He was three-quarters done when Stheno ran into the throne room and went down on one knee before him. “Dread Master, King Lucifer!” Stheno called.
Those words alone told Lucifer that something was wrong. It was his preferred title, of course, but most of the time the Angels called him “King Lucifer” or “Dread Master.” Lazy shits. They almost never called him both at one time unless it was bad news.
“Persephone has escaped, Dread Master,” said Stheno, panic in his voice. Lucifer stopped what he was doing, the soul dropping to the floor. He rose off his chair, fury on his face. Stheno cowered on the floor, begging, “Please, Master! We are scouring Hell for her, but none of us can find her. There is no sign of her anywhere.”
“Idiots!” roared Lucifer, kicking the Angel across the room. He turned his mind outward, feeling and identifying every Angel in Hell. Persephone was nowhere to be found. A suspicion immediately wormed its way into his head, and he turned his mind to Nyx.
He couldn’t find Nyx either.
Lucifer screamed in frustration and stomped the soul on the floor, sending brains and guts everywhere. He kicked Stheno again and flew up and out the windows of the throne room. Higher and higher he went until he could see all of Hell spread out before him.
Where are those bitches?
“666th! Assemble!” Lucifer shouted, his voice echoing through the entire length and breadth of Hell. “Nyx has escaped! Persephone has escaped! Block all the Gates to Earth and stand watch over them until further notice!” He glared around Hell again. He could not see them anywhere, which only meant they were hiding in one of the crevices or plains that dotted Hell.
But why can’t I feel them? That was what worried him. It took a great deal of power for any Angel to disguise her presence in Hell, and no one could do it well enough to truly hide, not for any length of time.
“Gore!” Lucifer roared in his mind.
Out on the plains of Hell, one of the larger demons raised his snake-like head from the soul it was devouring. Gore was a monstrous thing, as if a bear had mated with a cobra and produced the ugliest offspring possible. He stood easily twenty-five feet high and was as close to a leader as the demons of Hell could be said to have.
“Summon your brethren!” Lucifer’s voice echoed in Gore’s skull, threatening to split it. “Search Hell for Nyx and Persephone! Find them and fight them until I can send the legion after them!”
Lucifer surveyed Hell one more time, then screamed, “I’ll find you, you bitches! I’ll find you, and torture you in ways you can’t even imagine!”
He turned and flew toward his castle. If Nyx had freed Persephone, she would be coming after Ishtar next.
Best make sure she’s properly prepared for them.
In their cave in the mountains, Nyx and Persephone winced as Lucifer’s roared announcement filled the air of Hell.
“Well,” said Persephone. “He sounds just a teensy bit miffed, doesn’t he?”
“As well he should,” said Nyx. “Since we’re going to dethrone him, chop him into bite-sized pieces, and imprison him at the bottom of the Lake for a million years or so.”
Persephone grinned. “Sounds good to me. When?”
“After we get Epiphenia back to earth and deal with Tribunal,” said Nyx.
“Ah,” said Persephone. “So not a time to hold my breath, then.”
Nyx shrugged. “We have to stop Tribunal.”
“Not to be a jerk,” said Persephone. “But why? He’s building a Paradise for us, isn’t he?”
Nyx shook her head. “That was a lie. I’m sure of it. Epiphenia was sure of it. He’s up to something far, far worse. He’s going to destroy the world at least. Maybe more.” She grinned, then. “Also, that sanctimonious asshole betrayed me, and I’ll be damned if I’m not going to get even with him for it.”
“Good luck with that,” said Persephone. “He is the Son of God.”
“I didn’t say it was going to be easy. You in or out?”
Persephone raised an eyebrow. “Is that an offer?” Nyx glared at her, and Persephone smiled back. “I’m in, of course, my queen. So what next?”
“Next,” said Nyx, “is we get to Lucifer’s castle and get Ishtar. Then we can get out of here.”
“And if we can’t get Ishtar?”
“We have to try,” said Nyx. “She’s been through too much of this with us to leave behind.”
“All right,” said Persephone. “What’s the plan?”
