“I was just trying to make it easier on you.” More like making it easier on me, if I were being completely honest. I was trying to convince myself that things weren’t as bad as they seemed.
“Then you failed,” she said. “Why Purgatory? Who could be stuck in there that would possibly be worth the risk of going into that place?”
“Joseph Luxton.”
She was silent for a moment when I said his name. Then, she just said, “The Minister?”
That’s what Luxton had called himself when he’d had Dakota as his prisoner. “Raziel thinks the angel pulling Luxton’s strings stuck him in there to try and keep anyone from getting to him.”
“Then tell Raziel to get out of his floating nightclub or whatever and do it himself,” said Celeste. “You did your part already. You helped Dakota, you found out what Luxton was up to, and you stopped it. Now it’s up to the angels to sort things out, not you.”
“They need me,” I said. “Apparently, since Luxton and I touched minds in the Dreamscape, that means I’ve got a connection with him. And that connection is what’s needed if we’re gonna find him.”
“Who’s ‘we?’” she asked. “Don’t tell me Raziel’s going to actually do something for once.”
“Yeah, he’s coming with me,” I said.
“Angel or no angel, Purgatory’s too—”
“It’s not just the two of us,” I said. “Asmodeus is in on this, too.”
“Forgive me if an angel and a demon watching your back doesn’t fill me with confidence.”
“I’ll have back-up. Tessa’s agreed to come with.”
Celeste threw her hands up. “You’re taking the baby witch with you?”
“Hey, now, she knows what she’s doing.”
“I’m sure she does, but you should really have someone more experienced.”
“If it’s any consolation, I was hoping I could take you,” I said.
“Yeah, no, it’s not. Because no way would I go into Purgatory.”
“Doesn’t matter anyway; seems you’d be a liability in there,” I said. “No more threatening to tear my throat out—you’d just do it.”
“Tessa’s not powerful enough for that place,” said Celeste. “Can’t you call up Alistair?”
“No.”
“Why n—”
“I said no.”
Alistair Carraway was the man who had tried to help my mother when she was impregnated by a demon. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get to her in time, and she’d died giving birth. But before the demon’s followers could start corrupting my soul, he was able to save me, and then he’d brought me to the Sons of Solomon. In a lot of ways, he was probably the closest thing I had to a father.
But bringing him or the Sons of Solomon in on this could be a recipe for disaster. They weren’t capable of really seeing the gray area in things like working alongside a demon for the greater good.
“There’s more,” I said.
“Oh, great…” Celeste lowered her head into her hands. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”
“Getting in and out of Purgatory undetected is not the easiest feat,” I said. “So we had to get some help. From a guy who’s done it before.”
“You mean Cain, don’t you?”
That came as something of a surprise. “You know him?”
“Well, only by reputation,” she said. “Luther, I’ve been a vampire for about a century. And in that time, I’ve had a lot of dealings with a bunch of different people. So, yeah, of course I know all about Cain. What I can’t understand is how you’d get him to agree to something like this. From what people say, he’s not what you’d call a team player.”
“Nah, I kinda got that sense about him, too. In return for helping us, he wants his existence ended.”
“How’s that possible?” she asked. “I thought he couldn’t be killed.”
“Well…I may have” —I cleared my throat— “stretched the truth a bit.”
Celeste’s response was to glare at me so hard, I thought her eyeballs were about to pop out of their sockets and smack me in the face.
“We had to tell him something,” I said. “If we’re gonna do this the right way, we need him and—”
“You. Fucking. Idiot.”
“What choice did I have, Celeste?” I asked. “I can’t influence him. That trick works on humans, maybe some supernaturals, but on something as old and unique as him? No chance in hell.”
“And what do you think Cain’s going to do once he realizes he’s been lied to?” she asked.
“I’ve been trying not to think about it…”
“You should’ve thought about it before you opened your big mouth.”
