Doomed Cases Series (1-3) Demonic Triangle Diabolical Quest Infernal Initiation

by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  I clenched my teeth, even thinking about locking them in a charm so they wouldn’t follow me. Paul was useful, but Zara and Emma couldn’t defend themselves with magic and charms. In the end I had no other choice but to get inside the boat. Everyone that was here with me made their choices. My energy shifted inside me, starting in my core and radiating out to the tips of my toes. A cold shiver crawled over my spine. The dark lord must have realised that humans crossed down to Purgatory; there couldn’t have been any other explanation as to why my energy was suddenly so disturbed.

  Ricky and Zachary took hold of the oars. The boat was small, but it fit all of us. I had never trusted the water around here, and I had a feeling that there were creatures underneath swimming nearby, waiting for any of us to make a mistake.

  “So is this really hell?” Emma whispered as we started moving through the shaky waves.

  “It’s Purgatory, a part of hell where Lucifer tortures sinister souls,” I explained, conscious of my surroundings. Emma didn’t need to know any more and for the first time she didn’t ask me anymore questions.

  The water looked disturbed, the waves were rising, but there was no wind. I shut my nagging voices down and told myself to focus on positives, on the fact that soon Summer was going to be safe.

  We reached the island without any nasty surprises, although I would have never entered this water willingly. Paul had noticed that the air pressure began to rise, and there was a possibility that our skills wouldn’t work so well around here. He was sensing it like I had, but chose not to say anything. There was no point scaring the others.

  My heart stopped in my chest when a tall, square black tower was revealed to us, standing on the hill. Its walls were surrounded by thick white fog that began drifting around the island. It was freezing cold here and everyone was aware that the temperature had dropped significantly since we left the human world behind. Alexis wasn’t around; I couldn’t sense her anywhere. This was concerning, knowing that possibly she left Summer unattended.

  “What now? What do you want to do?” Ricky asked, releasing his own demonic magic. He hadn’t fully recovered yet, and he struggled to be a fully functioning demon. He swore to me once before that he would never enter hell voluntarily, and now here he was, risking his neck for me.

  “Maybe we should split and start looking around. You said that your daughter is being kept in that tower, over there?” Paul asked.

  “That’s what I saw in my vision,” I replied, remembering every detail from the maze.

  “All right, I’ll stay with Emma. Zach, Nameless and Zara are safer together,” Ricky suggested, pointing out that Nameless could offer demonic protection to Zara and Zach. They were both vulnerable around here. I wasn’t quite sure if we should split, but at the same time it was easier to move around the island in small groups.

  Everyone agreed and fear stirred my insides when I watched Ricky and Emma disappearing around the hill several minutes later. I needed to stop worrying and focus. Zach, his sister, and Nameless went to the opposite direction, rounding the tower to the other side. Paul and I took the steep steps that were leading directly up the hill. My fingers became numb with cold, and I couldn’t feel my legs after some time. Paul was struggling to climb the stairs. After working in the pub for years he was unfit and only slowed me down.

  My energy kept shifting. The atmosphere near the tower was unsettled, keeping me on edge, twisting my gut with unease. I was getting concerned that I couldn’t sense anyone else besides my friends around the island. Alexis was here. I couldn’t have been wrong.

  “Paul, whatever happens, I want you to get them back to London safely,” I said, just to make sure that we understood each other.

  “Don’t worry, Max, I won’t let you down,” he replied.

  We reached the last step and we were forced to rest for a bit. The tower was built from shiny black stones. It reached at least several hundred meters upwards. The construction was impressive, embracing me with sizzling powerful energy. Now we just needed to locate the entrance. Alexis wouldn’t have known that I discovered her hiding place; she wasn’t prepared like the last time, so I had to make my advantage count.

  “Here,” Paul shouted somewhere from the other side. I found him standing outside a heavy metal door. My heart skipped a beat. I was so close to seeing her, so close to touching her beautiful face. I looked out, but it was difficult to see the island now; the thick mist stretched down all the way to the water and it began drifting on its surface. I could only hope that the rest of the group was safe. Paul muttered some formula under his breath and a second later he kicked the door with his leg. There it was—the entrance with a narrow metal staircase that led up.

