Jackie’s eyes fluttered as her body shuddered and quaked in the aftermath of their onslaught.
“Let her sleep,” someone whispered.
She was gathered up in heated arms and then the world became an ocean of sensuous black velvet and nothing else mattered.
Jackie woke slowly, warm and comfortable. Her limbs felt loose but her body ached deliciously. She opened one eye to confirm that the previous night hadn’t been a dream—she was lying on Iradon’s chest and Admar’s arms were around her waist. Moz’gethen was near her feet, his back hot against her shins.
She shifted slightly and the demons around her groaned and started to sit up.
“Hey,” she pushed at Iradon gently and he opened his eyes and smiled at her. “No nightmares. Looks like all I needed was three demons to keep them away.”
Iradon chuckled and tightened his arm around her. She tilted her chin up to kiss his jaw and then reached back to run her hand through Admar’s dark hair. He purred against her back and cuddled in closer. The third demon rubbed a heated palm down her legs and Jackie pressed against him.
She could definitely get used to this. Being worshipped by demons definitely had its perks.
Jackie sat up and stretched and then crawled out from under the blankets to find her boxers and jeans. She struggled into her clothes and tied her hair up into a messy knot on top of her head.
“Come on, boys, dawn’s a wastin’... don’t we have work to do?”
She wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. But as the demons smiled at her and clambered out from under the blankets, she had a sudden thought that when this was all over, they might disappear from her life forever.
She didn’t want that. Selfish thoughts made her stomach clench and she pulled her flannel shirt over her shoulders while the men got dressed and the blankets were shoved back into the box Iradon had found them in.
“What happens now?” she asked nervously.
Admar ran a hand through his unruly hair and shrugged. “We find the crypt.”
Moz’gethen pointed at the chapel floor. “There is a door below the chapel that leads to the mausoleum, my weapon is there.”
“Great hiding place,” Jackie teased him.
The demon shrugged and then looked at her with a puzzled expression. “It wasn’t meant to be found. The destruction of the lantern—”
She pressed a hand to her head and laughed. “I know, I know, it wasn’t on anyone’s list of things to do, I get it. We’re breaking all the rules.”
Admar snickered. “But, Moz, seriously, before we go anywhere, can you put some pants on?”
Moz’gethen, Guardian of Hell’s Watchtowers looked down at his very naked body and reached for his discarded coveralls. They would most certainly be too small for him, but he struggled into them anyway and tied the top half around his waist. His muscular legs bulged in the stained green fabric and Jackie blinked and swallowed thickly. When this was all over, it was going to be a chore to dress that one.
If they stayed.
Could they stay?
Iradon frowned and looked at the floorboards. “I guess we’ll have to break through.”
“Isn’t there a door, or something? A cellar?”
Moz shook his head. “Through the floor.”
Jackie threw up her hands. “Great. Well, get to it then, I guess…”
Iradon didn’t need any prompting. He strode to the front of the chapel and plucked one of the heavy gilt candlesticks from the altar. When Admar realized what he was doing, he grinned and copied Iradon’s actions.
Armed with their makeshift hammers, the demons stood together and nodded to each other before holding the candlesticks aloft and bringing them down in unison against the dark floorboards.
Jackie winced as the candlesticks struck the boards with a deafening crash.
“Careful!” she cried out. “Won’t someone hear that?”
“Who would hear it?” Moz asked her.
“I don’t know… it’s just… Hurry!”
She didn’t know what she was nervous about, but the thought of being caught in the act of destroying the chapel made alarm bells go off in her head. What if they were wrong? What if this was all—
The demons struck the floor again, and again, and on the third strike, the floorboards cracked and splintered. Iradon barked in triumph and threw his candlestick to the side. He pulled at the broken boards and flung them to the side.
Moz strode over to help, ripping aside the splintered boards with the other two. Jackie had worried that there would be some awkwardness between them, especially after… But there seemed to be nothing in the way of their alliance. Maybe it was her that cemented them all together. In a way, they were all working to save her. No matter what else was going on, that was a comforting thought.
“It’s here,” Admar called out. “The door!”
Jackie grabbed the lantern and ran forward. The vibration from the lantern’s handle was strong against her palm, pulling her along.
She lifted it up as the demons stood back. The green glow of the flame illuminated a black stone door that had been carved with unrecognizable symbols. She came closer, and the symbols glowed with the same green light as the flame she held.
“Shit,” she whispered.
Iradon and Admar helped her down into the hole they had made and she stood unsteadily on the packed dirt floor. “How long has this been here,” she breathed.
“Longer than any of us can remember,” Admar said softly. “It’s time for the cycle to end.”
“How do we get in? Does anyone have a crowbar? Is there something on the altar we can use to break it down?”
Iradon chuckled. “You don’t pry open a door like this.”
“Thank you, Mr. Helpful,” Jackie snapped.
“Hold the lantern close to the door,” Admar said calmly.
Jackie raised an eyebrow and looked at the lantern quizzically. That seemed way too easy. But she stepped forward and did as she was instructed.
As the lantern drew closer to the door, the symbols etched into its surface glowed brightly.
