Page 8

Chapter eight

B am! I slammed into a hard, cold surface. My head was spinning. Exhaustion set in, spreading through every limb. I forced myself up from the cold floor, assessing my surroundings. Portraits of Lucifer hung from the walls. Rich tapestries and furniture littered the room around me. I held my breath in horror. I had shifted back to Lucifer’s castle. I was still in Hell.

Two young demon girls looked at me with shock and horror.

“Where is the hall of mirrors?” I demanded.

They just stood, huddled together in fear.

“If either of you want to live,” I said, “I suggest one of you take me there now.”

“I can,” a small girl with golden blonde hair whispered.

“Good,” I said, grabbing her by the arm and heading towards the exit. When I flung open the door, two demons were passing in the hall. They took one look at me and lunged. I blasted my power towards them, setting both of their hideous bodies on fire. The girl began shaking.

“Move,” I instructed.

We took off down the hall and descended flight after flight of stairs. Demons appeared every few moments, attempting to hinder my plan. I slashed through them with my shadows, setting others ablaze when they got too close. They whined and squealed as their flesh melted from their bones.

The girl came to a halt in front of the same onyx doors Mal had led me to.

“I … I can’t go in there,” she said.

“Why not?” I asked.

“The hall of mirrors … it … it forces you to truly look at yourself. I won’t go in there. Not after—”

“I got it,” I interrupted, heading for the door. “Thanks.”

I pulled on the handle and stepped inside. The door shut with a loud thud behind me. The lighting was low, but the room’s name was no exaggeration. It was made entirely out of mirrors. I stepped softly on the glass surface. The floor whined under the weight of each step, threatening to shatter at any moment.

Mirrors were suspended in the air, hung by invisible cords, just … floating. The ceiling towered twenty feet high, made from the same reflective material. Gray fog swirled and twisted around the open space. I turned and looked at my reflection. I was still in the gown that I had gotten from Deus’s castle. My hair was a mess. My skin was marred with bruises and scratches. I looked like I had been through Hell … fitting.

I took a few steps, trying to find my way through, but no exit could be seen. I turned around to discover the onyx doors had vanished. “Shit,” I whispered, continuing deeper into the room.

I turned down an aisle of more mirrors, larger than I was. A memory flashed across the mirror, playing like a movie. It was me, back in Montecassino. I was walking with my crutches down the hall, dressed in typical nun fashion. Sister Francis came up behind me, placing a hand on my back for comfort as I dragged my dead legs across the polished floor.

I turned from the image and came face to face with Sister Odette. Her face had been slashed by the claws of the hell hounds that had killed her. She tilted her head, holding her rosary in her hands.

“I should have listened to my sisters and ended you the night your evil sire brought you to me,” she said, her eyes filled with disappointment. “We would all still be alive doing God’s work, if it weren’t for you.”

I forced my eyes closed, shutting out the face of the nearest thing I’d had to a mother for so many years. “This isn’t real,” I whispered to myself. “It’s only an illusion.”

“Are the signs of my death not real enough? Was the forfeit of my life to protect yours an illusion?”

“Am I an illusion as well?” came another voice to my right.

I turned my head, eyes widening. “George,” I whispered.

“You trusted the enemy,” he said, taking a step towards me. “And because of that, I am dead. You chose someone who had proven that they couldn’t be trusted over your teammate. Over an innocent.”

“I’m so sorry,” I cried, looking at his marred and torn body. He appeared as he had when he died, ripped apart by demons.

“Did you not think your actions would have consequences?” he continued. “I was just starting my life, Seren. I was even younger than you.”

I turned away, not wanting to relive another moment of my deepest regrets. The next mirror was a picture of Nonna: our reunion. The next of Aunt Thora. Of Frankie. Then … Orion.

My heart fell into my stomach and tears threatened to fall at the memory, frozen in time. I was pressed against Frankie’s dresser while he stood in front of me. It was the first time we had met. I watched as his face searched mine for answers. Beautiful curly brown hair, toned body: he was the very sight of perfection. Tears slipped out as the sound of his voice echoed through the hall.