I sighed and took a sip of coffee. I sunk into the back cushions. “Do we have to do this? This might be my last day on earth. I just want to spend it relaxing with you. Can’t we just pause this argument until I get back?”
Celeste looked down, her shoulders slumping. “I don’t know if you will get back.”
“Hey.” I set down the mug and placed my hands on her shoulders. “I’m coming back. I promise you that. We’re going to go into Purgatory, find Luxton, get out, and everything will be fine. I’ve been in deep before, and somehow, I always manage to find a way out.”
“How long do you really think your luck’s gonna last, Luther?”
“Dunno. But right now, it’s all I’ve got to go on. So, I’m gonna push it as far as I can.” I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “You don’t have to worry, though. I’m going to make arrangements with Raziel and Asmodeus. No matter what happens to me, I’m going to see to it that you’re protected.”
“Luther, I’m a big girl and I can kill just about anything that crosses me,” she said. “It’s not me you should worry about—it’s yourself.”
She was right, but I didn’t want to argue the point. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her with me as I lay down. She rested her head on my chest. My heart was beating fast. It always did around her, but now it was for a different reason.
“It’s all gonna be okay,” I said, more to reassure myself than her.
Tonight, I was going to join a suicide mission into Purgatory. But we still had today.
10
Cain told us all to meet at a designated spot on the Lake Michigan shoreline near Lincoln Park. Though this area was usually active during the summer days, it got pretty quiet at night. Especially once the weather cooled down. Celeste didn’t have any desire to see me jump into a portal to certain doom, and I wasn’t gonna leave my car stranded for however long this took, so Tessa and I had split an Uber to get to the place.
When we got to the shoreline, Asmodeus and Raziel were both waiting for us. They gave us a nod of acknowledgment and then looked back out at the lake. Cain stood in shallow water, reaching up to mid-calf. He wore his duster and fedora and looked like he didn’t mind getting his pants or shoes wet.
“What’s he doing?” I asked as I lit a cigarette.
“Feeling the energy from the ley line,” said Asmodeus. “Says he can use it to get us into Purgatory.”
As far as actual science was concerned, ley lines basically didn’t exist. They were apparently invisible areas where magical energy was concentrated. Drawing on the energy of a ley line could make it easier to cast spells, and they often intersected with supernatural hot spots.
“He wanted us out here pretty late,” said Tessa.
“Or early, depending on your point of view,” said Asmodeus.
“It’s the witching hour,” said Raziel. “The time when magic is believed to be at its most potent.”
“Combine that with a strong ley line, you’ve got the makings of a secret entrance into other dimensions,” I said. “If it’s that easy, we probably could’ve done it ourselves.”
“I have a feeling there’s more to it than that,” said Raziel.
Cain turned towards the shore and stared at us for a few moments. Then, he finally started walking, sloshing through the s
hallow water until he stepped onto the shore. He nodded at me, and when he saw Tessa, he tipped his hat. “Ma’am. Don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”
“Cain here’s the world’s first murderer,” I said. “Cain, meet Tessa the witch.”
“I haven’t killed anyone in a long time, though,” said Cain, giving her a wink. “So you’ll be safe by my side.”
“Thanks…I think,” said Tessa.
“So, when are you going to get started, Cain?” I asked. “The gang’s all here; what are you waiting for?”
“Our ride.”
“What ride?” asked Tessa. “I thought you knew of some secret way inside?”
“I do, but you can’t pull a job like this without an inside man.” Cain looked down at his watch. “Mine should be arrivin’ any minute now.”
We stood, watching the lake silently. It was difficult to see out too far, and what we were able to see was a whole lot of nothing. I looked down at my watch and saw that it was just before three. The witching hour was almost here.
Fog rolled across the surface of the water, but it didn’t stretch along the coast. No, it was like a single cloud consciously moving towards us. Tessa stepped closer to the water. She could feel it, too. There was something in that fog—no doubt whatever was coming for us.
