“I don’t care what or who she is doing, summon Lady Black. I have been requesting her presence for the past three days. I will not be ignored any longer. If she has a problem with me, let her tell me to my face,” Hades declared.
Calin was stoic as always, but Hades could see that he was trying to hide the pain from his bites. By all rights, he should allow Calin to rest since he had done a somewhat decent job of securing Hell, yet he was the only servant who refused to bow to the Heads of Hell, so he would let the blood run out of Calin for as long as it took them to disclose Lady Black’s whereabouts.
Appraising Derick’s gruesome shoulder wound, which was bleeding through his T-shirt, he knew Lady Black would have words with Lucifer and him once she showed up. She would take issue with Derick being injured because he was the weakest of the group.
What irked him the most was the look of indifference on the face of the newest Nachtghul, Liam. He was still learning the rules, but he wanted to punch his handsome face nonetheless. He didn’t like the idea of an unpredictable wolf shifter prowling around Hell, but he had little say on the matter.
Frustrated by the servants’ blank stares, he finally took a step toward them. “I want to know where she is!”
“We don’t know where she is, Lord Hades,” Calin replied softly.
Hades nearly fell over. Not only had Calin uncharacteristically called him Lord, but he was also lying to his face.
“Don’t lie to me! She may close off her mind to you, but she will always answer your call!” Hades yelled.
Lucifer’s approaching boots made Hades stiffen, but he did not relent in his questioning. As much as Lucifer hated the Nachtghuls, he was smart enough to avoid interrogating them.
Clearing his throat, Derick spoke up, “He’s telling you the truth, Lord Hades.” He bowed his head out of respect.
Hades was flabbergasted. Both Nachtghuls had the audacity to deceive him.
“Summon her at once!” Hades ordered.
“We can’t,” Liam replied flatly.
Hades was about to lose his patience and backhand whomever was standing closest, which mercifully wasn’t Calin, when Lucifer addressed him.
“Let them go, Lord Hades. They have nothing to tell you,” Lucifer said in a low voice resembling a threat that raised the hairs on the back of Hades’ neck.
He watched the reaction of the Nachtghuls as Lucifer took his throne. They all appeared to be furious with Lucifer. There was definitely some kind of conspiracy going on.
Calin glared at Lucifer. “Lord Lucifer, there is something we need to discuss in private.”
Hades’ patience snapped when he heard Calin trying to go above his head and act friendly with Lucifer by paying him respect.
“I’ve had enough! Tristan and Balthazar, I summon you!” Hades roared.
“Leave, Lord Hades, this is your only warning,” Lucifer growled.
Hades couldn’t believe what was happening. He was being thrown out of the Throne Room for something as ridiculous as asking for Lady Black’s whereabouts. He was about to rip Lady Black’s ostentatious Fire and Ice Throne from the dais and throw it at all of them! Thankfully, Tristan and Balthazar arrived before he was able to reach the dais.
The two Predznak bowed before Lucifer, but looked at Hades questioningly.
“You summoned us, Lord Hades?” Tristan asked half-annoyed and half-curious. His tone implied that it was the last time Hades would be allowed to summon them without Lady Black present.
“Where is your master?” Hades asked through his clenched teeth.
Tristan and Balthazar shrugged as they looked to one another. He believed that they had no idea where she was on based their reactions. It was preposterous that Lady Black wouldn’t tell her angels where she was for nearly a week, unless she had a very good reason.
Hades turned around and ran at Lucifer, catching him off guard. He grabbed his black satin shirt and threw him to the ground. He jumped on top of the devil before Lucifer could raise his fist. Hades punched his supposed master in the jaw and his right eye in rapid succession. The sound of his fist colliding with the heavy jawbone and the satisfying squishy feeling of Lucifer’s eye under his knuckles appeased some of his anger. It wasn’t until Lucifer blocked his third swing and punched him in the gut that he started to regret his spontaneous attack.
Lucifer rolled him on his back and mounted his hips, though Hades struggled enough to throw Lucifer off balance twice. He’d been in this position before and knew Lucifer’s weak spots. Two punches, one to an old injury in his left knee from a fight with a Veteres, and one to the throat, distracted Lucifer enough so that Hades was able to toss the devil to the side and kick him in the ribs.
