For Hell's Sake (Queen of the Underworld Series Book 1)

by T. L. Anderson

  “I was in the middle of a discussion with Isadias about the new angel’s program when you so rudely whisked me away to here.” He looks around him with his lip curled as he takes in the surroundings. “Since when did you start decorating your room so drab?”

  I look at the cream walls with the cream carpet. Not a speck of color graces the room. Odd how I never noticed before. “It’s not my room. This is some apartment we’re staying in currently.”

  His eyes narrow as he snaps them back to me. “What do you mean apartment? And who’s we?” Standing from his seat, he walks over to the window in the corner and peers out onto the street. “Holy mother, you’re on Earth?” He pulls the curtains shut and strides over to the door to the bedroom, his hand hovering over the doorknob.

  “Wait!” I shout-whisper at him. “Aries, Ryce, Lex, and Levi are out there. They don’t know you’re here.”

  Instead of opening the door, he snaps his fingers while whispering a warding spell, placing a silence ward around the doorjamb to block out all noise. “Well, no need to announce my arrival. The last time I saw those demons, they tried to cut my head off. Apparently, they’re still sour about you being banned and all.” Rolling his eyes, he walks over to the desk chair again, sitting primly in it. His body is all angles and gorgeous curves, a masterpiece sculpted by Father himself.

  “I’d like to take your head off too, but we’ll leave that for another day. I need your help.”

  He snorts while glancing at his fingernails. “Dear sister, I’m not going to help you parade around Earth. Wait until Father hears about this.”

  My stomach drops at the image of Father’s wrath again. Not the time to think about permanent banishment. “I’m not parading around Earth, at least not anymore. When we came through the portal, it locked somehow. We think Nassiter followed us out and that’s what caused it to malfunction. We tried finding Lilith to stop it all, but she’s disappeared again too.” Great, now I’m rambling, and by the surprised look in his eyes, I’ve given away too much information.

  “Nassiter is on Earth? Along with Lilith?” He starts pacing the room, talking to himself. “This is not good. Father will be so angry if he finds out. Heaven will rain down on Earth, casting out the demon and the witch.”

  “Which is why you can’t tell him.” I jump up, standing in front of him. “The old book that Father sent to Earth said the angel of the living has the passage for the worthy one. Something about darkness of evil and light of God must coexist, until it’s time for only one to survive or something.” I wave my hand up and down. “Being as you’re the angel of the living, what does that all mean?”

  He stares at me for a moment, his jaw tight as he thinks it over. “It means the light and dark must fight in battle, only one surviving. But what this has to do with the portal being locked is beyond me.” He rubs his jaw while he mumbles to himself. “You know you’re the darkness, but Lilith is not light—she’s part demon. That specific verse doesn’t have to do with you. At least I don’t think it does.” Running a hand through his hair, he sits on the edge of the bed. Strands of blonde stick up in different directions, making him look more human than angel.

  “Well, even if it doesn’t, what is the passage you’re to tell the worthy one?” Standing in front of him, I stare him down. He’s hiding something. I can see it in his eyes as he glances away.

  “Listen, I’m not sure. It’s been millennia since that was told to me. All I know is Lilith has a blade that might be the key to the portal. It holds both light and dark magic. Father gave it to her on their anniversary before… well, you know that story, don’t you,” he sneers.

  As if I need a reminder of causing everything to collapse, or at least being an accomplice to it. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened had I told the truth from day one about Lilith, but then I remember her easy way of letting a lie slip off her tongue. No one would have believed me; even now they still don’t. “So get the blade and it might unlock the portal?”

  He nods. Standing from the bed, he snaps his fingers, removing the ward from the door. I guess this conversation is done. I mouth the words thanks a lot to him as I cross my arms. He goes to disappear, but he stops. Snapping his fingers again, he puts the ward of silence back in place.

  “You don’t have magic here, do you?” I don’t respond, my glare enough to show him I don’t. “When you were banished to Hell, there was magic put in place you weren’t aware of. If you left your post and stepped foot on the mortal realm, you’d slowly lose all your powers. Turning you mortal.” He shakes his head, and a small smile graces his lips. “Dear sister, this turn of events might have been the answer to my prayers all along.”

