by Brenda Trim
His words comforted her more than she thought possible. She met his heated gaze, and her heart skipped. It confused her even more that this angel had become so important to her.
She waved that away and shoved her useless emotions to the side. “I need to kill something,” she announced, needing the outlet.
“Now you’re speaking my language,” Rami replied. “But, won’t that put a bigger target on our backs?”
“Murder and mayhem is the only common factor in all nine circles. But, you need to embrace my Darkness and bring it to the surface. No one will think you’re anything but a pissed off Fallen angel.”
“Small price to pay to take out the trash,” he declared, and she watched as her Dark swathed his Light. It wasn’t a perfect disguise but was enough to fool the lower-level demons they would encounter.
Picking up their pace, they reached another ledge about twenty-five feet further down the cliff. Here, the poor souls’ heads were stuffed inside holes in the black granite mountain. Their feet stuck straight in the air while fury demons held torches and burned the soles. She supposed this was Hell’s version of art, she surmised, as she shook her head at the grisly sight.
“Keep your anger in check,” she reminded Ramiel when she felt him bristle beside her.
“How can you remain so calm? Nothing about this is right. I can see through their bodies, but I also smell the burning flesh. How is that possible if they are phantoms? And, where does the blood come from? I see it dripping down their ghostly legs?”
“Demons are vile creatures with twisted cravings. This depravity is how they get their kicks. You must admit the flailing, and white bone is a brilliant touch. Must’ve been a Behemoth demon that added that to the mix. These Fury demons think about only one thing. Torture,” she shared.
After the demons inflicted enough damage that the souls’ legs went still, they moved onto the next. Then, they would go back when first soul’s feet had healed and repeat the torment. It was an endless and vicious cycle.
Her comments didn’t help calm Ramiel’s anger and resentment, so she changed direction in hopes of distracting him. “Do you want to kill the Fury demons or some of those with the swords?” she asked, pointing in the distance.
About ten feet beyond the Fury demons, there were souls lined in soldier formation, and surrounding them with sword-wielding demons. Her stomach turned when the creature closest to them began swinging his sword and hacking a body into bloody pieces. She’d forgotten the horrors found in the Ninth Circle.
“Those fuckers with the swords,” Ramiel barked. “I can’t watch that for another second,” he added before he charged forward.
Zakara followed, thinking of the evil that fed these demon’s morbid appetites. Like most souls in the Underworld, the bodies reassembled themselves, so their dismemberment happened all over again. Ramiel was right. The sight was disgusting and harsh. It made Zakara want to grab onto Ramiel’s Light and let it flood her entire being. Anything to wash away her connection to this realm.
Ramiel clashed with the demon closest to him, and she opened her mouth to warn him not to call his weapon of light, but it was too late. It was blazing in his hand and slicing the demon in half. Reaching his side, she scooped up the discarded sword and handed it to him.
“Put that fucking thing away. It does you no good to shield your Light if you’re going to call your lightsaber,” she yelled at him.
He shrugged, and the glowing weapon disappeared. He grabbed the sword Kara held out to him and inspected it.
“This will do,” he said then released a war cry that sent a shiver down her spine. He was as ruthless as any demon she’d ever encountered.
He swung the sword at the demons heading their way. The giant, red creatures were savage, and their arms moved nearly too fast for her eyes to follow.
Two raced to where Ramiel engaged with three others. Their swords swirled and clashed together with an ear-piercing sound. She swore she heard Ramiel laugh as he swung and ducked the attackers. Not the time to ogle the hot angel, she scolded then focused on the steel heading for her neck.
“Motherfucker!” she shouted as she ducked, but she wasn’t fast enough. One of the blades sliced through one of her horns. Red blood trickled down her face as pain assailed.
Swooping low, she sliced the Achilles tendon on one demon and dodged the second blade from striking her stomach. She thrust her hand out, her blade sunk into the chest of the injured creature. He wasn’t getting up anytime soon.
