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Sinful Crown: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance Ava Harrison
What’s a grieving witch to do when making a deal with the Devil leaves you fighting for more than just your soul? IthoughtsummoningtheDevilwasastrokeofgenius.Resurrectmygran,strikeaquickdeal,andnoonewouldbethewiser. Except,Iforgotonecrucialdetail
Please,please,pleasereadthecontentadvisoriesonmywebsitebeforecontinuing Idon’t consider this bookdarkbyanymeans BUT there are themes thatrunthroughthe bookthat maybe disturbingto some.Pleaselookafteryourself.You’llfindtheadvisorieshereor,ifyou’reonadevicethatdoesn’tallow browseraccess, youcanclickhereandjumptotheendofthebooktoreadthem Hopefully,theblurbgaveyouaninsightintowhattoexpect
Lastly, please note that I amBritish and this book is written in British English. There are variations in the language betweentheUSandBritishEnglish.
HappyReading!
Selina
CHAPTER ONE
BRONWYN
Add one vial of white dragon blood, three kelpie scales, a gryphon’s wing, and one khepri (dried will work, though live is preferred) to the cauldron
Forasecond,theenormityofitthreatenedtooverwhelmme.Itswirledinsideofme,mergingwiththeheavyballofgrief thatsatjustbeneathmysolarplexus.Myeyesburned,tearsthreateningtosapawaymystrengthrightwhenIneededit. The faster you do this, the sooner you get her back.
I shut my eyes and breathed deep, willing all my emotions into a cage in the back of my mind. It would only work temporarily,soIneededtogettheshowontheroadfast
Whenthewordsranout,Iraisedmysilverathametomypalm Forabriefsecond,doubtflickeredtolifeinmymind Not becauseIwassummoningtheDevil.Ohno.BecausethebookveryspecificallydemandedIcutmypalm.
It splattered against the old hardwood floors, fizzling and smoking. If my grandmother could see me now, she’d be scowling Shelovedthesefloors,butifIhadtopayapricetogetherback,shecoulddealwithrefinishingthedamaged
The candles flared, the flame shooting up two feet and scaring the life out of me. The air shimmered again, almost solidifyingaroundthepentagram Itengulfedmywrist,stillheldoverthecircle,thebloodslowingtoatrickle
Inthecentreofthecircle,sicklyshadesofcolour swirled,blacks,redsandgreensminglingtogether until aball formed. Everythingwentstillaroundme,andforasecond,Icouldn’tdrawbreath,liketheairhadbeensuckedoutoftheroom Boom!
Theball shattered Air rushedoutofthecircle,blowingoutthecandles Itswirledaroundme,creatingavortexofsome sortwiththedustthathadgatheredsincemygrandmother’sdeath.Heartpounding,Icoveredmyeyesbeforesomethingcould blindme.
“Isn’t this a surprise,” a bored yet amused voice said, the sound so deep and filled withpower I could have swornit caressedmyface.Istiffenedmyspine,fightingofftheshiverdesperatelyclamouringtogetout.WhenIopenedmyeyes,allI coulddowasstare
Hisvoicemademynerve-endingssing,hispowerstrokedmyskin.Well,thatwasjustfreaky,andheneededtostop. His smirkdisintegrated as myattentionshifted to the wings unfurlingfromhis back Theyspread out, eachone twice as longasLuciferwastall.Istaredinawe,mymouthdroppingopenslightly.Thefeathersgleamedlikeblackopals,glossyand iridescentinthecandlelight.Asheflexedthem,thewingsstirredtheairaroundusintoagentlebreeze.
He sighed. “Ofcourse, youdo. Youmortals are all alike.” He folded his arms across his broad chestand retracted his power,spearingmewiththoseeyesagain IbitmytonguebeforeIcoulddemandhegiveitback “Getonwithit Idon’thave allday.”
Lucifer chuckled “I’mflattered, petal, butthere are infinite divisions ofHell Iambutone overlord Your grandmother couldbeinanyoneofthem.”
