by Avery Rae
"Lilith?" I thought back to the darkness. The weight that knocked me aside. Delilah. I looked toward the portal and saw nothing but swirling, grasping flames. She had Gael and was probably well on her way back to their little slice of paradise in Hell.
But I knew Zachariah was wrong—or just lying. Lilith wouldn't kill him. Not right away, at least. She was hoping to lure me back. It would work, too, because I wouldn't go through that portal without him.
Either way, I had to deal with Zachariah first. He wasn't going to just let me walk away from this. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him preparing to make his move as he circled. His arms tensed, then he disappeared behind me. So I listened. One step. Two. Three. He was close. I whipped around and jabbed him right in the center of his chest. He let out a wheeze but quickly recovered and rushed for me again.
I ducked and rolled to the side. When I looked up, he was already bearing down on me again. Channeling my few training sessions with Gael, I swept my leg out and sent him toppling. Before I could move, he took hold of my ankle and jerked me down with him. My vision went white as my head hit the ground. I blinked to clear my eyes, blindly striking as he crawled on top of me. When I next saw Zachariah's face, there was a sick glint in his eyes that foretold his intentions.
"This is going to be so much better than last time, buttercup," he said. "I might not be able to kill you, but I don't have to worry about any interruptions either, do I?"
"I'm not alone, you prick," I spat back. Atlas and Drina had returned and roared forth to sink their teeth into his arm and side. I forced him off me and pinned him down, just like he had done to me. I took one look at his face and started punching. I couldn't stop myself. Even as he cried out in pain, I hammered down blow after blow. All my rage, sadness, and hatred powered each strike of my fists. I had trusted him. I called him a friend. I defended him.
My murderer.
At some point, Atlas and Drina backed away, but I didn't. A feral scream poured out of me as I kept on hitting him. Over and over. Tears fell from my eyes. A distant part of myself asked me to stop, but I wouldn't let myself.
I had no idea how much time had passed when I was suddenly pulled away. I jerked against the hands holding me, trying to get back to him. I could see his body already starting to heal. I couldn't let it. I had to kill him. He deserved to die.
"Hey, c'mon, you ain't gotta do this," a familiar voice said in my ear, much softer than I was used to. "Trust me, it doesn't make it better."
A sob tore its way from my throat. "He stole my life from me, Amberlynn."
"Tough shit. You're still too good to kill a waste of air like him."
Zachariah rolled over onto his side, coughing up bright red blood onto the ashen ground. I relaxed in Amberlynn's grip and nodded. She was right. Killing him wouldn't take me back to my old life. I had already been forced to kill once, and I didn't want to do it again. I didn't want that weight on my conscience. Most of all, Zachariah didn't deserve it. I wouldn't give him that pleasure.
To my surprise, Zachariah started to laugh, arms curled around his stomach as he hacked up more blood with each chuckle. "Does that mean you're doin' the honors, whore? It seems damn near poetic for one to kill me, considering how many I purged from the world."
Amberlynn let go of me and crouched down beside Zachariah with a placid smile in place. "Nah, I ain't taking that bait. You see, I feel sorry for you, 'cause you fucked up two chances at living a decent life. I'm not gonna make that same mistake even if it's just to spite you."
Hearing thundering footsteps coming up the hill, I turned around to see the rest of the Brotherhood as they arrived. Above them, Samael looked like judgment personified, his black wings spread wide as he flew down from the sky. He landed beside Zachariah, who was smart enough to tremble at his arrival.
"You gave me such hope," Samael said in his rumbling voice. "I thought if I could redeem you, then I could redeem anyone. My hubris was your downfall, and for that I am sorry."
Zachariah sneered. "Save me your all-humans-are-worthy horseshit and kill me already."
"As you wish." Samael's lips were set in a grim line as he unsheathed the sword at his waist. The blade was made of stone and looked just like the stone that lay on the ground a short distance away. The one that looked like it had fire burning inside it. Zachariah's sneer was still firmly in place even as Samael lifted the blade, then plunged it into his chest. His body seized, then collapsed into ash as his soul exited his body and was pulled into the blade of the sword. The ember inside grew brighter, casting off an orange glow.
