Bewitching Sloth

by Gross, Michelle

  As I rounded the empty cells, careful not to peek in them to see what lay there, I couldn’t help but wonder what the Devil was going to do. And that was the reason for my frown and the very reason I was here.

  I paused at the steps, slipped my frail arms into my jacket, and started down the circular stairway. This place, these steps, everything here was just as eerie as its owner. The sound of rattling chains echoed around me. Glancing about the stairwell, I saw no one, but I knew I found him.

  “You know I won’t be fooled by your mind games, so don’t even bother.” I gathered up my nerves and glanced down at my feet which were hidden beneath the edge of my dress.

  Suddenly, candles lit one by one up the walls. Decay and the taste of rank flesh filled the room. The once empty space held a small table to the right of a large window. Standing in front of it, peering out into the abyss, was the horned Devil I sought.

  For a moment, panic gripped me. I couldn’t remember ever seeing him in this form. Every time I’d encountered him in the past, he always wore the face of another, someone I held dear just to annoy me. It always worked.

  Well, he had a true face of his own, but I doubted he’d worn it for a very, very long time. At least not since he was an angel.

  “What do I owe the pleasure?” I wasn’t even accustomed to his voice this way. I found myself taking a step back. How did one get so acquainted with evil and the dead to sound like death personified? Grim was considered death but I knew hearing the Devil speak that was a lie. Decay rolled off his tongue with a menacing crackle. It was disturbing. “Why are you so afraid? Aren’t you the one that came to me?” He had yet to turn around, but he knew everything that happened beneath the dirt. This was his domain, and those small steps I took backward, were easily seen by him.

  I stopped and straightened myself. “You know why I’m here.”

  He chuckled deeply. “Yeah, I do.”

  “And you’re not going to stop him?” I asked him.

  “Why would I?”

  “I know what you’ve seen because I’ve seen it too. That, and more.” The Devil was the king of deception, but I had one on him. I knew things he didn’t want others to know. A smile spread across my face for a moment when his back stiffened, but it fell short when I remembered what was happening right now.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He lied, then finally turned around to face me with bright red eyes. What was once the most beautiful angel in Heaven, was now the most hideous monster in the Underworld, and it was his own doing. Burnt layers of skin covered him, charcoal winked beneath the deep cuts on him. It was as if smoke might start seeping out from the cracks along his chest. “Tell me, Faye, why are you trying to stop the inevitable? You’re a fallen angel, act like one.”

  I dropped my head and sighed. “I no longer go by that name because I’m not an angel anymore.”

  He smirked. “I noticed.” He walked over to the tiny table and poured himself a glass of liquor. I couldn’t tell you what kind. I didn’t drink to know any. “Any angel that comes into the Underworld risks being tainted, and you chose to come down here, anyway.”

  “I don’t regret my decision,” I told him plainly. “Who I was doesn’t matter. You were a fallen angel, and now you’re not. You know by looking at me that my body has long since adapted and changed since my fall.”

  He sighed, then propped himself on the table and rubbed one of his dark horns casually as if to remind me that they were there. “Yeah, I see that you’re a witch, Melinda. Is there a reason as to why you came to me about this? Because quite frankly, I’m bored, and you don’t want me to be bored. It’s not pretty.”

  This wasn’t working. Time to bring up the girl.

  “So, you don’t care that Harvest plans to use Kitty as a power source, and if he succeeds, they all die. Reapers won’t exist in the new world.”

  “Why would I give a fuck?” The fact that he got all defensive when he normally kept his composure said enough about the youngest Reaper sibling being his weak spot. Which made sense. I knew what was coming, and I also knew he believed he’d never let it happen.

  “Hmm,” I paused a second. “I’m a witch with perks as well as visions, so falling wasn’t so bad when I think about it because… How else would I have known about a certain someone knocking out a certain someone with a sleeping spell so that her family would have no choice but to take her away from what was about to go down?”