TheconfidenceI’dbuiltuptofacehimdisintegrated Ittookallofmystrengthnottoletmyshouldersslumpindefeat Any signofweaknessinfrontofthisman being couldspellmydeath.
Athread of excitement shot through me at his serious tone. It almost seemed too easy. Just give up something I never intendedtohave AndI’dgetmygrandmotherback Well,getthespelltogetherbackbutwhatwasonemorestepwhenI’d alreadycomesofar?
“Didyouthinkyoucouldsummonmewithoutmeknowingwhoyouwere?”Helaughedasmybrowfurrowed.“Oh,thatis priceless. You Owen women are all the same, deluded into these ridiculous ideas of grandeur. As if you could ever successfullyhideyourselvesfromtheDevil.”
It doesn’t matter now. Sign the damn thing and get the spell. Ipluckedthequillfromtheair Luciferflickedhisfinger,andthecutinmypalmstartedbleedingagain Forasecond,allIcoulddowasstareatit,theideaofsigningacontractinmyownbloodabhorrentforsomereason. I’djustspilledatonofitalloverthefloortofeedthesummoning.
Thewitch,Bronwyn,snatchedthescrolloutoftheairandhuggedittoherchest.Shegrinnedatmefromtheothersideof heruselesssaltline,herexcitementoverpoweringthenauseatinggriefemanatingfromeverypore Hergreyeyessparkledwith it.
Really, when would these witches learn? No power in the world could confine me. Not even The Morrigan’s veil, protectingthehumanworldfromtheoldgods,couldtouchtheUnderworldasithadintendedtodo
Whenshe’d sacrificed her twelve warriors, all the doors were supposed to close. Instead, her witches gottrapped and mostoftheoldgodswereconfinedtotheirrealm
Shewasacomelything,Isupposed,withfierywavesofcopperhaircascadingoverhershoulder Pleasantenoughfeatures onher heart-shaped face, thoughthat wicked smirk, bothtemptingand trouble-stirring, whispered of the bedlamshe could unleashifgivenhalfthechance.
Notthatthecouncil caredonebitwhatthelastOwenwitchlookedlike All theycaredaboutwas balance Specifically, returningbalancetotheworldnowthattheoldgodshadleftavoidtherestofusstoodnochanceoffillingalone.Weneededto pullmorepowerfromthecore,andtodothat,thereneededtobemoreofus
She had more guts thansense, thatmuchwas clear. Possiblya good thingconsideringthe fate she’d signedherselfto. A pleasedglintinthosestormyeyesbetrayedheryouthandinexperience.Shecouldn’thaveseenmorethanthirtymortalyears.
“Good thing I never wanted kids,” shethought,failingtosomuchassmotherherthoughtsortrytoshieldthem. Really, had these witches fallenso far fromtheir roots theyhad forgotteneverythingthat had made themfeared among demonkind?
“Didn’t your grandmother teachyouanythingabout dealingwiththe Devil?” Mygrinwidened as her pulse raced. That wouldbeano “Readthefuckingfineprint”
I stepped towards her, through the magic surrounding her summoning circle and over the pointless salt line. Her eyes widenedandshescrambledawaywithasqueal,hittingawallofpowersheclearlyhadn’tsensed Thecontractburstbackinto beingbeforemeandIsnatcheditup,smudgingthevelum.Theancientthinghisseditsdispleasureinmymind,butIpaiditno attention
“Whatdoesthatsay,witch?”
