Satanic Fortitude (Doomed Cases Book 4)

by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  She laughed.

  Huh?

  Yeah, she started laughing and then she pushed me and I landed on the sharp stones. A fiery pain shattered my vision again and I tried to use my energy for a counterattack, but she was suddenly using my own magic against me.

  I didn’t scream, but the pain was spreading across my forehead, burning my eyes and disabling me from the neck down.

  Alexis darted and then launched forward again and I pushed another burst of power at her.

  I waited, but nothing happened.

  Then she smacked me with the ball of energy and my body started convulsing, my teeth chattering, and a sharp slice of pain shot up over my spine. It felt like she was pressing a burning hot metal to my back.

  “Feel it, mongrel whore, just a little bit more, before you die,” she said, standing a little further away from me. A stream of rippling power burst out of her.

  Fear balled in my core, and that tiny voice in my head was telling me that she was stronger. My arms shook when I tried to lift myself up. Slowly darkness began creeping on the edge of my vision. Then I screamed and felt like the skin on my left thigh was being torn apart.

  “No one is coming to save you. The pits will devour your useless body and you will never die. Soon you will be one of many souls, little mongrel whore.” She laughed, causing more lasting pain that spread everywhere. I couldn’t move, my muscles were trembling, and the smell of burning flesh clogged my throat.

  What the hell was wrong with me? Why wasn’t I fighting back?

  These questions began surfacing in my head, but the pain was distracting me. I squeezed my eyes shut, and I felt blood in my mouth.

  “Lucifer was only using you for entertainment. You never meant anything more to him,” I spat out, wanting to distract her.

  I sensed her circling around me, growing agitated and angry as my words were getting to her. There was no one else in here, and no one was coming to help me. This was my fight and only mine.

  “Shut up, you whore,” she screamed, balancing fire balls on her palms. Drops of sweat broke over the nape of my neck.

  I stood up and a slow, unnerving smile twisted her lips, and it felt like I was being hit with the heated air.

  Then I let out an inhuman roar and threw a ball of light down under her feet. The energy crackled over my palms, causing her to dance around. Blood was pouring down my left thigh and I had several deep cuts on my face. I felt dizzy, but I needed to get to the sword.

  Alexis screamed with fury, trying to use her magic to destroy my ball of light while I ran. My legs were moving, although my body screamed with painful seizures.

  I managed to get to the rock where the shiny object was stuck between the stones.

  “I’m immortal, a reborn soul, and you don’t stand a chance. The messenger sword won’t give you any advantage,” she yelled, sending a wave of energy that must have cracked my ribs the second I grabbed the sword’s grip.

  I went down on the ground, but didn’t let go of Paul’s precious possession. Several breaths later I was standing back on my feet and my heart pounded in my chest. When I held the sword in my hands, it was like taking a breath of fresh air for the first time. Pain and exhaustion eked away, and a low buzzing energy was slowly filling my system. The blood thrummed through my veins giving me the strength that I needed.

  My eyes registered movement on my right. Alexis had vanished from the space in front of me. The wind picked up and I tapped into my source until the sparks of electricity started streaming down my arms.

  “Any final words?” she roared suddenly appearing right opposite me. I parted my mouth, feeling the warmth from the sword slowly diminishing.

  Then Alexis rose a few inches above the ground and pounded her energy in my direction. In that moment I knew that it was her last deadly spell. She launched herself at me with everything that she had.

  Time slowed down or it was my mind that was showing me what she was truly capable of. I saw her demonic energy speeding towards me, and it was poisonous, deadly magic.

  I heard her laugh in the background, so I did the only thing that I could. I lifted Paul’s sword to protect myself and shut my eyes. I felt the energy hitting the blade, felt searing heat moving through me, and my hands trembled. My whole body was suddenly charged with unbearable heat, my fingertips were burning, and I just had to hold on to it for a few more seconds.

  I was ready to drop the blade, Alexis had won, she was stronger.