  My pulse races as I digest the information. Holy fuck balls, I’m turning mortal. He laughs as he snaps his fingers, the ward and him disappearing from view. Great, just fucking great.

  So with all the new information, I figure it’s probably best to let the guys in on it. Especially if Lilith’s blade is the answer. Although, I’m not sure how that will help us now. I find them in the other bedroom, all of them resting in their own beds. I’ve never noticed how large this room was or the fact that there are four beds in here too. Lex is reading a book, but when I come into the room, his eyes pop up over the cover. He looks adorable is his sweats reading a…what book is that? It’s a romance novel. My cheeks heat as he flips the book upside down, hiding the cover from me.

  “Um, sorry for interrupting. I just… We can talk in the morning.” I turn to head out but stop when Aries clears his throat.

  “You’re always welcome in our room, Lucia. No need to be embarrassed.” He sits on the edge of his bed and pats the seat next to him. “Sit. What’s bothering you?”

  I walk over to the bed and lean against it. I suppose it’s now or never. I open my mouth and word vomit out everything Michael just told me. “And apparently the longer I’m here, I become mortal. Something with magic and my banishment.” I shrug, glancing at them for the first time since I started the story. The looks range from raised eyebrows to mouths half-open. Shock is the best way to describe it. “So yeah, maybe we should be looking for Lilith’s blade. It might get us back home.”

  Levi is the first to speak. “This is not good. Not good at all. If she turns fully mortal, she won’t be able to cross over into Hell.” The panic in his voice is evident. My hands start to shake with his words. I can’t go back to Hell?

  Lex walks over, holding my hands in his. “You’re not mortal yet. Don’t worry, we’ll figure this out before it’s too late.” I nod, but I don’t believe him. My gut tells me it might already be too late.

  “This is not going to happen.” Ryce starts grabbing weapons, hiding them in his waistband. “I’m going to find Lilith and kill her. She’ll tell me where the blade is.” I watch as he grinds his teeth, his steady hands preparing for battle.

  Aries stands and faces me with hands on his hips. “This is what had me so upset about you crossing over to Earth. Things like this we can’t predict or stop. Like you turning mortal.” His angry voice causes me to jump. “Lilith’s blade is always on her side. She doesn’t let it leave her possession. Do you understand now how dangerous it is for you up here?”

  I jump again but nod my head. I should be angry he’s chastising me, but he’s right. It is my fault we’re all stuck up here, and it is my fault I’m turning mortal. “I’m sorry,” I whisper.

  “And how can we trust Michael’s word? He could be leading you right into a trap. He just happened to know about her blade opening the portal?” He seethes.

  “He wouldn’t do that. He said he thinks it will open the portal, he doesn’t know for sure.” Gripping Lex’s hand, I glare at Aries. “I get it, I dragged you all into this, but you don’t have to be an asshole about it. I didn’t know this could happen.”

  “Of course you didn’t!” he booms. “You didn’t think of anything besides what you wanted. And now, we’re fighting to keep you not only alive but immortal too. If you
turn mortal, you can’t come home with us!” A vein on the side of his neck bulges. Placing his hands behind his head, he stares at the ceiling. “We can’t lose you,” Aries mumbles.

  My heart drops at the thought of losing all of them too. I squeeze Lex’s hand, while convincing myself of the words coming out of my mouth. “And you won’t.”

  24

  The next morning everyone is in battle mode. Lex and Ryce are preparing to scout out where to find Lilith, while Levi heads out for supplies. I stand in my sweatpants, wiping the sleep from my eyes. I watch as they work together, each one moving around the others as if it’s a solid unit and they’ve done this before. The guys grab weapons and maps, stockpiling their arsenal.

  As they start to leave, I yell out to Levi, “Don’t forget to buy pickles!” He chuckles as he disappears from the room.

  I stare around the room. Nothing is out of place to show that they were even here. It’s amazing how little of a mess they regularly make. You’d think four grown princes wouldn’t be so tidy, except for the occasional fight and broken coffee table. “Well, now what am I going to do?” I say to the empty room.

