37. Beleth’s Lair
CHAPTER 37
Beleth’s Lair
Rez
I really am getting sick and tired of the damn dark. You would think if Beleth was going to keep me in his lair, he could at least have a better welcome party than a pitch-black room. I can’t even see my hand in front of my face, and what’s up with the music playing in the background? I can’t even tell what it is because once I think I start to understand it or maybe know what it is, it changes when it’s right on the tip of my tongue. I hate that feeling.
“Well, I must say, even you surprised me, Nerezza,” a thick mid-Eastern accent imparts with laughter in his voice. “This isn’t how I pictured us meeting again.” His voice comes from my right but echoes around me.
I turn to face in the direction of the voice, not wanting an enemy at my back, but then again, it doesn’t help much since I’m still in the fucking dark here. Wait. Did he say again ?
“What do you mean again?” I ask, pulling my glaives.
“You can put away your weapons, Nerezza. I will not hurt you.”
“Yeah, right,” I snort. “Then what would you call the shit my friends and I just went through?” I throw back at him, not disarming myself. I might be slow sometimes, but I’m not stupid.
“I’m required to provide tests along the Road of Worth just as you are bound to try and defeat them once you’ve started.” A darker shadow of a creature moves and shuffles, and I circle as he continues to talk. “Or did L.A.M.B. forget to tell you that part?” Is it getting lighter in here, or are my eyes finally adjusting?
“W-what?” I stammer, almost losing my focus. I hear it at the last second, something leaving a sheath, and throw up my shield. A blast of air hits it, along with a small plink. A pregnant silence fills the room before I hear gurgling and a heavy thud.
“What was that?” I ask, my voice slightly shaking as goosebumps rise along my skin.
“Ahhh. They have taught you well, I see.” The room slowly lightens, allowing my eyes to adjust, and I finally get a look at the circular room I’m in. Directly in front of me is a demon with its throat slashed, bleeding out onto the floor. Stepping out of the rapidly pooling blood, I continue to take in my surroundings.
There’s a simple desk and chair on one side of the room, a sofa and lounge chair on the other, and a coffee table and a bar by one of the walls, similar to Lucifer’s decor. But where is my host?
The only place he could be.
It’s a split second as I crouch down and bring my blades up over my head along with another shield. When nothing happens, I slowly glance up and find Beleth smiling down at me from where he’s seated in the rafters. He’s swinging his legs over the beam as if he has no cares in the world. Shit, I guess being a Prince of Hell, he wouldn’t have any.
“You are a funny one,” he observes before slipping off, his iridescent wings flaring to catch him before landing without a sound before me. Standing at his full height, I take in the demon. It’s hard to tell what he is because as he moves, so do his multiple forms. Yeah, you heard that right. It’s as if multiple illusions are stacked over him. Every time he shifts, I get a glimpse of a new form. “Your mother was the same.”
The mention of my mother stops my observation in a heartbeat.
“My mother? How did you know my mother?” I ask, my throat suddenly becoming parched.
“I dare say we were friends. If a demon in my position could have any real ones.” He walks over to the bar and pulls out two glasses. “Care for a drink?”
“That depends. Why am I here? Shouldn’t you be putting me back to work in your one-thousand Deaths chamber?” I grumble, not at all happy with my choices. Yes, I’m glad I saved Lynx, and I would do it over again in a heartbeat, but I want to be with them, not here.
“I already told you, Nerezza. I wanted to see you again,” he proclaims. “How about a Ball Buster since that’s what you did out there? If my minions could procreate, they wouldn’t be able to do it now after you’ve had your hands on them.” Before I can respond, he throws a pink, orange, and yellow mixture together and adds cherry-like fruits to the drink. He does the same to his but adds a shot of something black. “Mine’s a Smokey Ball Buster,” he explains while handing my drink to me. I reluctantly put away one of my glaives to take the drink.
The closer he comes, the easier it is to see through his illusion. He still has multiple forms, but now there are only two. One is a human with white shoulder-length hair and a naked chiseled chest, while the other figure is a cat’s face on a human body covered in brown fur. I wonder which his true form is.
“To keeping a promise to an old friend,” he toasts, clinking my drink and downing half his before I bring my glass to my lips. The drink is sweet at first, but the aftertaste has a punch.
“When was the first time we met?” I ask, setting down my empty glass on his bar and leaning against it while observing him once again. I pull out my other glaive but set it on the bar countertop for easy reach next to my hand as I listen to his answer. Instead of sitting on the sofa as I think he will, he walks over to his desk and opens a drawer.
“We met when your mother brought you here for safekeeping. She thought she was being hunted and needed to hide her tracks.” He pulls out a small pink teddy bear, and my jaw drops. Even though I see it—as in, it’s in his hands—I don’t believe it.
“You’ve had that for twenty-three years?” I’m in awe of how long a demon would keep something, especially a cute pink stuffed bear.
