Hem nodded. “Now you will tell me where she is or I’ll squeeze your neck until your head pops off.”
His grip tightened around my throat and I could tell he meant it. “S-stop…”
“Not until you tell me where she is!”
It was getting harder to breathe and I was growing light-headed. In another few seconds, I would have passed out. But I had to do something. I tried to concentrate, focus on my powers. Visualize the target, visualize the outcome, channel the energy, and then speak the word.
“Co…rus…co!”
I closed my eyes just as a bright burst of light flashed between us. Hem screamed and released my neck, pulling away. I tried to stand up straight, leaning against the car for support. Hem had backed away, his hands held up to his face. He opened his eyes and blinked several times, then kept reaching his hand out, trying to grab the spots he was no doubt seeing.
“Not so fun bein’ blindsided, is it?” I asked.
“I’ll kill you, Cross!”
“No…you won’t,” I raised the gun up and placed my finger inside the trigger guard. “Not unless you want your brains all over the wall.”
“Tell me where she is. I’ll take her and we’ll go.”
“Still don’t get it, do you?” I asked. “I didn’t take Celeste! Her and I made our beds. We’ve both moved on. No hard feelings on my end.”
“And I’m supposed to believe that when one of your men throws me out a window and takes her hostage?”
“Threw you out a window, eh?” I chuckled and then felt a pain in my chest. It hurt to laugh. “Sorry, just wish I could’ve been there to see that.”
“This is all a joke to you?”
I sighed. Hem never did have much of a sense of humor. Probably why even before I went through my changes, we never got along that well. “I want you to do something. I want you to think logically for a change. What interest would I have in taking Celeste captive?”
Hem’s features softened. I could tell he was starting to think about what was going on here. My gun was still trained on him, but I now rested my finger on the trigger guard.
“You say Iblis took her, and I believe you,” I said. “Here’s the thing, though—I’m pretty much just a figurehead. I haven’t been to Lust in months. Lilith runs the domain downstairs, Iblis is in charge of things up here. And me? I just go about my business.”
“You expect me to believe that after everything you went through, you’re just an absentee Hell Lord?”
“That’s exactly it,” I said. “I never wanted any throne, I just wanted the support to keep other people off my back.” Though now it was looking like I didn’t even have that much. The whole point of joining up with Lilith and taking on this challenge was so I’d be too important for anyone to move against.
“Then why would Iblis take her?” asked Hem. “Lilith? Is she trying to eliminate the competition?”
I scoffed. “Hell no. I could bang every vampire on the planet and Lilith wouldn’t even bat an eye. She doesn’t give a damn about Celeste. But I know who’s behind this.”
“Who?”
“Asmodeus.”
Hem’s body relaxed and now he looked completely confused. “What? I thought he was dead.”
“Not really dead, just trapped in Purgatory. But he’s out now.” I gestured to the gun. “You mind if we be civil, go up to my place and have a drink? My arm’s startin’ to get a little tired and I’d like to go upstairs and get cleaned up.”
Hem inhaled deeply, but then nodded. “Very well. I’ll restrain myself for now.”
“Good.”
After I parked the car, I took Hem up to my place. Told him to make himself at home while I cleaned up. I went into the master bathroom and stood in front of the mirror as I stripped off my jacket. There were bloodstains on the white shirt I was wearing, which I wasn’t even going to bother trying to wash out. Easier just to throw the damn thing away and start off fresh.
I peeled the shirt off my body and examined my face. My eye was swollen from Hem’s punches, though the cuts had mostly clotted. I closed my eyes and traced my finger over my face, moving it in the motions to draw an invisible healing sigil while I muttered in Latin.
I felt the magic already starting to work through my body, easing the aches and pains. I stepped into the shower and turned on the water. With the washcloth soaped up, I started cleaning the dried blood off my skin. Once I’d gotten it all off, I stayed under the water for a few more minutes, letting the warm jets work through some of the tension in my back and shoulders.