  “We’re going to train,” Aries voice calls out from the kitchen. Jumping, I turn around and see him at the table. Fucking creepy. When did he even get there?

  “It’s not nice to sneak up on people.” I walk to the fridge and grab orange juice out of it, pouring myself a glass.

  He laughs, pushing his chair in as he stands from the table. “I was here before you came out of your room. Maybe we should practice having you pay attention to your surroundings a little better.”

  I chug the liquid fruit, biding my time before I need to speak to him. In Hell, he never spoke to me. Never even acknowledged I existed. Now, he’s everywhere even when I don’t want him to be. It’s infuriating and pulse racing. Setting my glass in the sink, I wipe my mouth on my sleeve. “What training are you talking about? I don’t run or exercise, so don’t even think about that being in the plan.”

  Shaking his head, he walks over to me. Stopping in front of me, he leans down. My back hits the counter as I shift backward. His presence out of all of them makes me unable to breathe. He’s powerful, assertive, a stubborn pain in my ass, but he has my insides so twisted with just a look I want to jump his bones every second he gets all alpha on me.

  “I’m going to teach you how not to die today. It should be pretty easy for most people, but it’s you, so it might take a while. Finish your breakfast and meet me in the living room in ten.” Backing away, he places his hands in his pockets as he strolls out of the room. Well, joke’s on him—I’m not eating breakfast this morning. Not because I’m not hungry though; mostly because I don’t want to puke on him during whatever he has in store for me today. I follow him out and prepare for the torture he’s about to impart on me.

  My body aches as sweat drips down my neck. My hair is plastered to my head as I duck Aries’ fist, again. After catching the first two on my side, I learned real fast to move the second I see him advancing. I have a knife in my grip, the weight even that if I balanced the blade on my finger it wouldn’t move. Lunging, I swipe the blade toward him. He captures my wrist in midair, spinning me around in a bear hug. The blade falls to the ground as he effectively disarms me and puts me in a choke hold. Thank goodness he’s not actually trying to kill me—I’d have been dead a hundred times over already. I tap his arm, letting him know I’m done. My breathing comes in pants, lungs burning from the first amount of physical effort I’ve had in forever. Humans do this for fun?

  He laughs while bending over to grab the blade. Without much thought, I lunge at him, wrapping myself around him like a spider monkey. My legs plant around his face from the position I was in, but I fall forward, catching myself by wrapping my arms around his waist and my face smacking into his ass cheek. Effectively hanging upside down on his back, my legs now around his neck. He stumbles as he tries to catch me, but being the ungraceful devil I am, I topple us both to the ground. Thank Hell he has the common sense to fall forward, sparing my face from being crushed by his tight ass. My legs stay locked around him, but in the fall somehow I end up with my head right on his ass cheek. A muffled groan slips out as the wind is knocked out of his lungs. He lies still beneath me, the intermittent rise of his chest the only way I know he’s still alive. At least I didn’t kill him.

  “I’m so sorry.” I scramble off him, letting my ass fall to the side on the floor. My left leg is still tucked under his head as I peer down at him. He cracks open his eye, but his face is bloodred.

  “That was good,” he coughs. “But next time don’t knock yourself into a position of weakness.”

  I cock an eyebrow at him. Maybe I knocked a little sense out of him with his fall. “Um, I was able to get off of you, before you even moved. I’d say you’re in a position of weakness.”

  His lips lift and before I can correct my mistake, he’s pinning me to the ground. His hand grips the leg still under him, yanking me down on the floor, his other hand cradling my head before it hits too. He positions my body under his, his hand going to my throat and gently squeezing. I try to grab at his arm, but he’s pinned mine down under his knees. I’m stuck and he knows it. “You’d be dead. What is this the hundredth time?”

  “Sixty-six,” I sigh.

  He lets go of my throat but doesn’t move, his hand lying on my chest above my heart. “All it takes is one time. If you find yourself in a fight, just run. Don’t try to be the hero. If you can get out of the situation, run as fast as you can.” My pulse races beneath his touch as I think of the possibilities. “Don’t worry about us; we can protect ourselves. It’s you we’re worried about.”

