by Maya Nicole
"Things will be different now. You'll have duties that you need to fulfill, but those four will always be a part of your life. Unless you don't want them to be."
"I died."
He squeezed my arm and put his cheek on top of my head. My heart squeezed in my chest. It was surprising I could still feel it beating.
We sat there in silence for several minutes before he pulled away and pulled me to look at him.
"You saved the light from the dark."
I rolled my eyes, and then we both started to laugh. It wasn't a laugh because it was funny, but a laugh because what the fuck. It ended with him clearing his throat.
"Are you okay?" I'd never had to ask my dad that before. He had a faraway look in his eyes.
"You're okay. That's all that matters." He put his hand on my cheek and gave me a weak smile.
I settled back into the crook of his arm. He didn't seem fine at all.
I missed Olly and Asher by half an hour. They had been released from the hospital and went back to Earth to wait for me. I had no clue where my cell phone had ended up, so it wasn’t like I could call them.
It was probably lost in the depths of hell. Were there roaming charges if a demon decided to make some calls with it?
"So tell me again, how am I supposed to get back there?" I really didn't believe the woman, who had led me to the Earth entry point.
"You are making it more difficult than it needs to be. You just step off the side. Think of where you want to go. Your wings will do all the work." She was getting annoyed. I could tell from the way she pursed her lips together.
"Why aren't they coming out now? I'm telling them to."
The woman laughed and shook her head. "They will once you jump. Think of it as the maiden voyage."
"What if they don't come out?"
"They will." She let out a sigh and backed up. "This is why new angels stay here for a while. Are you sure you don't want to stay?"
"Michael said-"
"I know. I know. He said you are an exception to the rule."
I let out a frustrated sigh and looked over the edge of the platform I was standing on. We were at the edge of the city, and there was a hole through the surface that looked like it fell right into an abyss of white swirling clouds.
This woman expected me to just jump and hope for the best. Could I die twice? I wasn't too keen on having my soul be lost.
"When's the next flight back?"
"There isn't. Would you prefer if I pushed you?" She had reached her limit.
"What? Hell no! I mean, sorry. Thanks for the offer."
I had my feet at the edge. Where would they be? Earth was safe now. At least as far as I knew.
I shut my eyes and stepped off.
Chapter Seventeen
Reve
I had never been one to believe that a heart could actually break. That was until blood-covered Danica had wings burst from her back. Then she flew through the stained-glass window in the ballroom, with her father in her arms.
My heart shattered right along with the window.
Toby looked at me, fear in his eyes. They seemed to ask the same questions as I was wondering. Did that mean Danica was dead?
"Go." I turned back towards the chaos that had erupted in the ballroom.
"What about you? You can't get through."
I clenched my jaw. "I have to take care of this mess. I'll go back to Lucifer's house once I get things sorted out here."
I hoped I wasn't making a poor decision. It was possible that whoever was in charge might decide to cut Inferna off completely. If I were in charge, I would.
Inferna and Earth had no business mingling.
Toby pulled me into a hug and clapped me on the back. I pulled back and looked at him, surprised by his gesture.
"You still have piss-poor taste in sports teams." With those words, he spread his wings and flew out the window. Hopefully, he could catch up with Danica and make it through with them.
I have never been one to get overly emotional, but standing on the steps to the dais, my chosen family gone, I felt an emptiness spread throughout my body.
Shaking off the feeling, I walked up the steps and looked out across the large room where my family once hosted extravagant parties monthly.
"Enough!" I shouted, my voice naturally projecting across the room.
Hundreds of pairs of eyes landed on me, and I felt a heat moving up my neck. It had been a long time since I had to stand in front of such a large crowd.
"Lilith is dead." I looked over at the pile of ashes. That had taken some serious power to light her up like that.
The room remained silent, and then the first demon took a knee and bowed their head. I balled my hands into fists, controlling my urge to flee.
I didn't want to be King. I had never wanted the throne.
We sat at the large dining table, a feast laid before us. It was a joyous occasion for our family. I was turning half a century old, which meant my full capabilities would soon start to develop.
My father stood with his wine glass in hand. "To Reve, future King of Inferna." He looked at me at the opposite end of the table. "Son, it's time to take your place as my protege."
"Must he be so corny?" my sister, Sammy, complained from next to me.
"Samara," my mother warned from her place next to my father.
I hid my chuckle with my hand over my mouth. My younger sister was not scared of our father. She would make a great Queen if it were allowed.
We raised our glasses and drank. I gulped mine down.
"What if I don't want the throne?"
Silence fell over the room; not even a breath could be heard. My mother looked like she was going to cry. My father's face flamed red.
"Why would you reject your heritage? Your birthright?" My father's voice was dangerously low. If I didn't choose my words carefully, he was liable to snap my neck.
"Lucas is just as suitable a successor. And he wants it. I don't."
My sister shifted uncomfortably next to me. "I'll do it."
My dad made a noise in his throat. "They would kill you before you even had the crown upon your head."