Fuming, Hades was no longer in control of his anger. Lucifer was lying to him; he could feel it. He kicked him in the stomach when Lucifer got to his knees, sending him rolling across the floor. He was about to jump on Lucifer’s back when the sharp edge of a blade was at his throat, slicing the top layer of skin. He stared into the blue eyes of his former friend and froze.
Hades could see the shock in Tristan’s eyes and his unwillingness to use his power, but the set of his shoulders implied that he would carry out the task of stopping him if he continued his assault on Lucifer. Balthazar’s large frame was an inch away from his back and his head was tilted to the side so that Hades couldn’t throw his head back and break Balthazar’s nose. Balthazar had learned a lot over the years. He could almost respect him and Tristan if they weren’t standing in the way of his answers. If Tristan opened his mouth to tempt him, he would press his neck into Balthazar’s blade and take his own life rather than be subjected to the terrifying power of the Angel of Fear once again.
Determined to go through a reluctant Tristan to get the truth, Hades embraced his fury. Lucifer wasn’t the only one with a dark side. Though he couldn’t see Lucifer through Tristan’s broad chest, he heard Lucifer coughing and gagging through his constricted throat.
“Where is she?” Hades bellowed. He yelled so loudly that the knife took another layer of skin when his body shook with rage.
“Why do you care?” Lucifer snarled.
Lucifer’s question stunned him and made him question his anger. Why did he care where Lady Black was? Was he mad that he was being kept in the dark, or was he afraid for her safety? Something told him that Lucifer was hiding her. It was an irrational fear, but Lucifer was devious when mired in darkness. Hades believed that Lucifer was capable of killing Lady Black and walking away with a smile on his face if it served his needs. The Predznak and Nachtghuls understood that Lucifer was evil, but even they couldn’t comprehend the levels Lucifer could sink to.
“You’re playing games with me, Lord Lucifer. I asked a simple question regarding the whereabouts of a creature that could destroy the world with a flick of her wrist and you deny me the answer. I want to know that she is not in the hands of an enemy that we must kill. On top of that, two of her Nachtghuls are bleeding. I want to know how much time I have to mount a defense and figure out an excuse for their injured states so that I don’t end up on fire,” Hades panted. He was pleased with his hastily thought out excuses, and prayed that they were acceptable to Lucifer.
Lucifer peered around Tristan’s arm and shrewdly regarded Hades as he slowly got to his feet. Hades did everything within his power not to appear upset that Lady Black was missing, but gave the general impression that he was more interested in saving his own ass, as he did with every other matter of importance. Watching Lucifer lower his eyes, he sensed that his lie had worked and that he would not end up mounted on Lucifer’s bedroom wall.
“I sent her on a mission,” Lucifer stated. He held his ribs and winced. At least one of them was broken based on the way Lucifer was standing. Hades felt a small spark of glee for breaking the bastard.
Hades raised his eyebrows, waiting for more information. He glared at the devil and waited impatiently for him to continue.
Lucifer walked behind Tristan and
slowly climbed the steps to the dais. He stopped and stared at the skull on top of his throne, the one with the ruby eyes. “You only have yourself to blame for this,” Lucifer hissed. He slid into his seat and looked down at the marble dais.
Hades wanted to laugh at the absurdity of Lucifer’s comment. He had done nothing to send Lady Black away. As usual, Lucifer was deflecting the blame for whatever idiotic plan he had conceived. He would have ignored his convoluted statement had Lucifer not looked at the top skull. Lucifer rarely acknowledged the three skulls on his throne unless something from the past was bothering him. The skulls, unbeknownst to many, belonged to three of the Rogue Angels who had led a coup by forming their own pantheon and pretended to be gods for the mortals to worship. The ruby skull belonged to Zeyus, aka Zeus, the lunatic who had started the rebellion. Lucifer mocked him in death by placing him on top of the throne, for only in death would he be allowed to rule anything.
