by J. C. Diem
Everything inside me melted at his protectiveness, but I staunchly told myself not to be an idiot. This wasn’t a fairy tale and he wasn’t my prince charming. This was real life and there was a very good chance that I was soon going to die. After seeing the pain that Leo had suffered from entering the portal that led to the shadowlands, I knew that my guardian couldn’t follow me. Angels couldn’t enter hell and demons couldn’t enter heaven. That was one rule that could never be broken.
Gulping in fear, Sam nodded frantically. “I promise that I will do my utmost to ensure her safety.”
“See that you do,” Nathan said and released him.
“Are you done?” I asked him with exaggerated patience.
He gave me a cool nod. “Samuel and I understand each other. He is aware of your importance to me, and to the entire world,” he added when Brie and Leo slid him sidelong looks.
My heart lurched again, but I tried not to read anything into his words. He’d been tasked with being my guardian and it was his job to look after me. That didn’t mean he had actual feelings for me. Besides, he might look nineteen, but he was millions of years old. I wasn’t sure what I was yet, but there could never be anything between us. He was close to perfect and I had all the usual flaws that all humans suffered from.
“Let’s go, Sam,” I said. Rubbing the bruise where Nathan had grabbed him, he followed me through the door.
As soon as we’d both cleared the doorway, the door slammed shut with a resounding boom. My heart lodged in my throat and the blood almost sloshed over the rim of the bowl when I jerked in surprise.
Sam leaped at the door and tried to turn the knob, but it wouldn’t budge. I tried not to give into the instant panic that rose inside me at the prospect of being trapped inside the narrow alleyway. “Here, hold this,” I said and held out the bowl. Taking hold of his terror, he cupped it with both hands. I dipped the brush inside and drew a rune that was a mirror image for the one on the other side. The nick in my hand was still bleeding, so I pressed my palm against the symbol and mentally crossed my fingers. We both heaved a sigh of relief when scarlet light flared.
When I opened the door, our companions looked relieved as well. “At least we now know the hellscribe was telling us the truth,” Brie said as I handed Leo the bowl and brush. “The wards no longer bar your way. Be warned, once you leave this realm, your bracelet will no longer work. You cannot count on the spell to hide you from the hell spawn.”
“We will see you both when you return,” Leo said with as much confidence as he could muster. Sophia gave us a worried smile and Nathan’s expression held a tinge of frustration. He was entrusting my safety to a creature that he loathed and he wasn’t happy about it.
“I’ll bring you back a souvenir,” I joked and closed the door before I could give in to the temptation to flee for my life.
Now that the moment had come, I was almost gibbering in terror. Sam was even more afraid than I was. His camouflage was in full force and I could only dimly make out his silhouette as he stood with his back to the wall. “You don’t have to come with me,” I said.
“You are the first person to show me kindness in over four hundred years,” he said in a shaky voice. “You are my friend and I will not abandon you.”
“Thanks, Sam,” I said softly. “I’m really glad you’re doing this.” I held my hand out and he took it. I gave his fingers a tug and he peeled himself away from the wall.
Long and narrow, the gloomy alleyway seemed to stretch on forever as we hurried along it. Spying mist lying low on the ground up ahead, I knew we must be coming to the end. It was hard to tell exactly when the portal ended, but I realized we were now in the shadowlands.
Just like in my dreams when I’d spoken to my inner demons, there wasn’t much to see. There were no walls, ceiling or sky, just a vast nothingness above and around us. The mist rose to knee height as we traversed across what seemed to be an open plain. The ground was packed dirt without a shred of grass or trees in sight. Sometimes, cobblestones appeared as we presumably crossed over old pathways that had been abandoned long ago.
I caught glimpses of things moving in the mist, but they were distant and didn’t seem to see us. It wasn’t exactly comforting to know that we weren’t alone here. I realized I was gripping Sam’s hand tightly, but he didn’t seem to mind. He wore a hoodie like mine and the hood was pulled so far forward that his face was almost invisible. Only the tip of his nose showed.