I looked to my sister, who was twisting her napkin in her lap. Unlike my brother and me, she had been born with no special abilities. It was impossible for women to be dream demons since only males developed those traits. But she hadn't even developed my mother's ability to lull someone asleep with a simple touch.
"Lucas does not have the skill set required to rule. He will start a civil war among the demon races." My mother spoke quietly and then reached for her wine glass. "Your father is getting older, Reve. It is your duty as firstborn to take his place. Marry a nice demon girl. Have lots of demon babies."
I rolled my eyes. It wasn't the first time my love life had been brought to the table. I had no interest in the high-born demon girls they paraded in front of me at our monthly gatherings.
I wanted someone real. Someone to make me laugh. Someone to challenge me. Someone that wasn't afraid to be herself around me.
I looked out across the crowd of bowing forms. I found Alaric with his men, surrounding a group of other shifters that had decided it was a good idea to follow Lilith.
"Take them to the dungeons." I sounded just like my father. I had a no-nonsense edge to my voice that I hadn't known I possessed.
The room was silent as Alaric and his men led the group of demons out.
"You've freed us," a woman near the steps, still on her knee, cried out. "Long live the king!"
I almost laughed, but then a series of shouts repeating the phrase went up around the room. I wondered if they would still be shouting the words if they knew I was the one that killed my father and mother.
I held up my hands to signal them to stop. "I do not wish to be your king."
If there had been fans in the ballroom, the shit would have hit them. The noise hit a crescendo as the elite among the demons began talking all at once.
"Blasphemy
! He can't renounce the throne!"
"There will be a civil war!"
"Where has he been all this time?"
The comments felt like a knife through my chest. These were my people. But at the same time, they weren't my people anymore.
"Quiet!" I bellowed. Jesus, I really did sound just like my father. The room fell silent. "I will meet with the Infernal Council, at least those that are present. We will decide on a plan of action. In the meantime, return to your villages and clean up the mess Lilith caused. Any demons that fought with free will for her should be handled accordingly."
With that, I turned and exited out the door behind the dais. It led to a large meeting room. Growing up, Alaric had nicknamed it "sticks" because the council members always seemed to have sticks up their asses.
I sat down at the head of the table and waited for the council members to trickle in. Many of them were familiar faces and others were new. It had been centuries upon centuries since they met in this room.
Alaric slipped in the room with three of his men, and they spread out along the perimeter. I hadn't requested his presence, but he naturally fell back into a protective role.
Once it seemed no one else was going to join the ten demons around the table, I cleared my throat and folded my hands on the table. I looked at each of them.
"Our people haven't been free in centuries. With Lilith's control over, we need to act fast to stop civil wars from breaking out among the less civilized of us."
"No offense, Your Highness, but where have you been all these years? Last I heard you were sent on a mission by Lilith to kill Lucifer and take back that section of our land."
I heard Alaric shift behind me as if to tell me he could take the council member out if I needed him to.
"It is true, I was sent to kill him. Instead, he broke the hold Lilith had over me. He gave me a choice. Die or be sent to Earth to work for him."
"And now you wish to go back to Earth?"
"Yes. My mate is there." I shut my eyes briefly to stop the tears that had suddenly felt like they were pooling somewhere behind them.
Several of the council members made noises of approval. Finding your fated mate was a big deal in Inferna.
"Who will lead us then?"
Historically, the alpha dream demon had always been King. There was no other demon that matched the capabilities and could bring all the other demons to their knees. Only the alpha had a phantom form and could push daydreams.
"We can vote, or the council can make decisions." It sounded like a good plan. Except that the democratic method wasn't even working out for Earth.
The door slammed open, and the guards moved towards the intruder.
"Get your bloody paws away from me!"
I stood and leaned against the table. My sister had fled when I told her to. Right before I killed our mother and father. I assumed she was dead or far away in the outer territories of Inferna.
"Samara?" It was somewhat of a stupid question, stemming from the shock of seeing her.
She was just like she had always been, besides her purple hair. She scrunched her nose at me and brushed her hair from her face.
"Reve, you know I hate that name." She strode towards me and stopped. Her face softened, and then she pulled me into a hug.
"Sammy. I thought you-"
"Yeah, yeah. The rumors of angels flitting around, and the rightful king, brought me back. Word traveled fast."
I pulled back and looked at her. Wherever she had been in Inferna, she had been treated well. The guilt I felt for leaving her behind lessened.
She sat down in an empty chair, and the all-male council looked like they were about to implode. She just smiled at them.
"We are discussing serious realm business, young lady. You can wait outside." A vampire demon looked at her in disgust. "You are not welcome here with your... with your purple hair and inappropriate attire."
Sammy slowly swiveled her chair in the direction of the vampire. "You have got to be kidding me. All this time, and we still oppress women? Where I've been-"
"We know where you've been. You can go right back." The vampire was asking for it and not from me. My sister looked murderous.
