by Thawer, Tish
She threw the pipe in his direction and climbed into her truck. “Keep it. I’m done.” She had to get out of this rut, out of this town, or she was going to lose her mind or worse––end up dead.
“What do you mean, done?” Klint slurred.
“I’m mean I’m DONE! Done with everything: you, this shit...all of it! I have to get out of here, so don’t come looking for me, Klint, you won’t find me.” She slammed the door of her beat-up Chevy and sped away from the underpass. She didn’t have a destination in mind, only the dream of a better life. She’d been living on the streets since her mother died and was left trying to afford the house she grew up in. What a joke, she thought. Twenty-five years old and she still had no job, despite the college degree that had put her ninety-two thousand dollars in debt. Shaking from the high she was on, she tightened her grip on the steering wheel and veered onto the freeway.
CRACK! Glass rained down from all directions. The semi-truck she’d cut in front of had no chance of stopping, and sent her sailing over the high-curving ramp. I’m finally free, was the last thought she had while plummeting to her death. Her spirit released from her body and she rose to meet her Reaper without a word. His face was obscured by his hooded robe, and he spoke with an eerie cadence. “My name is Crawley. I’ll be your soul escort.” She looked up into his hood and instantly knew from his judgmental, disapproving scowl, where she was going to end up.
Abigail shook her head, laughing at the irony as she entered her room on the lower-level of Lucifer’s castle. Free? Yeah, right! “Return topside and do my bidding.” Lucifer’s instructions replayed in her mind as she sank onto the provided bed. It was a nice size but hard as a brick––not that she should complain, he did rescue her from an “eternity of torment,” he liked to remind her. But that wasn’t exactly true.
Upon arriving in Hell, Abigail was deposited in the Fields of Torment, where flames licked at the tortured souls for as far as the eye could see. She was drawn to her assigned plot––a hill overlooking a river of blood where she stood in her ripped jeans, tied flannel shirt, and the heavy boots she’d died in. Abigail crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and awaited the horrors of her life to start bombarding her. Oddly, none did. No torment, no fear, not even feelings of guilt or regret flared up. Abigail opened her eyes, wondering if she was in the wrong spot. She walked around the hilltop, flinching each time a flame shot out around her, but stood mesmerized as the fiery memories headed off in a different direction to torture someone else.
Abigail spent the day walking around all the other horror-struck souls who were obviously fighting back their never-ending battles with this place, yet she remained unaffected.
“Hmmm...interesting,” she heard a deep voice behind her. Abigail spun around and came face-to-face with Lucifer. He was tall, dark, and handsome and seemed genuinely curious about her. “How is it that you roam my fields free of torment?” he asked, his gaze running up and down her curves.
“I don’t know, you tell me,” she snapped back.
His laughter boomed around her. “I have to admit, I don’t know, but I like your spunk. And the fact that you seem completely unaffected by the horrors around you; I definitely like your style,” Lucifer stated, offering her his hand.
Abigail reached out, unsure of what to expect but was pleasantly surprised when a cool rush of power raced up her arm and pierced her straight in the heart. “Whoa, what was that?” she asked.
“A test. You passed.” Lucifer didn’t say another word as he guided her down the hill, toward his castle. The forbidding structure dominated her view as they got closer and closer. Upon walking in the front door, she laughed. “How unexpected. This is quite lovely.” Abigail continued to laugh internally at the dichotomy of her words, seeing that she was in Hell.
“As are you…both unexpected and lovely.” Lucifer raised her hand to his lips and Abigail shivered. “I have a proposition for you,” he stated.
Abigail flinched. The Lord of Hell may have a nice house and be overly attractive, but she didn’t think having sex with the man was a very good idea. “I’m sorry, but I’m not ready for anything like…that.”
Again, Lucifer laughed at her, causing her to jerk her hand from his.
“You misunderstand, Abigail. I’m not offering you sex, I’m offering you a job.”