  Maybe my precious time with my daughter was never meant to be. It was always just an illusion, a wish that could never have been fulfilled.

  The end never came, or at least it didn’t hurt. Seconds rolled by and I heard a scream, so I opened my eyes.

  Alexis was lying on the ground, and it looked like she was hit back with her own spell. Her body was smoking and she was shaking. I dropped the sword and ran to her, forcing my tired body to move.

  Half of her face was burned, skin torn, and I could see her raw flesh. I had my small knife in my right hand and was turning it around, knowing that this was it. She opened her right eye and stared at me for a moment. I hesitated, waiting for my father to appear to give me a go-ahead. A twisted smile returned to her face and then I remembered all the evil things that she had done, so I made a choice.

  She had suffered all this time when she walked on earth with her heart broken, being humiliated by the greatest demon in hell. Maybe Lucifer would want her in the pits, but I wanted her to die. I needed to end this once and for all. By killing her I would avenge Arthur, and all those other demons and humans that she had murdered.

  “Go to hell, bitch!” I roared and stabbed her directly in her heart. She tried to lift her hand, but my magic scorched down, ripping her poisoned heart and soul apart.

  Her body turned into dust in a matter of seconds and I stayed in the same position, holding my bloodied knife in my hands.

  I dropped on the ground, breathing hard with tears in my eyes. My battle with Alexis came to the end, and she was now gone forever.

  I lay there for a while, trying to steady my heart, enjoying the silence for a long moment, contemplating everything that had happened.

  I didn’t know how much time had passed, but at some point I turned my head to the side and saw a tall, dark figure coming towards me. Moments later I lifted myself and stared at the gold sword that lay next to me.

  I wished that I could see Arthur one more time. I never had a chance to tell him how proud I was that he was the father of my child. Over time I’d regretted that I got involved with him, my time in the palace, but all of that made me stronger and a better person. Arthur had given me the most precious gift—my daughter, Summer.

  “She’s gone forever and I have taken her life away,” I said, when Lucifer approached me. He seemed satisfied with the outcome.

  “I’m proud of you, Maxine. Alexis had shown tremendous strength, but you have defeated her,” he said.

  I didn’t feel any pain anywhere. The dried blood and my wounds were gone. There were so many other things that I needed to ask him, but I had no idea where to start.

  “I hope she’s dead, truly dead? She won’t be able to reincarnate or something like that?” I asked, just to be sure.

  “She’s dead, but her sinful soul always belonged to me. She had caused too much pain and she’s gone back to the place where she was born,” Lucifer explained.

  “So what happens now? Can I go back upstairs?” I asked, remembering the agreement that I made with him.

  “Alexis made your life a little bit difficult, so we need to fix that, I suppose,” Lucifer said with a smile. “But are you a hundred percent sure that you want to get back? You could stay in hell. Things aren’t bad here. My offer still stands.”

  My father—I still wasn’t quite used to calling him that—was offering me a place by his side. I was baffled, and amused by his proposition.

  “No, thank you. I don’t want to stay in hell. My life is back in London. My daughter and
my friends are there. It’s time to start over. Besides, what would I do in here?” I asked.

  “Help me run the underworld, change the lives of mongrels and campaign for equality. As my daughter you would be fully respected here,” he explained.

  I still couldn’t believe that he was offering me such a power. I knew that I could do so much for mongrels in hell rather than back on earth, but there was that other life that I left behind.

  “It’s a very tempting offer, but this isn’t me. I’m not interested in ruling the underworld; it’s your job. Alexis’s charms must have stopped working, and I can make everyone believe that she was the one that murdered Arthur,” I said, knowing that this was going to require a lot of effort, but I was ready to clear my name.

  “That’s a shame, because you would have been great,” he said, sounding genuinely disappointed.

  I smiled to myself, thinking that from now on everything was going to change. My life, Zach’s, Emma’s, Ricky’s, Paul’s and even Cyril’s. Of course I couldn’t forget about Zara and Matilda. All these people that I met on that complicated journey were part of the new era.

