“We’ve also got you,” said Celeste. “Don’t we?”
Tessa laughed and shook her head. “No, you don’t. Even if my powers weren’t all fucked up right now, I don’t want to have anything to do with Luther at the moment.”
“Something big is coming, Tessa,” said Celeste. “The case Wayne wanted Luther to look into? Massive number of ghosts in the new apartments where Cabrini-Green once was. And now Lilith has come topside, too. Your powers can’t be so far gone that you can’t feel these disturbances.”
“No, I can feel them, and I have been. But I also don’t know how a witch who might accidentally blow you all up will help you find Luther or stop him from doing…whatever the hell it is he’s doing.”
“We could really use your help, powers or no,” said Celeste. “If all goes well, hopefully this won’t turn into a fight.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” said Tessa. “Luther isn’t Luther anymore.”
“A tracking spell, that’s all I’m asking for,” said Celeste. “You help us with that, then the three of us will go after Luther and you can stay here and keep up with your magic dance party.”
Tessa sighed. “Just a tracking spell, huh? And if I do this, you’ll leave right now and never come back here?”
Celeste nodded. “You have my word. So, tell me what you think. Are we in business or what?”
Tessa was silent and looked down before answering. Once she spoke, she asked, “Just a tracking spell, right?”
“One tracking spell and then we’ll be out of your hair.”
“Okay, fine,” said Tessa. “But let’s make this quick. And if something blows up, it’s not my fault.”
16
The popular view of Hell is that it’s a prison, a place of eternal torment where the guilty are punished until the end of time, a marked contrast from the everlasting paradise and bliss one would find in Heaven.
The only thing that view gets right is in the contrast, but that contrast isn’t pleasure versus pain. It’s instead order versus chaos. Heaven is a place where strict order is maintained and the souls within are kept in their own private universes.
But in Hell? There is only the slimmest veneer of order. Most of Hell is divided into seven territories, each one ruled over by a Hell Lord. There is another territory, known only as the Wastelands, where anarchy reigns supreme.
There is only one rule in Hell—stay confined to your territory. Whether you’re treated well or punished depends on the interests of the Lord who rules. Some are hands-off, while others take sadistic pleasure in torturing their subjects.
The Lords all made up what is known as the Infernal Court. Each of them was once an angel and served as a general in the Morningstar’s rebellion against Heaven. In the early days, the Court would meet frequently. But over the eons, their meetings lapsed. The last time the Infernal Court had all been gathered together in one place had been centuries ago.
But recent events made it necessary for Lucifer to bring his generals together once more.
One might expect the Infernal Court’s meeting room to look like something out of a horror movie. But it was actually a simple, white room that seemingly went on forever. Six of the seven Hell Lords all gathered around the long meeting table, waiting for the arrival of the king.
Among the fallen angels, some of the archdemons had given in fully to the corruption of Hell and no longer made any effort to disguise their demonic forms. Beelzebub and Leviathan were two of those. Beelzebub had become more insect-like, fully adopting his title as the Lord of the Flies, with even his wings transformed. And Leviathan appeared as a serpent, her eyes scanning over the other Lords as her tongue flicked in and out of her mouth.
Abaddon, Mammon, Vassago, and Nergal had taken on more conventional demonic touches to their original angelic forms. Their wings were no longer feathered but instead bat-like, and they sported horns on their foreheads, with their faces taking on more angular and pointed features.
Of the Infernal Court, only one still retained his original angelic appearance. And when he stepped into the room, it was with a bright light that nearly blinded the others. Despite centuries of living under Hell’s corrupting influence, even the fallen stood in awe and admired the beauty of the Morningstar.
Lucifer’s dark hair was swept back, a thin goatee framing his mouth. His wings were featured with a wide span and he had a smile that could charm anyone. The only hint of his transformation from angel to demon were the yellow eyes he now sported.
