by Michael Todd
“You can’t even come down yourself and fight me. You send your minions to try to distract us. But don’t worry, when we killed them, we let them know you were responsible.”
Moloch smacked the side of his head with one hand like he was trying to knock a thought loose. “Shut up! You don’t know the slightest thing about me.”
Katie scoffed. “Please. What is there to know?”
She backed up to the rock wall and slipped her hand behind her back. She grasped the handle of a hidden dagger in her belt and carefully drew it. Moloch had been so pissed that he hadn’t seen her hide it.
He shook his head and put out his hand. He counted his accomplishments on his fingers. “You don’t know anything. I was the reason all those cities across the ocean felt our wrath. I was the reason Incursion Day happened. Without me, your pathetic kind would still be hunting us down in the shadows. I got T’Chezz killed on purpose. I’m turning the world’s eyes toward hell, and I will be the one who kills the almighty Katie. I will be the one who delivers Lilith to His Majesty on a platter.”
“For most of those, we were there to head you off. You fled every single time. You left mass graveyards full of bodies and filled the world with hateful racist rhetoric. You haven’t actually done one single thing to better this country.”
Moloch laughed loudly. “You will never fully understand the paths I have taken. You will never know the sacrifices I have made. Though I do have to admit, I can’t take credit for the lava flow. It was fantastic, it just wasn’t my idea. Do you know whose idea it was? Beelzebub.”
Katie’s lip twitched. “So what? He’ll die like you will.”
Moloch shook his head. “No, see, that’s what you don’t get. You will never be able to kill him. He’s been up against much worse than some little girl playing superhero. But hey, I’ll take credit for the lava flow if it killed some of the people you loved. What was the name of that poor boy, the one who helped with fighting? Oh, yes. Brock.”
Katie gritted her teeth. “Don’t you say a word about him. Don’t even let his name cross your lips.”
Moloch’s brow furrowed, then a smile played across his lips. “Oh, boy. Someone is pretty sensitive about that. What’s wrong, little Katie? Did you fall in love with that boy? Did mean Mr. Beelzebub cover his pathetic corpse in lava?”
Katie stepped forward. “Shut up!”
Moloch leaned his head back, his laughter echoing through the canyons of hell. “Of course, I have no idea what happened to him. I knew he was there with his team. I remembered them all from their little expeditions into hell. If he’s dead, don’t worry. I’ll find his soul in hell and plant it next to yours in my soul catcher. You two can spend an eternity writhing and screaming in my fireplace.”
Moloch leaned against a boulder and nonchalantly crossed one foot over the other. He picked his teeth, laughing as Katie struggled to keep herself upright. “I bet if he did die, Brock cried like a baby the whole time.”
Adrenaline mixed with anger flowed through Katie’s entire body. It would only last a moment, but for that moment her legs worked again. She closed her fist around the hilt of the hidden dagger and ran forward. As she vaulted over a rock, she pulled her dagger from her back and slashed it at Moloch’s head. His eyes went wide for a moment, and he ducked to one side. She hit the boulder he had been leaning against and grunted, knocking a huge chunk from it.
Katie breathed heavily, shoving the dagger in her back pocket. She leaned down and picked up the boulder. Moloch backed up, waving his hands to stop her, then tripped and landed on the ground. She lifted the rock and slammed it down on his scaly head. When it made contact, there was a cracking noise. The rock began to crumble in Katie’s hands and she stepped back, looking for the next weapon to assault the demon with.
She figured if she couldn’t trick him, she would just have to beat the ever-loving hell out of him. As she reached back to grab her dagger, Moloch began to laugh. “You idiot. You never just walk away.”
Katie’s eyes went big as she tried to yank the dagger from her pocket, but it was stuck. Moloch sprang to his feet, touching the blood on his forehead. He tsked loudly and shook his finger at Katie. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you it’s rude to come to another person’s home and break their things?”
Katie sneered. “Fuck you, douchebag.”
Moloch grimaced. “I think not. I can come up with at least a hundred other things I would rather fuck. Like, for instance, this boulder. Or maybe that hot lava stream down there. Maybe even one of those spiny demons we see running around.”
