“Ronan used a spell to make me lucid. You didn’t have to soak me like that,” I snapped, feeling annoyed that I couldn’t even get drunk these days without being judged. “And what’s with the suit? Are you going to a party or something?”
“No, Maxine, we are going to a party in Hell together. I thought that you were strong enough to deal with Alexis, but it looks like I made a mistake,” he said, and I exhaled sharply, forcing myself not to lose my temper. Of course, I was strong enough to deal with evil, but that bitch had an advantage over me. Someone else was helping her.
There was something familiar in the way he carried himself, in the way he stared into the distance. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was that I was seeing in him. The bottom line was, that he worked for the dark lord himself and he was going to take away my soul.
“Party in Hell? This is a joke, right?” I asked. “This isn’t the deal I agreed to. I don’t have time for a party. I have to rescue Summer before Alexis murders her.”
“That’s why I’m here. Our deal is still on. We both need to head down to Hell. Alexis’s sister, Bianca, will be at the party. Alexis herself is trying to recreate a complex ritual, but she isn’t capable of producing so much power. Besides, she is running out of time, too. Her soul is falling apart quicker than she anticipated,” he said, penetrating me with those grey eyes. I rubbed the back of my neck, knowing that I had no other lead. Zachary and Emma weren’t going to help me with this.
“She has Summer, and I know she won’t hesitate to kill her just to save herself.”
“The Warlock put a sleeping spell on the child. Alexis is useless, and she is seeking help,” Morpheus insisted. I had no idea how he knew about Matilda’s spell. I was the only one who had seen her vision.
“And Paul? What does he have to do with you and those wings? I need answers. I feel like everyone has been lying to me in the past decade.” I threw it out there, pissed off that Paul had managed to hide such an important fact from me for so long.
“He was a messenger, he broke his code and then went to work for Berith. Paul never had a great track record, so he stayed on Earth. Trust me, running that pub suits him. There is nothing else to this story.”
I shook my head and forced myself not to roll my eyes. Yeah, right. Paul was God’s messenger, and I just had to accept it. On top of that, Morpheus expected me to just leave with him.
“I’m not sure if this party is such a good idea,” I said. “Maybe there is another way?”
“Alexis trusts her sister. Besides, Bianca is a big deal in Hell. She’s looking for followers,” Morpheus said, lost in his own thoughts. What he said made sense, but I thought it was a long way. I wanted to find Alexis before it was too late. Morpheus walked with me back to Ricky’s apartment. My phone kept buzzing. I didn’t have to look at my phone to figure out that it was Zach or Emma. It’d been over twenty-four hours, and I hadn’t updated them on what was happening.
In the living room, on the sofa, I found a package with my name on it. Morpheus was staring at Ricky’s photographs, humming under his breath. There was something unsettling about the fact that he was helping me. In the end he was here to bring me down to his master. For a moment I had forgotten that Mum knew him, too. In that memory from the past she loved him. He owed me the real truth.
“It’s a dress I want you to wear, Maxine. Bianca has particular taste. You need to be convincing,” he said, so I tore the package open. Well, the dress was beautiful, crimson red, silky and long. I had so many questions about my past. Mum had died, and I had no other family. Morpheus knew who my father was, but he insisted on keeping me in the dark.
“And how are you proposing that we get there?” I asked.
“It’s simple. You’re going to open the gates to Hell,” he advised, and I laughed.
“Me? You do realise I’m just a mongrel … I can’t just open the gates of Hell. Only Watchers are authorised to do it,” I pointed out, feeling uneasy about this whole thing.
“You did it when you met Emma, by saving her from two convicts.”
My jaw dropped. He knew about that, but how?
The hearing was done and dusted. Michaelstone wouldn’t have revealed such a gaff.
“I didn’t open any gates. Someone else must have done it. My demonic abilities aren’t that advanced,” I argued, knowing that it was a lie. I had produced magic that other demons could only dream of.