That felt better. I dressed in a clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt, then joined Hem in the living room. He sat forward on the couch, a drink held between both hands and he stared at the TV, even though it was off.
“Don’t tell me you don’t know how to use a TV,” I said as I poured myself a scotch.
“Of course I do,” he said. “But I’m not in the mood right now.”
“Suppose that’s normal. When the woman you love is kidnapped, kinda curbs your desire to catch up on Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” I said.
“That’s not what Celeste is to me,” said Hem. “She’s family. And I owe her a debt.”
“No judgment here, big guy.” I sat in my recliner and turned it to face him.
“You’re certain Asmodeus is behind this?”
I nodded while taking a drink. “Already had an encounter with him. He’s not too happy with me.”
“You stole his woman and his domain, I’d want you dead, too.”
“Surprisingly, that’s not what this is about,” I said. “But that’s another story.”
“And Iblis? He’d go against you when you’re his new master?”
“I’m gonna go out on a limb and say you don’t associate with a whole lot of demons,” I said. “The thing you gotta remember about them is they’re opportunists. They see something they can benefit from, they go for it.”
“What would his benefit be in this case?”
“Hasn’t exactly been a smooth transition,” I said. “Asmodeus probably promised him a return to the way things used to be, though no doubt likely with the added benefit of Iblis getting to stay in charge of Lust. And he decided to take Celeste because he figures I’ve still got feelings for her.”
“And you’re saying you don’t?” Hem’s shoulders started to tense up.
“I told you, our thing’s done,” I said. “But that’s not important. Asmodeus has to be stopped and it looks like that’s a task that’s gonna fall to me. Him taking Celeste wasn’t an accident, neither was using Iblis to do it.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s sending a message. Telling me that he wants a confrontation. And even being so kind as to let me know where exactly he wants that confrontation to be.”
“Lust,” said Hem.
I nodded. “Six floors of demons between him and me. He wants me to pay him a visit, thinks he can use Celeste as a bargaining chip to get what he wants out of me.”
“How do you know this is true? How would you know she was taken by him?”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I showed the screen to Hem, which displayed a photo of Celeste, her wrists bound in iron chains, sitting next to Asmodeus.
“Because Asmodeus sent me this text while we were on our way upstairs,” I said.
“If she’s harmed at all during this—”
“Relax, she won’t be hurt,” I said. “Asmodeus needs her in one piece. But if I’m gonna take care of him and rescue her, I’m gonna need your help.”
“Provided no harm comes to her, I’ll fight by your side.”
“Good man,” I said with a smile. “Now let’s start thinking strategy.
16
“Why are we stopping here?” asked Hem as he looked around.
I shifted the Camaro into park and pointed at the corner just ahead of us. “Right around there is Lust.”
“I know that.”
I sighed. “Asmodeus isn
’t an idiot, big guy. He’s set a trap for me to be here. He’ll be expecting me to charge through those front doors, like I’ve done in the past. But that’s not what I’m going to do.”
“Then what?” asked Hem.
I grinned now and pointed at the yeti. “That’s what you’re going to do.”
Hem blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“There’s another way inside Lust. Learned about it before Lilith moved into Hell. While you’re causing a distraction, I’ll take the other entrance, get to Asmodeus and Iblis, and find Celeste.”
“This isn’t what we discussed,” said Hem.
“Yeah, well, I’ve never been big on the whole teamwork thing. So are we gonna do this or not? Because we’re wasting time sitting around.”
Hem looked like he wanted to rip my head off. That wasn’t really anything new, I don’t think he ever looked at me any other way. But he gave in and opened the door, walked down the street and then rounded the corner.
I took the gun and dagger from the glovebox, then got out as well. The gun went into my holster, but the dagger, I kept that in my hand, tucking the blade into the arm of my jacket and letting the hilt rest on my fingers.
