by Tara West
When I heard a commotion coming from the hall, I assumed Cam had returned. All moisture in my mouth went south when Aedan walked into the room with a pained look in his eyes. “Hey, we need to talk.”
Oh, great. He already found out about Boner. I stiffened my spine as I prepared for verbal war.
I warily eyed him as he fell into an oversized chair beside me. He dropped his head, groaning into his hands.
“What is it?” I asked. This wasn’t like Aedan at all. If he was angry with me, he’d be in my face, foaming at the mouth and steam shooting out of his ears.
He looked at me through hazy eyes. “They took my badge and my scythe.”
I moved to the edge of my seat, searching his eyes as my heart began to pound out a wild rhythm in my ears. Was Aedan saying what I thought he was saying? “Who took what?”
“I violated protocol when I let Sarge borrow my spare scythe. They fired me.” His lower lip trembled ever so slightly, and his childlike eyes melted my heart.
Oh, no! They can’t do this! Aedan loves being a Grim.
My hand flew to my chest as I struggled to keep my composure. “Can’t you appeal their decision?”
His expression hardened, and I could tell it was taking all his willpower not to break down. “Nope.”
Jack jumped down from the sofa and nuzzled Aedan before resting his snout on his knee. He stared up at Aedan with sad puppy dog eyes before licking his elbow and thigh.
“Thanks, buddy.” Aedan’s voice cracked as he patted Jack’s head.
I reached for Aedan’s hand. “I’m so sorry.”
His eyes darkened. “I’ve got to get that scythe back or pay a fine.”
“A fine? How much.”
He shrugged, flashing a sour grin. “Basically every credit I have.”
I squeezed his hand tight. “We’ll get the scythe back when we get Sarge.”
He shook off my grip as he slowly stood. “There’s no telling if he still has it.”
I jumped to my feet. “Well, I’ll just give you half my credits.”
His jaw dropped. “You won’t get into the Penthouse if you do that.”
“I don’t care.” My voice broke like shattered glass and I wiped the moisture from my eyes. “I’d rather be on level six with you than the Penthouse without you.”
Aedan stepped around my dog and pulled me against him. Those stupid tears of mine flowed harder, especially when he kissed the top of my head and told me he loved me. Didn’t those Grim Reapers care he’d battled a demon army and prevented an apocalypse? He should have been given a promotion, and instead he’d gotten the boot. And here I’d thought life was unfair. Death was far crueler.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart.” Aedan rocked me in his arms. “We’ll get through this.”
But how when he hadn’t been without his scythe in a hundred years? Aedan had told me he’d been a Grim since shortly after he died. I pulled back, looking into his eyes which were definitely wet. It was the closest I’d ever seen him come to crying. “Isn’t there some other weapon you can bring?”
A sheepish grin tugged the corners of his dimpled mouth as he pulled something out of his backpack. “Already got something. What do you think?”
I froze, and I got this feeling that all time had stood still as I stared at the thing Aedan had in his grip.
Could it be? No fucking way!
“Where did you get that?” I pointed at the rusty hammer with the long handle as a shiver stole up my spine. There was still crusted blood on the blunt end of the weapon.
“At a consignment shop downtown.” His grin nearly split his face in two. “It used to be stuck in some guy’s head.”
I stepped back, swallowing the bile that projected into my throat. “You don’t say?”
“Come on.” He grabbed my elbow, motioning toward the door. “We need to get going.”
“Wait.” I pulled out of his grip, searching his eyes with urgency. “You can’t go down there with just a hammer. I don’t think it will be effective.” How was he going to chop off demon heads and shoot fire bolts with a hammer? Besides, didn’t he need the scythe to summon the elevator back up to Purgatory?
Aedan’s brow furrowed. “What do you suggest?”
“Here.”
I spun around as Cam fluttered back into the room. He pulled the golden star emblem off his neck, dropping it into Aedan’s hand.
Aedan frowned. “I can’t take this.”
Cam’s eyes narrowed as he closed Aedan’s fingers around the star and pushed his hand away. “You can and you will.”
Aedan clutched the necklace to his heart before slipping it over his head. “Thank you.”
I looked at Aedan as the star glistened against his chest. “What is it?”
