Hell High

by Cindi Madsen

  Pinching the bottle between two fingers, I extended it to Dom. “Can you finish sprinkling this around the threshold?”

  He looked at me like I was crazy, but did it, remarking it didn’t feel any different than regular water. I didn’t want to contemplate what that meant about me.

  Next I took the canister of salt and made a large semicircle that encompassed the room. I’d feel bad pouring salt on the carpet, but judging from the brown and yellow stains I refrained from studying too closely, an easily vacuumed substance was the least of the motel’s worries.

  With all the security measures done, my shoulders drooped, exhaustion hitting me hard.

  But then I tensed back up as I took in the queen-sized bed in the middle of the room.

  The only bed in the room.

  Before Dominic and I began our relationship, I’d heard he was legendary for sweet-talking girls out of their virginity. Which was one of the reasons I’d been holding back, playing it safe until I was sure he truly cared about me. Plus, when it came to crossing lines involving sin, I tended to keep on the safe side, just to make sure. Once you’ve been to Hell and seen what it’s like, you tend to err on the side of caution.

  I shuddered and tried to push the image from my mind. I’m not going. This will work. Dom and I will make it work.

  As for the ratty mattress…? I gulped. What was I doing, running away with a guy with his reputation? A guy Mom made me swear I’d be careful with? She’d even threatened to tell me The Story again, the one involving how I ended up being the daughter of the Prince of Darkness.

  Who was probably already aware of my absence and hunting me down.

  My skin prickled with an unpleasant sensation that seemed to be on a never-ending loop, and Dominic put his hand on my lower back. “No pressure, babe. We’ve got lots of time.”

  I didn’t know if we did. “I don’t want my first time to be in a dirty motel room. Not like this. Not just because…”

  Tears formed again. I swear, I must have developed a condition or something. I hadn’t cried in months, and now it was all I did. Dominic led me to the bed, wrapped his arms around me, and held me close.

  Oh yeah. This is real hot, Lily. Ask him to run away with you and then turn into a weepy, emotional mess.

  As understanding as Dom was being, I couldn’t help wondering if I could really be on the run with him forever. What were we going to do for money? Two high school dropouts who needed to move constantly to avoid detection? Were we destined to stay in crappy motels like this forever?

  Nope. We’d probably end up on the streets eventually. Running away together seemed so much more romantic before the rational part of my brain kicked in. I inhaled the lingering leather scent on Dom’s shirt, soaking everything in. My eyelids drooped, and my thoughts got fuzzy.

  On my way to sleep, I had yet another painful realization: I couldn’t let him ruin his life for me. Tomorrow I’d have to say goodbye and go it on my own.

  Three

  Sunlight streamed through the window, and I squeezed my eyes shut against the brightness. Blindly I reached out for Dom, patting the spot next to me. Not just empty but cold. My eyelids opened a crack. “Dominic?”

  “He’s not here,” a gravelly voice said.

  I shot up, hands groping for anything I could use as a weapon. All that was in reaching distance was a pillow. Even the lamp and outdated alarm clock had been removed from the nightstand.

  A healthy dose of fear pinned me in place as I reluctantly turned toward the area the voice had come from. A demon with horns, unnaturally red skin, and a thick black goatee stared back at me. He was one of Dad’s top guys, I knew that much. I’d seen him but never had—or wanted—the pleasure of being introduced. He sat in the wooden-armed motel chair next to the bed, legs stretched out, an inordinate number of fingers linked behind his head.

  I reached for my cross necklace, hoping shoving it in his face might scare him. Set him on fire if I was super lucky—which I wasn’t, in case there was any question.

  But it wasn’t around my neck.

  “It’s cute that you thought it’d protect you. Although that damn holy water burned a little.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Had to come through the window. Fortunately it was windy outside, enough to scatter your poorly made salt circle.”

  Damn it. Clearly I was a rookie at this, because I hadn’t even thought about the wind or the window. I scanned the room again and the oxygen leaked from my lungs. “Where’s Dominic?”

