Hell High

by Cindi Madsen

  “I don’t think I’d say okay exactly, but I lived. Luckily they underestimated me. I had to evil out for the day, though, which I’m sure makes you happy.” I gave Dad an overly sarcastic head tilt and then addressed the rest of the doom crew. “So congrats, everyone! You’ve made me one of you. And as my first order of business, I’m choosing to send someone to the fiery depths of Hell.”

  I leaned toward Dad and stage-whispered. “I can do that, right? Now that I’ve embraced being Princess of Hell and all?”

  Without waiting for his answer, I slammed my palms on the table, my sword making a loud clink. Then I tapped a finger to my lip and glanced from one demon to the next. “Hmm, eeny, meanie, meiny…”

  My gaze landed on the demon to my immediate right. “What do you say, Uncle Caim? This decision involves you, so you might want to weigh in.”

  Caim’s features hardened into an expressionless mask. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Ahhn, wrong. You want to overthrow Dad, like you have for-almost-ever, and thought I’d be just the person to use to make that happen. That’s why you morphed into a big-ass annoying crow and followed me around, cawing whenever I was around Tristan and constantly guiding your demon cohorts as to where to find me, so you could also test how strong I truly was. And the answer is, strong enough to defeat them and you—so sorry to disappoint, dear uncle.”

  Hatred slithered through me, tempting me to give in to it, and fear flickered through Caim’s eyes.

  My hands shook, aching to close around Caim’s throat and burn him like I had Ms. Bing. Then I could bring in the wyvern, Ike, and Spike, who’d become fast friends, and see what kind of damage they could do.

  I’d command them to take one bite out of him at a time, watching as he screamed for mercy and laughing in his face.

  Thoughts grew hazy, edged with the lust for torture I used to think I was above. I stepped closer to Caim and waved my fingers at him, and hypnotic electricity sparked from the tips. I could feel the pulse of his power, too. I’d bet it’d be delicious to take in and use for my own.

  A savage tremor overtook my arm and my hand was closing in on my uncle, as if of its own accord.

  Just a little bit of his power. Enough to ensure he never messes with me again.

  Right as my fingertips were about to brush his skin, Tristan’s face popped into my head. Every emotion I’d seen on that handsome face flickered, happy and laughing and the crooked smile he always gave me right after we kissed…

  His disappointed expression, the one he used when I wasn’t strong enough.

  The one from a couple of minutes ago, when he asked me not to cross the line.

  I exhaled a shaky breath and searched for my self-resolve buried under the desire. My muscles fought against me as I reeled back my arm, but I managed to do it. “I’d love to stay here and torture you all night—I really would…”

  I straightened, ignoring the part of me that was screaming to follow through with the torture. “Alas, I’ve got a prior engagement. But send me a postcard from the fiery depths, won’t ya?” After punctuating my sarcastic question with a one-finger salute to Caim, I turned to Dad. “Buer and the disgusting rat-thing are chained up by the village.”

  With a simple flick of Dad’s wrist, every demon in the room stood and surrounded Caim. I hadn’t seen Abigor in the back, but he was up front and center now, glaring at Caim, nostrils flaring.

  The tiniest thread of guilt stitched its way through me, giving me hope and causing me pain all in one. I’d have to deal with that mess of emotions later. I’d have lots and lots of time for that.

  I started for the door, and Dad put his hand on my arm. “Don’t you want to stay and help? I’ll put a protective spell on you so you can go with us to the center to drop him off.”

  As much as I wished I didn’t, I did want to go.

  Uncle Caim was one of the only people I loved and trusted down here, and since he’d broken that and made my life even more hellacious, the idea of watching him suffer was tempting and then some. I’d like to think that was Daddy Dearest’s awful genetic coding getting in my way, but it was all me.

  I was also still pissed about what Dad had done to Tristan, but he and I would discuss that later.

  Because Tristan was waiting for me.

  “I’m sure you can handle it,” I said.