Tucking her knife away, she snatched the sword from the grip of the injured demon and ran from the other barreling toward her. Turning after a couple of feet, she caught the demon off guard and swung with all her might.
The demon was quick and escaped her blade. They danced around one another. She came to a halt behind Ramiel’s back. “Fancy meeting you here, Virgin,” she called over her shoulder.
A loud roar bellowed and reverberated off the cliff walls, reminding her who soared above the Ninth Circle.
“What was that?” Ramiel asked as he searched the skies.
“That is Geryon. He calls this place home sweet home. He plays an important role in our journey that I’ll explain later,” she replied as the part human, part beast flew overhead.
The creature was massive, its wingspan easily fifty-feet wide. Geryon had the head of a man on a lion’s body with wings and tail of a dragon. The sound that escaped its throat would scare even the bravest warrior, and she could only imagine the terror it caused Izzy. She hoped the little girl was as strong as Rami described because this place was where nightmares were born.
Zakara battled and fought as if her life depended on it, slicing her way through limbs and ducking blows. The demons stepped over the debris of their downed comrades to get to her and Ramiel without stopping to consider the danger they faced. Fucking idiots, she mused.
Reaching her hand behind her back, she encountered Ramiel’s leather-clad ass and squeezed it. “Get us out of this without me breaking a nail, and I’ll blow you,” she offered with a purr as she kicked a demon in the head and sent him sailing into three others. They simultaneously dropped like bowling pins.
“What? Are you serious?” Rami shouted as he jabbed and thrust his blade into the chest of a demon in front of him. “You’re insane!”
“A girl’s gotta have a hobby. Don’t tell me it doesn’t get your juices flowing,” she countered as she jumped on the back of a demon and brought her sword to its neck, beheading the creature.
“Oh, they’re flowing, alright. Can’t get the image out of my mind,” Rami grunted as he slashed through the middle of a demon. “But we’re getting you a new hobby when we get out of this hellhole. You’re done offering sexual favors as payment. You deserve better treatment. You’re a queen, Salsa. And, I’m the king you need,” he declared, and his lips briefly crashed against hers.
Zakara shoved Rami to the side, and her blade met a demon’s skull when it snuck up behind them. “Sorry about that, babe. We got work to do,” she huffed, stunned by his confession. She had no idea if the angel was serious or just yanking her chain. No male had ever said anything like that to her, and it scared the ever-loving shit out of her.
Kara quickly scanned the area. They’d killed all but two of the demons close to them. Tossing the sword aside, she folded her arms and watched Ramiel. He moved swiftly and confidently in his attack.
“Did you study Tae Kwon Do or something?” she asked nonchalantly. Every move highlighted his musculature and reminded her of a Ninja. His fluidity spoke of martial arts.
He glanced over and rolled his eyes when he saw her staring at her fingernails. “Karate. I was a third-degree black belt when I died. It’s like riding a bike. You never forget the moves,” he said before his blade sliced the last demon in half. “By the way, you’re a very naughty Fallen, distracting me like that.”
“It’s called motivation,” she replied as she picked her way through the bodies to stand by his side. His
bare chest heaved as he caught his breath. His muscular chest was sweaty and covered with dirt. Kara licked her lips as she imagined stripping his pants then fucking him senseless.
“You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met. I think I’m falling for you, Salsa,” Ramiel confessed.
Her heart raced and pounded against her chest. What was Rami trying to say? That he loved her? No, he couldn’t mean that. She didn’t know how to love anymore. Fucking had nothing to do with love, and that was all she knew. Jared destroyed her ability to give herself entirely to another.
She turned and started down the cliff, ignoring his comment. She didn’t know what to say to him. Her breath left in pants as she tried to regain control. Descending the cliffs into the heart of Lucifer’s domain was not the time to have a meltdown. She acknowledged that the bitter angel wormed his way past most of her barriers and showed her the meaning of loyalty and honesty but for her to say she loved him was absurd.
