Beau didn’t think they’d want Heaven when they could have Earth, though. They’d have to defeat the angels again, then they’d have to take on the Big Guy, a feat he wouldn’t wish on anyone, even the demons. Nobody had seen the Big Guy’s power. But Beau had heard about it.
The demons had won the first war, but from Beau’s understanding, they’d only won because they knocked the gates down and pillaged Heaven like Viking warriors attacking a village. The angels had known of their attack before it happened, but also knew they wouldn’t be able to defeat them. The angels had let the demons win, knowing they had a backup plan. The Angel Blessed.
If they had captured all of the Angel Blessed, all bets were off. The angels would have to intervene this time, because if they didn’t…how would anyone stop the demons?
Charmeine didn’t come back for what seemed like forever. But everything seemed like forever up here. As she shuffled toward him, she stared at the clouds under her feet. No smile touched her lips, not normal at all for the happy angel.
Beau stood right in front of her, tipping her chin up so she had to face him. “What?”
“BG doesn’t want us to interfere. He says the group is destined to stop the demons, so they will somehow get out of this.”
“And what if we are supposed to be the ones to help them do that and we don’t?”
She shrugged. “That’s a risk he’s willing to take.”
Beau kicked at a cloud below him, a big fluffy one, and white dust flew up around her. “That’s just plain stupid!”
Charmeine pulled at her zebra print collar. “It very well might be, but I dare you to go tell the Big Guy that.”
Beau shook his head. “Not a great idea right now. I would get kicked out of Heaven for sure.”
“Then best if you get some rest. I’m going to try to see what else I can do.” Charmeine sighed. “I might not agree with this, but BG does have a point. We do need to be careful. It wouldn’t be wise to get ourselves in trouble too.”
“You’re right. But we also need to save the people who are supposed to save the world. I know that sounds dramatic, but there it is nonetheless.”
“I know.” She pulled her sleeves down. “Rest now. I will figure this out, I just need some time. Okay?”
Beau nodded. “Okay.” It was hard to trust her on this, especially when he was antsy to move and help them, but he would do his best. For the time being, he’d listen and try to rest, but he highly doubted rest would come his way.
As Beau walked away, he curled his fists at his sides, then released them. He kept doing the movement until he reached his sleeping quarters. Angels didn’t sleep, but they were given “sleeping quarters,” their own private areas where they could relax and unwind. Zone out. Now was definitely as good a time as any.
Beau was mad, but did he have any right to be? His emotions ruled him, like they always had. Shaking that part of him proved way harder than he thought it would be. But he had to think about things from the point of view of an angel now, not a human. And when he did, he could see the Big Guy’s point. To a certain degree.
Seeing his point didn’t mean Beau agreed with taking the easy road. Sometimes the road often untraveled proved to be the better path.
He lay down on his cot-like bed and crossed his arms behind his head, letting his eyes close. The utter silence relieved his tension and eventually he relaxed, tuning everything else out.
Hopefully, Charmeine would come through and fix this. If not, the demons might just kill their only hope of saving humanity.
Chapter 14
Plan B
Bael
Marching toward Lucifer’s prison house made it hard for Bael to breathe. And to think, if Lucifer had left well enough alone, he wouldn’t have to march, wouldn’t have to fix the mistake his demon boss had made. Bael didn’t know why he even cared, only that he wanted Jasmine to believe him. He wanted her to trust him, as much as she could. Which would probably never be much, but a demon could dream.
None of that mattered. The only thing that mattered now was fixing Lucifer’s mess. A leader who made the worst messes wasn’t a leader at all, at least in Bael’s mind. Instead of ruling, he thought it funny to complicate everything. Bael didn’t mind a complication here and there, but right now, they needed to claim Earth and move on. They didn’t need the Angel Blessed to do that. They didn’t need the Fallen Ones to do that. They didn’t need anyone but themselves and their demon army to accomplish their goal. So why did Lucifer insist on taking them all hostage?
