by Maya Nicole
He was probably wearing it the night he was taken.
I gripped it in my hand, and before Asher could grab me, I darted towards the rippling that was growing smaller.
When I had first spotted it, it had been the size of a garage door. Now it was no bigger than a regular door.
"Dani, no!" Olly jumped in front of me, right before I got to the doorway.
He pushed me backwards as arms came from the ripple, grabbed him, and pulled him back into it.
He vanished, and a loud pop shook the ground as the ripples seemed to close in on themselves.
I fell to the ground where it had been and ran my hands over the grass frantically. It had just been here. Where had it gone?
"Olly?" Asher yelled. He was standing in front of me and turned around in a circle with a confused look on his face. "Where the fuck did he go?"
"It was... I think it was where the demons were getting through." I grabbed grass in my hands and ripped it from the soil. "Fuck!"
"What do you mean?" Asher knelt next to me. "Is he..." He grabbed me by the arms and made me look at him. "Where is he?"
"He was pulled into Inferna." Reve appeared and bent down to pick up my father's watch I had dropped. "You two get back to the academy. Tobias and I will find Michael."
My eyes stung, and I wiped at them with my forearm. I just kept fucking things up. I should have been the one pulled into Inferna, not Olly. It had all happened so fast.
The fighting seemed to be winding down as Asher silently scooped me into his arms. He was staring straight ahead, unblinking. I put my head against his shoulder as we shot into the sky.
Chapter Ten
We landed back on campus in the empty parking lot next to our building. It was deafeningly quiet, especially compared to all the noises of fighting.
My stomach rolled, and I bent over with my hands on my knees. Asher put his hand in the center of my back and stood silent next to me. I dry heaved a few times and let the tears fall to the asphalt.
Ethan might be dead. Olly might be dead. It was all my fault.
Asher grabbed my elbow and pulled me up from being hunched over. He cupped my cheek with worry in his eyes and then headed for the door without a word.
I wanted to speak but didn't know the words to say.
I needed to be strong. I needed to hold myself together.
We got back to my room, our room, and I sat down on one of the mattresses on the floor. My resolve to stay strong was crumbling quickly as I watched Asher grab his bottle of whiskey. He took a very long drink from it and stood still, the bottle gripped in his hand.
I pulled my knees to my chest. I needed to say something. Do something.
Before I came into their lives, they had normal problems to deal with. Now, it seemed every time I turned around, I was causing another catastrophic problem.
I bet my dad wished he would have just let me fail at life. Now the entire angel population of Los Angeles was risking their second lives because I had been too eager to be away from the academy.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my dad's watch. I rubbed my thumb over the face of it. It wasn't even working anymore. I set it on my knee and stared at it.
"Asher-"
"Fuck!" He hurled the bottle across the room. The thick glass of the bottle fell with a hard clunk to the floor.
I flinched, the watch falling off my knee and onto the mattress.
Asher went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. I heard the shower turning on and got up off the mattress to pick up the bottle that was lying on its side. With shaking hands, I put it upright on the table. A small puddle of whiskey lay on the hardwood.
I pulled my shirt over my head and mopped up the mess. I grabbed the bottle, walked to the sink in the kitchenette, and dumped the rest of the liquid down the drain.
I swiped at my face, wiping the tears that had fallen without me even realizing it, from my cheeks. I was so tired. Not just from lack of sleep, but life.
Looking at the room, I took in the mess that was my life now. Duffel bags lined a wall with clothes spilling out of them. The two mattresses lay in the center of the room, taking up most of the floor space. The sheets and blankets were crumpled and tangled.
I walked towards the bathroom, unhooking my bra and letting it fall to the floor. What was another piece of clothing left lying in the middle of the room? I didn't care. None of us seemed to care much for cleanliness these days.
After I pulled off my boots and jeans and left them by the bathroom door, I stepped inside. The door had at least been left unlocked.
I shut the door gently behind me and pulled the shower curtain open a bit. Asher was standing with his head bent, his arms leaning against the shower wall. His shoulders shook, and choked sobs escaped his mouth.
"Ash," I whispered, letting him know I was behind him.
I gulped back my own tears and stepped into the shower. Asher didn't move or look in my direction. I placed a hand in the middle of his back and put my chin on his shoulder.
He took several deep inhales and exhales. "We have to get him back, Dani."
"It's my fault. I didn't listen." I put my cheek against his back and wrapped my arms around him. "I'm always fucking up."
Asher didn't say anything as we stood there. He moved one of his hands to cover mine.
"When this is all over, I'll understand if you and the others want to-"
"Don't." He shook his head and then turned, so my head was on his chest. "None of this is your fault. You did what any of us would have done."
"But-"
"But nothing, Dani." He rubbed my back in small circles. "Olly has this theory that everything that happens is fated to happen."
I looked up at him. His eyes were blood-shot, and sadness was evident on his face, but his lips quirked a bit as he spoke about Olly.
"He thinks the cup is sentient, and it's pissed that the world is going to shit." He laughed a little. "Like it's seeking vengeance or something. I think it's a load of crap."
