The Devil's Apprentice: Book 2: Descent to Hell

by Patrick Stewart

  Alex was still exhausted. He could understand that. He’d just battled Satan, the actual fucking devil. He’d driven him back down to hell. He could understand why he was tired. But his head ached like he’d just awoken from the mother of all hangovers.

  Somewhat unsteady on his feet, Alex trudged towards the door.

  It was Melissa.

  The blue-skinned demon that worked in the same building as he did, doing security shifts. Alex hadn’t turned up for a shift in months. They’d probably fired him by now.

  “What do you want?” Alex asked. His tone came out harsher than he wanted it to. He had nothing against Melissa. She was actually a pretty nice demon girl. Hot too. A bit timid. She took a step back at his tone. “Sorry,” Alex mumbled. “I have a really bad migraine.” He turned and walked down the corridor and towards the kitchen. Water. He needed water.

  Alex gulped three glasses down. Melissa had followed him in. She stood with her arms folded across her chest, leaning against the living room door frame. She watched him nervously. Her eyes did quick glances towards his manhood. Alex hadn’t planned on standing naked in front of Melissa. But he was used to being naked in front of hot women. It didn’t bother him much. Why would it? He had the body of an Olympic athlete mixed with sculptures of Greek gods. And his cock was enormous.

  “What’s up?” Alex asked. “What time is it even?”

  Melissa glanced back at the glass doors in the living room and the sunlight pouring in through them. It was midday at least. Apparently, Alex had been asleep for a while now.

  “There’s trouble in Ignis Estate,” Melissa said.

  Alex sighed. Ignis Estate was the place where most of the demons in London lived. It wasn’t a great place. There was one word to describe it really. Shithole. It was grim. Large council blocks, graffiti everywhere, overflowing bins and rubbish piled in corners. Most of the stories of crime committed in the area came from that place. It was filled with poor demons. The rich ones, the ones that came from powerful families like the Azarath’s, they had their own country mansions and more.

  There was always trouble in Ignis Estate.

  Just a few weeks ago, Alex had killed a fellow Demon Hunter to put a stop to what would have descended into murderous rioting. He didn’t get many thanks for it, and whilst he didn’t do it for the plaudits, most of the demons in Ignis Estate hated him. They hated humans in general. What with a migraine and all, Alex wasn’t in the mood to help them out.

  He said as much too.

  “This is different,” Melissa said immediately. “The angels have attacked.”

  That was different.

  Angels and demons had a truce, signed between God and Satani, Satan’s devil sister. Angels and demons were supposed to stay out of each other’s ways. It seemed fair, but in truth the angels were arrogant bastards that did whatever the fuck they liked.

  Alex recalled the first time Karen had taken him to Ignis Estate. While they stood opposite the entrance to the estate, they spotted an angel doing the same. It just stood there and stared at the rising tower blocks.

  It wasn’t the first time Alex had seen an angel, but he remembered marvelling at how gorgeous it looked. As much as he hated to admit it, the mythology was right in terms of description. The angels looked amazing. White beings of light with wings. The demons looked hideous for the most part. There were some hot ones. Like Melissa. And Satani. Scarlett was hot too, but that bitch was hot in an intimidating way.

  “Angels do that sometimes,” Alex said. “They go into Ignis Estate and attack demons for shits and giggles, apparently. I’m sure they’ll leave after they’ve had their fun.”

  Melissa shook her head. Her body shivered. No, it was a tremble. She was worried and on the verge of tears. Alex’s annoyance at waking up with an incredible migraine faded away. It was Melissa. He really liked the girl, always had. She was worried and had come to him for help. Alex walked up to her and scooped her up in his powerful arms.

  “Hey,” he cooed in her ear. “It’s going to be okay.”

  Melissa shook her head. “The angels have attacked. Hundreds of them. They’re killing demons. We don't know who we’re supposed to turn to for help.”

  Chapter 3

  Karen wasn’t displeased when Alex woke her up. She smiled up at him lazily as her hand moved teasingly up her body towards her breasts. Her smile widened when Melissa walked into the room.

