31. Quid Pro Quo
Chapter thirty-one
Quid Pro Quo
Seraphine, Odysseus, and me took the steps down to Gehenna two at a time, as all of us were nervous wrecks.
Akira hung around my shoulder with a deep-set scowl, as he was displeased with being our bait, but he didn’t get much choice in the matter.
I usually put his wants and concerns first, but this time, he had to take one for the team.
Odysseus was still wary of being in Gehenna, so when the heat consumed him, he flinched back from it with a face full of anguish. I laid a hand on the small of his back to reassure him, and luckily, he was able to bounce back rather quickly.
Decimus and Evris were waiting at the entrance to the Inn, both biting their lips as they waited for us.
Decimus was physically trembling when I approached him, enough that his thin tail kept flicking over and over because he had to be moving some part of his body.
I grabbed the end of it and yanked once, which made him jump and I snicker.
“You’re this anxious that you can’t even keep this thing put away? ”
“You try defying the demon who decides whether you live or die!” he spit through his teeth.
I rolled my eyes heavily. “Peregrine can say what he wants: at the end of the day, this is my Realm, and I call the shots.”
“You say that, yet you can’t free your father and are sneaking around behind his back?”
I sucked my teeth once. “Touché.”
“Explain this grand plan of yours again,” Evris demanded, “because right now, it seems like nothing but an epic failure.”
“Have some faith in me, Evris: I wouldn’t do something this stupid without being confident.
” I nodded to Seraphine. “Seraphine is going to distract Peregrine by trying to ‘buff’ Akira’s abilities.
I am going to say I am checking in with Decimus about some souls I dropped him the other day.
Odysseus is going to keep watch at the entrance to his Layer in case Peregrine catches on. ”
“This sounds… so incredibly dumb,” she pouted before sighing loudly and smacking a hand to her face. “Ok, ok, let’s try it. Worse case, it’s your ass that gets chewed out, not mine.”
“Exactly!”
“Oye ye yoye…” she groaned out.
As she said this, Peregrine himself whisked through the entrance of the Inn, dressed very informally in a long sleeve and casual slacks.
His paper thin hair was pulled into a braid, which made his glistening red eyes illuminate the room.
“Nicodemus, Odysseus, a pleasure to see you both,” he welcomed us grandly.
We both bowed respectfully to him. “And you, Peregrine,” Odysseus replied.
“What brings you to our neck of the woods?” he chimed brightly.
Decimus clicked his tongue as a warning to think of something quickly.
“Well, I had to run through some logistics with Decimus about his new Layer. I’m worried about the caseload I’ve put on him with the recent events regarding the Horsemen, so I wanted to see how he was handling things.
I planned to check in with Phillip as well,” I lied smoothly, too smoothly I thought, at first.
Peregrine nodded once, a rigid nod, but he seemed to be buying it. “I see. I hope you trust me enough to keep an eye on our new recruits?”
“Of course I do!” Odysseus kicked my leg when my voice raised higher than it should. “I’m only trying to keep tabs on everyone is all, as part of my training. Seraphine recommended it, right, Seraphine?” I slithered out.
She blinked heavily before letting out a melodramatic laugh. “You know, it’s been so long since I’ve trained someone, Peregrine! I’m only trying to be the best I can for him!”
“Easy, tiger…” I grumbled just for her.
Peregrine’s mouth finally lifted to a full smile. “Well, don’t let me stop you. What exactly are we seeing Akira for today?”
“Well…”
As Seraphine began her phase of the plan, Decimus jutted his chin in the direction of the door leading to his Layer.
I scrambled after him, nodding once to Odysseus, who took his post as well.
Decimus navigated the vast tunnels through his Layer masterfully, gliding in between souls who screamed and clawed at us.
He paid not attention to most, but the ones who were truly persistent got a swift kick to the head.
I cringed at his behavior towards them but reminded myself that this was Gehenna, and he was only doing what I had hired him to do.
“How many years has it been for him?” I asked nervously as we approached his throne room.
His throne itself sat untouched, as I knew he hated being in here, as it was only a cruel reminder of what he had become.
His serving demons cowered in the corners, fearful that their ruler would be caught, and they were right to keep themselves distant from this matter.
Decimus cranked the lock on a large concrete door three times, heaving under the weight of it. “It’s been, what, two weeks for you guys?”
“More or less.”
“Then I would say five to ten years, somewhere around there.”
