Hell in a Handbasket

by Mila Young

  Time passes. I have no idea how long I’ve been walking, but I’m sweating and growing cranky. I push away the hair stuck to my brow. This is not looking good. Come on, Aria, where are you?

  Searching left and right, I spot a dark form lying on the ground, unmoving amid the trees. The shrubs are fewer in this location, and I step toward it for a better look.

  My thoughts fly to Aria. Could it be her? Is she hurt? Dead?

  I’m running forward in an instant, my heart jammed in my throat. But a few steps away, I pause. The figure appears tall and broad in the shoulders, plus it has short hair. No, this isn't Aria. Relief washes over me.

  When I nudge the man with a toe, he doesn't respond, so I kick with my foot to roll him onto his back. He collapses, completely out like a light. His chest rises and falls with faint breaths, but the blood across his temple tells me someone clocked him good.

  I survey the surroundings. The trampled grass and crushed evergreens make it appear like whoever did this rushed downhill from this very spot.

  I step over the man and approach a faint footprint in the soil and crouch. I run a finger over the indent. It's small. Aria is small. Lines across the tread are horizontal, clear it's from a sneaker. Something my little girl wears all the time.

  When I look around me, I spot something else near the trees, and I stand to gain a better view of a dead lynx, a bullet wound in its neck. An empty chain lays beside it.

  Glancing back at the man on the ground, I see a shotgun lying near him, and I am certain now that Aria was here and knocked out this trigger-happy asshole.

  He starts groaning and lifts his head, glancing my way. Eyes squinting, he blinks and rubs his face.

  "Where am I?" he groans.

  Well, it might not be Sir Surchion, but it’s still an asshole just the same.

  "You’re in Hell." I lunge at him.

  The poor sucker doesn't know what's hit him.

  Snatching his hair, fisting and wrenching his head back, I drop to my knees and inhale. “Don’t move,” I command, pushing my power into my voice. He stills instantly.

  I open my mouth wide. Energy bites into my flesh like ants as I suck the soul right out of him. He tastes peppery and gritty, but it sates me. A newfound energy kicks in, and I take him in faster, filling myself with the stained tinge of his soul.

  In seconds, he's drained, and I let him drop back to the ground, a shell of himself. His cheeks are gaunt, skin gray and wrinkly like he’s aged in seconds. I crack my neck and exhale, feeling ready to ring circles around this mountain.

  Shaking myself, I call back my demon beast, knowing that if Aria sees me this way, she might keep on running. After seeing how she reacted to Cain’s demon, I certainly don’t need that. My horns retract, the intricate tattoos across my torso vanish, and the stark silver falls from my hair.

  I stand and turn in the direction the footprints headed, then I sprint back down the hill, convinced Aria is near.

  The woods are a blur, and I listen for any sound, watch for movement, shadows that don't belong in the woods.

  A faint cry finds me, and I swing left in its direction, leaping down from a sharp ledge about ten feet off the ground down below. I land with ease and dart toward the sound that comes again. An animal, but there's something else. The downwind carries a whisper... a female voice. I smirk to myself.

  There she is.

  Dashing in that direction, I careen around lofty trees and jump over logs, my pulse on fire that I might find her.

  When I swing around several trees tangled together, I see what I long for.

  My Aria.

  My human.

  My addiction.

  It surprises me how much of an impact she’s had on me in such a short time.

  She's rushing forward, head low, dodging branches, and crushing over shrubs. Her top is ripped across a shoulder, the back of her jeans covered in dirt. Moving fast, she surprisingly doesn't make that much sound. She's holding something in her arms, but I can’t see what, and my first thought is that she took the harp’s pieces.

  I rush up behind her silently. “Are you lost?” I whisper.

  She halts, making me do the same, and whips around to face me. Fear pales her expression, and when I look down, I see she’s cradling a spotted cat against her chest. Not the relics.

  “Dorian!” Her eyes are wild, and she sounds surprised and almost unsure if she’s happy to see me. Smudges of dirt stain her cheeks and nose, a bruise beneath one eye, and she looks like she’s been lost in the woods for days.

