by Raven Steele
He stopped moving, more from annoyance than the force of the utensil. He chuckled. "This is the best you could do?"
He reached up to remove the carving fork, but I wasn’t finished. I mentally pushed against it, driving it past heavy tissue and thick bone. He grunted in pain and clawed at the utensil. My pointed finger slowly began to lower. The fork followed the motion, slicing Erebus wide open.
The other devils circled the table. I had only seconds before they attacked me, if I was lucky. I could hold them off, but not for long.
Lucien stirred below me, trying to come onto all fours. He said my name again. I moved closer to him until my leg touched his side. Everything was going to be okay. No matter what happened.
Despite Erebus's chest being ripped open and the extreme amount of pain he must be in, he growled and lunged for me. I brought my arms up to protect myself from the inevitable blow, but it never came. The room fell silent.
I lowered my arms and looked around. Erebus was high off the table, his fist tightened and only a couple of feet from my face. Drops of blood from his open wound hung suspended in the air. Even Lucien was frozen, looking up at Erebus with wide eyes and a fearful expression. Behind me, another devil was in the process of reaching for my leg.
I stared at my hands, wondering if I had caused time to stop.
"Don't flatter yourself," a velvety voice said.
The fog in the room cleared. On the imposing throne sat the most handsome man I had ever seen. He was tall and lean with neatly trimmed black hair. His eyes were dark and held an alluring quality that made it difficult to look away. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came. I felt too inadequate to speak to this seemingly perfect being. That’s when I realized who he was: Lucifer, King of Sheol.
"You've created a unique problem for me, witch," he said. "You've come into my kingdom, killed two—" he glanced over my shoulder at the fork frozen in Erebus's chest—"possibly three, of my princes. Granted, I can easily replace them, but you are a powerful being from another dimension. You know how to get here."
I pushed air past the lump in my throat and said, "I swear I will never come back. This isn't exactly paradise."
He smiled. "That's a matter of opinion, but I do believe you."
"Will you let us live?" I asked.
He glanced down at Lucien. "I'm quite fond of him. His soul is strong, and I could do much with a soldier like him. I just need the right motivation." His gaze flashed to me.
"We leave together, or we die together," I insisted.
He rolled his eyes and stood. "Don't be so melodramatic. Just this once I will let you both live, but there will come a time in the future where I will require your special skills. It's rare to find a witch who can use magic in all dimensions."
"And if I refuse?"
"You won't." He motioned me to the left. "Step back."
Just as I did, the prong in Erebus continued slicing down his center, gutting him through to his navel. He fell face forward nearly on top of Lucien.
"I never liked him," Lucifer said and brushed his hands off as if he had somehow dirtied them. "You'd best be on your way. Erebus's brothers won't be happy when they see what you've done. I assume you brought me a soul?"
I was almost too stunned to speak. I shakily pointed across the hall where Liane lay asleep on the floor. I felt a little guilty doing this to her, but I had glimpsed her future. She would never change and would always seek to gain more power at the cost of others.
"She will do. Now leave."
I looked around but didn't see the mirror. "How?"
"Must I do everything?"
Powerful energy began to race around Lucien and me, and I grimaced at its icy touch. At the way it slid over my body almost as if it was exploring every curve and crevice. It made me feel dirty, like I’d done something horrible, something shameful. My heart beat erratically, and the smell in the air turned sour, like someone had left raw meat out in the sun for far too long. I tightly clung to Lucien, who had passed out again.
I glanced back at Liane, a small part of me feeling guilty for leaving her in such a horrible place. At the last second, when the air began to shimmer, I used my remaining magic on Liane. It was a quick spell, one that would wipe her mind from all emotions and pain. If she had to stay here for the rest of eternity, I'd rather she did it with as little suffering as possible.
Lucifer's world slowly faded away. I dropped to my knees and brought Lucien’s head onto my lap, tears burning my eyes. We made it. We survived. My hand smoothed back his hair. “Wake up, Lucien. You’re free.”