  “The boy?” Red Face scooted his chair closer, his rotten-egg breath wafting over me as he spoke. “He went on a little ride.”

  “If you hurt him—”

  “I didn’t. Not yet, anyway. Used him to get the necklace off, though.”

  Not that I’d expected Dom to take Red Face on, but jeez, hand over my protection and flee? And that was the guy I’d planned to run away with.

  “The mind’s nice and unguarded during sleep, especially with a guy like him,” Red Face said as if he could my thoughts. “Once he’d served his purpose, my partner took him home. He won’t even remember this little road trip, and no more harm will come to him, if….”

  My heart beat way too fast, pumping the fear through my veins double-time. Being face-to-face with one of the higher demons of Hell could do that to a person.

  Wait, did he say more harm? An icy knot formed in my stomach. “If what?”

  He picked his teeth with a sharp yellow fingernail. “You’ve got lots of people you care about here, don’t you, Lilith?”

  I didn’t bother correcting the name thing this time. “Say whatever you’ve got to say.”

  “The boy. Your mother. Your cute friend Hailey—I’m a sucker for freckles.”

  I jumped out of bed and jabbed a finger at his chest. “You leave them out of this.”

  He stood, towering over me and effectively squashing my momentary bravery. “It’s you who needs to leave them out of it. You know where you need to be tonight, and if you want to ensure the safety of your friend, boyfriend, and mother, I suggest you be there. Defy your father again, and you’ll have yourself to blame for what happens to them.”

  “I’ll try to make it, but it’s a long ride back home, and—”

  Red Face grabbed my arm, the world spun, and then we were standing outside my house. My duffel bag dropped to the ground near my feet as I fought off an overpowering wave of nausea that threatened to end with me redecorating my belongings and the grass. “Until tonight, Princess.”

  Mom and I spent the rest of the day alternating between crying, laughing, watching sappy movies, and eating all the junk food we could shovel down.

  Then time was up.

  On our way to the dock, Mom picked up Hailey. She and I sat in the back of the car, but we weren’t our usual chatty selves, and the ride to the docks flew by way too fast. As if things weren’t already bad enough, I caught sight of the water.

  To say water made me nervous was a huge understatement. I stayed away from it as much as possible—not an easy thing living on the Florida coast. I’d never learned to swim, and even rain puddles make me panicky if they’re very big. That’s what happens when you’re six years old, at Disney World for the first time, and end up taking your first trip to Hell.

  One minute I was sitting next to Grandma Becker, watching the Dutch puppets sing “It’s a Small World,” and the next minute I was facing a man missing most of his face.

  Daddy Dearest thought easing me into it like that—associating it with a trip to Disney—would help it go easier. He was wrong. Mom cussed him out, and after that, my visits with Dad were planned in advance and far, far away from Disney World. Not that I ever went back or want to. Ever since, anything Disney creeps me out. Don’t even get me started on Mickey Mouse and that bone-chilling laugh of his.

  Water was always involved—something about portals and an easier transition to the River Styx. Which was why I didn’t enjoy staring out at the Atlantic Ocean as we maneuvered i
nto a parking spot near the dock. Most people probably would’ve gasped at the beautiful sunset, all orange, purple, and pink. The colors reflected on the surface of the water, like a painting that’d gotten wet and bled into the deep blue.

  The sheer terror of what was about to happen made it the ugliest sight I’d ever seen.

  “I guess it’s cool you get to ride a boat there instead of having to take a plane,” Hailey said, the cheeriness usually filling her voice missing.

  I didn’t even have enough happiness left in me to respond.

  The buzz of a motorcycle filled the air, growing louder as Dominic drove up and parked next to Mom’s Malibu. After what had happened last night, I wasn’t sure he’d still show. Of course he, in theory, didn’t remember last night.

  He took off his helmet and jacket, placed them on the seat of his bike, and then strode over, dreamy as ever. As I climbed out of the car, I noticed the bruises on his arms, along with his slightly vacant expression. Not that he normally looked all thoughtful or anything, but the expression on his face was definitely less thoughtful than usual.

