“Tremors strike here when any soul feels pure and rises, newly cleansed, to start its climb. And that cry follows as the soul ascends.”
―Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
I took a step forward ready to release my vibrating power towards Bianca. Her well-manicured fingers were squeezing the boy’s neck and I was already picturing what I could do to her. She was going to kill him and I couldn’t just stand here. The Watcher glared at me and at the same time she released the boy, snapped her fingers, and Conrad’s son disappeared from the chamber.
I kept on breathing, tapping into my energy again and forcing myself to stay calm. The Watcher kept staring, and I wondered if he suspected something.
Matilda wouldn’t let Alexis anywhere near the antidote to her spell. I kept on breathing, taking small tiny breaths and pushing my energy down to my core. The Watcher had noticed my distress, so I needed to control myself better. Now I had all the information that I needed, and it was time to disappear.
“Warlock? Why is my sister teaming up with a Warlock and who is that child?” Bianca asked. A Watcher handed her a white handkerchief, so she could wipe her hands. I wished that Conrad wouldn’t have to say anymore. Bianca was stuck downstairs, but she had enough gold to send people to do any dirty job for her.
“The child is under the Warlock’s care. Alexis needed its blood for a ritual, but something went wrong and the child was charmed and now it’s useless to her. Alexis is frustrated, because her immunity has been severely weakened,” Conrad continued, giving her all the information she needed in order to help her sister.
“That child must be important. I wish that I could leave and offer her my assistance. She’s probably so scared and alone,” Bianca said, and her voice vibrated with emotion. “She’s going to travel up north to some sort of forest, you say?”
“Yes, she will be travelling to the Warlock’s home. Your sister is running out of time. She’s seeking an alliance amongst other demons. She doesn’t want to fail.”
Now, this whole thing made sense. Alexis was hoping that she could awaken Summer from the sleeping spell, and of course the answer was in Matilda’s remote cottage. Morpheus was right this time and I shouldn’t have doubted him.
“What else?”
“Nothing, there is nothing else. Your sister’s soul is dying, her soul is lost, but she thinks that child can save her,” Conrad squeaked glancing around like he was searching for his son. “Now, release my family. You promised. They have done nothing wrong.”
Bianca made a promise and she would be a coward if she didn’t hold to her word. An unpredictable smile spread over her face. A second later she walked over to him and ran her fingers over his sweaty arms. He hissed when she touched a long deep cut by his collarbone. Then she turned around, facing the three of us. The silence was unnerving, the escalated tension affecting everyone in the room.
“You see, my dear friends, mongrels can be useful sometimes. My dear sister is in danger. The dark lord scarred her soul. Made her rot from inside out,” she said, staring at the blood on her fingers. “Lucifer favours mongrels like Conrad. He wants to give them rights!”
Bianca was starting to lose her plot. Lucifer had been oppressing mongrels for years; he had never given them any rights. Conrad was a perfect example of someone who lost everything because he was half demon. Even his freedom was just a bargaining tool.
Marvic spread his wings and passed something shiny to his mistress. Conrad looked at me then, his mouth parted. He must have recognised me from somewhere, because he was pleading with me to help him.
I was already thinking about my next steps. Ronan had washed his hands, but right now I needed to find him. Everything began in that small remote village, in the forest where I met Matilda for the first time. Alexis was heading over there. Watchers were complex creatures, but I was afraid that Alexis had disabled Matilda’s magic somehow. Someone else was helping her.
“Let them out, I have given you everything you wanted,” Conrad pleaded.
“True, but with great difficulty,” she muttered still standing close to him. “This one is for you, Daddy. I hope you will enjoy torturing his soul.”
A second later she grabbed Conrad’s hair, pulled his head up and slashed his throat. Blood sprayed everywhere, covering her hands and her beautiful dress. I wanted to react, but it was too late. Conrad was dead. Anger overwhelmed me for a second. I couldn’t have saved him. Bianca was planning to kill him anyway. Conrad’s body slid down on the floor, his head hanging on his chest. Bianca licked her bloodied fingers and smiled. She was disturbingly joyful.
“Marvic, execute his family. We can’t have any witnesses,” Bianca ordered with an icy tone of voice, and her obedient Watcher nodded. A second later he left the chamber. I clenched my fists, digging my fingers into my skin, wishing that I could follow him. A tear slipped down my cheek, but I wiped it off quickly. I couldn’t help them without being exposed. I had no idea where Bianca was keeping Conrad’s family.
“She is amazingly cruel, and so intelligent,” squeaked the demon with blue hair. I wanted to slap her, shake her and ask her what the hell was wrong with her. Bianca had demons around her that could be easily manipulated. She was luring them with luxury, gold and her charisma. This was sick and I couldn’t stay here any second longer.
“Now, my dear friends. I’m unable to leave the underworld and head over to the human world. I’m looking for a volunteer, someone that is willing to help my dear sister,” Bianca asked, looking around. Fury tightened my chest, but I fought with myself to keep this act going. I didn’t want to compromise my daughter’s life. Conrad was dead, killed by a crazy demon in hell.
Bianca looked around, her eyes wandering over the group.
“I can help you. I have certain connections in the outside world. Your sister is a truly brave demon,” I stated, coming forward and pretending that my excitement was genuine. Ricky would have called me a moron, but I had to take advantage of being here. Alexis was determined to use my daughter as a shield. Bianca could gather as many supporters as she wished, but Lucifer was one and only. His power was unreachable; no one could push him out.