“He’s called out the 666th. That means that whoever is guarding Ishtar isn’t going to be as good as you.”
“No one in the 666th is as good as me,” smirked Persephone. “It still doesn’t help if there’re five thousand of them. And unlike your palace, you can only fly into Lucifer’s castle through the front door.”
“I know,” said Nyx. “That doesn’t mean we can’t crawl in through a window.”
Persephone looked skeptical. “Will you be able to keep us disguised then, in another form?”
“Don’t know,” said Nyx. “Don’t have any other ideas, either. You?”
Persephone sat back, or at least as far back as she could without letting go of Nyx’s hand. “Nothing that comes right to mind, no.”
“Then let’s go.”
Hand in hand they flew out of the cave. The power that Epiphenia’s presence gave Nyx was still strong enough to hide them from any mind in Hell, and to convince anyone looking their way to not notice them, but Nyx had no idea how long the shield would last.
I should have cut Lucifer down when I had the chance, Nyx thought. Stupid of me.
In her heart, Nyx knew that just cutting down Lucifer would not be enough. It hadn’t been the last time. When she and he had fought for control of Hell, they had gutted, beheaded, and disemboweled each other a number of times. Their followers had always returned the favor, and helped them long enough for each to regroup and counterattack.
And this time I have no followers, save Persephone. If we can get to Earth…
Lucifer was unlikely to bring the full force of his armies to Earth. The Gates to Heaven and Hell were open now. God could see and hear, and God would notice. Lucifer and his armies would be cast down again, or maybe even destroyed.
Which would suit me just fine. And if we could bring Epiphenia back…
Then what?
Nyx had no idea. All she knew was that she had to try to bring back her Angel, and they had to stop Tribunal before he could finish his plan. Epiphenia was an Earth Angel and could live no place else. Even now, Nyx could feel her need for the soil and sky of her home. Once Epiphenia had entered Nyx’s body, escape had become imperative, mitigated only by her need to bring her friends with her.
We get Ishtar, we get out, we get Epiphenia back, and we get rid of Tribunal. Then I am coming back and teaching Lucifer the true meaning of pain.
They reached Lucifer’s castle minutes later.
For Nyx, being able to travel unmolested was a luxury almost beyond imagining. The time she had spent as a soul had given her only the slightest glimpse of the unending torments that each faced in Hell. Nyx looked down at the plains below her, where thousands of Angels and millions of demons attended the souls of the damned. The screams and wailing were full of fresh agony every minute. There was no relief, no time off, no final rest. And there was no part of Hell that was ever silent, save for the great pit through which Nyx and Persephone had re-entered when they’d come to rescue Epiphenia.
I wonder how many souls are still sane, Nyx thought as they winged over. And if they’re not, does the punishment mean anything anymore? Can it mean anything if they don’t remember who they are?
They were not thoughts she’d ever had as Queen of Hell, but disguising herself as a soul had changed her perspective somewhat. She wondered if God ever thought about the souls he’d damned. The souls he’d created to live on the imperfect earth, given miserable lives to, and then damned.
“There,” said Persephone. “That window.”
/>
Nyx turned her attention from the plains to the huge mountain where Lucifer’s castle stood. It was a monument to his arrogance, built while he was still at war with Nyx, to show that he was King of Hell. Nyx had made him live in it, as a reminder of how much he’d lost. It figured that he’d still keep it as his residence.
Too bad it won’t last.
It was tall, with a dozen towers, and crenelated walls edged with Hellfire and decorated with the impaled flesh of souls. Other souls and a few demons hung on the walls of the castle, usually wherever there was a stream of Hellfire falling down the sides, just to ensure they remembered why they were there. There were few windows because Hell had no light to speak of, and there was little worth looking at. The window Nyx and Persephone were aiming at was near the top of one tower. It was high and narrow and framed a perfect view of the Lake of Fire.
The castle was buzzing with activity. A hundred Angels patrolled the skies around it. A dozen stood outside the front door, and Nyx had no doubt that a thousand more were inside.