I furrowed my brows and had so many questions about what my sister had been up to over the past several centuries. Now didn't seem like the appropriate time to ask.
"My people are requesting a place on the council."
Her people? I cleared my throat and took a serious look at her. Her skin seemed to glow with a power she hadn't had before. It wasn't unheard of that demons could morph into a different type of demon with time.
Lilith was an example of that if there was ever an example.
"Absolutely not!" Another man, who had been one of my father's most trusted advisors, said with a raised voice. "The gypsies are criminals! Parading around with their bright colors and debauchery!"
My sister's laugh echoed in the room. She was enjoying the drama she was causing. Or at least she was pretending she was.
"That's enough. With me stepping down, Sammy can step in for me until a solution is reached." I pushed in my chair. "Good luck."
Before they could stop me, I went phantom and left the room.
I honestly didn't care if the council bit each other's heads off. As much as I wanted to stay and catch up with my sister, I'd have to at another time.
Inferna was no longer my home. My home was where my heart was, as corny as the idea was.
Alaric was quiet most of the way back to Lucifer's territory. He had insisted he come along to protect me. I didn't need protection when I could simply vanish, but I let him accompany me anyway. Maybe he felt like he was making up for all those years ago when he left me.
"You're really going back to Earth?" He finally spoke once the iron gates of hell rose before us.
It was a vast territory of Inferna, entirely surrounded by iron bars that rose at least twenty feet in the air. Not that the gates would keep some kinds of demons out, but it would certainly keep some things in.
At first glance, it looked like a run-of-the-mill Inferna estate, but once close enough, you could sense the power behind the gates.
"I am. Once I make sure Danica is in one piece, I'll come back to see Sammy."
Alaric grunted and stopped at the main entrance of the property. There was a call box off to the side, and he pressed the button.
The gates opened immediately. Not creepy at all.
"Do you think I could come back with you?"
I stopped and turned to look at him. He had a hopeful look on his face. So did Picard, who sat on his shoulder.
"I don't get to make that decision. I'm not even sure how I'm getting back."
We walked towards the house, and Alex was waiting at the open door as if he was expecting us. A shiver ran down my spine at his gaze.
I didn't love or hate Incubus demons. We were similar in nature. I fed off fear, and they fed off sexual desire. He seemed way too proper to be an incubus. His kind were usually outlandish and flaunted their heritage around.
"This is hell?" Alaric followed me inside and looked around. "It's just a house."
Alex laughed and led us into the kitchen. "It's underground. Would you like a tour?"
"I think I'll pass." Alaric slid onto a barstool, and Picard jumped onto the counter to sniff a pile of pastries on a plate. He dragged one off and started eating it.
"Chamuel will be up in a few minutes." Alex bowed and then left us in the kitchen.
Several minutes later, Chamuel walked into the kitchen. I was surprised the angel known for peace and love was in Inferna.
"Is Danica...?" I couldn't say it. I wouldn't say it.
"She's an angel now."
I didn't know how I felt about that. I was the odd man out now. At least with her as half-demon, I hadn't felt so alone. Would she even still want me now that she was a full-fledged angel?
It was selfish of me to even have the thoughts, considering the fact she was an angel
meant she had died.
Chamuel's gaze fell on me, and his face softened. "Do not fret, son. Just because she's an angel, doesn't mean her feelings are going to change."
I nodded. I didn't feel that reassured. "Why are you here in Inferna?"
He sighed. "Things are changing. Lucifer will no longer bear this burden alone. The archangels will rotate. I volunteered to go first."
"That's very noble of you." Alaric was such a kiss-ass when he needed to be. "So, Reve and I were wondering if I could also go back to Earth."
Chamuel looked from him to Picard, then at me. He raised his eyebrows. "For what purpose? We are still tracking down demons that escaped. Why would we want to let more through?"
"I am a hunter by nature. I can help with that. I'm one of the good ones." Alaric sat up a little straighter and looked at me. "A little help here, Reve."
"He might be of use. He did help save Lucifer."
He looked at Picard, who was sitting like a meerkat, giving him puppy-dog eyes. "Very well. Let me get you back to Earth."
Time in Heaven apparently passed slowly.
When I returned from Inferna, I hadn't returned to the academy's campus. It was doubtful that would be the first place any of them would return to. Instead, I set up Alaric in my apartment and stayed at Asher's.
Toby, Asher, and Oliver returned about a week after I had gotten home. Asher and Toby forgave me for exploding the dream I had pulled them into, on the promise that I would never go into their heads again.
The days and nights passed, and we still weren't given a date on when Danica would return. Michael said that she had a choice to stay there, plus, Lucifer was bedridden. He had drained himself almost completely of angelic power.
I didn't even know there was such a thing.
"Let's play Cards Against Humanity." Asher finished clearing off the table from dinner and grabbed us all another round of beers.
Most of our days and nights followed the same pattern. Asher went to work, Oliver went to school, Toby and I waited in case Danica returned. At night we, ate together and then played games or watched movies.
