by Laurèn Lee
Liam growled and dove through the flames licking the condo’s siding. The fire trucks were no more than a mile away now.
“We don’t have much time,” Adriel said. “We have to go now!”
“Take my hand,” Mary Elizabeth said.
Henley and Adriel obliged as they were sucked into the wormhole of time and returned to Henley and Bentley’s house. They dashed inside to rally the troops.
“It’s go time!” Adriel called out.
Henley’s crew flocked to them on the front porch. Cyndy stumbled out of the house and fixed her messy hair with her fingers. Bentley wiped his mouth and followed her outside with his shirt halfway untucked. Adriel rolled his eyes but ignored Cyndy’s nonchalant expression.
“Does everyone know their job?” Adriel called out.
Demon heads nodded in agreement, and everyone linked hands, Mary Elizabeth at the center. “I’ll take you to the Gates, but I can’t go any further. My wings would smolder before I even touched the entrance to the Underworld. Okay?”
Henley nodded, and Adriel patted the angel’s back. “Thank you, Mary Elizabeth.”
“Anything for an old friend,” she replied. “Everyone ready?”
“Wait!” a husky voice called. Bentley broke the connection with his twin and a demon beside him. He ran to Cyndy, pulled her into his arms and kissed her with fierce enough passion that even Adriel blushed.
“Wow!” Whoops, hollers and giggles rang out.
“I’ll be back soon, gorgeous,” Bentley said.
“Be safe,” Cyndy said.
“Bentley, we gotta go,” Adriel said, eyeing Cyndy. Bentley returned to the group, and the rally cries discharged again.
In the blink of an eye, Mary Elizabeth pulled all the demons into her grasp as their bodies were squeezed into flat straws intertwining with time and space. As quickly as she slurped them into the woven fabric of the universe, she spat them back out. They all landed with a hard thud against the cemetery where the Gates of Hell resided. Adriel, however, landed like a Gold Medal Olympian. Practice made perfect.
“This is where I leave you,” Mary Elizabeth said. A faint glow resembling a halo sparkled around the crown of her dark, soft curls. She stretched her arms wide enough to portray a swan preparing to take flight.
“Thanks, Mary Elizabeth. We couldn’t have gotten this far without you,” Adriel said.
Mary Elizabeth nodded. “I’ll be back at the house with Cyndy. Good luck.”
The angel disappeared like magic, leaving the demons to their own devices mingled about the worn and sordid gravestones. The crevice several feet away allowed smoke to freely billow into the air. Ash and sulfur wafted into the demons’ noses, and Bentley cringed.
“I didn’t want to be back so soon,” he admitted.
“That makes two of us,” his twin said.
“We have to be quick, okay? Who knows how long Liam will be gone,” Adriel instructed.
He led the group to the edge of the earth, and one by one, they descended into the fire until every demon disappeared from view.
Cyndy and Mary Elizabeth went back to the house in silence. Neither one spoke while they both contemplated the fate of Earth, Heaven and Hell. Mary Elizabeth’s glow dulled, and Cyndy’s shoulders sank.
They sat on a moth-eaten couch that creaked underneath the weight of the two women. Cyndy nervously tapped her foot on the floor, and Mary Elizabeth placed a hand on Cyndy’s knee. A warm sensation coursed through Cyndy’s body as though she drank a calming elixir. Her shaking stopped abruptly, and she looked over to Mary Elizabeth.
“Thank you,” she said.
“You’re very nervous,” Mary Elizabeth replied, looking directly into Cyndy’s eyes.
“I don’t want anything bad to happen to ‘em,” she admitted.
“Me, either,” the angel agreed.
Another round of silence settled between them, and even though Cyndy felt immeasurably calmer, anxiety still plagued her troubled mind.
“You know, at one time I loathed Charlotte more than anything. I even wished for something bad to happen to her,” Cyndy said, looking down at her feet.
“Why is that?”
“I knew Adriel loved her more than he ever loved me,” Cyndy said simply. “I was jealous. Do you think this is all my fault? For, you know, wishing bad shit to happen to her?”