“It’s going to be a huge fight getting Ishtar out of there,” said Persephone, her tone making it clear she was relishing the prospect, not dreading it.
“Yes, it is,” said Nyx, though her tone was grimmer. It wasn’t that she didn’t look forward to the fight. It was that every passing moment was time they were giving to Tribunal to perfect his plans. They needed to get in fast, get out fast, and vanish into the mountains of Hell until they could escape.
No problem. Really.
Nyx angled them toward the window. The Angels they flew past didn’t notice them, which still surprised Nyx, though it shouldn’t have. Just how powerful is Epiphenia? she wondered as they passed within ten meters of one of the Angels. He looked away at just the right time to not notice them at all.
Nyx shook her head and kept flying.
“Just about there,” said Persephone.
“Stand by,” said Nyx. “And don’t break contact, no matter what.”
Lizard-demons were common in Hell. They were long and thin, with hooked scales that ripped open any flesh they touched. They had teeth and talons that were even more wickedly sharp, and which caused an immediate burning infection that remained for a long time after the wounds they caused healed. Mostly they ran on the ground, their long legs scuttling quickly over the rough surfaces of Hell. One particularly noxious breed had skin that stretched out between its front and back legs, forming crude wings that allowed it to glide down from heights, usually onto the back of another, unsuspecting, demon, which it would then try to rip to shreds.
Transforming into two of them, in mid-air, without letting go of each other’s hands—and while maintaining flight toward the window—was nearly impossible.
But only nearly.
Their bodies thinned and elongated. Their bones twisted and wrenched and bent into new shapes. Their fingers became taloned claws, their legs shortened, and they grew tails that lashed behind them to help with momentum and direction. Lastly, their wings furled, shrank, and became stretches of skin between their front and back legs.
And we’re even still on course, thought Nyx. Now that’s luck. She looked closer at the window.
There’s no way we’re fitting through there like this.
She brought her tail in and wrapped it around Persephone’s neck, then disentangled her claws from Persephone’s. Nyx put on a burst of power so she’d go through the window first. She heard Persephone squawk as Nyx’s tail choked her. Then they were both through the window and into the room.
“Oh, shit,” said Persephone in Nyx’s head.
Sitting in the chair, just inside the window, was Namtar: a squat, well-muscled Angel, with dark brown face and features, and tusks that protruded up from his lower jaw to glistening points. He was wearing the heavy maroon armor that the male Descended wore for battle.
Nyx and Persephone landed directly on top of him.
“What the fuck!” Namtar screamed as the two of them swarmed up his body, attacking his face. He jumped back and tried to bat them away. Had they truly been demons instead of Angels, he would have easily sent them flying across the room. Instead, Nyx sunk her teeth into his face. Her claws dug into his armor, giving her secure purchase while she ate his cheeks and nose. Just below her, Persephone drove her teeth into Namtar’s throat, cutting off his speech before he could say anything more.
Namtar stumbled to his feet and thrashed around, one hand tearing at their lizard bodies, the other going for his sword. Persephone wrapped her tail around his wrist to stop him, and dug her teeth deeper into his neck, past flesh and windpipe and into veins that exploded out in a rain of silver ichor. Had she been a true demon, she would not have been able to cut through the iron muscles of the Angel’s neck, but because she was an Angel, she slowly chewed her way through while he struggled and fought.
“Enough of this,” said Nyx, her voice rasping out through the demon-body’s lips and vocal chords. She shifted one claw to rest on Persephone’s back, then shifted back to her own form. Namtar’s eyes went wide at the sight of Nyx, her pale flesh veined with green, her long silver hair streaked with the same shining color. Namtar’s mouth worked in surprise and horror in the second he had before Nyx said, “Let him go, Persephone.”
Persephone’s jaws dropped off his neck, and Nyx’s sword cleaved through it, sending his head to bounce off a wall. The Angel’s body collapsed. Persephone changed back to her real form, her hand still firmly in Nyx’s. She picked up the head, ignoring its wordless mouthing and shoved it into the narrow window, jamming it there. Then she raised her own sword, willing it into the shape of a club that she brought down on Namtar’s skull twenty times until the Angel’s brain exploded and splattered through the room.
