“He isn’t, nobody is! He gets worried; he just hides it well. Don't get me wrong. There isn’t a lot that worries him, but some things do.”
“Like what?”
“He’ll be worried now, in case Lilith says no; nervous in case he has to return with bad news and you’re already dead. He worries about all the guys and whether they will be skilled and powerful enough to survive what's happening.”
“He’s got a big heart, hasn’t he?”
“Yeah he has,” I smiled, “and it’s all mine.”
Danny just laughed at me.
“You know, Cinderella, the way we started out,” he said, “I never would have thought we’d turn out like this.”
“I know!” I laughed. “But I like it.”
“So do I.”
We both went quiet for a few minutes, eagerly awaiting Eligos’s return. Luckily we didn't have to wait long. He reappeared next to me.
“I’m sorry, mate,” he said, looking at Danny. Poor Danny’s face dropped. “I’m really sorry, but you’re going to have to get the guts to pull the trigger,” he smirked.
“YES!!!!” Danny shouted.
“Shhh, they’ll all hear you,” I giggled.
“Oops, I forgot about them. Right, OK, when?”
“Whenever you’re ready,” Eligos told him.
“What time is it?”
“Just after eight,” I said, looking at my watch.
“Great, if I do it now. I’ll be back here what, about lunchtime tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” Eligos nodded.
“Well, I’ll just tell the guys I’m tired and having an early night.”
“We’ll wait here for you.”
He ran into the house to tell everyone his lie. Then he came running back out. We knew we would have to go away from the house; if the guys heard gunshots, they would panic. Eligos teleported into the house to tell Lily and the others we were going for a drive. Then came back outside.
“Danny, where is your car?” I asked.
“I left it at home, just in case.”
“Right, everyone in mine then.”
We drove a mile or so into the countryside then got out of the car.
“OK, here’s what will happen,” Eligos said. “You will wake up at my place. You will feel stiff, like all your muscles are cramping. You will have your body because as soon as you’re dead I will take it to Hell. Once you are awake, the dizziness that you may experience will pass within a few minutes. Then you will be taken to the Palace.”
“By who.”
“By me and Keira,” he said, looking at me for a second. “I’ll take your body and when you’re close to waking I’ll bring Keira. Hecate will probably be waiting for you too. She doesn’t want to watch this; she doesn’t want to see you lifeless.”
“I understand that,” Danny said.
“Once you’re at the Palace you will meet with Lilith and Lucifer. They will bestow what power they deem fit on you. Then, you will be a demon, just like me and Keira, only you won’t have life in you like Keira does.”
“I hate you, Danny,” I smirked.
“Anything else you want to know?” Eligos asked him.
“No, that's fine. Oh hang on, Keira, does it hurt?”
“I didn't shoot myself, so I couldn’t tell you,” I said.
“I’ve spoken to people who have shot themselves. Apparently they didn't feel a thing,” Eligos told him.
“OK then, I’ll see you both soon,” he said, stepping away from us.
I watched him as he looked up at the night sky for a moment. He took a deep breath and put the gun to his temple. My stomach tightened. I felt sick. I covered my ears just before he pulled the trigger. My heart skipped a beat as he fell to the floor and my body was shaking like mad. I had a flashback of being in the bathroom and hearing the same sound the night Tyler was shot. This was the second friend I’d seen dead, and, even though I knew I would see Danny again in just a few hours, it still affected me.
“Are you OK?” Eligos asked me, wrapping his arms around me.
“Yeah, yeah I’m OK.”
“Will you be OK getting home? I need to take him.”
“I can look after myself. Don't worry. Now, go!”
“What will you say when the guys ask where I am?”
“I’ll say Lilith called for you.”
“You little liar!” he smirked.
“I know,” I said, smirking back. “I’ll never go to Heaven, will I?”
He giggled at me for a second before kissing my cheek. Then he walked over to Danny while I got in my car. I watched out of my window as Eligos crouched down next to him. He took the gun and gripped Danny’s arm, then they both disappeared. I sat in the car for a moment. I was still shaking and felt rather warm and worked up. I needed a few minutes to myself, to calm down.
Chapter Forty-Seven
A New Demon
When I got home I acted normal around everyone. I’d told them my lie, then said I was going to get in the shower and have an early night. Once I’d dried my hair I got on the bed and waited patiently. Before I knew it, Eligos was gently shaking me.
“Keira, sweetheart, wake up.” he said softly.
“I’m awake…I’m awake.”
“You were sleeping like a baby.”
“What time is it?”
“7.30a.m.”
“What!” I gasped.
“I came back about midnight. You looked so peaceful that I didn't have the heart to wake you.”
“I’m sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep.”
“Oh behave, no point staying awake. There’s nothing you could do,” he said while stroking the side of my face. “Anyway, he’s awake. Do you want to go?”
“Yes, just let me get dressed.”
“I’ve healed him, so you won’t see the bullet mark on him.”
“Oh good.”