Admar jumped down into the hole and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Open the lantern door and let the flame out.”
Iradon stepped down beside them and placed his hands on her waist and Moz joined them to stand on her other side and added his warmth to her body by laying a gentle hand upon her arm.
“Let it out?” Jackie wasn’t sure that sounded like a good idea, but the demons’ hands were warm and encouraging.
“Let it out,” they said in unison.
Jackie bit her lip and pressed on the latch that held the lantern’s glass door closed. It swung open with a tiny creak of the hinges and the flame surged forward. Jackie gasped as the lantern lurched in her hands and the flame leapt toward the door. A green spark, and then two, and then three, flew out and landed on the stone. Jackie frowned as the symbols went dark, and the space was plunged into darkness, lit only by the glow of the lantern.
“That wasn’t very helpful,” she murmured. “What’s plan B?”
“Wait,” Admar whispered.
Jackie concentrated on the door, but nothing happened. She was about to open her mouth to ask another question, when the packed dirt floor began to shake and the stone door rumbled.
“Oh, shit,” she whispered.
The demons’ arms came around her and pulled her back from the door as the symbols etched in the stone began to glow green, and then gold, and then a deep, dark red. She felt a wave of heat wash over her face and the floor shuddered under her boots.
With a massive crack, the stone door split apart at the edge, allowing red light to spill out. Jackie winced at the intensity of the glare and turned her face into Moz’ shoulder.
The demons held her tightly until the shaking of the floor faded away. “Look,” Admar said softly.
The great stone door stoor ajar, and the demons released her and stepped forward to pull at it. They leaned
all of their weight against it and the door scraped open. The red light that had spilled through the cracks faded, leaving only an eerie orange glow behind as though torches burned within the chamber beyond the door.
Jackie swallowed hard and closed the lantern’s small glass door. “You’re staying put,” she whispered to the flame. It flickered at her insolently, as though mocking her, but she made a face at it and walked forward to where the demons waited for her.
“You have to go first,” Admar said.
“How many times have you done this?” she asked.
Admar shook his head. “Too many to count.”
“Great.”
“You can do this,” he whispered. He leaned forward and kissed her gently. “We’re all right here with you.”
“Right behind me, you mean,” she muttered.
“That too,” Iradon chuckled.
Admar took her by the shoulders and turned her toward the doorway. “Just take the first step, then we can follow.”
Jackie shook off his hands and stepped forward. It was nothing. Stepping through a doorway was nothing. She closed her eyes and passed the stone door. The lantern pulled her onward and she didn’t fight against the way it strained against her palm.
The air beneath the chapel smelled different. Sweet and musty. Not unpleasant, but creepy enough that she couldn’t feel truly at ease. Candle wax. Dead flowers. Rotting meat. The scent of it filled her nostrils and swirled around her.
As she moved forward, the ground beneath the soles of her boots changed from smooth dirt to hard, rough stone, and she opened her eyes just enough to see that the chamber beyond the stone door looked as though it had been carved out of solid bedrock.
“Upon this rock—” one of the demons behind her murmured.
“Where do we go now?” Jackie asked. But before she could turn to face the demons, the floor fell away under her feet. She pitched forward, arms flailing, and a thin scream was ripped from her throat— She closed her eyes tightly and waited for the pain of hitting the bottom, but it never came.
But before she could tumble into the darkness, the demons caught her. Admar held one wrist, Moz had caught her around the waist, and Iradon’s hands were on her shoulders.
“Not that way,” Admar said briskly.
Jackie opened her eyes and stared down into the black abyss that had opened up in front of her. Small rocks broke away and clattered down into the depths and she shook her head desperately. “Definitely not.”
They pulled her back to the edge and she stood there for a moment, shuddering lightly as they released her. “That way,” Iradon said. He pointed toward an opening in the chamber wall and Jackie saw the outline of a stone stair.
“Down?”
Admar chuckled. “What direction were you expecting?”
Jackie made a face. “Very funny.”
“It was a little funny,” Iradon said.
“Yeah, yeah,” Jackie muttered. “Do I have to go first again?”
“Always, Princess,” Moz said darkly.
“Stop calling me that,” she snapped. “That’s not making it any easier.”
Moz frowned. “Until the lantern is broken, you are a Princess of Hell.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t want to be.”
“We’re going to fix that,” Iradon said firmly. “You just have to lead the way.”
Jackie tightened her grip on the lantern. The metallic pieces of the lantern were beginning to flake and rust under her touch. They were right. The closer they were to the lantern’s cradle, the stronger the flame became, and the weaker its housing.
She paused at the entrance to the stairs as a thought lashed into her mind. “What happens if the lantern breaks before we get to the cradle? What happens if the flame escapes?”
Admar blinked at her. “I— I don’t know. It’s never happened before.”
“That’s not reassuring at all,” Jackie said dryly.
“Sorry, it’s just… this whole rebellion thing is a little new to me.”
“You’re going to have to get used to it,” Jackie said with a smile. “I’m not really good at following directions.”
“So we’ve noticed,” Iradon said.
