The Damned and The Pure Series: Books 1-4 (The Damned and The Pure Series Box Set)

by J. D. Stonebridge

  “So, you should leave your number with me—us then!” David corrected himself, but both girls caught the word and eyed him suspiciously.

  “Please tell me that’s not why you summoned me back here,” Mikaela said, looking bored and disappointed.

  “No, it’s not,” Jenny was the one to assure her, shooting a glare at her brother. “Mikaela, where’s your father? The demon…”

  Mikaela looked at the girl curiously. “He’s gone. He went back to Hell. I thought I told you the plan already.”

  “Crap…” David blurted out. Mikaela looked at him, and he felt a rush of panic. “Mikaela, I found something in our archives.” He clumsily moved over to the sofa and retrieved the book he’d left there. He turned the pages as he walked to Mikaela and handed her the book.

  “What is it?” Mikaela asked, her eyes were already scanning the page from the book David had handed to her. The siblings watched as the truth dawned on the witch, her green eyes widening in horror, her mouth dropping open. Mikaela read the page over and over, hoping to find any discrepancy, anything that she may have understood wrong. But no matter how many times she read it, the message was still the same.

  The witch looked to David and Jenny, her breath heaving. Mikaela was at a loss for words, and all she could say in her panic was, “Crap.”

  Chapter Fifteen: Emptiness

  Atop the tower that watched over Hell, Azazel admired the painting that hung behind his office. The melody of moans of the souls that burned in the flames beyond his gates in his ears, Azazel smiled. Everything is going according to plan, he mused.

  A familiar set of footsteps echoed across his office. The leader of demons turned to face his loyal servant, Baron. He held his notebook close to him and his chin high as he greeted his boss. “I hope you are delighted by our work.”

  “I am,” Azazel told him. He walked to his desk, spreading his palms on it to lean forward. “I trust that all is well.”

  “Yes.” Baron was quick to answer. “I received reports that our prey is now nearing the bait. Shall I go and assist him?”

  “There’s no need for that,” Azazel commented. “I bet he can take care of himself down there. We have been preparing him for such. Instead,” Azazel turned and took a seat on his office chair, “if our allies are meeting their end of the bargain, I trust that we already have two of our collection. The third one will follow any moment now; however, we’re still missing the last two.”

  Baron looked away from his boss, considering his reply. “It has been quite difficult to create the other two, though we already have a target in mind for the fourth one. The last one, I’m afraid, the conditions remain near impossible.”

  “Near impossible, but not completely,” Azazel said, raising a brow.

  “Yes.”

  “Very well, then. Our deadline is coming, better not waste any time in chit-chat.” Azazel gestured for Baron to leave. The faithful assistant made a small bow to him and walked towards the stairs heading down.

  The leader of Hell leaned back in his comfortable chair. His eyes stared far out the window, an easy smile spread across his face. All was well in the land of Hell. And soon, the big event that would start turning the clockwork will happen. He swiveled his chair around to face the painting of the dragon reaching up to the sun. Delight filled him at the thought of their goal almost attained and as the painting depicted, those banished in the dark would rise and devour the light.

  Pitch black was all he could see as he set foot inside the cave. Everywhere he turned, nothing was visible. He tried to return from where he came, but it was as though the entryway of the cave had vanished as soon as he’d entered.

  How inconvenient, Caelum thought. There was no point in searching for the way back to the river, as that would be counter-productive to the goal he had in mind. Instead, Caelum walked forward, despite not knowing where he might find himself. Better than staying still. He stretched out his hands, trying to feel his way around like a blind man without his guide dog. But in all directions around him, Caelum felt nothing. He felt as though he was lost between dimensions where only he existed.

  A tug on his memory took him to the building where he’d interrogated the doppelganger, who he’d threatened to plunge into eternal darkness. In the back of his mind, Caelum prayed he did not willingly step inside one.

