The Demon Side (14 page)

Illuminating the skyline towered Devil’s Peak, a large, active underground volcanic mountain range. Inside its base was another series of corridors that adjoined thirteen caverns. The last of those caverns would be the throne room where I would find Lucifer. First, I would have to make it through the sea of rejects below. I readied my hand on the grip of my sword as thousands of eyes made notice of me. Most didn’t know who I was but the ones who recognized me watched my every movement closely as I walked down through the entrance of the city.

My feet crushed the corpses of weaker Demons as I marched through the city. Shoving my way through the crowded streets made me angry. Before my banishment, the whole city would drop to their knees, bowing their heads when I entered. Now I had half-breed bastards begging me for scraps of food, street mongers trying to peddle their poorly made crafts, and Succubae throwing themselves at me to distract me from their pimp trying to steal my shield and sword. Grabbing the failed thief by his neck, I slammed him down on the street. I rested the tip of my blade on his throat when I heard someone call out, “Rahovart the Heir has returned! The Heir has returned!”

Everything quieted around me. The city came to a complete stop and everyone stared in wonderment as they parted a path for me. If I wasn’t expected before, I definitely would be now. I sheathed my sword and swiftly made my way to the entrance of Devil’s Peak. Again, the guards stepped aside and opened the gates without question. The corridor to the first cavern was a short one. I stepped into the first cavern, the intake room. I was taken aback a bit when I entered. Usually the place would be packed with souls looking for acceptance into the fold.

Today it was empty. The lack of hustle and bustle throughout the caverns gave way to the beautiful gold inlaid stone carvings of famous battle scenes and falls of infamous demons—including me—which decorated the walls of the thirteen main caverns. Each scene flickered in the light of the lava seeping through cracks, giving them an animated appearance. The rough jagged rock walls in the corridors that connected each cavern prevented any enemy surge from charging the throne room. In my Demon skin, I found them to be perfect for scratching the spots on your back that you just can’t seem to reach.

No nostalgia or comfort came from finally being home. It didn’t feel like “home” at all. I felt out of place, uneasy. As I made my way through the twelfth cavern, I couldn’t help but wonder if Master and Alastor were in the throne room laughing at me now. With me gone, Alastor was sure to take my spot by Lucifer’s side. Lucifer needed someone to do his bidding, thanks to the treaty God made him sign to never engage mere Angels and Demons in battle.

Carefully making my way down the last narrow corridor to the throne room, I took a deep breath. I stopped and studied the scene of Lucifer’s fall from grace and consequent rise to power stamped on his enormous arched golden doors. On the other side, I was sure he would be there, waiting. What would I say? What would happen? My fate rested on these questions. I could only hope that there had been a mistake made by someone other than me, and if not, once I reminded of my unfaltering loyalty to him, he would lift his damning judgment.

I flung open the doors and marched passed the guards standing at attention between each of the thirty marble pillars that held up the volcano’s ceiling. At the end of the room was a large wide staircase. At the top of the stairs, a bored Lucifer leaned back with one leg over the arm of his oversized, bejeweled, golden throne in front of a liquid iron waterfall, waiting for me.

Standing at only five-foot-eleven with a slender build, blond hair, small green eyes, and sunken cheeks, you’d probably never look at him twice if you saw him. But, it was the common look that gave him such great power. He was always underestimated.

“Rahovart! My son, how have you been?” His concern for my well-being was a charade. I knew when he was being deceitful.

Removing my helmet, I locked eyes with him. I couldn’t show weakness. “I’ve been well, Master, until just yesterday when I noticed something had changed. I’ve come to see why I have been deemed expendable.”

“You were never one for formalities, my son. Kneel, and then we’ll talk.”

I only had to kneel before him once before. After he saw what I held inside of me, he never requested I kneel again. The dynamic of our relationship had greatly changed since my banishment. I couldn’t let my pride hold me back from what I was after. I withdrew my sword and lowered to one knee. Setting my sword close to my leg, I placed my helmet on the floor and used it to steady my other knee down.