A light burned within the fog, dim at first, but it slowly grew brighter. And then, something poked through the cloudy wisps. It was a boat—a long one, too. The bow rose up above the height of the boat, and there was what looked like a skull mounted atop. As the boat came closer, I could see that its entire structure looked like it was crafted from bones.
At the rear of the boat stood a single, solitary figure. He wore a long cloak that concealed his entire body, and a hood kept his face hidden. But I could also see long, gray hairs stretching out from that hood. And within the shadow of his hood were glowing white eyes.
“Is that…Death?” asked Tessa.
“My dear, Death hasn’t appeared to anyone save his own agents in eons,” said Raziel.
“Then who is he?” she asked.
“Charon,” said Cain.
“Who?”
“I thought you were supposed to be a powerful witch?” asked Asmodeus.
“Witch, not necromancer,” said Tessa. “I don’t play with dead things.”
“Charon’s the ferryman of the River Styx,” I said. “When a soul dies, Death’s agents come to collect, and then Charon picks them up and takes them to their destination, be it Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory.”
“Seems a little inefficient, doesn’t it?” asked Tessa.
“Why do you think ghosts turn up?” I asked. “Wait’s too long for some of them, so they run off. Even when they’re dead, people hate waiting in line.”
The boat curved so the side lined up with the shore. Charon lifted his oar from the water and raised his hand, stretching it out towards us. A sand dune rose up, poking out the water, creating a path for us to walk on.
“That’s our cue,” said Cain, and he walked towards the boat. As soon as he reached Charon, they did something I never expected—they hugged.
“Never would’ve pegged either of them as huggers,” I said.
They conversed for a few moments, and then Cain led Charon to the shore, his arm wrapped around the ferryman’s shoulders. When they reached us, Cain made the introductions all around. Charon, for his part, just nodded his head to each of us. His hood remained over his head, and not once could I see anything of his face.
“So, we’ve got a deal, right?” asked Cain.
“Taking you into Purgatory unnoticed won’t be a simple feat, Cain. You know what sort of punishment I could face if he were to find out,” said Charon.
“Yeah, I get that, pal. But listen—you owe me, remember? An’ as I recall, your exact words were—”
“‘No request is too great.’” Charon sighed. “I was being hyperbolic.”
“Hyperbole don’t work too well on me, friend,” said Cain. “That’ll teach you to be a little less poetical and a little more direct in the future.”
“Very well.” Charon moved in front of me first. He looked me up and down. “The cambion, yes?”
“I’ve been called that before,” I said. “And worse.”
Charon raised his arm, his sleeve sliding down to reveal an emaciated hand. His fingers were long and bony and my first instinct was to pull away. But I stayed put, and he placed his hand on my head. He whispered something, and I felt a charge go through me.
Suddenly, I felt…strange. Almost like a hunger pang, but not quite. And there was a chill running through my body. The urge to pull away from Charon only grew stronger, but he had me stuck in place.
His eyes burned like stars while he chanted. I couldn’t even tell the language he spoke in, but I knew it wasn’t Enochian. Charon pulled his hand away and released me. The fear was gone, but I still felt the odd sensation in the pit of my stomach.
The ferryman then stepped over to Tessa, repeating the same procedure on her. Watching it happen to someone else, I knew he’d placed some kind of spell on us. Legends often spoke of a toll you had to pay the ferryman in order to cross the River Styx. Maybe it wasn’t actual money, but some part of you.
“There,” he said, releasing Tessa.
I could tell from the look on her face that she also felt off. She wrapped her arms around herself and avoided making eye contact with anyone. I noticed Charon didn’t do the same thing to Cain, Raziel, or Asmodeus.
“How come we’re the only ones who get hands laid on?” I asked.
“Because she is human, and you are part,” said Charon. “The spell will protect you in Purgatory. It won’t make you invisible to the threats there, but it will help keep you hidden.”
“And how come I feel like I haven’t eaten in a week?” I asked.