Katie finally was able to yank the dagger from its sheath. She charged him again, but her strength was beginning to leave her once more. He put up his arm and grabbed her wrist, easily spinning her around and pinning her arm to her back. He whispered into her ear as he pushed his knuckles into her ribs. “What’s wrong, Katie? Your demon not helping you stay strong down here like before? Are you realizing that without Lilith you’re nothing? You’re just the puny, self-absorbed, pathetic puppet of some man in the sky. Down here, I could make something of you. You could be a warrior on your own terms.”
Katie breathed heavily, listening to him. “I would rather lick a dog’s rancid asshole.”
Moloch’s face dropped and he pushed her across the ground, taking the dagger from her. He waved it in front of Katie with an evil grin. “Maybe it’s time I taught you some fucking manners.
Calvin and Juntto walked back across the field to the armory. They had already geared up in the training room, but Calvin could tell it was going to take something extra-special to get Katie back. They began to load as many weapons onto their bodies as they could physically carry.
Calvin rubbed his finger across an old pistol he’d used twenty years before. He glanced at Juntto, who was even strapping holsters around his broad arms. “Sometimes I wonder how I am still alive after all these years. I can tell you right now, it’s because of people like Katie. That’s why I’m doing this.”
Juntto nodded and picked up a compound bow, considered it, then put it back down. “I’m doing it for Katie as well. I’m doing it because she didn’t leave me behind, and I won’t do that to her. I’m doing it for Angie, too. Katie’s the most important person in her world. A lot of people would be lost without her.”
Korbin stormed into the room, Stephanie and Timothy trailing behind him. Korbin stared at Calvin, waiting for him to volunteer the information. When he didn’t, Korbin snapped, “What’s going on? Where’s Katie?”
Calvin walked to Korbin. “Sorry to keep you in the dark, but we have to do this on our own. Katie gave up her freedom for us—for all of us. You just have to trust us. Keep your eye on the television. You might get a sneak peek at what we’re up to.”
Stephanie furrowed her brow. “And none of us can go with you?”
Juntto shook his head and strapped a short sword on top of another short sword at his waist. “No, this is something we have to do alone. There’s a reason for it. You need to trust Katie. Know that she’s doing the right thing.”
Korbin and Stephanie looked at each other for a moment. “We trust Katie.”
Angie walked into the room, holding her hands limply in front of her. “And I trust you, Juntto.”
A smile crept across Juntto’s face. He rushed to her, picking up her hands and looking at the blisters on them. She gave him a soft smile, her eyes twinkling. “I wasn’t going to leave you guys out there on your own. I shot from a distance until they disappeared.”
Juntto took Angie’s face in his hands and leaned down, pressing his lips gently against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes, kissing him back. Everyone went silent, covering the smiles on their faces.
Calvin’s eyes flashed red, and he opened his mouth to talk. Instead of Calvin’s voice coming out, it was another voice entirely. Pandora groaned. “We have shit to do. Get your shag on when we have my sister back.”
Angie pulled away quickly, her e
yes wide. She stared at Calvin. “Pandora?”
Calvin threw up his hands and spoke to the demon inside him. “Go on.”
Pandora snarled, “Yes, it’s me. Now, do you see why time is of the essence here?”
Angie nodded and pushed Juntto toward him. “Get my best friend and bring her back to us.”
Juntto bowed and winked at her. “Of course.”
Timothy’s forehead wrinkled as he tried to figure out what the hell was happening. He put up his finger and opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the words. He sighed and shook his head.
Stephanie patted his arm, shaking her head. “It’s okay, sweetie. We’ll explain it to you when you’re older.”
Korbin just stared at Calvin, who returned the look. Calvin shrugged. “It’s weird for me too.”
Korbin shook his head. “I’ve seen a lot of shit in my lifetime. Hell, I’ve been through a lot of shit in my lifetime, but hearing Pandora come out of your mouth is not something I was up for.”