“There you go, my son. Was that so bad?” His cocky smirk put me on the defensive.

“Why have I been deemed expendable?” I demanded.

“Well, you’ve been quite the nuisance for me and my plans lately. You most of all should know I can’t have that in my ranks.”

“I have been a nuisance? How so?”

“With the girl you seem so eagerly possessive of. I have plans for her and you are making it more and more difficult each day for me to fulfill my goal.”

“I’ve done nothing but protect her and your plan. It is Alastor who is the nuisance, not me.”

“Oh, is that so? Seems he has the same to say about you. Who to believe? Quite the pickle, don’t you think?”

“I can prove it. The girl has been pregnant more than once by him. If you look, I’m sure you’ll find the souls of his children around.” The cocky smile wiped from his smug face. He wasn’t all-knowing. Alastor hadn’t been completely honest in his dealings on behalf of our master.

“Rahovart, if he cannot be trusted, maybe I can trust you, after all, but you will have to prove yourself once again.” Lucifer kept his face cold and emotionless. I waited to hear what he had in mind for me, putting my best face forward as he rose from his throne. Leisurely, he walked down the steps toward me, flipping a coin in his knuckles. After the third time he circled me, I could no longer hold my tongue.

“What shall it be, Master?”

“Hmm…well, I have a special job in mind for you. Complete it and you shall resume your position by my side as heir to my throne. I want you to deliver the girl to me. Fail to do so and I’ll send you to Purgatory with the souls you have sent there. I couldn’t imagine it being too pretty for the likes of you.”

“Yes, Master.” I stood up and walked out of the throne room as I threw on my helmet and sheathed my sword.

It had all been a setup. Either I would hand Etta over to him or I would be taken out of the equation all together. I had to get to Etta before he sent anyone else after her. I wasn’t sure what I would do once I got there, but I would have to figure it out soon. I picked up the pace to the transport area outside the front gates, moving into a full-throttle run. It seemed I couldn’t get there fast enough. After finally reaching the portal, it didn’t take long to reach Etta’s house and to find myself back in the attic. I flashed to her room, but she wasn’t there. Just as I flashed to the living room, John barreled through the front door and ran up the stairs.

“Etta! Etta!” John was red and out of breath.

“John?” I called out when he raced down five stairs, then jumped the remaining ten stairs right into me. His hands wrapped around my neck as he shoved me into the door.

“Where is she? What have you done to her, you son of a bitch?”

“What do you mean?” I jerked John’s hands away from me and shoved him back.

“I don’t care what you are! I’ll kill you if you touch one hair on her head!” John squared off, ready for a fight.

“I don’t have her. Listen to me.” I grabbed John by his collar and slammed him against the wall, eye level with me. “Tell me what happened, John. Where is she?”

“Screw you!” John spat in my face.

“Calm down!” I released one hand from his collar and backhanded him. “Where is she?”

“I don’t know. After seeing you, I wanted out of this house. We went to the base hotel. She got tired and wanted to take a shower. The shower turned off and a few minutes later, I heard her scream. I rushed in only to find no sign of her except her dirty clothes on the bathroom floor. I thought maybe she came back here looking for you or you had taken her.”

“Alastor!” I was played from the word go. I promised Etta I would protect her but when it came down to it, I left her vulnerable and helpless just to save my own skin.

“Stay here, John. I’ll be right back and Etta will need you when I return with her.” I stepped back from him and said the magic words. Nothing. I made another attempt, again nothing. I’d been blocked! Every curse word I could think of came to mind. I had no way of going to my world and retrieving Etta. I had to think quickly.

As I paced around the room, the only thing I could concentrate on were the sounds of John gasping for air and wheezing. “Shut up!” I yelled as John knelt on the hardwood floor. Another gasp sent me over the edge. I began to storm toward him with the intention of knocking him out so his pathetic attempts to breathe would no longer distract my thinking when the worst idea I’d ever had hit me. Seeing John on his knees, I knew what I had to do.

