But as soon as I stepped out of the car, Wayne was out as well. He grabbed me by my jacket and slammed me against the side of his car. I looked at him in surprise.
“What’s wrong with you?” I barked at him.
“You think I like this?” he asked. “Bad enough you cause all that trouble months ago with that demon bitch, but now your crazy’s spilling out onto the streets?”
I pushed Wayne off me. “Wasn’t my doing, Coop. The hell you doing here anyway?”
“Years ago, when we first started working together,” he said. “I put the word out to friends in different precincts. Told them if your name ever came up somewhere, they were to call me, no questions asked.”
“Didn’t know you cared.”
“At one point I did, kind of like you,” said Wayne. “But then you screwed all that up.”
“Then why come?”
“Don’t flatter yourself, I was covering my own ass. Didn’t want anyone looking too closely at some of the weird cases your name popped up in.”
“I take it you two know each other?” asked Morrison.
Wayne looked at Morrison and then back at me. “Who’s this guy anyway?”
“You remember the girl from last year?” I asked.
Wayne paused for a moment, his eyes drifting upwards, and then he nodded. “Yeah, what about her?”
“He’s been keeping her safe. But now Asmodeus is after him.”
Wayne’s nose wrinkled. “Asmodeus? I thought he—”
“He’s not. And now he’s sent Cain after me. That’s the guy who shot up the airport.”
“Yeah, I read the report. Took several direct hits and kept on moving.”
“Nothing can kill him and he’s not my biggest fan.”
“That’s becoming a pretty long list, isn’t it?”
“Whatever,” I said. “The point is Dakota is out of the country. We gotta get to her and see she ends up somewhere safe. Because if Asmodeus gets his hands on either me or Chuck here, it won’t be long before he gets a location out of us.”
Wayne scoffed. “Well I’ll tell you one thing, no chance you’re flying out of O’Hare. Wagner may be young, but she’s already earned a reputation for being tenacious as hell. You’ll be flagged the moment the cameras spot you. They’ll monitor your every single move.”
I groaned. “Great. So how am I supposed to get out of the country?”
“For starters, you’d have to fly out of Midway. Maybe make a few stops. And they might flag your passport, too, so you’ll need a new identity. Same goes for your friend.”
“Any chance you could give me a hand with some of that?”
Wayne scoffed. “Are you out of your mind? I’m not helping you commit a federal crime.”
“Fine,” I said. “In that case, I’ve got a safehouse where Chuck can lie low while I make some contacts. Would you mind taking him there?”
Wayne sighed and looked from Morrison back to myself. “I’m not your errand boy, Cross.”
“Forget about me. This is about a mother and her baby. If I don’t do something, who knows what’ll happen?”
“And I’m supposed to believe you’ve suddenly become altruistic?”
“You can believe what you want, but I need your help.”
He sighed again and held up a finger. “This once. I’ll take him to your safehouse and check in on him, but it’s the last time you’re getting any favors out of me.”
23
Another explosion rocked the walls of the palace as the demoness moved through the corridors. She was dressed in armor and her long, dark hair was tied behind her head in a tight bun, aside from a few strands that framed her brown face. She moved with determination, avoiding the others in the palace and ascending the steps until she reached the top level of the tower. Once she reached the summit, she opened the door there and saw her mistress standing at the window and looking out over the palace grounds, twirling strands of her red hair around her finger, her face pensive.
“Hello, Mara,” said Lilith, not even bothering to look away from the window.
“Mistress, we have to leave,” said Mara.
“You think my guards can’t hold back Raum’s forces?” asked Lilith.
“I believe they can, but I’m not confident enough to risk your life on that.”
Lilith looked out at the palace gates. There was a horde of demons just outside the walls, scrambling to try and break through. Some of the more powerful among the mob hurled grenades forged from hellfire.
“How did he do this?” asked Lilith. “How did he gather so many of them together?”
“I wish I knew. But my job is just to protect you,” said Mara. “Please, let’s get to a safe location and then we can figure out our next move.”
Lilith inhaled sharply. She’d worked hard to get to this point. She’d endured centuries of imprisonment. And now it was all at risk of falling away. Not for the first time, Lilith was questioning if allying herself with Luther Cross was the right decision.
“No,” she said. “They want a strong leader, I’ll show them one. Open the cages.”
Mara’s head jerked back. “D-did you just say—?”
“You heard me.” Lilith turned away from the window and held out her hand. Hellfire coursed down her arm, coalescing around her closed fist and expanded out, taking on the form of a bow. “Open the cages, let the Hellhounds out. And get the basilisk ready. I’m going out there myself.”
Lilith walked past Mara and descended the steps of the tower. Her bodyguard ran after her, trying to keep up and protesting as she did so.
“Mistress, it’s far too dangerous out there for you to join the fight. Leave it to the guards, we need to get you to a safehouse so we can plan a retaliatory strike.”
Lilith stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “Is Raum out there himself?”
Mara shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Then I’ll show his followers that a real leader doesn’t hide while letting others get their hands dirty.”