  A cold wind passed just under his arm, startling the demon. Caelum looked down automatically, but saw nothing. Another cold breeze passed over his shoulder, blowing the same way. Caelum moved in the same direction. As he walked, he felt more and more of the breezes. He sensed their energies, knowing well what they were. And soon, much like in the river, he heard their voices.

  Where?

  Help me…

  Please!

  Get me out!

  Angry, panicked, and lost. The voices were more vibrant than the ones in the river. Emotions were high as he walked with the souls who gathered around him. He felt their presence everywhere, moving in all directions, trying to find a way to escape, just as he was. The souls that still retained their full memories of previous lives danced around in the darkness, uncertain of the circumstances they found themselves in.

  “It is a land of darkness, until you find the light,” the Oarsman had told Caelum when he’d left him in front of the cave. Indeed, there was nothing but darkness here. He felt as though he were playing a game of clues, and he must find them in order to solve the Oarsman’s riddle.

  “Find the light, huh?” Caelum whispered in the darkness. His hand went to his shirt, feeling for the pendant Mikaela had given him. He pulled the pendant from under his shirt; it glowed with a faint orange light. The light showed him the wisps of pale blue souls .As he lifted the pendant, the wisps cowered away from him.

  When you’ve lived long enough in darkness, you fear light .He used the amber pendant to light his way, walking forward looking for any sign of an exit. After several minutes of walking, Caelum still found nothing that would lead him to Lucifer’s cage. The idea that he’d been lured into a trap nagged at his mind again, but again he pushed it aside.

  He stopped walking, trying to think of any other options. Time was running out and he could not afford to be trapped in the darkness much longer. He breathed in deep, and when he exhaled through his mouth, he saw the air flowing from his lips. Now that he had stopped moving, Caelum realized how cold it was. The freezing temperature caused the hairs on his arms to stand, and he rubbed them with his free hand. The breeze picked up, flowing around him. Caelum lifted the pendant higher to find wisps of souls circling around him. As soon as he saw them, the voices started again.

  Help me…

  Please…

  Daddy, help…

  Where am I?

  Caelum cocked his head to the side. The souls from earlier seemed to fear the light he held, but the ones that surrounded him now were attracted to it. Perhaps they are the new ones, still hoping someone will help them, Caelum thought. Sadly, that won’t be me.

  He lifted his free hand to comb his hair when another movement caught his eye. Caelum lowered his hand and noticed the shadow cast on the ground by his amber pendant. He moved his hand below the pendant, seeing the shadow again, and an idea formed in his mind.

  Is it even possible? He wondered. Shadows had always been his allies. He had traveled the world above through shadows, but never beneath in the land of Hell. He required a destination in mind lest he be transported to a random location. And right now, his goal was but an image his mind had conjured up based on the many stories he had heard. To bend the dimensions by passing through shadows to get to the cage… Caelum pondered the risks.

  The wisps gathered around him, relishing in the light and warmth of the amber pendant he held. They begged for him to save them, much like all the lost souls he’d encountered since he dove into the pit. The sinful paid for their actions, but not in the way they probably assumed before. And because of such misconceptions, a lot of them remained in the dark, eternally
lost.

  And if they use Ariel the way they planned, she will join them. Caelum despised the thought. He watched the souls float around in the darkness, uncertain of how they got to the place and how to escape. He pitied them, but he couldn't do anything for them. At least I can do something for Ariel.

  He held the light close to him and closed his eyes. At the moment, he had no other options but to take the leap. He waved his hand below the pendant, making shadows by his feet. Caelum closed his eyes and pictured the angel he sought. In his mind's eye, he saw Ariel lying on the ground, her arms wrapped around herself. He saw the bright light shining on the church bell, and heat prickled his skin. Only, Lucifer’s cage wouldn’t be hot. It was frozen. Slowly, the scene dissolved and changed. Ariel was still there while all around her was a cave, the rocks forming crystals from the cold. She hugged herself tight to keep her warm, though she still shivered. Caelum watched her with sadness, knowing that she had been taken there because of him.

