by Laurèn Lee
“You let your boyfriend drink my good booze?”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Charlotte sneered. However, at that moment, her stomach sank. Where was Adriel now? Was he okay?
“Stop thinking about him,” Liam teased. “He’s useless now. He can’t save you.”
“I wasn’t thinking about him!” Charlotte cried. “You’re such a pain in my ass.”
Liam laughed heartily.
“Come outside with me? The moon looks fantastic.”
Charlotte craned her neck to see outside. Liam hadn’t lied; a full moon reflected beautifully off the Erie Canal. “Well, maybe for a minute.”
Liam opened the door to their patio and let Charlotte step out first. “Just like old times, eh?”
“Enough with the reminiscing bullshit. It’s only been a week or so since we’ve been out here.”
“True, but it feels like a lifetime.”
Charlotte scoffed and sat down in one of their plush chairs which faced the water. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. For just a moment, she wanted peace, quiet, and the hope that one day, everything would get better.
11
Past
Adriel felt the heat immediately. Flames danced against his skin, but they didn’t burn him. In fact, they tingled and teased his body. He carefully opened his eyes and realized he was no longer at the inn, but instead, in a windowless black room where fire blanketed the walls and ceiling.
“Where am I?” he whispered.
“Welcome to Hell,” Lucifer chirped, appearing out of nowhere for the second time.
“Is this happening? Am I dreaming?”
“This is real, my friend.”
Adriel swung his legs over the bed, gasping at how quickly his body moved. He looked down at his shirtless torso and saw his abdominal muscles had doubled. He looked like a god—well, a demon. After all, he wasn’t in heaven.
“Wow,” he said, grasping various parts of his body. “I don’t even feel like myself anymore.”
“You are fitter, stronger, and more powerful. You are in the elite now. Happy to have you aboard.”
“I still don’t understand one thing,” Adriel said.
“What’s that?”
“Why me?”
“I can’t explain it exactly. All I know is the moment you were born, I felt your presence. I knew you would one day grow to be a force no one would dare reckon with. I’ve been keeping an eye on you for a very long time.”
“So I was born to be a demon?”
“It seems like it.” Lucifer shrugged.
“What about the canal? I wanted to steal a stake and become rich and powerful.”
“It never would have happened, son. George Cunningham, while distraught over his daughter, has almost as much greed as you. He would never have shared.”
“So, all the work I put in was for nothing?”
“I’m afraid so. Now, would you like to see the rest of Hell?”
“Let’s go,” Adriel said, empowered and drunk on his new sense of fearlessness. He needed to let go of his dream of owning a part of the Erie Canal now. It was done and over with. He had bigger and better dreams to focus on.
Adriel and Lucifer stepped out of the black room and into what had to be the entrance to Hell. If Adriel hadn’t known any better, he would have thought the entire place was burning down. But, no, the flames were what kept the area alive and intact. They stepped into a cave-like vicinity with high stone ceilings from which moans of despair echoed in all directions.
Adriel could feel the heaviness of the souls down here. He could feel the evil emanating from every person, or rather, demon. How could it be that a few hours ago he was seeking revenge on the men who killed Mary Elizabeth, and now he was a demon in Hell?
A gorgeous vixen approached Lucifer and Adriel. Her breasts pushed through her tight black shirt. Adriel had never seen a woman with so much exposed skin in public before. Her eyes carried dancing flames. She licked her lips as she gazed up and down Adriel’s body.
“Is this him?” she crooned.
“Yes, Angela. This is Adriel,” Lucifer said, looking briefly at his nail beds.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Master,” she said and bowed.
“Master?” Adriel looked at Lucifer incredulously.
“You are my second in command now, Adriel. Enjoy it.”
“Can I show you around?” Angela asked.
Both she and Adriel waited for Lucifer's approval. He nodded.
“Excellent!” Angela grabbed Adriel’s hand and pulled him closer to her. “You’re going to love it down here. And we’re going to have so much fun.”
