“Is it possible retreating is what Lucifer intended for you to do?” Lix asked.
“If it is, then he didn’t expect us to move here. Few know of this place, or at least few used to know of it,” Morax said and clasped Verin’s hand. I realized this had been their private chambers.
Kobal led me over to one of the quartz seats and maneuvered me onto it before taking the seat beside me at the head of the table. Lix sat on my other side and Calah moved to sit beside Kobal. Corson took a seat near the end and Morax helped Verin sit before stepping behind her. All the others spread out to stand behind those seated at the table.
Kobal opened his mouth to start speaking when a solid knock sounded on the boulder blocking the entrance. Morax strode over and pulled the rock out of the way. He stepped aside to allow someone entrance, but I couldn’t see who entered over the top of the table. I glanced at Hawk as his eyebrows shot into his hairline. His lips compressed into a flat line and he looked as if he were trying not to laugh or gawk.
I went to rise to see who had entered, but Kobal seized my hand and flattened it on the table, holding me in place. I frowned at him as Verin rose from her seat and strode over to stand beside Bale. A scraping sound filled the air, and I thought the seat Verin vacated was pulled back, but I couldn’t be sure.
Straining to try to see what was going on, I nearly toppled out of my seat when a forehead and eyes popped over the table. A pair of deep-set chestnut eyes met mine over the slab separating us and a bulbous nose with a reddened tip rested on the top of the rock. A gnarled hand rose and plopped onto the table beside the eyes, which twinkled with amusement. The demon hoisted himself onto the rock seat before leaping nimbly onto the table.
I understood Hawk’s reaction as I tried not to gawk at the three-foot creature striding across the table toward me. His red outfit reminded me of Santa’s suit, only the belt was green, as was the top hat he wore slightly askew. A red belt ran around the middle of the top hat.
The man’s brown hair hung in ringlets, and with every step he took, they bounced against his shoulders. Due to his knobby knees bowing out to the sides, his gait was awkward and hitching. If he’d been wearing shoes with bells on them, I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself from laughing, but his hairy feet were entirely bare and his pink toenails neatly trimmed.
Stopping in front of me, he tilted his head to the side to study me and set down the small, black pot he’d been holding. I blinked at the yellow liquid swirling within the pot as a wave of steam wafted from it.
It can’t be! My mind screamed at me. However, when I lifted my head to take in the little man as he crouched before me and rested his hands on his knees, I couldn’t deny I was waiting for a rainbow to sprout somewhere behind him.
“River, this is Lopan,” Kobal said.
Lopan the leprechaun. I almost laughed, but I had a feeling this little leprechaun would tear my throat out instead of granting me wishes or giving me his pot of steaming yellow stuff.
“It is good to see you, Lopan,” Kobal said.
The little man’s eyes darted to him. “You also, my king. You have been missed. There are still five leporcháins on your side.”
Leporcháins? That must be what type of demon Lopan was, but were they pulling my leg with this? Was this one of Magnus’s illusions? I glanced at Magnus, but I knew he wouldn’t try something like that right now, and Kobal wouldn’t play along with it. Not while they were discussing how to kill Lucifer.
“The other five leporcháins remain on Lucifer’s side?” Kobal asked.
“Four. I killed Dragsi,” Lopan replied.
When he spoke, he revealed his mouthful of razor teeth. He may not look overly intimidating, but this leporcháin could inflict a lot of damage. He wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t a formidable opponent.
“I am sorry for the loss of your friend.”
“Dragsi stopped being a friend when she chose the false king over our true king,” Lopan replied. “Jumping Jehoshaphat! She has angel eyes, my liege.”
I somehow managed to keep my shock hidden over this abrupt shift in conversation and his choice of words.
Rising, Lopan extended his tiny hand to me. “Howdy!” he greeted. “What’s cracking?”
“Ah, I’m not sure,” I replied and glanced at Kobal. He’d propped his chin on his palm and conveniently placed his hand over his mouth to hide a smile. I stretched my hand out to take Lopan’s. “Hello.”
