The Devil You Need (9 page)

I thought about my knives and a sword and they appeared. As
I shoved the blades into the sheaths in my boots, power fizzled over my
fingertips. When I straightened back up my head swam so badly I had to grab the
edge of the bed to steady myself.

“You bitch!” Kiri’s voice was rusty and weak. “What have you
done to me?”

I spared her a glance, feeling more powerful than I ever
had. “I took your magic away from you.”

She stared at me with horror clearly written across her
pretty features. “You’re a monster.”

And that’s when it hit me. I
was
Crisanne.

Holy frunkin’ shit. I’d become my worst enemy.

* * * * *

I opened the door and looked both ways down the hall. It
seemed quiet but I didn’t trust it. Nothing was ever
really
quiet in
Hell. And if it seemed that way that meant trouble was happening nearby.
Somewhere in Dialle’s castle all hell was breaking loose—probably literally—and
I needed to tread carefully or I’d step right into the middle of it.

I slipped out the door and closed it as Kiri started to
scream. The door snicked shut, cutting off her screams like a blade slicing
through newly sprung grass. I smiled. Nobody understood soundproofing like a
royal. They were always doing something they didn’t want anybody else to know
about.

I hurried down the hall, not sure where I was going, except
that I knew I needed to find Dialle. I figured the first place I should look
would be his throne room. I remembered from the last time I’d been there that
the castle in Hell was laid out a lot like the Royal Court in Angel City. It
wasn’t a mirror image. The court was built inside a huge warehouse in the
outskirts of the city and only had three levels. By contrast, the castle in
Hell had four large levels and a tower that I thought went up six floors. At
the top of that tower was the dragon roost. Glynus had spent many a fun
afternoon up there playing “incinerate the Christmas tree” with the young green
dragons when she and I were there last.

I smiled at the memory.

My mental drawers shifted and Darma was suddenly in my mind.
Astra? Where the hell are you?

In Dialle’s castle.

I can’t believe you just ran off on us. We’re under
attack out here.

I know, I was there, remember?

No. I mean we’re under renewed attack. A whole new crop
of soldiers just showed up.

I sighed. Dialle hadn’t wasted any time.
I’m guessing
those are Dialle’s private soldiers.

Dialle? Why would he send his soldiers after us?

I have no idea. But he’s not himself. I’m really worried.
He actually chained me to the bed.

Silence throbbed for a beat and then my sister’s voice
drawled through my mind, filled with disgust.
TMI, Astra.

Don’t be stupid, Darma. It wasn’t in a fun way… Well…it
was fun for a while…

Astra!

Sorry. Anyway, all I meant was that this is going to be
harder than we thought. We’re going to have to actually kidnap him to get him
out of here.

Frunkin’ wonderful. How do you propose to do that?

We’ll have to get an angel chain on him.

We’d need both dark and light magic for that, Astra.

I am aware, Darma.

So I repeat, how do you propose to do that?

You let me worry about that. Leave the angels and soldiers
there to fight and you, Slayer, and Emo slip away. Come to the castle. And
bring Glynus.

I broke the mental connection before Darma could launch into
her usual diatribe about how selfish and undependable I was. Aside from just
pissing me off, there wasn’t really any new information there. No sense wasting
time going over all my shortcomings again.

I heard voices and ducked into an alcove as two soldiers
came around the corner speaking the guttural language of Hades. My ancient
Hades was rusty at best but I heard Dialle’s name, so I followed them at a
careful distance and tried to hear what they were saying.

Several minutes and a butt-load of twists and turns later,
they stopped in front of a set of golden doors and I knew they’d taken me where
I needed to go. The soldiers stood in front of the throne room arguing in the
harsh language my aunt Deidre had tried to teach me when I was young. Suffice
it to say, at the time I was less interested than I should have been.

Darma, of course, could speak it like a pro. Though she’d
rejected all things magical until recently, she just didn’t have it in her not
to excel at everything she tried.

That moment was one of those very rare occasions when I
wished my sister was there. I really wanted to know what had those soldiers so
riled up. I could only hope it was the arrival of my small band of merry men
and women. Hopefully we were putting a dent in their ranks.

Astra?

I jumped at the sound of my aunt Myra’s hostile voice.
Hey,
angel. Are you coming to the castle?

No.

Suppressing my temper, never an easy thing for me to do, I
took a deep breath and tried to sound reasonable.
Why not?

Negotiations aren’t going well. Satan is insisting that,
if we’re allowed to invade his environs at will, he should be able to send his minions
into Heaven at will too. We’re at a stalemate.

