PRISONER
My body shivers at the indescribable cold seeping into my bones. Curled up into a ball on the floor of a gilded cage suspended over a dirt floor, I try and fail to warm myself. The room isn’t truly cold; it’s simply my body’s reaction to the evil permeating from every crevice of this place.
As I’m surrounded by brimstone walls painted a chilling red, it isn’t hard to deduce where I am.
I’m in Hell, literally and metaphorically.
I don’t need to have ever stepped foot here to know that I’m surrounded by evil that I can’t see. They lurk in the shadows. Watching. Waiting. But for what?
The better question is probably who.
“Cowards!” I yell out, but nobody answers.
They want me to feel alone, likely to drive myself crazy.
But instead, I’ve focused on trying to summon up my powers that have been stifled.
Rage boils within me and I focus on it, willing the emotion to bubble over. To unleash any scrap of angelic influence this cell hasn’t siphoned out, giving me a chance against this place.
It’s no use. My abilities have been stripped by whatever dark magic lingers in this dank cell.
The smell of sulfur infiltrates my nostrils and I nearly choke on it. Finally, one of them has shown up.
They clap from the corner, and I sit up, rocking the cage with the movement.
“Good deductive skills, Victoria.”
My name is spat like a curse. The voice slithers from a vile tongue, wrapping around my soul and squeezing with a death grip I can’t escape. I cry out.
Zeke’s voice.
I growl, teeth bared in anger. “Disabling my abilities? You must know that if I had them, you wouldn’t stand a damn chance.”
“Tsk, tsk, beautiful. Foul language? Is Hell already sinking its claws in you?” He chuckles, still remaining out of sight. “That’s good. Very good.”
Creeping from the shadowed corner, a carbon copy of Zeke stalks toward me. Dark brown—nearly black—hair curls at the nape, his piercing blue eyes boring into mine.
Anyone else would believe I’d been betrayed—well, I had—but not in this instance. This isn’t Zeke. How do I know? The sinister sneer is all wrong and the smell wafting through the room reeks of a demonic presence.
This demon isn’t trying to trick me but toy with me. He enjoys watching me squirm. The uncanny resemblance is off-putting, especially considering my current anger with Zeke and his betrayals. The demon knows.
Nolda.
“Once again, your intuition fascinates me. Even here”—he motions around—“you see through me.”
“It’s not hard; you’re an underling. Nothing fancy to your power, cretin.”
His lip curls, and a growl with enough force to shake the cage erupts from him. He doesn’t like his power to be challenged. Good—his ego will be his downfall.
“Why don’t you drop the glamour and show yourself?” I goad, wanting to push him.
He snaps his fingers and Zeke disappears. In his place is the same glamour he used in the street that night not long ago.
“Oh, come on. You and I both know you’re just trading one false disguise for another. Show yourself, demon.”
He creeps toward the cage with measured steps as slowly the glamour falls and his true form is revealed.
His grey skin is pulled taut across an overly large head, elongated canines falling over a full bottom lip. Vampire.
The most disconcerting part of this demon is his eyes—or lack thereof. Two black voids stare out in place of eyeballs. I shudder as the depth of this creature’s evil settles over me.
“You should fear me.” The deep rumble replaces the once smooth and alluring voice, showcasing something of nightmares.
The demon in front of me is the epitome of what the depths of Hell can drudge up. He wasn’t sent here this deformed. No, this is what centuries’ worth of torture will do. It warps the already darkened soul of the truly evil until it transforms to something else entirely.
A human couldn’t gaze upon this form without their heart stopping immediately. It’s powerful and dark beyond anything ever written in biblical texts.
My eyes shut on instinct and my lips move as I silently recite the Lord’s prayer.
“Stop!” he bellows, and the cage quakes. “I won’t allow that blaspheming in my home.”
My eyes fly open, but I continue. His gnarled hands push a wave of power forward, crumpling me back to supine. Groaning, I attempt and fail to summon my own power, to return the favor and slam his ass into the wall. It’s no use, and I’m left scrambling back to my knees.
“Make this a fair fight, demon. Give me my powers and we’ll battle to see who truly has the dominance.”
If I’m going to die here in this Hell, I might as well go out swinging. He’s already proven that his greatest weakness is pride. There is no way they’re allowing me to leave. Not with my life.
His head twitches as he tries to control his ire.
“See … I know what you’re doing. It won’t work.” He closes the distance, wrapping his hands around the bars. “My need to bleed you dry doesn’t eclipse the end game. I’d much rather wait for Lucifer.”
“You don’t think he’ll tear you apart when he gets here?”
“He won’t be able to. I have my own very loyal legion, and they’ll be bringing him to me. Shackled.”
I laugh. “You truly are deranged. He’ll storm this place to get to me.”
“He can’t. At least not yet. Hell has been sealed off. But when he does gain access, we’ll be ready.”
My eyes widen. “How did you manage to seal off Hell to Lucifer?”
“I didn’t.” His jaw clenches. “I have allies trying to uncover how that happened.”