I continued to stroke his head, his face, and down his arms. Beneath my fingertips, I could feel slivers of the immense pain he had experienced, and it sucked my breath away, made me tremor. And he’d done it all to save me.
A hot tear dropped from my cheek and onto his forehead. I quickly brushed it away. I had to be strong for him when he woke, be his rock like he’d been for me so many times.
While I continued to stroke his head, I glanced around to see where we were. I expected Lucifer to return us to Earth, but nothing looked familiar here. All I knew for sure is that we weren’t in Hell. The sky was completely gray, not gray with cloud cover, but just a stain as if no sun or moon existed. The barren ground was also black in color with long cracks running in tiny veins for as far as I could see. There was nothing else. No forest in the distance, no city, no lights, just miles and miles of emptiness. It must be some other world, possibly in another dimension.
Lucien began to stir beneath my touch. He moaned and opened his eyes. Blinked. Blinked again. "Is it really you?" The words barely slipped past his lips.
I helped him into a sitting position, but he stiffened at my touch.
"I found you," I said, withdrawing my hands, which was a difficult task. I would've loved to throw my arms around him, but I sensed his reluctance. His pain.
"You shouldn't have come. It's not safe." He said the words without looking at me. He was staring into the distance, the dull glint in his eyes reminding me of the place we’d come to.
"We're not in Hell anymore. Erebus is dead."
"How?"
"Lucifer let us go."
He shook his head vehemently. "You don't make deals with him. He will want some—"
"It doesn't matter. We're free, and we're together."
I pressed my forehead to his. His expression pained at the touch.
"I dreamt of you," he whispered. "It's the only thing that kept me sane in that horrible place." His gaze flickered to the cut on my arm. "You're hurt."
"It will heal just as soon as we get out of here." I had no doubts that Llona or Henry could heal me.
"Where are we?" Lucien asked.
"I'm not sure." I pushed up onto my feet.
"We need to find a way out of here," he said as he struggled to stand. "It may not be safe."
"You should rest."
His face scrunched in frustration. "I can't use magic here. Can you?"
"I may with a little time."
"Let's walk," he said.
Before we started, I wrapped my arms around him and buried my head to his chest. I never wanted to be apart from him ever again. His body stiffened and began to shake.
I looked up at him. "Are you okay?"
He closed his eyes and inhaled a full breath until his muscles relaxed. "It may take some time."
"I understand." I let him go and stepped back, allowing some space to come between us. He had suffered torture I could only imagine. It would take him time to heal, and I would give him all that he needed. I owed him that much.
The ground was hard beneath our feet as we trekked across the land, and the air incredibly dry. Because there were no landmarks of any kind, it was difficult to tell if we were walking in one giant circle or walking straight. Everything looked painfully the same.
To pass the time, I spoke about how we had found him and Henry at the prison and the big battle that had followed. I choked a little
when I got to the part about finding a way to get him out of Hell. The thought of losing him had been too much to bear. I planned on talking more, but my throat had grown too parched.
"What I wouldn't give for some water," I mumbled.
Lucien stopped and stared at the crusted dirt.
"What are you doing?"
"It might be possible." He raised his fist and smashed it into the ground, breaking several layers. Using his hands, he removed the broken fragments, but they crumbled beneath his touch. He kept digging.
"It's okay, Lucien. I don't think there's any water in this place."
He fell back onto his bum and rested his arms on his knees. I sat next to him and rested my head on his shoulder.
"I can try and use magic," I suggested.
He didn't say anything, and I could sense his frustration at not being able to help. I closed my eyes and searched for any leftover sparks of magic. I found one at the back of my mind barely burning. I tried to expand it, but it remained where it was, unchanging. I concentrated harder, focusing on the First magic like Dr. Han had taught me. I remembered how it looked, how it felt when I touched it, and the way it smelled. It grew a little stronger, but then stopped as if it had hit a wall. I either needed more time to gather my strength, or this place was too suffocating.