“Orion,” I whispered, feeling a pain in my chest.

“Sometimes,” I heard behind me, “I wonder what my life could have become if I had never stumbled across you that day.”

I swirled around, now facing him in the flesh. I cried out in shock and excitement.

“What are you doing here?” I gasped, now shaking. “Giana said you weren’t in Hell.”

“I’ve been in Hell since that day,” he said. His face was hard. There was nothing loving or caring about him. “You took everything from me, little dove … everything. My future, my heart, my life. Yet here you are, going to the ends of Hell in order to save a demon prince. Where was that determination for saving my life?”

“I tried, Orion,” I cried. “I am so sorry. There hasn’t been a moment since—”

“Oh, spare me the bullshit,” he said. “I loved you. You were my soulmate. Be honest, you never even gave us a chance. You were always looking for something else. What? Was I not damaged enough for you? Not evil enough?”

“You are perfect. You always have been. And I did try. You know I did. That part of our love never clicked into place for me. But you knew how much I loved you. I would have given my life to save yours.”

“Well, maybe you should have,” he said. “Why was I the one that had to suffer? If you had given Lucifer what he wanted, I’d be home with my fiancé, planning our wedding.”

“I would have traded spots with you in a heartbeat. How could you question that?”

“Because I’ve come to realize that you are selfish. What Aradia saw in you, I will never know. The reality is you deserve to be here … in Hell. I hope your demon prince never recovers and you get to live your long, pathetic life watching him fuck his way through Hell while you suffer. You don’t care about us; you only care about yourself and what makes you feel good.”

“That’s not true,” I cried.

“Isn’t it?” said George, approaching my right side.

“I devoted my life to being your caregiver,” added Sister Odette. “I loved you like my own, and look where that got me.”

“A one-way ticket for all of us to Hell,” said George.

I cried harder, falling to my knees while they surrounded me. Orion bent down beside me.

“This needs to end,” he whispered. “If you die, this is all over.”

“It won’t bring us back,” added George, “but at least it will protect the ones that are still alive.”

“You’re too much of a liability, child,” whispered Sister Odette. “Your life, for the lives of those you love. Those that you can still save from the evil that follows you”

Orion reached out, wrapping his fingers around my hand. He opened my palm and then placed a dagger inside. I looked up at him, tears still falling down my face. He smiled softly.

“This dagger is special. It can deliver the ultimate death. You can finally find peace and protect those who still have a chance at living. It’s time for you to join me, little dove,” he said, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “We belong together. We can be together. All you have to do … is let go. You chose me once, during the rite. Choose me again. Make this right. Make everything right.” He leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to my lips. “I love you, little dove. I always have. ”

It would be over. All of it. The pain. The suffering. The fighting. With my death, it would all end.

I thought back to that day in Romania. The feeling of my toes hanging on the edge of the cliff while I pondered over my life. It had seemed like the answer then, and could be the answer now. All I had to do was take a leap and pray that God would forgive me for all the wrong I had brought into his world.

I closed my eyes, bringing the dagger into position. “It will all be over,” I whispered, taking a deep and brave breath. “I just have to sacrifice myself. Correct the wrong that was allowed to live.” I drew out the dagger, aiming for my heart. I gritted my teeth together, preparing to be set free.

I positioned the tip of the blade for a final blow when the clink of metal pulled me from spiraling thoughts. My necklace shifted against my skin as the knife made contact with the small, welded key. I froze, and for a moment, my mind cleared.

I reached into my shirt, drawing up the cold silver chain. My fingers wrapped around the familiar pendant. The token that my mate had given me … the key to our home. I relaxed and began to cry, smiling to myself as a rush of happiness and love overcame me.

This key represented the life I wanted. A home where my mate and I would live in happiness. A safe place to explore our passions and interests. A place where our family would meet and create memories. A home where I was loved, desired, and cherished. My home … Deus.