“There,” Persephone said. “That will keep him busy healing for a while.”
“Long enough, I hope,” said Nyx. She closed her eyes and searched for Ishtar. She sighed. “Of course she’s in the dungeons.”
“How long to get there?” asked Persephone.
“Not too long if we move at speed,” said Nyx. “Hard to get out of, though.”
“Of course,” said Persephone. “If it was easy, it wouldn’t be ours to do, would it?”
Nyx managed a smile and opened the door.
Lucifer had decorated his castle to be a tribute both to his power and to his sexual proclivities. Every wall had souls chained to it, most facing inward so they couldn’t see what torments awaited them. All the souls were being attended to by demons. Some had small ones that bit or clawed or ripped them open and crawled inside. Others were at the mercy of incubi and succubi—demons of sexual prowess—who violated the souls mercilessly while they ripped the skin from the soul’s flesh with their talons, and lapped at the exposed tissue with their rough tongues. Many other souls were impaled on various-sized implements.
“Do you think he’s secretly insecure?” asked Persephone after surveying one soul. “Or just suffering from a lack of imagination?”
“Lucifer never was one of the smart ones,” said Nyx. “Quiet now.”
They reached the bottom of the staircase and ran hand in hand through hallways deliberately made too small for flying. They passed half a hundred Angels unseen, even when they had to squeeze between the Angels and the edges of the doorways they were guarding.
And everywhere they went, every demon stopped what it was doing and sniffed the air, nostrils flaring. They could not see Nyx and Persephone as they went past. But they could smell their Angelic signatures. And so every demon they passed left what it was doing and followed.
Through the castle Nyx and Persephone went, down staircases decorated with skins flayed from souls, demons, and occasionally Angels. They went through hallways where each step was on the silently screaming face of a tortured soul’s severed head, and others where souls had been encased in Hellstone, save for their faces, which were under continuously flowing Hellfire.
And the farther they went, the more demons foll
owed.
The dungeon stairs and walls were lit with torches of Hellfire, burning in the mouths of souls whose bodies had been impaled on spikes that forced their heads up so the Hellfire could not drain. The dungeon itself was a huge open pit, with a thousand souls being tortured by demons. Racks, flaying knives, teeth, claws, needles, pincers, and hundreds of other instruments were in constant use by nimble, many-fingered demons that chortled gleefully as they made the souls scream and beg.
Nyx and Persephone both spotted Ishtar at the same time.
Ishtar was bent over a bar with Hellstone spikes poking out of it and ripping through her body. Her arms and legs and wings were chained wide open, and tiny demons skittered up and down her flesh, gnawing on it in delight. A thick spike had been driven through the length of Ishtar’s body, going in her sex and out her mouth. The bottom end was T-shaped to prevent Ishtar backing off of it. The part that came out her mouth had been shaped into a vessel. It was sized to cover Ishtar’s head and was filled with Hellfire. Ishtar’s hair and flesh had been burned away, leaving only the white bone of her skull. An incubus, balancing on the T-shaped end of the spike, violated Ishtar’s ass with as much vigor as it could muster. A line of others stood behind it, entertaining one another as they waited their turns.
One of them sniffed the air, then another, and another. Soon every demon in the room had stopped what they were doing and were searching the room for them.
“Demons have to have noses like dogs,” said Persephone. “Who the fuck’s idea was that?”
Nyx looked at the horde of demons beneath them, then peered above them. Thousands more demons were pouring down the stairs, all sniffing the air. “Well, this sucks.”
“Yep,” agreed Persephone. “Now what?”
“They can’t see us or notice us,” said Nyx. “They know we’re here, but they can’t find us at all.”
“Will they see if we gut those incubi on Ishtar?”
More demons came down the stairs, sniffing the air with their ugly snouts, searching for them.
“No choice,” said Nyx. “Demons don’t come after Angels. Not unless…”