“Just a side effect; nothin’ to worry about.” Cain came over to me and slapped me on the back. “Suck it up, buttercup.”
I was about fifty-fifty on whether I liked or hated Cain. But one thing I couldn’t deny: he had a style about him that I definitely respected.
“Into the boat.” Charon gestured to his vessel with a sweep of his arm.
Cain led the way, with Tessa following and me last. Once he climbed into the boat, he offered his hand to Tessa. She just ignored him and climbed aboard without help from anyone. When I came up to the edge of the boat, Cain pulled his hand in.
“What, I don’t get the same treatment?” I asked.
“Shut up, Luther,” said Tessa.
I chuckled and climbed in, taking a seat beside Tessa at the front of the boat, our backs facing the bow. I looked back to the shore and saw Asmodeus coming aboard next. He hopped over the edge and landed without the boat shaking even a little. Raziel was about to come in last, but Charon moved in front of him and blocked his path.
“Whoa, he’s with us, Gandalf,” I said.
“I’m sorry, but I cannot,” said Charon.
“I won’t let them go into Purgatory alone,” said Raziel.
“You have no choice,” said Charon. “This will already prove challenging enough with a demon onboard. But you? Your halo is like shining a beacon into the darkness. An angel in Purgatory would not go unnoticed, no matter what spells I cast or which way you enter.”
“That’s a little disappointing. Sorry to hear that, brother,” said Asmodeus. “Would you like me to bring you back a souvenir? How about something that has ‘Abandon hope all ye who enter here’ written on it? I think that would look good on a T-shirt or a shot glass.”
Raziel turned away from Charon and glared at Asmodeus, his blue eyes burning bright. “You knew all along, didn’t you? That I couldn’t enter Purgatory?”
Asmodeus scoffed. “Brother, I am shocked and appalled that you would accuse me of such a thing! Sure, I may be a demon and I may be a liar and…” Asmodeus paused. “Actually, those are all valid points. You really should know better than to trust me, Raz.”
&nbs
p; If this were a cartoon, Raziel would probably have had steam shooting out his ears. Though his anger was something I shared, it wasn’t something I could really verbalize. Because before I knew it, Charon was back on the boat and pushing us off from the shore.
“Wait, what?” shouted Tessa, rising up and going to the edge of the boat. “Oh, hell no, I only came this far because I was promised angel protection. I’m changing my mind! I’ll swim back to shore!”
“Stop her!” shouted Cain.
It was Asmodeus who did, standing and blocking Tessa from getting to the edge with his cane. His eyes burned yellow as he stared at her and shook his head. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, my dear.”
I stood and moved beside Tessa. Together, we both looked over the edge of the boat. It wasn’t Lake Michigan beneath us anymore. Instead, it was a sea of corpses, many of them reaching out for us, rotted flesh barely clinging to their bones.
“What the fuck is that?” demanded Tessa, staring wide-eyed at the bodies.
“The lost souls,” said Charon.
“If you jump ship, you turn into one of ’em,” said Cain. “There’s no comin’ back from that, darlin’.”
I eased Tessa back over to the bench and we sat down beside each other. She still looked spooked, and I couldn’t blame her. I looked back to the shoreline. The dimensional barrier hadn’t completely closed up yet. I could still see Raziel standing on the coast, but he grew more and more distant.
Finally, the fog rolled across, engulfing us completely. Now, there was no sign of Raziel. Tessa and I were now on a boat crossing the River Styx into Purgatory, with the first killer and a demon running shotgun. And the angel backup we had been counting on was left back on the shore.
Oh yeah, this was gonna end well…
11
I wasn’t sure how long we’d been traveling down the River Styx. It felt like hours since we left the shoreline of Lake Michigan, but when I looked at my watch, the hands spun around rapidly.
“Won’t do you much good here, I’m afraid,” said Cain. “Time moves differently in Purgatory.”
Devil's Descent (Luther Cross Book 2) Page 7