She glanced over her shoulder and met his gaze. She could see the confusion and hurt. “We’ll see if you still feel that way after this is over. We have to rescue Izzy first,” she stated, hoping to appease him.
“You’re right, Izzy needs us, but my feeling won’t change,” he murmured and grabbed her hand, stopping her. When she looked up, he grinned, “When we get out of here, what do you say we spend a week in bed?”
“Only a week, Virgin?” she countered with a smile.
Another roar had them looking toward the sky. “You mentioned that flying monstrosity plays an important role. Tell me I don’t have to fight it next.”
“You won’t have to fight it unless he sees your Light. Or if you take his treasure. Its cave is our way out. That’s what makes him important. We’ll have to do some digging, but that’s the exit. It’s the other half of the veil we crossed through. Geryon caused a collapse in that part of its cave centuries ago, and it’s not going to be a straight shot to the barrier, but your flaming sword should dig through the rubble and reach the veil before he catches on to what we’re doing.”
Ramiel shook his head. “And the hits keep coming. Is there anything easy about this venture?”
“The only easy exit from the Ninth Circle is through Lake Crocytus which is currently frozen. If it thaws, that means Lucifer is free,” she replied. And, that was a certain death sentence for her. Those bound to hell could not pass through the veil in the lake, but she kept that information to herself.
“The Rowan sisters sent me with a spell to bind him to the Underworld if he managed to get free. I have no idea how it works,” Ramiel muttered. “They had no idea if we would get through the veil, but said if we could get to Isobel that meant he was free and we needed to ensure he wasn’t able to cross into Earth.”
“It’d take potent magic to bind him to the Underworld,” Zakara replied thinking of the spells used to banish and bind them to this Godforsaken realm.
“The Rowan sisters are the most powerful witches in the Tehrex Realm. Regardless, he’s not getting free, so that won’t be an issue,” Ramiel replied as they continued making their way deeper into the Ninth Circle.
Zakara felt Lucifer’s power beating against her skin the closer they got to him. Razor blades would be more pleasant than his energy flaying her flesh. Glancing down, she expected to see rivulets of blood trailing down her body, but there was nothing. It was his Darkness trying to obliterate every ounce of Light in her system.
If she felt like this, Ramiel must be in immense pain. She noted his tense jaw and narrowed eyes, as well as, the sweat beading his brow. The time had passed for Kara to take off if she wanted to make it out of this quest alive. She needed to stop now and turn back to the cave. Kara never planned on seeing it to the end. She hoped she could get Ramiel close to Lucifer then take off, but now she didn’t want to leave his side. He needed her help.
But the hard truth was if she accompanied him to face Lucifer, she would die.
* * *
Chapter Seventeen
Rami swore knives were slicing through his skin and muscle. It didn’t matter that blades weren’t touching his flesh. The injuries he’d suffered since entering the Underworld weren’t healing as they should. No doubt the evil aura of the realm caused problems with his angelic abilities.
He could’ve used that healing when Jag shredded his throat. That was the worst experience of his human life, but this was a whole new level of agony. Anticipation dumped another load of adrenaline into his system, causing his heart rate to accelerate and vision to sharpen.
They were nearly to the innermost part of the Ninth Circle and Izzy. The more he felt Lucifer’s power cutting him apart, Isobel’s power increased and reached out to soothe and heal him. And, then there was Zakara.
She was driving him crazy with desire. He’d apparently lost all sense of reason earlier. Why in the hell did he blurt he was falling for her?
None of it made sense. Rami’s heart withered when he discovered Elsie with Zander, but this Fallen had pumped it, and his cock, full of blood. The connection he shared with Zakara was more profound and meant more to him than anything he experienced with Elsie.
Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to reciprocate the sentiment. Rami didn’t miss how she dodged his comment about his feelings for her. Was he on another train bound for heartache?
A flash of light below caught his attention and made him stop. Blood froze in his veins at what he saw.
