Darkness Wanes (46 page)

He led the way, walking slow enough that I could keep up with him. We passed cell after cell, stacked on top of each other. Most of them were tiny, maybe two feet by two feet—just the right size to store a soul—and the doors were solid with no way to see inside. About every ten paces, though, we’d walk by a human-sized chamber. I was baffled as to why they had two kinds.

Just before we reached the stairs, I sensed a demon inside one of the larger cells, torturing someone. The soul he tormented had a physical form, though my senses told me it was unnatural. The level of pain and agony in the place was messing with my ability to distinguish the countless essences around me. I’d almost missed the powerful demon.

“Wait,” I hissed. “There is a guard in that one.” I pointed at the door a few feet ahead of us.

Kerbasi gave it a careless glance. “I doubt he’ll come out anytime soon. They like to spend hours torturing their prisoners.”

“How is it possible for some of them to have physical forms?” I asked once we reached the stairs. They were made of the same stone as the walls, but I was glad to find there was no ice covering them.

Kerbasi gripped my arm to help me make my way up. “Humans can be provided temporary physical forms here. The demons torture them until their new body dies. Then they start the process all over again whenever they choose.”

“I should be seriously bothered that you know that,” I said through clenched teeth. Sharp agony tore through me with every step we took. Anything that could keep my mind off of the pain helped—even disturbing topics of conversation.

“There was a time when I thought their methods quite fascinating,” Kerbasi admitted.

We reached the second-floor landing. The place went up at least thirty stories, so I had to be grateful they’d put Ariel on a lower level. I indicated we should go to the left. We might not have to climb any more stairs, but we had some distance to walk before we reached the former archangel’s cell.

“You’re not fascinated by demons anymore?” I asked, managing to add a teasing note to my voice.

Kerbasi continued to take on some of my weight as we walked. “I’m afraid you’ve ruined me in that regard. Torture does not have the same appeal it once did, though I won’t deny getting hold of one of these guards will be most enjoyable.”

“Yeah, well, you’re welcome to it,” I said.

We didn’t speak much after that. I had to concentrate on every step I took and turn the guardian down twice when he offered to carry me. It was bad enough Lucas did that. If I could have had a few minutes to rest, my wounds would have started to close up, but I didn’t have that option.

“That’s it,” I said when we reached the end of the corridor. The cell before us was at the corner with the door set apart from the others, making me think it was an extra large space. Ariel’s terrified agony coming from inside swamped my senses, dwarfing my own pain. “There’s a powerful demon inside with her now. He’s…he’s hurting her.”

Kerbasi’s expression hardened, and he reached for the door handle. Sparks shot out at him, making him flinch. “You did not tell me it had a separate ward.”

“Oh, sorry.” I’d been so distracted by the torment surrounding me that I hadn’t paid any attention to the magic shielding her. I stuck my hand onto my thigh wound, coated my fingers in blood, and grabbed the handle. This ward was much smaller than the one on the prison and fizzled out in seconds.

“The demon inside is the strongest one I’ve felt since we entered this place so don’t underestimate him,” I warned. In fact, he was a lot stronger than Kerbasi and I combined, but I wasn’t going to let that detail slow us down. We could take him if we worked together.

Kerbasi drew his sword. “Open it.”

“Shoot him up first—the weaker he is, the better.” I swung the door wide and winced as Ariel’s screams poured out toward us. They’d been muffled before. She lay on the frozen floor naked and covered in nasty wounds, convulsing as a huge man-like figure stood over her shooting some kind of demonic energy into her chest.

Her brown hair hung in tangles about her face and she’d lost the golden glow common among angels. There was a slight taint in her signature now, but nothing worse than what I might pick up from some of the older supernaturals on Earth.

“Please, no!” she cried out.

The demon laughed in a way that sent chills down my spine. “That’s it. Beg, little angel. Let me hear it.”