  A board on the table snapped beneath his fingers as he rose, but I kept on talking, unfazed by his anger. “It doesn’t make any sense. Your actions contradict themselves. Your stalking-slash-obsession with her has gone on this long yet you’re going to let this happen?”

  He flipped the table, sending it shattering into the wall. I held my ground. “He’s doing my work for me,” was all he said to me as he turned back to the window.

  My shoulders dropped. “You can end everything before it even begins. Those visions you saw are coming for you, regardless.”

  He laughed. “Bullshit.”

  “Will you be saying that when you’re on your knees?” I asked before I thought.

  It was with those words that I should leave.

  The Devil had made his choice. Besides, it wasn’t my job to break him. That one was for another.

  And I prayed I lived to see the day.

  “Leave before I end you right here and now,” he whispered. “Lucky for you, I’m waiting to see if he succeeds, and what’s left of the human world…” He chuckled darkly. “Well, you know how my story goes.”

  I caught up to his ruse. We both knew the outcome of tonight, it was his future that remained unclear, and I knew it ate at him. Visions had long since haunted him about it.

  “I’m gone,” I muttered sadly. “Just remember, beneath the monster… Beneath the Dark King there lies a man, and he wants out. Lucifer.”

  I didn’t stay around to see what reaction saying his name had caused, but I knew my words were sure to provoke the Devil into a place he didn’t want to go.

  Twenty-Seven

  Sebastian

  I didn’t waste a second. I ran three giant steps, then jumped toward Isabella. Her skin, the skin that I’d touched and kissed over the last few days was marred by the dark moving lines, the ones she was so ashamed about. At least, she had clothes on now. When I had arrived too late at the cave, she had been naked, and I had been furious for her sake. I hoped when this was all over, and I held her in my arms at night, that she had no memories of the last few hours unless it was the one where I was holding her in my arms when she awoke from this nightmare.

  Because I was going to return her to normal, then I was going to take her to a beach where she could look up and try her hardest to peer into the sun, the very sun she made me jealous of with the way she had smiled when talking about it. The sun was lucky it wasn’t a person. But that smile, her stories, I wanted more. I wasn’t finished with her, not now, not ever. And I was confident that there was so much my witch wanted to know about me.

  So, I’d save her from the darkness. And I’d do it again. Over and Over. Every single fucking day for the rest of forever if I had to.

  A storm cloud of darkened magic flowed around her, and when I got close enough, I could feel the sting of rejection. The storm didn’t want me going near her, but I did anyway. When I felt him shimmer in front of me, I materialized my scythe and blocked Harvest’s sword. We bounced away from each other in opposite directions.

  It was the first time seeing Harvest. His fucking hair was on fire. Literally. His skin was the palest white, the kind of white humans made vampires out to be. His eyes were the same bright reddish-orange as his hair. The most ominous thing about him wasn’t his stature or looks, or even the level of crazy in his eyes. No, it was the sheer amount of dread he poured out into the room as he walked around eyeing me with a vicious smile. His filth spilled over into the ballroom in gigantic emotional waves while the storm around Isabella wreaked havoc on the ca
stle. Harvest laughed just as the wall behind her crumbled beneath the magic.

  Like Fear—Payne’s father—who was also an entity created by the Devil, Harvest carried a certain charge to him as well. In the way Fear brought, well, fear, into a room as he walked, I couldn’t even comprehend what it was this entity brought or what he was after. There wasn’t a word for him.

  “Holy fuck,” Prudence’s outburst rang through the room. “Whatever he’s after… We can’t ever let him have it.” She gripped her sword in her hand as her dark hair flew around her face.

  I felt the gravity of her words down to my bones, deep into my soul. She was right.

  “Smart girl,” Harvest finally spoke. His voice was unnaturally smooth to the point that it was freaky. “Only you’re too late. Because everything I need is right here in this room, well, except one, but I’m willing to bet five will be enough.”

  “Sebastian,” Payne hissed. “Might wanna get your girl.”

  Right.