Relieved, and only slightly embarrassed, Abigail listened as Lucifer laid out the terms of her employment. The first female dark assassin with the ability to carry out any death sentence the King of Hell required was a pretty big leap from her previous jobs––not that she’d had one in a really long time. Abigail looked around the room while she contemplated his offer. The torturous scenes on the walls didn’t affect her in the slightest; she’d learned a long time ago how to numb herself to all the cruelty in the world thanks to a needle or a pipe and a boyfriend under a bridge. Abigail shook her head, and after a few short minutes agreed to Lucifer’s terms. She figured she had nothing to lose––being dead and all. But thinking back, she had no idea what qualified her for the job, since she’d never killed anyone before. However, after receiving her gifts from Lucifer, she quickly fell into the role and thanked Klint and her mother for hardening her heart.
Now, only after a month of service, she was known as Dark Abigail––thanks to Asmodeus––Hell’s first female assassin. When she came calling, you ran! Crawley had been her first immortal, though, and that had been fun. She couldn’t wait to return to Purgatory and wreak some more havoc.
As Abigail laid across her bed, she dug her fingernails along her skin, hoping her next assignment would come in soon. She hated waiting. And recently, if she wasn’t killing, she’d started to itch, like she was going through withdrawals all over again.
6
Raven completed the rest of her retrievals in record time, knowing Michael was standing watch while she worked. They had to get to the bottom of this and fast. She was positive that Lucifer was behind Crawley’s death, and now they just had to prove it.
“All done. Did you see anything?” she asked Michael.
“No. Nothing out of the ordinary,” he replied. “Let’s return to the castle, and see if Death has any news.”
Raven walked into Michael’s arms and let him transport them directly to Garrett’s. He and Holli were still in the throne room, both bent over his gazing pool.
Michael and Raven walked around the back of the dais and joined them. “Have you found a way to see into Hell?” Raven asked, excited at the prospect.
“No. We’ve been watching a disturbance topside,” Garrett replied.
“What type of disturbance?” Michael asked.
“Death…lots of it.” Holli added.
Garrett, being Death himself, was drawn to any and all aspects of death and used his gazing pool to watch his Reapers at work. Raven approached the round pool in the floor, keeping the tips of her toes just out of reach. The scene below was unlike anything she’d seen through its surface before. “What the hell?” she gasped.
“Exactly,” Garrett replied.
They all stood and watched as a beautiful red-head emerged from the netherworld through a tangle of twisted branches and fog and proceeded to annihilate six men in a single fight.
“Who is that?” Raven exclaimed.
“We have no idea,” Garrett confessed. “I think she works for Lucifer, but can’t really get a read on her from here.”
“Want me to go topside and check her out?” Raven asked, flaring her wings.
Garrett hesitated but finally gave in, knowing how much they needed this intel. “Yes, actually, I do. Take Holli with you but keep your distance, and be careful. Michael and I will monitor from here and if anything goes wrong, I’ll come topside myself.”
Raven shivered.
The previous Death had experimented with the souls of Purgatory and perfected a way to travel topside anytime he wanted. It was just another way he’d broken the covenant that governed his position, since he was only allowed t
o walk in the mortal realm four times a year on a solstice or equinox. However, when Garrett was granted the position, he’d also been given permission to use the process in case of emergencies, and it looked like the red-head from Hell just might qualify.
“What portal do we use?” Raven asked.
“Eighty-nine. She’s in LA,” Garrett responded.
“Got it.” Raven nodded at Holli and with a push of their wings, they both shot off the balcony and into the sky. Raven’s jet black wings were more powerful than Holli’s pure white ones, but only due to more use. Holli wasn’t sent out on retrievals any more now that she’d become Death’s wife, but that didn’t, in any way, diminish her usefulness.
“You ready?” Raven asked as soon as they landed in the portal fields.
Holli unsnapped a small knife charm from her belt and with a flick of her wrist, extended her sword, The Devourer, to its full length. “Yep,” she replied as the symbols etched onto her weapon began to pulse with a purple glow.
Raven laughed. Seeing the adorable, platinum-haired goth beauty transform into the badass Reaper she’d become was still humorous. Smiling, Raven entered the glowing blue orb inside the mausoleum and emerged in Los Angeles moments later with Holli hot on her heels. The two of them took stock of their surroundings, pinpointing the disturbance immediately.