  Dad gripped my arm and kept his voice low. “You should’ve come to me the first time it happened, but I’m proud of you for handling it. It makes me happy to see you embracing your role.”

  Well, that effectively killed the happy-family-fun vibes. “I didn’t really have a choice now, did I? You made sure of that this afternoon. What you did to Tristan…” I clenched my fists. Okay, so apparently I wasn’t going to wait. Dad had started this whole awful chain of events, and now here I was, wanting to stay and watch Caim be tortured.

  Wanting to torture my own father as well.

  Dad lifted his chin. “I have to follow through on my threats. Caim will see that soon.”

  “Nice to know I don’t get preferential treatment.” For the second time I turned toward the door.

  For the second time Dad stopped me. “You’ve got tonight. Obviously you’re going to need more protection, which means Abigor will be taking you to and from school every day. From here on out, the only way you’ll see Tristan is if he agrees to be a Tempter.

  “But if not”—Dad shrugged—“well, I suggest you say your goodbyes and be home in time to have dinner with Abigor and me, where you will tell him the good news that you’re staying here indefinitely.” He leaned closer. “And letting you have these next few hours, my dear, is preferential treatment.”

  As soon as Dad released my arm, I bolted for the door, worried I’d already taken too long.

  “I only meant to scare her,” I heard Caim say, his words clipped and saturated with terror.

  “And now I’m just going to scare you,” Dad said, frigidly enough to send a chill through me.

  The bloodcurdling screams pierced the air as I reached the front door, and thankfully I no longer felt like sticking around to witness the torture.

  I sprinted down the steps, away from what was going to become my life all too soon.

  Tristan was leaning against the spire he’d indicated earlier, his head down. He looked up as I approached, and a combination of relief and joy washed over his features. “You came back to me. I knew you would.”

  I leaped into his arms and crashed my lips over his, kissing him with the strength he’d given me. “Thank you for believing in me. This place will never fully have my soul, because my soul will always belong to you.”

  Tristan squeezed me closer and kissing me like we’d been apart for years instead of minutes.

  I responded in kind, trying not to think that the kisses we shared tonight might be our last.

  Dad had already taken away so much from me. Before I gave in to his demands, I planned to take one last night to make sure that I could do so with no regrets.

  I clung to the boy with the no-longer-beating heart of gold, the one that’d shown me the meaning of true love. I moved my mouth next to his ear and said, “Let’s get out of here.”

  Forty-Eight

  Hand in hand, Tristan and I wove through trees, walking until the castle was only a distant memory.

  We ended up back at his place. Only a few roofs showed damage from the wyvern attack, but the scent of smoke hung even heavier than usual in the air. The village was quiet, and the suns dipped low in the sky, an hour or so from blinking out completely.

  Tristan tucked me next to him and ducked into his hut. We sat on his bed, and all the events from our insane day hit me. They seemed to hit Tristan, too, because for a while we sat in silence, leaning against each other.

  After a few minutes Tristan began tracing lazy circles on my thighs, and I reached up and drifted my fingertips across his jaw, down his neck to his chest, where I drew a heart in the center.

&nb
sp; Time to break the bad news, regardless of how very much I didn’t want to. If I could just will away the giant lump lodged in my throat, that’d be great.

  “Tristan, tonight…” Pain radiated through my heart. “It’s the last time…” The ache intensified, a burning dagger that shoved itself deeper and deeper. “Unless you’ve changed your mind about the whole Tempter thing.”

  I tried to throw it out there like it didn’t matter—like everything in me wasn’t screaming for him to take the deal, even if it was completely selfish.

  His sad smile shattered the sliver of hope I’d foolishly allowed myself to let in.

  A couple of tears tracked down my cheeks, and my voice came out as raw as I felt. “I don’t want it to be over.”

  Tristan wiped away my tears with his thumb. “It’ll never be over. No matter what, even if we can’t talk or be in the same room ever again.”

  He laid back on the mattress, pulling me with him. Then we were kissing, arms and legs tangled, hips bumping as we shared desperate kisses filled with longing and sorrow.