  I met Harvest’s eyes just as I made a jump for her again. He followed. “I don’t think so.” Maureen jumped in front of him and smiled.

  “I think so,” she told him.

  “Me too,” Barron came up behind him, wrapped his arms around Harvest’s chest and slung him down to the ground. The impact was so strong, the floor tile shot up in broken pieces around his body.

  Maureen met Barron’s eyes and smiled. “See how much easier it is when you’re allowed to hurt them?” she asked him.

  Refocusing my attention, I braced myself as I entered the storm. Bringing my essence to life around my scythe, I sliced through the tempest and it fucking slithered and cried out like it was alive. White eyes—those weren’t Isabella’s. Hers were brown and the prettiest ones I had the pleasure of looking at, but it was the white ones that met mine as I moved through the air closer to her.

  “Bad one,” she whispered, then she vanished.

  That was okay. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. The darkness inside her feared me because I could bring her back. It wasn’t going to give her over easily.

  Once my feet touched the ground, I scanned the surroundings in search of her. Pulling at my Reaper senses, I sought her out in my mind, but it was hard to find her energy when it was muddled with darkness.

  There.

  “August,” I yelled, faded, slipping out of time briefly, then re-faded just as quickly next to him.

  “I know,” August said, turning around to face her. “I felt her coming up behind me.” August morphed a dozen or so chains in the air, all in search of Isabella. “There, try to get her!”

  I nodded. “Isab—” She fucking ported on me again before I even got her name out.

  “Why do you scare all the females away?” August found the need to say.

  “Fuck off,” I muttered, fading once again.

  I re-faded when I felt where she was. This time, she was after Barron who was clinking swords with Harvest. Maureen came up behind him, forcing him to port. Using the advantage of Isabella moving in behind Barron, I moved in close and she turned around on me so fast, I could only blink as she blasted me with a ball of magic.

  “Fuck,” I muttered. “Hot, hot.” I patted my chest to get rid of the tiny fires she had created all over my now holey shirt. I looked ahead at her watching me all creepily and sighed. “All right, Izzie, this is getting a little out of control.” I brought my arm out, letting my hand linger that long distance between us. “Just come to me. I shouldn’t have walked outside and left you, not even for a second.” My voice broke, but I kept myself together for the simple fact that I couldn’t lose my shit if I wanted to help her. “You can yell at me all you want, just let me get to you so that you can.”

  Time stood still as I waited, but so did she. My witch never moved a muscle, even the darkness beneath her skin seemed to give pause, then our moment was over.

  She moved, but it wasn’t in my direction. Her hands latched onto Barron the moment he was thrown back by Harvest toward her. He fell immediately like everyone did when she touched them, only this time I watched her place something on his wrist. Once it was secure, she let go of him and ported away just as I came up on her. I could feel the brush of her hair hit my fingertips. I had been that close.

  Yet, I kept missing her. Always failing her.

  Something cracked underneath my armor as I bent down to check on Barron. I pulled up his arm and looked at the black burning bracelet she had placed on him. When I tried to touch it, it repelled me back several feet. That armor of mine cracked some more under the pressure.

  I didn’t understand this kind of feeling. I’d never had anything to lose. It was freaking me the fuck out. For the first time in my life, I was wondering if I was going to fail someone. Fail to save a life. Fail to save the one I wanted to wake up to a hundred more lifetimes.

  The only thing I was doing was putting my family in trouble because I kept breaking under this pressure that was Isabella. She had to go and get broken, breaking me along with her. That was okay. Sometimes we needed a good break in order to mend back stronger.

  Just let me heal you so that I can heal myself.

  Rising from the floor with anger and bitter resolve clashing, I shredded my skin and freed my skeletal form. I morphed my scythe into a giant-ass magic launcher—or whatever the hell you wanted to call it. It looked like some sort of military device, only this one shot out my own powerful essence. Just like my bones, the weapon itself was flowing with my turquoise-colored essence as I pointed and aimed at Harvest who was effortlessly blocking blows from Maureen, August, Prudence, and Payne.