Out of nowhere, Angela grasped Adriel’s face and placed her lips against his. His eyes bulged at first, but then the passion took over, and he returned her gesture with his tongue sliding against hers.
Lucifer disappeared and left Adriel to his own devices, including his new friend. Angela unzipped Adriel’s pants, and he gasped.
“Wait, what are you doing?”
“Giving you a proper introduction to the underworld.” She smiled.
“Right here? What if someone sees?”
“What? Are you scared?”
“No!” He said, puffing out his chest.
“Good.”
After Angela finished Adriel’s introduction, he pulled her up so she stood against the fiery wall behind her. She licked her lips again and winked.
“What’s next?” Adriel asked as he rubbed his hands together gleefully.
“Well, I figured I’d show you to your royal suite, and then you could thank me for providing such a great tour so far.”
Adriel raised his eyebrows. He’d never met a woman like this. Sure, a few whores back on Earth romped around town, but they expected payment. This she-demon seemed to enjoy every moment of their meeting thus far without expecting any payment in return. Well, except for sex, but that was a price Adriel was willing to pay.
On the way to his suite, demons left and right nodded and waved to Adriel like he was a celebrity. A few demons even bowed before him. Lucifer certainly had rolled out the red carpet for his arrival. He’d never seen anything quite like it; bottles of wine lay neatly on shelves all along the hallway to his suite. She-demons pranced around naked, and in the distance, shrieks of terror and delight rang through the air.
Adriel had a feeling he was going to like being a demon in Hell. He knew he was going to like it very, very much.
12
Adriel slumped over the bar inside The Hairy Dog with bloodshot eyes and an empty glass in his cold hands.
“You need a shower,” Cyndy said as she wrinkled her nose.
“Who cares?” Adriel grumbled. “My life is over.”
“Oh, hell, Addy. You’re embarrassing yourself.” Cyndy wiped down the bartop and tried to hide the smirk on her face. Although Adriel lost all his powers and smelled like a wet dog, she felt happy to have her friend back. He hadn’t spent this much time with her since they were lovers and he tried to convince her to become a demon, too.
Even though she fell out of love with him, she’d always love him as a friend. And, right now, he needed a friend more than anything.
“Have you talked to Charlotte?” Cyndy asked.
“No,” he replied haughtily.
“I’m sure she’s wondering if you’re okay,” she suggested.
“Why would she care about me? She’s got the Prince of Hell at home now.”
“Addy, grow up. You know that girl has feelings for you. Give her a call.”
“Even if she did want to see me, Liam would never let her,” he said. “Not to mention if I barged in, he’d kick my ass in a second.”
“I still don’t understand what happened,” Cyndy replied carefully. “You put him in a coma, took his soul, and then he woke up with powers?”
“Essentially, yes. I never thought Lucifer would betray me like this.”
“Well, he is the devil.” Cyndy shrugged.
“True,” A
driel scoffed.
“Do you have any idea why he’d grant powers to Liam?”
“He mentioned that I’d gone soft or some bullshit.” Adriel tapped his empty glass on the countertop.
“I think you need a shower instead of another drink.”
“Cyndy, please. I’m dying here.”
“No, you’re whining,” she corrected him.
“Whatever. One more drink, and then I’ll take a shower. Okay?”
“Promise?”
Adriel groaned. “Yes, I promise.”
Cyndy sighed and poured her former-demon friend one more shot of bourbon. She secretly hoped Adriel stayed away from an open flame. His sweat glands were excreting enough alcohol to make him flammable.
Adriel finished his drink and slid off the bar stool. “You have soap and stuff?”
“No, Adriel. I use the liquor to wash myself.” Cyndy rolled her eyes.
“Just asking,” he said and shrugged.
Adriel, weak and pathetic, climbed the stairs from the bar up to Cyndy’s loft. It looked the same as it had years ago, only there were fewer pictures of them together on display. Maybe it’d be hard for her to keep his memory alive. Complicated love has a way of tainting one’s entire outlook on life.