I bit down, trying to remain calm. We had come so far! Killing a Prince of Hell, meeting Lucifer himself and living to tell the tale. So to get trapped in this desolate place was really pissing me off.
"I saw Charlie," Lucien said, his voice soft.
"What?" I turned and looked at him.
"Charlie. When I was being tortured and was close to death, he came to me. He would talk to me, tell me stupid jokes." He smiled sadly. "He said you were coming."
My heart skipped a beat. Dr. Han had said Charlie's soul still lived, but in another dimension. Was he right or had Lucien been hallucinating?
"Do you really think it was him?"
He looked at me. "I do."
I inhaled a hitched breath, my eyes tearing again. "How?"
"I thought of him, and then I called his name."
"Do you think you could do it again?" I asked hopefully.
"Maybe we could do it together?" He held out his hands.
I clasped them tightly and closed my eyes. It wasn't hard to think about Charlie, as he had been my dearest friend. I remembered how great he had been with the children at the academy. The way he spoke to them and others was always with kindness and understanding. I missed him so much my heart ached.
The bright spot of magic in my mind expanded, pushing past whatever barrier had been trying to contain it. I called Charlie's name and pressed the thought outward. A burst of energy escaped my body, leaving me gasping for breath. I opened my eyes.
Lucien was watching me. "I miss him."
"I do too."
"Shall we walk again?"
I looked all around. "There's nowhere to go."
We fell silent. I might've continued to talk, maybe shared good memories with him, but my throat was too scratchy and dry.
More time passed, but it was hard to tell how much in this place that had no sun or moon. It would've been a different kind of Hell had I not been with Lucien.
A bright light appeared on the horizon. "What’s that?"
Lucien followed my gaze. Whatever it was, it was coming toward us fast and growing in size.
"Get back," he warned and jumped to his feet to stand in front of me, but I took hold of his hand and stood next to him. Whatever was coming, we’d face it together.
I held my breath. After all we’d been through, it was possible we would die here in this barren wasteland.
Chapter 16
The closer the light came, the more my heart began to race. Not with fear but with excitement. I knew this light, this being, this person. I touched my heart, smiling.
The light began to take shape. Legs, arms, a familiar face.
Lucien gripped my hand and exhaled a tired, nervous laugh. I leaned into him for support.
Charlie stood before us, his countenance bright. "Oh, Eve. You look as beautiful as ever!"
I stared at him in disbelief. He looked the same as I remembered, but there was this light in his eyes reminding me of the words joy and peace that hadn’t been there before. "I can't believe it’s really you."
He winked at me. "I felt the same way when I first saw Lucien. The second I heard he was being held captive in Hell, I had to go to him. That's not a place a person wants to get stuck in. Speaking of which," his gaze shifted to Lucien, "you look much better than the last time I saw you."
"Thank you," Lucien said. "For keeping my mind preoccupied while I was—" He inhaled. "I don't know if I could've survived otherwise."
"It's the least I could do. I'm just glad I found you."
My heard swelled with love and gratitude for what Charlie had done for Lucien. I stumbled toward him, smiling big, but he held up his hand to stop me.
"Sorry, but I'd really appreciate it if you didn't touch me. You having a physical body, and me being, well, a ghost, it makes me quite ill when the two collide."
It took a lot of restraint, but I stepped back.
Charlie glanced around. "So what are you two doing here when you could be in one of a thousand other amazing dimensions?"
"Lucifer sent us here." I swallowed the fullness in my throat. "I don't know how to get us back."
Charlie’s mouth tightened, and his brows drew together. "I wasn't able to help Lucien in Hell, and it about killed me—again, but I can help here. I assume you want to go back to Earth?"
"Yes," Lucien said quickly.
"Wait!" I cried. "I have so many questions."
