by Laurèn Lee
“Yes, I saved you. Only I didn’t knock you out. I killed you too.”
“What?” Tori choked.
Liam strode over to Tori as she backed up against the wall.
“Don’t be frightened. You’ll thank me shortly.”
“Thank you? Thank you?!” she shrieked. “I’m going to call the police and have you arrested! You’ll spend the rest of your sorry life in prison!”
“Oh, I doubt that, love. Come, stand up. Let me show you.”
When Tori didn’t extend her hand toward Liam, he grabbed her instead and pulled her up. She slapped his hand away from her, but he dragged her toward the bathroom despite her struggle. Liam turned on the bathroom light and forced Tori to look in the mirror.
She gasped as she stared at her reflection and soaked in her new appearance. The first thing she noticed was her eyes: they glowed bright red in the mirror. She looked evil. She looked like a monster.
“What happened? What’s wrong with my eyes?”
“You’re a demon now. Welcome to my world.”
“A what?” she gasped.
“A demon. And not just any demon. You’re a part of my ever-growing demon army. Soon, you will rule the world with me. We will change the course of history.”
Tori stared back into the mirror and into her own eyes, which she didn’t recognize. In the bottom of her heart, in the pit of her stomach, she knew nothing would ever be the same.
6
Charlotte slammed the door behind her and raced to the elevator of the hotel. She couldn’t believe Adriel. After everything they’d been through together, she was supposed to accept he didn’t want a normal future with her? No, she wouldn’t do that. After finding out who, or rather what, Liam was, she vowed to herself never to fall victim to a trap like that again. If Adriel didn’t want to become human again after all was said and done, and Liam was dead for good, well then, she didn’t want to be with him either.
She cursed herself for acting so foolishly. She never should have trusted the demon who got her into this whole mess to begin with. It was Adriel’s fault, every single part. She needed somewhere to turn, somewhere to go. She couldn’t go to Mary Elizabeth. For one, she wasn’t human either, and she was a friend of Adriel’s. She couldn’t go to Cyndy because she also had a history with him. Where could she turn? Where could she go? Then, she remembered; she had a best friend she hadn’t seen in a very long time.
Charlotte, in her faded Guess jeans and black scoop-neck tee shirt, sprinted down the elevator steps and rushed out the hotel doors. She flailed as she hailed a cab. A neon yellow vehicle swerved and pulled to the side of the curb. Charlotte leaped into the car and gasped. “Train station, please.”
The cabbie nodded and started the meter. Rush hour hadn’t started yet, and the ride lasted only a handful of minutes. Charlotte threw some bills toward the driver and thanked him profusely. Then, she strode into the train station and bought a ticket for Buffalo; she was headed home.
Charlotte realized she’d be on the train for about eight hours until she arrived back in the Queen City. She didn’t mind, though; she needed the time to process everything happening in her life at the moment. Reality overwhelmed her, even though it seemed as though she was living in a fantasy.
The hours dragged on as the gloomy landscape outside blurred past her from the comforts of the train. Charlotte placed her hand against the glass, and the cool sensation sent shivers all down her body. Rain poured against the glass too. She was all alone in the train car, but she wasn’t lonely. In fact, the silence soothed her. Charlotte hadn’t heard silence in a very long time; she forgot how calming the absence of chaos was.
For an hour or two, she even dozed off into a dreamless sleep. The very best kind. Charlotte startled when the train slowed its pace and halted abruptly.
“Welcome to Western New York,” a robotic voice boomed from the speakers.
Charlotte rubbed her eyes and stretched. She could have easily asked Mary Elizabeth to transport her back here, but for the first time in a great while, Charlotte wanted to independently complete a task. She didn’t want an angel’s help, and she definitely didn’t want a demon’s.
Again without transportation, Charlotte whipped out her iPhone and ordered a Lyft to take her back home. Then, she’d drive her own car out to Tori’s once and for all. Would Tori be happy to see her? Would she be angry it’d taken Charlotte so long to visit?