He had his back to us and was enjoying his torture of Ariel so much he hadn’t noticed our arrival. As one, Kerbasi and I lifted our rifles and opened fire. The demon jerked several times before twisting around. He lifted his hand and sent out a shot of the same energy he’d used on Ariel. I stepped in front of Kerbasi, deflecting it. The demon’s face twisted in disbelief.

“Nice try, asshole, but I’m no angel.”

As he moved toward me, I pulled out my last grenade. I’d just freed the pin when he grabbed hold of my throat and spoke in a malevolent tone. “Whatever you are—you will pay.”

“You first.” I shoved the grenade through a hole I’d made in his stomach with my previous gunfire, and let go of the lever. Grabbing the arm holding my neck for leverage, I kicked off of his body and broke free.

I went crashing back into Kerbasi, who rolled on top of me just before the blast hit. The guardian jerked as the shrapnel dug into his back, but I sensed only minor discomfort coming from him. The demon took the brunt of the damage.

“Okay, you can let me up now, you big oaf,” I said, shoving at him.

He grunted. “This is the appreciation I get for protecting you.”

I pinched his cheek. “Thanks so much—you’re my hero. Now get off of me.”

“That’s all you had to say,” he grumbled.

Kerbasi clamored to his feet, pulling me up with him. We turned to examine the demon, who was slumped against the far wall with most of his guts strewn around him. The red glow of his eyes had diminished significantly. He might be super strong, but we’d damaged him enough it would take many hours to heal.

“Get the chains on him,” I ordered Kerbasi.

“Gladly.” The guardian dug through his pack and pulled out the chains I’d stolen from Purgatory when I rescued Lucas. I’d always known they’d come in handy for something aside from kinky sex. Not only were they unbreakable, but they sapped all the powers from the wearer.

Satisfied the danger was over for the moment, I hurried over to Ariel. She was covered in so many fresh and festering wounds it was difficult to tell if she’d been further hurt by the grenade. If I’d had an easier way to take down the demon, I would have done it.

Her body shivered, and she moaned. I dug into my pack and pulled out a robe I’d brought with me. After the way I’d found Lucas in Purgatory when I rescued him, I’d thought bringing a garment might come in handy this time.

She opened her eyes and looked up at me. “Melena? Am I dreaming?”

It was hard not to wince at her hoarse voice. It had once been beautiful.

“Of me? I doubt it,” I said, attempting to keep the mood light. It was the only way I could handle seeing the broken angel without reducing to a puddle of tears. She was a mere shell of the woman I remembered. I could only hope some of her glow would return once we got her back to Earth.

Ariel gave me a weak smile as I pulled the robe over her head. She even managed to sit up so I could pull it down farther. “Only you would be this brash and invade Hell.”

“Ahhhh!” The demon in the corner screamed as Kerbasi carved one of its eyes out. The guardian was interrogating it on how to get through the ward, but of course the damn thing wasn’t cooperating.

“I’m not the only one who came,” I said, hoping Ariel wouldn’t look toward the mutilation going on in the corner. To distract her, I continued pulling the robe down to her legs. It would help to protect her myriad wounds until we could tend to them properly.

“How?” her voice cracked.

“Long story I’ll tell you all about later.” I handed her a fresh canteen from my pack. “Drink this.”

She didn’t hesitate to gulp down the water, almost finishing it. Ariel probably hadn’t had a drop since arriving in this place. Within a few moments, I could sense a small fraction of her power returning as her body absorbed the fluids. That’s what I’d been hoping for, considering I was in no shape to carry her and Kerbasi needed his hands free to kill any demons on the way out.

“We should go,” I said, helping her to her feet. She wobbled a little but managed to stay standing.

“Wait.” She nodded in the direction of Kerbasi and the demon. “You must get the disc from him or else I won’t be able to pass the ward.”

“The disc?” I asked.

“Yes. It is how they transport prisoners from this place once they are deemed dark enough.” She paused and shuddered. “Whoever carries the disc can move through the shield.”