They continued through the palace, down through the corridors and past portraits of many of the other Hell Lords. The screams of the mob from outside could be heard through the walls, but if that had any impact on Lilith, she kept it hidden. They reached the ground floor and Lilith led Mara through a door, to a kennel of sorts.
The cages were made of wrought iron. The barks of the hellhounds were like the sound of thunder, their growls enough to send chills down the spine of the bravest individual. Each one was the size of a tiger, kept in a cage for a much smaller creature. Their fur was mangled and black, a row of spikes running down their spines, ending in snake-like tails.
Once Lilith entered the kennel, the dozens of hellhounds looked at her with eyes that were like hot coals. Lilith raised her hand and with a thought, the cage doors vanished. The hellhounds stepped out from their enclosures, moving tentatively towards their mistress, almost as if she was the thing they feared most.
“Go on,” she said and pointed to the wall. In a flash of hellfire, it vanished, revealing the palace courtyard and the gate separating the mob. The hellhounds looked at Lilith one last time and she nodded. Their lips curled back to reveal razor-sharp fangs the size of railroad spikes, and then they charged.
The hellhounds didn’t let the palace gate stop them. Their powerful legs hurled them right over the wall and into the mob of demons gathered outside. What were at first cries of protest now turned into screams of terror, and a smile started to spread along Lilith’s face.
“Mistress…?” asked Mara.
Lilith turned her head away from the hellhounds and the mob. Mara stood in front of a large bay door, her hand resting on the locking mechanism. Lilith could see the hand was twitching.
“Do it.”
Mara nodded and closed her yellow eyes. She took a breath and energy moved from her hand, lighting up the lock. The sound of grinding gears came as the door rose, and an inhuman roar escaped from the other side.
Lilith stood firm and tall, watching as the beast known as the basilisk emerged from his cage. He was at least ten feet tall, with a total of six legs. His dark green body had massive girth and was covered with scales. His head resembled an iguana, but far more massive. The lips were curled back, showcasing several rows of razor-sharp fangs. And instead of two eyes, he had only one—right in the center of his head and glowing bright-red.
He stared down at Lilith, a rumble coming from his throat. Then, he lowered his head down to her level in show of subservience. Lilith circled around to the side and mounted her foot on his middle leg. She grabbed the hard, armor-like skin and pulled herself up until she climbed onto the basilisk’s back.
“Let’s go,” she said, holding out her hand and hellfire forming reins that wrapped around the basilisk’s head. She snapped the reins and the basilisk raised his head, let out a massive bellow, and charged to the front gate.
The basilisk gained speed as he approached the wall, and then he sprung into the air. Lilith held onto the reins, the wind whipping her crimson hair behind her and catching the light in such a way that it seemed her hair was made of fire itself.
The beast landed right in the midst of the demons. The hellhounds followed their mistress’ lead, going straight for the attackers. Jaws strong enough to shatter steel tore through flesh and bone, claws tearing their bodies to ribbons.
And the basilisk did his part as well. Lilith rode him through the encroaching hordes, crushing her enemies beneath the monster’s feet. She held up the bow and drew back the hellfire string. Once the pull was complete, arrows forged of the same energy flared into existence, nocked and ready to fly. Lilith released the string, carefully targeting her victims. Hellfire arrows pierced the heads of her enemies, dropping them to the ground as they wailed before their existence was ended.
There was a cry from behind. Lilith glanced over her shoulder and saw her guards pouring forth from the castle walls. Hellfire weapons clashed against the enemy demons. Lilith watched as her soldiers tore through the protestors and she started to wonder just why they were all coming now.
She could sense the power of these demons. Many of them were fresh to the realm, and so had very little strength. There were a few hellfire throwers attacking the castle, but they seemed to have vanished now. And as for the rest, she doubted they had the strength to summon even the barest spark of hellfire.
There was something extremely suspicious about the attack. Lilith was now starting to come to the realization, but as she looked at the bodies quickly falling around the castle, she knew it was too late to do anything about it. Her eyes scanned the infernal landscape. She knew he would be there, somewhere.
And up on a nearby hill, she saw him. A dark silhouette against the crimson skyline, overlooking the scene. She snapped the reins and the basilisk charged. Lilith directed her beast through the battlefield, charging past—or even trampling over—anyone who got in her way.
She urged the basilisk on and he responded by moving faster, steadily increasing his speed until he reached his peak. The beast raced up the hill and skidded to a stop. He growled at the being who stood there, his red eye flashing, but Lilith soothed him with a gentle pat on his neck.
“Admiring your handiwork, Raum?” she asked.
Raum smiled. “I was wondering just how you’d handle the situation. And you didn’t disappoint. Have a look down there and tell me what you see.”
Lilith glanced back at the castle walls. “Keeping the peace. Stopping an unwarranted attack on the castle.”
“That’s interesting, because I see oppression,” said Raum. “Unarmed, low-level demons being crushed by the might of your war machine, their bodies torn apart by your attack dogs—literally, in fact. And then there’s you.”
Raum moved his head up and down, taking in the whole image of her on the basilisk. “Armored, riding atop your mighty steed, weapon in hand. So desperate to prove yourself as a warrior queen?”
“I’m just defending what’s mine,” said Lilith.
