Chapter 12 Cinder
CINDER
Well, this was quite the predicament. I’d seen Mr. Beefy in action a few hours ago, and I did not want to become his next Mortal Kombat tribute.
His claws dug into the sides of my neck, piercing the skin with searing pain.
My pulse sprinted, my arteries pulsing against his fingers with each rapid beat, and I tightened my grip on the sword, willing myself not to pee my pants.
The events that unfolded next happened so quickly, I’m surprised at the details I noticed.
Discord roared, sounding half like a wounded animal, half like…
well, like the Prince of Hell charging at his enemy in battle.
He plowed toward us, wielding a can of mystery meat and bashing it against Mr. Beefy’s head.
That only worked to piss the guy off. He tightened his grip, lifting me from the floor, the tip of his claw hitting a nerve and making my entire left side convulse like I’d stuck my finger into a light socket.
The imps shouted and squealed, but I couldn’t tell if they were cheering Mr. Beefy on or if it was their battle cry as they continued their assault on the injured centaur. More shouts and footsteps sounded, the horde of demons descending upon us.
I gripped the sword with both hands, my palms slick with sweat. Discord jabbed a steak knife into the side of Mr. Beefy’s neck. The fiend fumbled, his grip on my neck loosening. An imp charged, bloody teeth bared as he climbed up my body and latched on to the bad guy’s face.
Mr. Beefy let me go. My feet hit the floor, and I spun, my stolen sword slicing into his stomach before I whirled toward the centaur and brought the wicked-sharp blade down onto his neck, slicing his head clean off.
The three imps on the ground cheered and scrambled toward his shoulder to lap up the blood pouring onto the stone. Gross.
I turned as Discord shoved Mr. Beefy into the throng, and I caught a glimpse of his intestine in someone’s hand before I grabbed my demon’s arm and tugged him toward the hallway.
Banging sounded on the back door, the second set of fiends trying to break in. An imp followed as I ducked into the bedroom, and I motioned for Discord to join me, slamming the door as soon as he crossed the threshold.
“Unless you have a powerful ward to cast on this space,” he said, “a thin door will not keep them out for long.”
“Help me move the bed.” I leaned against the side and shoved while the imp jumped on the mattress like we were having a demonic slumber party.
Discord braced his hands against the headboard and pushed, sliding it aside easily and revealing a pentagram situated in a circle, etched into the black stone floor.
The moment I stepped inside, blue sigils glowed at each point of the star.
The magical symbols represented travel, speed, crossroads, strength, and decisions.
“Come on. This is our escape pod.” I motioned for him to join me, and he arched a skeptical brow.
“How did you know where to find this?” he asked.
Crash! The back door busted open. Hooves plodded on the stone. The imp squealed and jumped into the circle, sitting its slimy butt down on my boot.
“I’ll explain later. Come here.” I made a grabby motion with my hand, and my stubborn demon finally joined me in the circle.
“Goddess, hear me. We’re in dire need. Activate the circle with magic and speed.” I clutched Discord’s hand and braced myself, hoping to Hecate my little on-the-fly incantation would be enough to get this baby running.
Nothing happened.
The bedroom door flew off its hinges. Two nasty-looking demons with black teeth and snot hanging from their snouts stormed in. I recited the incantation again. And again, nothing happened. Crap!
The demons crossed the room in three long strides. One created an energy ball in his hands. My heart hammered in my chest. My mouth went dry, and my throat nearly closed as they growled and clicked. One eyed the circle on the floor, taking half a step backward. The other paid it no mind.
He swiped a taloned hand toward my face. I recited the incantation at super-speed. His claws hit an invisible wall of magic, and sparks filled the room with bright blue light.
My skin itched and tingled, like static electricity had engulfed me, every hair on my body standing on end. The blue light grew brighter and brighter, blinding me for a full five seconds before it dissipated.
My eyes watered as my vision slowly swam into focus.
I blinked rapidly and gasped, pressing a hand to my chest as I took in the scene.