He scoffs, walking over and placing the soft stuffed toy in my hands.
“You’re math is wrong. You probably should have stayed in school longer.” He winks while heading back to his desk and rummaging through his drawers again.
“I’m offended by that,” I protest, and he laughs.
“Good, you should be.” His head pops back up to give me a curious look. “But I do wonder, which math were you going by? Hell’s math or Earth’s? You’re wrong either way, but I would like to know which one so I can correct you.”
“Is this secretly PeeWee’s playhouse or something? Because I know you’re speaking another language that Lucy didn’t program into me when I was at his place.” Beleth stares at me like I’m the crazy one for a second before returning to his drawer, plundering. “Speak English. That’s all I’m asking.”
“Okay. Okay. Settle down.” He stands up to his full height from his desk while holding a book and heads to the sofa. “I’m not trying to upset you. Come, have a seat.” He sits down and pats the other cushion for me to join him. Reluctantly, I gather my things and sit down.
“Okay, spill. What do you mean my math is wrong? I admit I suck at measuring, but I’m pretty sure I know how to count,” I grumble, focusing on the image of the cat-like person before me. He plays like a cat, so I’m assuming that’s his true figure.
“I haven’t been to Earth, but by going off their timetable, I met you…hmm, thirty-six years ago. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, and I almost didn’t recognize you. Except you’re a spitting image of your mother.”
I blink owlishly at him, still processing his words, before shaking my head.
“Wait a minute.” Maybe I do need more schooling. Shit. “How is that possible? I would think I know how old I am,” I insist.
He smirks, his whiskers bristling. “ Magic is the simple answer. I don’t know if anyone has told you this, but time works differently here.” He lays down a thick leather book between us, flipping it open to the first page. There on the page is the same picture I found in the closet. Pulling out the photo from my pocket, I try to compare the two, but as I see my picture, I’m reminded of the burn damage and groan.
“Hmm, yours seems like it got a little singed,” he points out.
“Yeah, my puppy’s fire damaged the image but not the picture. It’s definitely weird how that happened.” I can’t keep the disappointment out of my tone.
Even if I can’t see the image clearly, I know what was in my picture. If it’s to be believed, the people in both pictures were Liliwen, Delvin, and me. Except in Beleth’s picture, seven more people are in the background. Some I recognize, like my grandparents, Aunt Patty, and Beleth; three I didn’t know.
“Why are the pictures different?”
“Where did you find yours?” he counters.
“In the Gatekeeper's closet.”
“Then one, I can conclude, is spelled, and you will find the answers to that question at another time. Simple.” He hands me the complete picture and flips to the next page, effectively ending that line of questioning.
I find myself back on that demonic tilt-a-whirl as he continues to flip the pages in fast succession, too fast for me to enjoy.
“These are all about you and your time down here. Your baby book. Some of the pictures are living murals. Think of them as videos but in picture form,” Beleth explains. “Your mother made me promise to give them to you when you eventually made it my way.” He looks off in the distance and chuckles. “I’m sure she knew our paths would meet, though our time would be limited. Here.” He stands, holding the precious item. “You don’t have time to reminisce now,” he says, waving a hand over the top of the book and locking it. “You have a trial to finish.” He smiles like the cat that ate the canary.
In one swift motion, he has me standing and is dropping the book in my backpack.
“There you go.” He steps back in front of me and looks down at me. “Your mother would be proud of you. Oh! One last thing. If you need anything, just call on me. I have a feeling you might need it sooner or later. Besides, it might be nice to get out of this hellhole once in a while.” He chuckles to himself, handing me a ring.
The ring is gold with elaborated pentagram symbols engraved around it. Just by holding it, I can feel power pulsing off of it. “Is it your’s or mom’s?” I quirk an eyebrow, still not fully trusting him and waiting for a tell.
“Oh, it’s definitely mine.” He gives me a toothy smile. “It’s a summoning ring, but your mom did tell me that you might need it one day, so I’m hoping you’ll use it to get me the hell out of here.”
No lie detected. He hasn’t lied during this whole meeting, so I nod and slip the ring on my thumb since it’s the only place it will fit.
“How do I summon you with it?” I ask, making sure I don’t accidentally do it and waste it.
“Rub your hand over it and call my name; I’ll come to help you for whatever reason.” He places his hand over his heart before solemnly bowing his head. “Now”—he claps his hands—“You need to save Hell so there is a place left for me to escape from.”
“You mean you’re trapped here?” My eyebrows disappear into my hairline.
“I can’t even leave my level until you open that portal. So do me a favor and make it quick. My woman is not a patient thing.” He wiggles his eyebrows, and I snort, wondering what kind of woman he has that puts up with him. Though he just might be a good ally to have now that I know he’s not trying to kill me.
He claps his hands, and the room goes black.