My eyes snapped back up to the three figures. I looked at Sister Odette and then George, studying their faces intimately. No matter how long I lived, no matter how much happiness I might experience … I would never forget them. I would always feel the weight of their deaths on my conscious, but it was time to move on.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, watching their faces study my own. “I am truly … sorry.” I let out a breath of relief, forgiving myself and letting them go. They disappeared into the gray fog that floated throughout the room.

I turned my eyes to the man I had come to deeply care for. But this wasn’t Orion, no. This was my test. This place knew I carried the most guilt about not being able to save him. I took a few deep breaths and then stood, stepping closer to him. His face tensed.

I stretched up on my toes and kissed his cheek, then pulled away, looking into his dark eyes.

“I love you, Orion. I will always love you. And I will find you … maybe not in this life, but the next.” His face relaxed. The anger and pain evaporated, Orion along with it. I took a another breath and swiped at the tears on my cheeks.

A doorway opened at the end of the row of mirrors. Red, brown, and yellow light poured into the dark hall. I moved towards it, feeling a tugging sensation I couldn’t explain. I stepped over the threshold and into the tormentor’s pit.

Loose objects crunched under the soles of my shoes. I looked to the ground and realized I stood upon thousands of bone fragments. The air here was dry. It smelled of mold and something foul and grotesque. For as far as my eye could see, there was nothing but bones and body parts.

I ran my hands across my face, defeat and exhaustion taking hold. I was almost there … I could do this. I took a step forward, flinching at the sound of smashing bones beneath my feet when a white, wispy soul slithered from the ground. It danced through the air, slowly at first, seeming to study me, assessing if I was a threat .

I froze, then raised my hand to touch it, but the wisp swerved away like a scared animal. I remained still, allowing the thing to feel me out. Without warning, the soul lunged forward, invading my nostrils and mouth while wriggling inside of my body.

“Please, no,” a man’s voice cried while his arms were ripped from his body. I opened my mouth to yell, but no sound came. I could feel my skin burning, my bones yelling in protest. My heart slammed against my chest so hard, I wondered if I was experiencing a heart attack; until finally, my arm was pulled clean off.

I came back to my own body in the pit, falling to my knees as I vomited from the memory that wasn’t my own. The soul wisp squirmed away frantically. I lifted my head, wiping my mouth as I looked out into the horizon. The ground beneath me trembled, signaling I wasn’t alone.

A decaying gray hand shot up from the pile of bones. The hand was missing its ring and middle finger and fought to pull the body it was attached to from the pile of ivory. One by one, humanoid figures ascended around me, crawling and glitching in the same fashion as the possessed Obsidian witches. Their skin was melting from their skeleton, oozing with infection and rot. And the smell was unlike anything I had ever encountered.

As they began to lurch towards me, I bolted through the first opening I saw, leaving no time for them to catch me. I peeked over my shoulder as they began to follow. Their bodies were stiff and slow, yet the more they moved, the faster they became. Dropping to all fours, some began to run after me like wild animals in pursuit of their prey.

Something wrapped around my ankle, slamming me into the ground. A sharpened piece of bone speared straight through my hand as I reached out to catch myself. Before I could scream, a pair of dull teeth sunk into my calf. I yelled out in pain, kicking my other foot into the creature’s forehead over and over until it finally released me. I forced myself up, blood streaming. I cradled my hand into my chest, the wound pulsing around the bone that protruded from my palm.

Wisps of souls began to emerge all around me, seeming to be drawn by my presence. I kept moving. I was unsure what would happen to me if the decaying creatures caught me, but I wasn’t going to stick around to find out. I raced to the top of a hill, unable to see what awaited me on the other side, then tripped and tumbled headfirst down the prickly mound, landing face first.

The souls descended. Pain, suffering, and sadness consumed me. I fought to force them out, trying to focus on what I had come for.