  Uncomfortable with the thought of our affection being on display for whoever happened by, I pictured a large wooden door and snapped my fingers. It appeared in place, and when it blocked out the light, I summoned a strand of fairy lights that cast a soft glow.

  “You’re not supposed to be doing that anymore,” Tristan muttered against my lips.

  “Tonight I don’t really care about what I’m not supposed to do.” My tongue delved into his mouth, and I rolled my hips against his. Desire suffused every cell in my body as he arched against me with a groan.

  I groped at the waistband of his pants, and his pupils dilated until they nearly swallowed up the green. “Lily,” he said, his voice husky and low. “You know I want to—you have no idea.”

  “What are we supposed to do, find a priest to marry us real quick so it’s okay?”

  His signature crooked grin spread across his face. “Are you asking me to marry you?”

  “I’m saying I love you. If it was an option, I would pledge to be with you for the rest of my life. And I don’t want my first time to be with Abigor.”

  The muscles in Tristan’s jaw tightened, and his voice shook with unrestrained jealousy and rage. “I don’t want that, either. Which is why you’re going to finish up your year here and then go find a better guy on Earth.”

  I was going to argue that it was too late to undo certain things, not to mention there wasn’t a better guy for me anywhere because he’d forever be the one. But he’d only fight with me about it, and I didn’t want to spend my last night with him bickering. “All I want is to live in the here and now and be with you. I belong to you as much as anyone can belong to someone. Would you say you belong to me?”

  He cupped my cheek. “You know I do.”

  “I’ll regret it forever if I walk away right now. I’m sure I want this—more than anything I’ve ever wanted.”

  Tristan’s throat worked a swallow, then he sat up, took my face in his large hands, and kissed me. He rolled me onto my back, and his mouth came down on mine, tender yet ruthless in its need to explore and taste and savor.

  Between kisses, he slipped my shirt over my head. His joined mine on the ground. The rest of our clothes fell one by one to the floor, and then he lowered his naked body over mine, pressing me deeper into the mattress.

  Then there wasn’t any more need for words.

  Tristan skimmed his fingers down my bare back as I stared into the eyes that I’d forever miss peering into.

  “You okay?” he asked, his voice soft.

  I nodded. I scooted closer to get more amazing skin-on-skin action and kissed him as we floated on our own little euphoric slice of happiness. Every inch of me tingled, head to toe, and I couldn’t stop smiling and kissing him and grinning and hugging and gah…

  I’d gotten to be with the person I loved, and the only thing I regretted was that we’d never get to be together again.

  “I have to go,” I whispered. The suns had definitely set by now, and if I took much longer, Dad’s minions would come searching.

  Tristan closed his eyes and exhaled. “I know.”

  The string in my heart—the one that tethered me to Tristan—tugged as I scooted away from him. My limbs weighed a hundred pounds as I pulled on my clothes. I swept my hair out of my shirt, leaned over him, and pressed my mouth to his.

  I lingered, stroking my tongue over his, memorizing the feel of his soft lips and the way he tasted.

  Tristan intertwined his fingers with mine. “It was worth coming to Hell to be with you. Even if it was just for a little while.”

  Tears ran down my cheeks, their saltiness mixing with our next kiss.

  I reached back, unclasped my necklace, and pressed the angel wings into his hand.

  “Lily, I can’t—”

  “Maybe it’ll bring you luck.” I glanced at my watch. Dinner had started ten minutes ago, so Dad was already going to be unhappy with me, and I was terrified he might take that out on Tristan to teach me a lesson.

  “I’ve really gotta…” I motioned to the door, not wanting to say go. Not wanting to say goodbye.

  One last kiss and then I left him there in bed, that string in my heart unraveling more and more with every step I took away from him.

  As I made my way home, I went ahead and let myself cry like it was the end of the world.

  Because it was.

  Tristan was the only reason I’d survived being here—the only reason my soul didn’t already belong to Dad. I would’ve given it up in a heartbeat if Tristan would’ve agreed to be a Tempter.