Frunk me.

Sorry. I’m trying to get an extradition order for Dialle
right now. Hopefully I’ll have that soon. Dialle and his intermediaries have
been notified.

What? You warned them? What the hell?

We had to, Astra. That’s how it’s done.

Shit! You people are no better than politicians.

That isn’t very nice, Astra.

In a fit of temper I clamped my mind closed on my stupid,
rule-following aunt. They couldn’t make things any harder on me if they tried.
I returned my attention to the soldiers at the throne room doors just in time
to see them throw the doors wide and step to the side.

What I saw inside that room made my mouth drop open. A sense
of déjà vu swamped me. The massive room was filled with bodies. It looked as if
Dialle had called all the inhabitants of Hell together for a meeting. They were
probably discussing how best to deal with me and mine.

As dark worlders started to shift and roil inside the room,
some of them spilling out into the hall, I realized I couldn’t wade through
that mess to get Dialle. Not by myself. I would need the help of my friends. I
shuffled my mental drawers and waited. A heartbeat later, Slayer came online.

Astra, we’re on our way to the castle.

Good. Meet me in the dragon’s roost. Glynus can get you
in there.

Okay. What’s the plan?

The usual. Kick ass, blow shit up, and pray.

He smiled in my mind.
That’s my favorite plan.

I ducked into the nearest stairwell and headed toward the
tower.
Yeah. Mine too.

Oldies but Goodies

The dragon’s roost may prove the point, that wisdom
comes with age,

But should the elderly reptiles fail, dark war will
ever rage.

The dragon roost was a lot less full than it had been last
time I’d been there. From what I could see, all that were left were really old
dragons who’d most likely lived all their lives in Hell’s environs and had no
families to worry about. They’d probably built up a pretty decent resistance to
the sulfurous air centuries earlier so the rising levels didn’t affect them.

My entrance didn’t create much of a stir. The dragons were
used to seeing me around. Standing near the door I frowned at the elderly flock
of a dozen greens with disappointment. I wasn’t sure I had the firepower to do
what needed to be done.

The opening of the roost shimmered and Glynus flew through,
followed quickly by Darma on Snoopy. They landed gracefully in the center of
the large roost and one of the green females roared a greeting at Glynus. She
responded in kind, causing my sister to cover her delicate ears as Spence
dipped his head so she could slip from his back.

When the uproar died down I looked at Glynus.
Where are
Slayer and Emo?

We ran into a small band of soldiers a few klicks out.
They should be right behind us.

Darma stood beside me, eyeing the massive greens carefully.
“So, what? Glynus and Spence are visitation pets for the seniors?”

“Ha, ha.”

“Seriously though, it’s a pretty end-of-life group, Astra.
I’m surprised they haven’t all moved to Florida already.”

“We’ll just have to make it work.”

“Which brings me to my next question. What exactly are we
making work?”

“I’ll tell you as soon as the guys get here. I don’t want to
go through it twice.” Translation. I was in full seat-of-my-pants mode and
didn’t want Darma to know it a minute sooner than necessary.

The entrance shimmered again and Slayer came flailing
through on his red. The big dragon had a damaged wing and probably shouldn’t
even be airborne. Knowing Slayer, he’d probably gotten the dragon there through
sheer force of will. The massive red dragon careened off the side wall of the
entrance and skidded across the floor, screeching to a haphazard stop a few
inches from Spence.

To his credit, the giant white dragon barely blinked at the
near collision. I could only guess he’d experienced worse hanging around with
Glynus for the last year.

Just behind Slayer, Emo made a far less dramatic entry to
the roost on his red, landing it tidily on the other side of Glynus.

I looked up at Slayer. “I see you broke your ride.”

He lifted a leg over and slid down the dragon’s heaving
side, moving to examine the torn wing. “He caught a direct blast as we were
taking out the last soldier. I’m not sure I have enough mojo to heal it.”

He and I both turned to Darma. She rolled her eyes and gave
us a long-suffering sigh. “Fix this Darma, heal that Darma. It’s exhausting
being around you two.”

As she set to work mending the red’s bum wing, Emo, Slayer
and I moved away. I filled them in on the situation in the throne room.

Slayer frowned. “What do you think they’re cooking up down
there?”

“I don’t know. But whatever it is, I’m sure it’s bad for
everybody. Dialle has definitely taken a turn toward his dark side.”

“So what do you have in mind, Astra?” Emo asked.

I lifted an eyebrow. “What do
you
think I have in mind?”