A deep-purple velvet duvet covered a massive bed, way bigger than a king, and a matching rug covered most of the polished granite floor.
An intricately carved armoire stood against the far wall, and a dressing table, complete with a ginormous round mirror and a silver hairbrush set, stood next to it.
Orange light streamed in through a slit in the heavy curtains, slicing across the mattress before fading into the corner of the space.
“Where are we?” I whispered.
The imp darted toward the bed, but Discord caught it by the scruff of its neck before it could get slime all over the blankets. His expression grim, he set the little bugger on the floor and held his palm toward it, signaling it to stay as if he were commanding a dog.
“We are inside Hecate’s private chambers…at the palace,” he said.
My mouth fell open, my brows creeping toward my hairline. It made sense. If Hecate kept that house as her secret she shed—her place for alone time—of course the portal would lead right back to the palace. She could move between the two spaces freely, with no one the wiser. But that meant…
“We’re back to square one.” My shoulders slumped. “We should have fought our way out of the shack. If I’d known the circle would bring us here, I wouldn’t have used it.”
“Tell me what you saw when you scried.” He opened a dressing table drawer and peered inside before closing it and moving on to the next one. “Did you see Hecate?”
“Yes and no.” I sank onto a dark wood feinting couch, leaning my elbows on my knees and wringing my hands. “I think…maybe.”
“We cannot stay here.”
“I know.” But I needed more time to process the experience. My mind hadn’t put together the bits and pieces I’d felt and seen, and gathering my thoughts felt like trying to pluck Toto out of a tornado.
I shot to my feet, shaking my head. “I don’t know.”
“Focus, my love.” He gripped my shoulders, and a calming sensation washed through me, bringing order to my discordant thoughts.
My chest warmed, and a ghost of a smile curved my lips. “I connected with my mom. She’s the one who’s been guiding me.”
His brow furrowed, and he released his hold. The moment he broke contact, my thoughts swirled again, confusion pushing aside my moment of clarity.
“Or maybe it wasn’t her. It could have been Hecate herself…or Ruin or Seraphine.” I nipped the corner of my bottom lip. “I don’t know.”
Discord clutched my shoulders again, his expression determined. “Who did you connect with?”
The fog lifted from my mind once more. “It was my mom. Definitely. She’s helping Hecate.”
“Helping her stay hidden?” he asked.
I shook my head, a sickening sensation dragging my stomach downward. “She’s helping her hold the veil together. It’s about to unravel, and it’s all my fault.”
The imp made a chittering sound, and Discord let me go to point a finger at him, shushing him. My thoughts didn’t turn into a cyclone again, but the crisp clarity his touch had brought me began to dissipate.
“How did you do that?” I asked. “One minute, I couldn’t tell my head from a broomstick. Then you touched me, and I didn’t just know the truth, I felt compelled to tell you.”
“Your magic counters mine,” he said, matter-of-factly. “My power causes discord. It brings about disagreement, confusion, lies, and deceit. When I used it on you, it brought out clarity and truth.”
I opened and closed my mouth a few times. “Did you know that would happen, or did you think causing discord in me would be helpful right now?”
“I knew it would have the opposite effect on you.” He clamped his mouth shut in the guiltiest way possible.
“How did you know?” I crossed my arms. “Have you done this to me before?”
“Once, and only for a moment.” He shrugged. “When I realized the effect it had on you, I immediately stopped. It never occurred to me that bringing someone clarity and truth might be beneficial.”
“Because you’re a demon.” I shook my head.
“I am what I am.”
And who could argue with that?
“When did you do it?” I ground my teeth, not that I was surprised he’d tried. My rational mind insisted it was impossible. Sure, I was a powerful witch, but to turn a Prince of Hell’s magic upside down? Come on. He must’ve been tapping into something else, but whatever it was, it worked.
“You know what? It doesn’t matter. Do it again.” I made a gimme motion with my fingers. “Make me tell you where to find Hecate and my parents.”
He reached for me, and the doorknob turned, making my heart take a flying leap into my throat.
