Page 12

Chapter Twelve

RATHIEL

We’d been walking for hours.

Though the landscape sometimes changed, the rest of Hell never did. The sky burned the same, the heat never wavered, and the land stretched. There was no real sense of time here, no sun to track, no moon to mark the shift into night. But I’d spent enough years in Hell to know when the day met its end.

The firelight in the distance had begun to dim, the landscape taking on a deeper, redder hue. This was as close as Hell ever got to twilight—when the glow of its molten veins pulsed lower, the infernal energy ebbing before the next surge.

I took stock of the others.

Lily seemed fine. She hadn’t spoken much since Fellmoor, but she walked with purpose. She didn’t glance back, didn’t slow, didn’t waver—just continued pressing forward. I kept searching her face for signs of weariness or hunger, but she didn’t show a hint of weakness. That didn’t surprise me, considering her upbringing. My brethren had beaten that out of her. She knew what it was like to go days without sleep or food.

Eliza, on the other hand, could barely keep up. Her usual perkiness had dulled, her steps dragging slightly as the exhaustion of the past day caught up with her. She didn’t look anything like her usual, picture-perfect self, not with all the dust and ash caking her face and arms. I had to keep reminding myself that she wasn’t from Hell. Her life on Earth hadn’t required trudging relentless miles without a full night’s sleep.

And we still had two days to go until we reached the next outpost.

If it was just me and Lily, I might have pushed us harder. Hell, I could have flown with her in my arms. Eliza hadn’t faltered yet, but I feared if we pushed her much further, she would.

Which meant it was time to stop.

I slowed my pace and fell into step beside Lily. “We’ll need to make camp soon.”

She shot me a look. “We still have a lot of ground to cover.”

“We’ve covered enough for today.”

Her frown deepened, and for a second, I thought she might argue. But then I tipped my head toward Eliza. Lily glanced back and understanding smoothed away her frown.

“There’s a cavern nearby. We’ll rest there for the night,” I said.

Eliza perked up at that, wiping a streak of ash from her cheek as she caught up to us. “Rest? In a cave? With walls and a roof? Please tell me there’s water, too. Like real water.”

I gave a humourless laugh. “There’s no water in Hell. Not the kind you’re thinking of anyway. But there are pools.”

“Pools?” she repeated, enthusiasm still shining in her eyes.

“They’re fed by vapor vents from deep below the surface,” I explained. “So, it isn’t water. And it isn’t fresh. But it’s liquid.”

Eliza groaned, dragging a hand down her face. “So, swampy sulphur pits?”

“More or less,” I said with a shrug. “It’ll get the worst of the grime off you. Just don’t drink it if you want to stay alive.”

“Noted,” Eliza muttered. “At this point, I’ll take it.”

“We aren’t far,” I said. “Another hour or so.”

“Ughhh,” Eliza groaned, her feet dragging as though each step weighed a thousand pounds. A muffled but impish chuckle sounded from inside Lily’s pouch. Clearly, Vol was enjoying her misery.

Lily slipped her arm through Eliza’s and offered her an encouraging smile. “Come on, it’ll be over before you know it. An hour isn’t terrible. I promise, it’ll pass quickly.”

“Such a filthy liar you are,” Eliza muttered. Still, she kept moving, though she was definitely struggling.

The siren wasn’t cut out for Hell—or perhaps we were just pushing her too hard. She was hardly weak, and she’d proven herself useful and effective in a fight. Perhaps she just needed more time to adjust to her new surroundings.

The hour stretched on with Eliza slowing with every passing minute. Lily continuously encouraged her, with Vol piping in every opportunity he found. But it didn’t seem to help. Eliza’s breathing eventually turned shallow, her face slick with sweat and grime. Lily remained at her side, her grip on the siren’s arm tightening whenever she stumbled.

“Almost there,” I said, breaking the silence. My focus locked on Eliza, watching for any sign she couldn’t go on.

Eliza gave a breathless laugh. “It better be. I’m not above collapsing dramatically to make a point.”

Another stretch of rough terrain, another hill to climb. Then, finally, the cavern came into view. Half-hidden by a blackened rock formation, it looked like nothing more than a gash in the side of the cliff.

I gestured ahead. “There.”

Eliza stumbled on a loose rock. Lily caught her elbow with practiced ease, steadying her before she could hit the ground.

“Oh, thank Satan’s sweaty armpit,” Eliza mumbled, dragging herself toward the entrance with a renewed sense of purpose.

Lily and I shared a bemused glance, but didn’t comment on her odd turn of phrase.

Together, the five of us entered the cave.

Inside, the air was noticeably cooler—still hot, but without the suffocating heat that clung to everything outside. The cavern walls loomed above us, the dark stone pocked and cracked from centuries of heat and pressure. The acrid scent of sulphur hit immediately, coating the back of my throat. But after hours of choking on ash and dust, I barely noticed.

Eliza sank down onto a flat rock with a groan, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "I take back everything I said. This place is a palace. I could live here. Even if it smells like rotten farts.”

