“Understood.” In hushed tones, Lilith began whispering in the language of the damned. Her fingers flexed and retracted in specific ways as her hands made deliberate motions, drawing invisible lines in the air. Trails of energy started to follow her movements, and then she worked her arms into it, creating big, sweeping motions with them. The energy trails crossed together, forming a large mass that quickly grew into a portal back to her domain.
“Go, now,” said Lilith. “I have to be the last one through or else the portal will close with me.”
Cross picked up Beelzebub’s unconscious form and went through first, then Mara jumped into the portal right after him. Lilith could hear voices coming from outside the throne room. Beelzebub’s guards were on the move. She jumped into the portal last and it closed behind her just as they came through the doors.
The portal had led directly to Lilith’s own palace. They were greeted by Kragmor, who was sitting on Lilith’s throne and talking to himself. He looked surprised by their sudden appearance.
“M-mistress!” he yelped. “I wasn’t expecting you back so soon! And with guests, no less!”
Kragmor hopped off the throne and flittered over in front of Cross. He landed and then bowed in supplication.
“O great King Cross, it is an honor to be in your presence!” said Kragmor.
Cross slid his sunglasses down his nose and then cast a look of annoyance in Lilith’s direction.
“Yes, he’s always like this,” said Lilith. “Get up, Kragmor.”
Kragmor stood and brushed himself off. “I’m surprised to see you here so soon. What with all the trouble.”
“What trouble?” asked Mara.
Kragmor then told them about the uprisings that had started to occur in domains all around Hell and more than that, about the speech that Raum had managed to broadcast to his followers. A speech that was being shared with other demons as well.
“Are we experiencing uprisings, too?” asked Lilith.
Kragmor nodded. “It’s not as dire as other areas, but yes, we have had some riots break out.”
“Shit…” muttered Cross. “This is exactly what Lucifer was afraid would happen.”
“So it’s true?” asked Kragmor. “The Morningstar really helped maintain the secrets of the Divine Choir?”
“It’s true, and I suppose that’s something we’ll have to deal with,” said Cross. “Meantime, we’ve got to get this under control. Lil, any chance you can zap me back to my tower? I gotta be there to coordinate a response and be ready once Raum turns up.”
“Yes, of course,” said Lilith. “But there’s still the matter of Lucifer’s whereabouts.”
“Give me a room alone with him and I’ll know everything he does in no time,” said Mara.
“You sure about that?” asked Cross. “He is one mean sonnuva bitch.”
“Maybe so, but he started off as an angel and then became a Hell Lord. He’s never actually experienced torture firsthand,” said Mara.
“Once you find his location, I’ll have to send you on your own,” said Lilith.
“Of course, you’ve got your own realm to worry about,” said Mara. “The Morningstar brought me along to protect him, so I have to fulfill my obligation.”
Cross passed Beelzebub’s unconscious body to Mara. Lilith opened a portal for him back to the tower. No words were exchanged, he simply walked through the portal and it closed after him.
“Find out what Beelzebub knows quickly,” Lilith told Mara. “If you need any help—”
“I’m fine,” said Mara. “You’ll need all the help you can get.”
Beelzebub had actually confessed to Raum’s location in a very short amount of time. True to her word, Lilith provided a portal as close as she could get to the caverns in the Badlands where Raum had been gathering his forces. And she also provided Mara with some armor that would provide protection against any forces that remained behind.
Mara emerged from the portal and could see the caverns not far off in the distance. There was no other activity, though. Raum was making good on his threat to storm the center of Hell with his legions, and seemed he didn’t leave many behind.
As Mara approached, she could sense Lucifer’s presence nearby. Without his powers, the signal was definitely weak, but it was still unmistakably him. She broke into a run for the caves.
When she came closer, she saw there were a few guards who remained. Mara’s wings erupted from her back and she launched from the ground. She hovered above the caverns, trying to get a sense of the layout. Two guards were stationed at the ground-level entrance and didn’t seem like there was any other way inside.