I got up quickly and got myself washed and dressed. I left the guys a note telling them that Lilith wanted to see me now and that I didn't know how long I would be gone. Then we went straight to Eligos’s home. Danny was sitting on a dark-blue sofa in one of the bedrooms.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” I asked him as I walked over.
“Stiff.”
“I remember feeling like that myself.”
“I feel strange, no heartbeat, cooler.”
“You get used to it pretty quickly,” I told him.
“Hecate will be here in a few minutes,” Eligos told him.
“Good!” he said, smiling as best he could.
“Just relax, this will pass sooner than you think,” I said. “Oh hang on, relaxing prolongs it. You need to move around actually, get your body working again.”
“OK,” he said, slowly getting up off the sofa.
I stood next to him as he walked over to the window, just in case he needed to hold on to me. We heard knocking and so Eligos went to the door. A couple of minutes later, just as Danny had gotten to the window, he walked back inside with Hecate.
“How are you feeling?” she asked him, walking over to us.
“Stiff, but OK.”
“You’ll be fine. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there last night, but I couldn’t watch you…”
“It’s OK, I understand,” he told her.
I went to stand with Eligos while she gave him a kiss and a cuddle. He turned around to look out of the window.
“Wow, this is crazy! The air’s red,” he said in amazement.
“You get used to that too,” I giggled at him.
“Cool.”
“You’re strange, Danny,” Hecate laughed.
“Jesus, how high are we?”
“You’re on the fifth floor,” Eligos told him.
“We look higher than that.”
“Big rooms, very high ceilings. You’re in castle, don't forget,” I told him. “Remember I told you…”
“Oh yeah, I forgot about your homes reflecting your status.”
He continued to l
ook out of the window for a few minutes before walking around again.
“When can I go and see Lucifer and Lilith?” he asked Eligos.
“When you’re ready.”
“I’m ready now.”
“Don't you think you should walk around a bit more first?” Hecate asked him.
“No, I’m OK,” he told her. “It’s wearing off already.”
“It took ages for it to stop with me,” I said.
“That’s because I couldn’t get your soul into your body as quickly as I could with Danny. All your friends were around you, so I couldn’t take you,” Eligos told me.
“Oh I see.”
“Let’s go,” Danny said.
We slowly made our way to the Palace. Danny was constantly looking around at everyone and everything. When we reached the Palace he stopped dead in his tracks.
“Wow, this place is amazing. I’ve never seen anything so big, not even in the movies,” he said.
“Wait until you see it inside,” I told him.
“Is this where you live?”
“This is my home, yes. I’ve had my own bedroom here since the day I was born.”
“Wow.”
We started walking again and entered the Palace grounds. We went through the gardens and through the big wooden doors into the hallway. Lilith was standing there waiting for us. I walked straight over to her.
“How did you know we were here?” I asked, before giving her a hug.
“The viewing pool showed you walking over here.”
“Well, Lilith, this is my friend Danny; Danny this is Lilith, my mother.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Danny,” she said, smiling at him.
“And you, I’ve heard a lot about you; it’s great to actually be able to meet you.”
“I hope what you’ve heard is all good.”
“Yes it is.”
“Good. Now follow me.”
She put her arm around my shoulders and we led the others into the main hall. Lucifer was standing there waiting for us.
“Hi, Lu,” I said cheekily.
“Who? Sorry I don't know anyone by that same,” he smirked.
“Unsere and Hecate call you that.”
“Yes they do, and I ignore them too,” he smirked again.
Lilith introduced him to Danny, but Danny could hardly talk.
“I get this reaction a lot,” Lucifer said. “Were you expecting a horned monster with a pointy tail?” he asked, laughing.
“No, no…I just can’t believe all this exists, that it's real…” he managed to say. “I knew it did, but it was still hard to believe; now I’m here. It’s…crazy, but awesome.”
All of us laughed, including Danny.
“So, Danny,” Lucifer said, “you want to work with Eligos.”
“I do.”
“Hmm, you would need to have some strength in you to keep up with him. Be able to commit to the job, take orders from him.”
“I have a lot of respect for Eligos, as well as considering him a damn good friend,” Danny told him “So I wouldn't have a problem taking orders. This is what I want.”
“And Eligos, my Grand Duke, my Knight of the Superior Order, the one person myself and my wife would trust with anything, are you sure this is what you want. Not anyone else,” Lucifer asked.
“I’m certain.”
“Then so be it. Eligos will explain how things work here, Danny – the laws, about the people, the Pits, about us. You will be expected to understand and follow the rules.”
“I will,” Danny said.
“Then come with me.”
Lucifer led him into a room just off the hall. I knew what was happening; he was changing him into a demon. Giving him power. Lilith did it to me when I first came to Hell. It doesn’t hurt, you just feel like your filling up with something warm at first, then you go cooler again. You have to close your eyes tight, because the light that surrounds you is blinding. He wasn’t gone long, only about ten minutes. When he walked out his eyes were blood red. Mine were like that when it first happened to me, until I learned how to return them to normal. Lucifer shook his hand and Danny thanked him. He walked over to us and Hecate threw her arms around him, and his eyes returned to normal. It was at that moment I knew he’d made the right decision. He looked so happy now, and so did Hecate. He shook Eligos’s hand, and I knew an everlasting friendship, one of trust and mutual respect, had just begun.