Her eyes narrowed, and for a brief second I thought that my cover was blown. Morpheus’s spell should hold for a few hours, like Ricky’s when I arrived at the market.
“Oh excellent. Your faction will allow it, I’m sure. Besides, I’m much needed here. You must find her and let her know that I support her entirely,” Bianca said approaching me. “I wish you to leave right away. You mustn’t waste anytime.”
“Of course,” I assured her and then we all left the bloodied chamber. I was going to remember the death of Conrad and somehow I was going to avenge him. Bianca owned a piece of hell. She was most likely responsible for more deaths. Ricky had never spoken about his life downstairs and now I understood why.
Upstairs the party was still going and other demons were oblivious to the fact that the hostess had just executed a presumably innocent mongrel and his family. Morpheus watched me from a distance, a glass of champagne in his hand.
I left through the same door and started walking through the long narrow tunnel. Morpheus caught up with me half an hour later.
“I assume that everything went according to plan?” he asked, startling me. My skin was burning, my eyes were aching, and my hands were bleeding because I had been squeezing my fists so hard. Morpheus didn’t know what went on inside the chamber. Shock was blinding me, and I felt guilty that I hadn’t done more to help Conrad’s family. The rules downstairs overshadowed everything on earth. Death didn’t mean the end for others. I had only seen a fraction of hell, but the tiny bit that I’d seen didn’t mean much at all.
“Bianca is even crazier than her sick sister,” I said, wanting to see the sunlight again, experience the harsh wind on my skin. For the first time in my life I was regretting that I accepted Morpheus’s deal.
“She has her quirks, but yes she is deluded,” he agreed. “But did you get what you wanted?
“Alexis needs my daughter awake and alive. I know what I have to do,” I told him, wondering if that crazy bitch had taken control of Matilda’s magic too. I was struggling to keep on walking; my feet were covered with blisters. It was a small price to pay for the information that I got.
“Good, I’m glad that I could be of assistance,” Morpheus said. “And just so you know, there won’t be any uprising. Bianca has her cult, but she has no idea with whom she is dealing. There are upper level demons in hell that support Lucifer.”
“She killed a mongrel, treated him worse than an animal,” I muttered, wishing that the pits could swallow her once and for all.
“She has extreme views, but she doesn’t concern me. There is an election coming up and some demons are still unsure of who they should support. Some of them strongly believe that after the centuries hell might evolve, that maybe Lucifer will hand over his power,” Morpheus admitted.
“Mongrels are Lucifer’s creatures too. We all should be treated equally,” I said, knowing that this would never happen.
“Who knows what can be achieved if the priorities in hell are shifted?”
I didn’t understand what Morpheus meant by that, and I didn’t want to discuss this anymore. He bowed to me and vanished on the corner of the street moments later. It was a hell of an experience, but he must have realised that I didn’t want him to hold my hand any longer.
By the time I returned back to Ricky’s swanky place it was after two in the morning. I always thought that I knew what to expect in hell, but I had been wrong. Maybe it was unlimited death, suffering and pain. Now I couldn’t change what I promised to Morpheus. Lucifer wanted to have me down there, but for what purpose? That was still unknown.
I woke up early in the morning and went straight away to Ricky’s cupboard with magical potions. I tried to renew my connection with Matilda. Her magic would allow me to see what was happening with Summer, but yet again the spell failed to work. Filled with disappointment, I used the rest of the ingredients that I had left over to brew a few simple potions.
I had a lot of planning to do before I could head up north.
There were some leftovers in the fridge, so I stuffed my face thinking about my next move. After yesterday and my adventure with vodka on the rooftop, I was going to avoid alcohol for a while. When I drank I turned into a different person. Being sober meant being more focused.
I put some clothes on, fuelled my body with some potions, and went out. I had to show my face in the office. Emma was still going into work and Ricky had his pending cases that needed to be taken care of. The business was important, and I had to make sure that everything was in order before I set off on my trip up north.
I was scared to go back to Doomed Cases. The thought of empty rooms without Ricky turned my stomach upside down and I had to keep it together today. I couldn’t afford to break apart before my trip up north.
The ride in the tube was difficult. After last night my energy was more receptive to human emotions. The images of Conrad’s family were still pretty vivid. That little mongrel boy was innocent, and I wished that I could have done more—rather than standing around and accepting Bianca’s cruelty.
I didn’t spot any suspicious-looking demons near the building, so I went inside. The door to the agency was ajar, so I tapped into my energy. I was ready to strike someone with a spell, when strong arms embraced me from behind. I didn’t think this time, and using my strength I flipped the body down to the ground, wrapping my fingers around the man’s throat.
“Hm, Flower, such powerful foreplay. Maybe we should kiss first,” Zach said, winking at me.
“What are you doing here and why the hell are you sneaking up on me like that?” I asked, pissed off that he caught me off guard. I helped him get up, ignoring my sparkling fingers. This had been happening a lot lately.
He didn’t answer. He simply walked up to me, grabbed my face and then kissed me. A moment passed, and I considered pulling away, but the heat was staggering. Desire fuelled my body, riding through me like a storm. Zach was intense, hot, and he was turning the blood into my veins into boiling lava.
“Well, well, well. Maxine and her lover,” said a voice we both recognised.
I pulled away from Zach and noticed Arthur in the doorway, staring at us with a stoic look on his face.