  “This is going to be fun,” Karen said. “Who’s sucking my cunt and whose sucking your cock?”

  Demon Hunters didn’t die of natural causes. They could potentially live forever. Alex didn’t know how long Karen had been a Demon Hunter for. Thought she didn’t look a day above twenty-one, he was sure it was at least a few hundred years old.

  After living for that long and seeing what they had seen, Demon Hunters changed. They were less restricted with their thoughts and feelings. Most of the Demon Hunters become assholes. Karen was an exception. She did enjoy sex though. And damn she had an amazing body.

  It was at this point did Felicity wake up. She rubbed her hair sleepily and sat up. “Hey,” she mumbled. Her eyes widened as she realised she was naked. She grabbed the duvet and pulled it up to cover herself as she scrambled back towards the soft headboard.

  “Where am I?” she asked. “What happened to my clothes?” Her eyes fell upon Alex, then trailed down to his cock. He was still naked. “Oh…” she said as realisation hit. “I remember you… I remember last night.” Her cheeks reddened. “I don’t know what came over me,” she let out a nervous laugh. “It was like… I wanted something and I didn’t care how I got it.” Her eyes rested on his cock once more.

  Alex was about to say something reassuring to Felicity when the girl raised a hand and pointed it at Melissa. “You’re blue,” she said. Felicity’s skin paled as she shook her head frantically. “She’s blue. Why is she blue? She has yellow eyes. Why does she have yellow eyes?”

  Felicity was panicking. Alex could understand. He’d freaked out the first time he’d seen a demon. Jamie Azarath. That guy actually looked like how you would imagine a demon to look like. He had red skin and black eyes. He also had teeth sharp like a shark’s and in rows of two.

  Melissa on the other hand, looked more like a cutie in body paint.

  As a gift to humanity, God had hidden away the true form of demons and angels so humans could live their short lives in blissful ignorance. It was happening more and more though. Humans were seeing demons for what they really were. According to Jamie, it was a sign of God’s weakening power.

  Alex had put a stop to Jamie’s plans of war between the demons and angels and spared humanity from the horrors that would have come with it. But if God really was weakening, humans were going to be in for a shock when they realised demons and angels really did exist.

  Chapter 4

  Alex told Felicity that Melissa was in costume, that she was dressed as Mystique from X-Men. Felicity bought it rather quickly and Alex wasn’t sure if he was a convincing liar, or if it was his aura that had persuaded the girl. He feared it was the latter. Felicity mellowed down far too much. That glazed look came over her eyes as they settled on his cock. Alex actually went looking for clothes to wear because she wouldn’t stop staring.

  After a quick breakfast, Felicity finally left the apartment. Once she was gone, Karen, Alex and Melissa set off for Ignis Estate, but did a quick stopover at Alex’s apartment. He needed proper clothes. Karen’s loosest fitting jeans were so tight, he wore them with all the buttons undone. Alex pulled on a pair of blue jeans and a white polo t-shirt. Once back in Karen’s car, they set off for the demon enclave.

  Melissa filled them in on what had happened.

  The angels came two nights ago. Dozens of them, maybe even hundreds. They kicked down doors and dragged demons out, herding them towards the town centre.

  Melissa had been on tenterhooks ever since she’d helped Alex bring down Jamie. She was afraid more demon assassins would come for her, so
when she heard the first scream penetrating the silent night, she fled out of her apartment window.

  She didn’t get far before she came across the angel. It wasn’t what she’d been expecting. Melissa had been fearing scary demons, not beautiful angels. But she knew what was what. Angels looked down on demons as if they were scum, dirt on the sidewalk. They sometimes came into Ignis Estate, usually drunk and looking for mischief.

  Melissa fled before the angel could stop her. She didn’t get far before she spotted another angel. Hiding in the shadows, Melissa decided to avoid the roads as much as possible. She climbed up the side of a tower block and onto the roof.

  From there, she realised something was horribly wrong. The estate was swarming with the god-like beings of pure white light. The angels were herding the demons towards the town square. Those that tried to escape were easily cut down.

