only my life, but my soul in the demon’s hands. I let him lead me past the bars and a pile of burnt fur and bones I assumed was Sasquatch Demon, and toward a faint glow at the end of the cavern. Where we were going, I had no idea. I only hoped I wouldn’t end up as the main course for a dragon’s feast.
Aedan
It was a tight squeeze going down. Too tight, so I had to go with Jack first and then impatiently wait for the sergeant. I knew I was going to be spending too much time with the guy. We didn’t need to start out with our balls pressed together.
As soon as the elevator doors dinged open, he shot out and moved ahead of me. Bones crunched under my boots as I strived to catch up. Did he think this was a race? He had no idea where to go without me. He had a quick stride, considering the uneven terrain and his prosthetic leg.
Human bones were littered everywhere, in some spots their masses so deep, I could not see beneath the dull grey of their crushed skulls. Remnants of the lives lost to the beast. I’d given up on Jack’s leash at this point. There was no way I’d be able to scale bones and rein in a dog.
I beckoned the soldier up a slope of grey toward the mouth of a cavern as wide as the length of two steam-ships. Beyond that I knew were the burning embers of Hell’s gate. The infernal fire was what led the way, its flames so hot, it burned in unnatural violet and fuchsia hues, lighting the mouth of the cave in a stunning and eerie display of color.
The hike up was slow going, as the bones beneath us would slide and tumble with the slightest disturbance. Jack seemed to know where we were heading, scaling up the slope with dexterity while I struggled to keep my footing. By the time we reached the top, our chests were heaving, and our hands and knees were cut and sore.
I sat atop a crushed ribcage, shielding my eyes against the blinding light, squinting down at the mouth of fire that sprang up from the bottom of the cave. Great thunderous explosions burst from deep in the beast’s belly, making ear-splitting crackles before shaking the ground with bone-jarring booms. The skulls farther along had turned to ash, making our descent far easier, though we roasted like three stuck hogs on the spit.
My throat was already parched, so I grabbed two bottles of water out of my pack and handed one to the soldier.
“Ration this,” I said. “There won’t be any potable water sources where we’re going.” Not that it mattered. From what I’d heard, I could survive Hell without water, though the discomfort from an eternally parched throat would be enough to drive me mad.
“Thanks,” he said as he took the bottle. “I should have brought my pack.”
I shook my head as I poured a small amount of water into my hand and let Jack drink. “There isn’t time. We need to get to Ash. I’m not sure why Shadow took her, but his plan must be foul indeed.”
I capped the water and slipped it in the satchel and then pulled out a spare scythe. The case wasn’t much bigger than what modern people used for cell phones, one of Purgatory’s rare and useful technologica
l advances, gifted from the Big Guy. All I had to do was press a button, and it expanded into a giant, gleaming arched blade with a long handle that doubled as a walking stick. Though Grims didn’t need walking sticks. We were all in prime shape, strong enough to take on the nastiest of demons.
The cool object warmed in my hand, and I hesitated before handing it to Sarge. “Guard this well. It was issued to me and me only. I’m breaking code just letting you use it.”
“I appreciate it.” He looked down at the object and frowned. “It’s not a rifle, but it will do.”
“Guns don’t do any good in Hell. All they do is piss off demons. If you want to slow a demon down, you chop off his head.”
Sarge narrowed his eyes. “What do I do if I want to kill one?”
Good. We were definitely on the same page.
I took the scythe from him, pointing to the two red and blue buttons on the device. I aimed the weapon away from us and hit the red button. A bolt of flame shot out; the blast would have caused me to topple back had I not been prepared for the charge.
“If you want to kill a demon, you burn it to a crisp,” I said, handing it back to him. “It dies a second death and gets knocked down another level. It will take years for the demon to ascend again. Hopefully, we’ll be long gone.”
He nodded and pocketed the weapon. “How do you know which level Ash is on?”
Good question, and I’d already given it some thought. “Shadow would have brought her to the top.”
“Why?”
“Because the farther down he goes,” I said, “the more miserable his existence.”
I’d been thinking about the life of luxury Shadow had been living in Purgatory. I wasn’t sure how long he’d been there, but I knew he’d been a ghoster for at least fifty years. He was used to certain comforts, so I knew he’d want to stay on the highest level in Hell, which led me to wonder why he would have given up his soul in the first place. Then I remembered how precariously the balance of power could shift in one’s favor in the underworld. I knew it was power Shadow sought. He desired that more than luxury. I had no idea what he hoped to gain by stealing Ash, but I knew a power-hungry demon was dangerous indeed.