Curse Broken (Cursed Descent (MistHallow Academy) #3)

31. Matilda

31

MATILDA

I wake to the feeling of gentle fingers stroking my hair. When I open my eyes, Draven’s face comes into focus, his blue eyes watching me with concern.

“Was I sleeping?” My voice comes out raspy. “Why did you let me sleep? How long?”

“About an hour,” he says, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “And because you passed out. How do you feel?”

“Passed out?” I take a mental inventory of my body. The bone-deep exhaustion from channelling so much power has faded to a manageable ache. “Better. Not great, but functional.”

“She lives,” Luc announces dramatically from somewhere to my right. I turn my head to see him perched on the edge of the desk, surrounded by the glowing classification stones we’d charged earlier, each in neat little containers .

“Unfortunately for you,” I quip, managing a weak smile as I push myself up to sit.

Vex materialises in front of me, carrying another tray loaded with food. His eyes light up when he sees me awake. “Perfect timing. Eat something before we descend into literal Hell.”

“Hell can wait five minutes,” I agree, reaching eagerly for the burger and fries. “Man, you know how to feed a girl.”

“I love watching you eat,” he murmurs, staring at me intently.

“Well, it beats watching me not eat, which is what I’m used to.”

His face goes dark. “If they weren’t already dead, I would kill them just for that.”

“ Just for that?” I ask with a smirk.

He growls. “You know what I mean. A healthy appetite is essential when dealing with so much power.”

“Thanks for looking out for me,” I mumble.

“Always and forever.”

It sends goosebumps over my skin. I clear my throat. “So are we one hundred per cent sure that once we place the foundation stone and the fraction of Praxian in Hell’s imprisonment loop, the classification stones should remain connected to it from here?”

Vex nods. “Ninety-nine point nine.”

“And Annabelle is ready for us?” I ask, turning to Luc .

He smirks. “She will be.”

That makes me nervous. “Is it safe?”

“For the stone, absolutely,” Luc assures me. “For anyone who tries to mess with it? Not so much.”

“Good,” I say firmly. The thought of all that power being vulnerable makes my skin crawl.

I go back to my burger, and by the time I’ve finished, the guys are itching to get going.

“Ready for your first trip to Hell?” Draven asks, offering me his hand.

I take a deep breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Some advice,” Luc says, his expression unusually serious. “Don’t leave the Residence no matter what happens or whatever anyone tells you. Don’t eat or drink anything unless one of us gives it to you directly. Don’t make any deals, no matter how small. And whatever you do, don’t tell anyone your full name.”

“Is he joking?” I ask Draven.

“Only about the name part,” Draven replies with a slight smile. “But the rest is good advice.”

“Okay, and the Residence would be?”

“Our home. It’s safe from the scorching air and earth, so you don’t have to worry about burning to a crisp.”

“Oh, good,” Vex says. “I was worried about my delicate complexion.”

We chuckle at his humour, glad that there is something to distract me from this. I mean, going to Hell is not a good thing. How will it deal with intruders? Will it want to kick us out? Or keep us indefinitely ?

We gather in a tight circle. Luc and Draven are on either side of me, with Vex completing our quartet.

“Hold tight,” Luc warns. “Hell transit isn’t as smooth as my usual teleportation.”

He’s not kidding. The moment Hellfire engulfs us, I feel like I’m being pulled inside out. The heat is incredible, not burning exactly, but intense enough to steal my breath.

Just when I think I can’t take any more, we emerge with a jarring impact that would have sent me sprawling if not for Draven’s steadying grip on my arm.

“Welcome to Hell,” Luc says with a theatrical flourish.

I blink, trying to process what I’m seeing. We stand in a long, wide hallway with statues, portraits and other works of art, with soaring ceilings and walls of polished marble. The air is cool, as Draven promised.

“Oh, for the love of all things unholy, Luc!” Draven exclaims.

“You know the drill,” Luc states. “Hall of Dicks is tradition.”

“Hall of Dicks?” I choke and then take a closer look. “Oh, my gods. Dicks!”

“Of all kinds, shapes and sizes,” Luc says, almost proudly, as he leads me to an obscene statue with a cock that juts out about a foot long.

My cheeks flame, and I look everywhere except at the marble cock. Too bad everywhere is covered with pornographic images, some of which make my eyes water .

“I expected more fire and brimstone,” Vex says, trying to change the subject.

