by Zoey Woods
“You go where I say.” I force my voice hard and shove Elion forward though my heart cries out as he falls to the ground. Talon along with two others are staring at me. “Get back to your post!”
Talon gives me a sideways glance but follows with the others to patrol further down the line next to the gates.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper as I lean down and help Elion stand.
“Come with me.” He holds my hands in his.
Warmth spread up my arms and into my chest. “I-I can’t. My place is here with Lucifer.”
“You act like he’s the only family you have.” Elion winced, the after a shaky breath, continued, “You have your father and mother who miss you and love you.”
“No. If they cared at all about me then they wouldn’t have sent me and Lucifer here along with every angel that sided with us.” I search Elion’s face, hoping I could get through to him. Hoping for a miracle of him to see what I do. That at least here, we are free. Free to live however we want. Free to love. We’re not judged or condemned.
In the distance, shouts and heavy footsteps grow louder. The demon-guard. If they catch Elion, they’d slaughter him without question.
“Go,” I push him toward the gates. “Go now.”
“I will return.”
Not if my father is furious he didn’t complete his mission. My heart squeezes like it’s in a giant fist, crushing all the blood out of it. I won’t ever see Elion again. The realization slammed into me and I blink back tears. I wave him toward the pulsing gates, then wrap my arms around myself. I feel like I’m coming apart.
“Stop!” the demon-guards yelled.
Talon and the others come rushing forward.
Without a word, Elion grabbed me into a quick embrace. His mouth brushing across mine in a feather-light kiss. “Please, come with me.”
“I can’t,” my voice soft and raw. When Elion leaned down for another kiss, I do what my heart screamed not to, I push him as hard as I can into the gates. He disappears in a flash of white. Without him, a growing emptiness sits in my heart.
Chapter 14
Elion was gone, returned to Heaven. I should be relieved. Thankful that he didn’t harm my brother and that Elion wasn’t captured and tortured. But an emptiness has buried inside me.
I missed Elion. I didn’t get to tell him about the beauty that is in Hell too. The secret places that I’d come to love. How Lucifer might come across as ego-centric and spoiled but there is a kinder, softer side to him. He’s lonely like me but instead of using fighting, he uses sex and drugs to fill his time. How my brother wept whenever he’s had to put young souls into a level of Hell. How I know he wishes as well as I that father would treat us the same as he does his precious mortals when they are on Earth.
What if father has punished Elion? Wiped him from existence? I couldn’t bear that—knowing I’d sent the angel to his doom.
As I paced back and forth in front of the gate, thinking Elion was hurt or worse wouldn’t let me go. I had to find out if he was okay. Though, I couldn’t just waltz up to Heaven and ring the bell. Father would probably blast me into million fragments if I tried.
Whatever Elion had said about the Almighty’s forgiveness, didn’t apply to me and Lucifer. Our father was vengeful, acted swiftly, and never apologized. But I had to know if Elion was okay.
There was a back way to spy on the Heavenly Realm. One that I had used in eons. I unsheathed my sword, letting the magic hum through me.
“Halt, Rebecca,” a demon-guard hollered. “The Prince of Darkness has ordered your arrest. You are to come with us.”
Like Hell. Whatever my brother wanted could wait. If he wanted to punish me for helping Elion, then so be it. But not until I found out if the angel was okay or not. That would be worse than any torture Lucifer could devise of wondering if Elion was angel dust or not.
I swiped my blade across my palm, the cut stung and I let out a hiss. Then I pressed my blood to the gate. Fire hissed, licking my wound. I gritted back a scream from the pain. The gate warbled and I stepped through into the in-between realm. Abraham’s bosom—what used to be the resting place of righteous souls—before they were allowed to enter Heaven. It’s a chasm also called Sheol between Heaven and Hell that allowed the subjects to see into both realms. It was impossible for any mortal to pass from one into the other or for anyone in Sheol to cross into either realm. But I wasn’t mortal nor was I an undead soul.