Bael quieted his thoughts. He couldn’t risk his master overhearing him. Bael valued what little life he had.
Now he had to come face to face with the biggest, baddest demon in Hell and put him in his place. Sounded easy enough. Unfortunately, Bael didn’t have a clue what he would say. He had faith that the words would come, though. Probably at the last minute, but that would be favorable to them not coming at all.
Two demons stood guard at the front of the house. Bael raised his chin and strolled up to them like he owned the place. “I hear you’ve captured more prisoners?” He kept the question in his tone, trying to play polite when all he wanted to do was slice these demons’ throats.
The first demon guard nodded. Bael didn’t know either of their names, but names meant nothing to him. Especially names of demon peons who spent their days guarding prison houses instead of fighting the war. These two would be dead and gone by the time it ended, so no need to learn their names.
Bael tried to push past them, but they crossed their arms in the doorway, linking them together in a show of strength. As if that could stop him…but he raised his eyebrows, keeping his cool. “Is there a problem?”
Demon guard two stood straighter. “We have orders to not let you pass.”
Bael tilted his head, eventually forcing a tight smile. Lucifer must have suspected he’d try something like this. Bael supposed he hadn’t given him any reason not to, but it still complicated things. After all, he’d come to release the prisoners Lucifer wanted to keep. Where is my evil underlord anyway? Bael kept the smile plastered on his face. “I work for Lucifer, just like you, except I’m his second-in-command. I suspect you two are way down on the bottom, somewhere about here.” He stuck his hand down toward his feet. “So, now that you’re aware of where you are and where I am in the chain of command, I hope you’ll move out of my way before I have to hurt both of you. I really don’t feel like getting blood on my new white shirt.” This time, his grin was genuine.
“Orders are orders, and we have ours.” Demon guard one shifted his weight to block the door even more, but demon guard two started to slink away. Ah. So he’s the smart one. But neither of them moved out of the way.
“I understand. I also have mine.”
Bael’s arms snaked out so fast neither of the guards had time to react. He had one arm around each of their necks before they knew what hit them. With a sickening pop, both of their heads detached from their bodies, falling to the ground with a thud. “It would have been so much work to get you to move. This made everything so much easier.” Bael wiped his hands on his pants and stepped over their bodies. “Since that’s taken care of, I guess I can go free the prisoners now.”
Bael whistled as he moved through a wide hallway, the peach color of it sickening to his senses. Once he’d finished this job, Jasmine would be happy. Making her happy would make his job that much easier. Converting a girl like her to evil wouldn’t be easy, not like it’d been with Evangeline. But he was Bael, second in line to the throne of Hell. He had some tricks up his sleeves. Tricks that would make her demon blood step forward and take notice.
The stairs leading to the basement creaked and groaned under his weight, but he didn’t let that stop him. He had a feeling this was where Lucifer hid the prisoners. His boss would never keep anyone anywhere other than darkness, and a basement would be the darkest place he could have found. Unless it happened to be decorated with bright pastel hues like the rest o
f the home.
Pitch blackness greeted Bael at the bottom step, but as he turned the corner, the low light from a candle flame showed him silhouettes of shapes. The sound of chains scraping against concrete told him he’d found the right place. A metallic smell touched the back of his throat. Blood. He found a light switch on the wall and flipped it on. The light made him wince. He wasn’t the only one. The prisoners reacted the same.
“It’s so nice to see everyone again.” Bael shuffled to the middle of the room. “And I know you’ll be happy to know I’m here to free you.”
“We wouldn’t be in this situation if you’d only kept your word to begin with.” Amon reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, his chains scraping against the thick one around his neck. His garbled voice drew Bael’s gaze to a man he barely recognized. His face had swelled up so much it looked like he’d been stung by a whole hive of bees. Lucifer must have done a number on him, for sure.
