Page 7

Chapter seven

T he plan was simple. Distract Lucifer. Sneak onto his lands. Find the pit. Find Deus’s soul. All while somehow surviving and making it back to the earthly plane. My palms were sweating as our group made our way to the throne room. Deus had requested our presence to welcome our new guests. Mal waited in front of the closed doors. Once they opened, the princes and Giana entered. I stepped to her side, trying to be discreet.

“I need to ask you for a favor,” I whispered.

“What are you planning?” she asked, walking alongside me.

“I’m going to sneak onto Lucifer’s territory and find the pit,” I admitted.

She grabbed me by the arm, digging her fingers into my skin. “Seren, that’s a suicide mission.”

“Do you have a better idea?” I asked. “I was hoping you’d accompany me there. I know what I am asking, and you don’t have to come, Mal. You have a choice.”

She took a deep breath, examining me intensely for a moment. She bowed her head slightly. “It would be an honor to assist you, Seren De Salvo.”

“Thank you, Mal. Truly,” I said, and took my place next to Belz .

We stood at the edge of the room. Deus sat in a large wingback chair, leaning across the table towards Lucifer. The princes were engaged in, apparently, a comical discussion, as they laughed uproariously, seeming completely oblivious of our arrival. Satan sat across from them, expressionless, clearly the third wheel.

Mammon cleared his throat. “Brothers,” he said, giving them a small smile. “You requested our presence?”

Lucifer’s eyes finally turned towards us. His smile, most beautiful and elegant, glistened in the soft lighting of the room.

“Now isn’t this something,” Lucy said in his smooth, rich voice. “The seven demons of Hell, all home at the same time. And two moon goddess vessels. What are the odds?”

My breath caught in my throat, but I tried to hide my panic from my expression.

Belz laughed softly. “Brother, I know you’re getting up there in age, but unless my eyes are failing me, I only see one goddess vessel.” A petite figure with lush white hair and olive skin stepped from the shadows. Her exquisite, soft features and sensual lips lit the room. Victoria.

She placed a hand on Deus’s shoulder, looking down at him with love in her eyes. He took her hand and kissed it gently, rubbing his thumb against her skin. His eyes then met mine. His lips curved into a sinful smirk.

Rage. Hate. Fury. Jealousy. Pain. All my stupid emotions stirred within the pit of my stomach. I felt Giana’s hand run down the center of my back in a calming gesture. She must have felt the turmoil raging inside of me like a tsunami. It seemed her emotional telepathy was still active in hell. I didn’t know a soul could still possess their powers even after death .

Focus, dammit , I told myself. I forced a smile on my face, nodding my head towards her. “Victoria,” I said plainly, “nice to see you again.”

She looked at me with hatred. Without a word, she made herself at home on Deus’s lap. Goddess vessel or not, I would one day deliver her the ultimate death.

“Now, I am curious,” said Lucifer. “What has brought you all to this realm?”

“They hope to restore my soul and bring me home,” answered Deus as he drew his fingers down the column of Victoria’s neck. I tried to ignore it, but my efforts were useless.

Lucifer appeared surprised. “Is that so?” he asked. “And how are you all going to do that?”

Belz attempted to answer, but I stepped forward first. “Asmodeus has made his desire to remain soulless perfectly clear.”

Lucy chuckled. “Yes, and without me,” he said, “you can’t put his soul back, so your efforts are futile, little goddess.” He rose and sauntered over to stand in front of me. If I hadn’t know better, I would have found him charming and alluring. His light hair framed his beautifully constructed face.

He reached out, softly trailing his fingers along a strand of my hair. I remained still. Deus watched the two of us intently. Lucifer’s fingers traced the exposed skin at the edge of my neckline. Then in an instant, his hand was around my throat, squeezing the life out of me.

The others moved to attack, but Satan and Deus stood from their seats, throwing their hands out, preventing them from retaliating. I lit my fire, blasting Lucifer with my power, but the flames seemed to do little damage. He just laughed.

“Oh, sweet Seren,” he said, bringing my face closer to his. “You’re in my realm now, you little bitch.”

I pulled at the power deep inside of me, the untapped magic that was dark and dangerous. Lucifer himself had imbued me with his magic before I was born, tricking my mother in his desire to possess the next moon goddess. I had never touched that power, in fear of what I would become.

With one massive release, he, Deus, and Satan flew across the room, slamming into the opposite wall. My friends were freed from their restraints, coming to my aid. A mixture of shadows, fire, and something that felt like pure, untapped potential flickered through me in the most delicious combination.

I closed my eyes, rolling my neck, allowing the forbidden magic to seep through my veins, tainting my blood with its malice and promises of death. I shifted my shoulders, licking my lips as a smooth weight coursed through my body like a warm shot of liquor. I felt … different. Careless. Powerful. Reckless. I laughed, indulging in a moment of pure bliss as I basked in my own glory.

“Seren,” I heard a voice from behind me. I turned to see Gor staring at me in shock. “Your … your eyes.”