Luc laughs. “Oh, we have plenty of that. Mom just keeps it out of the royal quarters. Better for the furniture.”

Speaking of Annabelle, the Devil herself sweeps into the room through massive double doors. She’s dressed more casually than the last time I saw her, in black jeans and a tight tee. She is fucking gorgeous. Her gaze locks on me immediately.

“Matilda,” she says, her voice warm but carrying that undercurrent of power that makes the hairs on my arms stand up. “Welcome to Hell.”

I dip my head in what I hope is an appropriate show of respect. “Thank you for having me, Annabelle.”

She smiles. “So polite. You’re too cute.”

“Is the cube ready?” Draven asks.

Annabelle nods. “Dad is putting the finishing touches on it now. He’s been so enthusiastic about this project. It was nice to give him something to do.”

“It will be safe?” I ask the burning question.

“The security will be impeccable once we’ve closed it,” she assures me. “Come. He’s waiting for us.”

We follow Annabelle through a series of corridors, each more impossibly grand than the last. But it’s empty. I expected to see a place bustling with Demons, but there aren’t any except Luc and Draven.

We descend a spiral staircase that seems to go down forever. The temperature rises noticeably with each step until sweat beads on my forehead, and my breath is forced from my lungs. The walls transition from polished stone to rough-hewn rock, and the elegant sconces give way to hovering balls of flame that float unsupported in the air.

Finally, we emerge into a vast chamber deep beneath the Residence. In the middle, a tall, imposing figure stands with his back to us.

“Dad,” Annabelle calls. “Our guests have arrived.”

The former Devil turns, and my breath catches. He looks about thirty and is so hot, I have to force myself not to stare. His ancient power makes my Praxian force stir with interest, and I clear my throat, trying to meet his blue-eyed stare as his eyes flick over me with keen interest.

“So this is the witch who rewrote magick,” he says, his voice like smoke and honey.

“Matilda,” Annabelle introduces me. “My father, Luc.”

“She’s a Druid,” Draven interjects.

“Ah, yes. Druid. Funny creatures, those. We have them here, but dark ones. Which are you?”

I extend my hand, unsure of the proper etiquette, not knowing how to answer his question. He grips my fingers, and I gulp. “Uhm, the old kind.”

He snorts and lets my hand go. “Indeed. I suppose the fun will be finding out.” He gestures to what I’d initially taken to be a decorative pedestal in the middle of the chamber .

Looking closer, I see it’s actually an elaborate structure of interlocking black metal and crimson crystal, etched with symbols that hurt my eyes to look at directly.

“The Hell cube imprisonment loop,” the former Devil announces with undisguised pride. “My finest work in centuries. Once activated, it will create a self-sustaining prison of Hellfire and ancient power in a never-ending loop. The cube exists simultaneously in multiple layers of Hell, making it impossible to locate fully in any one dimension. Even if someone managed to break through the outer defences—which would require power on par with a full pantheon—they’d still have to navigate the labyrinth I’ve woven into its very structure.”

“A labyrinth?” Vex asks, examining the cube with professional interest.

The elder Luc smiles, and there’s something genuinely terrifying in the expression. “Let’s just say the paths shift according to the intruder’s deepest fears. Most who attempt it will be trapped in their own personal nightmare for eternity.”

“Reassuring,” I mutter.

“It needs to be,” Annabelle says seriously. “What you’re placing inside is too valuable to risk.”

Vex carefully opens the container holding the foundation stone. Its deep purple light illuminates the chamber, casting eerie shadows. I feel its pull immediately, the connection between us humming with power .

“Beautiful,” the elder Luc breathes, leaning closer. “I haven’t felt power like this since…”

“Great-great Gramps?” Luc pipes up.

“That old bastard,” Annabelle scoffs. “Massive pain in my ass.”

“He’s still alive?” I croak.

“Thankfully, no,” she says with pursed lips.

“Okay, so how exactly does this work?” I ask, studying the cube. “How do I get the Praxian inside to power up the stone?”

“Firstly, the stone needs to be bonded to the cube itself, and then you’ll need to channel a portion of your Praxian force, which will be torn from you and captured as Dad and I activate the imprisonment loop.”

“Will it hurt?” I ask bluntly.

Luc and Draven exchange glances.

“It won’t be pleasant,” Annabelle admits. “But it won’t cause lasting harm.”