Lily snorted, shaking her head. She set Purrgy’s carrier down and unlatched it, letting the cat stretch and wander the cavern. Vol darted off after him, skittering up a nearby ledge to scout the area. His beady eyes glinted in the dim light as he scanned the space.

“Vol,” Lily said. “Don’t let Purrgy wander too far. And don’t let him leave the cave.”

For once, the imp didn’t argue—maybe he sensed we all needed a break.

We needed more than that. We needed sustenance. Dropping my pack, I pulled out the canteens and ration bars, and handed them out. “Eat and hydrate. Slowly.” I shot a pointed look at Eliza, who had already unscrewed her cap like she planned to guzzle down the entire thing. “Sip. Not chug. You’ll regret it otherwise.”

She rolled her eyes but obeyed, taking small sips, her face relaxing with each one.

The cavern was larger than I remembered, but then again, it’d been at least ten years since I’d been here. The back opened into a series of shallow pools, their surfaces reflecting the dim light in broken, shimmering patterns. Vapor vents along the walls kept the air humid and warm, a stark contrast to the dry heat outside.

Purrgy hopped onto a nearby rock, his tail flicking as he peered down at his reflection in one of the pools. After a second of contemplation, he batted at it, sending ripples across the surface. Satisfied with his small disruption, he wandered farther, exploring deeper into the cavern. If my memory served me correctly, the cave entrance we’d come in was the only one, so there wasn’t any other exit.

“This is the best you’ll get,” I said to Eliza, nodding toward the pools. “The liquid’s warm, and it’ll remove the worst of the grime. If it doesn’t burn to touch, then I’d say your safe to walk in. But remember not to drink it. It’s full of minerals, and other things, that might kill you. Hard to say. No one alive ever comes to Hell, so I have no idea how you’ll react to any of it. We’re in new territory here.”

Eliza carefully dipped a fingertip into the liquid. When it didn’t burn or devour her flesh, she straightened and shucked her clothing. She dipped a toe in. Then a foot. Eventually, she stood waist-deep in the pool. I might have recommended she leave her undergarments on—who knew what swam in there—but she didn’t seem concerned, so I let her be.

She gave a relieved sigh. “Honestly, this might be the best thing that’s happened to me all day.”

Lily, shaking her head at Eliza’s antics, removed the tunic I’d acquired for her in Fellmoor, and stripped down to her tank top. Then she crouched beside the pool and cupped the warm liquid in her hands. She ran it over her face, wiping away layers of ash and grime with quick, efficient movements. She didn’t seem to share Eliza’s enthusiasm, but she worked quickly, washing the worst of Hell’s filth from her skin.

My gaze skimmed over her scars again. Every time I saw them, I wanted to murder her father. Maybe this time I’d get lucky.

Lily turned and caught me staring. She arched a brow. “What?”

“Nothing,” I said, turning my attention back to the entrance, scanning for movement. I didn’t love being on ground level. Made it easier for hellspawn to sneak up on us. But I couldn’t think of any other caves nearby. So this was it. Our only option.

I turned back to Eliza and Lily, only to find Eliza shoulder-deep in the larger pool. She leaned back to wash her hair, and I immediately averted my gaze. Maybe she was perfectly fine with strutting around naked, but I had no interest in seeing anyone else nude, except for Lily—who appeared to be laughing at me right now.

She snickered, then dipped her hands back into the liquid, the drops sliding over her fingers as she rubbed her wet hands over her arms before moving on to her own hair. Her movements were steady, almost clinical, scrubbing away the remnants of Fellmoor and everything else clinging to us.

She didn’t complain, didn’t sigh in relief like Eliza. She simply worked in silence, a soldier cleaning up after another battle, knowing full well the next one wasn’t far off. There was something both admirable and heartbreaking about it—how she carried on, even with the weight of the rebellion, her scars, and the memories they conjured pressing down on her.

I forced myself to look away, patrolling the perimeter of the cavern, my boots crunching softly against the uneven floor.

Purrgy, unimpressed with the pools, stalked toward Lily and plopped down on the ground next to her. His eyes narrowed, watching Vol scramble along the cavern walls.

Vol scuttled down from the ledge and landed with a soft thump at my feet. He grinned up at me, his eyes glinting in the dim light. “Good news, Meat Sack. No hellspawn lurking in the shadows, so go get cleaned up.”

I lifted my brow at the imp. He never offered to do anything nice. But I wasn’t about to turn him down. I, too, wanted to wash the grime off.

“Keep watch,” I told him.

Vol saluted with an exaggerated flourish before darting back up the rocky wall, his small form disappearing into the shadows.

Eliza swam to the edge and rested her elbows on top, her eyes half-lidded. “You know, I’ve bathed in worse places. The whole ‘death-by-minerals’ thing aside, this might be the best spa experience Hell has to offer.”

Lily snorted softly, wringing out her hair. “Hell’s Day Spa: sulphur baths and constant threat of death included.”

“Five stars,” Eliza said, raising her hand in mock cheer.

I didn’t respond, my attention still locked on the entrance. The instinct to keep moving, to keep them safe, buzzed beneath my skin like an itch I couldn’t scratch. I should’ve been relieved that we’d found a place to rest, but all I felt was dread.

