Hells gate box set, p.35
Hell's Gate Box Set, page 35
part #1 of Hell's Gate Series
“We didn’t try for this one,” I pointed out.
He grinned, giving me a wink. “Exactly.”
“Wait!” I peered at him through narrowed eyes. “What do you mean by that?”
“It will happen when it is meant to happen. Stop stressing. You’ll make an awesome mom. When the time is right.”
“It’s scary how you have utter faith in me,” I grumbled, taking him by the hand and leading him toward the bedroom. We were almost at the door when the building shook. I gasped, bending my knees to keep my balance as everything around us vibrated.
“Earthquake?” Levi guessed, his eyes round.
“No. Someone is attacking the Gate. I’ve got to go.” Before he could reply, I spread my wings and materialized moments later at the Gates of Hell, only to discover my dragons in battle with my brothers.
One dragon remained steadfast in front of the Gate, while the remaining two grappled with my brothers overhead. I flew in to stand next to the grounded dragon, sword drawn should he be defeated.
“Michael. Gabriel,” I shouted over the clang of swords and the harsh rush of beating wings. “Enough!”
They both glanced my way, and then at each other. Moments passed in silent communication, before they nodded, and then descended to stand in front of me. My dragons remained in the air, on guard and breathing fire. They were not happy that two angels had made it this far, had made it to the Gate, and the fury in their eyes told me they were seconds from turning Michael and Gabriel into crispy critters.
“You don’t want to do this,” I told them, not missing how their gazes lingered on the Sword of Souls still grasped in my hand. I didn’t want to use it on them, but I would if they backed me into a corner.
They backed me into a corner.
With what I can only describe as a warrior yell, they launched at me. I swung my blade, clashing it against Michael’s while overhead, the dragons unleashed their fire. Amongst the chaos of screams, searing flesh, clashing swords, and beating wings, we fought. Michael stayed on me, despite his burns, while Gabriel took on the dragons. Distracting them, drawing them away. A smart tactic, one I would have used myself if our positions were reversed.
I had the upper hand. Dragon fire did not hurt me; I was immune to flame. Michael was not, and although he had healed himself, he’d used precious energy to do so. When I ducked low and darted behind him, he swiveled to follow, losing his footing. One simple kick to his knee and he toppled. I stood over him, the tip of my blade resting against his chest.
“Do it.” He puffed, eyes dark with hate. “Kill me. End it.”
I hesitated. I couldn’t do it, couldn’t kill my own brother, and from the way one corner of his lip curled up, he knew it. Despite everything, he was my family.
“Still as weak as ever, Lucifer,” he drawled. “But don’t be fooled. When the time comes, I won’t hesitate.”
“You’d kill me?” His threat surprised me. Sure we had our fights, our disagreements, and I thought he was a total douche, but I never thought he hated me so much that he’d kill me.
“Wouldn’t hesitate,” he confirmed. “Unlike you. Now!”
His shout startled me, just as much as the sweep of his arm that dislodged my sword from his chest did. He unfurled his wings and flew out of reach, while I stood in stunned disbelief as a tear appeared in Hell’s veil.
Angel after angel flooded into Hell, swords drawn. He’d created an army. Or Lilith had.
“Ashliel!” I yelled, shooting into the air and engaging in battle. “Reinforcements to the Gate.”
If she responded, I didn’t hear over the noise.
Swooping through the air, I dispatched angel after angel, only to have another three take their place. We were vastly outnumbered, and my heart chilled at the thought that Hell could very well fall. One of my dragons crashed to the ground, dozens of swords protruding from his body, his gaze tracked me, bleak and full of apology, as his dying breath left his body in a puff of smoke.
“No!” I screamed, racing to his side, but it was too late. They’d killed my dragon. The four of us had been together since day one. I’d never expected to lose one, and not under these circumstances. Steeling my spine, I returned to the fray, anger fueling me, when a sudden influx of angels in black armor flew through the rift, led by Dacian. Reinforcements at last.
