“I have to admit, I thought you would be much harder to capture. I’m a little disappointed,” he sighs. His voice drops to a menacing growl, “But you destroyed my uncle, and for that… I'll make you suffer.” I don't respond to his threats as he begins to circle me, assessing my position. I let my hands freeze in their pursuit of the razor blade. “Would you like to hear my plans for you, Lilim?” I refuse to answer, and he continues with an amused grin, “First, I'll hunt down everyone you care about. I'll torture them while you watch, for as long as it entertains me. When I’m finished with them, I'll hand them over to Sasha—she’s my hellhound—and she loves Divine blood.”
I've heard this speech in my vision, and it doesn’t surprise me. He stops before me and crouches with a nefarious smirk. Lucian’s triangular face is clean shaven, revealing his smooth skin. His blazing eyes are lined with long, thick, black eyelashes. They're set wide and deeply hooded, framed by straight black eyebrows. Above his thin lips, his broad nose angles up slightly. The razor in my fingertips drops to my palms, and I begin to work slowly, cutting strands of rope. Lucian continues in his repartee, “Then, I'll make you my slave. I'll own you. You'll do exactly what I tell you to. You’ll kill my father, and I'll rise in his place.”
He stands and looks down at me like I’m the most disgusting thing he’s ever laid eyes on. Rage ignites through my veins. I growl up at him in defiance. I'll kill you before I let you hurt anyone.
Gripping a fistful of my hair, Lucian wrenches my head back to look him in the face. He bares his teeth, growling in my face with flames in his eyes. “You will suffer,” he snarls with a vibration in his chest, reminding me of a rattlesnake. I clench the razor in my hands in expectation. Raising his free hand, he backhands me across the face, and my head snaps to the side as the taste of salted copper fills my mouth. The rustling of feathers echoes off of the aluminum roof above us. I glance around in hopes of finding Solas, only to see it's not him. I'm surrounded by Fallen lining the walls, keeping to the shadows. “No one's coming to save you,” his voice rumbles and hums in my ears.
A raven flies into an open window at the end of the warehouse and lands on its sill. I almost sigh with relief at the sight of him. I give Lucian a devious smile full of amusement and watch his jaw tense and twitch at my defiance. I mouth off, “Let me guess. You want me to give you my essence so you can use me as a controlled weapon against your enemies. And when I say no—which I will—you'll try to use the dagger hidden behind your back to threaten me. I'll still refuse your offer, and you'll attempt to kill me. Therefore, rendering me useless not only to you but to anyone who could contain me.”
He produces a blade from behind him and depresses its sharp point into my chest between the armor’s plates, but it never penetrates the armor’s reinforcements. “I see you've acquired your mother’s gifts.”
“And I see you haven't acquired our mother's gifts,” I mock as my bindings fall away. I slash his face with the razor blade. Deliberately falling to my back, I plant my feet in his chest with as much force as I can. Lucian flies back into the wall and slides to the ground. Standing up, the shadowed Fallen converge on me. I have no time to react or fight back. A dark warrior slams me to the ground as others flock to keep me in place. I watch as the Prince of Sheol rises from the ground and smooths out his suit. With a blink of an eye, his form dematerializes in a crawling cloud of black smoke and manifests before me. My eyes widen with shock as I observe the residual smoke dissipate. I quickly hide my surprise behind a scowl.
“Pick her up!” he bellows. The dark warriors erect my body to face him. “You will relinquish your essence to me,” he demands.
I chuckle under my breath at his annoyance and speak with unwavering audacity, “Never.”
My defiant crooked grin remains as his countenance morphs into hatred. “Then I'll watch you die!” He arcs the blade in the air, intent on plunging it into my chest, but a large hand seizes his wrist from behind. I can’t detect who it is, but I know his true face.
Solas.
“Lucian,” a voice I don't recognize booms from behind him. Its dulcet tone resonates oddly, grating my ears and itching my brain. If I didn't know any better, there were three men speaking with a unified voice. “She is not to be harmed.”