Discord pulled me to his chest and backed into a darkened corner behind a three-paneled dressing screen.
He made a shhhp sound, calling the imp, and the slimy little bugger obeyed the command, joining us in the shadows as the door creaked open.
I twisted in my demon’s arms to see who came into the room, and Discord must have anticipated the holy shit that tried to escape my lips because he clamped his hand over my mouth to silence me as Lucifer stepped into the chamber.
My body couldn’t decide if it wanted to freeze or tremble. A cold shiver ran from the base of my spine to the crown of my head, and all my blood plummeted to my feet.
Lucifer walked slowly, his hands clasped behind his back, his footsteps barely whispering against the stone floor.
His wavy blond hair was gelled perfectly into place, with one lock curling down onto his forehead.
A hint of black painted his roots, which meant anger simmered beneath his calm exterior.
I swallowed, and Discord tightened his grip, pulling me closer to his chest. His heart pounded against my shoulder, his chest barely moving with his controlled, shallow breaths. Even the imp barely moved, though I couldn’t tell if he was frozen in fear or by Discord’s command.
My stomach bubbled, no doubt protesting all the strange and unusual foods I’d eaten in the past few days, but thankfully, the sound stayed inside my body.
Lucifer stopped next to the bed and brushed his fingers over the duvet.
He inhaled deeply and let out a long, slow breath that sounded like the saddest, most forlorn sigh ever.
My heart almost broke for the guy. Had he not put a price on my head and sent all of Hell after me, I would have felt bed for him.
Instead, I focused on calming my breathing and ignoring the painful cramp pinching my side.
The devil needed to hurry up and cry on her pillow, beat off on the duvet, or do whatever he came in to do, because I could not stand still much longer.
He turned and sank onto the edge of the mattress. A piece of black moonstone sat atop the bedside table, and he picked it up, turning it over and over in his hands. I swear I saw his lower lip tremble, but with the lighting so dim, I might have imagined it.
Stilling, he gripped the moonstone tightly, and I did not imagine the tendons in his neck tightening like cords, nor did my mind concoct the sound of the stone cracking in his grasp as he groaned.
His hair turned jet-black in half a blink, and the moonstone crumbled in his hands.
He shot to his feet and hurled the shards against the wall beside us, the impact turning them to fine powder two feet from my head.
Discord went utterly still. He didn’t breathe, probably didn’t even blink, while I, on the other hand, sucked in a quick intake of air, inhaling the powdered moonstone along with it.
My eyes watered, blurring my view of Lucifer as he whirled toward the dresser and leaned his hands on the surface.
My nostrils flared, my nasal passages burning like I’d snorted a tablespoon of wasabi.
Then came the itch. It started at the bridge of my nose, spreading upward and out to the inner corners of my eyes.
Pressure built. My nose twitched, the inevitable sneeze creeping closer and closer to the surface.
Discord tensed, a silent warning to do everything I could to hold it in…
as if the direness of this situation wasn’t clear.
Lucifer gripped the edges of the dresser and flung it across the room like it weighed nothing. It smashed into the headboard, splintering, spilling its contents onto the floor and mattress.
My nose convulsed like a rabbit, and I held my breath. I would not sneeze. I couldn’t. My legs trembled from standing still, and my head spun. I slowly, carefully unlocked my knees so I wouldn’t pass out. The stitch in my side cramped harder.
The devil gently picked up a dark blue, satiny chemise and pressed it to his nose, closing his eyes as he inhaled deeply. His fists tightened on the garment, and he opened his eyes, his irises glowing red as he ripped the shirt into two.
He huffed and dropped to his knees, clutching two more garments to his chest and letting his head drop back as he heaved.
My entire abdomen cramped. Tears poured down my cheeks. Snot leaked from my nose, threatening to curl over my lip as itchy, stinging pressure built and built and built, my entire body tensing with the need to release it. I couldn’t sneeze. My life depended on it. I would not sneeze.
My body convulsed, but I held it in…and farted instead.