“Ashliel! Where the hell are you? Respond!” I barked the order, knowing she could hear me through our connection. Why wasn’t she responding? Had something happened? Was Hell HQ under attack also? But if that were the case she’d have sounded the alarm. Had they captured her? Rendered her helpless, or worse, killed her? And if they had, what of Levi? I had left him in the penthouse, was he also captured?
My imagination went wild, distracting me with worse case scenarios, so I wasn’t prepared when an angel landed on my back, locked his legs around my waist, and drew a sword to my throat. With my wings incapacitated, we tumbled to the ground, falling hard. Although I had the wind knocked out of me, I didn’t hesitate, pushing up and dislodging the angel, swinging my sword hard. My weapon connected with his neck, and his head toppled, hitting the ground with a thump, and rolling away.
“Lucy! Watch out!” Dacian shouted, and I swiveled, raising my sword in time to deflect a blow aimed at my head. Dacian landed behind me, and we stood back to back, slowly circling and dispatching angels one by one. Covered in sweat and panting with exhaustion, we kept going. Their numbers were dwindling; I still had two dragons in play who were turning the angels into barbecued snacks. The stench embedded in my nostrils and the air was thick was smoke. Ignoring the sting in my eyes, I sharpened my focus.
“Urg.” The grunt from Dacian, followed by the sound of him crashing to his knees, caught my attention.
Keeping my sword raised, I maneuvered to him, doing my best to keep the angels at bay. But they sensed weakness, they smelled his blood, and knew, just as I did, that his wound was severe.
“I’m hit.” He gurgled, looking at me with surprise in his eyes while blood trickled from his mouth.
Shit.
“Can you heal?” I grabbed his arm and tried to pull him to his feet, but he was dead weight.
The angels circled in closer.
“Dacian?” I whispered, fear freezing me. “You can’t be dying.” I shook him. “Heal yourself!” I cried out, deflecting a blow meant for him. I stood over him, a foot on either side of his hips as leaned forward onto my thigh, his blood seeping through my pants and bathing my skin in warm wetness.
“Dacian? Dacian?” I screamed, nudging him with my knee and gasping when his body fell back, his eyes open, staring at nothing, his chest immobile. I froze, my gaze locked on the body of my best friend. Without conscious thought, I dropped to my knees and released my sword to cradle his face in my hands.
“Dacian? Come on, please, heal yourself…heal yourself…” My whisper was choked with tears as I rubbed his cheeks, his eyes blank, not seeing. He’d never see anything again. He was gone, and my heart shattered. I’d lost too much today. My faithful dragon and my best friend. I couldn’t allow this to continue, my brothers had crossed the line, and despite my earlier reluctance to kill them, now all I wanted was their blood. I would kill every last one of them.
I was reaching for my sword, so I didn’t see the blow coming. Thundering pain sliced into my temples. Then I began to fall into the deepest darkness.
Chapter Sixteen
“Come on…wake up.”
It took me a moment to place the sweet feminine voice near my ear. My head pounded, and I sent a shot of magic to the source of my pain, felt my scalp repair itself, and then slowly blinked open my eyes. Del leaned over me, concern on her face.
“Are you alright?” Her voice shook ever so slightly, and I gave her a reassuring smile.
“I’m fine. All healed.” I sat up, and she moved back, giving me space.
“Where are we?” I asked, glancing around, trying to place the purple room, only to realize I’d never been in it before. It was as if someone had vomited purple, for the walls, floor, even the ceiling, was bathed in it. Except for one wall, which was clear glass. Outside the glass window was a corridor, grey with a gold strip running down the center. On the opposite side of the aisle, was a room identical to this one.
Pressing my face against the glass, I peered farther down the corridor. More rooms. Just like this one. Only they weren’t rooms…they were cells. But we didn’t have cells like this in Hell. Or Heaven. Or Earth.
“We don’t know,” Del replied, moving to sit next to Jase, who was sitting on a single bed that was pushed up against the side wall. Duke was curled up by his side. The key was here – together and alive.
“Are you sure you’re okay? That’s a lot of blood.” Jase pointed at my pants, and I glanced down.
Yep.
A lot of blood.