  “I would still campaign for equality on earth, if you let me. It’s a real challenge, but it’s time to shift things around there,” I said.

  “How about you take the role of head of the faction in the palace? Now that Rodriguez is gone, I think for a change I have to have someone in there that I fully trust.”

  My jaw dropped and for a moment I just stared at him, baffled that he was even suggesting something like that.

  “What about my business, the agency, and royals? They wouldn’t accept me there.”

  “You can still have your beloved agency, and I will give you an assistant for your work in the palace. I’m sure you would be able to handle all your duties,” he said. “And as soon as you return, demons will know that I have nominated you to that position. The royals won’t interfere.”

  I took a deep breath, imagining myself being back in the palace. Ricky had handled things in Doomed and I was still his partner. Maybe Lucifer was right, maybe I needed a change. If I was the head of the faction, no one would be above me, no one would tell me what to do.

  “Send me back and I’ll accept it.”

  Chapter 30

  “I am the way into the city of woe, I am the way into eternal pain, I am the way to go among the lost. Justice caused my high architect to move, Divine omnipotence created me, The highest wisdom, and the primal love. Before me there were no created things But those that last forever—as do I. Abandon all hope you who enter here.” ― Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy

  “Hey, let me out of here!” I shouted, punching the trapdoor in Paul’s basement.

  I heard several nervous steps and then someone finally pushed the flap door up. Several pairs of eyes stared down at me. I had never been happier to see my friends.

  “Max, what the hell are you doing out there? Are you all right? We all thought that you were dead.”

  It was Ricky that asked the question, and I instantly wanted to laugh. They obviously didn’t have much confidence in me if they thought that Alexis had managed to finish me off so quickly. Zachary was holding his little niece in his arms. He looked a little better, but he was still awfully pale. Even Emma came from upstairs and now she was smiling at me. Paul was standing behind Ricky, beaming too.

  “Alexis is dead. We fought in the pits and, to be honest, I thought that I wasn’t going to last long, but thanks to Paul, she has been defeated,” I said, when Ricky offered his arm, and I managed to squeeze back out. The small storage under the door-trap was only deep enough for one person. I couldn’t believe that Paul came up with something so silly, and yet his plan worked out for the best.

  I went down on my knees and picked up Paul’s sword and then handed it to its owner. It shined, but the tip was slightly burned. The evidence of Alexis’s energy had died with her.

  Ricky smiled, and Paul patted him on the back.

  “So what happened after? How did you get back?” Emma asked.

  “Lucifer showed up when Alexis’s corpse turned into dust,” I explained. “We had a little chat. Alexis and Rodriguez’s spells are fading away as we speak. Oh, and you are all looking at the new head of Lucifer’s faction.”

  Everyone around me looked as confused as I was when I heard his offer.

  “You’re joking, right?” Ricky asked.

  “No, my father wants me to be his eyes in the palace. I’ll have an assistant, so don’t worry. I won’t abandon the business,” I assured him.

  “Oh my Lord, Maxine, that’s so exiting. I hope that I’m not fired or anything? Alexis caught me by surprise. I’m sorry,” Emma said, jumping up and down. She was obviously feeling a lot better too.

  Paul, Ricky and Ronan, they all looked baffled and a little unsure, as if I was not able to handle that kind of responsibility.

  “Let’s get out of here and celebrate. Paul, pick up some champagne,” Zach shouted, finally breaking the silence.

  We all went upstairs and I started going over what happened in the pits. We sat down in the empty pub. Zachary held Cornelia on his knees, stroking her hair gently, when Paul opened his best bottle of champagne. This whole thing felt surreal and I still couldn’t quite believe that Alexis was no longer a threat.

  We all talked and laughed, and when Cornelia had fallen asleep in Zach’s arms, he carried her upstairs. We weren’t in a hurry to leave and we didn’t care about the time.