“You opened the gates with your demonic energy, Maxine, so don’t deny it. The anger, exhaustion, sadness. All those emotions contributed. The gates listen to you because you summoned them.”
Ha, he sounded like he believed that the gates of Hell were a living being. This was ridiculous, and I refused to believe that my abilities were somehow special. I took the package and walked into to Ricky’s spare bedroom. I massaged my temple thinking rationally about Morpheus’s opposition. Party in Hell, it was a risk, but I was willing to do anything in order to find Summer. I put on the dress and high heels that came with it. When I stood in front of the mirror, I was amazed with myself. Everything matched perfectly and, for the first time in a while, I looked decent.
My mind was in havoc when I finally went back to the living room. Morpheus only glanced at me, but his expression told me that he was happy with my outfit. We didn’t talk when we left the building around nine o’clock. I was surprised that Zach wasn’t waiting for me outside.
There was a car waiting for us, and the old demon (well, I considered him old, the grey hair, sharp lines under his forehead) opened the door for me. He was the driver and I felt slightly odd sitting in the back. On top of that, we were going down to Hell, so I was probably getting a taste of what was going to happen to me later on.
“So how is it there? You know, downstairs?” I asked. I met his eyes in the rearview mirror.
“It’s a place of joy for those who deserve it, and a place of anguish to those who sinned.”
That didn’t make any sense, but I chose to keep my opinions to myself this time around.
“And why does Lucifer want my soul so much?” I pressed, because I knew that question about my mother would follow through later on. He could dodge the answer as long as he could, but there was something odd that he didn’t want to discuss my mother.
“I don’t question the dark lord. He requested your soul, and I’m obeying.”
“So, he asked for my soul personally?” I repeated, wanting to laugh, but this wasn’t funny anymore. Demons in Hell were so stuck up, but maybe it was because of my power.
“He did, and he mentioned that he wants to meet you in person.”
I sunk back into my seat, knowing that this could mean only one thing: Lucifer was planning to keep me in Hell forever.
Chapter 15
“So once again, along the outward brow of Circle Seven I progressed alone to where there sat these souls in misery.”
―Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
The dark lord wanted to meet me in person? I went over this statement a few more times, thinking that Morpheus was distorting the truth. Lucifer had no reason to ask for me. I was no one.
My throat felt dry and painful. I told myself that these were the effects of Hell’s influence and vodka. I sat in the back of the car, as he drove in silence. I kept staring at him, wanting to ask him why I kept seeing him in my memories, but I knew he wouldn’t answer me, anyway. He obviously wasn’t prepared to tell me anything about my past.
When I came back to London without Summer two years ago, I tried to get on with normality but found it almost impossible. I got hooked on magical tequila, gambled away all my money, masking the pain that had become my second skin. Then one evening, when I was very much hungover and on my way to the office, I bumped into Emma. She was in trouble with two convicted demons who were ready to take away her innocence and lust. Morpheus was right: someone had opened the gates of Hell then, but I couldn’t have been that person. I was so weak and inexperienced, but the tiny voice in my head reminded me that there w
asn’t anyone else around the area that night.
I shook my head, telling myself to stop thinking about shit like that. Morpheus glanced at me from his front mirror. I figured that he must have spent some time on Earth, because he seemed to know his way around the city. We stared at each other for a few seconds in silence until he broke eye contact.
Forty minutes later he stopped the car on the street. I recognised the area. We were back in Brixton. It seemed like only yesterday I was walking this way to the office, hungover and broke. We walked to one of the back alleys where the two convicts were sucked right into the pits. Now I had to do this all over again.
“We both know I can’t summon the gates of Hell,” I said, admitting that I was ready to fail.
“I thought you wanted to save your daughter, Max?”
“Of course, I want to save her, but I’m not a demon. As you know, my mother was a human,” I snapped, annoyed that he was using my pain against me. Maybe I wanted to keep on lying to myself. There were other incidents in the past that indicated my mongrel abilities had evolved.