As Bael moved closer, the smell of blood grew stronger, making him realize Amon’s face was the source of the stench. Cuts lined with scabbed blood were scattered over his cheeks, his forehead. His wounds, if Bael could call them that, were atrocious. It looked as if Lucifer had taken a hammer to Amon’s face, smashing it over and over. Even his nose was bent at the wrong angle. Bael couldn’t stop himself from reaching over and cracking it the opposite way.
Amon bellowed. “What the hell, Bael? Haven’t I been tortured enough?”
“Perhaps this time you have.” Bael shrugged. “I was just setting it so it didn’t start healing the way it sat. Trust me, you wouldn’t have wanted it to. Now tell me, what happened here?”
Amon narrowed his swollen eyes, which really just closed them. “As if you didn’t know Lucifer would be here waiting for us.”
Bael shrugged. “Believe me or don’t, but I didn’t know. Lucifer doesn’t tell me his plans any more than I tell him mine.” He released Amon’s chains by snapping them in two. Then he moved to each of the others, doing the same. “In fact, I would have tried to stop him if I would’ve known. Nonetheless, you are free to go now. I would advise coming up with a cover story. If Lucifer asks, I had nothing to do with this.”
“Bael? Helping the good guys? What happened to you?” Amon stood, almost falling over from what Bael could only assume was weakness.
“Let’s just say, for a demon, I have a modicum of honor left. I made a deal with you, so I am going to keep it. Simple as that.”
Amber raised her eyebrows. “Yeah. Okay. Because you kept your word regarding Jasmine’s mom so well, right?”
Bael sighed. “A moment of weakness is all that was. Does it help if I tell you I’m not very proud of it? No? Okay, well, I suggest we don’t stand around in this basement and argue semantics. Or do, if you don’t want to get out of here. I’m sure Lucifer won’t be coming back anytime soon.” He laced his voice with sarcasm.
Amon tried to bulk up his chest and arms, puffing himself out, but he flinched and started breathing heavily. Bael couldn’t help it, he laughed.
Amon frowned, rubbing his forehead. “Please inform me what is so funny. I see nothing funny from where I stand.”
Gemma came over, laying her small hands on Amon’s wrist. “Come on, Amon. Now isn’t the time. A little luck hit us in the face and I think we should take advantage of it and get the heck out of here already.”
Amon stared at Bael another minute before nodding. “Gemma is right. Let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth.”
Bael stepped back, leaving plenty of room for the others to climb the stairs. “It’s always better not to. You could get bitten that way.”
As Amon passed by him, he leaned closer. “If you harm her in any way, I’ll kill you.”
“Oh, don’t you worry, Amon. I won’t hurt the girl. If anything, she will enjoy what I do to her.” Bael wiggled his eyebrows. “Immensely.”
Before Amon could rush forward, Caim grabbed both of his arms and pulled him to the stairs, pushing him up one after the other.
Bael waved. “Ta-ta, everyone. Until we meet again.”
Inside, he released a sigh. He didn’t know how he’d gotten so lucky that Lucifer hadn’t been there, but he wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth either.
Maybe he should have followed them out, made sure they got out safe and all that. But Bael didn’t work that way. He’d taken care of the demon guards, so he’d done what he could. Now, he had to find another way out, just in case Lucifer had spies lying in wait. Of course, if he did have spies, they would have seen Bael enter through the front doors, so maybe it didn’t matter which way he exited.
He decided to play it safe and found a small basement window that could be opened from the inside, leaving enough room for him to squeeze through, but he had to suck in his stomach to make it. As he inched out, his cheek scraped against blades of grass. He’d always thought grass to be soft, but this grass was razor sharp, like tiny knives poking his skin.
Once out, he stood and dusted off his shirt, keeping his eyes down as he took a few steps and ran right into a solid object. “Umph!” Bael raised his gaze and met Lucifer’s smiling eyes. There’s that horse…
“Bael. Is this a game to you? Do you think it’s time to play?”
Bael’s heartbeat actually sped up, which hadn’t happened in a very long time. He’d almost forgotten what it felt like. In fact, he didn’t believe he’d even had a heartbeat since he’d become a demon. “Um, well, I guess it is a game. I let the good guys go. What would be the fun in keeping them locked away? We need someone to fight, don’t we? Trust me, it will make everything a lot more interesting in the coming days.” Did I just tell him the truth?