A regular Jekyll and Hyde, Lucian’s expression changes from malice to astonishment, to enjoyment, and finally settles on shame before facing the King of Sheol. Solas' transformed appearance into Lucifer stays cloaked in darkness, but I know it's him. Lucian doesn’t seem to notice it's not truly his father as Solas releases his wrist. “My apologies, Father. You're correct,” Lucian admits as he regards me again. He places a hand on the shoulder of my armor, and a smile creeps up his face. “After all, she is my sister in Darkness, and I should be more than willing to welcome her home.” Instantly, I'm enveloped within Lucian’s thick tendrils of black smoke. Its foul aura seeps into my bones and obscures my vision. When the smoke dissipates, I'm standing alone in a hot, dark cavern, shackled to the face of a rock wall by my hands and feet with only the light of mounted torches to illuminate my surroundings.
Chapter 29
You tend to learn a lot about yourself being captured and tortured for an unknown expanse of time by a sadistic creature. I for one, have learned my bones will mend themselves within an hour if they're broken or fractured. His little stretching device, he calls ‘The Rack,’ was an exceptional tool he used to enlighten me on that fact. I've discovered my skin will regenerate itself within forty minutes, whether it's been melted off with various boiling liquids, peeled off slowly with paring knives, or split open with a whip. I've also been educated on the point that I can't drown. Instead, I continually suffer a cycle of choking and regurgitating liquid. But the most important things I've learned are that pain is subjective as well as temporary, and with more agony afflicted upon me, the more resilient I become.
In the beginning, Lucian's visits were infrequent. As time has passed, they've become methodical. More desperate. If I have any concept of time left, I can expect his visits every two hours. My armor was stripped from me the first day I was transported into the stifling cavern, and my undergarments are barely hanging on by a thread at this point. I don’t remember the last time I ate, and the only hydration I've received has been in the form of waterboarding. It’s been explained to me that because I was transported straight from the surface and not the Veil, I’m still in the same physical form and my body was not left behind.
Has it been days? Weeks? Months? How long have I been down here? How much longer will he put up with my continual rejection? How long do I have until he kills me? How am I ever going to get out of here?
Phantom shadows of dark creatures dance and skitter along the rock walls surrounding me, making me skeptical of my mental stability. A soft and sultry voice calls to me from the darkness, “Hello, little pigeon.” My eyes flutter open to find the source within the cavern. She's tall and slender with charming curves and long wavy black hair. Everything about her is enthralling, down to her captivating stride. Her burgundy, Grecian gown is adorned with gold around the collar and waist and trails elegantly behind her. “I see Lucian has made you feel welcome in your new home.” A gentle smile touches her blood red lips as she glides towards me. “How delightful,” she declares, clasping her hands in front of her chest while raising her shoulders and eyebrows in unison before they fall with her heavy sigh. Her vibrant green gaze rolls over me, and I have to fight to keep my focus. She lifts my chin with the vicious point of her black fingernail. “Are you there, little pigeon?” she purrs.
My mind feels disjointed, and my speech is garbled as I try to speak through blistered and cracked lips, “Who are you?”
She lets my chin fall to my chest, and I struggle to lift it to see her face again. “Don’t tell me you don’t recognize your own mother, little pigeon?”
Mother? Why would Lilith be here? Why has Michael not made a decision? Is she going to help me?
“Lili
th,” I rasp, letting my head loll.
Her tone loses its amusement, “You may address me as ‘Your Highness.’ I may have birthed you, but only for a specific purpose. You will learn your place beneath my feet. You. Are. Mine.”
My mind becomes more lucid with her words, and the name she addresses me with isn't lost on me. I realize she's not here to help me escape. She's here to help Lucian succeed in taking possession of my essence. Any flicker of hope for the mother I never met vanishes, intense loathing replacing it. I find my voice stronger as I spit the words from my mouth, “I'll never be your pawn. I'll tell you the same thing I told Lucian. You may have me chained, but you won't break me. What makes you think you can change my mind?”
Lilith’s green eyes darken as she tries to retain her composure, “You do not want to force my hand. My methods of torture are far greater than Lucian’s.” She grips my face in her hand, digging the sharp points of her nails into my cheeks. Satisfaction, spite, revulsion, fascination. Warmth trickles down my jawline. The blood on my face makes her grin with promises of more pain. “What will it be, little pigeon? Do you release your essence? Are you ready to join the Darkness you were created for?”