“Look. There,” Rami blurted and pointed to a large group of demons surrounding Isobel. “They’re going to pay for what they’ve done to her. I can feel her terror. Let’s go.”
Zakara’s eyes went wide, and he saw her panic. She didn’t want to go any further. That much was evident on her beautiful face. He couldn’t blame her. Thousands of demons outnumbered them. The only positive note was Lucifer was still frozen in the lake which gave him a smidge of hope that they could escape with their lives.
“You don’t have to come with me,” Rami told her as he scoped the distance to Izzy. “I’ll grab her and meet you back at Geryon’s cave.”
“No. I’m coming with you,” Kara replied and grabbed his hand. Immense grief surrounded her like a shroud. Before he could question her, he felt a tug on his side and air rushed past him in the next heartbeat as Zakara jumped from the edge of the cliff, pulling him with her.
“Fuck,” he shouted as they plummeted toward the ground. “Is this retaliation for declaring my love? If so, I take it back.”
Zakara laughed out loud, drawing the attention of every demon, and Isobel. Ramiel quickly flared his damaged wings, trying to slow their dissent. He caught a draft of air that stole his breath and made his stomach rebel. He looked down and saw Izzy running in their direction, touching several demons along the way.
“I told you I was the new center of your universe,” she responded as they hit the frozen lake. While she managed to land with grace, Rami hit the ice and rolled like a tumbleweed across the desert.
Kara tossed a casual wave Lucifer’s way while severe nausea hit Rami as he felt Lucifer’s power wash over him. He vomited several times before he managed to pull himself to a standing position. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Ramiel took off toward Izzy, shoving her behind his back when he reached her side.
“Get the fuck out of my way,” he yelled and called his Sword of Light as a group of demons surrounded them.
The treacherous wind made it difficult to remain standing on the slippery surface. Lucifer roared, his wings beating against the ice. The angrier he became, the stronger the wind blew.
“Rami. I wanna go home now,” Izzy called out as she wiped her cheek, smearing dirt across her face.
“I know, Princess. That’s why I’m here. I need you to be brave for a few more minutes,” Ramiel told her and lost his footing when a massive gust hit him square in the chest and sent him sailing away from Izzy.
He jumped to his feet and widened his stance. Ramiel met Zakara’s gaze. He hated seeing the panic on her fac
e. The lines around her mouth and eyes should be from laughing, not the fear of dying. He squinted, wondering if he’d imagined the slight shake of her head. The move was so subtle he wasn’t sure of what he saw.
He ignored her warning. He would take out all these demons if necessary. Problem with his knight-in-shining-armor routine was how incredibly weak he felt. When Ramiel called his sword, it flickered. The Underworld sapped every ounce of Light from anything in the heavenly realm, and that included him and his weapon. He couldn’t afford to lose his Light now. Izzy needed him.
Rami moved to his left, away from Kara, and toward Isobel. A loud boom echoed over the roar of the wind, and he turned to see a demon smash a rock formation. It grabbed a sizeable jagged piece and held it above Izzy’s head. The message was clear. One move and the beast would crush her skull.
“Get the fuck away from me before I snap your necks?” Zakara growled, drawing Rami’s attention.
He noticed the demons were drawing closer to her rather than him or Izzy. They might not be sure whose side she was on, but they’d take their chances with her over an angel or mighty Princess.
“Zakara, my love. You’ve returned and brought me a present, I see,” Lucifer rumbled as he spread his arms wide.
Oddly, his wings slowed but never stopped beating. It made the cold temperatures of the Ninth Circle drop lower. Rami could see Izzy’s breath curl from her mouth in white puffs.
The devil’s words had Ramiel seeing red. He wanted to wrap his hands around Lucifer’s throat and squeeze until his head popped from his shoulders. Zakara was not his love, and the idea of this atrocious monster laying one finger on her sent Rami’s rage spiraling out of control.
Zakara was his. The thought brought him up short. Now wasn’t the time to ponder that revelation. Their situation was precarious, and they weren’t likely to survive the next five minutes.