“It’s a wishing star,” he said with a gleam in his eyes. “This is going to make our trip a whole lot easier.”
I perked up at that. “Can we wish for anything?”
Aedan looked down at the necklace, tracing the shiny gold points. “I think so.”
Oh, this was awesome. Why hadn’t God given us one of these in the first place? “Then why don’t we use it to wish Sarge and Callum back?”
Cam chuckled. “It doesn’t grant those kind of wishes.”
“Of course not.” I threw up my hands. I should have known nothing in the afterlife was ever easy. “What can it do?”
“It brings aid to the wearer by transforming objects.” Cam pointed to Aedan’s hammer. “It will make your hammer a sword.”
Hmmm. That might work. I sure would have loved a wishing star when I was dying of thirst in Hell’s sweltering heat. “If Aedan’s hungry, he can turn the hammer into cheesecake?”
Cam and Aedan shared a condescending look. The kind of look one guy gives another when he rips a loud fart or watches his favorite player make a touchdown. The kind of look that wanted me to take Aedan’s hammer and shove it up both their asses.
“I think wishing for a weapon will be a lot more useful where we’re going,” Aedan said with a smug smile.
“Well, duh.” I planted my hands on my hips, channeling my inner-demon as I shot each of them a look that was hotter than the flaming pit. “I knew that. Forgive me for thinking gorging on cheesecake sounded more appealing than chopping off some demon’s head.”
Cam’s long golden hair swept across his shoulders as he bowed. “I apologize if I’ve offended you, Ashley.”
Aedan laced his fingers through mine and squeezed. The heartfelt look in his eyes said he was sorry, too. Awww. I squeezed Aedan’s hand back and leaned into him. I wasn’t offended anymore. I guessed getting my ass kissed by two hot guys made it all better.
I looked up at the gleaming star around Aedan’s neck. “King Og has this same necklace.”
“It was given to him by another member of The Council,” Cam explained.
“Whoa.” My jaw practically hit the floor. “So the pyramid and the delicious food was provided by the star?”
“No.” Cam frowned. “Those things were provided by The Council as well. The star only grants wishes to the wearer.”
Well, that sucked. I was hoping Aedan would be my own personal genie, wishing me up some chocolate and pedicures to make my time down below more bearable.
“This will definitely come in handy.” Aedan beamed. “Thanks, Cam.”
Sure he was happy. He got to make all the wishes.
Cam’s wings hummed, lifting him off the ground. “My pleasure. Just do me a favor and don’t lose it.” Little creases I hadn’t noticed before formed at the corners of his eyes. “A wishing star in the hands of a demon is dangerous indeed.”
Aedan tucked the star into his shirt. “I shall guard it with my soul.”
I did my best not to cringe as I thought about the trials we’d face below. I was certain demons would try to steal the necklace from Aedan. I hoped Cam’s gift wouldn’t turn out to be a curse, and I prayed Aedan had better luck keeping track of the star than he did his scythe.
>
An ear-piercing scream echoed through the house, rattling the walls and my eardrums. Though I’d never heard Mar scream before, I’d listened to enough of her grating voice to know that was her. Aedan, the valiant hero, had released my hand and was already racing toward the hall, followed by Cam who flew behind him. Guess Mar figured out the ultimate way to get attention: scream like a banshee.
I trudged after the guys, swearing under my breath. I knew it had to be something stupid, like she’d chipped a nail or stepped on a spider. I was met with a mixture of shock, horror, and then amusement when I saw Mar clutching a hand to her heart while shielding her eyes. She’d fallen on the landing while Boner stood at the bottom of the stairs, his long dong slapping his thighs as he shifted from foot to foot.
“What’s going on?” Aedan stormed up to Boner.
Mar peered between her fingers as she pointed at Boner’s swinging snake. “I refuse to go anywhere with this man.”
“Boner?” Aedan’s eyes bulged as he waved erratically at Boner’s flaccid fire-hose. “Where are your clothes?”
Boner threw up his hands in a defensive gesture. “I don’t wear clothes when I ghost. They fall off.”
“It’s indecent and immoral,” Mar cried.
