At Least Supply Some Thumb Screws
There is a special place in Hell where the worst sinners are sent to roast in the eternal flames until they crumble to ash.
Then, like an unholy phoenix, they rose again.
Only to slowly be lowered back into the lake of flame to broil, split, and char once more.
It was reserved for the worst of the worst. The truly devious and vile.
The worst that humanity had to offer, and then some.
The flames cackled and shrieked with wicked glee as they licked the flesh from the body and powered the bone until nothing was left.
Screams from this pit were so loud, it left vocal cords shredded long before the flames got them.
That’s not where Malachi was. That much he knew.
He was somewhere in Hell, but exactly where wasn’t abundantly clear.
What was now becoming apparent, as he regained his senses and gazed blearily about him, was that Chuck, Luna, and Jaxon were nowhere to be seen.
Whatever spell he’d been hit with had only been meant for him.
A low growl built in his throat as he realized the undeniable facts of his situation.
He’d been taken, and he didn’t know if Chuck was okay.
The growl quickly became a roar as he strained against the chains binding him to a stone wall.
His arms were stretched over his head, and he seemed to be in a cave of sorts.
Smacking his head against the stone, he shouted, “This is too fucking cliché for my taste. Couldn’t we at least have gone with a rack?
Or maybe some thumb screws to keep me entertained?
I’m gonna die of boredom before you fuckwits get to the good part! ”
Cocking his head to the side, he listened hard, waiting for any slight sound that might give him a clue to where he was being held.
His ears finally detected the faintest sound of someone breathing.
A raspy, dry sound that tickled a memory deep at the back of his mind.
Closing his eyes, he sent out his other senses, trying to gauge who was watching him and keeping him away from his family.
Just as the memory was about to surface, he was distracted.
A rush of air hit his cheeks, and he opened his eyes to see a barrage of light coming in from a door that had been thrown wide.
Pounding footsteps hit the stone stairs as a large creature stomped heavily down into the room where he was chained.
The hulking demon finally appeared in Malachi’s line of sight, and he took in the brutish form of the demon in front of him.
“Finally!” he sighed. “A playmate. Hey, new friend, can you do me a huge favor and scratch my nose? It itches like crazy, and I can’t scratch it.
Kinda tied up at the moment.” He flashed a snarky smile at his captor, which widened as the demon scrunched his forehead in confusion.
No doubt they thought he’d be ranting and going crazy about Chuck.
They weren’t wrong. In his head, he was screaming and howling with fury.
Fear about what happened to her was eating him from the inside out.
But he didn’t rise to command his own legion of demons in Hell’s army through sheer brute force.
It was his cunning, wit, and knowledge that you never let your enemy see how they were affecting you.
He continued his maniacal, unhinged grinning at the other demon.
“Come on big fella, aren’t you going to help me out here? At least introduce yourself!” his voice higher and wheedling, trying to get under the demon’s skin. “And seriously, for the love of Beelzebub’s butt cheeks, can you scratch my left nostril? It’s driving me insane.”
As the demon continued to stand there and silently glower at him, Malachi studied the creature for any clue as to his identity.
The demon’s skin was a deep dusky shade of blue; his body almost completely covered in scales except for his chest and abdomen.
No wings were visible, and only stubby nubs of what could loosely be called horns sprouted from his bald head.
He wasn’t as tall as Malachi, but he was much wider and absolutely ripped.
A long reptilian tail twitched behind him, pairing well with his cold eyes that were slitted and yellow like a snake.
He didn’t have a humanlike nose; it was more of a small snout with large oval nostrils that were flared wide, taking in every atom of scent in the room.
The tip of a forked tongue flickered from his mouth occasionally, tasting the air as well, looking for secrets.
His head started to turn to the corner but snapped back when Malachi spoke again.
“Strong silent type. Alright, lizard boy. If you aren’t gonna talk, then maybe you’ll listen.
” Malachi’s voice lost its light teasing tone, dropping into a husky, dangerous snarl.
“I don’t know who the fuck you are, or why you brought me here, but I do know you have made a terrible decision that is going to haunt you for the rest of your now shortened lifespan.
Because when I get out of here, I will fucking end you.
Clear?” He smirked and leaned his head against the wall.