Dacian’s blood.
The memory of his death flooded my brain and tears welled up. I struggled to comprehend he was gone, that my brothers were responsible for his death, that they’d stoop so low. It all happened so fast, and I hadn’t been able to heal him.
“The bloods not mine.” Using my magic, I cleaned myself up and changed outfits “My magic works, so I propose I get us out of here, what do you say?”
The only response was a low, feminine giggle and the sound knotted my muscles with fear.
“That sounds like a wonderful plan, Lucifer, my dear; only you should know that you can’t leave here. Not without my permission. And I do not give it.” It was a female voice that spoke from outside our cell.
I gulped. “Mother?” The woman who had given birth to me strolled regally down the walkway between the cells. She was dressed in a purple and gold gown, complete with a crown on her head, and a staff in her hand. She looked like a queen, and my mouth dropped open at the sight of her. It sounded corny, but she was magnificent, like she’d stepped straight out of a fairy tale. And clearly, she was a lover of the color purple.
“Welcome home.” She stopped outside my cell and smiled at me. I saw myself in that smile. In appearance, we were very similar. But as far as I’m concerned, that was as far as it went. Inside, where it counted, we were a sword and feather. Different, in every way.
“Let me out,” I demanded, unflinchingly meeting her gaze.
She chuckled and shook her head. “Sorry, my darling, I can’t do that. You’ll try and stop me.”
“Because you need to be stopped.” I stabbed the glass with my finger. “What you’re doing is wrong.”
She banged the staff down hard on the floor and the crack shook the walls, making my ears ring. “Silence.” Her voice dripped authority and ice, and I swallowed, unnerved.
“This is my realm, and you will respect me as your queen.”
It was an order. One I couldn’t follow. Only I didn’t voice my thoughts since I was reasonably sure that she was unhinged and to antagonize her wouldn’t be the smartest move.
“Thank you for not harming them,” I said instead, indicating Del, Jase, and Duke, who sat huddled together on the bed, staring with wide eyes.
“Pft. They are of no importance. I took them to lure you here, but you didn’t take the bait. And now, I don’t need them at all.”
“You don’t?”
“Hell has fallen. It is no more. Therefore, I don’t need the key.” She waved a hand in dismissal, while my mouth hung open.
“Hell can’t be gone,” I whispered, not sure how much more bad news I could take.
“Let me assure you, it most certainly is. Don’t believe me? Watch.” She waved her hand, and a vision appeared in the air, an image of the battle in Hell. Michael flew in behind me while I was bent over Dacian’s body, and hit me in the temple with the butt of his sword. Scooping me up around the waist, he flew away. I assumed he had brought me here.
With Dacian and I gone, the Gate was breached within seconds. The vision changed, showing Hell HQ tumble over the edge of the cliff it was perched on, the buildings surrounding it crumbling in response. Streams of souls fled the pit, heading toward the Gate now that it was open. The shimmering blue essence gone. They just had to step through, and they would return to earth as Revenants.
God help us all.
“Why?” I whispered, tears falling. I prayed that Levi had gotten out, that he’d return to Earth. I still felt our bond, so I knew he wasn’t dead, but I worried for him, and knew he would be searching for me.
“Because it is his creation and it must be destroyed. All of it.”
“Mom,” I pleaded. “Talk to dad. Please. It doesn’t have to be like this. He loves you. He still loves you.”
She laughed, a high-pitched hysterical sound, then leveled me with her gaze. I couldn’t help but shiver.
“I gave up everything for him. My family. My realm. Everything. And he abandoned me for his puny creations. His animals. His worlds. Everything was more important to him than me.”
“He made mistakes, sure, but he’s sorry. Mom, please. Just talk to him.”
“He will pay.”
“He’s already paid. You locked him in a tomb for heaven’s sake. Left him to rot.”
“That was just the beginning,” she hissed, cracking the staff on the floor once more. “There is so much more to come. I will take everything he holds dear, every human, every creature, every living thing, every atom from his precious collection will be destroyed.”
“And me? What about me, Mom? I’m a part of him.”