  I started climbing, floor after floor, not waiting for Paul while the adrenaline surged through my veins. It seemed that the metal stairs were never going to end, but I kept going. My breathing became laboured, my clothes sticking to my back, until I reached the first door.

  I stopped, embracing my power, then sent a strong wave of my magic right through the lock. The door gave way and I stepped inside. The room was exactly like I had seen in my vision: the sofa, the dining table and the small bed in the corner. Summer wasn’t there. The smell of blood made me nauseous and I spat on the floor with disgust. Summer’s energy was circulating around, so she must have still been here at least an hour ago. A second later, the door shut behind me and I felt a sharp pain in my skull. The discomfort eased off and a moment later I noticed another set of stairs leading up.

  “Maxine, what’s going on? Open that damn door!” Paul shouted, banging his fists into the metal. We both tried using magic, but the door remained locked. It was a trap, someone intended to keep me here for a bit.

  “A spell holds the lock. There is another floor above this one. I’m going to check it out.”

  Paul told me to wait, he was trying to break the spell, but I wanted to make sure that my child wasn’t being kept elsewhere. Panic seized my insides, sinking bitter claws into my skin. Alexis couldn’t have moved Summer to another location. She was still spellbound by the sleeping curse.

  I started climbing to the higher level, moving further and higher until there was an attic-type entrance at the end. I used magic until I was able to squeeze myself through it, stepping on the open rooftop. A sharp burst of wind almost knocked me down, contracting my lungs with freezing cold air.

  I tapped into my source, concentrating, but a sudden wave of power hit me from behind. I went flying over the shiny floor, hitting the barriers and nearly passing out. Every inch of my body burned, as another demon squeezed my power, launching a full-on attack. I cursed loudly, trying to get back on my feet.

  Then I saw her—she stood opposite, balancing a ball of red light in her hand. I was struggling to stay on my feet, the cold wind crystallising my energy into something still and fragile.

  “Bianca?” I asked stupidly, recognising her platinum blond hair and her excellent manicured nails.

  “Yes, that’s me, you little mongrel whore. I have been waiting for you. My sister mentioned that you may pop in,” she snarled, lifting the light and playing with it like it was a toy. She was wearing a thick crimson coat around her shoulders. I had no idea how she figured out that I was the enemy. Alexis wasn’t that smart; she couldn’t have known that I would come here today. Unless someone had betrayed me.

  “Where is she? Where the hell is that bitch who is keeping my daughter?” I shouted, shaking with fury, embracing my demonic powers. It didn’t matter that the demon in front of me was stronger. I was ready to kill her just so I could get to Alexis.

  A pain exploded in my skull, and I roared, losing my balance and going down. My breath wheezed when I tried to get up again. A split second later Bianca kicked me in my stomach and I clenched my teeth, pushing myself to keep fighting. There was no time, the bitch was sitting on me, laughing out loud. The wind whizzed in my ears, and Bianca was trying to rip the skin on my cheek with her sharp nails.

  “
She’s far away, squeaking with pain and misery just like her mummy,” Bianca laughed, slicing my skin. The rage that started building within me was nothing that I ever experienced before. The blood got into my eyes, but I squinted, and tapped deep into my source, slapping her with a fresh wave of power.

  I spit into her face and used that short moment of distraction to smash her face with my free fist. My pain was severe, but adrenaline was already kicking in. I was on my feet, breathing in the harsh air and wiping the blood away from my face. Bianca’s eyes gleamed with fire as she started circling around me. She was bleeding from her nose.

  I wasn’t able to tap into my demonic abilities in full. Someone was blocking my extensive energy. After all, I tossed the great Berith down to the pits and now I could barely stand on my feet. Bianca must have used a spell that controlled my anger and now she was using it to her advantage. I roared with frustration, thinking about the charm that could break that blockage. I really wanted to see her back in hell, in her own torturing chamber.

