The Devil You Know

by Zahra Stone

  “Hell can’t be gone,” I whispered, not sure how much more bad news I could take.

  “Let me assure you, it most certainly is. Don’t believe me? Watch.” She waved her hand, and a vision appeared in the air, an image of the battle in Hell. Michael flew in behind me while I was bent over Dacian’s body and hit me in the temple with the butt of his sword. Scooping me up around the waist, he flew away. I assumed he had brought me here.

  With Dacian and I gone, the Gate was breached within seconds. The vision changed, showing Hell HQ tumble over the edge of the cliff it was perched on, the buildings surrounding it crumbling in response. Streams of souls fled the pit, heading toward the Gate now that it was open. The shimmering blue essence gone. They just had to step through, and they would return to Earth as Revenants.

  God help us all.

  “Why?” I whispered, tears falling. I prayed that Levi had gotten out, that he’d return to Earth. I still felt our bond, so I knew he wasn’t dead, but I worried for him and knew he would be searching for me.

  “Because it is his creation, and it must be destroyed. All of it.”

  “Mom,” I pleaded. “Talk to Dad. Please. It doesn’t have to be like this. He loves you. He still loves you.”

  She laughed, a high-pitched hysterical sound, then leveled me with her gaze. I couldn’t help but shiver. “I gave up everything for him. My family. My realm. Everything. And he abandoned me for his puny creations. His animals. His worlds. Everything was more important to him than me.”

  “He made mistakes, sure, but he’s sorry. Mom, please. Just talk to him.”

  “He will pay.”

  “He’s already paid. You locked him in a tomb, for Heaven’s sake. Left him to rot.”

  “That was just the beginning,” she hissed, cracking the staff on the floor once more. “There is so much more to come. I will take everything he holds dear, every human, every creature, every living thing, every atom from his precious collection will be destroyed.”

  “And me? What about me, Mom? I’m a part of him.”

  “You are my daughter. I’ll not harm you.” She nodded as if confirming her words.

  “But you are hurting me!” I cried. “This…” I waved my arm around the cell. “This hurts me. Locking me up hurts me. Destroying Hell hurts me. Hell was my realm. You took my home.” My heart hurt at the knowledge that Hell was gone. She’d destroyed it. I was sure anger would fill me soon enough, but at that moment, all I felt was deep intense sadness.

  “This is your home. And it’s high time you came home, to where you belong.”

  “I don’t belong here, Mom. No more than Michael and Gabriel do. I assume they’re here?”

  “They are good boys.” She smiled, nodding.

  “They are evil assholes, is what they are,” I ground out, frustration making me want to punch the glass separating us.

  “Enough.” Her voice dripped ice, and she struck the floor with her staff again. I cringed at the sound. “Until you can be civil, you will stay here.” She turned away before stopping to address one of her guards. “Dispose of the key.”

  “What? No! Mom, wait!” I banged frantically against the glass.

  She stopped and looked at me over her shoulder, one brow perfectly arched. “What is it?”

  Barely able to catch my breath, I said, “Spare them. Please. For me.”

  She looked at me for several seconds and then turned and walked away without a word.

  I blinked. What did that mean? That Del, Jase, and Duke were spared? For now, at least? Or not? I closed my eyes on a sigh, resting my forehead against the glass. What a mess.

  Gathering my strength, I turned. Still huddled on the bed, they stared at me, unmoving. “Come on, we don’t have much time. I need to get you out of here.” My voice was harsher than I intended, but it made them move. Scooting off the bed, they stood together, Jase with his arm around Del, keeping her pinned to his side, Duke’s collar firmly clasped in his other hand.

  I stepped up to them and wrapped my wings around them. The magical restrictions of the cell pressed down on me, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to fly out. Still, I’d used my magic to heal myself and change my clothes, so hopefully, flight was the only power I couldn’t use. I prayed I had enough in reserve to teleport them out of the purple room.

  Holding my breath, I closed my eyes and concentrated. Hard. The air stirred, and my hair blew back from my face. There was a gasp, and when I opened my eyes, they were gone. I’d sent them to Heaven. But, using my magic to save them drained me, and I staggered, light-headed and dizzy. Making my way to the bed, I laid down, snuggling into the warmth Jase, Del, and Duke had left behind. I’d saved them, but I hadn’t been able to save myself. I’d tried to go with them, but something held me here. I was shackled to this realm.