  In flash, a dark shadow falls over the landscape, a bellowing roar following in its wake.

  Aria ducks, cradling the animal. The forest trembles around us as I stare up at the dragon swooping over the woods. Then I drop my gaze to the cat, which I now notice is a baby lynx, and put two and two together.

  Of course Aria would take the kitten from the hunter. I wouldn’t expect anything less from her.

  “Where are the relics?” I ask, standing again.

  She huffs. “With the psycho dragon, I barely made it out alive, so he can have the damn things.”

  My gut clenches at her flippant remark. I remind myself she doesn’t understand our predicament and the relics’ importance, but damn, we were so close to having three of the seven! So fucking close. Now we’re back at square one, only with a dragon standing in our way this time.

  "Let’s move. Our car is at the bottom of the mountain," I tell her, already starting to walk. She hurries to my side to keep up.

  "Cain and Elias are here too?" She glances around the woods for them.

  "Yes. But they are ugly and scary enough to look after themselves. My priority is getting you away from Firebreath."

  “I didn’t expect anyone to find me.”

  I tilt my head and cut her a narrowing gaze. “Didn’t expect or didn’t want?”

  She scrunches up her face, looking like she’s about to burst out laughing at my implication, but it’s fake.

  "Of course I'm happy to see you," she finally says, then keeps moving forward, cooing to her little pet.

  Her intentions aren't lost to me. She had every resolve to run away from the dragon and from us.

  The little girl hasn't changed her stripes.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asks as she ducks under a branch.

  “Just surprised you still have plans to escape from us. I thought you were starting to enjoy living with us at the mansion.”

  She stills and looks at me. “Are you serious? I don’t have a choice but to live there, so I make the best out of it. Don’t mistake my acceptance for enjoyment.”

  Her brazen response impresses me. “So you’re telling me there is nothing about staying with us that makes you want to stay of your own accord.” I step closer, studying her. “Tell me, Aria, what do you really want?”

  She blinks up at me, her eyes glazing over for a moment, and I wait for her response.

  “Freedom,” is all she says.

  “That's all?”

  “What else is there?” She shrugs as though all the problems in her life could be fixed so easily, then begins to stride down the hill. I close the distance quickly.

  Cain, Elias and I once had the same naive belief on freedom. We wanted to give it to those under Lucifer's tyranny. Fuck yeah, we're from the underworld, but we're not monsters. We wanted to free the masses from the devil's daily torture and dictatorship. We had support. Or, at least, we thought we did. It seemed like an easy goal, but we'd been foolish to think others would fight alongside us when standing at Lucifer’s gates. Everyone ran like cowards, and the three of us were left to face the Lord of Darkness alone.

  Some days I question why we bother chasing down the relics to return there. We could make a life for ourselves up here—we’ve had a cushy start already. We could snack on all the souls we want, enjoy all the pleasures this plane brings. But even I know the honeymoon stage won't last forever. Maverick's recent visits attest to Lucif
er's interference. He won’t leave us alone for much longer. I feel our so-called freedom up here on Earth sliding away quickly. So, like Cain says, we will fight to the end.

  “What are you brooding about?” Aria tosses the words over her shoulder at me just as the dragon roars somewhere in the distance.

  “Brooding?”

  “You make these huffing sounds when you're thinking something dark and menacing.” She wrinkles her nose as if trying to replicate the noises I make.

  “I don't think so. And if you haven't noticed, I'm here to save you. You're welcome.”

  She pauses in a small clearing where the sun falls perfectly over her head and shoulders, illuminating her gorgeous long hair, her pouty expression, and her dark eyes. Fuck me, she's beautiful. Her lips are full and moving, but I haven't been listening. I only catch the tail end of it.

  “...and you can go back to where you came from. I'm fine on my own.”

  I laugh. I love her all fired up. The way her shoulders bunch up, her mouth tightens, and her eyes spear daggers into my chest. That’s how I like my girls… feisty.