Lopan lifted his other hand and clasped mine within both of his as he leaned forward to peer more intently at me. “Much power, much strength, a fine queen, for a mortal,” he said as he patted my hand.
I was saved from having to think of a response when he released me, turned away, and bent over his pot. He waved a gnarled hand across the top of it before dipping his hand inside and pulling out a perfect, golden rose. My mouth dropped and Hawk’s breath exploded from him when Lopan extended the rose to me.
“Unlike Magnus’s tricks, you’ll find this will remain intact when touched,” Lopan said.
“I’ll show you a trick,” Magnus muttered.
“For you, mah rejant,” Lopan said, ignoring Magnus. “Please, take it.”
I stretched my hand out and took the stem of the rose. Solid beneath my fingers and cool to the touch, the rose looked so real that I was tempted to sniff it.
“It’s beautiful,” I murmured. “Thank you.”
“A rose for a flower,” he replied, and I couldn’t figure out if he didn’t know the saying, or he didn’t know any other flowers. Either way, it didn’t matter. Lopan bowed his head and lifted his pot. He tottered back to the other side of the table and set his pot down. Settling himself on top of the slab, he sat crossed legged as he gazed at all those within the room. “Now, where were we?”
I kept the rose in hand as I drew it closer to me. Kobal leaned over to whisper in my ear. “The leporcháin do not often part with their treasures. That is a rare gift from one such as them. I think he has also tried to learn some human sayings for you and might be confusing them.”
“It’s sweet that he tried,” I murmured.
A smile curved Kobal’s mouth as he leaned closer to me. “I’ve never heard another refer to the leporcháin as sweet. Murderous fiends, yes. Bloodthirsty, most definitely, but never sweet. Lopan is a strong ally.”
“You sent the demon in the cavern to find him and bring him here,” I said.
“Yes. When I learned Lopan still lived and had simply been elsewhere engaged when we arrived, I wanted him here for this.”
He’d been with the nymphs most likely, or some other demon, I realized. I turned and pressed my lips to Kobal’s ear as I spoke. “Is he really a leprechaun?”
“Yes and no.” Kobal clasped my hand within his. “The leporcháin certainly aren’t friendly creatures who have a pot of gold and chase rainbows, but they most likely spawned the leprechaun myth amid humans.”
I looked from Lopan to the rose and back again. “What’s the stuff in the pot?”
“It’s not a pot but a caultin. They carry it with them wherever they go, and it is the source of the leporcháin’s magic. Their magic keeps the caultin bound to them when they carry it, but it is possible to steal it if they set it down. If it’s ever stolen from them, so is their source of power.”
“So that’s where the myth of a pot of gold came from, and that if you steal one from a leprechaun they have to do what you ask.”
“Yes. The leporcháin will do almost anything for their power back; it’s their main defense. They can conjure anything from within, as long as it’s the size of the caultin or smaller. It’s where their clothes come from; for some reason they enjoy wearing those things. I think one of them saw the myth the humans had turned them into and decided to have fun with it, or they are trying to make themselves look even less threatening to demons by wearing the outfit. Though, those who cross a leporcháin know just how lethal they can be.”
“Amazing.”
I ran
my fingers over the rose. A single, midnight blue spark flickered across the tip of my finger to the rose.
“A child of the angels,” someone in the room murmured.
I lifted my head to find everyone staring at me. Lowering the rose, I placed it carefully on the table.
“What is the next step, my liege?” Lopan inquired.
Beside me, Lix uncapped his flask and took a swig before turning it over. Not a single drop fell out. I expected him to complain; instead, he recapped his flask and folded his arms over his chest.
“We go after Lucifer,” Kobal said.
“No one fighting Lucifer has made it into the throne room since he seized control of Hell,” Calah said.
Kobal tapped his fingers against the table. “No one has been able to lure him or his followers out of that room once they hole themselves up in it. We will be able to do so now.”