Emo stared at me for a beat and then grinned. “I’m thinking
you plan to send all these dragons through the huge wall of glass in the throne
room and in the melee we’ll snatch Dialle and cart him off.”

I glanced down to hide my
Eureka
moment. “Partner,
you know me so well. That’s exactly what I was planning.”

Slayer snorted and went to help Darma with his mount.

Emo glanced over at the senior dragon conclave across the
roost. “Oh. That’s a lot of wrinkly flesh.”

I sighed. “Yeah. Not quite what I anticipated either.” I
fully expected them to start playing dragon bingo any minute.

“You sure they’re up to this, Astra?”

“No. But they’re all we have. We’ll have to make it work.”

“At least they’re big.”

It was true. Dragons kept growing all their lives—something
human mythology had never noted, probably because the growing slowed way down.
Think middle age spread with wings. But they did grow, and that meant the
oldest among them were the largest. What we had in that room was a lot of
really
big dragons. “If nothing else they can sit on a few dark worlders and smash
them flat.”

Emo nodded. “I can get behind that.”

* * * * *

Glynus hovered beside Spence, their powerful wings beating
the air slowly as we sized up the area to be breeched.
I think we should go
in first,
I told her.

She did the equivalent of a mental head shake.
No. We can
break the glass but then we need to let the old ones enter first. They can join
magic to protect the king from the heat and sulfur, and block us until the last
minute so we have a better chance of grabbing him.

Spence focused a bright green gaze on me.
She’s right,
mother Tweener. If the king sees us coming he’ll skedaddle.

Glynus expanded on her idea.
At first they’ll think the
castle dragons are just senile and crashed through the glass by mistake.

Until it’s too late,
Spencer added.

I thought about this plan, finally nodding.
You guys are
good.

Of course,
my dragon told me with characteristic
humbleness.

I turned to Emo, whose red dragon Keesh was hovering within
the perimeter of Glynus’ and Spence’s cloaking magic. “We’re going to send the
greens in first, they’ll distract everyone while Glynus and I sneak in and nab
Dialle.”

He nodded. “Darma and I can stay outside to cover you while
you go after him, and grab up anybody who tries to escape.”

Slayer was already in place just beyond the castle, out of
view. I shifted my mental drawers and told him the plan.

Do you need my help inside?

I thought about this. If it came to a scrum inside the
castle we’d be hopelessly outnumbered. Our only chance was to catch Dialle by
surprise.
No. Stay where you are and wait for my signal. Once I have Dialle
I’ll need your help holding off the hordes while I make a break for the breech.

Okay. Be careful, Astra.

Careful is my middle name. Spelled with a Q.

Slayer chuckled. I looked at Darma. “You ready?”

As usual my sister was scowling. She seemed uncomfortable
with our plans but she nodded.

My gaze slid to Emo. “Glynus and I will go in ahead of the
greens and blast the glass out for them. Then we’ll get out of the way and let
them go in first.”

“Can Spencer hold the cloak by himself?” Emo asked.

I looked at my dragon, lifting an eyebrow in question.

Of course,
she responded haughtily.

“Glynus says he can. As soon as I grab Dialle I’m going to
secure him with an angel chain and take him to Olympus. See you on the other
side?”

“May His grace guide and protect you, Astra.”

I held Emo’s gaze for a moment and then smiled. “Right back
atcha, partner. And, no more hanging out with angels for you, bud. You’re starting
to sound like them.”

I turned away, a smile trembling on my lips as he chuckled.
Give
the greens the signal, Tadpole.

Yes, mother Tweener.

A moment later the sound of massive wings could be heard
pounding the air and the first ancient green emerged from the roost at the top
of the castle. I watched in wonder as they flew across the sky, each one
falling in behind the one before it until they formed a massive green arrow in
the sky.

They flew out a couple of klicks and then slowly started to
turn. What they lacked in speed they more than made up for in accuracy. They
held their perfect shape through the entire turn, and headed back toward us
with determined elegance.

Despite their age and size, the elderly dragons presented a
fine picture as their powerful wings throbbed against the sulfur-rich air.
Glynus shot out in front of them as they came near and we flew directly toward
the glass barrier that formed the outside wall of Dialle’s throne room. I tried
to find my devil in the mass of dark-world creatures beyond the glass, but it
was a hopeless task. There were just too many of them.

My fingers twitched with power as we approached. Glynus had
slowed until the first green in the formation was close behind us. So close in
fact that I could smell the rancid fish he’d eaten for breakfast. It was making
me queasy.