I shivered horrifically. “Gods, I wonder what state he’s going to be in…”
He led me down a steep staircase and down a long marble hallway, which was adorned by vibrant torches. Each one spit fire rapidly, like the flames were trying to consume me from their holders. “Probably not a good one.”
“I should think not.”
Decimus stopped at the end of the hallway. He spun on his heel with eyes pure red, a menacing red that consumed his entire expression. “If this goes south, I am not taking your side. You snuck down here by yourself when my back was turned. Are we clear?”
“Crystal,” I assured.
“I don’t need more shit than I’m already getting. Peregrine has had it out for me since day one, and if he finds out-…”
“Finds out you went behind my back?” Peregrine’s voice echoed from behind us.
Decimus and I gasped and whipped around in horror; Peregrine stood at the top of the stairwell with his hands in his pockets.
He took the steps two at a time until he reached us, where he kept his stance, but held a truly demonic glare.
“Funny finding you two down here, in an area I forbade anyone to come near without me present, that is.”
“Peregrine, I-I can explain…!”
Peregrine held a hand up to Decimus, which made him snap his jaw closed immediately. “You weren’t very slick, you know. Seraphine and Odysseus are currently pouting because I figured your plan out pretty quickly. Did you really think you were being inconspicuous?”
“I mean, kind of…” I whined in defeat.
He let out, to my surprise, a soft chuckle.
Decimus perked up a little when he heard it, too, but Peregrine went back to glaring at him a second later.
I pushed Decimus behind me slightly and puffed my chest out to boost my confidence.
“Look, Peregrine, please don’t blame Decimus.
I used my status to blackmail him into this, and that’s all this is.
” I held my hands up in defeat. “Whatever you do to punish anyone, let it be me. I dragged everyone into this on my own.”
“I agree,” Decimus peeped, which I whacked him in the back of the head for.
Peregrine looked me up and down before exhaling through his nose stiffly.
His hands slumped deeper into his pockets before he walked up to the door behind us and pulled the lock in a circle.
The mechanism squealed in anguish as he forced it to comply, and once he had, the dry heat of the Layer beyond the castle walls crawled down my back.
“I suppose it is unfair to take your father from you for so long. I did not consider the domino effect this would have on you as well, young God.”
“So, you’re letting him free!” I cried.
Peregrine shot me sarcastic, dry look. “No, I’m not.
” I sunk into myself, but he crossed the hall to tilt my chin up.
“I will give you a few minutes alone with him, so you can see for him for yourself. I cannot say what state he will be in when you get there, though, Nicodemus. Gehenna is cruel to all who reside in it, and you know that better than anyone.”
I swallowed the heavy lump in my throat. “I don’t care; I just want to see him.”
He nodded once. “I will give you ten minutes. After, you must promise to never go behind my back again. If we are to trust one another, I need to know I can trust you in even the most difficult situations, like this one. Otherwise, this Realm will collapse on uncertainties and betrayal.” His eyes cut me like glass as he gave me this warning.
I stuck my hand out for him to shake, which he did firmly. “On my soul, I will not break my word, so long as Decimus comes out of this unscathed.”
“He should be so lucky that I have a soft spot for you,” he hissed toward Decimus, who yelped and hid behind my back in shame.
“Ten minutes?” I repeated.
“And not a minute more,” he replied.
“I’ll… show you the way.” Decimus flinched when he passed Peregrine, who rolled his eyes with a side-smirk.
I returned the gesture and followed Decimus down the fire-ensnared pathway, which was perfumed by the smell of decaying bodies and tar.
I plugged my nose against the scent with a shiver, but Decimus remained unfazed.
“You get used to the smell after a while,” he blandly informed me.
“How!” I hacked.
He shrugged loosely. “Kind of don’t have a choice, do I?”
I frowned heavily and decided not to continue, so he wouldn’t upset himself more.
When we reached the wall of vast cells in the belly of the Layer, Decimus brought me to one in the far-back corner, which was isolated from the others.
The cell itself was surrounded by hot, heavy fire that radiated from every angle, hot enough to burn the skin from flesh in seconds.
From the window in the cell, I could see the outline of a single person surrounded by three masses, all who were lying on the dense floor in a ball.
I went to touch the bars of the window but Decimus snatched my hand and wrenched me backwards. “Are you insane? Do you want to lose your hand?”
“I-… sorry.”