  When he opened his eyes again, they burned with determination. His grip on the pendant tightened, and, as though they sensed his fury, the souls that had gathered around him scurried away. He held the pendant above his head, illuminating his body and the surprisingly white floor he stood upon. Below his feet was the shadow his form cast under the light. He stared at the shadow for a good while, driving away all the doubts his mind conjured. Caelum closed his eyes and imagined where Ariel would be. He pictured a cave with jagged walls covered in ice crystals. The floor would be slippery with ice as well. He felt the frozen breeze in that air, and heard the moans and cries of souls trapped all around him. Lucifer’s punishment was to hear the torment of the mortals he had loved so. Therefore, Caelum imagined that the cage was filled with the voices of the souls.

  He pictured Ariel, huddled over to protect herself from the cold, though her blue eyes would be as fierce as he remembered. She wouldn’t let herself be subjugated by Lucifer; she would fight him. Though all hope was lost, she would fight. And so would he.

  Taking a deep breath, like a diver, Caelum focused his energy on the shadow beneath his feet while his mind imagined the icy cave where he saw Ariel. Though he couldn’t say for certain that it was truly the place the angel was being held, he had nothing else to go on. Have faith, the demon told himself sarcastically, though a part of him urged for him to do so. Have faith that some connection between us can let me see where she is.

  A moment later, Caelum lifted his feet. He ordered the shadows to take him to the location he pictured and stepped in. Caelum felt himself being pulled forward, faster and faster. He kept his eyes closed. He felt darkness all around him, and he felt energies of the souls whizzing past him. Caelum kept his focus on the image in his mind. Ariel. The cage. The cave. Lucifer.

  Ariel felt something different in the air of her prison. The dark energy all around the cave was disrupted by something new. She stood up, her eyes looking around the cave. But nothing seemed out of place. Her eyes found the small opening to her left, wondering if something was about to come.

  “Ah, we have a guest arriving,” Lucifer’s voice made Ariel look at him. The archangel sat near the flames. He had a gentle smile on his face and his golden eyes glistened.

  “A guest?”

  “Yes. The event we have all been waiting for is now upon us, my dear sister,” Lucifer told her. “Soon, we will create a great change for a better world.”

  Fear struck Ariel’s heart. She looked back to the opening, just beyond the great seal that trapped Lucifer inside the cave. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she doubted it was because of the cold atmosphere of the cave.

  Caelum was suddenly thrown forward, a cold breeze slicing his skin. His left foot touched the ground and the icy floor reminded him that he had lost a shoe to the giant dog of Hell. He cursed in his mind. Gingerly, he set his foot back on the ground, biting his lip to ignore the sharp cold touching his skin through his thin sock. It’s not like I can suffer from frost bite.

  When both feet were settled on the ground, he looked up to see the jagged walls that he had imagined. But the cave he stood in was narrow and stretched out into the darkness. He took heavy breaths in the cold and found his breath misting in the cold breeze. I should have known it wasn’t going to be that easy… Caelum thought. He placed the pendant under his shirt again, relishing in the small warmth it gave him. He looked back behind him and saw another path leading to who knew where.

  Now, which path will take me to the wizard? Caelum pondered. He closed his eyes and focused on the energies that surrounded the place. Above him, he could sense a great mass of souls trapped, some for a very long time. But within the tunnel, the energy was spread out. He opened his eyes in defeat. The energies around him were too scattered and faint; he couldn’t tell where the source was.

  He approached the wall to his left and placed his palm on it. He wasn’t adept at tracking down others with only the trace of their energy to guide him. But there is always a first time for everything. Caelum concentrated on the energy from the walls and tried to extract them. He beckoned the energy to be released, but after a few moments of trying, nothing happened.

  “Clearly not my forte,” Caelum muttered after his failure; he couldn’t even gather the energy. He looked around, scrutinizing every inch of the area. He didn’t want to risk entering the shadows again to transport, lest he end up somewhere even further from his objective. At least, here he knew he was near. He just needed to figure out how to get closer to his goal.