“Deus,” I whispered. The torment of this place seemed to fuel Lucifer’s powers deep inside me. I lay on the mound of bones while the souls drove through me, one by one, seeming to take a piece of my humanity with them with each possession.

The darkness inside of me began to slither across my being like a blanket of silk, traveling up each limb like a smooth caress. Unable to move, I lay there and felt each soul’s penance, while something far darker threatened to consume me entirely. The magic welled deep within the pit of my stomach, feeding off each soul that entered, until finally a massive wave unleashed, sending every soul and dead creature flying away from me with one powerful surge.

Air rushed into my lungs as my nerves screamed to life. Everything hurt, but the darkness inside of me had provided an opportunity. I wasn’t going to waste it.

I pushed up and continued forward through the plane. Massive pits began to appear around me. Red hot lava wove like streets through the cracks in the ground. I reached the edge of one pit, only to see skinless shells of humans, crying out while they suffered. They had no eyelids, nails or clothing. They scratched at the sides of the pit, attempting to pull themselves from the hole.

I moved onto the next trench and the next, searching for Deus. The farther into the pit I went, the stronger the tugging sensation became. I stopped fighting and allowed it to guide me. I ran and ran for what felt like forever. The creatures were gaining on me, but I needed more time.

I approached a small pit, separated from the others. The screaming here wasn’t as loud or overpowering. The air was thick, and the scenery was eerily quiet. I looked down into the hollow ground and saw a wispy soul, stagnant against the side of a wall. Something inside of me calmed in its presence. Could this be—

I jumped into the pit, instantly regretting the decision. My legs screamed as they hit the hard ground. I examined the wisp, praying to whomever was listening that it was my mate. It seemed to watch me hesitantly.

The bone fragment still protruded from my palm. I took one deep breath, wrapped my good hand around the thick base and pulled the spur free from my flash, biting back an excruciating yelp. I ripped a piece of my tattered dress, using the fabric to bandage the wound.

I refocused on the spirit in front of me. I stepped only inches from the white, billowing fog and reached slowly towards the entity. It flinched, then flowed through my fingers cautiously while it assessed me. I let it linger, knowing what came next would be painful. I closed my eyes while the cool, soft presence circled me. Finally, I felt a tickling sensation slide against my chin. I opened my mouth, taking one deep final breath.

The wisp slid inside, nestling into my essence with a sense of familiar gentleness. Then, without warning, my entire body burned like it had been set on fire.

Memory after memory of horrific scenes flickered through my mind. Sexual traumas, crimes, and moments too monstrous to be true. I could feel it then … feel him. His trauma, pain, and regret for his part in it all. Drowning in the horrors he had orchestrated, I could feel his mind slipping into the darkness that surrounded him.

A flicker in one of the memories caught my eye. I fixed on it, honing my senses. And then again, a flicker of Deus’s person flashed ahead of me before fading out of sight. I moved forward in my mind, determined to reach him at all costs.

“Deus,” I called out, as a strange wind around me began to pick up. His person flickered again to my right and then again to my left. “Deus,” I cried. “I am here for you. I am here to take you home!”

Gray, misty funnels above me swarmed into a tunneling vortex that slammed into the ground, erupting into a spiraling tornado of fire. Massive twisters, one after another, surrounded me, setting everything they touched ablaze.

I continued to move towards Deus, following the flashes as he went in and out of sight. I covered my face while the wind tore at my skin. I called out, determined to save him.

The flashes began to appear quicker, hopping randomly in front of me until, finally, his likeness ran straight for me, screaming in a deep, haunting roar. When the being made contact, it absorbed me, and everything went silent.

I shook with fear, my eyes squeezed together so tightly I felt sick. The sound of my pounding heart began to calm, and I opened my eyes. I was in the pit; yet, everything was quiet .

Deus sat against one wall. He wore a pair of brown pants that were torn and tattered. Blood seeped through the fabric. His beautiful, sculpted torso was bare, covered in bruises and cuts. The soles of his feet were bloody, ripped to shreds. His arms covered his face as he rocked back and forth, crying.