The inside of my mouth begins to bleed as she squeezes tighter. I gather the thick blood on my tongue and spit in her face. “Fuck. You,” I wheeze with a gory smile.
CRACK!
The back of Lilith’s hand strikes across my cheek, splitting the corner of my mouth.
“She's quite resilient. Isn’t she, My Queen?” Lucian inquires, appearing within his residual cloud of black tendrils.
“Yes. Quite,” Lilith answers with intrigue and wipes her face with a small square cloth Lucian offers her.
“Maybe it's time to take things to the next level. It's been three weeks,” he suggests.
“Yes. Let’s introduce her to Sasha. I’m sure she's ravenous. If that fails, skewer her for the lower demons to feed on her flesh,” Lilith purrs as her eyes flicker with delight before she turns from me and saunters back into the darkness from which she came.
Lucian steps forward and grasps my throat. “Shall we?” His foul nature seeps into my bones and consumes my anemic frame. I blink once and am transported into a rusted steel dome cage surrounded by a moat of flaming lava for as far as I can see. My shackles are absent, and I collapse to the scorching dirt. The cage is immense and bare, save for the gigantic beast the size of a horse crouched along the far side.
Sasha.
I inch backward into a low crouch as to not make any sudden movements. The hellhound's snarl is deep and rumbling. She bares her shark-like teeth as her glowing red eyes flare and her black leather skin ripples with anticipation. There's nowhere for me to go, and I have no weapons to defend myself. My only strategy for survival is to hover at the apex of the cage and pray she can't jump that high. Spreading my wings inch by excruciating inch as not to startle her, I prepare to launch myself into the air.
Sasha observes my movements and takes a stooping step towards me. Her jackal-like ears pin back on her massive head. I begin to rationalize any further action. She’s a hellhound. Basically a dog, right? A demon dog, but a dog no less. Dogs smell fear. If I’m going to gain the upper hand, I can’t be afraid.
With gradual movements, I rise to a stoic stance and leave my wings spread wide to show my strength. Sasha takes another low step towards me. I fist my hands at my sides and let anger overcome the fear within me. I mumble, “If you bite me bitch, make no mistake… I will bite back.”
Sasha’s ears perk up and twitch towards my voice. I perceive the slightest tilt of her head. She takes another small step in my direction, her body minutely rising from her stoop. The growling ceases, and she sniffs the air between us. Remaining perfectly still, I don’t know what to expect from her. A pulsating cackle comes from her closed muzzle. It’s not as menacing as her growl and sounds more like she's trying to communicate by coughing. Keeping from any sudden movements that may spook her, I decide to take a chance. I lift my left hand in offering, letting my fingertips droop down in a gesture of kindness. Sasha stalks forward and stoically sits before me, ears erect and spine lengthened to make her even taller. She sits unmoving, resembling a depiction of the Egyptian god, Anubis. Letting my wings fold behind me, I let my hand fall to my side. “Why are you not attacking?” I ponder. Never making eye contact, she responds with a throaty bark that sounds like a walrus.
Lucian appears behind her, “Well, this just won’t do.” Flanking the hellhound, he scolds her, “Shame on you.” Sasha’s lips quiver in a silent growl, eyeing him with distaste.
I take a step back from them and feel my strength building inside of me. “Seems your pet's defective,” I sneer.
Lilith appears beyond the boundary of the steel cage, watching our interaction. Lucian sighs and pets Sasha’s leathery neck in soothing strokes. “No. She's confused by you. Your essence may be neutral—neither of the Light or the Dark—but your wings are as black as midnight. She takes that as a symbol of your allegiance.” He pauses to consider my retreat, resting his hands behind his back. “She'll only attack a creature of Darkness on my command.”