Mara flew back down, landing on one of the jutting structures from the side of the mountain. Only two raiders, she could handle them without any trouble. She jumped from her perch and used her wings to increase the speed of her descent. She crashed down into one of the guards, flattening him on the surface.
“Hey!” The other guard held a massive war-hammer and swung it.
Mara jumped over the swing, spun, and kicked him in the head. The attack barely stunned him, and when she landed, he was already bringing the hammer down on top of her head. She threw her arms up, a hellfire shield forming just in time to block the attack.
The guard pulled his hammer away and stepped back. He stomped on the ground in frustration. Mara lowered the shield and gave a smirk as she beckoned the guard with a finger.
“What kind of people does Raum have working for him anyway?” she asked. “Two of you can’t handle one little demon?”
“Bitch, I’ll show you what I can handle!”
The guard charged her. Mara stood waiting, as if she wasn’t aware of the stampeding demon barreling down on her. She jumped away at the very last second, throwing out a thin hellfire cable.
The guard ran right into the cable and it caught his neck. Mara quickly looped it around a few more times and pulled tightly on both ends. The guard collapsed to his knees, struggling against the cable, while Mara just kept pulling it tighter and tighter.
And then, the cable became slack. The guard’s body collapsed on the ground. His head rolled to a stop right near Mara. She gave it a kick and then went into the cavern.
“Lucifer?” she called. “Lucifer!”
No response came. Mara closed her eyes and focused on Lucifer’s presence. She was able to pick up the signal and went towards it. The cavern was a maze of tunnels and passages, and she encountered more than a few dead-ends in her search. But she was at least making progress, and she could feel his presence growing stronger.
Eventually she did come to a spot where his presence felt the strongest. Mara channeled her hellfire into her fist and delivered a blow to shatter the stone door. Inside was a small alcove and Lucifer hung from the wall, his arms and legs restrained by shackles. All around him were small spheres of light, transmitting images.
“Lucifer!” Mara called as she entered. She ran over to him, but then looked at the spheres. They were scenes of demons battling each other and large-scale riots. Structures being destroyed, beasts running free.
“It’s the fall of Hell,” said Lucifer. “And it’s all my fault.”
“Let’s get you out of here.” Mara went over to Lucifer’s side and broke open the shackles around his legs first so he could stand under his own power and then she released his arms. “Now come on, we have to get to Cocytus before—”
She had started to return to the entrance, but stopped when she realized Lucifer hadn’t moved.
“Lucifer?”
Lucifer rubbed his wrists from the strain of being shackled. “I’m not going to Cocytus.”
“But your powers…”
“What good would it do if I got them back? If I even could get them back?” he asked.
“You could stop Raum from tearing down Hell.”
“Why?” asked Lucifer. “Hell was built on a lie, no different from Heaven. Raum was right about that. And now, I’m paying for the consequences of
my actions.”
Mara walked over to him. “This isn’t paying for anything. This is you hiding in a cave, feeling sorry for yourself. You’re not dealing with the consequences, you’re running away from them.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” said Lucifer. “It’s all over now. Raum will destroy the Court and he’ll set up his own rule. Why should I even care? I never acted as a king should. I let Heaven write the rules and control the narrative while I did everything I possibly could to avoid facing any responsibility.”
“And how is this any different?” asked Mara. “You’re still evading. Still hiding away. You traded a tower in the center of Hell for a mansion on Earth and then traded that for a cave in the Badlands. If you want to face up to the consequences of your actions, then you can do that. But do it on your terms. Face up to the people yourself. Letting a despot like Raum burn down Hell isn’t any sort of penance. It’s just more evasion.”
Lucifer looked at the different spheres hovering around him. These were his people, this was his home. If he let Raum take it all away, his entire existence would become an absolute waste. He had to stand up and take action while he still could.
“Go to Cocytus, get my powers back, and then what?” asked Lucifer.