An alley led to the back entrance, which was how I was going to get in. There were always two demons standing guard out there. Two demons I could handle. And if Asmodeus was smart, he’d know to instruct them to stay there no matter what else happened.
I decided to play this my own way. After that encounter with Gabriel, I’d been trying to focus my power. Was hoping to have some more time before the showdown with Asmodeus, but if it had to be now, then it had to be now. Whatever hellfire I could summon would come in handy. And I had an ace up my sleeve just in case. But I didn’t need that to deal with these two.
“’Evening, gentlemen,” I said as I approached them.
The two demons were both dressed in black suits with black shirts to match. No ties and open collars and they were taller even than me. They wore sunglasses and their faces remained expressionless.
I hated assholes who wore sunglasses at night.
“Mr. Cross,” said one of the demons. “I’m afraid you’ll have to go through the front entrance tonight.”
I paused and waited. Sure enough, there were sounds of screaming and things breaking in the distance. The two demons exchanged a quick glance with each other, but then calmly put their attention back on me.
“Sounds like something’s going on in there. Sure you don’t want to let me in?” I asked.
“Mr. Iblis has insisted any guests use the front entrance,” said the other demon.
I nodded. “Yeah, I figured that would happen.”
The dagger fell into my hand and I grasped the hilt. I swung my arm out and jammed the dagger up through one of the demons, sticking it under his jaw and driving it hilt-deep. His eyes burned out of his sockets and his body went lifeless.
His buddy grabbed my shoulder and pulled me away before I could extract the weapon. Two quick punches from him knocked me back into the wall opposite the entrance. I dropped just before his fist connected with my face—powerful enough to leave cracks in the brick.
I drew my revolver, but we were too close and he was able to grab my wrist and twist. The gun slipped from my grasp and clattered on the ground. I stared at him and then I broke out the Latin.
“Regna terrae, cantata Deo, psallite Cernunnos. Regna terrae, cantata Dea psallite Aradia.”
He screamed and released my wrist, pulling away. Smoke started rising from his body. But instead of finishing the exorcism spell, I grabbed the gun and fired two shots into his head. His body flew back and landed on the pavement, eyes burnt out of the sockets.
Dumbass didn’t realize that as a Hell Lord, exorcism spells wouldn’t work for me anymore. Hard to call on the power of Heaven to expel demons when you’re technically working for the other side. It would’ve been painful for him, sure, but I wouldn’t have been able to expel him from the host body.
I retrieved the dagger, making sure to wipe the blood off on the demon’s suit. Then, I kicked open the back door and went inside the club.
The back entrance led to a storeroom and from there into the kitchen. The staff were on the ground, cowering. I could hear the ruckus from the other side of the door. I went to the door and looked through one of the round windows at the top.
Sure enough, Hem was doing his part. He was like a bull in a china shop, and the demons were piling on him. But he wouldn’t let up, not even for a second. Boy had stamina, had to give him that.
I looked at the kitchen staff and put my finger to my lips. Then I pointed to the door I’d come through. They nodded and started filing out quietly.
No need for them to get mixed up in all this. And besides, the hot wings were pretty damn good here. I wanted to make sure I could still order up a plate of those once Lust was under my control once again.
Once I had an opening, I went for it, stepping out of the doors and sneaking along the wall until I reached the staircase. I had the gun in hand and ready to use if need be, but most of the demons in the place were distracted by Hem. As the big guy kept them busy, I was able to move around pretty freely.
Even the guards who usually stood watch at the main office on the top floor were gone, no doubt tangling with the yeti. I went to the door and kicked it open, raising the gun and prepared to fire.
“Luther!” Asmodeus stood facing the window. He glanced over his shoulder to address me and held up a glass of brandy. “Come join us, Hem’s putting on quite a show down there.”
I stepped inside the office, keeping the gun ready. Iblis sat in one of the chairs, sipping his drink. And then I saw Celeste on the couch with a glass of wine in her hand. Our eyes briefly made contact and then she looked away in annoyance. And then I noticed something else.