  But he wouldn’t. Because he was so much better than me.

  He could help more people on Earth than I ever could. He wouldn’t want to feed off their power like I do.

  I closed my eyes, remembering how I’d looked at the people in that restaurant on Earth. How badly I wanted them all to sin so they could come down to Hell. As much as I’d hated feeling like that, the thought of never going home again—of having to tell Mom I’d failed—made my stomach clench.

  If I didn’t sign over my soul, Dad would use Tristan against me, and then I’d be even more lost. The only solution I could see to not losing myself was to let Dad win.

  But if Dad wants me that badly, I bet I could get more than his original offer.

  My mind spun, and a glimmer of hope worked its way through the despair. The more I thought about it, the surer I was I could pull it off.

  Keeping my face void of emotion, I charged into the castle.

  Dad stepped into the foyer, and his nostrils flared. “You’re late.”

  The last time I’d felt like this, I’d had two Red Bulls and a bag of sour gummy worms. I was amped up and refused to let Dad deflate my plan, so I got right to the point. “You know those deals you love making so much? Well, I’m ready to make one.”

  I unleashed the smug smile he’d flashed me so often. “You want my soul; that’s fine. But I want something in return.”

  Two creases formed between his eyebrows.

  I arranged my features in that deadly calm facade Dad always used when he meant business. “Don’t look so apprehensive. It’s totally going to be one of those offers so good that you can’t refuse.”

  Forty-Nine

  Dad sent Abigor home, and then I sat down at the dining room table with the devil himself and laid out my offer.

  “You want me to just let him go?” Dad asked, the incredulousness in his expression spilling into his voice.

  “Tristan goes. I stay.” I crossed my forearms on the table. “Don’t tell me you can’t do it, because I know you can.”

  Dad’s calm demeanor cracked. He drummed his fingers on the table, the movement faster and faster.

  I took satisfaction in the fact I’d flustered him, but I couldn’t relax just yet. Not until he agreed. And if he didn’t…

  Well, I wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Guess it was time for a small push. “You’ve
seen what I can do. Actually you’ve only seen part of it. I’ve been summoning things for a while.” I boringly studied my fingernails, the same way he had when he’d shown up and thrown my world off its axis a couple of months ago. “Handy little trick.”

  Dad narrowed his gaze.

  “Don’t believe me?” I snapped my fingers, and a pink, ten-foot unicorn statue appeared in the corner. It was covered in so much glitter that it cast a disco ball effect over the entire room.

  He stared at it, mouth agape. “It’s…a unicorn.”

  I shrugged. “Hey, it’s not easy to know what to give the guy who already has everything.”

  “You were supposed to give me you and Tristan. That was the deal. That’s what I want.”

  “Tristan will never agree to be a Tempter. You could put him in the center of Hell and he’d still refuse.” Which was why I loved him so damn much. “And if he’s in the center, there’s no reason for me to stay. So I’m making a different deal. My being here will more than make up for his absence. You wanted someone to help you rule Hell, well, you got it.”

  I leaned back in my chair and propped my crossed ankles up on the table, right next to the bowl of mashed potatoes. “Just as soon as you give my boyfriend his life and soul back.”

  Dad’s frown grew, his eyebrows drawing so low over his eyes they made an angry V. I’d inherited most of my bullheadedness from him, so I’d known this wouldn’t be easy. Luckily I’d also been trained in successful persuasion tactics from the best of the best.

  Tempt people with what they wanted the most—or stab at what would hurt them the most.

  “Spite and stubbornness will keep me all fueled up and determined to work as hard for the other side as I can. But the same can’t be said about you. You need souls to power you and your cushy life here.”

  He glowered.

  I summoned the electricity I’d nearly used on Caim earlier today, watching it arc across my fingers as I twisted my wrist. “Oh, and I should probably mention that I can influence lesser demons, so whenever you send them or your armies of Tempters to Earth, I’ll manipulate them into switching sides.