It wasn’t easy to tell which direction we were heading in. Like Sophia had advised, I trusted my instincts and tried to walk in a straight line. I wasn’t sure how far we’d travelled before Sam became alert. I’d been watching my feet rather than the nonexistent skyline. My head jerked up when he squeezed my hand. Far in the distance, I saw the dark silhouette of a wall.
“The gate should be close,” Sam whispered.
“Awesome,” I whispered back as butterflies started winging their way around inside my stomach.
It took longer than I’d expected to reach the wall. Tilting my head back, it was so high that I could barely see the top of it. Made of slick black rock, a skilled climber might have been able to scale it, but I’d be sure to fall to my death if I tried it.
“Which direction should we take?” I asked, peering left then right. I couldn’t see a break in the wall at all.
“What do your instincts tell you?” Sam replied.
“To give up on trying to find the master gate and to run like hell and never come back,” I said gravely. Amusement momentarily broke through his fear and he gave me a rare grin.
“You summoned me?” a deep voice said from right beside us. I nearly shrieked in surprise when a section of the wall shimmered and disappeared. In its place was the very gate that we’d been searching for.
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty-Six
What appeared to be an unbroken wall had just been a clever illusion. Made of wrought iron, the gate was impressively large. It stretched at least fifty feet into the air and was about thirty feet wide. The bars were pitted and rusty, but they were thicker than my arm and were in no danger of crumbling. Intricate patterns climbed between the bars all the way to the top of the gate. After a moment, I realized they were images of human souls being tormented in ways that I hadn’t even known were possible.
Taking a few steps back, I was astonished when the patterns shifted to form a pair of eyes and a mouth. “Did you just talk?” I asked.
The eyes blinked and the mouth moved when it replied. “I see that I am dealing with a true intellectual,” the gate said sarcastically in a distinctly male voice. “Who do you think spoke? The gargoyles?”
Seeing movement above, I peered upwards as a pair of stone gargoyles swiveled around to face us. Squat and hideous, their faces were vaguely ape-like. Their bodies were mostly hidden by leathery looking wings that wrapped around them. Long, thin tails with arrow shaped tips were coiled around their feet. They were made of the same stone as the wall, but moved as if they were made of flesh. Their talons gripped the wrought iron tightly as they glared down at us. Sam shrank against me and sidled around until he was using me as his shield.
“Great, a sentient gate that’s even snarkier than I am,” I muttered. “I need to get into hell without its master being notified,” I said more loudly. “I hear I have to defeat you to make that possible. Is this true?”
Staring down at me in astonishment, the gate could only gape at first. Then he began to laugh. I could tell that he wasn’t faking it and was genuinely amused. Both gargoyles hissed, disturbed by the commotion. The great, bellowing laughter eventually petered out into giggles. “You, a puny, pathetic, fragile mortal wish to attempt to defeat me?” He almost went off into gales of laughter again, but managed to control himself this time. “Are you aware that I have never been bested?”
“Yeah, yeah, I know you’ve squashed countless demons like bugs.” I waved away his condescension. The pile of bodies had been on the other side of the ga
te. This side was empty of corpses. “I know you’ve never been defeated before, but I don’t have a choice. This is apparently my destiny.”
All amusement fled and he peered down at me. “What is this I sense?” he asked, speaking to himself rather than to me. “There is more to you than meets the eye. You have darkness inside you, human.” He was silent for a moment then his expression turned sly. “Or should I call you Hellscourge?”
“It’s as good a name as any,” I shrugged, feigning indifference and trying to hide how badly my hands were shaking.
“I have heard tales about you,” the gate mused. “It is said that you are unlike any being that has ever existed. Apparently, you are the only one who has the ability to avert the fate that awaits humanity if the denizens of hell escape.”
“That about sums it up,” I agreed. “I don’t suppose you’ll let us pass if I ask you nicely?”