Charlotte knew the risks of going back to the condo; Liam could be there. But it didn’t matter. She needed her car, and this was the only way to get it. If Liam tried to stop her, well, that was a hurdle she’d have to manage when she came to it.
The Lyft driver played smooth jazz as he drove her from the train station back to her waterfront property. Charlotte swallowed with difficulty once the driver pulled into the driveway and wished her a good night. Darkness fell by the time she stepped out of the car and approached her own vehicle parked in the driveway. Luckily, she kept her keys in her purse, so there would be no need to go inside to fetch them. She tiptoed toward her car and unlocked it. Charlotte half-expected Liam to jump out from behind the bushes and surprise her, but silence engulfed the street. Only the streetlights flickered, and the birds cawed and soared overhead.
Charlotte held her breath and started the car. She didn’t wait to see if Liam heard the engine rumbling to life. Instead, she sped out of the driveway, burning rubber along the way. Smoke spilled from behind the vehicle as she raced as far away from the condo as possible.
It wasn’t until Charlotte pulled onto the highway that she exhaled completely. She was in the clear… for now.
Charlotte turned on the radio, and the song crooning from the speakers essentially smacked her across the face. Kings of Leon blasted throughout the car, and a sense of déjà vu crept into her consciousness. The last time she listened to one of her favorite bands was with Liam as they drove this very way to Adam and Tori’s house. Only they never made it.
Before long, Charlotte approached the very same cliff where Adriel ran her and Liam off the road. Her heart thudded in her chest, and her palms glistened with sweat. She held her breath once again as she sped along the very curve where her life changed so dramatically only several weeks ago. A single tear escaped her left eye and streaked down her cheek. What would her life be like now if Adriel never came into their lives? Would she and Liam be married by now? Would she have ever found out about his double life? Dozens of questions swirled inside Charlotte’s head. She checked the GPS on her phone and sighed as she realized Tori’s house was only ten more minutes away. Soon she’d throw her arms around her best friend and apologize profusely for disappearing without a trace.
Charlotte squinted as she approached a property in the countryside. Siri assured her that she’d “arrived at her destination,” but she couldn’t believe her eyes. She never expected Tori and Adam’s house to be like this: a tall, three-story house with a wrap-around porch and a tire swing which hung on a melancholy willow tree in the front yard. Did her best friend actually live here? She remembered back to when they were still in college, and they promised each other they’d move to New York City after graduation. This certainly wasn’t the Big Apple. Heck, it wasn’t even the Little Apple.
Charlotte parked her car and ignored the clock, which read well past ten at night. She hoped Tori wouldn’t mind her stopping over so late and without an invitation. Silence surrounded her, and the only noises to disturb the night came from Charlotte’s soft footsteps on the porch stairs; they creaked and moaned beneath her weight.
Charlotte raised her fist and gently rapped against the front door. She heard a ruffling inside, and the floor creaked the same as the porch steps. Someone strode to the front door to open it. Much to Charlotte’s relief, her very best friend’s face glowed under the moonlight as she opened the storm door to the house.
“Tori!” Charlotte said.
“Hi, Charlotte,” Tori responded.
Charlotte threw ope
n her arms and leaned in to give Tori a hug when her best friend’s eyes caught her attention: they glowed vibrant red. Charlotte’s own eyes grew wide, and she opened her mouth to speak. Tori smiled wickedly and pulled a rotund, dark object from behind her back. Before Charlotte could protest, Tori rained down the pot onto Charlotte’s head, knocking her out with one singular blow.
7
“This is Sandy Jones with Channel Seven news. Tonight we have a shocking report of thirty accidents across Western New York. Yes, you heard me, thirty accidents! Local law enforcement officials have requested the backup of all departments and medics across Erie, Niagara and Cattaraugus counties to help with the reports and to take victims to the nearest hospitals.
In other news, the weather has taken a drastic turn. Sure, we Buffalonians are used to inclement weather, but today was the most erratic day our city’s ever seen. Hail and torrential downpours started off the day, only for the sun to peak at noon with the temperatures rising to over one hundred degrees! Our own meteorologist, Dan Pikemond, has called today’s weather the most bizarre he’s ever seen!”
