by Cate Corvin
Heaven could look out for itself. The archangels weren’t my problem, but Hell was.
The Chainlings opened the gates of the Nightside arena, and I flew down from Belial’s back and walked to his front, stroking his broad nose. “Would you mind chauffeuring them?”
He squinted his eyes and grumbled. I had to guess at what he meant by that.
“I can walk or fly. I don’t need to be carried everywhere. You of all people know better than to treat me like I’m going to fall apart.”
The noise that came from his chest made my bones vibrate with the depth of it, but I knew I’d managed to win this round.
I strode inside and found Vyra walking across the arena floor with Lucifer, leading the small group of women we’d managed to save.
After nearly a month of living in the safe confines of the arena, they seemed far more comfortable than they’d been when we’d first herded them indoors. Several of them carried knives from our armory, but all of them looked relieved to finally be released.
I looked over the blonde hair of a demon woman from Lust, still wearing the sheer veils she’d arrived in, and a woman from Greed dripping cold coins from every inch of her body. Even her dress was made of cloth woven with gold.
“We’ll take them from here, Vyra.” For a moment I was tempted to tell her of the shocking news, but now was not the time, and we’d all agreed anyways: Heaven wasn’t our problem.
Besides, if someone as full of love as Vyra could exist in Hell, then we didn’t need God anyways.
The succubus placed her hands on her hips, looking over her charges. “Well, they’re better with fighting now than they were when they came in,” she said quietly. “That should give them an edge the next time someone tries to take them against their will.”
“Nobody’s going to take them. We’ll put a stop to this before he can call for more sacrifices.”
Truthfully, I had no idea how we’d manage to stop him, but if everyone would just have faith in my gut instinct and let me attempt to wield the Sword…
“I know you will, love,” Vyra said, kissing my cheek and handing me a folded paper. “Get them home and come back safe. We’ve got a lot to plan.”
That was the understatement of the century, but I smiled and nodded, and followed the women outside.
Belial had knelt down so they could climb his arm to his massive back, and the lion gave me a long-suffering look as the woman from Greed settled right behind his shoulders, her coins clinking with every movement.
“We’re delivering them straight to the Princes,” Azazel said, materializing at my shoulder. “Any bit of goodwill we can ingrain in them is vital.”
I stroked his arm softly, just enough to brush the fabric. He might’ve come roaring back in as soon as he found out I was having a child, but we hadn’t really talked alone since then. I wanted him to know I was completely sincere about trusting them as a group before I threw myself at him again.
But first things first.
When they’d all climbed aboard their lion chauffeur, Belial rose to his feet and padded out into the street. I found myself between Lucifer and Tascius as we followed the thoroughfare up to the next Circle, Heresy.
I consulted the paper, with all of the women’s names and their Circles, as one of them called up from twelve feet above me. “I belong here!”
Belial automatically turned left, following a road painted with sigils and lined with totems made of bones.
I looked up at a skull that dripped red with blood, mounted on a body made of twigs. The totem seemed to watch us as we passed, and by the time we reached a temple decorated with gilt and bones, the woman on Belial was already trying to jump off the lion.
The temple doors opened, and a Prince walked out. My mouth momentarily dropped open at the sight of him; like Lucifer and Belial, his body was beauty incarnate, but with a savage bent. Long black hair was braided with bones that clicked as he moved, and he was mostly naked and tattooed with red whorls from head to toe. A mask made of a horned skull obscured his face.
“Prince Leviathan.” Lucifer strode around Belial to help down the demon native to Heresy. “We bring your subject.”
Leviathan held out a hand, and the demon woman fled to his side, bowing low. He gazed at Lucifer for a long, uncomfortable moment.
“Our thanks,” he said. His voice was low and gravelly, but there was something cautious in his tone.
Lucifer just smiled thinly. “Do keep it in mind, old friend.”
Leviathan narrowed his eyes, but he turned away without another word, leading his subject into the temple.
I caught up to Belial as we turned back the way we came, intent on going ever upwards. “I can see why no one wants to deal with the Princes,” I said, pitching my voice low so the women wouldn’t hear. “You’d think saying a simple ‘thank you’ was like being tortured.”
Azazel appeared in a gust of smoke. “Their egos are wounded,” he said, just as quietly. “As of now, they have no choice but to make their sacrifices, or have their Circles overrun by the Dragon. Now, if they would only see that joining under Lucifer would make them stronger as a whole, we would stand a chance.”
We passed through the Circle of Sloth uneventfully, but as soon as we stepped into Greed, my eyes practically ached from the glitter of gold, silver, and jewels encrusted on everything. Even on the Nightside of Greed, their avarice was literally blinding.
“I’m walking on actual diamonds,” I whispered, looking down at a pattern of diamonds and rubies underfoot.
Prince Balaam was much more welcoming than Leviathan. He held out his arms to his stolen demon, but took Lucifer aside for a moment before we were permitted to continue. I tried not to stare at him, but it was impossible to keep my eyes away; he looked a lot like Belial, if Belial had a penchant for wrapping himself in silk and jewelry.
The lion’s nose nudged me as I stared.