The gate smiled and it wasn’t at all friendly. “I am afraid not, Hellscourge. No one may pass unless they complete the trials.”
“What trials might these be?” I asked.
“They are the nine trials that you must conquer if you wish to best me. Few have made it past the seventh trial. Only a bare handful have made it past the eighth. No one has ever survived the ninth.” His mouth turned upwards in a sly smile. “Since you are such an illustrious petitioner, it is only fitting that I alter the trials to suit your fame and prowess.”
“My prowess isn’t all that impressive,” I warned him uneasily. “There’s really no need to make things more difficult for me.”
“Oh,” he chuckled, “I wouldn’t want to deprive myself of the entertainment. It has been a very long time since anyone has dared to challenge me.” He grew serious and the gargoyles flexed their wings in anticipation. “Ready yourself for combat, warrior. The first trial will begin immediately.”
A faint squeaking sound came from somewhere to my right. Whirling around, I pushed Sam towards the wall where I hoped he’d be safe. Cringing against the black rock, his skin changed texture until he blended in with the wall seamlessly. Figuring it would be best to be as unhindered as possible, I pulled my dagger then shucked off my jacket. I left it on the ground next to my terrified companion.
Searching the shadows, my only warning of imminent attack was when the mist began to swirl. Something was coming towards me rapidly. My dagger began to glow even before I saw a creature appear out of the fog.
Pitch black, it was knee high and had a hunched back and a long, slick tail. My face contorted in disgust when I realized it was a gigantic rat. While they weren’t my favorite animal, I didn’t have a problem with them. My one and only phobia lay in another area.
Squeaking demonically, it raced towards me and sprang before I was ready. Its paws wrapped around my calf and its teeth tore through my jeans and flesh when it bit down. Pain immediately radiated throughout my leg.
“Get off me!” I shouted and tried to shake it off. Sharp claws dug in deeper and so did its teeth.
“Use your dagger!” Sam urged me and I remembered the weapon that was clutched in my hand. It flinched away from the scarlet glow, but it didn’t let go until after I sank the blade into its back half a dozen times. Falling onto its side, it feebly clawed at the ground as it tried to come after me again. I slashed it across the throat and it went still. A second later, it shimmered then disappeared.
“The first trial was just a test,” the gate said from behind me. “The second one will be a little harder.” More than a hint of glee filled his voice. This was probably the only entertainment he’d had since the demons had given up on trying to defeat him.
Just after he spoke, the mist swirled again. I only had a few seconds to prepare before something long and slender launched itself at me. I’d learned my lesson and I didn’t stand still and wait for it to attack this time. Sidestepping, I caught sight of a snakelike head with fangs that were a couple of inches long that dripped with venom. Razor sharp ridges ran along its back. Its scales were as black as the rock wall behind me, which made it blend into the ground and mist far too well.
Watching the path it made as it rapidly slithered through the fog, I was ready for it when it attacked again. It sprang at me and this time when I sidestepped, my dagger slashed out. Its screech was cut off when the blade severed its head just above a strange set of gills. Falling to the ground in two pieces, it writhed for a few seconds before it began to fade. Turning to mist, it blended in with the rest of the vapor that swirled around my knees.
“It’s just an illusion,” I murmured. Nothing in the trials would be real, but I was sure that any of them could kill me. “Two down, seven to go.”
“Indeed,” the gate intoned sourly. “The third trial will commence immediately.”
Something vaguely humanoid came out of the fog next. Only waist high, it ran on short stubby legs and was aided by long thin arms. As black as the other two creatures had been, it wore filthy black rags. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it had a scrunched up, hideously twisted face. It looked a bit like an evil little garden gnome. Chuckling to itself, it pulled a short sword from a sheath at its waist.