“There! Let’s go.” Raven pushed out back into the sky and headed straight for the cluster of fog and trees that only she and Holli could see within the netherworld. The death and destruction that had been inflicted, however, was on display to everyone––mortals included. Six men, dressed in suits lay bleeding and battered on the side of the highway. Sirens pierced the air as a multitude of emergency vehicles arrived on the scene.
Holli landed next to the fire truck and began to make her way toward the limbs of the phantom trees, while Raven hovered above the bank of fog looking for their target. They moved forward, stalking their prey in unison, but found nothing as the branches receded and the sky cleared.
“Dammit! Where did she go?” Raven cursed.
“I don’t know. I don’t see any trace of her,” Holli replied.
“I don’t either,” Raven replied. “Come on, let’s get back to the bodies. Maybe when I collect their souls a few will be headed to Hell and I can keep looking for her down there.”
Holli nodded and followed Raven back to the scene. They waited for the souls of the slain to rise, but to their surprise, none did. Instead, Raven and Holli watched in horror as the bodies of the dead disintegrated right in front of everyone’s eyes. They had been completely destroyed by whatever this woman had done, body and soul.
“They’re truly gone, just like Crawley.” Holli mumbled as the mortal EMT crew scrambled to understand what had happened.
“Yeah, and besides Death, no one is supposed to have the power to kill an immortal, so this has to be proof that Loki’s involved,” Raven surmised. “Let’s get back and see if that’s all the proof we need.”
The Reapers flew back towards the portal and returned to Purgatory without delay. Flying straight to the castle, Holli and Raven landed on the balcony and walked inside. Michael and Garrett were still bent over the gazing pool, where the water was swaying in rippling waves.
“Did you see how she got away?” Raven asked.
“No. But I did see something interesting in the trees,” Garrett shared. “I’m curious to know if the limbs have something to do with her ability to suck the life and soul from her victims.”
“Really?” Raven asked. “Okay, well, next time, we’ll be sure to snag a branch or two.” She winked at Holli who had walked back into Garrett’s waiting embrace.
“We need to get back into Hell and keep looking for her,” Raven suggested. “What do you think about paying Lucifer another visit?” she asked Garrett.
“Honestly, I think it’d be a waste of time. He’s not going to give us anything if he’s really in cahoots with Loki,” Garrett replied.
Raven huffed but didn’t argue. Garrett was right. She did, however, plan to poke around in Hell the next time she was sent there on a retrieval. After all, it was part of her job––sort of.
7
Abigail sheathed the katana Lucifer had gifted her and turned to leave, her boot sticking in the blood that now coated the ground. She had just slayed the six men that had been on top of Lucifer’s hit list for the past week. Gathering them together had been the annoying part, but slicing them to ribbons had been easy and fun. Satisfied with a job well done, she smiled and walked back through the fog and trees that hid her portal to Hell.
Lucifer had explained that only she could enter and exit through the vortex of red, swirling fire and brimstone, and each time she did, she itched a little less. This was becoming her home, and she was truly starting to enjoy her job. All except the part where she had to deal with the boss himself.
“Any trouble?” Lucifer asked upon her return.
“As usual…no. I did however see two females with wings appear just before I returned, though. Who are they?”
“None of your concern!” Lucifer’s voice echoed through the room. “You’re to stay away from them, do you understand?"
“Yeah, sure. Fine. Whatever you say.” Abigail held up her hands and turned to leave.
“I’m sorry. It’s just that you’re special, Abigail, and are the only one who will bring an end to the chaos that envelopes our realm.”
“What chaos? Everything is running like clockwork down here.”
“Down here, yes. Everything operates as it should under my vigilance. In Purgatory, however, things are out of control. An imposter has been granted the position of Death and the netherworld hasn’t been the same since.”
Abigail gasped. “Death, as in leader of the Grim Reapers? This is all about him?”
“Yes. He’s proven unfit to rule his realm, and it’s our job to convince Heaven that he needs to be replaced…by me.” Lucifer puffed out his chest.
“Excuse me? You want to become Death now?” Abigail questioned. “What does that mean for me. Where would I end up?”