“Now go away, I’m going to take a nap. I need my beauty sleep.
You should probably consider some for yourself.
I’m thinking a few years might help you, but then again, probably not. ”
CRACK!
Pain blossomed in Malachi’s cheek, and stars pranced through his vision after the demon’s fist connected with his jaw.
Slamming the side of his head into the stone wall with the force of the blow, the room faded in and out for a moment.
As his vision cleared, he peeked at the lizard-like captor whose shoulders heaved in his anger as his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides.
A strange hissing was emanating from him now, and his eyes were narrowed further.
As blood dripped from his mouth and ran down his throat, Malachi threw his head back and let out an unhinged laugh.
“Oh, that was too damned easy. What are you, twelve? I can’t believe that worked.
Okay, you tenderized me. I’m quaking in my shadows here.
So go ahead, get the one who’s really in charge here.
Is it Ramsilel? Tell that ugly fucker I have a kiss for him.
” Lifting his chin slightly, he spat a mouthful of dark blood on the chest of the demon still glaring at him.
Pursing his lips, despite the split in them, Malachi made a pouting kissy noise at the demon. It snarled and took a menacing step forward.
“That’s enough, Slitherok,” came a lazy drawling voice.
Gray fingers tipped with blood red claws gripped the shoulder of the blue demon, pulling him a step back from Malachi.
A demon with gray mottled skin, a much lighter shade than Malachi, moved to the side of Slitherok and made a shooing motion.
The lizard demon nodded once, then briskly spun before hurrying up the stairs.
Watching his retreat, the new demon leaned against the wall, casually crossing his arms over his chest like he was settling in for a leisurely chat. Once the door shut firmly, he nodded briefly and glanced at Malachi with a friendly grin. He shrugged nonchalantly as if asking: what can you do?
“Thanks for getting rid of Slitherpants there; couldn’t get the guy to shut up,” Malachi groaned dramatically as he slumped against the wall.
“I thought I was going to have to rip his tongue out to get some silence around here. Anyway, I’m guessing you’re Ramsilel?
” At the other demon’s gracious nod, he snorted and rolled his eyes.
“Let me guess. You have wing envy? You want my hair care secrets? Oh, I know, you’re a cock sucking knob wobble and you desperately need a cure!
” His triumphant grin was wide as he flashed his blood-coated fangs at the new demon.
Chuckling, Ramsilel shook his head but stayed where he was, leaning against the wall.
“I heard that about you. Consummate smart ass, no decorum, no shame, but plenty of bite to match the bark. You had it all, Malachi. An entire legion under your command, your choice of any bitch in Hell. Yet you threw it away for a human. A single woman, a half angel at that. We thought Lucifer fell far, but you made that look like child’s play when you turned against your own kind.
And now, like a disease, you’re spreading your disgusting contagion.
Pestilence, your own cousin, and the very first Knight of Hell, consorting with angels. ” He shook his head harder now.
“Ah yeah,” Malachi mumbled, shifting his wings to get more comfortable.
Stretching them slightly, he didn’t miss the envious glance Ramsilel shot at them, so he fluttered them slightly, flexing a bit.
“I forgot, you’re pissy about losing your cushy job to Amaryllis.
You know, maybe if you hadn’t been such a dick to Nick, he probably wouldn’t have requested the change.
He’s not too bad as angels go. He actually has a sense of humor.
” He sat up and widened his eyes dramatically.
“But I will vehemently deny it if you ever tell him I said that!”
Flopping back against the unforgiving stone, Malachi sighed.
“So, what do you want from me, Rammy? A word with Nick? With God? I mean, I can ask Ammy if she’ll let you have your spot back, but I think she likes it.
And she’s still a little unhappy about the whole Skeerot thing.
Although…” he paused, frowning. “I could be wrong because I think she likes having a balance on her gate. That whole… what’s it called?
Feng shui? I don’t know, not into that kind of thing, but I think she is. ”
Sighing, Ramsilel straightened and stared at him, a deep frown etched across his face. “I suppose you think this shit is funny? What is wrong with you?”
Echoing the other demon’s sigh, Malachi chuckled heartily before leaning back against the wall. “Hmm. Where do I start?”
Ramsilel cracked his knuckles.