  I picture fighting Lilith or even Nassiter—they’re both my size, and on a good day if I had my magic I could win. But they have an army on their side and experience of taking people down. The only thing we have going is the element of surprise. “What if we lose?”

  He traces a finger over my chest as he gazes down at me. “There just can’t be a what-if. We have to win.” Leaning closer, his lips hover over mine. “I can’t bear the thought of losing you. It would destroy me.”

  All the talk of death and the possibilities of losing them courses through my veins, and icy fear travels to my heart. Lifting my head, I close the distance between us. He’s gentle, our lips slowly kissing each other, both of us fighting the fear of what’s to come. I run my hand along his cheek, brushing my fingers through his hair. I let all my emotions flow through me, losing myself in him and his taste. His lips part as he breathes me in before closing on mine again. A tear falls down my cheek, leaving a trail of pain behind in its wake. He lifts me into his arms, and breaking the kiss, he pulls me to his chest, cradling me. More tears fall as I grasp onto his shirt, needing to feel him still here with me. This isn’t what I wanted when I came to Earth; I just wanted to find myself. Instead, I found four pieces of my heart that I didn’t know I was missing. And now, I might lose them.

  A soft whoosh of air blows through the room, letting us know the others returned. I’m sure we’re a sight to see: sweat-soaked clothes, lips swollen, tears pouring down my face as he holds me tight. I turn my face into his chest, avoiding the looks of the others. If I see their worried gazes, I’ll never stop crying for what could have been and what might not be.

  Ryce’s voice breaks the silence. “We found her.”

  Aries holds me tighter, his thumb tracing circles on my back. “We’ll leave in an hour. This ends tonight.” Either way, we’ll be together in Hell or I’ll be dead, but by the end of the night, this nightmare will all be over.

  25

  Preparing for battle is not what you’d expect. There’s no armor to wear, or army standing behind you to help you win the fight amongst hundreds of demons and their queen bitch. According to the guys, she’s acquired at least two hundred demons to follow her in the rebellion.

  I slide my demon blade Aries gave me earlier during practice into the waistband of my le
ather pants. My corset top cleaned, I wear that with the leather jacket I brought with me. If I’m going to be fighting the demons, I’m going to dress like the queen of Hell.

  The tension in the room is too thick to move through, all of us wound tighter than a body being tortured on the rack. We all move with precision, arming ourselves with as much as we can carry. I’m only carrying the blade, which is fine with me. My plan is to run if Lilith corners me. I learned today I can’t quite protect myself as well as I thought.

  “I’ll stay with Lucia while you all force Lilith out of the nest,” Ryce says, slipping on his boots.

  Levi scoffs, “I’m staying with her. She needs someone with quick feet and a level head to keep her alive. Not a large bulldozer like you.” Ryce growls in response as he slips on the other boot.

  “I’ll stay with her. She’ll need someone who can determine the chances of survival and can pull her out of there as quickly as possible with minimal damage.” Lex stands beside me, daring them to argue. I glance between the three as they stare down each other. My eyes flick to Aries, who is silently arming himself. Rolling his eyes, he shakes his head at the bickering.

  Well, if he’s not going to stop this madness, I will. “I’ll protect myself. I’ll stay back hidden away. If someone tries to attack me, I’ll run.” I shrug like it’s the plan that makes most sense. They all stare at me now, including Aries, like I’ve gone mad.

  “You’ll stay with all of us. Whoever is free and not fighting will watch after her.” He stands up, sliding another knife into his jacket pocket. “We’re not leaving you alone, and you won’t be out of our sight at all.” I nod because honestly I didn’t want to be alone even though I suggested it in the first place. Everyone agrees as we head out to find Lilith’s blade.

  The streets are eerily quiet for ten at night. Not a single person can be seen in the area. We appear only a few feet from the entrance to the abandoned building where Lilith is holed up. The sounds of her foot soldiers echo through the alley as we notice them at the end of the alleyway unloading more boxes from a truck. I see that shifty fucker up ahead that tried to explode us with the rocket launcher. He’s barking orders to another person, but he’s still wearing shorts and a floral T-shirt this time. Makes sense now why he turned on us. My eyes narrow as I commit him to memory so when he dies I can pull the soul from his body myself.