“Isn’t that up to you…” asked Mara, “…sire?”
Determination overcame Lucifer’s features. His hands curled into fists and he held his head up.
“Then I have to go about setting things right. And I believe I know exactly how to do that,” said Lucifer. “But first, I need to get my powers back. I hope you have a way to get us to Cocytus.”
Mara nodded and reached beneath her armor. She drew out a small coin. “Cross gave me this, it will open a portal directly to Cocytus. And then you can find out what you have to do next.”
Lucifer took the coin from Mara and examined it. It was marked with a sigil that represented Cocytus itself. He could feel the energy inside the coin. He only hoped that this truly would lead him to Erebus and a way out of this mess.
The Morningstar threw the coin and it expanded in mid-air, the metal dissolving away and leaving an open portal in its place with a ring of ethereal energy around the edges.
“Do you want me to come with you?” she asked.
Lucifer shook his head. “No. I think it would be better if I do this on my own. I doubt Erebus will be happy if I bring any uninvited guests along for the ride.”
He stepped to the edge of the portal and looked inside. Already he could feel the cold emanating from the remains of Cocytus. He had no idea what would greet him on the other end, or if Erebus would even be willing to speak to him. But no one ever said that facing consequences would be easy.
Lucifer stepped into the portal and was instantly transported to the location of Cocytus.
23
Cocytus was located in the deepest pit of Hell. The prison was a frozen lake that extended down to the reaches of infinity. Once trapped within the waters of Cocytus, a prisoner would be frozen in a state of suspended animation. Unable to move or react with the outside world in any way. But they would remain conscious the entire time—confined for eternity.
The prison was watched by the demon called Erebus. His body consisted of an exoskeleton of twisted and pointed bones, his head the shape of a goat’s skull with giant horns protruding from the sides. He stood at the banks that met the frozen water and knelt before them, one hand clutching his staff.
“Morningstar,” he said in a deep voice without turning. He could sense the presence of his former master. “I had wondered if you would ever return to this place.”
“Unfortunately, circumstances had kept me away,” said Lucifer. “Hello, Erebus. It’s been a long time.”
“Eons, in fact.” Erebus pushed his weight on his staff as he stood to face Lucifer. When he looked at the fallen angel, Erebus’s eyes briefly flashed yellow and he tilted his head at an angle. “But you are different than you were back then. Lesser in some ways.”
Lucifer frowned. “Yes. I’m afraid an encounter with one of the escapees left me powerless.”
“Perhaps a suitable consequence given your role in those escapes.”
Lucifer took a step closer. “I know I have much to answer for. Had I known at the time that abdicating the throne would weaken Cocytus, I would have—”
“Would have what?” asked Erebus by way of interruption. “Would have put off your desire to escape? Would have remained in Hell to live up to your responsibilities?”
Lucifer sighed. “If we’re being completely honest here, then I truly don’t know. But I doubt it.”
Erebus gave a slow nod. “As I thought. Though I do appreciate the candor.”
“But I’m here now,” said Lucifer. “And Raum has brought chaos to Hell. If I had my powers back, I believe I could stop him.”
“You do? When not even the combined might of the Infernal Court seems capable? What makes you so special?”
“Hell’s power comes from me. If I’m one with it again, then I can turn the tide. Provide the people a reason to stop this insane revolution.”
“If you could, what will happen to Cocytus? To Raum? To Hell itself?”
“Before I tell you that, just answer me one question—is it possible for my powers to be restored?” asked Lucifer.
Erebus looked out over the frozen lake, which was littered with cracks and outright breaks, revealing still, icy waters beneath.
“Cocytus was born from you. It is the last remaining vestige of your power. So yes, I believe it could,” said Erebus. “Now it’s your turn to answer my questions.”
“My answer is I don’t know,” said Lucifer. “But that’s because I don’t think those decisions should be up to me anymore. I’ve failed in my role as the King of Hell. I have no right to the throne anymore, no claim to the title. And if demons like Raum are to be held accountable, then so should I.”