“Thank you, Sandy. Also, we must report that there have been over fifteen instances of attacks on individuals today out on the streets of downtown Buffalo. It seems as though the world is ending, am I right, Sandy?”
“Right you are, Jessica. Terrible news day, just terrible.”
As the local sports anchor prepared his newscast about the latest trade predictions, the entire station’s power turned off, leaving all the anchors in darkness. It a matter of seconds, the entire city of Buffalo disappeared into blackness, too. The city’s entire power source failed, and chaos ensued.
Liam cackled as he ripped the heart out of a man begging for his life on the ground before him.
“Please! I have a family!”
Liam’s hand gripped the man’s cardiac muscle and squeezed it within his long fingers. The man’s eyes bulged out of his head, and primal fear etched itself across his face. The heart pumped one final time before it ceased to move at all. Liam finished the ritual and turned another innocent soul into a demon.
“That’s over twenty new demons today, boss!”
Liam furrowed his brow. “That’s all? We can do better tomorrow.”
“Better?” Harry whispered to himself.
Over the past few days, Harry and Liam had roamed the streets of Buffalo, mostly at night, searching for demon prospects. If Liam wanted to take over Hell and dethrone Lucifer, he needed an army to back him up. His newly acquired piece of jewelry wouldn’t be enough on its own.
On the first day of scavenging, Harry, excited yet hesitant, had a few questions for his master.
“How do you know they’ll be loyal to you?”
“Well, because I’m their creator.”
“How do you know they’ll stay loyal to you?”
“Harry, are you questioning your loyalty?”
“Nuh-no, sir! I just want to make sure we aren’t doing all this work for nothing. That’s all.”
Liam cleared his throat. “They’ll stay loyal to me because I will offer them a better Hell than Lucifer could ever dream of providing for us.”
“What’s going to change? You know, under your rule.”
“Well, for one, we won’t be limited to the havoc we create on Earth. Lucifer is so picky and dead set on keeping our existence hidden from the mortals. But under my reign, we’ll be able to do what we want, when we want, where we want. The world will be ours for the taking!”
“That sounds amazing!” Harry rubbed his hands together gleefully.
“But, we’ve got to put the work in first,” Liam reminded his faithful servant.
Harry nodded wildly. “What’s next, boss?”
“Well, I need to have a little chat with someone. Why don’t you stay up here and stalk some new potential demons?”
“You’re going back to Hell?” Harry asked, scratching his head.
“Yes. I think Lucifer and I need to have a talk.”
“Are you going to kill him?”
“Not today,” Liam said, beaming.
8
Even though Liam desperately wanted to continue building his army, he decided he needed to speak with Lucifer before any additional time passed. He wanted to remind him who was in charge now. As he’d done several times before, Liam approached the Gates of Hell and descended into the fiery madness six feet below. Though, it was actually much farther down than that.
Once he landed steadily on the surface of Hell, Liam noticed the fire in the dark paradise burned just a touch less intensely than before. The smoke meandered more slowly around the curves of the caverns, and sadness, or rather despair, hung in the air. The demons milling about appeared more crestfallen than seductively evil. No smiles could be seen, only deep frowns etched into the faces of the undead.
Lucifer seemed to be losing his hold on his kingdom, which was exactly what Liam wanted to see. The faster Lucifer’s reign fell, the easier it’d be for him to take over and crown himself the new Devil.
Better and darker times were looming just ahead.
“Liam,” a haggard voice called from the shadows, “what a pleasant surprise.”
“I wish I could say the same,” Liam replied as he examined his cuticles.
Lucifer tutted. “What do you want, Liam? Are you here to return my ring?”
“To talk. In private,” he added as onlookers gawked in his direction.
“What? Afraid to speak in front of your demon brethren?”