I walked over to Lilith and Lucifer.
“Any new developments?” I asked them both.
“No nothing,” Lilith said. “This is ridiculous, I’m wondering if it really is a demon doing this.”
“Well, it’s not going to be a human, is it?”
“No, it’s not Keira,” Lucifer said. “We’ll find him, or her; I promise you.”
“Well, Marley keeps trying. Her power is getting stronger, and she can get inside people’s heads now. So we’ll see what happens there.”
“Keep us updated.”
“I will. Now on a personal note,” I said seriously, “why the hell do I still have to have life in me? Danny doesn’t, Hecate doesn’t, or Unsere, Eligos. Just me. It makes me weaker; it puts a limit on everything I do. It’s not fair,” I almost shouted.
“Keira, you know why,” Lilith said. “When the time comes to face the one we’re after, I will take it out of you again.”
“I wouldn't just leave my friends, Lilith. OK, so I might actually spend more than twelve Earth hours here, but I would always go back to them. Marley could contact me if they needed me. They could all call out to me, the way I did and still do with Eligos. He knows exactly where to find me; I would know where to find them.”
“Not necessarily,” Lucifer told me. “When you first came here, Eligos swore to stand by you. You’re connected to him, that's how he can come straight to you. But only when you call for him.”
“What do you mean connected?”
“We cut you both, and put your wounds together. Your blood mixed, not much, but enough. The only time he wouldn't be able to come to you is if a spell was used on one of you to block the other. Like when you were under the demon’s trap.”
“Why didn't anyone tell me?” I asked. “Why didn't Eligos tell me?”
“You never asked,” Lilith said.
“Oh for God’s sake.”
“Pardon?” Lucifer cringed.
“Sorry!” I giggled. “Please take the life out.”
“No!” Lilith said.
“I hate you both!” I said, turning my back on them and walking away. “I mean it, I really do!” I walked over to the others. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
I walked away from them towards the hallway. I heard Danny thank Lucifer again.
“Slow down, speedy!” Eligos smiled, appearing beside me.
“I hate you too,” I said.
“What!” he said, grabbing my arm so I stopped walking.
“You heard me.”
“Guys, do mind if we go on ahead,” he asked Hecate and Danny.
“No, I’ll walk with him to yours…keep him active,” Hecate said.
The next minute I was standing in front of Eligos in his living room.
“Why do you hate me?” he asked.
“Remember when you first showed me your scar? I asked you if there was anything else I needed to know about you.”
“Yeah.”
“You said no, but that was a lie, wasn’t it? You could have told me that some of your blood is in my body, and vice versa,” I said angrily. “It’s like something from Blood Brothers.”
“I don't know what that means, Keira…”
“No, you lied.”
“I didn't lie. I just never thought, that's all. I was shocked beyond belief that you loved me, even with this,” he said, pointing to his scar. “I wasn’t thinking about anything else.”
“So why not tell me another time, after that?” I asked, raising both my eyebrows.
“Keira, I swear,
I just never thought about it. A lot has been going on, you know.”
“And…and, when you said you were going to leave me, you couldn’t have anyway, could you?”
“No I couldn’t…”
“So why say it?”
“I just wanted to see if you really wanted me there. I love you, Keira. I loved you before you’d even met me. You know that. I had to see if you wanted me there,” he told me, “and, I was pissed at you. So I wanted to piss you off.”
I turned my back on him just as Hecate and Danny walked in.
“Are you guys OK?” Danny asked.
“We’re fine,” Eligos told him.
“Yeah, just bloody peachy,” I said, sitting on the sofa.
“I’m not going to ask.”
I stayed quiet for a while. Danny sat next to Hecate on the sofa facing me, and Eligos came and sat next to me. He explained to Danny about life in Hell. About how he would see beings from other realms as well as people. What happened to people when they came to Hell. How there was no money, and how everyone just pitched in to help life run smoothly. He told him how he would be able to travel freely between Earth and Hell, but that, if he had to go to another realm, he would have a spell put on him so he looked like the beings from that particular place. He explained about status down there, and how Danny was now a Captain. He would have a house built for him shortly to reflect that, most likely a three-storey one. Danny was intrigued and listened to his every word. If there was something he wasn’t sure about, he asked questions, and Eligos and Hecate seemed to take turns answering him. We were sitting there for hours. Every now and again Hecate and I would fix us all some drinks. Then they would be talking again. He had just finished telling Danny about the High Court when he noticed the time.
“Wow, I think we need to take you back,” Eligos said. “Your friends will be wondering what's happened to you. You too, Keira.”
“How long have I been gone?” I asked.
“Err, only two Earth hours, but you know what they’re like.”
“I can’t believe we’ve been here eight hours already.”
“Come on, time to go back.”
He told Danny to think about where he wanted to go, and then the power would take over and take him there.
Chapter Forty-Eight
An Unwanted Revelation