The ground and sky were gray. No trees or buildings just wide expanse of dull ground. Behind me lay the gates of Hell and the demon-guards shouted my name.
I couldn’t go back until my brother calmed down. But right now my concern was getting to Elion. My boots skidded across the dirt as I marched up the hill toward Heaven. Please let Elion be okay.
Once I knew for certain that the angel was healed and Dad hadn’t obliterated him, then I would return to my brother and explain everything. Well, not everything except how I’d stopped an assassination attempt on Lucifer’s life. Or how I’d tried to recruit Elion to our side. Maybe even allowed him to return to Heaven to find others that would be willing to join our cause again—who had finally had enough of father’s tirades.
My hands shook and I clenched them. No. I wasn’t a good liar like my brother, so I would leave out the part about how cared for Elion more than I should. How I should’ve cut him down when I first saw him instead allowing curiosity and lust get the better of me.
The air was stale in Sheol without the souls that had waited to enter Heaven. I’d often come here to learn what I could about the mortals my father cherished so much. I wasn’t able to interact or harm them—kinda like an invisible ghost to them—but they didn’t act like the souls that came across our gates into Hell. These beings were kind and thankful. Sometimes even weeping when they saw a loved one stuck in our realm and they couldn’t help them.
It had been Mom, who’d finally convinced Dad to allow the righteous souls into Heaven. Personally, I thought Dad was twisted to allow them to see both Heaven and Hell, and yet not be able to cross the barrier into either. If I were a human soul, I’d pick Hell over being stuck in limbo for eternity.
I climbed the rocky path to the only mountain in this place. The peak stretched up as close to Heaven as I could get.
Above me, the streets of gold and the pearly gates gleamed. What I wanted was further into my dad’s home and his throne room where he’d be judging Elion. My gut clenched at the thought. Elion had to be all right. Anything less and I’d tear my way into Heaven and fight as many angels as I could to get to him.
“Rebecca?” Mom asked, and I froze.
“Mom?”
“What are you doing here?” Mom tossed golden hair over her shoulder. “Are you wanting to come home?”
The hope in her voice crushed my heart. But I couldn’t live under Dad’s oppressing thumb any more than Lucifer could.
“Sorry, no.” I shook my head. “I—I’m looking for a friend.”
She pursed her lips. “In Sheol?”
I crossed my arms, not wanting to disclose my feelings that I was still working out myself. “Yeah. Why aren’t you in Heaven?” No one would choose this drab, gray void over Paradise.
Her mouth twitched up at the corners. “Even a goddess needs time away once in a while.”
“Why don’t you go to Earth then? Lots of entertainment up there.”
“Too noisy and crowded.” She waved a hand. “I miss the old days when there weren’t their autos and electricity and pollution.”
“You mean cars?” I shrugged. “Well, that’s Dad’s great creation mucking up the planet.”
“And you don’t like anything they have to offer?” She tilted her head to the side, her sea-green eyes narrowing slightly.
Okay, so I did like a few things. “That’s not the point. Look, I don’t want to get into this right now. There are more important things.” I took a breath. “Like, why is Dad sending angels to assassinate Lucifer?”
&n
bsp; She straightened, turning away from me. “Your father and I have decided that he’s too dangerous to rule Hell. His punishments for souls are too severe.”
“What?” I grasped her arm to force her to look at me. “You’re kidding, right? Both of you wanted the guilty punished. Lucifer does that.” A little too gleefully sometimes, but neither of our parents would lift a feather to help.
“We thought giving your brother Hell as his domain would heal him. Give Lucifer purpose and compassion.” She wrung her hands. “Instead it’s made his ego a thousand times bigger than it was before, thinking that he could rival the Almighty by luring more souls into Hell than Heaven.”
“Then discipline Lucifer. But both of you let my brother get away with anything he wanted until he wanted to become King of Heaven.” I shot back. Growing up, Lucifer had been the favored one. Everyone bragged about how he was so handsome and made music wherever he stepped. If anyone was to blame for his overzealous pride, it was our parents. “Have either of you thought to come down and have a conversation with him?”