“No, no. I’ll still be myself and retain dominion over Hell, but I’d be ruling Purgatory as well. It’s the only logical step to save our realms from collapse.” He pushed from his throne and stalked toward Abigail. “You are the key, my dear. You exist for the sole purpose of saving Purgatory, and in order to do so, you just need to stay on task and eliminate those on my list.” He ran a finger down the side of her cheek and smiled.
Abigail stared into his sparkling blue eyes and gathered her courage. “I understand, but I’m good at my job, so why do I have to stay clear of the females? What’s their role in all this?”
Lucifer’s hand dropped back to his side and he stiffened. Abigail took two steps back, regretting her words as she watched all the kindness drain from his now black eyes.
“You’ll stay clear of the females, because it’s what I TOLD YOU TO DO!” he bellowed.
“Okay. Of course. I’m sorry,” Abigail stammered again, shaking in her boots.
Lucifer flung out his arm, and the doors burst open. “Return to your room and await your next assignment!”
Abigail ran away with her proverbial tail tucked between her legs. As confident as she was at her job and in her skills, she knew angering the boss was never a good idea. Abigail shook her head, remembering the trail of blood and guts that smeared the throne room floor last week when one of the princes disobeyed his command.
“Wow, that sounded intense,” Asmodeus teased as she walked down the hall.
“Yeah. Apparently, I hit a nerve.”
“I heard you mention the two Reapers with wings,” Asmodeus prodded.
Abigail stopped dead in her tracks. “The women are Reapers? How can that be?”
Asmodeus shrugged. “Death created them outside of the covenant. They are the only ones with the ability to fly and I’ve heard they have other perks as well.”
Hmph...So much for being spec
ial, she thought. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who’d been granted special skills. “Well, if Death has broken the covenant I guess Lucifer was telling the truth. I just hope that my next assignment takes me back to Purgatory so I can help eliminate the problem.”
“Now you’re talkin’.” Asmodeus bumped her shoulder with his own, sending waves of pleasure down her body.
Abigail had grown accustom to his power and turned away, but not before she caught sight of the sly smile spreading across his lips. “What?” she snapped.
“Oh, nothing. I just think you have so much potential under that skater-chic vibe you’ve got going on. Maybe you should consider a make-over.”
Abigail huffed. “Why would I consider that? I like who I am.”
“I like who you are too, but I just think there’s more to you than meets the eye. Besides, like I said before, being Dark Abigail comes with a certain level of sexiness and mystique, and I think if you embraced that, it could benefit you not only in your job, but perhaps with Lucifer as well.” Asmodeus winked.
Abigail’s jaw flexed as she stepped toward Asmodeus, yanking on the ends of the flannel shirt that was tied around her waist. “So let me get this straight. You think that by me curling my hair, putting on some makeup, and sliding into some skimpy-ass dress, I’ll have it easier with my job and my boss?”
“Yes, but before you go all ‘women’s rights’ on me, let me elaborate. I have no issue if you’re more comfortable in jeans and T-shirts, I think you’re sexy as hell like that as well, but what I’m saying is, don’t be afraid to use your sex appeal to get what you want. Women are so worried about making a statement in regards to their sexuality and being objectified, that they forget that it can also be empowering and shouldn’t be ashamed of that fact. Just be who you are, but don’t be afraid to use all the tools at your disposal.”
Abigail stilled her tongue and let Asmodeus walk away. She entered her room and placed her katana on its holder, kicked off her boots, and stripped out her clothes. She was taken aback by his admittance that he found her sexy, and she wanted to let herself enjoy the moment, however it was Asmodeus, he was the demon of lust. Abigail looked at the provided clothes in her tiny closet and wondered, though, if maybe he had a point about using her sexuality to turn things in her favor. She remembered back to a time when her mother would let her raid her closet and play dress up. She’d liked it. Spinning and twirling in the long skirts with her hair piled high had made her feel like a princess. Her mother would laugh and scoop her up into a big hug, beaming with pride at her “little beauty.” If she could only see me now, she thought as memories of her childhood and Asmodeus’ suggestion continued to float through her mind.