Calvin’s eyes flashed, and Pandora’s voice echoed in laughter. “Hold on to your man-panties, ‘cause you ain’t seen nothing yet. I’m just getting started. They want to play dirty? They want to change the rules on us? Well, we’re going to do the same.”
Calvin’s hand grew into Pandora’s claw and sliced the air, and a portal tore open right there in the training room. Calvin bowed to Juntto, put out his hand, and said in his own voice, “After you, giant sir.”
Juntto tipped an invisible hat. “Why, thank you, lady-man.”
“You mean ladies’ man.”
“I meant what I said.”
Juntto walked through the portal and Calvin followed. The portal slammed shut after them. Korbin and Stephanie slowly turned toward Angie and Timothy, blinking wildly. Timothy was still frowning, trying to piece together what just happened. “Was that Pandora in Calvin’s body?”
Stephanie giggled. “A little slow on the uptake today, girl?”
Timothy eyed the empty space where the portal had just been. “If Pandora was in Calvin, then who’s inside Katie? And what is that demon doing to protect her?”
Korbin let out a deep sigh. “That’s a very good question. Unfortunately, that’s something we won’t be finding out anytime soon. Sometimes Katie and Pandora’s ideas are so far out there that it’s better not to ask questions.”
Angie jumped. “Ooh! Let’s turn on the television and see if anything comes on. Not sure what we’re looking for, but if it’s big, you know they’ll broadcast it.”
Timothy followed Angie out of the training room and down the hall. Stephanie wrapped her arms around Korbin’s waist. “You okay? You look like you saw a ghost or something.”
Korbin shook his head. “Yeah, sorry. I was hoping that whatever their crazy scheme is, they get to it before Moloch gets to Katie. Without Pandora, we don’t know how long she’d be able to survive in hell. I’m not ready for another funeral, especially not one that will change the course of humanity’s future.”
Stephanie laid her head to his chest. “Me neither, Korbin. Me neither.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Katie stumbled to her knees and put her hand to her chest, wheezing. Moloch raced over and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her into the air. She clawed at his hands to try to get free, but her tank was empty when it came to energy. “What’s the matter, your demon pet hiding for now?”
Katie blinked uncomfortably. Everything was getting blurry, even Moloch’s face. She swung from side to side, trying to get free, but she feared all she was doing was making him grip her throat tighter. Moloch pulled her face close to his. She could smell the liquor and cheap cigars on his breath.
Moloch snarled. “Or did she get away when I wasn’t looking? That’s not like that ball-kicking sanctimonious bitch. I thought she was more dedicated to you than that. I figured she would come after you and protect you from anything. I guess this was a good excuse for her to tuck her tail and run. Then again, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe that bitch is still inside of you, and if I hurt you bad enough for long enough, she’ll come out.”
Moloch slowly pushed Katie back until he was pressing her against a stone wall. He pulled her forward and slammed her back again, knocking the wind out of her. “If she won’t come out on her own, then I guess I’ll have to lure her out. What better way to do that than to hurt her human body enough that she begs me to stop?”
Moloch ran the tip of his claw down Katie’s arm and back up again. “It’s a shame this has to be done, but I promise I’ll make it hurt as much as I can.”
Katie shook, her eyes darting around. Moloch steadied her and wrapped his hand around her arm. With a quick twist, he snapped the bone in her forearm. Katie’s eyes went huge as the pain surged through her and she screamed, unable to control herself. The demon laughed as he prodded her broken arm. Darts of anguish shot into her chest. Katie had never broken anything like that before.
Moloch set her on the ground but kept his body pressed against her so she couldn’t move. He rubbed her hair with his hand and chuckled. “Did that hurt? I hope it did. I hope Lilith is writhing inside you.
Katie turned her head from him, but he grabbed her cheek. “Speak, whore. Did it hurt?”
Katie sneered as she slowly met his eyes. She opened her mouth as if she were about to speak, but spat in his face instead. He breathed heavily, spittle hissing as it dripped down his nose and cheek. “I can see now that you’re going to be a bit harder to break than the general run of human, but all it takes is for you to send that whore out here. I just want Lilith. You know you can command her to step out of your body here in hell, right?”