Or maybe it was the task ahead of me that was making me
sick. That was probably more likely. I didn’t know what I’d find when I faced
off with Dialle again. I was pretty sure it would be ugly. My greatest fear was
that I wouldn’t be able to reach him. If I couldn’t get through to him he’d be
lost to me forever.

My heart hurt at the thought, my stomach twisted. I couldn’t
lose Dialle. I just couldn’t. Stars of panic burst before my eyes.

Mother Tweener?

I blinked and realized the window was mere feet away from
Glynus. If I didn’t do my thing fast we’d be the first ones through the window,
and it wouldn’t be fun. My hand flashed out and power exploded against the
pane, creating a spidery circle of fractured glass at its center.

Hold on, mother Tweener.
At the last possible moment,
Glynus bunched her powerful body and shot skyward, her wings tapping the glass
as she exploded up the side of the castle.

I grabbed hold of the nearest spike on her spine and tightened
my legs, leaning forward to decrease wind resistance as we went completely
vertical. I started to slide backward and, if it weren’t for my power-enhanced
hold on Glynus’ spike, I’d have been dumped into the furnace-like atmosphere of
Hell like yesterday’s garbage.

Beneath us, the sound of glass shattering and the roar of
greens created instant chaos within the castle. Even through the deafening roar
of wind shooting past my ears I could hear the angry shouts and terrified
screams.

“Now, Tadpole!”

She curved her body away from the castle wall and did a
one-hundred-eighty-degree change of direction, until we plummeted downward,
toward the shattered window far below.

I swore silently as my feet started to lift away from her
body and held on with everything I had. Just as I thought I was going to lose
my grip and go spiraling off into the sulfur fires beneath us, Glynus leveled
out and skimmed neatly through the window.

The throne room, designed under the massive ego of Dialle’s
father, was the size of an ancient human football stadium. Even so, it felt
small with a dozen massive greens flying around beneath its ceiling and the
crowds of Hell’s inhabitants spinning and dodging claws and wings at its base.

It was easy to slide in undetected with that kind of chaos.
What wasn’t easy was finding Dialle. We flew toward his throne, dodging massive
green bodies and jolts of temper-induced fire from the crowds.

Dialle wasn’t there.

I assumed his guards had surrounded him and started walking
him toward the door at the first sign of trouble. Problem with that plan was
that it would be like trying to push a dagger through steel mesh. You wouldn’t
get far before the weave grabbed hold of you and brought you to a stop.

I found the group of guards a few yards away from Dialle’s
throne, but Dialle wasn’t with them. He’d apparently space-shifted away. Shit!
The good news was that, wherever he was, he most likely didn’t have guards with
him.

He’s gone. I think I know where he went. Let’s get out of
here.

Glynus headed for the window and we flew out over Hades
again, leaving chaos behind. I shuffled my mental drawers and reached out to
Slayer.
He debunked from the throne room. Do you see him in his rooms?

I’ll have to drop down a few levels to see.

Like the throne room, Dialle’s quarters sported a wall of
windows that looked out over Hell’s environs. The royals seemed strangely
fascinated by the ugliness of the place. If it were my castle I’d only have
narrow windows set just below the ceiling to let in the light. The last thing
I’d want to do was look out on the death and devastation that was Hell.

But then I wasn’t born to the flame. My dark side was
tempered by my light. And, on this occasion at least, their love of windows
would work to my advantage. Glynus climbed high enough to fly over the castle
to the opposite side, where I knew Dialle’s quarters were. As we climbed,
Spence and Darma joined us. She looked disheveled and pale but seemed all
right. Spence had a long scratch down one side of his glistening white body.

I see movement within, but I can’t see if it’s the king
without dropping down in front of the windows.

Don’t do that. If he sees you he’ll be gone again. I’ll
go in first, distract and hopefully disarm him, then I’ll give you the signal
and you and Darma come in and chain him. Okay?

Got it.

I looked at my sister and she nodded, a determined light in
her blue eyes.

Where’s Emo?
I asked her.

He’s taking the greens to the breach.

I nodded. My partner wasn’t happy about it, but I hadn’t
wanted him involved in Dialle’s capture. His psyche was still too tender and
his feelings for me too volatile. I was afraid his natural animus for Dialle
would cause him to regress.

As we dropped down from the top of the castle I asked Glynus
to cloak our descent. The air around me shimmered and suddenly Darma and I were
enclosed in a bubble again. We dropped toward Dialle’s rooms, encompassing most
of the fourth floor of the castle, and Glynus stopped before the wall of glass,
hovering gently on the air.