  “You will die in here, along with your foolish plan. You will never bring Lucifer down!” I shouted, focusing on every beat of power that was left in me. She was blocking the exit, looking very confident. My cheek was burning with raw fire, skin hanging off it. Paul’s confused mind was screaming at me to open the door.

  “Once Alexis rises from the dead, Lucifer will be forgotten,” she roared, releasing a wave of black foggy light that hit my arm when I dodged to the side.

  I landed on my bruised hip, and seconds later I was struggling to lift myself up. The pain was unbelievable, tripling with every heartbeat. Bianca darted and then launched forwards, grabbing a huge handful of my hair. She pushed me and wrapped her skinny fingers around my neck. I shrieked as fire spread across my entire body. I grabbed her hand. I was struggling to hold it together. My vision went blurry, pain distracted me from breathing and fighting back. I couldn’t die in hell, my time hadn’t arrived yet. My precious daughter was somewhere out there.

  I put pressure on her wrist, until I was burning her skin with the flames that spread down my arms. A thunderstorm lightened the sky. She glanced up and in that split second I bounced the flames off my hand, so it began spreading over her body too. I really wanted to burn her alive. She finally released me and I landed on my back, gasping for air. She was screaming, trying to use her demonic abilities to stop the flames. Not wasting any time and energy, I scrambled back on my feet and kicked her as hard as I could.

  Rain poured down from the sky. Bianca’s hair was still burning and she was going crazy, running up and down the tower. Blinded with pain and exhaustion, I launched myself on her and then we both went down. Once I was sitting on her, I started punching her over and over. The blood began spraying all over my face. I had no idea how long I kept beating the shit out of her, but eventually I collapsed on the floor exhausted and covered with her blood.

  Bianca wasn’t breathing, her demonic energy was slowly drifting away. I didn’t give a damn if she died here or not. My fists were cracked and as the rainwater began dripping down my face, I realised that the skin on my cheek was torn. I didn’t feel any pain anymore. I was numb from head to toe.

  I heard screams around the island, so I ran to the edge of the tower and looked down through the long barriers. I wiped the water off my eyes and scanned the space. The misty fog faded away and now I could see the rocky shore right in front of me. Horror rose within me, robbing me from ability to speak, to even think when I saw Alexis on the edge of the cliff.

  She had Summer with her. The child was crying. That bitch must have found the way to break Matilda’s sleeping curse. I parted my lips, realising that my daughter was fully alert and awake. Zachary, his sister and Nameless were running towards her shouting. I knew that they weren’t going to get there. Alexis lifted something in the air and Zach, along with others, fell in the hole that appeared out of nowhere. My friends were locked in a spell, several meters underground.

  I sent a lightning ball down, but I was too far away and my light faded. Alexis noticed me, and smiled widely, stroking Summer’s blond locks.

  “Look over there, child, your mummy is staring down at us. She’s going to watch how I use your precious blood to be reborn!” the bitch said, using our connection so she could talk to me through my head. I ran down to the exit, pushed Bianca’s body out of the way and tried to lift the flap, so I could get down.

  The flap wouldn’t budge, and I roared in desperation releasing fiery sparks of energy. Bianca must have locked me in here from the outside, so I would get stranded here if anything went wrong.

  I went back to the barriers and looked around, searching for Matilda. My heart pounded loudly in my chest, seconds were rolling and all I heard was my daughter’s high-pitched cries. Ricky and Emma were still outside the tower, but I couldn’t see them anywhere.

  “No, please, spare her. She’s done nothing wrong,” I said in my head, hoping that Alexis had some decency left in her, and that maybe she would listen. Terror rose swiftly when I saw her holding a knife. She brought the child closer to her chest and looked at me.

  “Your mummy is begging me to spare you,” Alexis said, using our connection. “I won’t. She’s my only hope to live. My soul is damaged and she’s the healer.”

  Time was running out. I clenched my fists in frustration, concentrating on every ounce of energy that rose inside me. My fingers released some light, but I was too far away.

  “I won’t let you kill her, witch!”