I consider Sasha’s overwhelming presence and crouch low in anticipation of her attack. She's not to be underestimated. Lucian bellows in a language I don’t understand, ordering the attack. Simultaneously, I leap into the air as Sasha rocks forward and swipes at my fleeing form. Her large paw connects with my ribs, slicing my side open wide and throwing me into the cage. My wings crunch against the steel before I tumble face first into the dirt. I roll onto my back, and Sasha lands on top of my insignificant frame, pinning me in place. I hear my chest crack before the intense pain shoots through my shoulders into my fingertips. She cackles, and her skin ripples with its tremor as I struggle to breathe with labored pants. I turn my face away and glimpse Lilith’s delighted countenance.
“Ah, Ah, Ah,” Lucian chants playfully to his demon pet. “Don’t kill her, Sasha. We need her alive.” Sasha snorts. A gust of searing, rotten breath caresses my cheek, and I squeeze my eyes shut. Her cackle echoes in my ear. I cringe and shrink further into the ground as I peer at her teeth from the corner of my eye.
“You fucked up, Lucian,” a familiar voice calls out of my line of sight. My chest continues to heave under the pressure of Sasha’s weight.
“Well, if it isn't Jackie Boy,” Lucian taunts. “Your father must be highly disappointed in you for coming here.”
“Not nearly as disappointed as your father for disobeying a direct order. I wonder what torture he'll find suitable for you.”
Lucian’s growl is followed by the pounding of footfalls and the clashing of weapons.
Azrael materializes beside Sasha and me. She whips her attention to him, and he places a gentle hand on her large head. Sasha staggers off of me, shaking her head with a sad bark. She stumbles into the side of the cage and collapses with a ground-shaking quake. Azrael holds a hand out to help me up. Wide-eyed, I take his hand and let him assist me in standing. “What did you do to her? Is she dead?” I wince.
“No, child. She is merely asleep,” he says.
I watch as Jack and Lucian fight fiercely against each other. Lucian kicks Jack in the chest. To my surprise, Jack only slides back a few yards as his feet dig into the dirt. Before he comes to a stop, he charges with sword drawn. Lucian parries away from Jack’s blade, but Jack spins on him and releases a shorter sword. It slices Lucian across the shoulder blades. Lucian turns into Jack, not expecting him to have time to react. His underestimation of Jack’s abilities is critical. Jack seizes Lucian’s neck between his crossed swords. Without hesitation, Jack leans forward and parts his swords, executing him. He stands with arms open wide as the Prince of Sheol’s corpse falls to the ground with a thud, and his head bounces across the dirt floor of the cage.
Lilith’s screams fill the atmosphere. I hadn’t realized she'd entered the cage with her back to me and Jack’s back to her. Advancing on Jack, she grabs the sides of
his head. Jack cries out in pain, and I don't think. I have no time to second guess myself. Before I understand what I'm doing, Lilith’s form is beneath me with her face to the ground. I turn her over and pin her arms down with my knees. Her eyes widen as I grasp her face. A freezing fire penetrates my palms and flows into her. The ringing in my ears is so deafening I can’t hear her screams. Her back arcs as I leer into her bright green irises. Dark red tendrils tinged with black flecks emanate from her chest and grow above us like thick vines. The extraction I'm coercing from her changes, and she begins to draw it back. Her dark essence withers back inside of her, and she vanishes from beneath me.
I cry out in frustration and punch the ground beneath me. My father approaches me as Jack picks me up and clutches me to his chest. Love, sorrow, guilt, relief. I collapse into his large frame, the exertion of the last few weeks taking a toll on my body. In my exhausted state, I have no tears nor words. I'm withdrawn, unresponsive, stupefied, and inert. Jack whispers in my ear, and I detect pain in his voice. “I’ve got you, Sunshine. I’ve got you.” He kisses the top of my head and smooths out my tangled hair. “I’m here. I’ve got you.” The comfort of Jack’s arms and his calming presence are a shock to my system in comparison to the torture I've been put through. Still, I can't force any movement from my extremities.
My father’s voice comes closer, “Let’s get her home.” Jack lifts me up and cradles me into his bulky chest. Azrael places a hand on my shoulder, and we depart Sasha’s cage within the confines of Sheol. We emerge in my dim lit room on the third floor of Jack’s manor. “I will inform the others of our return and urge them to let her rest,” Azrael says before turning to leave.
The Helio Trilogy: Volumes 1-3 Page 38