“That thatIgive youmyfirstbornchild,” she said, her voice shaking. Thenher gaze hardened alongwithher voice. “Likeweagreed”
“Should conception not occur naturally within the allotted span, the female party herebyagrees to undergo any and all magical treatments prescribed byLucifer Morningstar or his appointed physicians to induce or enable pregnancy. Refusal to complywillbecountedasabreachofcontract”
Pure unadulterated fury claimed her features. She thrashed against the power holding her still, calling me every insult imaginable ItimpressedmeforatickoftheclockbutI’drathernotbeinthemortalplanewhenthelustspellkickedin Isighed.“Sinceyourefusetofollow instructions,I’ll helpyou.”Iturnedthecontracttofacemeandreadthefinal lines. “Theresultantchild,begatoftheMorningstar,shall uponbirthberelinquishedtothecustodyandauthorityoftheDarkLord exclusivelyuntiltheendofdays.”
“By signing in blood freely given, this covenant is sealed beyond all contestation across all planes of existence material,spiritual,infernal,andotherwise.Thesearetheirrefutableconditionsofourarrangementherein.”Ithrewthehissing contractovermyheadandwilledaportaltoopen,sendingthedisgruntledthingbacktoHellwhereitbelonged.“So,Bronwyn Owen,areyougoingtowillinglyfulfilthetermsofourinfernalbargain,orareyougoingtomakethisdifficultonusboth?” Hereyesflashedsilver.“Whatareyougoingtodo,makeme?”shespat,outrageetchinglinesinherface.
Iheldhergaze,watchingtheimplicationsinkinasthosestormyeyeswidened “Theonlyquestioniswhetherwereachthe inevitableoutcomeinhours” Itrailedasuggestivefingerdownherrapidlypalingcheek “ordays.” Silencereignedbutforherthrummingpulse.Thegearsturnedbehindhereyesasshegloweredatme.Oh,howIhopedshe would test me How long had it been since a mere mortal sparked more than cruel amusement within me? I schooled my featurestostillness,refusingtobetraymygrowingexcitement.
WhyThe Morriganmandated that the child be of Owenblood, I hadn’t asked. It mattered little to me. But the longer I watchedthem,pushingthemselvestothebrinkofextinction,themoreconcernedI’dgrown. What would happen if I didn’t produce an heir to the Infernal Throne? Would my kingdom lose power? Become overwhelmed?
“Our bargain. His heir. I had to…” herstiltedthoughtsechoedinsidemymind,servingasanearlywarningsystem. Shetriedtoshovemeback,butIhadalreadytightenedmygrip.
“This isn’t me Isn’t real Just magic, twisting my will ” Myfingerstraileddownher neck,leavingablazingtrail over her feveredskin.Her breathcamefaster,desireandpanic buildinginsideofher
“Shh,relax.”Istrokedahanddownher backsoothingly.Shetrembled,buther bodyleanedintome.Igentlygraspedher chin, tippingher face up “Iknow you’re frightened Butwe’re bothtrapped inthis spell now Fightingwill onlybringyou pain.”
At the first brushof mylips against hers, unwanted pleasure cascaded throughus Electricityzinged throughme as her handsslidupmychest.Myheartracedimpossiblyasherfingerstangledinmyhair,intensifyingtheheatbetweenus.
Withmylastounce ofcontrol, Iopened a portal and dragged her throughit. She whimpered once butbarelyseemed to noticetherollercoasterrushofpoweraroundus,herlipsneverleftmine.
It had beenaeons since I had experienced anythinglike this. It was intoxicating, a dance of temptation. Anythought of resistingthespellevaporatedfrommymind Icouldonlyrevelinthesinfulfeelingofitall Whoknewakisscouldfeellikeabrand?
CHAPTER THREE
BRONWYN
The portal spatus outsomewhere. Ididn’tcare enoughto breakthe kiss. Notevenmyspinninghead or flip-flopping stomachcouldconvinceme.
Lucifer deepened the kiss His hands glided over me, skilled and coaxing My resistance wavered beneath that druggingtouch.Thespellunfurledinsideme,burningdeliciouslyasitinvadedmybloodstream.WhatchoicedidIhavebutto surrender?