“You look better,” I whispered, and he let out a growling chuckle.
In Gluttony, Prince Belphegor offered us an invitation to a feast. I almost clutched Lucifer’s arm at the thought, greedily sniffing the air. I’d never smelled so many delicious things in one place: the smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, and spun sugar floated past my nose, followed by the savory scents of rosemary, lemon, and a dash of something smoky.
My mouth was still watering when they led me away, but instead of letting me take the lead, both Lucifer and Tascius held me back.
“Stay behind Belial for this one,” Lucifer commanded.
I snorted, keeping one hand on the lion as we walked. “You think I can’t resist the Prince of Lust?”
Please. Four dicks was more than I knew what to do with.
“I’m less worried about you, and more worried about him.” Lucifer wasn’t joking at all. He was already scowling up at the next Circle, and the red-stained sky above it.
“I’ve got two Princes, a Watcher, and a Nephilim at my back,” I pointed out. “Trust me, Lucifer. No one is going to make a move. I’m very clearly spoken for.”
He shook his head. The red light played off his fine features, making his tan skin look like it’d been cast from actual gold. “The Princes have gone to war for less, and the Prince of Lust lives up to his name.”
“Hmm.” I took his hand, squeezing his fingers. “I’m sure he’d find me much less appealing once he took a knee to the balls, but I’ll take your word for it.”
A low murmur filled the air, becoming a susurrus of moans once we reached the Second Circle. I blinked, my face immediately going red.
The Brightside of Lust had been pretty tame compared to what was going on now. The only way I could describe its Nightside was ‘orgy’.
“How is she even doing that?” I asked, gazing up at a female demon with several members of her species hanging over a balcony. “I mean… that doesn’t look anatomically possible.”
“Anything is possible when you put your mind to it,” Azazel said casually, and I turned my fish-eyed sta
re on him.
He bit his lower lip, failing to hold back a smile.
“You’ve seemed strangely cheerful lately.” He’d attached himself to my side the moment we hit Lust, clearly acting on the same idea Lucifer had.
He shook his head, looking down at me. “Not cheerful. Just content.”
“Why is that?” I ducked around an outstretched leg capped with a dainty hoof, trying not to look too hard at what the owner was doing with an incubus. “It seems to me like every time we make a plan, everything falls apart.”
Azazel wrapped an arm around my shoulders, walking with his other hand in his pocket. “They might be falling apart, but I wouldn’t ever want you to think we’d turn on you over a disagreement. We’re stronger together, and as long as we have each other, that’s all I give a damn about.”
I pushed closer against him as we walked, but all too soon I found myself shunted behind them as they formed a living shield between me and the Prince of Lust.
The last two demons slid down off Belial’s back outside a massive tent made of red silk. The curtains drew back, and a tall Prince stepped out, tossing his copper hair over his shoulder before he held out his arms.
He enveloped both women, kissing them each on the mouth.
I peeked around Azazel’s shoulder, catching a glimpse of the inside of the tent and the several succubi inside.
“What are you peering at?” he whispered at me.
“Just getting ideas,” I murmured back.
Ten minutes in the Second Circle had given me more ideas than I knew what to do with. Whatever those swings hanging from the ceiling were, I wanted one.
Lucifer spoke quietly to the Prince, and I heard an unfamiliar name- Asmodeus. The Prince was in the middle of talking to Lucifer when he glanced at the rest of us.
Azazel pushed me behind him before those brilliant amber eyes could catch me. Belial shifted and stretched, and Asmodeus greeted him with a wide, handsome grin, the kind of smile that could drop panties without even trying.
I wouldn’t leave my men for anything, but I suddenly understood why they were so intent on keeping Asmodeus a good fifteen feet away from me. I couldn’t say I’d be all that happy if any of them were invited into the tent full of naked succubi.
I heard Lucifer say his farewells, and I followed Tascius and Azazel with Belial bringing up the rear.
Lucifer caught up to us moments later, his arm brushing mine as he walked next to me. “It won’t be the last time you see him,” he said, sounding grumpy about it.
“I think I resisted well enough.” I smiled up at him. “Do you think the cats will permit themselves to be herded together?”
He nodded, his brows still drawn together. “We stand a chance. That was only four of the nine Princes, but if they come, the rest will follow.”
The idea of having all the Princes in close quarters wasn’t the most appealing, but it was the best news we’d had in a long time.
12
Melisande
We split ways when we returned to the Seventh Circle.
Belial was still commanding his fighters, deciding who would be part of our plans, and who was loyal enough to remain behind and guard Gabriel. Azazel kissed me hard before becoming a glittering wind, sweeping out into the city on recon. He seemed unusually antsy, as though he was waiting for something. Lucifer immediately went to consult Vyra on how our forces were doing.
Which left me alone, feeling utterly useless. Now that I’d done one tangible, concrete action in defiance against Satan, I suddenly found myself locked back in the Nightside arena, placed under the protection of several guards.
I crossed my arms over my chest and scowled out the window at the barren garden. “I could go fly recon. Maybe Vyra could get some of her sisters on our side.”
Tascius just shook his head, his eyes shadowed as he gazed at that empty space with me.