“The traces of your energy are still here. Stop denying that you’re incapable. You don’t need any formulas or potion. Everything is in your head, just concentrate on our destination,” he ordered, probably pushing me to believe in myself. I had, but in the past. Right now, I wasn’t sure what to think anymore.
“What about my partner? You said that you could help him, too,” I reminded him. “He needs a reversal spell from Hell. Ricky is fighting for his life in the hospital.” Ricky’s situation was much more complicated. He was dying because of me, because I failed to protect him.
“Get to Alexis, and you will get the reversal spell. Right now, we are running out of time, dear,” he said, gently telling me to get on with it.
I nodded, exhaling sharply and then closed my eyes. No one had ever taught me how to do this, but as he said, the spell was in me. I just had to concentrate on my power.
Minutes passed, and nothing was happening. The temperature was dropping, and goosebumps shot over my arms. Part of me wished that there was another way. For the next several minutes, I breathed in the energy from the Earth, connecting with the sky and the cold air.
Maybe for this spell to work I had to be hungover. Those fuckers were ready to attack an innocent human being and that’s what pissed me off the most then. The rippling sound of enormous energy wafted around me, glass on the windows began vibrating. I thought that this was it, but for a long time nothing happened. I had no idea how long I stood there wearing that silly cocktail dress and shivering with cold. Ricky would agree with me that my situation was catastrophic. The Earth didn’t start shaking, and I didn’t feel the usual warmth like it happened on number of other occasions. A drop of sweat rolled over my face and I swore silently, failing yet again.
“You’re not trying hard enough. The gates are summoned by a strong demonic energy,” Morpheus reminded me.
“But you’re not telling me what to do. I have never done this before. I can’t just say ‘Open Sesame,’ right?”
He groaned with frustration, obviously failing to see the funny side of my joke. We stood in the same alley for another half an hour. Anger was boiling in my veins. I was ready to walk away and tell him to go to Hell when suddenly the Earth shook beneath my feet. I felt the heat, licking my body gently.
“Anger, that’s what triggers the spell. I should have known.” Morpheus chuckled, and I frowned with confusion. The pavement split, and a large hole formed a few meters from where we stood.
Maybe there was something in this. I was bloody pissed, furious that I had wasted so much time.
“It’s not the usual way of getting to the underworld, but we need to make sure that we look believable,” he added, like he was reading my mind. Yeah, all I could think about was the large fiery hole, and the energy that was sucking in demons who were anywhere near it. The pits were meant to be deadly, but Alexis still managed to escape from them.
The Watchers were nearby, and I thought that we needed to hurry up. Also, we didn’t want to be discovered by any humans. The alley wasn’t fully closed off, and it was a busy evening. Morpheus went down first, and I swear to God, I thought I was going through yet another déjà vu. The formula and Gjöll by the river Thames. It was all so familiar, even then I thought it was the end, but for some reason I was spared.
Once I started moving, the entrance behind us closed, and we found ourselves in a long narrow corridor leading down. I wasn’t used to walking in high heels, so this was torture.
I felt comfortable kicking someone else’s arse but walking into a posh party and pretending that I was a high-class demon wasn’t on my list of priorities. Several minutes later, the tunnel became wider and brighter. I was imagining fiery pits, sharp rocks, and hanging corpses everywhere, but so far, the image of Hell seemed disappointing.
“We are close. In a few minutes you will see doors right in front of you. Once we enter the party, you have to pretend you’re in favour of the uprising. Demons around here have been battling with each other for centuries. They want Lucifer to stand down,” Morpheus explained, with a hint of amusement in his tone. He obviously didn’t believe that something like that was possible.
“I’m still a mongrel in a pretty dress. They will know as soon as I enter,” I pointed out.
“I have already taken care of that, so they won’t know. And we won’t enter together.”
“Fine, but what am I supposed to do in there? You haven’t told me anything,” I said, losing my usual confidence.