If Olly thought the cup had a mind of its own, maybe it did. When I had stolen it for Lilith, it had seemed to be egging me on, daring me to take it. It could have just all been in my imagination.
"It's not that hard to believe that an inanimate object might be alive or something. There are demons, and hell is some sort of parallel realm. Plus, Reve is the rightful king of hell." A giggle burst out of me. It was crazy hearing it out loud. "You don't think he'll make us bow to him, do you?"
Asher kissed my forehead. "I'd like to see him try to make us. I'll make him kiss my left nut before I ever bow to his ass."
"Why the left one?" I looked down at the nuts in question. They both looked the same to me. "Is it the inferior nut?"
"The right is only for you." He kissed me gently and then grabbed the loofah and body wash.
We stayed in the shower for several more minutes before climbing out. Reve was sitting on the counter.
"Michael is here." He lifted his chin towards a stack of clothes on the closed toilet seat. "Figured since he already saw your bra and panties lying around, we shouldn't make him feel even more awkward."
"How long have you been sitting there? Is Toby all right?" Asher dried off and grabbed his jeans.
"He's fine." He hopped off the counter. "How do you know I haven't already kissed both your nuts? All those hands and mouths. The passion."
Asher paused in the middle of pulling on a tee-shirt. Reve grinned and then disappeared.
"Can you believe that fucker?" Asher finished pulling on his shirt and watched me as I got dressed.
"He's just trying to provoke you." They were all getting along better with Reve, but things still weren't perfect. Especially since Reve purposely said off the wall things to them.
I took a deep breath and then opened the bathroom door. It was time to deal with reality.
Michael and Tobias were sitting at the table. Both looked exhausted and a little worse for wear. Asher and I sat down i
n the other two chairs. Reve was sitting on the counter. That seemed to be his seat of choice.
"Is Ethan okay?" I looked at Tobias, who had a grim look on his face. He shook his head in the smallest of movements. "He's... he died?"
Michael sighed. "He no longer has his human form. A soul can only return to it once. He's with all the other souls."
My heart ripped in two. I didn't know how much more death I could handle. My heart hurt for Cora.
"A guardian angel knows the risks they sign up for when they make the decision to come back to Earth." Michael seemed to read my mind and gave me a sympathetic look. His words did nothing to ease the pain of losing a friend.
My gaze fell to my dad's watch that sat in front of Michael. I went to grab it, and he stopped me.
"It's a message. The date on it is set for two weeks from now." He rubbed his hands over his face and then picked up the watch. "But that was before Oliver got pulled through."
"What does Olly have to do with the date on the watch?" Asher leaned forward on his arms.
"If Lilith figures out that it's not just Lucifer's blood that can create a gate, so to speak, but any archangel..." He took a sharp inhale of breath. "It's probably more like a week."
"Wait. What?" I snatched the watch before he could stop me again and put it on my wrist.
"The whole concept of hell as a punishment for darkened souls was meant to be shared among the archangels. That was until Lucifer made one too many mistakes." Michael sat back in his chair. "Once we have him back with us, some things are going to change. They're going to be how they should have been all along."
"What if we can't save him before..." I choked on my words, and Reve came behind me and put his hands on my shoulders.
Michael was quiet for a few moments before he spoke. "Let's not think about that. You will. Archangels can never die, but grave injuries can take years to heal. The longest I've been down is two years."
My eyes went wide.
"Partial decapitation." His words were not helping at all. If anything, they made my anxiety over my dad and Olly being at the mercy of a deranged madwoman worse.
"So, what do we do now?" I cleared my throat and looked up at the four men staring back at me.
"We go to hell. They are expecting us."
Of course there was a welcoming party waiting for us.
If my father had the choice, it would have been for me to never visit hell.
My visit when I was nine years old, wasn't because he wanted me in hell with him. What father would want his daughter to go to hell?
I had begged and begged for him to take me. I had an intense curiosity and didn't care if it was literal hell. Plus, when it's Christmas Eve, it's hard to say no to your nine-year-old.
I had been excited to finally see where my dad disappeared to all the time. As soon as my feet hit the ground in the foyer, a wave of pain washed over me. It had felt like my skin was being ripped off. Then I vomited all over my dad's expensive suit.
Needless to say, I didn't see much of hell.
As we stood in the backyard of my house in Montecito, I wondered why my dad never tried to take me again. Was it because I had gotten sick? Was it because he had a wife and a houseful of little demon angel babies running around?
We all held hands like we were about to go on a field trip somewhere. There was popping in my ears, and then we were standing in a courtyard of what looked like a medieval manor.
My house was lined up directly with where Lucifer stayed in hell.
The sound of water trickling in a fountain nearby and birds chirping greeted us. Right along with the smell of a distant burning fire.
I looked around, taking in the large outdoor area we were in. Everything seemed darker here. Dark stones, dark sky, dark trees. There was at least a large moon to give some light to the landscape.
I squinted in the direction of the trees. "Are those birds?"
"Don't look at them! They will attack you." Reve stepped in front of me. "Let's just all not look at or touch anything."
"So, just assume everything is going to kill us?" Tobias took a step towards the fountain. "Jesus Christ, is this blood?"