  A day passed. Then another. No one came. Either they didn’t know the key was gone, or they didn’t care. Finally, I admitted to myself that if Hell had indeed fallen, then my mother wouldn’t need the key at all. She planned to kill them and probably still would, but they had a chance at survival, at least in Heaven.

  As the hours slowly ticked by, the sadness and shock that Hell had fallen wore off, and anger took its place. I stared at the ridiculous purple ceiling, seething with frustration and pain. How dare she? Couldn’t she see that what she had done, destroying Hell, hurt me? Didn’t she know it cut me to the bone? She was my mother. No more, I swore to myself; I’d no longer view her as my mother. She was Lilith. A deranged semi-God from another dimension that was a threat and had to be destroyed.

  Another day passed, and my anger subsided to a slow burn. My thoughts turned to Levi, bringing me a sense of comfort. I could feel him through our bond. He was alive, wherever he was, and I vowed I would get out of this place and return to him. We’d rebuild Hell. Together with Ashliel, the three of us would make it stronger than ever.

  I steadfastly kept my thoughts away from Dacian, for each time his face appeared in my mind, I’d cry, and the tears were starting to burn my cheeks. Anger at Lilith warred with the grief over the loss of my best friend and my home.

  I’d given up trying to track time when my brothers arrived outside my cell. I looked them up and down, screwed up my nose at their silver pants and purple shirts. I couldn’t help it; I burst out laughing.

  “Have you two seen yourselves?” I finally got myself under control, wiping tears of laughter from my eyes. “You look ridiculous! I mean, what is that? A seventies throwback? And why are you dressed like twins?”

  “It’s the Royal robes,” Gabriel muttered, a blush staining his cheeks.

  “Where are the robes, then? I mean, the knee-high silver boots that practically blend with your pants are a nice touch, but maybe a robe would…” I laughed again, unable to finish my sentence, bending at the waist and holding my side.

  “Shut up!” Michael snapped. “It pleases Mother that we wear the colors of Toqith, her realm.”

  “I thought she was from Qanyl?” I remembered childhood stories about her home.

  Michael shook his head. “Qanyl is her family’s realm. She created her own dimension, Toqith, when she left Heaven.”

  I suppose I should have been grateful for the explanation, glad that he was speaking to me at all, but the truth was, I was the one locked in a cell, and he and Gabriel were standing outside of it. Granted, they were dressed like clowns, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing again, but if I wanted freedom, I needed allies. They were my best bet. The power of three.

  “So, you here to finally let me out or what?” I cocked a brow, curious to their intent. Gabriel wouldn’t look at me, while Michael was happy to meet my gaze and scowl.

  “Mother isn’t happy,” Michael said.

  “Oh?”

  “You rescued the key.”

  “Ah, so she did notice that?”

  “You shouldn’t have been able to do that. It made her angry that you did.”

  “So?” I shrugged. Li
ke I was going to let her hurt my friends. Like I’d sit back and do nothing.

  “You have to be punished.” There was that note of glee in Michael’s voice again, one that told me he was really enjoying this—and that it was very possible I wouldn’t like what he had to say next.

  “Punished how? I’m already locked in a cell.”

  A grin split his face. “It’s time for the Dungeon.”

  It turns out he was right. I didn’t like what he said. I looked from him to Gabriel—who still wouldn’t look at me—and back again.

  “Are you insane? A dungeon? As in…torture?” I knew as soon as the words left my mouth that I was right. They intended to torture me. To inflict pain. Only, Gabriel didn’t look so thrilled about it. Zeroing in on him, I pleaded, “Gabriel, come on. Surely, you’re not on board with this? You’re going to torture me?”

  “It is law,” he muttered, tugging at the collar of his shirt, unable to cast his gaze in my direction.