Lucifer raised his brows. “Really? You expect me to believe that? When you gave the orders for your friends to be released to begin with and I decided against that? You just had to follow through and make sure your orders stuck, didn’t you?”
Bael laughed, but even to him it sounded nervous. He hadn’t expected Lucifer to find out what happened so soon, and lying under pressure wasn’t a strong suit of his. “Of course I did. What kind of second would I be if I let that kind of thing go unnoticed?”
Lucifer clenched his teeth and balled his hands at his sides. “You are supposed to let things like this go unnoticed when I am the one who overrode your orders in the first place. I am above you, Bael. It is time you understood that.”
Bael met Lucifer’s cold stare. “Oh, I do remember that.”
“Good.” Lucifer paced back and forth. “Now, since you’ve decided to take matters into your own hands, I think I will now take matters into mine. I heard you have the girl, Jasmine. I want her.”
Bael coughed. “That isn’t going to happen.”
Lucifer sneered. “Oh, it will happen, Bael. Or you will be done, in very final ways. If you catch my drift.”
Bael turned and stormed away without another word. If Lucifer thought he’d get his hands on Jasmine after everything Bael had gone through to get her, he had another thing coming. No way would he give her up. Not now. Not ever. He’d have to push his plan forward faster than he’d originally thought.
Lucifer would soon realize who had more strength. He’d soon realize who held the cards. And it was no longer the leader of Hell. Bael had been in charge of things long enough to know he could rule Hell with his eyes closed.
Walking into his makeshift home felt good. Moloch ran down the steps to greet him. He must have been upstairs, making sure Jasmine stayed in her room. Since Bael had left the door open, she could have escaped, but Moloch, being the good demon underling he was, had made sure she’d stayed put.
“Moloch, it is time,” Bael said.
Moloch scrunched his forehead. “For what?”
“Plan B.”
“I don’t think I’m familiar with Plan B, am I?”
“You aren’t. But don’t worry, my friend, you will be soon.”
As Moloch nodded, Bael started up the stairs toward Jasmine. Plan B included
her more than it did anyone else. Hopefully, it worked.
What was Bael thinking? He’d come up with the plan. Of course it would work.
Chapter 15
A Different Situation
Jasmine
Almost right after Moloch left Jasmine’s room, Bael entered. She didn’t think he’d return so soon, but here he stood. Oh joy.
Bael walked past Jasmine to the window where he pulled the dark drapes back and looked out into the night. His muscles tensed. “We are instituting Plan B.”
“What’s Plan B and why do we need it?”
Bael turned with a smirk. “I’m glad you asked. When I let your friends go, Lucifer caught me. Usually, it wouldn’t bother me, but I disobeyed him. Now he wants something in return for the prisoners I released from his grasp.”
Jasmine sat a little straighter, resting her hands on the shag carpet. “What”
Bael rubbed his chin. “You. He wants you, Jasmine. Do you want me to let him take you?”
Her eyes widened and she swallowed hard, but even still, she shook her head. Out of the two demons, she’d prefer Bael over Lucifer. Sure, she talked a big game about not being scared of Lucifer, but if she were being honest, he scared her more than anything had in her life. Bael was the lesser of two evils, at least from her standpoint.
And she wouldn’t be here long, a fact she kept having to remind herself of. Any minute, Ella would swoop in and remove her from this horrible situation and she could forget it ever happened. Jasmine couldn’t understand why she hadn’t come already. When Bael had left to let the others go, it would have been the perfect time. But she hadn’t come yet and Jasmine was stuck here, having to be nice to Bael. She could do this. She had to do this.
She hadn’t realized Bael stood in front of her until he crouched down and the burned toast smell of him smacked her in the face. He grabbed her chin, making her look at him. “Well, since we’re on the same page finally, we might as well get this over with.”