“How long do we have here?” Lily asked, her voice cutting through the quiet.

I glanced at her, taking in the damp strands of hair clinging to her face. “Long enough to clean up and rest. But we can’t stay the night. It’s too exposed. One hour. Then we move,” I said.

Eliza groaned. “Captain Buzzkill.”

I shook my head, then quickly cleaned myself as best as I could without stripping down. I refused to be caught off guard while in the nude. After, I sat with my back against the nearest wall, eyes on the entrance, and rested my sword across my lap.

Lily moved quietly, her bare feet making no sound against the uneven floor. She grabbed her canteen and ration bar before crossing the cavern toward me. She stopped beside me, her eyes gauging the entrance before settling on me.

“Room for one more?” she asked, her voice soft.

I shifted slightly, making space. “Always.”

She disarmed herself, placing her swords on the ground, then sat close enough to me that her shoulder brushed mine. The touch was light, casual enough that it might’ve meant nothing—if not for her always seeming to find her way back to me. Like how she clung to me yesterday as we flew up to the cave, her body tense until my arms tightened around her and she’d finally relaxed. Or how she’d returned my hug on the cliff top this morning. She’d resisted at first—I’d felt the tautness in her muscles, the hesitance as her hands hovered at my sides. But then she’d wrapped her arms around me, clutching me with a desperation I hadn’t expected. She’d melted into me, resting her forehead against my chest. It had been raw, unguarded. And for a few rare moments, no walls had existed between us. It’d felt like we were the two of us again, from days past.

Lily was a fighter—it was the only thing she knew how to do. She fought everything —including her own emotions and feelings. I’d seen this before, years ago, when we first fell in love. She’d rather fight an army of hellspawn barehanded than admit to caring for someone, let alone me.

But actions always spoke louder than words. And right now, her actions screamed.

Her shoulder pressed just a fraction harder into mine, and I watched as calm settled over her. She trusted me. Even when she fought it, even when she tried to convince herself she didn’t need anyone, especially not me, she was still here.

And damn it if that didn’t fill me with hope.

I didn’t push her. Not then, not now. I could wait. I’d wait forever if that was what it took. Immortality came with endless patience. Especially in regard to something as important as her.

“You should rest,” I said when she finished eating, keeping my voice low. “We’ve got a long way to go.”

Lily’s lips twitched into a ghost of a smile. “Remember the time I rigged Gremory’s quarters with fire runes? Set off the whole room like a chain reaction?”

I shook my head, suppressing a grin. “Or the time you filled Calyx’s chambers with nightmare vapor so thick he hallucinated for days.”

Her laugh was soft and a little tired. “Or the time I unleashed a hellhound in the council chamber and blamed it on Tavira?”

I chuckled, glancing at her. “You were more troublesome than an actual hellspawn. Every time, I thought Ezrion was going to roast you alive.”

Lily leaned her head back against the stone wall, her eyes fluttering closed for a brief second before she reopened them. “He always threatened to. ‘One day, I’ll incinerate you myself, Lilith,’” she mimicked in a deep, annoyed voice, her lips curving into a genuine smile.

“You never learned,” I said, shaking my head. “If anyone else had pulled half the stunts you did, they’d have been dead in days.”

“They tried,” she murmured, her voice growing softer. “But I always had you to bail me out.”

And she always would.

Her eyes slipped closed again, this time staying shut for a bit longer. Her head rested against the wall, but her breathing slowed and her body gradually sank into relaxation. The tension she carried like armor started to ease.

I watched her, my gaze lingering on the peaceful expression that rarely graced her face. Her head tilted, almost imperceptibly, until it found my shoulder. For a heartbeat, she stayed there, unmoving. Then she let out a soft, contented sigh and leaned in fully, her hair brushing against my neck.

Her breathing deepened, slow and steady, her body going completely slack against mine. I glanced down, catching the way her lashes rested against her cheek, her face calm for the first time since we’d arrived in Hell.

I held perfectly still, afraid to disturb her. I wouldn’t move. Not until she woke up or we had to leave. For now, I’d let her rest. She needed it more than she’d ever admit.

I leaned my head back against the wall, the cooler stone biting into my skin a welcome contrast to the heat that clung to everything else. My gaze lingered on the entrance, scanning for movement in the shadows, the instinct to protect never fully letting go.

Movement did catch my attention, but from the edge of the pool. Eliza, still leaning on the stone ledge, stared at us. The corners of her mouth curved into a massive grin, and she gave me two very exaggerated thumbs up, her expression practically glowing with smug satisfaction.

I narrowed my eyes at her, my lips twitching despite myself. I raised one finger in warning—a silent message that said not a word .

Her grin only widened as she winked and settled back into the pool, the liquid rippling around her.

I shook my head, but the warmth of her amusement lingered, mixing with the steady rhythm of Lily’s breathing beside me. I let out a slow breath, then wrapped an arm around Lily’s waist and pilled her closer.

For the first time since we’d entered Hell, I felt something akin to peace.