Onsome level, I knew I should keep refusinghim This was wrong I didn’t want it But the spell surged throughme, blottingoutall reasonandleavingnoroomfor reluctance.Thedesirepulsingthroughmewitheverycaress andpress ofhis bodyagainstminedrownedallrationalthought
at me, his pupils blown with lust, a feral hunger burning in their depths that matched the need roaring within me. With an animalisticgrowl,hislipscrashedagainstmineinanothersearingkiss,histongueduellingwithmine.
Hetore atmyclothes withimpatienthands,makingme tremble.Witha frustratedhuff,a surge ofpower shotoutofhim, ticklingmyskin Imoanedasitcaressedmefromheadtotoe,barelynoticingwhenmyfavouritejeansdissolvedintonothing His bare chest brushed against mine, and it was like anelectric shockrunningthroughme. Mynipples hardened and I gasped,archingintohim.
I hissed whenhe removed it, replacingit withhis tongue, tracingthe seamof mypussy, before slippingthe tip inside, teasingtheentrance.
“More,please”
Andhegavememore,morethanIcouldhandle.Hefuckedmewithhisfingersandtongue,feedingmefirstone,thentwo, thenthreedigits Hisfingersplungeddeep,stretchingmeandfillingmewithblindingpleasure Icriedout,myfingerstanglinginhishairasheflickedandteasedmyclitinawaythatdefiedhumanunderstanding. Mylegs buckled under the onslaughtofsensation, buthe held me up. He braced me againstthe wall withhis free hand, holdingfirm,keepingmefromfallingashefuckedmyentrancewithunrestrainedabandon Itwasalmosttoomuch Theworldspunashelicked,teased,andsuckled,drowningmeinpleasure. Icouldn’tcatchabreath
He groaned inresponse, his face contortinginpleasure. He skimmed his palms downmybody, teasingand pinchingmy nipples,sendingshiversthroughme.Hismovementsgrewwilder,drivingbothofusharderagainstthewall.
I gasped at the intensityof the sensation, mybodyrespondingas mymind screamed for himto stop. But there was no escapingthe darklust that bound us together. The roomspunas he pounded into me faster, our hips slappingtogether ina searchingdesperation.Iarchedmyback,needingmoreofhim histouch,hispossession.
Lucifer’s grip on my hips tightened, his fingers digging into my flesh as he quickened his pace The urgency in his movementsgrew,aprimalhungerdrivinghimtoclaimmecompletely.Thesoundofourbodiescollidingechoedoffthestone walls,minglingwithourraggedbreathsanddesperatemoans.
Buttheneverymuscle inmybodytensed up Myinner walls tightened, clampingdownonhis cockuntil he grunted, his movementsslowingasIfellovertheedgeanddraggedhimwithme.
“Remove this bond at once, you duplicitous crone!” I bellowed, determined to make the wretched Goddess hear me somehow “Igaveyoumyword Ikepteveryconditionofourpact Ididnotagreetosignmyselfovertoeternalenslavement!” Anditwouldbeenslavement,livingforeternitytiedtoawoman,anywoman.
The Morrigan, thatinsufferable goddess ofmanipulation, had orchestrated a game withstakes higher thanshe could pay Myfuryintensifiedwitheverypassingmomentthatthebondremainedfixed,tyingmetotheOwenwitch.
Breathinghard,Iwaitedwithall ofmyfocus directedinward,watchingthe ribbonconnectingour souls for the smallest signoffrayingorsnapping.Secondspassedbyandnothinghappened.
The irony of my situation didn’t escape me The Devil, the embodiment of rebellion, trapped by the whims of a manipulativegoddess.
Mynext rushed attackmet aninvisible barrier, the clashreverberatingdownmysword arm. She beganto channel her power,unwittinglytuggingatsomethinginsideofmewhileshedidit.
“Why?” Her voice shifted, no longer a plea but a challenge “You force me to see through our deal ” She blushed, swallowinghard as her gaze jumped to mybed and backto me. “And thenkill me before Icancomplete it? How does that makesense?”