Jackie smiled, but she didn’t feel confident… There was now way to know what lay ahead. Flying by the seat of her pants was kind of her thing, but this was way beyond anything she’d ever done.
Half-expecting it to drop away into nothing, she took a deep breath and stepped down onto the first step. The stone stair was firm and uneven under her boots. It didn’t fall away, or crumble under her weight. So far, so good.
She placed a hand on the smooth stone wall beside her, startled by how cold it was, and then raised the lantern higher before she began her descent.
The demons followed her, but said nothing. Jackie’s heart beat hard in her chest and thundered in her ears as the pull of the lantern became more insistent.
Forty-nine steps spiralled down into another stone chamber, this one hewn with rougher strokes that cut deeply into the dark bedrock to reveal pockets of precious stones and veins of white quartz. Stone columns and archways led to other passages and more stairs and a confused fear flooded through her veins.
“Wait here,” Moz said as they stood together in the chamber.
Jackie leaned against Admar’s back as the third demon jogged to an alcove at the far side of the chamber.
“What are you doing?” she called out. Her voice echoed strangely and she flinched at the sound. How far did these catacombs go? How would she get out if something went wrong? If something went wrong—
At the corner of the chamber, Moz’gethen let out a savage roar and struck the alcove wall with his clawed hand. Sparks flew where his claws scraped against the stone and Jackie ducked involuntarily. He struck it four more times, each blow accompanied with an unnatural bellow of rage. The rock cracked and splintered and dust filled the air.
All at once, it was quiet, and the lantern in Jackie’s hand began to vibrate, pulling away from the demon who approached their group out of the cloud of dark dust.
“Here it is,” he said. “The end of this foul game.”
He stretched out his hand and Jackie’s eyes widened as she looked down at the dagger he held. It was as long as her forearm, and made of a shining black metal. The hilt was wrapped in strips of stained leather and the blade glittered wickedly in the green glow of the flickering lantern.
“It knows its end is near,” Moz whispered as he stared at the lantern.
Jackie swallowed hard and looked up at the demon’s flashing black eyes. “Are you sure?”
He nodded. “I have kept it hidden for far too long. But it is time to end this.”
“Do you want me to—”
Moz shook his head and tucked the blade into the knot he had tied at his hip. “I will carry it for you, Princess,” he said, ignoring the face she made at the use of the title.
Admar squeezed Jackie’s shoulder gently. “We’re almost there,” he said.
The ground rumbled gently under Jackie’s feet and she jumped just a little.
“He knows you’re close,” Admar said flatly. “Let’s finish this.”
More stairs. More twists and turns, each one identical to the last. Jackie began to give up hope that she would ever be able to find her way to the surface.
Jackie was exhausted, and the lantern was heavy in her hand, but they had to keep going.
“Faster,” Iradon urged. “We’re running out of time.”
The ground rumbled with earthquakes, and stones fell clattered to the ground all around them as the demons tugged and pushed her along.
They rounded a corner, and Admar stopped short. “There it is,” he said breathlessly.
Jackie’s eyes followed Admar’s shaking finger as he pointed toward a large pale stone column. Every other stone they had seen since they had descended below the chapel had been black, and the stark contrast of the white pillar was enough to make her pause.
<
br /> “The lantern, you have to take it to the pillar,” Admar said.
Jackie swallowed hard. “And then what?”
Moz pulled the dagger from his hip and held it out to her. “Then you strike.”
She nodded but she was uncertain of what any of that meant. Take the lantern to the pillar and then then what? Stab it? Smash it on the ground? What?
Jackie’s bravery faltered and her legs felt unsteady. Admar took her face in her hands and kissed her gently. “Everything will be fine,” he said. “Take the lantern to its resting place, you’ll know what to do.”
“I don’t—”
Iradon came to her side and pressed his lips to her neck. “We’re right here with you,” he said.
Moz stepped behind her and she leaned back against his broad chest as his arm encircled her shoulders. “Do what must be done.”
“But what happens when it’s done?” she asked desperately. “Do I have to go back to my shitty life? Do you all just—disappear back to your hell jobs? I don’t want to lose you… any of you!”
Admar grinned and tapped her on the tip of the nose with his finger. “We’re not going anywhere. I’m pretty sure that when that thing is destroyed, I’m out of a job. What else am I gonna do? Not like I have any other marketable skills.”
Jackie chuckled and looked at Iradon. “What about you? Won’t you be sent back to the filing room?”
Iradon made a face. “Once my superiors find out what I’ve been doing? I won’t be able to get a job shoveling brimstone.”
“But Moz… your Watchtower.”
The big demon shook his head. “I’m done following orders,” he said. “Except yours.”
Jackie laughed and shook her head. “This is ridiculous. With my luck, I’ll break the lantern and you’ll all crumble to piles of ash…”
Admar shrugged. “I guess you’ll have to find out. Worst case scenario, you’ll be the Queen of Hell. Best case? We all run out of here after the lantern’s flame goes out.”
Jackie groaned. “This is bullshit.”
“Then you’d better get it over with,” Iradon said as another earthquake rippled through the stone floor. “Those earthquakes are getting worse, and I don’t want to be here when the boss figures out what’s happened.”
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