I had to do something. I’d go insane if I had to stay locked up in here with nothing but my thoughts for company.
Now that I was no longer doing anything, I had way too much time to sit and think about the fact that I was going to have a child, even if the concept still felt fuzzy and not quite believable, and the fact that everything I’d learned in Heaven was a lie, and that the God we all thought we were serving was dead.
The second one was easier to deal with than the first. So instead of following prophecy, Gabriel had chosen the Apocalypse as the time to strike down God and take over. The missing piece of the puzzle that had gnawed at me for so long had finally fallen into place.
It saddened me, but at the end of the day, Heaven was no longer my home. I needed to take care of business here in Hell before I gave them any more thought.
Like what to do with myself before I lost my shit completely.
I realized Tascius was watching me. There was no way I could sit here all day and be stared at like I was going to drop dead at any second.
“Let’s go,” I said, my wings rustling with anticipation as I headed toward the window. “Let’s just fly at least.”
He climbed up next to me, perched on the edge. “All right.”
“What do you mean, all right?” I stared at him. “Aren’t you going to tell me that flying too much will cause the baby to be born with three heads and six feet or my uterus will fall out or something?”
He gave me a dry look. “No. I can tell you’re sinking into madness here, so let’s go. We won’t do close recon, but there’s no reason we can’t fly the upper levels.”
I heaved a sigh of relief and leaned out into the wind. “I thought you were going to be overprotective the whole time. I just need to get it through Lucifer and Azazel’s heads that I can still do what I was going to do. This doesn’t change anything, except maybe I need to make sure I’m better at defense.”
We shot into the sky, and Tascius wheeled around, his wings reflecting the sun. “They’re going to be a little overprotective, little friend,” he said. “None of us have had to deal with something like this before, especially at a time like now.”
I frowned and flew higher, relishing the feeling of fully stretching my wings. “The only thing we need to worry about is ending this before it gets much further. I can handle myself.”
Tascius passed me, blocking the sight of the sun and casting a shadow over me. He flew like he’d never lost his wings at all.
“I know you can,” he said, pushing his silver hair out of his face. “I won’t be the one to get in your way, Melisande. As long as you’re not taking unnecessary risks.”
I laughed as we soared over the Sixth, Fifth, and Fourth Circles. Blackchapel was a faint smudge in the sky over the edge of the city, and I slowly banked in that direction. “When am I ever reckless?”
“Hmm, let’s think…” he said, pretending to ponder. “There was every single fight in Belial’s arena, the time with the manticore, the time with Yraceli, the time when you got between us and Nephilim outside Acheron, the time you got between me and the oracle while I was in the grip of rage…”
“Okay, fine.” I could concede to those, mostly because they were true. “So I might be mildly reckless at times.”
“‘Mildly’ is an understatement.”
I gave him a slit-eyed look, but he was smiling. Damn tease.
“You all knew I was reckless when you signed up for this,” I reminded him.
“No Saint.” His smile was a little tight, but there was pride there, too.
It felt like it’d been a long time since I’d heard that name, and I missed it. I’d had nothing but pride in it, whereas Lady Wrath was always tinged with a hint of regret over what I’d done to make it there.
I just missed fighting in general. At least in the arena my path to victory had been clear-cut; every fight had brought me a step closer to my goal.
Now I’d been effectively taken out of the action. As much as I loved them all, sitting on the sidelines wasn’t who I was at heart.
“I think it might be time to bri
ng that name back, Tascius.” We burst out over Limbo and into the Fields of Asphodel. “I can’t get anything done if I’m just sitting around. If you want to make shit happen, you just need to grab the bull by the horns yourself.”
He cast me a long look, but his wings fanned out and he slowed to a stop. “Melisande, wait. Look.”
I pulled up short and darted back to him, shielding my eyes and looking where he was pointing.
We’d bypassed Blackchapel, but I could still make out the edges of the dark cathedral floating in the mist.
And for once, it wasn’t empty. Shadowy shapes flew through the air, alighting on the balconies, and lanterns burned at the edges of the floating island.
“He called in the Grigori,” I said quietly. A veil of mist drifted past, obscuring my vision, but as it passed one of the Watchers landed on the balcony and looked out into the mist. Their posture tensed when they saw us watching, and I touched Tascius’s arm.
“Let’s go back.”
He nodded, and we gave Blackchapel a wide berth. There was something about the other Grigori that gave me the chills, and there were so many of them, swarming like bats around Blackchapel.
“You don’t trust them?” he asked.
I beat my wings hard, determined to put distance between myself and Blackchapel. The Circles flashed below us. “It’s not that I don’t trust them… but what are they going to think when they find out their fearless leader is attached to me? I’d rather face that question when I’m around Azazel.” This time the smile I gave him was a little rueful. “See? Sometimes I can avoid being reckless. And as cool as I otherwise am, even I might have a little trouble taking on a hundred angry Watchers at once.”
“You have me,” he said, pointing back at his wings with his thumb. “Which might not have been the best idea.”
“What do you mean?” I demanded. “It was one of my ideas, so of course it was the best idea.”