I tore my eyes away and let out a long breath as I walked over to pick up the stone Zachariah had threatened me with. I brought it back to Samael.
"Is this the same thing as that?" I asked.
He looked at the stone in surprise. "Yes. But where did you get that?"
"Zachariah had it." I meant to stop there, but I couldn't help blurting out the question at the forefront of my mind. "Why not use something like this? Why the sword?"
"For their punishment and mine," he said simply as he eyed the stone I held. "Only the lieutenants have such stones, and this one belongs on Ronove's staff."
The rest of the Brotherhood let out a flurry of curses. I did the same, but for another reason entirely. If all the lieutenants had one, it meant that Lilith could take Gael’s soul so easily. I knew that he was bait, but what would keep her from imprisoning his soul? Nothing, most likely.
"Gael. Lilith has him. We have to get him back."
"We cannot," Samael said.
He couldn't be serious. Gael was with the demon whose machinations had sent shockwaves through Hell itself. Of course we had to go get him. I furrowed my brow and took a step toward him. "Yes, we can. I've been there. We can sneak inside and—"
"No, we cannot," he cut me off, voice firm. "Not right away. We will have to plan this carefully. Lilith has amassed an army far too large for us to combat."
"Sam, we can't just abandon one of our own," Amberlynn said with a frown. "Especially Gael."
Lucas folded his arms and chuckled. "I never thought I'd see the day that Amberlynn fought to help a man."
"Yeah, that's great and all," Edwin said with a sigh, "but Samael is right. We need to be smart about this. It's five against who knows how many. Plus, judging by that stone, she's got Ronove on her side. What if his torture squad is waiting for us?"
"We kill them," a voice boomed. We all looked toward the sound to see Berith cresting the hill, her giant sword held aloft like it weighed no more than a pound.
Samael rose from where he mourned Zachariah. "Berith. You know as well as I that Lilith wishes for you to bring the fight to her. She wants to claim your armies as her own."
"She won against me once, Samael." She stuck her sword in the ground in front of her and lifted a hand to a scarred cheek, then yanked it away with a scowl. "I was young, weak, and foolish. She has tried countless times since then and I have struck her down each time. This will be no different. Let us ally ourselves this once and deal with the nuisance once and for all."
"Please, Samael," I said, moving to stand in front of the angel. "If you aren't willing, then I'll go alone. I'm not just leaving him with her."
Berith jerked her sword out of the ground. "She's on her way back to her palace now. She's wounded, but she will heal quickly. I'm taking all 49 of my legions to her doorstep, whether you want to rescue your hunter or not."
She walked back down the hill, disappearing as she went down the slope. I looked up at Samael. He let his eyes fall shut for a moment, then opened them once more to look at his sword, still glowing bright with Zachariah's soul swirling within.
"We will go."
Our group walked after Berith. The moment we began our descent, I saw the true might of Berith's army. It had seemed formidable in the distance before, but now? Seeing several tens of thousands—maybe even hundreds of thousands—of demons was overwhelming. Berith was already terrifying, but knowing t
hat she could command all of these warriors made me respect her even more.
At the base of the hill, a massive black horse encased in armor dug at the ground with its hooves. When it snorted in impatience, flames burst from its nostrils. I bunched up my nose, imagining how terrible that must feel. "Does everything down here arbitrarily burst into flames?"
Amberlynn slid in front of me and walked backwards with a grin. "Hey, I don't know if anyone's told you yet, but you're in Hell. It's kinda our thing."
I rolled my eyes as I grinned back at her. "And here I thought I was on vacation. That explains why all the beaches have this weird gray sand."
"Sorry to burst your bubble." She laughed as she fell back in step beside me and I did the same—only mine died out much sooner than hers. My thoughts had drifted to Gael. It didn't seem right to be laughing when he was in danger. I didn't even know if we would make it there in time to save him from Lilith. What if she was hurting him?
"We'll make it," Lucas said in a low voice. "Don't worry."
I hoped he was right.