He turned away and focused on making it to the bath without falling over and breaking any bones. Apparently, he wasn’t invincible anymore.
Being human sucks, he thought.
Once inside, Adriel let the hot water pour over his less-than-god-like body. He couldn’t even look in the mirror without flinching. His ripped abs and toned muscles disappeared. All he was left with now was an average, somewhat flabby human body. He missed the fire in his eyes, too. He hadn’t felt this useless since, well, when he was human the first time around.
“Everything okay up there?” Cyndy called out.
“Yeah,” Adriel called back flatly.
“Don’t stay in there too long. You’ll dry out your skin.”
Adriel grumbled and swore under his breath. He wanted to be a demon again. He wanted his powers back. And most of all, he wanted to see Charlotte.
13
Past
Adriel’s first few years in Hell flew by. In fact, it took him several years to realize that time in Hell passed much differently than time on Earth. One year on Earth was the equivalent to one day six feet under.
The first time Adriel resurfaced under Lucifer’s command, he quickly realized anyone he’d known before demonhood was dead. George Cunningham, who’d survived the death of his only daughter, ceased to exist. Even the toughest of people were no match for time, and they definitely weren’t strong enough to beat death. Unless, of course, one gave up one’s soul to become a demon. Then, all hell broke loose, literally.
Once Adriel earned Lucifer’s trust, he was allowed to travel to Earth on his own to conduct the Devil’s bidding. At first, it was nothing more than simple tasks such as collecting the souls of those about to perish or searching for new demon prospects. Other times, Adriel was sent to kill people on his own if his master desired more demons specifically to act as underworld soldiers.
If Lucifer was the King of Hell, then Adriel was dubbed the Prince. Hell was like his wildest dream come true. Often, it was a non-stop party down there. Whiskey was his drink of choice, and brunettes were his woman of choice. There’d been no shortage of frisky demon vixens willing to rub horns with Adriel in Hell—not only because he was handsome and stacked, but because he’d risen to the top of the caste system so quickly. Demons who’d been in hell for hundreds of years still couldn’t have a one-on-one with Lucifer if they tried. Meanwhile, Adriel and Lucifer chummed around as if they were best friends or brothers.
Adriel, intoxicated by power, took full advantage of his new life as a demon. He had women in and out of his bed every day. Anything he wanted or desired, he’d have with the snap of his fingers. Women in Hell loved him, and all the male demons wanted to be him. Cliché, yes, but true.
Some of the women demons even started a competition for Adriel’s affections. Whoever culled the most souls that week would be able to talk to Adriel first. One day, a feisty redhead approached Adriel, and, without a hello, she leaped into his arms and smashed her lips against his.
All the demons surrounding them wolf-whistled and cheered them on. The she-demon ripped her shirt off and exposed herself to everyone watching. Adriel licked his lips but decided he wanted a little more privacy when he had his way with her, whoever she was.
Adriel carried the redhead to his suite and threw her onto the bed with commanding force. She giggled and spread her legs, beckoning Adriel to join her on the black, silky sheets. They spent the next several hours entangled with each other, and the sounds of multiple orgasms echoed through Adriel’s chambers.
Once exhaustion hit, Adriel told the she-demon to leave so he could get some rest.
“I thought I could stay a little longer,” she said, twirling her vibrant tendrils.
“Nah, I don’t think so,” Adriel replied.
The redhead huffed and puffed, but collected her clothes nonetheless.
During Adriel’s first Day of the Dead celebration in Hell, a group of blonde she-demons begged Adriel to come party with them instead of going to the demon-wide ball. The ball, lavish and ostentatious, promised a wild night filled with drinking, dancing and devious acts. Adriel looked forward to the first of many celebrations in Hell, but he couldn’t seem to pass up the blondes’ invitation, either.
He agreed to meet them after dinner, with Lucifer’s permission, of course.
“Be careful around those ones,” Lucifer warned. “They’ll get you into trouble.”