  She whips around, huffing, while her little cat makes crying sounds like it's agreeing with her.

  “Remember the contract,” I reply, suddenly sounding like Cain, and I mentally kick myself.

  “Yes, I know, you own my soul, blah blah.”

  My mouth parts, but my response flatlines when I spot the dragon swooping toward us, wings spanned outward and mouth gaping open. Fire already flares from his nostrils, and the air suddenly smells like burning coals.

  That’s when I realize my mistake, my horrendous mistake. My stomach drops to the pits of Hell.

  Aria stands in a clearing and has been spotted by the creature.

  She doesn’t even see the danger diving toward her from behind because she’s too busy glaring at me.

  “Out of the way!” I bellow, throwing myself toward her.

  Panic-stricken, she clutches the lynx tighter to her chest and twists her head toward the dragon barrelling at us from above. A small cry of panic falls from her lips. The cat screeches.

  With razor-sharp teeth exposed, the dragon unleashes an inferno from his mouth.

  My veins freeze over, and terror clings to my mind like cobwebs.

  Everything happens so fast.

  I collide into her as our world morphs into darkness from the great beast smothering the light. We hit the ground with a hard thud.

  Flames erupt, licking across my back and the side of my face. Fiery agony envelops me, and for a moment, I’m paralyzed, unable to take another breath. Dragon fire is unlike any other. It rips through anything.

  I have just enough strength to roll off Aria and flop onto my back in the grass. She scrambles onto her knees, crying out with dread.

  “Shit, shit, shit! Are you okay?”

  Through the canopy, the dragon’s dark form flashes, and terror seizes me. Despite the pain, I push myself to my feet and snatch her arm. “We have to move!”

  Holding onto her wrist, we run for our lives. Behind us, the dragon sears a straight line through the forest. The blaze roars almost as loud as the creature. Smoldering heat chases after us, the intensity overwhelming. Flames crackle and snap, swallowing the woodlands behind us.

  I half-drag them both in my speed. Aria struggles to keep up with me, but she doesn’t complain. We’re both desperate to get out of range.

  I haul Aria down a steep hill, my heart jackhammering just as fast. Quickly, we leap over a small creek and sprint into the woods. I can’t let her get hurt, not under my care. Behind us, the woods burn, dark smoke curling upward.

  When I look between the branches again, I watch the dragon swoop up and out of sight. Maybe he thinks he’s gotten us? Or maybe he’s given up? I don’t know. But once I’m sure he’s gone, I jerk Aria toward a large tree, and we use the few seconds to catch our breath again.

  “Which way?” Aria rasps, her voice strained. She glances left and right. The woods spread in every direction.

  “We need to keep going down. The car is at the bottom. Ready?”

  Her face pales, but she nods anyway.

  “Follow me.” I take her by the hand again and wrench her to the left—not directly downhill, but still in the opposite direction of the blaze. My hope is that it’ll be enough to throw Sir Surchion off our trail if he decides to come this way again.

  Not wasting a second, we move fast, and I wrap my arm around her waist to help her keep up. She’s gasping for air but never slows down.

  I don't know how long we’ve been running, but when the smell of smoke is fainter, I slow and come to a stop. Pine trees crowd in around us, the sweet scent heavy in the air. Better still, the sky seems to be dragon-free.

  Aria sucks gasps of air into her lungs. "That looks like it really hurts," she murmurs, reaching for the side of my face. “Are you okay?”

  I wince the moment she touches the raw flesh. Since we’ve stopped running and my adrenaline has calmed, the pain rises, the sharp kind that feels like my skin is boiling. I don't even want to know what the true damage looks like. I know I’ll heal—demons have a faster ability to heal than humans, as long as we feed—but that doesn’t make the pain any less excruciating.

  "It's just a flesh wound,” I assure her. “I’ve been through worse.” Which is true.

  Her warm, worried eyes meet mine, and I could swear she truly cares about me in those few moments.