26
Priscilla
The sound of heavy footsteps, clanking metal, and the occasional growl and grunt filled the quiet gaps between rumbles of thunder overhead. My back was rigid, as anyone's would be if they were walking in front of Berith's massive army. It didn't matter that the rest of the Brotherhood and Samael were here with me. Up close, Berith's warriors were even more terrifying.
The roaring monstrosity I had faced in my first trial had nothing on many of the other hulking beasts in her army—some, I was fairly certain, were actual beasts. And many had exceptionally long and armor-clad horns, which I had come to take as a sign that a demon was very old and strong.
"Hey, so, this might not really be the time, but—what's with the eye situation?" Amberlynn asked, clearly unaffected by the legions of demons behind her. "It's creepy as fuck."
I touched a hand to the side of my face and grimaced. I had nearly forgotten. "Long story short? I almost joined Lilith. Samael gave me his blood to stop the transformation. It didn't take all the way, so I'm some sort of weird mix now."
"Just trying to keep track of your mess stresses me out," Lucas chipped in with a laugh. "Haven't even been down here a week and you're already some janky hybrid demoness. But that's probably the best you could've hoped to get. I couldn't imagine anyone's blood beating out Lilith's. She's as old as dirt."
I had a feeling that was why Gael called for Samael instead of just giving me his blood again. I was lucky I got another chance rather than Samael's blade to my chest. At that point, I had betrayed the Brotherhood and the unique brand of kindness they extended to me. All because I ran instead of asking questions. I shivered at the thought of how that could've gone. As forgiving as Samael seemed, there was a fearsome judge beneath it all.
Amberlynn tilted her head to the side. "I wonder if you're gonna eventually grow scales and shit like the rest of 'em?"
"No clue. Are you guys eventually going to get angel wings like Samael?"
"None of our former brothers lasted long enough to find out," Edwin replied coolly. "So your guess is as good as ours."
"Fuck, I hope we get wings," Amberlynn mused. "That would be so badass."
"You think you'll make it that long?" Lucas asked with a grin.
She punched him in the arm. "I'm reformed, you cheeky motherfucker. I didn't even kill Zachariah when I had the chance—and believe me, I wanted to."
"You putting in your application for sainthood soon?" I teased.
She gave me a scowl that was twisted by a smile she tried to hide. "Can you go back to being quiet and sweet? God damn."
I looked away as I held back a laugh and happened to catch Samael looking down at us from above. There was a faint smile on his face, tinged with both sadness and hope. I couldn't imagine what he was going through. Zachariah had to have been here for well over a hundred years.
I hoped he didn't think that meant he had failed. If Samael's goal was to redeem the damaged and unworthy, then all he had to do was look at his four remaining hunters. I had seen them all do genuine good. Even now, they were banding together to rescue one of their own. Never in my life would I have expected to call a serial killer a friend—but I had a feeling that was what Amberlynn was and would be to me. You succeeded, Samael.
I tore my eyes away from the dark angel as Berith, riding her nightmarish horse at the forefront, raised a clenched fist. I jolted and turned around as the warriors behind me grunted and slammed their weapons to the ground, setting off a chain that spread through the rest of Berith's forces. One row after another, they came to a thundering halt.
We're here.
I turned back around to see the sharp slope that led down to Lilith's sprawling palace up ahead. It was time to fight. Berith faced her army with her head held high.
"Lilith thinks herself fit to be ruler of Hell," she shouted. "My warriors, will we serve an impostor?"
A series of roars, growls, stomping feet, and clanging weapons made it clear that they wouldn't. Berith unsheathed her sword and held it aloft with one hand. "We fight to the death. Spare no one. We will not leave until the walls of her palace are painted with blood."
My eyes went wide. I wasn't sure what to expect from Berith, but I had foolishly thought that this was more of a get in, get Gael, get out sort of thing. But of course Berith didn't care about Gael—she wanted to destroy the demon who had scarred her. This was her chance to kill Lilith without repercussions.
Amberlynn leaned in close to my ear and said, "Get ready to run."
"What? Why?"
Berith swung her sword downward with a mighty slash. "We strike now!"