  This wasn’t a random attack by a group of angels. This was planned.

  Chapter 5

  Karen parked her Porsche at the mouth of Ignis Estate. As they stepped out, Alex knew instantly that something was wrong. Wisps of black smoke rose up from the estate and darkened the sky above.

  Alex felt for his sword in its scabbard strapped to his back. The firm handle felt reassuring. Demon Hunters weren’t supposed to attack angels, but Alex had broken that rule already, along with many more. If it came down to it, Alex doubted he’d feel guilty if he made a few of the glorified pigeons flightless.

  At the mouth of Ignis Estate, to the left and right rose the great big blocks of concrete and steel. In the centre was a small patch of grass that demon children used as a playground. Beside the grass in a row were small corner shops. Whilst not fancy, they were solid structures of brick and cement.

  Except, they were now nothing more than rubble. It was like a bulldozer had smashed through them.

  “What the hell could have done that?” Alex muttered.

  “Angels,” Karen and Melissa said simultaneously.

  “They can do that?” Alex asked in shock.

  He’d encountered angels before. Well, he’d encountered two angels. The first time, the angel had flicked him away as if he were nothing more than a bug. That had been before his transformation, before he became a Demon Hunter. The roles had been reversed after that. Alex had kicked the glorified pigeon’s ass with ease. Staring at the destruction before him, he found it hard to believe they could do that.

  “Angels are like demons,” Karen told him. “Some are much stronger than others.”

  There were no angels in sight, but Alex still felt for his sword again. His fingers brushed against the handle as they continued inwards. Their path was littered with rubbish and torn down doors. Alex glanced up at the tower. The angels had broken into random apartments. Some floors hadn’t been touched at all. Other floors were completely ruined.

  Alex pointed up. “What did they do with the demons?”

  “Dragged them towards the town square,” Melissa murmured.

  It felt like déjà vu.

  That’s what the Demon Hunters had done a few weeks back after one of their own was killed by demons. They’d dragged demons into the town square and even killed a bunch. Why were the angels doing this?

  It seemed Alex would be getting an answer to his question pretty soon. They’d left behind the towering council blocks and were now walking through the narrow streets with the terraced houses of yellow brick and red roofed tiles. The houses hadn’t fared much better than the tower blocks. Some had doors and windows broken, others looked like they’d been slashed with long swords of fire. The broken bricks were black with soot. One house had its entire roof spread out on the front lawn.

  Even when the sun was shining brightly, the four angels standing at the end of the road were shone brightly. It really did bug Alex how magnificent they looked. Angels were complete assholes. They didn’t deserve to look divine.

  Alex pulled his sword out, but Karen placed a hand on his arm and shot him a warning look.

  “What?” Alex frowned.

  “Don’t kill them,” she said.

  “I wasn’t planning on killing them,” Alex muttered, annoyed. “What if they try to fight me, and then, accidentally, my sword sort of just impales them?”

  Karen shook her head forcefully. “No.”

  Alex rolled his eyes. He didn’t put his sword away though. It was comforting to hold in his hand. The cold steel was his friend. It had saved his life on many occasions.

  “I saved your life, asshole,” Lucifer said.

  It was true. While they had gotten off on the wrong foot, Alex was hoping things would be different now that Lucifer remembered who he was.

  “How are you feeling?” Alex asked. “Think we can take angels?”

  Lucifer didn’t respond immediately, which was different. Normally, he was full of confidence, some of which was misplaced.

  “Your body is different,” Lucifer finally said. “It’s good. It’s familiar, almost like having my own flesh and bones. I’m just trying to remember what that’s like.”

  “What’s the plan?” Karen asked, her wary eyes on the angels as they approached them. “Remember, we’re trying not to kill them. Or be killed ourselves.”

  She wasn’t kidding. Alex noticed how Karen’s hands weren’t near her hips. Demon Hunters were able to store weapons by their hips. There was some sort of invisible pouch there. Alex didn’t fully understand it, and it didn’t work for him. His longsword with the dull grey blade was pretty fucking clearly visible.