Katie tightened her lips and refused to answer his questions. Lilith was with Calvin, but the longer she withheld that information from him, the longer they had to execute their plan. She could take a few broken bones, right?
Moloch pressed his claw against the boulder above her head, laughing as if he’d lost his mind. “Oh, little girl, just wait until I start eating your fingers. They’re like little crunchy snacks. C’mon out, Pandora. I can feel evil inside this little sack of charred shameless slattern.”
Moloch sat there waiting for Pandora’s legendary wrath to be unleashed. He wasn’t quite sure that he could handle her, but he needed to separate them. He wanted to preserve Katie for his collection, so he was trying not to kill her. His selfishness was putting him at a disadvantage, but he didn’t care. After a moment, he sighed. “Okay. You’re right. I give up. No hard feelings?” He stuck out his hand as if to shake hers.
Instead of shaking it, he grabbed her other arm and laughed in her face. “Just kidding.” He twisted the arm brutally, cracking the fragile bones. “Come out, dammit!” he bellowed.
Katie screamed and tilted her head back. Her eyes glowed bright red, and her body convulsed. Moloch licked his lips like a serpent. “Yes. That’s right. Feel the pain and agony. Feel it. Come out of there, bitch.”
He thrust his claw into Katie’s chest, digging into her very core, and snagged the edge of a demon. “Gotcha, bitch!”
Moloch pulled hard, ignoring Katie’s monstrous screams—and ignoring the bright white light coming from her body. Her eyes changed from red to blue and back again. Finally, he pulled the entire demon out and threw it on the ground at his feet. Katie’s screams instantly stopped, and her body collapsed to the ground. The pain was almost too much for her to bear. Everything was spinning wildly, and she couldn’t pull air into her lungs.
Moloch tilted his head back and laughed loudly. “Look at that! Look at your precious Lilith. She’s so weak, it’s pathetic.”
Moloch grabbed Katie by the face, staring at her eyes as they rolled in her head. She gurgled something, but Moloch couldn’t hear what she was saying. He stepped closer and put her head to his ear. “What? Say it louder, bitch. Don’t worry, your time is almost here.”
Katie struggled to swallow and then righted her vision, staring directly at the side of Moloch’s head. “I sai
d, joke’s on you, motherfucker.”
Moloch looked at her strangely, not sure what she meant. “You’re talking in riddles. Joke’s on me? No, joke’s on you, bitch. I have your writhing evil demon right here. She acted so big and bad. She talked so much shit. She acted like she gave a shit about you, but look at that lump of dry shit. She’s as pathetic as she’s always been. There’s no glory or honor in this. Who knew that in the end, Lilith would cower in fear? All the years I wasted fearing her!”
Moloch was quite proud of himself. He’d not only gotten Katie, but he’d also gotten Lilith, too. Lilith was the real trophy, although he was excited to add a demi-angel to his collection of souls. “You are a one-of-a-kind prize for my collection. You will be the centerpiece of every conversation I have. You will be my prized soul. Don’t worry, that only means you’ll be tortured more often than others.”
Katie’s head bobbed, and she spat in Moloch’s face. Moloch raged, grabbing her chin and pointed it at the demon on the ground. “Look, your protection is…your protection is… Wait.”
He let go of Katie’s chin and stepped back, bending down next to the demon. He picked up the demon’s head by its long hair and stared at its face.
It wasn’t Lilith. He’d gotten the wrong demon. He stood up quickly and faced Katie. “How can this be? You fucking tricked me!”
He grabbed Katie by the throat and slid her up the wall. “Tell me where she is. Tell me, or I will rip your heart out right here and now.”
Katie’s eyes shifted up his chest to his big, round head. When they met his, he knew he’d been had.
Katie sneered. “How about you tend to your balls first?”
Moloch’s frowned. “My balls? Why my—”
Katie kicked him as hard as she could, slamming her foot into his nutsack. He froze and slowly looked down at her foot. “Balls?”