The table in front of us blasted to the side of the room. Lucifer stormed forward while Deus and Satan rose to their feet, dusting themselves off.

“How dare you use my own power against me?” Lucifer roared.

“Aw, is someone’s pride damaged, Lucy?” I mocked, making a pouty face.

“I will rip it out of you!” he screamed. “Along with every ounce of power you possess!”

The other four princes made a stance at my side. They threw out their hands just as Lucifer sent a wave of dark magic that ate through everything it touched, turning it to ash.

“Go!” Belz demanded.

“I won’t leave you,” I replied.

“Go now, or there won’t be another chance to do what needs to be done,” he groaned, using his strength to hold back Lucifer and the others.

“What are you talking about?” asked Levi.

Gor put the pieces together before I had a chance to respond. His face grew worried.

“No, Seren,” he said, grunting as his magic held. “You can’t. You won’t survive.”

“I have to, Gor,” I replied. “There is no life for me that doesn’t involve him.”

Mal appeared at my side. I took her hand, looking back at the four princes of Hell that had become my family, then to Giana’s beautiful face. “Survive,” I said to them all.

“You too, goddess,” replied Mammon.

I closed my eyes imagining the maps of Hell that I studied before arriving. I pictured Lucifer’s territory and shifted.

We were greeted by a massive force of wind and heat from the towers of flames that surrounded us. Tornados, hundreds of stories high twirled and blazed with blue and red flames, shifting and traveling through the lands. Pits, full of trapped souls screamed and cried out, reaching through the grates praying for a miracle.

Souls were strapped to crosses, some hung upside down. They were beaten, tortured, and burned. Black crows ate their flesh as they cried out helplessly. Body parts littered the ground. The smell of blood and burning fat singed my notarial turning my stomach until I couldn’t bare it any longer. I leaned over and vomited, sickened by the sights, sounds, and smells that surrounded me. This was what I had imagined Hell to be. A burning, torturous pit of nightmares. And somewhere in this horrific land, Deus was suffering.

“Makes the other realms look like a vacation doesn’t it,” said Mal.

“I wouldn’t go that far. Do you know where the pit is?” I asked.

“Not exactly, but if I had to guess, it’s somewhere in his castle. He wouldn’t just leave it unguarded.”

“Fan-fucking-tastic,” I said, turning in the direction of the black, monstrous palace that stood before us.

Lucifer’s castle was easily the largest structure I had ever laid eyes on. It reached high into the sky which swirled with black and gray clouds. Blue and yellow lightening blazed through the atmosphere. Dragon-like creatures flew overhead, making the worst screeching sounds I had ever heard. I covered my ears, lowering my head in defense. The sound was horrific. I pulled my hands away, revealing blood now dripping from my ears.

“Noctori,” explained Mal. “If they get close enough, they’ll be able to rupture your ear drums.

“Let’s not give them the chance,” I said, refocusing on the structure of nightmares in front of us.

The castle was made of some type of black rock that looked to be … bleeding. Moisture covered the surface and seeped into the ground around it, creating a weblike effect that reminded me of veins. Anything the branches of the black liquid touched turned to ash and decayed.

“I’m guessing we avoid the black creepy stuff?” I asked.

“That would be correct. Though, now that you’ve accessed Prince Morningstar’s power, I wonder if it will even have an effect on you?”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s a part of you. This is his land created from his power which you possess and now wield. It’s just a theory, but I am willing to bet that this realm will respond to you the way it does him.”

“Well, that’s comforting,” I replied sarcastically.

“We’ve never had a Queen of Hell,” she said with a smile that seemed to hold secrets. “Could be fun. Come on, before he realizes what we’re up to.”

We took off through the lands, avoiding the pits of souls. I kept my mind focused, trying not to divert my eyes to the suffering I was surrounded by. After this experience, I was unsure if I would ever sleep again.

We made it to the castle doors where two guards were stations. Their skin was black like tar and plagued with boils and oozing sores. They bared their razor-sharp teeth. Demons. They lunged and attacked. Mal pulled two short swords that were strapped to her back. She swung and sliced through the air, cutting through them with little effort.

I stopped at the door, looking at the deadly oozing substance that trickled across the dual, rough, black stone. I looked down at my hands and without another moment to talk myself out of it, I pressed them against the surface. An illuminating blue light shot through the carvings and grooves of the doors, engulfing the entrance in light. A moment later, the door clicked, opening to reveal the inside of the castle.

“Theory proven,” Mal said, still griping the swords. “Now, the search begins.”

We entered the long hall of the entryway. The walls were covered with paintings depicting Lucifer in all his glory. Some were of him fighting battles, others were more relaxed, reflecting his beauty and grace. Mal grabbed a hold of my arm, pulling me into a dark corridor off to the side. She pressed our bodies against the wall, signaling for me to be silent.

A group of females and males passed by. Servants or guest, I had no clue, but I knew if we were spotted, they would report back to Lucifer and my chance to find Deus’s soul would be gone. Once we were in the clear, the hunt began.

Mal led me through the halls as if she was intimately familiar with the layout of the castle. I followed closely, taking in my surroundings as Orion had taught me during our training sessions that now seemed so long ago.