Moving almost as rapidly as the snake had, its gait was mesmerizing, which was probably deliberate. Its dagger slashed out at me and I parried it just as Brie and Leo had taught me. I kicked the gnome in the chest and its air whooshed out. Winded, it snarled, but I wasn’t going to wait for it to attack me again. Its eyes widened as my dagger slashed across its throat. The tactic had worked on the other two and it was just as successful on this thing. Black blood spurted from the wound. It fell to the ground and clapped a hand over the cut as it strangled on its own fluids. It began to fade, proving it was just another illusion.
If the Demon Lords hadn’t been inside me, I doubted I’d have made it this far into the trials. The rat hadn’t been particularly deadly, but the snake probably would have finished me off almost immediately. Just as I’d hoped, the hell spawn that were trapped inside me were helping to keep me alive.
“Prepare yourself for the fourth trial,” the gate said while I was still recovering from the third attack. He seemed slightly peeved that I wasn’t dead yet.
This time, my assailant came at me from the air. It had a serpentine body, a long tail with a spike on the end and talons that could easily rip me apart. The wings could only lift it about ten feet above the ground. I’d seen things like these in a computer game once and was pretty sure it was a wyvern. Flying towards me, it opened its mouth. Instead of bellowing in rage, it spat black fire.
“Look out!” Sam shouted, but I was already in motion. Diving to safety, I rolled away from the fire and felt the heat just miss me.
Laboriously turning around, once it was facing me, it made a second pass that was identical to the first. Now that I knew what its limitations were, I rolled out of the way of its fiery breath then pushed myself to my feet and sprinted towards it. Leaping into the air, I plunged my dagger into its back before it could fly too high for me to be able to reach it. Its scales were tough, but my blade cut through them easily. I yanked the dagger downwards, scrambling its internal organs beyond its ability to repair them. With a shriek of despair, it turned to mist and disappeared.
“Impressive,” the gate said spitefully. “But let us see how well you react to the fifth trial.”
A high pitched yowling made the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I turned to see a gigantic cat prancing towards me. The size of a lion, it was a strange mixture of several different big cats. It had a short mane, light spots on its coat and the head of a cougar. It hissed, revealing fangs that would have been at home on a sabretooth tiger.
“It is a hellcat,” Sam told me helpfully. From what I’d seen in the memories of past battles, the creatures were usually only visible to the challenger. The gates didn’t want to let any of the other demons get a glimpse of what they’d be facing. I wasn’t sure what would happen to Sam if I failed. He apparently couldn’t die and he couldn’t challenge the gat
e. He wouldn’t return to the others without me. I had the horrible feeling that he’d be forced to wander the shadowlands forever.
“That’s good to know,” I replied as the feline circled me. “Do you have any tips on how to kill it?”
“No, but I would advise you to stay out of reach of its teeth and claws.”
A hysterical laugh tried to bubble up at his sober advice, but I didn’t have time to voice it. The cat’s head lowered and its hindquarters rose. Its tail lashed and its ears flattened and then it sprang. Mouth and claws ready to rend and tear, it made a startled sound when I dived towards it while it was in mid-air. My dagger sliced the hellcat open from its chest to its stomach. It screeched in agony as its guts spilled out. Just like the others, it shimmered and faded from sight.
“That was easier than I thought it would be,” I said as I pushed myself to my feet. I hadn’t consciously launched myself at the hellcat. I had a feeling the combined minds of my posse of demons were behind my offensive moves.
Glowering at me now, the gate waited for me to get my breath back before he spoke. “You have survived the first five trials, but it is highly doubtful that you will defeat your next opponent. The sixth trial begins now.”
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Peering into the darkness, I tensed when a low growl came from the shadows. My blood ran cold even before the creature stepped into view. Even bigger than the hellcat, it looked a little like a Rottweiler, but was far uglier. Its head was misshapen, probably to accommodate the forest of fangs that sprouted from its mouth. Its feet made no sound as it padded forward. The mist barely stirred at all as it stalked me. It was black, just like everything else that I’d faced so far. Unlike the other opponents, the hellhound’s eyes blazed crimson.