My heart broke. I approached slowly, kneeling in front of him before reaching out to touch his arms.

“Deus,” I whispered. He flinched away from me, scrambling farther back into the dirt wall. His face looked terrified. His eyes were full of pain. Sweat and tears streamed down his face, making small paths through the dirt that covered his skin.

“No!” he screamed, pulling away from me.

“Deus,” I whispered, trying to find a sign of the man I loved. “It’s me … Seren.”

He looked at me for a moment, trying to put the pieces together.

“I’ve come to take you home,” I said, reaching out slowly, touching his knee. “Back to earth, back to Romania. Remember, our home there?”

He shook his head violently. “No, no,” he said in a weak tone I didn’t recognize. “I will never go back. I belong here. For all the things I’ve done. For all the sins I’ve committed. It’s better to leave me here. So I don’t hurt anyone else.”

“No, Deus,” I said, leaning in closer towards him. “You’re good. You’re kind. And you’re loved.” He began to scratch at the skin on his arms anxiously. “Deus, please,” I whispered, now crying. “I need you, baby. I came all this way to find you. So we could be together. Remember … you’re my mate. My other half.”

His big blue eyes looked up at me, full of pain and sorrow. “I am so sorry you got stuck with me. You didn’t deserve this. All the pain I’ve already put you through. The doubt I sowed inside of you. The women I took when I … when I had already fallen in love with you. I can’t stop who I am, Seren. I’ve tried in the past. Nothing has ever worked. Nothing will ever change.”

I stroked the side of his face. “But you’ve never found your mate before. The person that was designed to complete you.”

He removed my hand softly. “Go home, Seren. This is where I deserve to be. For all I’ve done, this is my price to pay.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head as I tried to remain coherent. “I came to retrieve you, and I am not leaving until you agree to come with me.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

I sat down beside him, pressing my back into the warm dirt. “Then, I guess you just earned yourself a pit mate.”

His eyes widened in shock. “You are out of your mind,” he said.

“Maybe. But I know my limits, what I can and can’t handle. And I know I can’t live without you, Deus. Nor do I want to.” He was worth it. To me … he was worth every bad thing I had endured. The light this man created in my life was indescribable. Nothing would ever compare. I loved him completely. “Tell me every terrible thing you ever did, and let me love you anyways,” I whispered, reciting the poem we once shared.

His eyes met mine, and his lips turned up, just a hint. “And I would ask you to show me your flaws, but I fear it would make me love you … more than I already do.”

“You have done horrific things in your long life. I won’t deny that, but you’ve also done extraordinary things. Like sacrifice your happiness, your power, your life for those you love. Someone who is capable of love, and is loved in return, is worth saving.” I took his hand in mine. “You are worth saving, my love. ”

In that moment, the months of torture this place had inflicted upon him came rushing to the surface and because of our bond, I could feel every horrific thing he had to endure. We embraced each other, and I promised myself, I would never let go. I held onto him as he allowed the pain of his past to escape. I buried my head in his dark hair, holding onto his trembling body like he was the most valuable thing in this entire world. He was, to me.

Finally, he pulled away, reaching out to touch my face. He was hesitant, but I leaned in. “We need to go,” I whispered.

“But how? There’s no way out. Only Lucifer can let me out of here. And then there’s the issue of returning my soul back to my body.”

I smiled. “I’ve got all that taken care of,” I said, pressing my lips to his gently. I willed his soul into mine. Two parts of a whole, finally reuniting as one. Instantly, my power flared to life. A heat, an awakening burned inside of me, that I had only experienced for a brief moment when Deus had admitted he loved me. Right before I had died.

I opened my eyes and Deus was gone. I carried the most precious part of my mate inside of me. Now, it was time to end this. I closed my eyes, imagined Deus’s palace, and with a burst of red and black smoke, I shifted.