  Mom’s eyebrows lowered as she also studied my boyfriend. I’d filled her in on what had happened yesterday, and I could see she was actually concerned. She’d finally warmed up to Dom just as I had to leave him behind. That saying about life being unfair popped into my head.

  “Well, I guess this is it,” I said.

  Dominic scooped me into his arms. “It’s been an adventure, babe.”

  I squeezed him tight, wishing I never had to let go. I wanted to say something, but I didn’t know what to say. I’d never been great about waxing poetic or expressing mushy emotions. Sarcasm was much easier, but right now I didn’t even feel very sarcastic.

  He glanced at my mom and Hailey and then gave me the most chaste kiss he’d ever given me.

  Chest aching, I placed a hand on the side of his face. “Goodbye, Dom.” I hated to say goodbye, but it wasn’t like I could ask him to wait for, oh, I don’t know…months? A year? Years?

  My stomach bottomed out. Decades?

  I moved on to Hailey. Her bottom lip trembled, and she threw her arms around me. “I’ll miss you so much, but we’ll write and call and visit, and it’ll all be okay.”

  I didn’t have the heart to tell her it wouldn’t, so I simply clung to the girl who’d been my best friend since eighth grade. I could hear Mom sobbing, and that stabbed me right through the heart.

  I turned and said my final goodbye to Mom. She’d done the best she could, tried to shield me from Dad as much as possible, but he’d played her just like he played everyone else.

  “Miss Master-of-Darkness?” a man asked, holding up a clipboard.

  My limbs felt heavy and numb as I turned to face the man, not even wanting to know if Hailey or Dom had heard that awful surname. “I go by Becker.”

  He frowned. “The men over there never said anything about—”

  “Let’s just get this over with.”

  He loaded my duffel bag and two giant suitcases onto a dolly—any more and Grim wouldn’t be able to float me across the river. I’d brought pictures, jewelry, and lots of clothes. They were fresh out of the Gap in Hell.

  I waved one last time and followed the man as he walked away from everyone I cared about most. As I descended the steps to the dock, I caught sight of Red Face.

  What I wouldn’t give to punch that stupid smirk right off his stupid mouth.

  Red Face sprinkled a substance that looked suspiciously like blood—I knew better than to ask—chanted something in what sounded like hock-a-loogie language, and a silvery-red portal opened up.

  “God bless you,” I said since it’d be sure to get a rise out of him. On cue, he glared. I grinned. With a growl, he gestured toward the portal.

  Feet dragging, I sucked in one last lungful of Earth air and moved for the pulsating circle. Red Face started to follow me in, and I put a hand on his chest and shoved, too upset to be scared of him anymore. Besides, now that I was doing what Daddy Dearest wanted, I was under his protection. “You take another portal.”

  “His Royal Darkness said—”

  “To make sure I came. I’m here. I’ll go the rest of the way with Grim.”

  “Grim?”

  “Charon,” I clarified when I realized I was the only one who called him Grim.

  Red Face nodded but stood guard as if I’d jump back out of the portal and make a break for it. I knew it was over. Wouldn’t risk the harm to my loved ones anyway.

  Through the fissure, I could barely make out the tiny figures climbing into Mom’s Malibu. My heart felt like it weighed a thousand pounds as the portal closed behind me, sealing me off from them and the rest of the world.

  Then I spun on my heel and walked toward the River Styx, where a high-bowed, skull and entrail decorated boat awaited me. A cloaked figure stood in the center. He turned, and the lantern that hung from the stick he used to steer illuminated his face. Or what was left of it. One eye drooped, the other was missing. Skin hung from his skeletal features, a few spots flaky and peeling. I knew without looking that the palms of his hands were worn to the bone from so many trips up and down the river.

  His one-eyed gaze locked on to me, and then a big, lipless smile stretched across his face.

  Four

  You’d think a sight like that would scare me. But funny enough, his was a face I was happy to see. “Grim!”

  He stepped out of the boat and opened his arms wide. “Lily!”