“Get Bianca to trust you. She likes new faces and personalities. After that everything will work itself out,” he said and gestured for me to carry on. This wasn’t the best time to have second thoughts. Morpheus was my guide, and I had to accept his terms.
After five minutes, he retraced his steps, disappearing in the darkness. I kept walking until I reached the red door; the colour matched my dress exceptionally. I knocked a few times, plastering a smile on my face and waiting to see what was on the other side. Ricky would have never believed me if I said that I was walking into Hell. It was something he and I never even considered.
The door opened up, and I was greeted by a handsome demon from Mammon faction, with a glass of champagne in his hand. He was blond, tall, but had Nordic features.
“Come on in, Bianca is delighted you could make it. The dark lord must fail,” he said, inviting me inside. I gave him a weak smile, walking straight into a decent size room filled with other demons. Morpheus was right: demons in Hell were having a full-on party. He made me open the gates to the underworld, but instead I was taken back in time, to a luxurious home filled with brand new shiny furniture and even more fabulous-looking demons.
“Drinks are over there, and oh, Bianca should make her appearance soon enough. Just enjoy yourself, darling,” the blond demon added, showing me around. A few minutes later, he excused himself, heading to the door again.
I counted at least thirty demons. They were all scattered around the space, talking, drinking, and having the best time. Beyond the other door, I saw a bright corridor and a staircase. I assumed that I was in someone else’s home, right in the centre of the underground. I couldn’t think about logistics, but I presumed that other parts of Hell weren’t so clean and luxurious. Beats of energies were swirling around. Demons here were powerful, and they weren’t afraid to show it. I went to grab a drink, not because I needed to take the edge off my mood, but because I had no idea what to do with myself.
I couldn’t imagine that Alexis cared much about her sister. She was ready to kill an innocent child rather than seek alternative options.
I located the tray with champagne and stuffed my face with some canapés. A moment later Morpheus walked in, greeting a few demons in the group.
Bianca owned a lot of gold, and she enjoyed expensive art. She was somehow touched by human ways of life. I had to admit she had excellent taste in fabrics and colours, even though I had never bee
n much of a decorator. I could not find any faults in the space around me.
I felt Morpheus’s eyes on me while I stood by the fireplace, trying to get my head around this party. I had to get into a conversation. I wasn’t going to save my daughter hanging out alone.
“The current faction system hasn’t been working for years. Mammon is using gold to bribe Watchers to his side. Bianca is brave, but she needs more supporters.” A male demon was saying when I approached the group that surrounded him. He was broad in his shoulders with a thick brown beard.
This was the first time I was hearing about the election or the fact that someone was trying to challenge Lucifer’s order. Politics had never interested me, but I doubted my life would change for the better if the dark lord was pushed out of power. Mongrels were in the minority.
“You’re right, but who else is she going to convince? Warlocks?” Another demon laughed, and everyone suddenly joined her.
“We can’t be prejudice. Everyone is trying hard to stay above, but let’s be honest with each other—Lucifer allowed too many mongrels to come into this world. If Berith could get into power, he would clean them out like Hitler did with Jews during World War II,” another demon added, standing next to me.
“Alister, you’re always making these silly jokes. Mongrels are like annoying insects. If you allow them to breed, then you’ll have a colony before you know it,” a very high-pitched voice said. A few people moved aside, and a demon with platinum-blond hair walked in. She wore a crimson red dress that exposed her long skinny legs. Her heels were higher than mine, but she seemed comfortable.
It was difficult to say if she was pretty or not, because her long square face was covered with a thick layer of make up. Her perfume could easily knock someone dead—it was that strong. I had the impression I was staring at a real-life Barbie doll.
So, the demons here were seriously against Lucifer and most mongrels.
“Bianca, it’s a pleasure. I’m only reasserting my position. You have my full support and your sister’s, too,” Alister added, smiling widely. I looked at the woman related to my true enemy. They were nothing alike.
Doomed Cases Box Set: The Complete Collection Books 1- 4 & Prequel Page 60