  Later on, probably in the early hours of the morning, Paul switched on his old TV and I was stunned to see that I was cleared of all the charges. Lucifer must have still had a certain influence on earth, because he didn’t waste any time with his promise.

  “Let’s toast Prince Arthur. He was a loving and caring man, who will always stay in our hearts!” I said, lifting my glass, knowing that Arthur was a great man.

  Everyone around me shouted cheers and I knew that from now on nothing would stop me from being happy again. I had my ups and downs, made mistakes in the past, but now I was staring over.

  “For the new era, for changes that are about to come!” Paul added, and we all toasted the words that I was too afraid to say.

  “She’s has fallen asleep, bless her,” I whispered to Zachary, gently stroking Summer’s blond locks.

  She was lying on my lap looking so peaceful. We were in the park for the past hour, and she had been playing around with Zachary’s niece and other kids. That must have exhausted her.

  She was with me and I still couldn’t believe it. This wasn’t the time to get emotional, but the past few weeks were filled with joy, happiness and tears. I just felt incredible.

  After we all celebrated in the pub and the morning arrived, the news broke around the city. I had been officially cleared from all the charges and the royal family released the statement blaming Alexis Brown for Prince Arthur’s death. Lucifer acted quickly, sending a few demons to fix the mess that Alexis had created in the palace. After all, she was no longer a threat and I needed to start putting my life back in order.

  Emma went home to see her daughter and Ricky insisted on going with her. Paul told me that he needed a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.

  Zachary had to take tired Cornelia home and speak to Zara. And Ronan decided to stay in the city for a few more days. He had lived alone for years, but I didn’t question his choice. He probably just needed to be surrounded by people again.

  The next day. I used my magic to renew my connection with Matilda. I couldn’t wait to see my daughter. It’d been a long time coming.

  “Cornelia is a high-maintenance little madam and she must have exhausted her. We should head out. Both girls are probably starving,” Zachary suggested, squeezing my arm harder, and then he kissed me.

  I lifted Summer off the bench and started carrying her towards the road. Zach called Cornelia, who didn’t look too pleased with the fact that we were leaving.

  I remembered the moment when I saw my da
ughter again. That was almost two weeks ago now and a lot of things changed. I arrived at my flat and Matilda was already waiting for me there. For some reason I was nervous, still a little exhausted from my battle in hell. It had been two long years, but I was finally relieved that I could have some time with her.

  I opened the door and Matilda was sitting on the sofa, holding Summer in her arms. I refused to break then, but emotions shattered me instantly. Suddenly the tears were streaming down my cheeks.

  My own daughter was staring back at me with her wide blue eyes and she was the spitting image of her father. She was unsure of what to do at first, but then gave me a wide bright smile. I didn’t expect this. I wasn’t able to figure out how she knew who I was.

  “That’s your mummy, Summer. I think you should go to her. She would like to hold you for a bit,” Matilda whispered.

  I reached out for her, falling apart all over again, and my heart pounded like crazy as my gaze stayed on her little face.

  She ran to me and I squeezed her tightly, unable to stop sobbing. I never wanted to let her go.

  “You smell funny, Mummy, but I like it,” she said and I smiled, meeting Matilda’s eyes.

  “Don’t worry. Soon I’ll smell only of beautiful things,” I told her, and then mouthed a thank you to my warlock friend. Raw emotions were climbing up my throat. Matilda knew that things were just about to change and I was grateful for everything that she had done for me.

  “They are staring again at us. I think that I’ll never get used to it,” Zachary said, pulling me back to reality. I needed to stop going over what happened in the past. Everything was fine, and my friends were alive. It took Summer a while to get used to me. The little girl was bound to be confused. She suddenly had a new mum.

  I glanced back at a few demons that were staring at us from the other side of the road. One of them waved at me, and before I had a chance to react, Cornelia waved back giggling to herself. Both demons looked slightly confused and I couldn’t hide a smile. Lucifer had stuck to his promise. I was officially his daughter and at times this new attention was overwhelming, but I dealt with it the best I could.