Charlie exhaled and smiled warmly. "I wish I could answer them, but I don't have much time. This place isn't meant for people like me."
My heart thundered within my chest. This was happening too fast! Charlie was standing right in front of me, speaking to me as if he had never died.
"Are you happy?" I blurted.
His sudden laughter made my cheeks warm. "Immensely. I'm with Moira, which is all I wanted in life. Now close your eyes." He stepped in front of Lucien.
"I miss you, brother," Lucien said.
"And I you. Take care of each other." He pressed his finger to Lucien's forehead until all of Lucien glowed brightly. In a flash, Lucien disappeared. Charlie turned to me. "Your turn."
My eyes stung with unspent tears. "I am so sorry for killing you. I should never have put that necklace on."
"You need to forgive yourself, Eve. Life is about making mistakes, and then doing our best to fix them. You've done all that you can so let it go. Besides, sacrificing my life for you and Lucien was my greatest accomplishment. I chose that fate for myself."
"Please don't say that." I sniffed, as the tears spilled onto my cheeks.
A sly smile spread on his face. "You know I saw everything beforehand right? Being a really cool psychic and all? I could've prevented my death, but had I lived, you, and even Lucien, would not have gone through the growth you needed to defeat Boaz and Erebus. My death was required, and I have no regrets. I'm finally where I want to be—with my wife. I wish you could meet her."
He turned his head to the side as if listening to something far away.
"Charlie?"
"I have to go. Quickly, close your eyes."
My mouth fell open to beg for more time.
"We'll see each other again,” he interrupted.
I nodded and did as he asked. A second later there was warm pressure on my forehead, then a flash of bright light. A tightness wrapped around my chest as I felt myself tumbling through space. When the motion stopped, I gasped for air and my eyes flew open.
Lucien knelt next to me. "You're okay. We're back."
I sat up and looked around. We were in a wide space with lots of trees and green grass beneath us. Not far away was a child's playground. "Where are we?"
"I'm not sure yet. I was waiting
for you." He helped me to my feet. "There's a convenience store not far."
Cool air rushed into my lungs, and I tilted my head upwards. Stars winked in a velvety sky, and the silver moon glowed a hue that warmed my skin. This is the darkness I loved.
We walked onto a road and followed it a couple of blocks to a gas station in what looked like a small town. Elm and maple trees lined the streets, making me think we were somewhere near Coast City.
"Why don't you wait here?" I suggested, my gaze flickering down at his clothes or lack there of. He was still shirtless, and what was left of his jeans was stained red with blood. A long hot shower would do him some good too. His hair and skin were covered in dirt and what looked like ash.
He nodded and disappeared back into a grove of trees.
I hurried into the convenience store and headed straight for their bathroom to finally cool my parched throat. There were a few other people inside, two of them speaking with the clerk. I went unnoticed.
After several gulps of water, I looked up, noting my reflection for the first time. My hair was no longer white, but had returned to its normal blond color, and it looked longer too—a lot longer. How much time had passed? And which dimension caused it? Hell or the barren wasteland Lucifer had sent us to?
I pushed open the bathroom door and walked to the front of the store where I had noticed a stack of free real estate magazines. I picked up one and exited outside. The front cover read "Real Estate of Coastal Connecticut". The date was April 2nd.
Six months! Henry and the others must be so worried.
I hurried back to Lucien. That's when I noticed his hair had also grown significantly, but it was so matted that I had missed it.
"We need to get cleaned up and over to Henry as soon as possible."
"A lot of time has passed, hasn't it?" he asked.
I nodded.
"How's your magic?"
I closed my eyes and felt it coursing through my blood. It wasn't strong like the First magic had been, but it was just what I needed it to be. "I can get us out of here. Where to?"
"My apartment across from the Deific in Wildemoor. It should still be vacant. Let's go there first so I can shower and eat. And rest. We can find Henry in the morning."