“Kerbasi?” I turned to the guardian.

“I got it,” he said, holding up a flat, black disc. It didn’t register to my senses as good or evil, but I did detect how it tied into the shield. The device shared similar magical properties.

I checked my internal radar and didn’t sense any guards between us and the exit. Relief swept through me. Our infiltration hadn’t been discovered yet. They didn’t have much reason to patrol the place, and probably figured between all the wards and the horde outside they didn’t need greater security measures. No doubt a lot of demons would be in trouble if we managed to make it out of here alive.

Ariel slumped against me, on the verge of losing consciousness. I grabbed hold of her and looked at Kerbasi. “Can you take her?”

“I can,” he agreed. “But if we run into any trouble…”

“You can return her to me until the danger is over.” It was the best compromise we could come up with since I was in no shape to move quickly with Ariel in my arms, and he was the stronger fighter.

Kerbasi picked her up and cradled her against his chest. “I am ready.”

I checked my rifle and put a fresh magazine in it. Better to be safe than sorry. Then I glanced at my watch—it was almost eleven o’clock. I had to hope we made good time on the way out. “Alright, let’s go.”

Chapter Thirty-seven

Lucas

Cold, calculated rage fueled Lucas. The demons kept coming, but they were no match for him and his sword. The blade was an extension of his arm, obeying his every command. Together, they did not know the meaning of mercy—only the need to spill blood.

As another wave of the enemy horde approached, he leaped toward them, cutting and slashing his way through their lines. He was the deliverer of death, and they were future corpses who came to surrender their lives to him. Lucas reveled in meting out justice to the demons. He’d created a pile of the creature’s bodies that stacked nearly as high as his head.

But it was an exercise in futility.

They could not stay here much longer. Hell had an endless supply of demons it could keep sending toward them. While Lucas enjoyed the test against his skills, he could see the others were tiring. Their munitions ran dangerously low, and it was only a matter of time before something more powerful arrived. If it were only him, he’d welcome the challenge, but he could not risk the life of his mate. Above all else, she must live.

After slashing a few more of the oversized bugs, Lucas glanced back at the entrance. Yerik and Micah stood in front of the dark door, shooting at the rare demon that made it to them. Anytime now, Melena would return. He knew that, though he could not describe how other than their bond told him as much.

In his present state of mind, Lucas could connect with her in a way he’d never done before. It was almost as if he could feel every beat of her heart through their link. Somehow, shedding his persona and allowing his primitive side to take over gave him an edge—one that would bother him later, but served him well now.

More skittering creatures approached, at least twenty of them. Lucas didn’t hesitate to jump into their midst, slashing into their hard backs with a vengeance. A few of the demon bugs managed to bite his legs and arms, but he did not care. He reveled in the power of the kill and suffered no pain.

In a matter of minutes, Lucas had created a fresh pile of body parts. He did not see any more bugs coming toward him on the ground, but he did spy one of the flying demons heading straight for his position. Before it could reach him, Micah destroyed it with his rocket launcher. Lucas had yet to use his. Perhaps he would give his warheads to his brother since he seemed to enjoy the weapon.

There was movement at the door. A moment later, Kerbasi came out holding a frail Ariel. Melena followed close behind with her rifle at the ready. Their timing could not have been better. There was a break in the demon approach they could use to their advantage. Lucas flashed next to the group and checked over his mate. She did not appear to have sustained any fresh injuries, though the one on her thigh troubled him. He sensed that it pained her considerably, and it still bled.

“We must move quickly while we still have the chance,” Lucas said, his voice sounding gruff, even to him.

Yerik stared at Ariel, who hung lifelessly in Kerbasi’s arms. Her eyes were closed, and crisscrosses of wounds covered her exposed skin. Sorrow reflected in the daimoun’s features that Lucas would have shared if he could have felt anything other than rage at the moment.