Her words onlyfuelledmyfury.Ifaintedleft,thenstruckright,faster thanmortals couldblink.Yetshesidestepped.The bladenickedthesoftskinofhershoulder,andIhowledasanidenticalburningslashsearedthroughmyown.
The snap ofmybedchamber door claimed myattention. Iglanced over to find Bronwyngone, nothingbuther fear-laced scent and a trail of blood, spotted across the polished marble, stainingthe blackrugs towards the door. The drops fizzled beforemyeyesasthepalaceabsorbedthem
Frustrationcoiledwithinme.Thesituationwasrapidlyspirallingoutofmycontrol,afactthatdeepenedmyannoyance.I needed a momentto gather mythoughts, to devise a planfor dealingwiththe obstinate witchand her infuriatinglyresilient soulbond
The scentofburntozone lingered, a remnantofour clash, mixingwiththe faintmetallic tangofthe blood thathad once stainedthefloor.Theroom,onceahavenofcalculatedelegance,nowreekedofchaosandtheinexplicablebondthatboundus. Withasnapofmyfingers,Ireturnedittoitsoriginalstateandturnedmybackonit,barelygivingtheroomasecondlook. Thelittlewitchneededtolearntoobey
And whatbetter waythanlettingher experience the realities ofthe Infernal Throne, mypalace, unprotected? She might wearmyscent,butitwouldn’tbestrongenoughtoscareoffmyDemonLegions BronwynOwenwouldlearnthatinmyrealm, defiancehaddireconsequences.Itwastimetoshowherthetruemeaningoffear,alessonthatwouldbeetchedintohersoul foreternity.
Glancingover myshoulder, paranoia gnawed atme. No signoftall, blond, and psychotic yet. Ihalf-expected himto be rightonmytail,allflamesandfury,hisrobesswishingdramatically
Itookanother turn, stumblinginto a corridor thatappeared narrower thanthe rest. The air grew thickwithanunsettling crackle,anddistantechoesreachedmyears,makingmyskincrawl.
“Great Just great!” I muttered to myself, my heart racing as I sprinted down the corridor These things were fast, and Luciferhadalreadyleftmewinded.
Iriskedaglanceback,terrorclawingatmythroat Theyweregainingonme,theirnightmarishfiguresclosingthegap My breathscameinraggedgasps,andeverymusclescreamedinprotest.
“Backoff,Cujo!” Iyelled,slammingthe door shut.The heavythudofbodies hittingthe other side sentmyheartintomy throat “Thisis not howIwanttodie!Doyouhearme,Lucifer?Ifthisisyourideaofajoke,cutitoutnow!”
The door creaked under the pressure ofthempoundingagainst it, and Iyelped. Heart pounding, Ibolted up the narrow stairs Behindme,thedoorcrackedasbodiesslammedagainstthesolidoak
Turningback,Igotafullviewofthedemons Theywerelikeawalking,snarlinghorrorshow Humanoid,sure,buttwisted and wrong, like someone had tried to assemble themwithoutinstructions. Their skinwas a sicklyshade of... Idon’tknow, some colour that shouldn’t exist. And their eyes… oh my goddess, that was the worst part glowing like those creepy nightlightsyouseeinhorrorflicks Itwaslikestaringintoanightmare’ssoul Andthehungerinthem–itwasliketheyhadn’t eateninyears,andIwasthefirstall-you-can-eatbuffetthey’dstumbledupon.
“Invigorating?!”Isnorted,myheartstillcrashinginsidemyribs “We’retrappedinsideawallwhilethedemonmutts ” “Demon Legion, ” she corrected, her tone perfectly calm, like this was a regular stroll. “No relation to yours truly of course”
Shegiggled.“Sodelightfullydramatic!You’ll fitrightin.Butnono,theywon’tgiveup.They’vegoteternity,youknow. Patience is like… their thing. Fortunately, it’s too mucheffort for themto wriggle throughstone.” Claws clicked onbricks behindme.“Mostly,” she mutteredinanominous tone before returningtoher regular cheerful programming.“Butnomatter! Whilewewait,whynotcontinuethetour?”