Hades couldn’t figure out what Zeus had to do with Lady Black, until a startling thought broke through his rage. There was only one connection that he still had to Zeus, though he wasn’t sure how Lucifer knew about her.
Swallowing harshly, he arched his neck and glared at Lucifer. “Do not tell me that you sent Lady Black after Celaeno. Do not tell me that you are fucking stupid enough to send her to kill the last Harpy!” he yelled.
Lucifer narrowed his eyes and sneered at him. “You brought this upon yourself.”
The Throne Room darkened around Hades and a buzzing sound gathered inside his ears. The Destroyer was hunting Celaeno, alone. His breathing increased to the point where he feared he would pass out. How could this be happening?
Without care or concern for himself, he grabbed Balthazar’s wrist and twisted it, freeing himself from the knife. He bent Balthazar’s arm and flipped him onto his back before quickly tugging and snapping the wrist. Tristan, who wasn’t a fighter by nature and was too slow to react, was kicked in the gut for his trouble. Hades raised his knee and slammed Tristan’s head into his dense kneecap. Spinning, Hades vaulted the steps of the dais preparing to choke the life out of Lucifer when two gun barrels impeded his forward progression.
His eyes snapped up to see Calin’s hard green eyes. “You should be pointing your guns at Lucifer. He is the one who sent Lady Black to face a threat that will not stop until your master is dead. Celaeno’s primary mission in life is to kill the Destroyer. Tell me, Nachtghul, have you heard from your master? She has not come to clean your wounds and kiss your forehead after your battle. You said that you don’t know where she is. That is because she has been captured, am I correct?” Hades asked.
He saw the hesitation in Calin’s eyes and how the guns shook in his hands as he finally understood the urgency of the situation. Calin lowered his weapons and looked at Lucifer over his shoulder.
“We can’t reach Anjali. It’s just like New York. It feels like there’s a black hole and she’s missing from the world. We’ve tried to call her since the fight in the Caves of Darkness, but she isn’t there,” Calin said as fear and anger filled his voice.
Hades witnessed the injured devil ignore the pain of his broken rib as he became consumed by rage. Hades stepped off the dais and pulled Calin along with him. Calin didn’t resist when he saw the pure undiluted wrath alter the sulking devil and create a creature who was to be feared by the strongest immortal.
Calin, surprisingly, stepped in front of Hades and did indeed point his guns at Lucifer. Hades appreciated the gesture, but between the two of them, Anjali would be angrier if Calin lost a limb than him. Saving Calin from a terrible fate, he pushed Calin behind him and waved away the others. Liam looked like he was about to shift but Hades shook his head at him and motioned for him to move back.
Tristan and Balthazar faltered at a sight they hadn’t seen in centuries. This was the face of the real devil, the one that existed long before Lady Black had tamed him. Before them stood the beast who wanted the Predznak to pledge their loyalty to him so that he could use them to end the world.
“Why does Celaeno want to kill Anjali?” Lucifer growled.
Hades’ anger evaporated as he began to fear for his own life and the lives of the others in the room.
“It has been her mission objective since the days of Zeus and the other false gods. Zeus wanted the Destroyer to die, so I sent the Harpies to find and kill her. You weren’t the only one searching for her. Zeus was afraid that Father would call upon the Destroyer and send her to kill the false gods. I was to keep that from happening,” Hades said as his voice cracked. He had just admitted to trying to kill Anjali, the one person Lucifer couldn’t live without, aside from Father.
The roar that came from Lucifer was indescribably malevolent and a sound that no person wanted to hear before they died. Leaping from the dais, Lucifer had Hades in his sights. There would be no stopping his attack with lies or pleas for mercy this time.
Two loud bangs to his right indicated that Calin was trying to stop the raging monster with bullets, while the deep growl further to his right told him that Liam’s wolf was now engaged in the fight, but it was the motion to his left that allowed Hades to breathe. Balthazar’s long body was in mid-flight and his uninjured arm was wrapping around Lucifer’s torso. The two bodies collided in the air and somersaulted as Balthazar took Lucifer to the ground. Liam’s teeth were around Lucifer’s neck before things got even more out of hand.