Oh, she was so in for the shock of her eternity once she got to Hell. Indecent and immoral would take on a whole new meaning. Even though I wanted her to come with us about as badly as I wanted a double-dose of period cramps, I was actually looking forward to her reaction when she met up with her first demon.
Aedan’s shoulders bunched up like he was wearing one of Mar’s corsets. “You’re ghosting? I didn’t hear the alarm.”
Boner turned up his chin. “I’m coming with you to save Sarge.”
“Like Hell you are!” Aedan roared.
“But Ash said I could go.” Boner nodded at me.
I backed up a few steps, doing my best to fade into the hideous floral wallpaper. It obviously didn’t work, because Aedan nearly burned holes through my skin with his eye lasers.
He stormed up to me like a bull in heat. “I didn’t agree to this.”
Jack growled beside me. Even though my boyfriend deserved a good ass kicking, I didn’t want Jack to bite him. “Easy, boy,” I whispered.
He answered with an obedient whimper. This was not Jack’s battle. This was mine, and I was determined to put my angry bull boyfriend in his place. I balled my hands into fists and envisioned my ability to conduct lightning channeling through my veins, even though I couldn’t summon so much as a spark when I was in Purgatory. The energy I felt now was nothing but pure bitch, fueled by annoyance and something else: hurt. I was freaking hurt by Aedan’s treatment of me in front of everyone, especially in front of Mar. When we were alone together, he acted as if his world spun around my axis. When Mar was with us, I could feel her gravity pulling him from me. And what pissed me off even more was Aedan let it happen. He’d let her come between us, just like he agreed to let her follow us to Hell without so much as consulting me first.
I matched his glare with one of my own as he puffed out his chest like he ruled the roost. Who the hell did this guy think he was? Bullying me with dark looks and steam practically pouring out of his nose. Had he forgotten I’d dusted a freaky demon king with lightning so powerful, it had created a sonic boom?
“And I didn’t agree to Mar,” I snapped.
He bore down on me with a scowl so hot, I thought I saw red flecks in his eyes. “So that’s what this is about?”
I gestured at Boner. “At least he’s been trained to fight demons. What can she do?” I glared at Miss Priss. “Not a damn thing, that’s what.”
Her lip hung in a pout as she crossed her arms. I recognized that look. It was the same one her bitch sister Katherine had given me when I’d refused to play her sick little sex game in Hell. I knew then Mar’s little tantrum was nothing more than a show. “I am the only one who can get Katherine to repent,” she said with a trembling voice.
Oh, please! I’d seen better acting from porn stars. I planted my hands on my hips, matching her pathetic pout with a scowl that was bitch times infinity. “Sorry, but she’s past repentance.”
Aedan laid a hand on my shoulder. “Ash, this is not open for discussion.”
I jerked away as if his hand was on fire. “Oh, really?”
“If she gets to go, so do I.” Boner stomped a foot, his dick boinging like a yo-yo.
“Oh, dear Heavens!” Mar shrieked. “Put that thing away.”
Aedan turned to Boner, heaving a sigh. “Put some clothes on, man.”
Boner pointed at Mar with an accusatory finger. “I have been ghosting for ten years. She’s probably never even seen a demon.”
Mar rushed down the stairs, and surprisingly, right up to Boner, tilting her chin as she glared up at him. “My sister is down there!”
He stomped his foot again, the sound of skin hitting skin reverberating through the room like a steel drum. “And my Sergeant is down there!”
Mar’s hands flew to her eyes. “Please cover yourself!” she cried in a voice more shrill than nails on chalkboard.
“It’s just a penis. All men have them.”
Actually, I wanted to tell Boner, men have penises. What you have is closer to the size and girth of a donkey. A very big donkey.
“Forgive me,” Mar said in a haughty tone laced with shards of ice and poison, “but I am accustomed to seeing men fully clothed.”
Boner shook his head, smirking. “You won’t see it once I turn into skeletal form.”
Jack trotted up to Boner and barked before sniffing his penis.
“Hey!” Boner crossed one leg over the other, pushing Jack’s muzzle away. “What are you doing?”
“He probably thinks it’s a chew toy,” I said wryly. Even though it had been fun watching Boner horrify Mar, it really was awkward the way he paraded his tube sock around, pretending twelve inches of flaccid flesh was no big deal.