Her porcelain skin reddened and she didn’t answer me.
“No. But you ordered the murder of your own child? I don’t understand how that makes Lucifer the monster instead of you two.”
The sky darkened as her body sucked in all the light.
Shit! I’d gotten carried away in dealing with her as though she was my equal. Like she wasn’t the Divine Feminine who helped shape the universe.
I didn’t want to back away. Nothing I’d said was untrue. Her power slammed into me. I gritted my teeth against the pulsating magic that ripped through me like a sandstorm. Pain jackhammered through my body. I trembled all over and I didn’t submit. Didn’t beg for forgiveness. When the attack ceased, I gasped, the agony still vibrated through my body.
“Don’t you dare speak to me that way again,” she screeched.
I swallowed hard. “Then don’t give me a reason. Be just and fair to all your creations, not just your mortal ones.”
Mom’s mouth pressed into two thin lines. After a staring contest that I didn’t flinch from despite my knees wanting to knock together, she sighed. “What are you doing here? And don’t tell me it’s to speak to your father because I can smell that lie.”
What would she say if she knew I wanted to check on Elion? I couldn’t walk away when I was so close to seeing him. The urge to push past her to the spot where I could view Dad’s throne room threatened to overrule my judgment.
“Just curious about how many angels Dad was sending.” I tucked my hands behind my back. “The last one was pretty injured from a demon-guard’s claws.”
“Why do you associate with riffraff like that?” She took a step toward me, and I kept my stance, but I was ready to grasp my sword in an instant and defend myself if necessary. It wasn’t that I didn’t love my mom; I just didn’t trust her not to lock me up somewhere while they finished off my brother. “Ah. You’re concerned for the angel.”
“No,” I said a little too fast. “Only concerned that he didn’t get to see the beauty of Hell and come to know it like I do.”
She smirked. “You think you can convince another angel, after all this time, to side with your brother?”
To do so would be the ultimate slap against her and dad. But what other choice did I have? The longer I stayed with her, the sooner she’d be able to read my heart and know the full truth. Then she could use that against me. Force me to choose between my brother and Elion—something I wasn’t ready to do yet—or ever.
“After the propaganda that he spouted, yeah.” I moved my hand from my sword hilt to my hip. “He’s only seen the dark side of Hell. But there is beauty in our realm too. Nothing is all evil or all darkness. Everything exists with a balance. Light wouldn’t shine so bright without shadow.”
“You’re that confident you can sway one of our assassin angels?” Mom’s eyes widened and at my nod, she continued. “Very well. I will give the angel into your keeping for seventy-two hours. Convince him that Hell and more importantly that Lucifer should be spared our wrath.”
Despite my confidence, I had nothing to show that I could persuade Elion to do anything against his orders. “And if I don’t succeed?”
“Then you vow that you will return to Heaven. You will take your rightful place as a Heavenly princess, reunite with your true family, and never speak of this or Hell or your brother again.”
Bitter acid burned the back of my throat. In other words, she wanted me to give up my identity and my freedom. Everything I’d fought so hard to accomplish. If I refused, then I’d be back where I started with Elion gone and not knowing why my father was sending assassins to kill Lucifer. Mom wouldn’t tell me if I asked her. Plus, I had to see for myself that Elion was okay.
I squared my shoulders. “I vow that if I can’t change Elion’s mind about Hell, then I will return to Heaven.”
Chapter 15
My mom snapped her fingers and Elion appeared between us. “Remember you promise, daughter.”
Before me, the angel appeared in a flash, laying on his side. His wings trembled, his face so pale I thought he was dead if he hadn’t moved.
“Elion!” I dashed to his side. Son of a bitch! Father had punished him and Elion still had the demon claw mark across his chest. “Heal him.”
Mom smiled eerily. “That wasn’t part of our bargain.”