Mary Elizabeth inched closer and put her head on Cyndy’s shoulder, her long angelic locks flowing onto her friend. “Liam is the cause of this and no one else. You’re human; it’s okay to be jealous.”
“Are you sure about that?” Cyndy furrowed her eyebrows. “I thought it was a deadly sin or whatever.”
Mary Elizabeth chuckled. “Believe it or not, most of those things are mere ‘guidelines,’ not specific rules for living your life.”
Cyndy nodded. “I am happy now, though.”
“Yes?” Mary Elizabeth asked, urging Cyndy to continue.
“That Adriel found true love. Even if it wasn’t with me. Charlotte is good for him. Keeps him on his toes and would really do anything for him.”
“They are quite the match,” Mary Elizabeth said, her voice trailing off. “We both were in love with the same man, or rather, demon, but in the end neither of us were meant for him.”
Cyndy nodded. “Life sucks sometimes.”
“True, but it’s also very beautiful. Charlotte and Adriel will have a happy future,” Mary Elizabeth said.
The women nuzzled together knowing Mary Elizabeth was right. Sometimes wanting someone or something so badly can blind a person from seeing where she truly belongs.
“Everything will be okay in the end,” the angel said.
“I hope so,” Cyndy replied.
Lucifer and Charlotte scurried out of Liam’s dungeon and moved cautiously down the deep, fiery halls of Hell toward the great dining room where all the demons ate their meals and socialized. Before Liam, the hall carried laughter and even a few sensual groans, but now near silence blanketed the room. Charlotte and Lucifer halted at the hall’s entrance; the demons staring down at their plates too afraid to speak to one another.
“What has happened to all of you?” Lucifer boomed.
Heads turned in their direction, and several demons’ jaws dropped.
“You look like fools,” Lucifer continued. “What happened to the wild, ravenous souls who used to roam the Underworld with esteem and prowess?”
The hall grew even more silent, and Lucifer’s face turned a bright shade of puce. He spat on the ground, fury rippling through his body. The lifeless demon shackled to the dungeon disappeared, and Charlotte once again feared the true Devil.
“Get up! All of you! We are not going to let Liam steamroll us into submission. We must join forces and take his crown once and for all!”
“He’ll kill us!” one demon in the back of the hall squeaked. “I don’t want to die.”
“So, you’d rather just succumb to some preppy asshole instead of fighting back? These are not the demons I raised. Get up!” Lucifer cried.
Dozens of demons stood, their silverware clattering against the stone tables.
“We will rise against him, whether he likes it or not. We have power in numbers; he only has himself. Rise, demons. Rise and fight!”
The remaining demons rose from their seats and cheered loudly, sending echoes twirling within the Underworld, loud enough for Adriel, Bentley, Henley, and company to hear from the entrance to Hell.
“What’s that?” Henley asked.
“Sounds like a war cry. Perfect,” Bentley muttered.
“Wait a minute,” Adriel said. “I recognize one of those voices.”
Henley wiped the sheen of sweat with her sleeve, her pixie cut wild and unruly. “Who is it?”
“I don’t believe it. It’s Lucifer!”
Adriel ran toward the hall, and the rest of the demons followed suit. They entered the hall, and Adriel felt a shock of his own. Lucifer and Charlotte stood on top of a long wood
en table. Charlotte hid within Lucifer’s shadow while he riled up the troops to fight back.
“Charlotte?” Adriel cried.
Lucifer and Charlotte turned their heads at Adriel’s outburst, and Charlotte dove off the table and ran into his arms. Adriel caught her and pulled her to his chest, never wanting to let her go again. He buried his head in her neck and breathed her in.
“How did you get down here, baby?” he asked as he kissed her on the forehead.
“Liam brought me,” she said and pressed her lips against his. All the demons throughout Hell watched in awe as Adriel and Charlotte’s bodies forged together like steel. They’d never seen a fellow demon so enamored with another soul, especially one of a human. Eventually, cheers and hollering erupted, too. It was only then that Adriel and Charlotte’s lips parted, and they struggled to catch their breath.