Lucifer’s mansion was indeed extravagant and massive. We turned down a new hallway every few feet, then descended a wrought iron staircase that seemed to plummet deep into the earth. We came upon a servant who startled at the sight of us, dropping a tray of wine and glasses. Before he could yell, Mal drove a dagger into his throat, killing him in a moment.

“We need to move faster,” she instructed. “Someone else was sure to have heard that.”

“And how do you know where we’re going?” I asked.

She shrugged, stepping over the dead demon. “I may have not been fully truthful when I said I didn’t know where to find the pit.”

“Mal!” I sneered, following after her.

“Here,” Mal said, halting at two intricately carved onyx doors. “The hallway of mirrors.”

“What is it?” I asked, examining the figurines crafted into the surface.

“The gateway to the pit.”

“Gateway? What—"

Before I could finish, Giana appeared out of nowhere, covered in blood and ash. Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes bloodshot.

“Seren,” she said, then collapsed. I caught her before she hit the ground.

“How did you get here?” I asked. “What happened?”

“I’m tied to you … through your power. Remember?” she said, painfully sitting upright. “Lucifer and the others are too strong. They’re suffering. Gor is hurt. We need to leave … now.”

“Giana, I can’t,” I said, the pain of her words settling in my chest. “We just found where the pit is located.”

“If you don’t,” she cried, “Deus won’t be the only one stuck here. They all will be confined to this realm. Under Lucifer’s wrath.”

“She’s right,” added Mal. “If he removes all of their souls, the end will be upon us.” I allowed myself a moment to think. The right thing would be to go and save them, but my heart … I was so close.

I took a breath, looking at Mal. “Fine,” I said. “I will open the doorway back to earth, but once everyone is safely through, I am coming back to finish what I started.”

“You will hear no objections from me,” Mal replied.

I held onto Mal and Giana, shifting us back to Deus’s realm. We arrived in a room now layered with ash and fire. The walls were falling apart. The ceiling no longer existed. Windows were completely shattered. Everything around us had been destroyed. Blood was splattered along every surface.

A torrent of acid shot passed my face. It hit the wall, the cinderblocks sizzling and melting into nothing. I turned back to its source. Levi and Belz stood side-by-side, firing away towards Lucifer, Deus, and Satan. Satan was badly hurt, blood pooling from his abdomen. Mal took a deep breath and then disappeared from my side.

Deus was bleeding from his head and stood on unsteady legs. I turned back to see Mammon cradling Gor’s body. G and I rushed to their side. Gor was missing an arm. His leg had a massive slit on his upper thigh. He was bleeding from the mouth, coughing up blood.

“Oh my God, Gor,” I said, reaching for him.

“We need to leave now,” said Mammon in a weak voice. A bright beam of fire shot overhead, slamming into the wall next to us, setting the remaining piece of tapestry on fire.

I stood, allowing my power to well inside of me. I focused on the door I had spent months creating. I rotated my arms and hands, pulling my power from within until I was able to project the doorway that would be our salvation. The portal opened, revealing Deus’s throne room back home on earth.

“No!” I heard a scream from the other side of the room. I turned to see Lucifer’s raging face. He sent his deadly, dark power into the portal. I could feel his magic begin to eat away at the gate. I held firm, pushing everything I had into keeping it open.

“We need to go now!” I yelled. “I can’t hold it much longer!” Mammon picked up Gor’s limp form and rushed towards the portal. Giana took a deep breath and followed, stepping back into the world of the living.

I felt Lucifer’s power overriding mine. He was too strong. I may have had an ounce of his power—a drop compared to a tempest. I yelled in pain, forcing everything I had into the door.

Levi stepped through. My vision began to tunnel. I was burning out. I could feel the sweat on my brow. My arms began to shake, but I held firm. I felt two arms around my waist as they hauled me towards the gate. I held onto the magic as we stepped through the doorway.

Everything inside of me was screaming not to let go of Deus … of hope. “No,” I cried, fighting to free myself from the strong arms that restrained me. I pushed and shoved, the memories of my mate becoming my strength. “No,” I mumbled, as the gate’s energy dissipated with each passing second.

I could hear Lucifer’s screams of anger on the other side. I turned back just as Deus stepped in front of the portal. His face revealed nothing. There was no love. No empathy. Just … darkness. Focused on only his beautiful face, I fought harder to get back to him.

The portal began to constrict. Black veins of death devoured the door that had taken so much of me to create.

“Seren!” A deep voice behind me yelled with desperation. My vision began to tunnel. The humming of the power that danced around me heightened. A burning sensation ripple underneath my skin. Something inside of me was building, begging to be unleashed.

I took one final breath and gave in to the pain inside.

“NO!” I screamed with everything I had. A massive wave of energy blasted from me, blinding my vision. My heart constricted and I fought to breath, but the release … oh, the release was well worth it. All the emotions inside— fear, anger, resentment, sadness, guilt—billowed from me. Everything went silent. Everything felt … numb.