He took his seat at the head of the table and rested his elbows on the armrests, steepling his fingers together. Unlike the other Lords, Lucifer himself had no domain. He had his own circle of Hell, where only he resided. No one, not even his fellow Lords, knew what he got up to in his domain. And none was brave enough to ask.
“It’s been a long time,” said Lucifer, opening the meeting with a smooth voice. “I think you’ve all taken notice of the empty seat at our table.”
All eyes drifted towards the eighth chair, located at the end of the left side of the table. The chair which was supposed to be occupied by Asmodeus. No comments were made, and Lucifer took that as his cue to continue.
“Asmodeus has disappeared,” he said. “His territory on Earth has been abandoned and created a vacuum that other demons are attempting to fill.”
“Why should that be an issue for us?” asked Beelzebub, his words carrying a slight buzz as he spoke. “Let them fight for scraps on Earth—matters not to my realm.”
“Normally, I’d agree,” said Vassago. “But this is troubling. Asmodeus was a contact point for our interests on Earth. The rest of us hate that blue orb, but he always took a liking to it. And having a Hell Lord taking point there allowed for higher conversion of souls to our cause.”
“The souls don’t matter, not so long as the armistice is in place,” said Nergal.
“Don’t be naive,” said Mammon. “You think the angels aren’t also stockpiling? We need those souls as a deterrent in order to preserve our place here.”
“And how do we know Heaven isn’t responsible for this?” asked Abaddon, looking down the table at Lucifer.
“Asmodeus is alive, I’m sure of that. If he were destroyed, I would’ve felt it,” said Lucifer. “But I also can’t locate him anywhere, either in Hell or Earth.”
“Then Abaddon could be correct,” said Leviathan, her voice hissing. “The angels could have hidden him from your sight.”
“No, I don’t believe so.”
Vassago slammed the table. “Now isn’t the time for your pride, Morningstar! You are not all-powerful. If Asmodeus has been captured, the power of Heaven could absolutely keep him hidden from you.”
“I didn’t say Heaven couldn’t hide him; what I meant was I don’t think Heaven is behind this,” said Lucifer. “I’ve been communicating with an angel.”
“Who?” asked Beelzebub.
“Gabriel,” said Lucifer.
“Why would you go to him?” asked Mammon.
“My brother still has something of a soft spot for me. Ever the peacemaker, he wanted to assure me Heaven had nothing to do with Asmodeus’ disappearance,” said Lucifer. “But he also let slip that Heaven’s own representative has gone missing.”
“Raziel?” asked Vassago.
Lucifer nodded. “Raziel and Asmodeus were known to occasionally associate with each other. A way of maintaining diplomatic relations between Heaven and Hell. Now both are missing. We can’t take such a thing lightly. This also coincides with another development. With Asmodeus gone, it’s become easier to escape his territory. A number of demons from his realm have crossed over to Earth. Including Lilith.”
“She’s not someone you want running around on Earth, not if you’re attempting to keep things quiet,” said Abaddon.
“My thoughts exactly,” said Lucifer. “Which is why we need to work on containing her before she does something stupid.”
“What do you think she’d do?” asked Leviath
an.
“I don’t know, but she’s an opportunist with limitless ambition,” said Lucifer. “Why do you think she was banished in the first place? She was too much for Adam or Heaven to control. Only Asmodeus could ever hold her back, and even then, just barely.”
“With Asmodeus gone, she could well be the most powerful demon on Earth. Bringing her back won’t be easy,” said Mammon.
“And not without drawing undue attention,” added Nergal.
“All very good points, but our hand’s being forced,” said Lucifer.
“You want one of us to go after her?” asked Abaddon.
Lucifer shook his head. “I don’t think that will be necessary. If any of us were to go after her, the angels would know and would get suspicious. We have to keep this off their radar, send in a specialist.”
“Who could you send capable of dragging Lilith back to Hell and also avoid attracting Heaven’s attention?” asked Vassago.
“Belial,” said Lucifer.