I knelt in front of him, snapping my claws in his face trying to take his attention away from his breathing and turn it to me. Slowly tilting his head up toward me, I could see he turned a dark shade of blue. I had put more effort into pinning him than I had thought. He was suffocating. As much as I’d hate to admit it, my idea of how to save Etta wouldn’t work without him. Etta needed him alive.

Quickly I sucked in and placed my mouth as close to his without actually touching and blew my cold breath into his body. John let out another silent gasp. My first breath hadn’t worked. Sucking in harder, I grabbed the back of John’s head and pulled his mouth to mine, sealing them together and blew my cold air into his body. Concentrating on controlling the power behind my breath as to not cause his lungs to explode, I didn’t realize that John tried to push me away.

“Okay…okay!” John pulled away breathing heavily. “I can breathe now!” We shared an awkward moment of silence.

“John, tell me, are you a God-fearing man?” John tried to stand up, but I jerked him back onto his knees in front of me. “On your knees, fool! This is very important. Do you or do you not believe in God?”

“Not since Etta’s mother died.”

“You need to find your faith, and quickly, John. Your transgression overseas set this all into motion. You need to pray and pray harder than you’ve ever prayed before.”

“I have nothing to pray for. What can God do? He let this happen!” a defeated John yelled back.

“John, listen to me! I can’t help you anymore. I’ve done everything in my power to save Etta, except for one thing. I must sacrifice my own soul by telling you how to save her yourself. You can save Etta. All you have to do is humbly ask God for forgiveness and his help. It’s the only way!”

“Forgiveness? You can’t mean this is really my fault?”

It would normally excite me to tell a man he put his daughter in danger, but I wasn’t interested in my own gratification. I needed John to pray and pray hard. Being a Demon, I lacked the ability to pray to God or I would have gladly dropped to my knees to beg for Etta’s safety. But all of my pleading would fall on deaf ears and be sent to an irate Master. Even by telling John to pray for her, I was further deemed expendable to my Master and doomed my soul to an eternity in Purgatory.

“I’ll put it to you bluntly, yes. You fell away from God when your wife died, leaving you open to being corrupted. Your wrongdoings released a great evil. Your guilt allowed that evil to attach itself to you. You brought it into your home, allowing it to consume your family; it is now feeding on Etta’s soul. Only your repentance can save her.”

John sat quietly. I could see him replaying the past several years in his head. His bottom lip trembled and his eyes filled with tears.

“Oh God, what have I done? What have I done?” John banged his fists on the hardwood floor and cried uncontrollably. All the guilt he had buried so deep inside came boiling to the surface.

Gripping his cheeks between my hands, I stared intently into his eyes. “Pray, John…pray hard.”

Clasping his hands together, John began to pray. His whispered prayer was difficult to understand between his sobs. I could only hope he said what he needed to say. Watching him struggle with the words, I became compelled to help him. He wasn’t alone in his pain and grief. We were more alike than we were different. I too had felt what he was feeling. My pride and anger blinded me from what was important and caused the pain of so many.

Grabbing onto his wrist, I lowered my head to his and began mouthing his desperate prayer. Before the final word, we locked eyes again. With a small nod, giving John the go-ahead, we whispered in unison: “Amen.”

The ceiling shook violently and began to collapse around us. John tried to run out of the house when I jumped on top of him to shield him from the whole second floor of the home falling on top of him. Pieces of wood and sheetrock pounded me harder into him. I extended my arms, pushing up over him, so I wouldn’t crush him as the weight of the ceiling crashed on my back and the last board fell.

“What the…?” John’s eyes were fixed above us. I waited until I became confident it was safe before rolling off of him to see what had caught his attention. The whole top of the house had collapsed, leaving only the outer walls standing. There in the night sky, a golden streak hurtled toward us at an incredible speed. With a deafening crash, the golden streak landed in the center of the room, sending shockwaves throughout the rest of the house. I pushed John toward the yellow glowing ball in the center of the room as the remaining walls fell inward.