  Leaving my luggage behind, I took a couple of large strides and leaped into his arms. I used to be afraid I’d break him—after I’d stopped being afraid of him in general. But he was solid. Bony, and not the best smelling lad, but solid.

  He swung me around before setting me back on the ground. “I got something for you while I was waiting.” He reached into his cloak and pulled out a handful of lilies. “I saw them and thought of you. Of course they died when I touched them, but—”

  “They’re lovely. And they still smell great.” Actually they smelled like rotten flowers, the kind of scent that made you wonder if you’d stepped in dog crap. But it was the thought that counted. Grim was one of the few people in Hell who honored my request to call me Lily instead of Lilith, and he’d always gone out of his way to make me feel as comfortable as possible.

  Okay, so the first time I saw him during the whole It’s a Small World Debacle, I freaked out. It’d been Halloween a few weeks before, and someone had shown up at our house dressed up in a cloak and carrying a scythe. Mom had explained the guy was dressed as the Grim Reaper, and that was definitely what Charon resembled.

  Once I was older and had gotten to know him better, I told him I’d call him by his rightful name, but he said he liked the fact that I called him Grim. I wasn’t sure if he had a funny sense of humor or if it just helped break up the monotony, but the nickname stuck.

  Grim picked up my luggage and put it in the boat. My chest tightened with every step I took closer to the River Styx. Yet another reason I hated water.

  Just under the surface of the river, ghostly figures wove their way through, their pale, lifeless faces pleading for release. Back in the day, Grim had required a toll of gold coins. Some of the souls who couldn’t pay were forced to wait. Those who decided they didn’t want to wait jumped into the water to make a swim for it. But the River Styx wasn’t for swimming. Now those souls were trapped until Daddy Dearest decided they deserved to be fished out. Many of them he deemed “unhelpful anyway,” so he just let them circle.

  Since nowadays gold coins were nearly impossible to find, souls paid in other ways, mostly before their trip here. It seemed unfair to the souls doomed to the water, but I think Dad also liked to have them in there to scare people into compliance.

  My stomach rose up in the vicinity of my rib cage as I climbed into the boat, telling myself not to look into the river.

  Grim gripped the long steering pole, and pushed off from the bank. Water lapped against the boat, mak
ing a constant sloshing noise.

  As we rode across the river, getting closer and closer to Hell, the sky turned a fiery orange.

  And I made the mistake of peeking into the gold-touched water. A tortured face bobbed to the surface, its eyes imploring me for help. I swear I could hear him, begging me to reach in and save him from his endless torment.

  “Lily, honey, look away,” Grim said, his voice soft.

  I pulled my gaze off the water and leaned back. But then all I could see were the skulls and the dried-out entrails and holy shit no place was safe for my eyes. So I closed them.

  Only then the rocking of the boat made me feel nauseous. I sat up and stared across the horizon. The sky grew redder the closer we got to the other side of the river, and here and there spires of rock poked through the surface of the water, some tall as a person and some barely breaching the surface. Only Grim knew the exact path to take. One wrong turn and the boat would hit rock that’d cut through the wood like butter, and then whoever was onboard would be trapped in the river with the rest of the tortured souls.

  Yet another fact I wish I didn’t know.

  I’d made the mistake before of asking Dad why he made it so hard to get in, since he seemed to enjoy having so many minions and I doubted many people would be eager to break in anyway.

  He told me that people had come to try to get their loved ones back. Some had even thought they could kill him. Then he’d shown me those who’d tried. They worked in the center, the hottest part of Hell, doing manual labor that tore the skin from their bones. Their screams—petrifying screams that’d echoed through my ears and reverberated through every inch of my body and settled in my bones—haunted me to this day.

  Enough thinking about that. Time to think happy thoughts.

  Unfortunately I didn’t have any happy thoughts left.

  The shoreline came into view, along with three figures. Dad was the tallest and easy to pick out; Red Face stood to his right, so evidently he didn’t have to arrive via the river; and Dad’s assistant, Baal, was on Dad’s left, in human form, thank goodness. He could morph into a cat, frog, or worst thing ever to see, a spider.