Assessing the damage, Hades saw that Calin’s bullets had lodged themselves in each of Lucifer’s shoulders. Blood was pooling on his dark shirt. Lucifer’s black eyes stared through Hades as he continued to swear through his clenched teeth. Hades wondered if Lucifer understood that Liam’s teeth were less than an inch from biting his neck or see Balthazar’s dagger raised above his heart, ready to kill him.
Hades hoped that there was some rational part of Lucifer still in command; otherwise, he would be summoning Mark to inform him of Lucifer’s demise.
“Where is Lady Black’s last known location, Lord Lucifer? Contrary to whatever you may believe, I have not seen my Harpy since long before Lady Black arrived in Hell. I don’t know where Celaeno is, I only know where I left her. Despite what you may think of the Harpies, Celaeno is smarter than you ever gave her credit for. Once Celaeno figures out who Anjali is, she will not stop until Anjali is dead,” he said calmly, hoping to bring the tension level of the room down a few notches.
Lucifer continued to stare through him, proving that he was no longer sane.
Derick meekly stepped forward. “Brazil. She was last in Brazil. She was searching for missing people, women in particular. She was headed for a town called Santa Blanca the last time we spoke with her. That was over 36 hours ago, though she promised to check in every 24 hours. Whoever took her must have locked her in Celestial Bonds. Is your Harpy in possession of the bonds?” he asked incredulously.
Hades’ head snapped around to stare at the boy. It hadn’t occurred to him that Lady Black was in bonds, causing the separation. His rage-filled mind had assumed she was unconscious.
“I have no idea how Celaeno would have found Celestial Bonds but she is clever enough to obtain them if needed,” Hades said as his throat constricted. If Lady Black was captured in bonds, then she was in even more danger.
Lucifer craned his neck to look at Derick and seemed to understand his question. Without warning, Lucifer disappeared from under Liam and Balthazar. Hades’ skin tingled as he scanned the room for Lucifer to reappear and attack, but he never returned.
“Shit!” Hades yelled. Now he had a maniac on the loose in the Mortal Realm and a missing Destroyer. He should have known that the sudden attack by the Shin No Kao would only be the beginning of a terrible day.
“Where would Lucifer have gone?” Tristan asked, holding his bruised forehead.
“I assume that he will either try to kill Celaeno or light the world on fire. I’m hoping for the first option, of course,” Hades said, running his hands through his dark hair. “Derick, summon M
ark, and explain what the fuck is going on here. Make sure you tell him the part where I tried to break Lucifer in half for sending Lady Black on a suicide mission.” He didn’t want to end up in the Hall of Shadows at the end of the day, paying for Lucifer’s stupidity.
Chapter 4
The night air was warm and the sky was clear all the way to the horizon. A cool breeze came in from the north and rippled the water beneath the boat, rocking it gently. The stars shining down on him created the perfect night, the kind of night that should be shared by two lovers, yet romance was the last thing on his mind. Feeling the cool fiberglass deck under his back should have eased the tension in his body and mind, but it was impossible to relax.
Once again, he was fixated on his inescapable quandary. Should he remain adrift in the middle of the ocean, or should he head south? If he stayed, he would have to find a way to move on with his sad existence. If he set sail, he would have to prepare himself for the inevitable misery that would consume him until his death.
Unable to decide on an answer, he swore at the stars, and looked out over the black water. He’d seen this view thousands of times, but it never gave him any guidance.
Was he strong enough to pursue her? No. Was he strong enough to stay away? Certainly not.
Tired of the endless debate, he made his way into the cabin. It wasn’t as grand as his previous ships, but it was a fine seaworthy vessel and the only home he had. In truth, it was his prison. He could stay hidden away from the world, from her, or he could pull up anchor and find her at a moment’s notice. Tonight, he decided to forego the latter and get some sleep.
Turning out the lights, he threw himself into his hammock. He’d never gotten used to sleeping alone in a solid bed. The loneliness he could deal with, but an empty bed was too much for him to bear. He hoped that the swaying of the ship would lull his senses and allow him to sleep for the first time in days, but he wasn’t delusional enough to believe it would happen.
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