  “I’ll survive,” I say and blink to break the eye contact. I don’t want her to be concerned about me, not when we’re still trying to escape. “Are you alright?” I take her by her shoulders and turn her around to check her body for damage. She’s all clean.

  “Fine.” She snuggles up to her little cat. “You saved us. But you could have burned to a crisp.” Her voice shakes, and I bring her closer to me. Well, as near as the lynx in her arms allows.

  “I’m not going anywhere. I’m a tough sonofabitch to kill. But you, I need to protect you with my life.” As the words slip past my lips, all I can think of is the black outline of her shadow back in the warehouse when we found her. The thing stood upright like its own entity, ruby-red eyes shining toward us. So maybe I’m underestimating exactly how much protection she needs.

  She doesn’t turn away but tucks the lynx under her arm and leans in toward me. Unable to stop myself, I slide my hands up and cradle the sides of her face so our lips brush. A thrill buzzes through my gut, and soon, she’s kissing me tenderly and without a care. I’m not used to the sweet stuff, but Aria does things to me I can’t explain. For some reason, when it’s coming from her, I adore it. She’s warm and soft, and just from our connection, I can feel her compassion for me. Her gratitude. The chemistry between us is unquestionable.

  When she breaks away, I groan in protest, and the lynx shoves its head up between us, physically pushing us apart.

  Catching her lower lip between her teeth, her cheeks blush. “You don’t need to risk your life for me. No one does. But thank you.”

  I smirk. “Little girl, if your ‘thank-you’s’ always come with a kiss like that, you have yourself a personal guard.”

  She laughs. “Let’s get out of here. I’ve had enough of these damn woods.”

  “Agreed.” We make our way down the hill once again, and I can’t stop sneaking glances her way. She is full of surprises. Absolutely mesmerizing. She stands shorter than me, long, almost black hair framing her face, her dark eyes glinting. Slim built, but curvy in her hips and perfect breasts. She never backs down, and I don't think she knows how to be anything else. She grew up with a hard life, fighting for everything. And in all honesty, I don't want a girl who's a pushover or fawns all over me. I can get that from any woman under my influence.

  Except, I feel different around Aria.

  Something in the back of my mind tells me not to get my hopes up, to remember she doesn't want to be with us. Though, she's not going anywhere while we own her soul. Still, doubts nudge forward about the ti
me when we will face Lucifer and our past. I am under no illusion that the train wreck isn't waiting to happen. So how exactly will Aria fit into that?

  The lynx's cry draws my attention to it, leaning its chin on her arm and staring at me. The little thing has taken to her. Already I see the protectiveness in its eyes when it comes to Aria.

  There is so much mystery around her, isn't there? As we reach another creek, we step across rocks large enough for our steps to cross the water, and I ask, "Why did you steal the orb from Sir Surchion?"

  “Does it matter?” She doesn't look at me as she responds, just keeps walking faster.

  “Immensely, actually.”

  She shrugs and steps over a shrub as she scratches the cat's head. “I needed money and my friend told me about this new artifact in his antique store. All that shit has landed me here.”

  “Wait, so you were simply stealing it to what… sell it to make money?”

  “You got it, Einstein.”

  I scratch my head. “So you steal a priceless relic from a dragon, and—"

  “To be fair, I had no idea he was a dragon or I would never have stolen from him.”

  I continue, “Okay, I can accept that, but then how did you track down both of our relics in the mansion?”

  She looks over to me, wearing a serious expression, then pauses before speaking. “I stumbled onto the string piece after I heard it singing. And the second was similar. Drums.”

  I remember Elias mentioning her saying something about hearing the cord sing, but I didn’t believe it. How could I?

  “Why are you three collecting relics anyway?” she asks, turning the tables on me.

  “They are crucial for our future,” is all I give her, hoping it’s enough to satisfy her questions.

  The crunch of twigs steals the conversation, and I lift my head just as Elias steps out from the shadowy woods to my right, Cain right on his heels.

  Elias lowers his head, telling me he's been following our scent to track us down. But he didn't find Aria first, and when he meets my gaze, I can't help but grin.

  He repays me with a glower.