The cacophony that roared to life among Berith's warriors was so powerful that I felt the vibration of their shouts in my skin. Berith cracked her horse's reins, and it surged down the slope at breakneck speeds. The Brotherhood started to run after her and so did I. The thunderous footsteps of over a hundred thousand soldiers behind me was a good motivator to move as fast as possible.
As we descended in an uproar, the gates to Lilith's palace were already closing. It wasn't like our arrival had been subtle, so I wasn't surprised, but I wasn't sure how we would get in. Something told me Berith had herself a battering ram because she didn't falter in her pursuit. As my feet hit the ground, I began to notice a sudden bounce in the ground. It wasn't the hordes of soldiers behind me, but something else. Almost as if it was the beginning of an earthquake.
As it grew worse, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that there were massive creatures to the left and right of us, rapidly gaining ground. I dared to break my focus for a second to get a better look and nearly stumbled over my own feet in shock. The two relatively small groups of demons were easily double the height and probably three times the weight of the average human. And it was all muscle. I could tell because they were clad in nothing but loincloths—I honestly couldn't imagine much else would fit them.
They rocketed ahead of Berith, rushing toward the gates. When they didn't slow, but in fact picked up speed, I realized that they were Berith's battering ram. They spread out in a long line, even wider than the gate itself. When they crashed into the stone wall and metal gate, it all crumbled as if made of sand, and the juggernauts kept moving. The warriors behind me let out triumphant cries in celebration, their frenzied footsteps even faster and louder now.
I pushed myself further than I'd ever gone, testing the limits of my demon strength. It was either that or get trampled, because Berith's warriors were ready for a fight. I leapt over the rubble that was once the palace wall and ran for the entrance. Well, what was left of it. The demonic battering ram squad had made a new entrance, and it wasn't very pretty. The upper floors of the palace sagged and cracked, threatening collapse. Shocked pleasure demons stared out from the broken walls of the palace—woefully unprepared, it seemed.
At least, that thought at least seemed true until the first of us barreled inside to be met by simul
taneously the most beautiful and the ugliest army I'd ever seen. Intermixed with armed succubi and incubi was a mass of lamia. Samael stood in front of the Brotherhood, wings spread out to give us cover.
"Find Lilith," he shouted even as lamia curled around him and sank their teeth into his flesh. "Use this, if you must." He held out the stone—the one he said belonged to Ronove. I rushed forward to take it, hesitating as I eyed the lamia on him. He shook his head. "They're nothing."
Sure enough, I heard them cry out even as I ran into one of the side halls with the Brotherhood. When I looked over my shoulder, Samael stood in the doorway, blocking anyone else's entrance. Not only were the lamia gone, there wasn't even a mark on him. The sounds of battle still echoed throughout the hall as Berith's army clashed with Lilith's.
"I see why Samael forbade us from coming here," Lucas suddenly said, laughing as he ran. "I've never seen so many tits and asses in one place."
"They're pleasure demons," I replied with an eye roll. "Even I knew what to expect."
"Yeah, but I mean—damn."
Amberlynn snorted out a laugh. "He's got a point. Their armor is the stupidest shit I've ever seen. It exposes all their weak points just to show their naughty bits."
"Naughty bits? Really? That's where you draw the line?"
"I'm a fuckin' lady, Priscilla."
Hearing another faint snicker beside me, I looked over to see that even Edwin was smiling. I shook my head in disbelief. This was officially the happiest rescue mission I'd ever been on. But I couldn't laugh. I was too worried about Gael. My stomach turned at the thought of him being tortured, or worse. He might be an asshole, but he's my asshole. I wrinkled my nose. Poor choice of words.
I came to an abrupt stop as a weight slammed into my back. My smile faded as I blinked in confusion. I couldn't move. I slowly looked down to see the blade of a spear jutting from my stomach, shining with blood.
"Guys?" I called out, voice trembling.
I heard them all cursing and scrambling to get back to me, but the moment my attacker yanked the spear out, I fell to the floor. I looked up to see an incubus grinning down at me. Judging from the sounds of fighting around me, the others were occupied, too.