  The four angels weren’t standing about idly. They’d caught themselves two young demons. Both were girls aged about eighteen. They were pretty. Most of the younger female demons seemed to be on the prettier side, Alex noted.

  The angels had torn the girls clothes off. The two demons stood naked; their backs pressed against each other. Their bodies trembled in fear. The angels each held glowing white rods in their hands. They were taking it in turn to prod the demon girls. Each time they did it, the girls screamed out in pain and dropped to their knees, their bodies shaking.

  “Fucking assholes,” Karen muttered. “What’s the plan?” she asked again, but this time her hands hovered either side of her waist.

  Seeing her being ready for battle encouraged Alex. Karen was a stickler for the rules. In fact, she repeated them so often, Alex was surprised he didn’t hear her words in his sleep.

  “Dipshits,” Alex yelled out.

  The four angels turned to look at him at the same time. The glowing bastards were so bright, they dazzled him momentarily. Alex raised a hand to shield his eyes before squinting to adjust. Three of the angels were male. The fourth was a female. She was stunning. Angelic.

  “Did he just call us dipshits?” a male angel asked. He had long blond hair, as did the three other angels. They looked oddly similar.

  “He did,” said another angel. He casually shoved his glowing rod of white light against the demon girl’s breast. She cried out in pain and fell down once more. “Demon Hunter,” the angel then pointed the rod at him. “You’ve got five seconds to turn the fuck away before that happens to you.”

  Melissa, who was standing in-between Alex and Karen, but a foot behind, leaned in. “You’re not going to turn away, are you?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Despite the angel being amazingly beautiful with piercing blue eyes, Alex could see cruelty in them. He could feel it too. A coldness swept over him. This angel was more than just an asshole. He was evil. Alex wondered if angels had auras like demons did. Some powerful demons could control humans just by looking at them.

  Another time, and Alex might have been afraid of this angel. But he’d faced down Satan. This angel could stare at him with those cold eyes as much as he wanted to, but he wasn’t nearly as terrifying as the fucking devil himself.

  The three other angels now watched them with wary eyes. Their glowing rods of white light brightened in intensity. Alex already had his sword out and Karen joined him, pullin
g out two swords from her waist.

  “This will be fun, right?” Alex asked.

  “Sure,” Lucifer replied. “I’m tired.”

  “Haha,” Alex gave a nervous mental laugh. “What uh, what does that mean?”

  “I’m tired, dimwit. I need to sleep.”

  “You need to sleep?”

  “Yes. Sometimes I need to sleep.”

  “You’re going to do it now?” Alex wondered.

  Instead of feeling the heat that spread from his heart, the heat that gave him energy and strength, Alex felt panic rising. If Lucifer went to sleep, that would mean no super strength. Being a Demon Hunter, Alex was naturally stronger than any human. Much stronger and faster. But so were the angels. He would need Lucifer’s help to defeat the angels.

  “Couldn’t you have slept like you… when I slept?”

  “No, asshole,” Lucifer said, his voice grumpy and frighteningly, a little tired. “It doesn’t work like that. I’m going to sleep now.”

  “The fuck, dude?!”

  Lucifer sighed. It was strange to hear the entity inside him sigh. “Look, you’ll still be able to draw on my powers, okay. Your body is different. It can somehow connect with mine better than any I’ve inhabited before. You’ll be fine. Just do your thing, okay? Now stop talking to me and let me sleep before I become grumpy and fuck you up inside.”

  It was a lot of information for Alex to take in. Could Lucifer really fuck him up inside? How would that work? Would he attack his internal organs? Or would Lucifer possess him properly and take control of his body, then use his bodily parts, like his arms, to punch himself in the face? There was still so much to learn about Lucifer and how this relationship of theirs worked.

  Nah, Lucifer was fucking around, Alex decided, after a mini panic. He wasn’t going to try anything.

  The angels still stared at him, shooting daggers with their amazing eyes. They most certainly were going to try and fuck him up. Being a Demon Hunter, while it came with its perks, wasn’t going to be enough to defeat four angels. He would need to tap into the strength that came with Lucifer.