“Trouble? What kind of trouble?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
It didn’t take long for Adriel to understand Lucifer’s ominous counsel. The girls mauled Adriel once he entered their suite and wouldn’t let him leave for the next several days. Each of them wanted a piece of him, and while he obliged and delighted in their affection, he quickly realized even demons gotta eat and rest from time to time.
It wasn’t all partying, though. Lucifer sent Adriel on more and more errands the longer Adriel stayed in Hell. Adriel made a mistake one time, and only once, of not returning to Hell at the exact time Lucifer demanded. Adriel surely paid for his serious lack of timeliness.
As punishment, Lucifer chained him to a post in one of the many torture chambers and released a hundred snakes upon him. Each of the poisonous snakes bit and tore at Adriel’s core. While he could not die from their attacks, it didn’t take long for Adriel to wish he were dead.
Lucifer didn’t tolerate tardiness or a failure to comply with instructions. Adriel regularly saw other demons suffering far worse punishments than the snakes he endured for days on end. Other acts of punishment toward disrespectful demons landed them in torture chambers for decades. They cried and begged for help at all hours of the day. They scratched against the stone walls until their nails ripped off and the beds of those nails bled freely. Adriel refused to even speak of the torture Lucifer imposed against the other demons. He never disobeyed Lucifer again after the snakes. Never again.
When Adriel began visiting Earth more often on behalf of the Devil, he came across a dive bar near the Gates of Hell. It was there that he met Cyndy, the charming and hard-around-the-edges bartender.
Every time Adriel had bidding to do on Earth, he’d stop in The Hairy Dog to have a drink with Cyndy. Soon, they were inseparable. Both boasted an insatiable sex drive, but she was different from all the girls in Hell. Adriel and Cyndy grew close, and Adriel found any excuse in the world to travel to Earth to visit her. He’d stay for weeks on end with Cyndy, but once Lucifer called him back, he was forced to leave her side. And, because of the time difference, sometimes months or years passed before he’d visit The Hairy Dog again.
It wasn’t until Cyndy asked Adriel to turn her into a demon too that Adriel realized he was walking a thin line…a very fine l
ine. They’d known each other for over ten years, and Cyndy grew tired of waiting around for him. How would he explain this new demon to Lucifer if he fulfilled her request, though? Sure, he’d love to have her all to himself six feet under, but bringing her would only shed light on his lies. He didn’t consider almost-falling for a human as disobeying his master, but he also wasn’t entirely sure Lucifer would feel the same. Lucifer always told him to never get too close to the humans. They were inferior, and demons were expected not to fraternize with them for too long.
The day he told Cyndy he couldn't turn her into a demon was the worst day since he’d become one. She screamed and cried. She threw glasses and smashed plates. She broke down and told him to get out of her sight. He nearly heard her heart shatter in his chest, and for the first time in a very long time, maybe ever, Adriel felt guilty for hurting someone.
After everyone he’d killed, after all the damage he’d done, nothing felt as bad as hurting someone he cared about. That was, until, Lucifer gave him another task on Earth. Everything changed for Adriel when the Devil told him to run a car off the road and take the soul of a blonde woman wearing a gratuitously enormous engagement ring. Everything changed for Adriel when Lucifer demanded he use the girl to gather more souls on Earth. He wanted to further expand his army, and he needed Adriel’s help. If only he knew nothing would ever be the same after that.
14
“You never told me what was in the basement, you know?” Charlotte said, pursing her lips.
“You don’t want to know,” Liam responded.
“Yes, I do.”
“No, you don’t,” Liam warned.
“We can argue all day, but I still want to know what’s down there. I live here, too.”
“You want to see?” He raised his eyebrows.
“Uh, yeah?”
“Okay, love. Let’s go down there, then. And, don’t say I never warned you.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. She was tired of people, or rather, demons, treating her with kid gloves. She was, after all, a pretty tough chick. She followed Liam to the basement door and watched curiously over his shoulder as he pulled a key out of his back jeans pocket and unlocked the padlock.