"It's water. There are algae in the water here that turns it red. It's safe to drink." While I trusted Reve, I wasn't too keen on drinking water that looked like freshly spilled blood.
A man stepped into the courtyard from an outdoor hallway. He came to a stop in front of Michael and bowed his head. "Archangel Michael. It is lovely to see you again. Are these the guests you spoke of?"
"They are. I trust that you have prepared for them?" Michael was all business. I wondered if he ever let his hair down and had a laugh.
"Indeed, we have."
The man looked up, and I had to bite my lip to stop a gasp from escaping. His eyes were almost entirely black, but other than that tiny little detail, he appeared human. His eyes landed on me first.
He took a step forward and held out his hand. I looked at Michael with raised eyebrows, and he nodded. The man took my hand and clasped it in between both of his.
"Not many know of your existence. It is an honor to meet you." He let my hand go, and then he spotted Reve. His eyes went wide, and he opened and shut his mouth like he was going to say something, but couldn't quite get the words out.
"Alex. It is good to see you again." Reve stuck out his hand, but instead of taking it, Alex dropped to a knee.
"We did not think you would ever return, my king."
Tobias snorted, and Alex looked up and narrowed his eyes as if he was offended at the noise.
"Please stand. There's no need for formalities." Reve shifted uncomfortably and looked at me.
I just smiled. What else was I supposed to do? Information overload was a thing, and I was currently experiencing it.
A loud crack of thunder sounded in the distance, and Asher grabbed onto Tobias's arm. I was worried about what this was going to do to him. I didn't want my need for him to be at the detriment of what sanity he had regained. Without Olly around to soothe him, it was going to take all of us to help him hold it together.
He had refused to stay behind. I couldn't blame him.
"Let's get you inside and settled. We have many things to discuss." Alex rose from the ground and turned on his heel.
"Is he a servant?" Tobias whispered to Reve.
Michael cleared his throat. "Alex is an Incubi demon. He is currently in charge of our part of Inferna in Lucifer's absence."
Incubi demons feed off of having sex and the sexual desire they create. I looked at Alex with entirely different eyes now. Sometimes I wondered if I was the female version, a Succubus. I seemed to really like sex.
"What kind of demon is Lilith?" I wondered aloud.
We followed Alex through two massive iron doors and into a large living room. It looked unused. I doubt the devil ever had company. But maybe he did. I mean, how much did I really know about my dad? Would I ever get to know him?
"She doesn't have a classification. She slowly evolved into whatever she is. She was human at first." Alex stopped and turned towards us.
I stopped in front of the giant black stone fireplace and looked at my pictures lining the mantle. I had only just started to really get to know my dad. I blinked back tears as I felt a hand on my lower back.
"You were a cute kid." Asher pulled me towards him. "What happened?"
I spun and smacked his chest. "Thanks."
"I will show you to your rooms now."
Alex put us in two rooms that adjoined with a Jack and Jill bathroom. He said he would send for us in an hour.
I plopped down on the large four-poster bed and pulled off my boots. I needed a nap, especially if we were going to be traipsing through hell looking for my dad.
"Why does he even have a house like this?" I laid back and moved my arms like I was making a snow angel. It was the softest material I had ever felt. "Seems a bit excessive for just one man. Our house in Montecito isn't even this big, and it's pretty
big."
"It's a symbol of his status." Reve walked to the velvet-covered windows and pulled the curtains back. The sky was a dark shade of blue, like it couldn't make up its mind if it were night or day.
"Didn't you mention a castle?" Asher was looking through drawers. He was antsy, and I couldn't blame him.
"I did. It's much bigger than this place." He left the drapes open and moved towards the bed. "There's a storm coming. We'll have to wait until it passes to make our way towards where Lilith has your father."
I moved up to the pillow and shut my eyes. Reve settled in next to me and pulled me against him.
"How'd my dad save you?" I ran my fingers along his arm. He made a noise in his throat. "You said you locked yourself in your castle's dungeons."
"I did." He cleared his throat, and Tobias and Asher sat on the edge of the bed. "My powers were useless against her, and I still hadn't developed my phantom form yet. She sent me to kill him."
I stopped moving my hand and gripped his forearm.
"Clearly, I didn't succeed. Your father is strong. I don't think Lilith realized just how strong he is. He was going to kill me until Alex told him I was royalty. He gave me a drop of his blood, which broke whatever hold Lilith held over me and then took me to Earth. He saved me."
We lay in silence for several minutes before I let out a frustrated grunt and sat up. "Let's explore."
I felt like a little kid as we creeped out of the room and down the hall to the first door we came to. It was just another guest room. Most rooms off the hallway we were in were guest rooms with large four-poster beds.
"Did he ever have visitors?" I just assumed he existed a lonely life in hell. "He didn't have any friends on Earth."
"I'm not sure."
I crossed over into another wing of the house and opened the first door. It was a library. Finally, something other than beds.
Books lined the walls, and chairs were scattered throughout the room that was double the size of the large bedrooms. I walked over to an armchair that had a large book sitting on it.
"Widows?" I grabbed the book and flipped through it, stopping on a picture of a large group of women.