  I guess I’ll just have to leave it up to luck, Caelum finally concluded. He chose to move forward, and if he ended up being wrong, he’d just go back and try again. As he took his first step, however, someone stopped him.

  “Wouldn’t go that way if I were you.” Lili had appeared behind him. Caelum turned around to find her smug face watching him. Despite leaving her with the giant dog, she looked unscathed. “Oh, by the way. You left this.” She tossed his shoe that the beast had snatched.

  “Don’t tell me you came all the way here to give this back,” Caelum said, though he was thankful he didn’t have to walk in Lucifer’s cage with only one shoe.

  “No, I came here to get something back,” Lili said, extending her open palm to him. “I’ve fulfilled my end of the deal, now give me back my dagger.”

  The dagger. Caelum had almost forgotten about the weapon in his suit. He looked at Lili, studying her closely. He was skeptical of handing the only weapon he had to the female demon. At least, not before his deed was done. “I’m still not in the cage, am I?”

  Lili dropped her hand, her face contemptuous. “You’re not actually asking me to come with you to the cage, are you?”

  “I’m not,” Caelum said. “Just point me in the right direction and I’ll give the dagger back to you when I return to Earth.”

  “That doesn’t sound very promising at all,” Lili said.

  “You’ll have to put your faith in me, then,” Caelum said, walking around her. “This way to the wizard’s house, right?”

  Lili shot him a glare. “I want my dagger back.”

  “And I want to get to the cage.” He smirked. “What’s so special about this dagger, anyway?”

  Lili crossed her arms. “It was given to me by my late husband.”

  Caelum rolled his eyes. “Well, tell him to help me out in defeating Lucifer.”

  Lili laughed. “As if you really could.”

  “You will never know…” Caelum said, walking in the opposite direction, as Lili had suggested. A few moments later, he heard Lili’s quick footsteps running to catch up to him.

  “Just give me the bloody blade already,” Lili told him. “You’re not actually considering using that as your weapon when you face him, are you?”

  “Just trust me, Lili. I have a plan,” Caelum called over his shoulder to her. “Besides, you haven’t really fulfilled your end of the bargain. You only told me to jump into the pit. You didn’t tell me there would be more doors to find.
And speaking of, how did you get here so fast?”

  Lili stopped walking. Caelum turned around, halting his steps as well to look at her. She had her head lowered, disabling Caelum from reading her expression. A pang of fear tugged at Caelum, and his hand went up to the spot in his suit where the dagger was hidden.

  Lili began to laugh. Her shrill laughter echoed all around the tunnel, growing louder and louder. When the female looked up, her face was one of relief. “You know, acting can be quite tiring. Don’t you think?”

  Caelum chuckled. “I guess the curtains are closed now. Time to wipe off the make-up.”

  “Oh, I will,” Lili nodded. Then, she released the shadow tentacles. But Caelum was ready for them, jumping out of the way and dodging the others that came next. He spun around in the air, evading the whip-like things.

  When he landed on his feet, he sprinted forward, clutching the dagger under his suit. Caelum sprinted through the seemingly endless tunnel. From behind, he heard Lili’s laughter.

  “So much for all the years of friendship, huh?” she shouted to him. “Quite honestly, I really had started to like you! You were so much more entertaining than all these bastards they put me with. But of course, all that flirting we’ve done in the past was to get you where I have always wanted you!”

  A whizzing sound reached Caelum, and he ducked just as the shadow went past him. He lost his balance and stumbled forward on the ground. He rolled, getting back to his feet. Before he could run again, another of Lili’s shadows closed in. Caelum had no time to dodge, and the shadow caught him around the torso. It pushed him back, pinning him against the icy wall.

  Lili appeared not long after, looking at him like a girl with her favorite doll. “Now look where we are now. Finally the great climax we’ve been working so hard for is starting. Can you feel it, Caelum? Can you feel the excitement?”