An insult burned on my tongue but it wouldn’t do any good. Mom was just as self-righteous as Dad. I’d forgotten how she could be as ruthless as him. She didn’t think I could save Elion, but I would prove her wrong.
There was a pop in the air and I didn’t need to look to know she’d vanished out of Sheol. Everything I’d done had ended us up right back in the shithole. Worse. Now I had even less time to get Elion cured before the demon poison killed him. Then Mom and Dad would get what they wanted…me.
“Come on,” I grasped his arm. “We’ve got to get you to Lucifer’s medical chambers.”
Which meant navigating through Lucifer’s palace without being caught. Nothing like impossible odds.
Wait. There was something I could do that would buy time until I got to Lucifer’s medical supplies. The gate was a type of energy portal and time warp. If I could get Elion there, it might just give him enough of a buffer to enable me to steal the medicine.
Elion would have to be part-fallen angel in order for the gate not to kick him out immediately. That meant converting him. He’d never agree though. Not without me being able to show him the positives of how Lucifer once tried to make Hell into a new paradise—one that would revel our father’s Garden of Eden on Earth.
“Elion.” I gently brushed golden hair out of his eyes. “Do you trust me?”
He cracked open an eye. “Not really.”
“No, I mean, I need to leave you at the gate…between the gates…so I can grab the cure for your demon mark.”
“I’ll be fine.” He groaned, trying to sit up and fell back down, his face pale.
“Just promise me you’ll wait inside the gate vortex until I get back.” I bit my lip, unsure if this was the right thing to do. What other choice did I have? If I lugged him along with me all the way to Lucifer’s medicine, we’d both be caught.
Elion gritted his teeth and stood, his body hunched over. “I’m going with you.”
“You can barely stay upright.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “It’s too dangerous to bring you with me.”
But the set of his jaw already told me that he would try and follow me. Crawl even, if he had to.
“Fine.” I grunted, placing my arm around him to help him walk. “But I am so not saving your ass again after this.”
He chuckled. “You know you want to keep me around.”
“Why in Hell would I want to do that?” I shook my head but inside my heart felt like someone plucked a string in it. The angel was definitely growing on me and I wasn’t sure what the future held for us. I wanted to protect my brother and Elion wanted to kill
him. What a fucked up relationship.
We stumbled through the Gates and a hiss popped in my ears. The demon patrols skidded to a stop when they saw me and Elion.
“Stop gawking and get out of my way,” I growled.
“Rebecca,” Lenca asked, her black eyebrows rose in confusion. “Why are you bringing an angel across the barrier into Hell?”
“What does it look like I’m doing?” I huffed. “Caught this bastard trying to sneak in. Me and a demon-guard fought him .” I yanked back Elion’s robe to show his wound. “He killed the demon-guard.”
“Why not kill him then?” Javrin glared. “We can roast his body and serve it to Cerberus.”
The others nodded. We were drawing too much attention and I had to get Elion out of there before they started to rip him apart.
“Sure,” I shrugged. “If you don’t mind my brother losing a valuable piece of leverage against Heaven, then be my guest and chopping this one up for dog food.”
Elion tensed next to me. He was in no condition to fight and as much as his kind hated lies, sometimes shielding the truth was necessary.
The demons grumbled amongst themselves. I pushed past them after a few moments.
“Lucifer is waiting, get out of my way.” I hauled Elion along with me. With us having to go into Lucifer’s sanctuary to get to the medicine and that added to my words.
I dared not glance behind me to see if they followed or sounded the alarm. Just kept moving one foot in front of the other.
The knot in my chest eased some when we passed Lucifer’s threshold into his castle. His private quarters were scattered around the various buildings, but his healing ointments were located on the other side of the garden.
We weaved through the hidden passageways and down corridors. In an alcove, the syncopated footfalls of demon-guards had me shoving Elion into a small cubby.
“Fold your wings in!” I whispered, then opened my black ones over us. To keep Elion upright, I placed his hands on my shoulders.