“Please do cover yourself.” Laughter rang in Cam’s words as he leaned against the archway leading to the common room. “There are ladies present.”
Jeez, I couldn’t remember the last time a man called me a lady, but coming from Cam it sure sounded nice. If I hadn’t already been committed to Aedan, I’d be all over that angel like a gallon of rocky road ice cream at my house during PMS. Who was I kidding? I didn’t need PMS to eat a gallon of rocky road ice cream.
“Here.” Aedan grabbed a patchwork quilt off a nearby chest. “Could you please wrap a blanket around it?” He shoved it in Boner’s hands.
Boner frowned as he clutched it to his chest, thankfully covering all but the tip of his penis. “Basil hand-stitched this quilt. I might lose it down there.”
Aedan heaved a weary sigh as he ran his hand down his drawn features. “Boner, the fate of that blanket is the least of our problems.”
I had to agree with Aedan. I was more concerned about battling demons and whatever else the fourth level of Hell had in store for us. Then it hit me. Aedan had basically resigned himself to letting Boner go with us. Oh, wow. I didn’t know if I was relieved he’d capitulated so easily or even more stressed now I knew I’d have to worry about the safety of one more friend in Hell.
Callum “Dragon” O’Connor
Hell’s fourth dimension
How long I’d suffered my wretched imprisonment, I did not know, for it seemed minutes passed like hours and hours passed like days. I’d seen the town only briefly, illuminated by the glowing fires beyond, making the buildings appear trapped in eternal sunset. I’d find trouble there, so I stuck to the tunnels devoid of light save for the fire I breathed when I needed to see my way through the darkness. The top level of Hell was paradise compared to this place where the mosquitoes were as big as mice and my flesh constantly burned and itched.
I wondered if my brother would come looking for me at all. I was already doomed to a miserable fate in Hell. What were a few more levels to him? Besides, after he’d accused me of sed
ucing his woman, I doubted he’d risk his soul for me. I smiled when I thought of Ash. Her presence in my life, though brief, had been like a beacon of light cutting through a night as black as pitch. She’d brought laughter when I’d only known despondency. She’d brought peace where I’d only suffered strife. If anyone would come for me, it would be her. Even if she could only bring me back to the first dimension, I would be eternally grateful.
During my time here, I’d investigated the outcome of the two Nephilim cast down by Scorpius. Finding a giant in this God-forsaken place wasn’t as hard as I’d expected, for the landscape was an empty canvas of tumbleweeds and dust, reminding me of a desert wasteland. If it hadn’t been for the maze of tunnels burrowed into the ground, I would have baked in the heat or been eaten alive by the bugs. On the first day of my demise, I’d navigated through the tunnels, following the sound of thunder until I emerged above a huge pit. After turning two guards to ash, I’d crawled to the edge, amazed at what I saw below. It reminded me of a mining quarry. Demons with chains around their ankles worked tirelessly breaking apart dark, silvery chunks of rock, delivering the fruits of their labor to two giants who heaved heavy laden buckets toward the top of the pit via pulleys, where other demons took the stones away by cart.
The minerals must have been valuable to their enslaver. I’d seen him a few times surveying their work as he clutched a cloth to his mouth, repeatedly coughing into it as if he had the croup. I had no idea how this lanky man wearing a tailored suit and speaking with the grace of a southern gentleman had ascended to enslaver, but it seemed as if every demon cowered in his presence. I’d seen demons far more vile than him. This master had no outward demonic attributes, other than his unnaturally gaunt face and hollow eyes. I imagined he’d once been a criminal who’d starved to death in a jail cell for his crimes.
Whatever had happened to him in his mortal existence had only hardened him in the afterlife, making him a formidable tyrant. After the enslaver raised a white-gloved hand toward an unfortunate soul among the crowd, his guards wrestled the screaming demon to the ground, binding his hands behind his back and carrying him in a funeral-like procession up the winding road toward the top of the pit. While the enslaver waved a pistol around his head, barking orders, the guards hoisted the demon onto a wooden cross, ignoring his pleas for mercy as they nailed his wrists and ankles to the planks. When I heard the long, deep wail of a horn, I knew something sinister was approaching.