Erebus gave a chuckle that sounded like nails scraping against metal. It was obvious that he didn’t believe Lucifer’s words. But as he laughed, he looked at the Morningstar, saw the grim expression on his face, and he realized just how serious Lucifer truly was.
“You mean it, don’t you?” asked the demon. “You truly are willing to surrender yourself to the mercy of Hell’s denizens and accept whatever judgment they put upon your head.”
Lucifer nodded. “It’s time I accepted responsibility for my actions. I’ve lived under the threat of the Divine Choir’s retaliation for far too long. I never had any business ruling Hell. It wasn’t a job I wanted and certainly not one I took seriously.”
“Very well, then I shall help you.” Erebus raised his staff and pointed it at the frozen lake. “If you are to be restored, then you and Cocytus must be one again. To absorb its power, you must destroy the prison.”
“But aren’t there still prisoners inside? Ones who haven’t escaped?” asked Lucifer.
Erebus nodded. “That is the price. To be restored, you have to release those you imprisoned.”
“Raum, Barbatos, Astaroth. You’ve seen what they did when they were released. How will letting them all go free make things better?”
“Maybe it won’t. But you will have to face those consequences, too. You can’t repair the damage by continuing to pick at the wounds.”
Lucifer looked out at the frozen lake. Destroying Cocytus was one step closer to eliminating his legacy. It’d be a difficult path to walk, but change could only come if he was willing to let go of those old structures. He moved to the edge of the bank and took a careful step forward onto the ice.
It was slippery and he had to hold his arms out to balance himself as he carefully took another step. And then another and another. Before long, Lucifer was standing in the middle of the ice, facing one of the giant holes and the frigid water beneath. He gave one last look at Erebus, who nodded.
Lucifer looked back at the water and jumped, diving beneath its surface. The intensity of the cold was unlike anything he’d ever felt before.
This was beyond freezing and a completely different feeling from having his soul seared by hellfire or even soulfire.
Down amongst the depths, Lucifer opened his eyes and looked around. He could see them all, the prisoners that remained in Cocytus. Each one frozen in a perpetual state of solitary confinement. None of them able to do anything but reflect on what they’d done in their lives and how they could look forward to nothing in the future. Just an eternity of stagnation.
In some ways, it was the same fate Lucifer faced before he made the choice to abdicate the throne. And if he wanted to change his fate, they should be entitled to the same. He created this place due to political pressure, because he didn’t want to risk further angering the Divine Choir. So fearful was he of another war that he surrendered Hell’s sovereignty. And these beings, they were the ones who paid the price.
Perhaps some of them did deserve a place in Cocytus. But it wasn’t the Morningstar’s role to unilaterally make that decision. There would have to be some sort of justice done. Not on the basis of politics or fear, but out of impartiality.
Lucifer held his arms out to the sides and he concentrated, shutting his eyes. He allowed himself to feel every spot on his body where the frigid water touched. It seeped into his pores, burrowing beneath his skin. And as he remained immersed in Cocytus, he could feel its power beginning to merge with his own soul.
A spark was lit deep within him. Lucifer opened his eyes, the pale yellow color now replaced by a healthy, golden glow. The prison’s energy continued to move into his body, and the glow intensified. Cracks began to appear in the remaining ice and the prisoners held stationary within were able to begin to move. The ice continued to break along those faults and started shattering.
A halo of light emerged from within Lucifer’s body. The inverted pentagram that Abraxas has once painted on his chest before The Fall appeared again, as if it were made of fire. The remaining ice broke apart and melted, becoming one with the water. And the water itself?
It started boiling.
The banks over Cocytus were filled with the steam of the evaporating lake. Erebus watched as the water faded away, leaving barren land and the prone forms of the remaining prisoners beginning to stir for the first time since they were frozen.
Lucifer Damned (Morningstar Book 3) Page 15