A hush fell over the Court. None had seen Belial raised in centuries. During the rebellion, he had been the most vicious of all the angels under Lucifer’s command. He had single-handedly slain many of his brethren without hesitation, without mercy. Only Azrael, Heaven’s greatest warrior, was more ruthless. And even then, Belial fought him to a standstill.
“You can’t be serious,” Abaddon finally said. “Belial…he’s a madman.”
“He’s the best chance we have of bringing Lilith back before she causes any trouble for us,” said Lucifer.
“If he doesn’t set the whole planet on fire first, you mean,” said Abaddon.
“Belial can be controlled. His loyalty is to me and me alone. He’ll do as I say,” said Lucifer.
“We may have another issue on Earth,” said Vassago. “Lilith poses a threat, but I’ve sensed a rising darkness in Asmodeus’ territory on Earth. It began shortly after he disappeared.”
“What sort of darkness are you talking about?” asked Mammon. “What could possibly match the threat of Lilith?”
“Luther Cross,” said Vassago. “The cambion raised by the Sons of Solomon.”
Lucifer leaned back in his chair and rested his index fingers against his chin, staring down at nothing in particular. When he finally spoke, he said, “You’re sure of that?”
Vassago nodded. “There’s no mistaking it. He has his father’s aura.”
“That could pose a problem,” said Nergal. “If Lilith and Cross were to be drawn together…”
“We must eliminate them both!” said Beelzebub. “Destroy Cross, destroy Lilith!”
“Calm yourself,” said Lucifer.
“We should have killed the cambion years ago, when it was still a child! If not for Asmodeus—”
“Enough, Beelzebub,” said Lucifer. “Asmodeus had his reasons for believing the child should remain alive. I accepted it at the time.”
“And now? Has your opinion on the matter changed?” asked Mammon.
“No,” said Lucifer. “Cross may still prove useful to us in the future. He’s a player that should remain on the board for the time being.”
Beelzebub’s chuckle was like an incessant buzzing that echoed throughout the room. Lucifer rose from his seat and placed his hands on the table’s surface, staring into the multitude of eyes on the insect-like demon’s head.
“Care to share the joke with the rest of us?” he asked.
“The joke is you, Morningstar,” said Beelzebub. “Do you remember nothing of who you once were? What happened to the fierce determination and will of the angel who said it’s better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven?”
“Watch your tone, brother,” said Lucifer.
“I don’t think I will,” said Beelzebub, his gossamer wings hefting him into the air and over the surface of the table. He pointed an accusatory appendage at Lucifer. “We took up arms against Heaven because you inspired us to have free will. We followed you into Hell for the same reason. And now you expect us to just sit idly by while everything we’ve spent eons building is at risk of being torn down? All because you don’t have the stomach for this anymore.”
Lucifer’s eyes burned, his hands clenching into fists. “Do you honestly think you could do a better job of ruling Hell?”
“Hah!” said Beelzebub. “You rule nothing! You sit in your basement, sulking. When was the last time you lifted a finger to contribute to Hell?”
Hellfire was unleashed from the eyes of the Morningstar, completely engulfing the Lord of the Flies. The force of the impact hurled the demon across the room and he landed at the foot of the table, bouncing once before hitting the ground. Lucifer’s wings raised him above the others and he hovered over the table until he was looking down at Beelzebub’s smoldering form.
“I may keep to myself, but make no mistake, Beelzebub—everything I do is to guarantee Hell’s continued survival,” said Lucifer. “And should you ever question me again, you will absolutely see that I’m still the same warrior I once was. Only, now, I’ve had many more centuries to hone my abilities.”
Lucifer landed at the foot of the table and turned to the rest of the Infernal Court.
“If anyone else has any objections to the way I run things around here, please tell me now.”
No one dared speak against him once more. Lucifer’s eyes traveled over each and every one of them. When his gaze met theirs, they looked away. And the Morningstar smiled.