  Where was Dad? I thought briefly before I pointed, aimed, and fired at Harvest. He saw it coming and dodged it, but I kept popping the power balls out across the ballroom, destroying the castle in the process.

  “You’ve been around Payne too long,” Maureen told me, taking the chance to run back to check on Barron.

  August and Payne both smirked at me, which had Payne reaching for his shotgun. “Looks like we’re taking it up a notch,” August yelled, right before he stepped into his own skeletal form—the color of his essence was golden. He also mimicked my weapon and started throwing more power balls at Harvest.

  “First one to hit him three times wins.” I looked to where Prudence was standing to see that she had also made her scythe into a magic launcher as I had dubbed it. I had to do a double-take because she normally didn’t get in on our games, but there she was starting one right during this fucking mess.

  “If Mom asked, I had no part in the destruction of her home.” Joy faded right in front of Harvest and blasted him with her launcher. Where the hell did she come from? And where had she been? I watched her grin as she landed on her feet. “I believe I’m the first one to get a shot at him, so yay me!” she chirped.

  Harvest’s shirt was torn to pieces from the blow he had taken. He chucked it on the ground as he rose, and his flesh mended back together rapidly, the same as ours did. “Foolish.” He smiled right before Isabella popped up and latched onto Joy.

  We all faded, but none of us were quick enough. She had the bracelet snapped on Joy’s wrist and was gone before I got to her. Prudence grabbed Joy and held her as the trembles wracked her body.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Harvest coming at me, but August collided with him. “You worry about Isabella, she’s dropping us like flies!”

  Harvest tried slinging August off. Payne followed their movement with a manic glare before finally yelling. “Move, August!” August did, and Payne shot several rounds into Harvest’s chest.

  “Oh, shit,” Maureen gasped. “Prudence!”

  Too late. Isabella had got ahold of another one of my siblings.

  My essence came to life around me as I caught sight of her. The storm was no longer around her, but the energy her body carried right now had her hair whipping around her face.

  No more fucking around.

  Izzie’s mine. From the moment I woke up in the hospital and laid
eyes on her, I knew it. Just like she must have felt it.

  It was time she woke up from the darkness and remembered that.

  Twenty-Eight

  Isabella

  One bad. One missing. Three down.

  “Two to go,” I chanted as I let go of the female’s arm. Her power surged through me like lightning. I had only a taste of each, yet my body was brimming with unrestrained power.

  Touch and take. Touch, take.

  That was all the darkness wanted. And that was what it was getting. I knew nothing. I was nothing. Nothing but the gloom within me. It sought power, a stealer of life. My body moved to its will, but the beating organ in my chest felt heavier and heavier as it did, and my mind tugged at something—something forgotten, maybe? But the darkness wouldn’t hand it over.

  The bad one chased me while I chased the others. He was oddly warm, even when his eyes were angry as he stalked me, over and over. I ran—I was a good runner. I didn’t think the bad one liked that though. I thought he must hate it because the blond-haired bad one transformed into something else entirely. A skeleton. A monster. Like me, but unlike me.

  Because dark was good while the bad one had to be bad.

  Something was wrong. The darkness was confused. Inside, something cried while another fought harder to run. There were two other skeletons as well, but unlike the turquoise-colored one, I was free to chase and move after them. They weren’t scary. I needed their power still.

  But the bad one chased after me, and my chest spasmed with the worst kind of pain. Only when I tried to recall what that pain was, I couldn’t. The dark shadow rolled around inside me restless—afraid. Of the bad apple. The one that wasn’t supposed to touch me. Yet, he continued coming.

  So unrelenting. He wasn’t going to give up—just like the blackness inside me.

  I tossed a ball of magic, but the skeleton bobbed and weaved my attempts. He got too close, leaving me no choice but to use the portal chip again. I landed in another part of the room. Looking up, I saw him coming down on me. I jumped back. He came forth.