“I don’t think that’s how the rest of the realm will see it,” said Raum. “They’ll see what began as a demonstration against a former prisoner sitting on the throne turn into a bloodbath. All because you couldn’t handle dissent.”
Lilith’s nostrils flared and the basilisk perked up, sensing his mistress’ anger. She kept him calm, while also trying as hard as possible not to blow up herself.
“You’ve got a lot of fucking nerve, Raum.”
Raum chuckled. “It’s one of my better qualities, I know. So the question is, just what are we going to do about this, Lilith?”
“You can’t keep this up,” said Lilith. “Sooner or later, you’ll run out of cannon fodder. And then what will you do? How can you keep up this rebellion?”
“Oh, you really don’t know, do you?” asked Raum. “I’ve got sponsorship, sweetheart. The kind that will keep my cause stocked with souls until the end of time. So the real question is not how long can I last, it’s how long can you?”
“Bullshit,” said Lilith.
“Call my bluff, if you want to risk it.”
Lilith studied his face, but his features were inscrutable. She couldn’t tell if he was lying or being honest. But wasting so much manpower on what would be a futile attack certainly added credence to his story.
“Abdicate the throne, surrender power to me, and I promise you’ll get to live out the rest of your existence in peace,” said Raum.
“And how will that go over with the demons you’ve whipped into a frenzy?”
“They’ll believe me when I tell them you were just manipulated by that cambion. Someone who’s fought against Hell for years, betrayed his birthright, and whose intention was only ever to work against all our interests.”
Lilith opened her mouth to refuse, but before she could speak, Raum held up his hand.
“Please, don’t answer yet. I want you to strongly consider my offer,” he said. “Although I’d advise you to hurry. Who knows how much time you’ll have before the next attack?”
Raum smiled at her and snapped his fingers. He vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving Lilith and the basilisk alone on the hill. She looked back at the scene of the battle and saw her guard standing triumphant over the bodies of the attacking demons. Whatever ones were still alive must have retreated. Though from the looks of things, Lilith doubted exactly how many still lived.
Raum was putting her in a difficult position. She would have to do something about this, or else she stood to lose everything she’d worked so hard to gain.
24
I needed help. More than that, I needed insight, and there was only one place I could go to get it. I’d been avoiding any direct contact with her because of how damn good her sight was. But now, time was running out. If I was going to stay a step ahead of Cain and Asmodeus, then Cassandra was the only one who could help me.
I pulled into the tiny strip mall where Cassandra’s shop was located and parked. I was the only one there and Cassandra’s shop was the only one that showed any signs of activity, with no identifying marks other than the sign in red lights that read TAROT.
I reached for the handle and hesitated. Something inside me was holding me back. Cassie’d always been unsettling, and that was before I’d gone through Purgatory. I knew she’d be able to see right through me, see what I’d become. For some reason I couldn’t explain, that frightened me. I took a deep breath and pulled the door open.
The inside of the shop was lit only by blacklight, which illuminated the lint on my jacket and made me look like a damn Christmas tree. I could smell jasmine in the air and the entire store was filled with a fog of smoke.
I waved it aside as I moved through the otherwise-empty shop. Hanging on the walls were different drawings of the tarot cards from various decks. There was a bubbling sound, somewhat muted. Every time I heard it, the jasmine scent became stronger.
I came to a curtain and reached a hand out, slowly pulling it aside. Sittin
g behind a small, round table was an old woman in a large armchair. A hookah pipe rested on the floor beside the chair and she held the attached hose in a wrinkled hand. Her eyes were cloudier than the room as she stared right through me.
“Well, well, well, look who’s finally come to visit.”
She reached for the deck of tarot cards on the table and flipped the first one over, laying it down so I could see. I came closer and saw the image was of a man in robes, holding up a wand and standing behind a table with a sword, pentacle, stick, and chalice. At the top was the Roman numeral for one and at the bottom identified the card as THE MAGICIAN.
“Though is that truly what you are anymore, Mr. Cross? Perhaps you’ve become something else.”
She reached for the deck and turned over another card. This one showed an old man in a cloak, carrying a lamp along a desolate landscape. The Roman numeral nine was on the top and THE HERMIT at the bottom.
“I’m not here for games, Cass,” I said. “I’ve got a problem and I need your help to solve it.”
“Oh yes, I know all about that.”
She flipped another card, this one the sixteenth card in the Major Arcana and showcased a structure in flames as people fell to their death. THE TOWER was written on the bottom.
“What are you saying, that there’s no hope for me?”
Cassandra shook her head. “I know more about you than you know about yourself. But just like this room, the path can often be cloudy and difficult to see. Come.”
She beckoned me closer with one hand and with the other, she held out the hose for me. I sighed and reached out, taking the hose from her hand and sucking on the end. The water inside the hookah bubbled and the coals resting on top turned bright orange. The taste of jasmine filled my mouth and I exhaled the smoke through my nostrils in a massive cloud.
It completely obscured Cassandra’s face. I waited, not wanting to risk disrupting the smoke. I couldn’t really describe what Cassandra’s form of magic was if you’d asked me to. But whatever the key behind her smoke, cards, and riddles, it somehow always seemed to set things on the right path.
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