“Where are the chains?” I asked.
“Oh, that.” Asmodeus chuckled and turned his back to the window. “Just part of a ruse to get you to come over here quickly. I figured if you believed the woman you loved was in danger, you’d come running. And I was right.”
“That’s all over now,” I said, keeping the gun trained on Asmodeus.
“And yet you came anyway. Interesting.”
I glanced quickly at Iblis. “By the way, you’re fired.”
Iblis chuckled. “I have a feeling we’ll be returning to previous management in the near future. So threaten all you want.”
“Want me to threaten you?” I turned the gun from Asmodeus to Iblis. “How’s that?”
“Luther, play nice…” said Asmodeus, taking a few steps away from the window. It draw my aim back to him. Asmodeus held his arms out to the side. “I’m not interested in a fight. We’re old friends, you and I. Surely we can settle this like gentlemen.”
“And what about you?” I asked Celeste. “What’s your part in all this?”
“Honestly, I haven’t got time for any of this shit,” she said before taking another sip of her wine. “Asmodeus brought me here, told me he wanted to lure you into a trap, and then he said he’d let me go once you arrived. I’d rather just get the hell out of here and let you two get on with your little dick-measuring contest.”
“I suppose that’s fine,” said Asmodeus. “I don’t have any objections to her leaving, do you?”
“Go on, Celeste,” I told her while keeping my eye and my gun on Asmodeus. “Hem’s downstairs.”
“Good, I’m gone.” She finished the wine in one gulp and then stood from the couch and went to the door.
“And Celeste…?” I began. “Sorry you got mixed up in this shit.”
“Too little, too late, Cross,” she said. “If I ever see you again, I’m tearing your throat out.”
That went well.
“Iblis, did Asmodeus tell you what his plan is?” I asked.
“It doesn’t really concern me, not at the moment anyway,” said Iblis. “You see, the problem we have here is you. You’ve been an absentee Hell Lord, allow
ing Lilith to run the show. And things haven’t been going too smoothly.”
“So you’d rather have a puppet of Thanatos bossing you around?”
“Thanatos…?” Iblis’ gaze went to Asmodeus. “What’s he talking about?”
“Ignore him, he’d say anything to save his ass.”
“Go on, old buddy. Tell him what you told me,” I said. “About how you whored yourself out to Thanatos in order to get a free pass out of Purgatory.”
“Is that true?” asked Iblis, rising from his chair.
“My deals are my own business. Provided Thanatos gets what Luther has kept from me, I’ll be clear of my debt and then the realm will be mine again,” said Asmodeus. “So how about it, Luther? Are you ready to give me what I want? I’ve already shown you how easy it is for me to get at the people you love. Today, it was Celeste. Tomorrow, maybe it’ll be Tessa. Or that old, blind woman with the visions. Or your cop friend.”
I was done with this shit. I pulled the trigger several times, not stopping until the gun was empty. The bullets cut across the distance between the barrel and Asmodeus. I was sure this would be the end of it, that he’d be hit in the chest and head and then he’d go flying through that window, just like in the movies.
Too bad this wasn’t a movie.
Asmodeus waved his hand and the bullets flew around him, crashing into the glass without even touching him. Then he held his hand in front of him and the final bullet stopped in midair. His eyes glowed yellow and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
“Really, Luther. I may not be a Hell Lord anymore, but I’ve still forgotten more about magic than you’ll ever know.”
He flexed his fingers and the bullet shot back, striking me in the chest. I fell back and hit the ground. Immediately, my hand went to the wound to examine it. It hit the right side of my chest, close to the shoulder. Looked like it went clean through. Hurt like a bitch, but definitely wouldn’t be fatal.
I pulled myself up to a sitting position and leaned against the wall for support. Asmodeus finished his brandy and tossed the glass onto the floor. With his hands clasped behind his back, he calmly approached me and stared down.
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