  “Gabriel! Don’t let them do this to me. I’m your sister!” I wasn’t above begging because I had a feeling the torture Michael had in mind would be beyond horrifying. Whatever spell Lilith put on the cell was amped up, for I couldn’t use my magic at all anymore. I assumed she’d done that when she discovered I’d spirited Del, Jase, and Duke away. Which meant any pain inflicted would not instantly heal. Injuries wouldn’t magically disappear. This was going to suck. I knew it, Gabriel knew it, and Michael most certainly knew it.

  The glass wall between us disappeared, and I was pulled out by two guards, who wrenched my arms so tight behind my back that I feared they might pop clean out of their sockets.

  “Easy.” I winced. “I’m going to need those later.”

  “Later?” Michael raised a brow, enjoying my discomfort.

  “Yeah. When I punch you in the face.”

  Restrained as I was, I had nowhere to go when he punched me. In the face. Oh, the irony. Pain ricocheted across my cheekbones, and my nose smashed inward. Definitely broken. A second later, blood was flowing over my lips and down my chin.

  “Ouch,” I muttered. “Make you feel good hitting a girl? A restrained girl? What a hero.”

  “Michael.” The warning in Gabriel’s voice was unmistakable. He wasn’t on board with this. If there was a weakness to be had, it was Gabriel. He’d always been the follower, Michael the leader, and maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t what Gabriel wanted. He could be my ticket out of here. I just needed to get him alone to get him onside.

  “If you don’t have the stomach for this, then leave,” Michael snapped, wrapping his fingers around my upper arm and dragging me forward, knowing full well his grip hurt.

  I didn’t give him the satisfaction of wincing, although I couldn’t help a deflated feeling when Gabriel walked away in the opposite direction. So much for getting him alone.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The dungeon really was a dungeon. It was dark, dank, and suitably horrifying. I filed a mental note to build my own dungeon in Hell for the sinners. Just being in this place was unnerving. Gone were the purple, golds, and silvers of Lilith’s preferred décor. The dungeon was stone and rock, windowless. The only light came from the occasional wall sconce that cast eerie shadows across the walls.

  And it was big. Who knew Lilith needed such facilities. Maybe her followers weren’t as loyal as she would like, for the blood on the floor was fresh, the coppery tang of it still hung in the air.

  The room itself was round, with half a dozen rooms around the perimeter, metal bars exposing the cells to the torture chamber in the center. There was no sugar coating what went on here, for in the very center of the dungeon were two wooden beams, crossing in the middle to form an X, chains dangling. This was where you were tortured. I didn’t need to be told; I could see the stains in the wood.

  “Chain her,” Michael ordered.

  I wasn’t going to stand by and accept my fate.

  No way.

  I was Lucifer, Queen of Hell, and no one was going to chain me up and torture me.

  I spun in the guard’s grip, facing him, my arm slipping from his grasp when I took him by surprise. I headbutted him, the crack echoing off the stone walls. He staggered backward from the impact. I ignored the pain in my forehead and turned on the other guard, who charged, flipping him over my shoulder. They were novices. Easily dispatched. I’d be out of here in seconds. I was sure of it. That was until Michael pressed something into my lower back, and what can only be described as a bolt of lightning shot through my body.

  I went rigid, unable to move, toppling to the ground. I twitched and groaned, the pain unimaginable. Through watering eyes, I eyeballed the staff that I hadn’t noticed Michael carrying earlier. It was similar to Lilith’s but smaller and clearly a weapon.

  “Get up!” Michael snapped at the guards who jumped to obey. I was dragged up and chained to the wooden boards, my toes barely touching the ground. The pain of the electric shock was fading, giving me the chance to focus on my anger.

  “Low blow Michael,” I ground out.

  “We’re only just beginning,” he promised, and I swallowed, a tiny edge of panic seeping in. With my magic suppressed, so were my healing abilities. He could kill me here, and I had a sinking feeling that was his intention. He’d make it look like an accident, make it look like he hadn’t intended for things to go quite that far. I could see it in his eyes. His hatred for me and his love of inflicting pain radiated out of him in waves.

  He was the type to kill kittens. He was like the boys on the beach who were going to burn Nibbler alive. Evil. Closing my eyes, I prayed. I prayed that I’d survive this, I prayed that Levi was safe, I prayed Mr. Meow and Nibbler were okay, I prayed for Heaven, Hell, and Earth. And I prayed God would hear me and come to the rescue because I was screwed.