“If anything, you should be afraid to speak in front of them,” Liam replied. He smiled at the demons who milled about, and they scurried out of the way as though Lucifer pushed them with his bare hands.
“Come. We’ll go to my quarters.”
Liam silently followed his former master and noticed Lucifer stumble as he walked with a cane firmly in his right hand. He seemed weak, almost decrepit.
“Old age finally taking its course?” Liam asked, amused.
Lucifer ignored him and continued to lead toward his private area in the depths of Hell. Liam’s confidence grew with every wobble coming from the old man before him. As Lucifer’s power waned, Liam’s increased tenfold. Lucifer’s finger appeared bare; the indentation of his ring hadn’t disappeared yet.
Finally, they arrived at Lucifer’s cave. He reluctantly opened the door and ushered Liam inside. “So what do you want? Why are you here?”
“I’m here to talk business.”
Lucifer scoffed. “Business? What business?”
“Well, it doesn’t take an Einstein to see you are growing weaker by the day. There’s no way you and your diminishing army will be a match for mine. I’m offering you the chance to surrender peacefully.”
“Surrender? What makes you think I’ll surrender to you?” Lucifer coughed something horrid, spitting bloody phlegm at Liam’s feet.
“If you surrender, I’ll let you live. You can stay here as long as you pledge your loyalty to me.”
“Let me get this straight—” Lucifer paused and carefully lowered himself onto his throne made of stone. “You steal my power source, want me to hand over Hell like a dish to pass at a family dinner, and in exchange, you’ll let me live?”
“Precisely,” Liam confirmed.
Lucifer shook his head, his eyebrows furrowing deeply upon his weathered face. “And what if I decline your offer?”
“Then I’ll kill you and anyone who refuses to pledge their loyalty to me.”
“This is mutiny, Liam. I taught you better than this.”
Liam chuckled. “You taught me to seize what I wanted. You taught me to be brave and never stop until I have what’s rightfully mine.” Liam twisted Lucifer’s ring on his finger.
“But Hell is not rightfully yours. I’ve ruled the underworld since before your eldest ancestor was born. This is not your throne; this is not your place to rule.”
“Things change, Lucifer. Things have changed.” Liam stepped toward Lucifer wi
th dark eyes. He nearly drooled the closer he stepped in the direction of Lucifer’s throne. He was power hungry, and the starvation encompassed his whole demeanor.
Lucifer had never seen it coming when Liam took his ring, the true source of his power. He asked to meet with the Devil to discuss an idea. Liam opened his soul to Lucifer and told him his plans of growing Hell and helping to develop Lucifer’s power even more. Maybe he’d be able to rule Heaven, too, and not just Hell. While Lucifer pondered the idea of knocking God off his pedestal, Liam grabbed the Devil’s hand and ripped his onyx ring right off his finger.
Lucifer, madness setting in, reached to take his ring back from his strongest minion, but Liam had already put the ring on. In that moment, a great shift of power surged from Lucifer to Liam. In one instant, Liam stole a major chunk of Lucifer’s powers. All from a piece of vintage jewelry.
“I should have never told you about my ring!” Lucifer cried. He reached again for Liam’s throat, but Liam raised his hand and sent the Devil soaring through the air to hit a rocky wall behind him. He slumped down and fell on his ass. Shame coursed through his veins. He’d been foolish to let Liam in so close. He’d been betrayed, and without his ring, there wasn’t much he could do about it now.
He hadn’t even told Adriel about his ring, the source of his power, but he told Liam one drunken night after four she-demons left them tired and naked. The Devil never realized how intently Liam listened to the origin story of his ring. Lucifer didn’t see Liam’s eyes bulge from his head as the Devil bragged about the power inside the stone. And he didn’t catch the wheels turning in Liam’s head as he devised a plan to steal the ring and all of the Devil’s power.
“Adriel won’t let this happen,” Lucifer said.
Liam looked up at the ceiling, closed his eyes and smiled. “Adriel? Really? That’s your trump card? The demon you cast off? You took his powers and returned him to a miserable human existence. Now, he’s your savior?”