“You are my daughter. I’ll not harm you.” She nodded, as if confirming her words.
“But, you are hurting me!” I cried, “This—” I waved my arm around the cell. “This hurts me. Locking me up hurts me. Destroying Hell hurts me. Hell was my realm. You took my home.” My heart hurt at the knowledge that Hell was gone. She’d destroyed it. I was sure anger would fill me soon enough, but in that moment all I felt was deep, intense sadness.
“This is your home. And it’s high time you came home, to where you belong.”
“I don’t belong here, Mom. Any more than Michael and Gabriel do. I assume they’re here?”
“They are good boys.” She smiled, nodding.
“They are evil assholes is what they are,” I ground out, frustration making me want to punch the glass separating us.
“Enough.” Her voice dripped ice, and she struck the floor with her staff again. I cringed at the sound. “Until you can be civil, you will stay here.” She turned away before stopping to address one of her guards. “Dispose of the key.”
“What? No! Mom, wait!” I banged frantically against the glass.
She stopped and looked at me over her shoulder, one brow perfectly arched. “What is it?”
Barely able to catch my breath, I said, “Spare them. Please. For me.”
She looked at me for several seconds, and then turned and walked away without a word.
I blinked. What did that mean? That Del, Jase, and Duke were spared? For now, at least? Or not? I closed my eyes on a sigh, resting my forehead against the glass. What a mess.
Gathering my strength, I turned and addressed them. Still huddled on the bed, they stared at me, unmoving. “Come on, we don’t have much time. I need to get you out of here.” My voice was harsher than I intended, but it made them move. Scooting off the bed they stood together, Jase with his arm around Del, keeping her pinned to his side, Duke’s collar firmly clasped in his other hand.
I stepped up to them and wrapped my wings around them. The magical restrictions of the cell pressed down on me, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to fly out. Still, I’d used my magic to heal myself and change my clothes, so hopefully flight was the only power I couldn’t use. I prayed I had enough in reserve to teleport them out of the purple room.
Holding my breath, I closed my eyes and concentrated. Hard. The air stirred, and my hair blew back from my face. There was a gasp, and when I opened my eyes, they were gone. I’d sent them to Heaven. But, using my magic to save them drained me, and I staggered, light headed and dizzy. Making my way to the bed, I laid down, snuggling into the warmth Jase, Del, and Duke had left behind. I’d saved them, but I hadn’t been able to save myself. I’d tried to go with them, but something held me here. I was shackled to this realm.
A day passed. Then another. No one came. Either they didn’t know the key was gone, or they didn’t care. Finally, I admitted to myself that if Hell had indeed fallen, then my mother wouldn’t need the key at all. She planned to kill them, and probably still would, but at least in Heaven, they had a chance at survival.
As the hours slowly ticked by, the sadness and shock that Hell had fallen wore off, and anger took its place. I stared at the ridiculous purple ceiling, seething with frustration and pain. How dare she? Couldn’t she see that what she had done, destroying Hell, hurt me? Didn’t she know it cut me to the bone? She was my mother. No more, I swore to myself; I’d no longer view her as my mother. She was Lilith. A deranged semi-God from another dimension that was a threat and had to be destroyed.
Another day passed, and my anger subsided to a slow burn. My thoughts turned to Levi, bringing me a sense of comfort. I could feel him through our bond. He was alive, wherever he was, and I vowed I would get out of this place and return to him. We’d rebuild Hell. Together with Ashliel, the three of us would make it stronger than ever.
I steadfastly kept my thoughts away from Dacian, for each time his face appeared in my mind, I’d cry and the tears were starting to burn my cheeks. Anger at Lilith warred with the grief over the loss of my best friend and my home.
I’d given up trying to track time, when my brothers arrived outside my cell. I looked them up and down, screwed up my mouth at their silver pants and purple shirts. I couldn’t help it; I burst out laughing.
“Have you two seen yourselves?” I finally got myself under control, wiping tears of laughter from my eyes. “You look ridiculous! I mean, what is that? A seventies throwback? And why are you dressed like twins?”