  “Are you…praying?” Michael laughed in disbelief.

  “I am.” No point in denying it. Prayer was a powerful thing; it would be foolish of him to discount it.

  “Oh, you stupid girl. No one is listening. No one cares. Least of all, Dad.”

  I didn’t reply as he walked over to a bench, laid his staff upon it, and then ran his hands over a selection of knives. Big knives. Sharp-looking knives. Next to the blades were other things. Things with pointy ends and hooks and barbs. I blinked, not wanting to think about what they could do to a body.

  Finally selecting a knife, he picked it up and tossed it over and over in his hand, each time catching it expertly by the handle despite my intent wish that he’d misstep and slice his palm. Then he was in front of me, and I swallowed.

  “Ready?” he drawled, resting the cold blade against my cheek.

  “Bring it.” I kept my teeth clenched and vowed I wouldn’t scream. He wanted me to scream; I couldn’t give him the satisfaction. He drew it out; rather than cutting my flesh with the knife, he ripped my shirt from my body, then my pants, leaving me decidedly vulnerable in my underwear.

  I shivered, realizing he’d done this before. Many times. He’d honed his skills at torture, and I wondered where my brother, the young boy who had been fun and carefree, had gone.

  He reached up and slowly dragged the tip of the blade down the inside of my arm, from wrist to armpit.

  I screwed my eyes shut, clamped my lips closed, and breathed in deep through my nose. It hurt like a bitch, but I didn’t scream. I could feel the wetness of my blood run down my side, its scent reaching my nostrils, making me want to gag, but I held steadfast. I would not scream.

  Michael chuckled, “I knew you wouldn’t. I knew you would be my biggest challenge.” He traced the blade over my face, not cutting, just freaking me the fuck out. My eyes sprang open. I needed something to focus on. Not him. Not me. Not the pain. I zeroed in on the wall and gave it my utmost attention while he cut my other arm from wrist to armpit. No screaming. Good Lucifer. You’re doing good.

  He kept true to his word. He was good at this, and he was having a ball. I wish I could say the same, but alas, I felt much li
ke a shredded ribbon and feared I looked the same.

  “Enough!” I thought it was Gabriel’s outraged voice I heard, but I couldn’t be sure. All I knew was the cutting stopped. But the bleeding didn’t. I was cut open, dying. He didn’t need to pierce an organ to kill me. Draining my body of all its blood would do it.

  My ears were blocked, everything muffled. I was fading fast. Just as I was drawing my last breath, blessed relief lifted me from the darkness. My flesh began knitting back together, a familiar tingling danced across my skin. I was being healed.

  Fuck. He was healing me to start again. I hadn’t thought of that, and I almost cried at the injustice of it all.

  Only it was Gabriel’s voice I heard. “I’m so sorry, Lucy.”

  With a monumental effort, I dragged my eyelids open and peered into the face of my other brother. I had no words as I stared into his sorrowful eyes. He held my gaze as he continued to heal me, then my wrists were released from the chains, and I fell into his arms. Healed, I may be, but I was still suffering from blood loss. I couldn’t stand on my own.

  “Mother said she was to be punished.” Michael sounded all pouty as he stood by his bench of torture devices.

  “Not like this. Not to death,” Gabriel spat, striding out of the dungeon with me in his arms. I tried to keep my eyes open, unlock my aching jaw to speak to him, but it was too much. I had zero strength. Instead, my head flopped back, and I passed out.

  When I came to, I wasn’t in my cell like I’d been expecting. Instead, I was on a massive bed in an over-the-top opulent room. Raising a hand, I felt across my abdomen, checked my ribs were still in place, noticed I was dressed in some sort of silk fabric, and knew without looking it would be purple. I couldn’t hide my surprise when I finally opened my eyes to look and discovered I was dressed in a gown of white.

  “You’re awake.”

  “Thank you, Captain Obvious.” I turned my head on the pillow to look at Gabriel, who was sitting in a chair pulled up to the side of the bed.

  “Feeling better?” he asked, ignoring my sarcasm.