She laughed again, her voice bouncingoffthe enclosed space “Darling, nothingsays youcan’tenjoythe scenerybefore youdie.Comeon,trustme.Iknowsomegreatspots.” Wasshehigh?
I rolled my eyes. “Because nothing screams ‘strength’like living in a glorified boneyard.” The absurdity of it all was startingtowearthin.IwasinHell,talkingarchitecturewithademon.
“Exactly!You’re gettingit.” Mara clapped her hands, the sound echoingweirdly. “And letme tell you, the gossip here? Better thananysoap opera. Did youknow Lucifer once threw a feastfor the mostmalevolentsouls, justto prove a pointto Beelzebub?”
“ collecting rare, enchanted mirrors They say he spends hours gazing at his reflection, pouting about not having the charm…”
Assuming I could get out, there had to be a way to hide from him Why hadn’t I grabbed the grimoire before he’d transportedustoHell?ItwouldbejustmyluckiftheanswerswereinthatbookandI’dleftitbehind.
“Oh,andyoushouldhaveseentheMissHellcompetitionlastyear!Thedrama,thebackstabbing,theoutfits!Itwastodie for!” She shotme a vicious yetgleeful grinover her shoulder “Lilithtried to rigthe whole thinginfavour ofher succubus protegée,andBelialchallengedhertoaduel ”
She stared at me. “Where do youthinkthe humanrealmgot the concept?” She shookher head, tuttingto herselfas she started movingagain. “Hell has itall. Beautypageants, gladiator tournaments, cookingcompetitions, youname it. You’d be
She giggled, her clawed fingers tapping against the walls as we walked “No, no The winner gets a day as Lucifer’s personalassistant.Acovetedposition,Iassureyou.”
Itoremygazefrommountainsofcrumblingscrolls.“Seriously?Evenintheafterlife,there’sbureaucracy?” “Hell has a system, darling Souls need to be properly catalogued Can’t have one slipping through the cracks and escaping.”
Mara tilted her head, blinking slowly as she considered my words. “An apt analogy. The true treasure is suffering, recordedforposterity!Butmostcomesimplyto...indulgecertainproclivities.”
“What?”Shestartled,hergazemeetingmineinconfusionforasecond “Oh!No,no Theromantic,‘I’llprovemyloveby burninginthe pits ofhell for you’type.” Her lips twisted. “Didn’tmatter how manytimes Itold himIwasn’tinterested. I wonderwhathappenedtohim”
Weturnedacorner,andamassive,intricatelycarvedhallappeared,filledwithstatues.Theywere...well,bizarrewasan understatement Some looked almosthuman, frozenmid-motion, like dancers caughtina snapshot Others were creepy, with limbstwistedinimpossibleangles,half-human,half-somethingelse.Ashapeshiftercaughtmid-transformation,maybe?
I followed Mara to the centre of the room, weaving between the shapes, eying themwith caution like they might start movingifIblinkedatthewrongmoment.
Shestoppedinfrontofoneinparticular,staringupatitwithdreamyeyes.Onesideofhisfacewastotaleye-candy.Butthe otherhalf?Nightmarecentral,withamouththatcouldprobablybiteacarinhalf Andthoseeyes ohboy,onelookedlikeit wasabouttocry,andtheotherwasall I’m gonna eat your soul.
Theywere all like somethingout of a horror artist’s fever dream. Their expressions were a mixof agonyand ecstasy, makingmewonderiftheywereinpainorenjoyingit
“WhatintheGoddess’snameisthisplace?”
“The Hall of Frozen Souls,” Mara said, flinging out her arms, as if presenting a masterpiece “Lucifer’s personal art gallery.Hebelievesthere’sbeautyinsuffering.”