  I blinked and saw Arthur speeding up the hill moments later. He appeared out of nowhere, then launched himself on Alexis. She was completely caught off guard. She didn’t even have the time to react. Neither of us saw him.

  I gasped when she pushed Summer away. The prince fought like a knight. He pinned her down to the ground. I was pacing around the edge of the barrier, watching in horror how Alexis used her magic to pull Arthur off her. She tossed him away to the ground, screaming and launching her energy at him. Her body rose a couple of inches away from the ground. Now I began to understand how she was so powerful. She had been feeding on Matilda’s power since very beginning. That’s why she never let the Warlock witch go, that’s why she needed her all this time.

  “Daddy’s come to rescue his child. Very well, he will do just fine,” she said, then picked up the knife off the grass and approached Arthur, who was struggling to lift himself up. Summer was crying. I tangled my hair, screaming for Arthur to get the hell away from there.

  Then everything slowed down. Alexis lifted the knife again and then whispered a Latin formula. I heard her in my own thoughts. Thunder boomed and lightning broke through the sky, showering her with new fulfilling energy. A split second later she stabbed the prince and lifted her knife above her head. The blood dripped down her body, and Arthur lay underneath her feet—dead.

  Chapter 30

  “For the Emperor of that high Imperium wills not that I, once rebel to His crown, into that city of His should lead men home.” ―Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy

  “Noooo!” I roared, desperate, falling down on my knees when I realised what Arthur had done. He was gone, saving his only child from a psychotic demon. I failed to protect him from getting into Purgatory, failed myself when Alexis stabbed him.

  A storm was seconds away, and electricity buzzed through the air lifting tiny hairs on the back of my neck. Another crack of thunder and lightning appeared in the sky, then the electricity soared right through Alexis’s body. She went rigid, lighting up like a thousands stars. Then she rose above the ground spreading her arms wide.

  In that moment I knew that her twisted spell began to work. The royal blood was healing her damaged soul. Tears streamed down my cheeks and I screamed at the top of my lungs.

  Arthur was dead. Alexis had fulfilled her prophecy.

  I picked myself up and ran back to the exit. The stream of fire spread down my arms and moments later the ground underneath my feet exploded with a loud bang. I jumped down
to the small room, charged with so much power that I could barely hold myself in one piece. The building was shaking, but that didn’t concern me. I used my power to pull the doors away from hinges. Paul was lying on the stairs in a pool of blood. Fear shot right through my bones when I saw him.

  “Hey, wake up, please wake up,” I said, turning him slowly around and praying to God that he was all right. He began stirring back to a conscious state and I exhaled with relief.

  “A demon got to me from behind. I lost my bearings,” Paul said. I helped him to stand up. He probably had a mild concussion, but insisted on walking all the way downstairs on his own.

  We didn’t talk, there was no time. The rain was pouring down from the sky, and once outside, I started running towards the edge of the cliff where Arthur’s body lay in the grass. Alexis was gone, her soul had been healed completely. She was a newborn demon.

  Summer was curled up in a ball. She wasn’t crying. With shaky hands and trembling legs I got to her first. She was soaking wet, but she was breathing okay. Instinctively I wanted to run with her, as far as was physically possible. I tried to warm her up with my magic, afraid that she might be ill. She was still so tiny, so small.

  Paul noticed Arthur shortly after he joined me. He stood there, pale and confused. Someone placed a palm on my arm. I started crying, squeezing my daughter tightly in my arms. My anger and pain were shifting into something else, something heavier, numbing me all over.

  “She’s all right, Max, she’s just cold and scared.”

  Matilda was talking to me. I lifted my head seeing her standing next to me, bruised with cuts and scratches all over her face. Even her clothes were torn. In the distance I saw Zach, Zara and Nameless coming towards us. Paul kept staring at Arthur’s body in silence.

  “Arthur?” I asked, shaking with cold, like I still couldn’t comprehend that he was gone.

  Moments later Zach wrapped his coat around me. Summer’s little heart was beating franticly. All I wanted was to take her back to the world above and plant a billion kisses on her cheeks.