Once everyone calmed down, Lucifer clapped slowly and ostentatiously for all to see. “Bravo, Adriel!”
Quizzically, Adriel returned the Devil’s stare. They had so much history, and yet Adriel couldn’t push away the memory of Lucifer stealing his demonhood away and giving it to Liam. He couldn’t forget Lucifer punishing him for falling for Charlotte, and yet Lucifer was on his side now. They needed each other if they wanted to vanquish Liam once and for all.
Adriel was still a demon, but he’d softened since meeting Charlotte, since falling in love. She brought light to combat his darkness, and he needed her more than he needed air. Lucifer would have to accept that now if he expected them to all work together.
“Are you going to forgive me?” Adriel asked.
“For what? For acting like a human?” Lucifer asked as he stared at his nails.
Adriel’s eyes burned, and if his look could kill, Lucifer would be dead. “We’re on the same side, Lucifer.”
Lucifer waved him off. “I know, I know. If you had to pick a human—,” he said with his nose raised, “I’m glad it was her.”
Adriel’s face softened, and he put his arm around Charlotte’s waist. Lucifer looked at the couple and nodded, finally awarding his approval. Charlotte wasn’t wholly sure why Lucifer had softened toward her. Maybe he had a conscience, after all. Or, maybe it was another thing she’d never fully understand.
“Looks like the party started without me,” a voice chided in the background. He parted the demons like the sea and strode toward Lucifer. “I thought I told you no funny business while I was gone?”
Liam was back.
24
The demons bowed before Liam while he approached Lucifer. Lucifer stood his ground and placed his hands on his hips in an authoritative manner. He wasn’t budging, but he only wished the rest of the demons didn’t stand down so quickly.
“Ready for your chains, old man?” Liam hissed.
“You will not cage me again, Liam. Your time is over,” Lucifer said.
Adriel nodded to Charlotte to disappear into the crowd. Charlotte took the cue in full stride and stepped back, disappearing among the demons. Henley helped her, while Bentley moved toward Adriel’s side.
“I got you,” Bentley whispered to Adriel.
Adriel raised his eyebrow in genuine surprise. Apparently, Bentley pushed his fears aside when it truly mattered. The two of them crept toward Liam and Lucifer above the rest of the hall. They put their fingers to their lips as the other demons shook their heads, urging them to stop. A few of Bentley’s crew followed their lead and shuffled toward the front of the hall, too. Liam didn’t notice and instead continued his conversation with the only Devil Hell had ever known.
“Did you forget already, Lucifer? You’re not in charge anymore!” Liam’s eyes narrowed, and he cracked the knuckles on both hands, then waved his fingers, flaunting the black gem.
“You can’t control me. I lost my nerve before, but it will never happen again. I have ruled the Underworld long before shit-heel ancestors were even conceived,” Lucifer retorted. “The ring isn’t everything.”
Liam smiled, and not a single hum of noise could be heard in the hall. The flames burning in the circumference of the room turned brighter and stood taller. However, Lucifer didn’t fall short, and he stood his ground.
“It seems we’ve come to an impasse then,” Liam said.
“Seems to be the case,” Lucifer replied.
“Well, well, well, what should we do about that?”
Breaking the spell among the other demons, one demon pushed through the crowd, huffing and out of breath. “Liam! I’m back. I came here as soon as I could.” Harry, Liam’s right-hand man, panted.
“Oh, good. You’re just in time for the fun,” Liam said with a smirk.
Liam turned his back to Lucifer to address the demons within the hall, most of whom kept their heads down, too afraid to look their new liege in the eye.
“I am your leader now,” Liam boomed. “You all obey me, or you die. I’ve been good to you; I’ve let you live as long as you follow my commands. Well, I have another command for you now. I command you all to seize this old man and kill him!” Liam waited for an eruption of applause and cheers from the crowd. But no one moved a muscle.
“Did you hear me? I said grab this traitor!”