“How?” I inquired.
A muscle in his jaw twitched when he turned his eyes to me. “Bait.”
Slowly, he outlined his plan to draw Lucifer into a battle.
CHAPTER 14
Kobal
I kept River close by my side when we returned to the main cavern to join with the other demons. They didn’t go to one knee again, but they all bowed their heads and stepped aside to create an aisle for us to walk through.
Looking at her, no one would know that her hand briefly trembled against the small of my back as she kept her chin high. She held the gaze of every demon whose eyes she met, and she stopped to speak with those who offered their hands to her.
A tree nymph dashed through the crowd to stand at the front of the gathering. Her blonde hair framed her pretty face and emphasized her green eyes. She practically bounced on her toes while she waved enthusiastically at River. A beautiful smile lit River’s face as she stopped before the nymph.
“Lena,” she greeted and clasped the nymph’s hand in hers. “I’m glad to see you here, and safe.”
“You also, my queen. Your highness,” Lena said with a bow of her head to me before focusing on River again. “I’m glad you are both well. My queen, we have a bathing area and some fresh clothes for you. If you would like.”
“I would,” River breathed.
“I will escort them to the bathing area,” Verin said as she stepped forward. “I could use a bath myself.”
“So could I,” Bale said.
River rose onto her toes to place a chaste kiss against my lips. My arm locked around her waist, holding her in place as I deepened the kiss until she became breathless. Reluctantly, I released her and stepped away. I almost pulled her back to me when she gave me a sultry smile.
“Come, my queen,” Lena said and tugged on River’s hand. “Our king will still be here when you are done.”
“Make sure no one else goes anywhere near her and that they all steer clear of the bathing area,” I said to Bale as I watched River walk away with the nymph and Verin. “I will send the hounds with you.”
“I’ll keep her safe,” Bale vowed.
The hounds followed at Bale’s heels as she stalked away to catch up with River. A few seconds later, demons filtered out of the side tunnel River entered.
“I will be taking my leave to find some mjéod and some tree nymphs. Many tree nymphs,” Lix said to me before vanishing into the crowd.
“You should go with him,” I said to Hawk as he gazed after Lix with a look of longing on his face. “You need to feed, and we need you at your best for this fight.”
“I think I would like some more leisurely activities myself before we go to war.” Corson slapped Hawk on his shoulder. “Come, canagh demon, let’s make some nymphs happy.”
“I bet I make mine far happier than you make yours,” Hawk retorted.
“I’m game for a challenge,” Corson said, and the two of them broke away to stride through the crowd.
Morax and Magnus stepped closer to me as Lopan and Calah walked with us to the end of the chamber while I greeted everyone within. Before the humans opened the gateway into Hell, Lopan and Calah had been two of my strongest allies and fighters against Lucifer. I’d ordered them to remain behind to continue the fight when I went above with the others.
As we walked, Calah filled me in on the events that occurred since my last trip into Hell. “Things had been quiet since you were last here,” Calah said. “There were skirmishes between the two sides, but nothing major, until recently.”
I contemplated his words as I left the chamber and started down the tunnel River had entered with the others. “It probably started to change around the same time Lucifer realized we had River.”
“From what I’ve gathered, it does seem that way,” Morax said as we walked down the empty tunnel. “He’s been preparing for us to enter Hell.”
Stopping, I leaned against the wall. I glanced back at the main cavern, but no one had followed us. “And we’ve brought River to him,” I said.
Not only that, but I planned to use her as bait to lure the bastard out. Every instinct I had screamed against following the plan I’d laid out. Everything within me said to get her out of Hell before it was too late, but she’d never know a second of peace, never be completely safe, if we returned to Earth with Lucifer still alive. He would never stop hunting her.
“From what Morax has told us about her, our queen can handle herself,” Calah said.
“She can,” I agreed. “We received a visit from the fallen angel, Caim, when we traveled through the oracle.”
“Truly!” Lopan blurted and set his caultin down to lift his hat and push his hair back. “Did you kill him?”