“Define ‘not pleasant,’” Vex says, his protective instincts flaring.

“Harsh, but brief.”

I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders. “I’m ready.”

Vex looks like he wants to object, but holds his tongue. Instead, he squeezes my hand reassuringly before stepping back to give me space.

Annabelle positions me in front of the cube, then takes her place on one side while her dad stands on the other. “Place the foundation stone in the centre,” she instructs .

With trembling hands, I lift the stone from its container. The moment it’s free, I feel its pull intensify tenfold. Gritting my teeth, I carefully place it in the hollow in the middle of the cube. It fits perfectly, as if the structure was built specifically for it.

“Now,” Annabelle says, “reach out with your power. Slowly. Don’t fire it off, let it drift into the cube.”

I close my eyes, reaching for that familiar connection. The Praxian force responds eagerly, rushing toward the foundation stone. I pull it back tightly. It fights me, but I keep hold of it enough to do as Annabelle said. I open my eyes to see it float into the cube and then stop dead. It does a U-turn and comes flying back out, slamming into me, almost knocking me off my feet.

“Dammit,” Annabelle hisses. “I had a feeling that would happen. We need to be quicker.”

Gramps Luc nods and plants his feet. “Again, Matilda.”

Vex stands behind me, his hands on my hips. “You can do this, sprinkles,” he murmurs. “You are in control of it, not the other way around.”

I nod and force the Praxian back out. It struggles and bounces all over, making Draven and Luc duck as it sails over their heads.

“Quickly now,” Gramps Luc mutters.

Wrangled under some sort of control, I force it into the cube. I don’t blame it for not wanting to go in there; it knows what it is. “You have to,” I murmur. “We can’t let magick as we know it die. I know you want it back, but that’s just not going to happen.”

In the next second, it feels like my lungs have been ripped out and trampled as someone set fire to my guts. I grunt and double over, feeling the loss of a piece of me.

“It’s done,” Annabelle announces. “The cube is locked.”

I open my eyes to see the cube has transformed. The foundation stone floats at its centre, suspended in what looks like liquid fire before it blinks out of sight.

“Remarkable,” the elder Luc murmurs. “You’ve essentially created a new magical infrastructure.”

I sway slightly, light-headed from the effort.

“We should return these to MistHallow as soon as possible,” Vex says. “The classification stones need to be placed in the underground chambers to complete the network.”

“Before you go,” Annabelle says, her expression growing serious, “there’s something we need to discuss.” She glances meaningfully at Luc and Draven.

“Our obligations to Hell,” Draven states flatly. “Mum, we know we have duties here, but?—”

“But you’ve found something—someone—on Earth, you’re not willing to give up,” Annabelle finishes for him. “I’m not blind, Draven.”

“We won’t abandon Tilly,” Luc says firmly. “Or Vex,” he adds, almost as an afterthought, earning a snort from the warlock .

“I wouldn’t expect you to,” Annabelle says, surprising me. “But your responsibilities here remain.”

“What are you suggesting?” I ask, feeling suddenly protective of my men.

Before Annabelle can answer, the chamber door swings open and Xavi strides in. The Horseman of Pestilence looks as elegant as ever in her ice-blue dress, but there’s tension in her movements.

“Perfect timing,” Annabelle greets her. “We were just discussing future arrangements.”

Xavi’s eyes settle on me. “You’ve done well with the foundation stone. The network is already stabilising magick throughout the supernatural realm.”

“Thanks,” I say cautiously.

Xavi exchanges a glance with Annabelle before addressing us all. “The Praxian force has drawn attention beyond just Heaven and Hell. There are older beings stirring—entities that existed before the current order was established.”

“The chaos entities?”

She narrows her eyes. “You’ve heard of them?”

“We’ve fought them. The fallen stars.”

“All of them?”

I cast a glance at Vex before looking back at her. “Enough of them. I suppose I don’t really know.”

Xavi nods. “The more stable the new magickal system is, the harder it will be for these entities to exploit weaknesses.”

I nod, determination replacing my unease. “Then let’s get back to MistHallow and finish this.” I cast one last look at where the Hell cube used to be. This isn’t over, but we are in the home stretch.

“We’ll talk more after you’ve completed your mission,” Annabelle says to her sons as she hugs them both.

We form a circle, and as Luc’s Hellfire engulfs us, I can’t shake the feeling that ‘home stretch’ might be too optimistic.