Only Harry stepped toward Lucifer with his arms out and eyes ablaze, but once he noticed no one else joined him, he stopped dead in his tracks, cleared his throat and ruffled his hair. Liam’s eyes grew wide, and blood rushed to his face. He clenched his fists and roared to his minions again.
“I created most of you! I am your master! Obey or die as I said!”
Realizing his words had no effect on the crowd before him, Liam held out his palm, and an orb of fire popped into existence, pulsing with fury. He threw the fire like a professional pitcher, and it landed atop a stone table. The demons there caught fire, and the flames turned icy blue, something no one had ever seen before. Unable to remove the flames from their heartless bodies, the demons screamed and cried for mercy before falling silent and landing on the floor with a cold, hard thud.
“Anyone else want to test my patience?” Liam asked.
Adriel raised his hand. “Bring it, douchebag.”
Liam roared with laughter upon seeing Adriel, Henley, Bentley, Tori, and the rest of their crew come forward.
“This is who you brought to fight me? A pathetic set of twins, a slutty wench and a handful of wimpy fools? I thought better of you, Adriel,” Liam said.
“We have power in numbers, while you only have yourself,” Adriel growled.
Liam looked toward Harry, who glanced away and whistled while he shuffled his feet. “I have this entire room of demons!” he bellowed.
“You do?” Adriel asked, raising his eyebrow.
The rest of the demons in the hall stood apprehensively but made their way behind Adriel. Adriel’s lips curved upward, and he could taste the vengeance on them. In the back of the hall, Charlotte’s body trembled as she bore witness to a great battle teetering on the edge of beginning. There was nothing she could do; she was only human. She feared getting caught in the crossfire, though. How could she survive this battle? How would Adriel survive? If anything, Liam proved he had powers no one else possessed in Hell, not even Lucifer. She couldn’t even hide in Liam’s chambers because the hallway to his dungeon opened on the other side of the hall, directly behind where he addressed the demons.
For a moment, Liam’s confidence wavered as he watched all the demons he “ruled” stand behind Adriel. Could he really take on every single demon in Hell by himself? For the first time since becoming a demon, fear crept into the back of his mind like one of his pet snakes out on the hunt for prey. Nervousness latched on to his psyche, and he hesitated on what to do next.
“You can surrender now, Liam. It would make everything a lot easier,” Adriel said.
“So you can become the next Devil? I’ll never bow down to you, peasant,” Liam spat.
“No! So Lucifer can reclaim the throne. It was only ever his. It was never yours to take,” Adriel replied.<
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Lucifer nodded to Adriel, and Adriel reciprocated the gesture.
“If you want a war, you’ll get a war!” Liam shouted to the hall. “You’ll all die!”
“If you kill everyone, then who will you have to rule?” Henley asked, a slight quiver in her voice.
“I’ll make new demons,” Liam seethed. “And I think I’ll kill you first, Tinkerbell.”
Henley stood her ground and sneered back at Liam.
“If a battle is what you want, then come and get it,” Adriel said.
Liam snarled as he created another icy blue orb of death in the palm of his hand. “Game on.”
25
Battle cries exploded into the hall as hundreds of demons charged toward Liam. Lucifer stalked out of the way and spotted Charlotte crouched against the far wall, near the entrance of Hell itself. He sidled against the wall and rushed over to Charlotte.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Charlotte’s eyes grew as she saw flames and fireballs flying through the air. One fireball hit the stone just above her head.
“Uh, yeah. Not really!”
Lucifer hovered over her, and for a moment, Charlotte thought he was about to kill her. Instead, he spread his arms like wings and protected her.
“What are you doing?” she hissed.
“Making sure you don’t die, is that okay?” Lucifer replied.
“Shouldn’t you be out there fighting for your throne?”
Lucifer yawned. “I could, but I’d rather not.”
“You’re quite an enigma,” Charlotte said. “I always thought the Devil was pure evil, but you’ve got a streak of goodness in you.”
He put a finger to his lips. “Don’t tell anyone. We all started out as human, you know? At one time, I was just like you.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Charlotte admitted with a suspicious glare.
Lucifer shrugged but continued to shield Charlotte from any harm.