If not him … who?
Heaven.
Only Heaven could keep Lucifer himself out of Hell. But why? Do they want Nolda to rule?
“If it is Heaven, would you be surprised, Victoria?” Nolda asks.
“Reading my mind again, demon?”
“I don’t need to read your mind, girl. Lucifer abandoned his post for a girl that betrayed Heaven.” He huffs. “Either way, I have you well hidden from both Heaven and pretty boy Luke,” he mocks.
“Hidden? You think Heaven doesn’t know every square inch of this place? God created it.”
It’s his turn to laugh. “You know nothing of Hell. It’s a vast land of various city centers, ruled by higher echelon demons. If Heaven is the reason the doors have been sealed, and they decide to come here themselves, it won’t be easy. The demons will ensure that.”
“Without Lucifer’s command? You think you have all of the demons under control?”
“Most fall in line under their master, which I admit isn’t exactly me … yet. But some have grown tired of his boyish need to experience Earth and gallivant to cities unknown. If high demons have to pull the weight in his absence, why shouldn’t they hold the highest title of Satan?”
I ignore his question, jumping to something far more important. “How many are conspiring against Lucifer?”
It’s as though he doesn’t hear me as he continues laying out his demonic plans.
“He’ll trade himself for you or Heaven will … we’ll allow him to believe we’ve accepted the deal. Eventually, he’ll be beside you, forced to watch me torture you. Slowly. For eternities.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “You’re delusional. None of that makes sense.”
“I have the power,” he grinds through his teeth. “I’ll bring him to his knees.”
“Good luck with that.”
He twists his hand and I cry out, doubling over.
“W-what are you doing?” My stomach feels as though he’s rearranging my organs. Sharp pains stab at my back and sides. My head falls back on my shoulders, and I bellow. “Stop!”
He flicks his wrist and I collapse, breath coming out in short bursts as I gasp and claw for oxygen. I’ve been reduced to a human, feeling pains I’ve never experienced. I shouldn’t be able to crumple under this low demon’s power so easily.
I’m an angel.
“Fallen angel, Victoria. And here … that divine fuckery doesn’t hold merit. You’re in Hell now.”
“How?” He tilts his head to the side as though he can’t simply read my mind. “Stop playing games, demon. Tell me how you have that much power.”
He shrugs. “Call it … shifting allegiances.”
“Which means?”
“Since you’re going to die, I might as well allow you into the Hellscape hierarchy.”
He picks at something under his nails, and I shudder at the thought of what lies beneath. Innards? Brain matter? A combination of both?
Revolting.
He rolls his eyes. “Jambalaya, Victoria. I do enjoy a human meal every now and again.”
I shake my head, angry we’ve veered so far off topic. “Hellscape hierarchy …” I remind him.
“Oh, yes. That. Lucifer handed me the power himself. Since he was going to be largely MIA.” He shrugs. “His absence played right into my hand. It allowed me time to create division and doubt in our leader. Low demons are a very needy bunch. They require leadership and purpose.”
I scoff. “Massacring humans is a heck of a purpose.”
He smacks his lips, feigning boredom. “That, my dear, is simply fun. Our purpose is far greater. The days of lurking in the shadows while the likes of you roam Earth unscathed are over. We’re taking our rightful place.”
“You intend to enact Hell on Earth?”
“It’s high time.” He snaps his finger, and his former glamour is back. He cracks his neck, stretching his hands out. “I have a few humans to corrupt. This … talk will have to continue later.”
Nolda turns to walk away, and I call after him, “Nolda. Wait.”
He looks over his shoulder, one brow peaked in curiosity.
“If I don’t have power here, why not let me out of this cage?”
It’s a worthless request, but one I’m making to stall long enough for more information.
“You wouldn’t be able to handle Hell, angel. They’d rip your arms from your pretty torso or tie you up and do things to you that … well … would break your beautiful body.”
“And that’s a problem for you?”
“Like I said … I want you in one piece so that when I fuck you, Lucifer will have to witness it.”
My nose scrunches at his vile threat.
“You’re disgusting. And out of your damn mind if you think you’ll ever touch me.”
His lip curls up into a sinister grin. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and without moving he somehow manages to do just what I said he never would.
An invisible tongue licks up my cheek, leaving a sticky residue behind.
I gag at the feel of the slimy yet gritty organ as it trails a line up the other side of my face.
He smiles. “I will have you, Victoria. I’ll have you until your organs spill from your orifices.”
My stomach bottoms out at the mere thought and bile rises to the back of my throat, nearly choking me.
“Never,” I groan, battling the need to be sick.
“It appears you don’t know how this works. In Hell, you are powerless. Weak. Unable to fight back. You’re merely mortal.” He chuckles. “In Hell, my kind make the rules.”
I turn my head away, unwilling to show him how unsettled I am. I won’t allow him to win this war of wills. He might have the upper hand, but I won’t go down without a fight.
“I’ll see you soon, Victoria.”
With that, he disappears into thin air, leaving me alone in this Godforsaken place.