“That’s what I thought,” he said. “Now someone take Beelzebub back to his realm. If I have to smell his stench one minute longer, I might just scatter his atoms across the cosmos on principle. Court is adjourned.”
Leviathan was the one to pick up the injured demon. The others rose from their seats and started to head towards the door.
“Vassago, a moment,” said Lucifer.
Vassago paused and turned to face his master. “Yes, Lucifer?”
“See to it Belial is taken from his playtime and brought before me,” said Lucifer. “This Lilith situation needs to be dealt with immediately.”
17
I returned to Lust the next day, just as Lilith had asked. It was just after noon, and Rush Street looked very different in the daylight. All the clubs along the street were closed and the streets were empty of the usual clubbers lining up along the sidewalk behind velvet ropes and begging the bouncers for a chance to get inside. It was like a ghost town right in the middle of Chicago.
No valet, either, so I had to find street parking for myself. I cast a glamour as usual to make it look like a parking ticket had been placed on the Camaro’s dashboard, then I walked up to the front door of Lust. When I pulled on the handle, I half-expected it to be locked, but instead the door opened easily.
The club looked much larger when it was empty. The lights were all shut off, the stools flipped upside down on top of the bar counter and the standing tables. I walked past them and took the staircase up to the top level.
Not only were there no guests, but even Lilith’s office remained unguarded, and the door was wide open. You’d never see that happen when this place was open for business. I stepped up to the open door and rapped my knuckles a few times on it as I looked inside.
I saw Lilith rise from her chair and approach, wearing a smile. “Luther, glad you could make it.” She was dressed all in red, though it wasn’t an alluring dress like last night. Today, it was a catsuit with the zipper in the center, pulled down to just above her chest.
“Wouldn’t miss it. I said we’re in business and I meant it,” I said. “We gonna talk this thing through or what?”
“Come on in and have a seat.” She gestured over to the couch.
I walked over and sat down, taking out my cigarette case. After opening it, I offered it to her first and she accepted one with a grin.
“Such a gentleman—think I will.” She placed the cigarette between her lips and before I could pull out my lighter, she did the job herself by tapping one end.
I lit my own cigarette as Li
lith came to sit down beside me. On the table in front of us were photographs and diagrams of a building I was all too familiar with—the Sons of Solomon temple where I had grown up.
“You said we were hitting them…didn’t realize it was gonna be that one,” I said.
“Hope you don’t have a problem with that?”
I shook my head. “They haven’t meant a damn thing to me in years. What’s the plan?”
“The first thing I need to know is what sort of defenses are we talking about in this place?” she asked.
I leaned into the couch, my eyes rolling up as I tried to think about the temple’s defenses. “We’re looking at about thirty or forty of the Sons inside.”
“Any serious threats among them?”
“Not from what I remember. Most of the heavy hitters are out on the road conducting missions. But they’ve still got a few who could pose problems. All of them would have gone through basic training in weapons and combat magic, but shouldn’t be anything we couldn’t handle.”
“What about defenses around their artifacts?”
“Protective barriers, glamours, that kind of shit,” I said. “You’ll need some pretty powerful counter-spells to break through.”
“I’ve got that covered, so we shouldn’t have an issue,” she said.
“Then we have to just hope there aren’t any heavy hitters around. They come through from time to time, and if we’re unlucky enough to go there when they are, we could be in for a world of hurt.”
Lilith studied my face. “Is that something that bothers you? Going up against the Sons of Solomon?”
“Not in the way you’re thinking,” I said. “They won’t pose a problem, trust me—right now. But if they know you’re on Earth and that I’m working with you, that’ll cause a red alert. And that’s something we don’t want.”
“And why should that matter?”
“Because the Sons of Solomon is a global organization with untold resources,” I said. “If they know one of the most famous demons in history has gotten her hands on a powerful artifact, they’re not gonna stop to ask why. They will mobilize all their resources to finding us. You don’t want that kind of heat.”
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