“Not yet. He stated he would help us against Lucifer and that he believes the angels in Heaven are trying to communicate with River.”
“What do you make of that?” Morax inquired, his tail flicking above his head.
“We can’t trust him, but I think he’s right about the angels trying to speak with River. Whether that means the angels will grow a set of balls and step into this fight or not, I don’t know. I do believe they’re trying to get some message through to River. However, unlike some of the other children of the angels, she can’t receive it.”
“Why did you not reveal this to the others?” Lopan asked and lifted his caultin.
“They accept her as their queen; they have no choice. However, it could make some distrustful of her if they learn the angels are trying to get a message to her and that one of the fallen has offered to help her. Some of our fighters have turned to Lucifer’s side before; we can’t have this information somehow finding its way back to him. No one else is to know about this.”
“They will not,” Calah vowed.
“Whatever is necessary to protect our queen, my liege,” Lopan said. “You will also note that none of Magnimus’s illusions remain in the cavern.”
Magnus’s eyes narrowed on Lopan. He shifted his feet as if he were preparing to kick the leporcháin down the tunnel. I placed a hand against Magnus’s chest as Lopan grinned at him, revealing all his flesh-rending teeth. The two of them had never gotten along, each believing their capabilities to conjure things superior to the other’s.
“I noticed,” I said.
Lopan stared at Magnus before shifting his gaze to me. “They did well enough for simple illusions, and were good distractions while they lasted.”
“Good,” I said briskly. That meant Magnus had upheld his end of things. I already trusted him more than I had upon first encountering him again, but I wouldn’t take any chances when it came to River’s safety and Lucifer’s demise.
“I have a carnival you wouldn’t find so simple, and you would make a star attraction in it,” Magnus said.
Lopan turned away as if Magnus hadn’t spoken. Morax chuckled and all of Calah’s eyes rolled. Stepping away from the wall, I started down the side chamber again, stopping when River appeared with Verin and Bale. Behind them, the tiny nymph skipped along with River’s clothes in hand. The hounds brought up the rear.
River l
ifted her head and her amethyst eyes met mine. The black pants and shirt she wore hugged her slender frame. Her wet hair hung loosely against her back and over her shoulders. Watching the sway of her breasts in her shirt caused my cock to swell. Soon, we would be going to war against Lucifer, soon I would be putting her at risk, but before that happened, I would spend as much time with her as possible.
“Leave us,” I ordered the others.
Stalking toward her, I swung her into my arms and carried her back the way she’d come from. “Is there a place we can be alone down here?” I asked her.
“There is,” she said as she nibbled at my ear.
***
River
Kneeling in the shadows of the tunnel, I rested my hand on the cool ground. I breathed slowly in and out as I took a minute to rest. We’d been walking for what felt like hours, but we’d finally reached our destination. Finally reached the place where Kobal hoped to draw Lucifer into battle by using me as bait.
It wasn’t the most comforting of thoughts, but I’d do whatever it took to end this today.
“I keep waiting for him to declare that they’re magically delicious,” Hawk said as he knelt beside me.
I did a double take. “What?”
He nodded toward where Lopan stood beside Kobal, looking even smaller as he barely reached Kobal’s knee. “Lopan. I keep waiting for him to say that.”
“But why would he ever say that?”
Hawk rested his palm on the rock floor. “It was from this cereal that existed before the war. It had this… Never mind.”
“Oh.” I vaguely recalled something like that, but it felt like a lifetime ago now. “I keep waiting for a rainbow to sprout around him,” I admitted.
He chuckled. His skin and eyes fairly shone with vitality, and I could feel the swell of his power prickling against my skin. It didn’t take a demon to figure out that he’d recently fed.
“You’re growing stronger,” I commented.
Hawk’s indigo eyes slid toward me. “I’m becoming more of a demon every time I feed; I can feel it.”
Into Hell (The Road to Hell Series, Book 4) Page 9