“Notentirely.”Hertoneshiftedtosomethingmorereflectiveasshestaredupatthestatue.“Lucifer’sHellisaboutbalance. Fear and pain, yes, for those who deserve it. The rest of us live our lives inrelative peace and safety. We prefer things a little ” she waved her hands, searchingfor the right words “Spicy But power and order are also important He’s bigon order.”
Really,theanswerwaseasy.“He’sapsychoticasshole,”Iscoffedundermybreath. Maraglancedbackatme,hereyescurious “Youdon’tbelieveme?” Ishrugged, a half-hearted attemptatnonchalance. “It’s notthatIdon’tbelieve you. It’s…” Ihesitated, searchingfor the rightwords “Myexperience withhimhas beenless ‘orderly’and more ‘don’t believe a word I saybecause I’mgoingto skeweryouwithasword.’”
“Well,ofcourse.Hiswholemodusoperandiistobeunpredictable.”ShelaughedasifIshouldhaveknownsomethingso logical “His enemies can’t best himiftheycan’t pinhimdown It’s his passion, his fire Deep down, he craves structure, control.Everythinginitsrightplace,includinghisplansforyou.”
We continued our weird tour of the citadel and I tried to silence the never-ending questions about The Devil and his intentions.AllIneededtocareaboutwasgettingout.Whyhewokeupandchoseviolencethismorningdidn’tmatter. Westoppedatyetanotherwindow,andMarapointedoutatwhatlookedlikemultipleredfootballfieldsatthebaseofthe mountain.Ihadtosquinttomakeitout.
Forget football Try blood-choked battlefields Ishuddered.WhatIassumedwerebodiesblurredtogetherunderadeepvioletsky,nothingmorethanblackspecksatthis distance.
Itwas mesmerising, like watchingthe aurora borealis, onlya milliontimes more intense. The souls twisted and turned, formingalmostdeliberatepatterns,liketheyweretryingtotelltheirstories.
Itooka stepforward,oddlyfascinated.The pull was almostphysical,the stories ofthose souls callingtome.Itwas so pretty
“Attend?Hardpass That’sbarbaric,evenforhere”Ibackedfirmlyawayfromtheedge Mara smirked knowingly with a noncommittal hum, continuing the tour. But the grisly scenes from that arena already hauntedme ItwasajobtosaywhichofHell’ssightswouldgivememorenightmares Itmademedreadtolearnwhatother ‘delights’Hellwouldtrytoforcemetostomach.
I have to get out of here
We walked onthrougha series ofcaverns and halls, eachmore disturbingthanthe last. The further we went, the more I despairedofeverfindingawayoutofthisplace.Atleastnotwithoutsomehelp.
“Mara isthereawaytogetoutofhell?Backtomyworld,realm,plane ”Istruggledwiththeterminology She hesitated, her expression turning thoughtful. “There’s no easy way if that’s what you’re asking. Once, there was a stairwayconnectingall the realms,butithasn’tbeenusedinaeons Itlikelycrumbledwhenthe balance shiftedbetweenthe realms.”
She sighed, butindulged me. “Itwas a connectionbetweenall realms, a bridge spanningthe fabric ofexistence. As for whereitleads,thatdependsontherealmitconnectedto Yourworld,anotherplane,adifferentrealmaltogether Noonetruly knows.”
Soifitexisted,andifIcouldfindit,itmightnottakemehome Great
The shadows swirled ina darkalcove as we passed. There was somethinghypnotic aboutit, like those optical illusion paintingswhereifyoustaredlongenough,you’dseeadolphinorwhatever.
Mara yanked me backso hard Inearlylostmyfooting Askeletal hand, all bones and sharp, nasty-lookingrazor claws, burstfromthe shadows, swipingatthe air where myface had beenseconds ago. Myheartdid a triple somersault, and I’m prettysureitlandedbackwards
CHAPTER EIGHT
BRONWYN
Iyelped, stumbling away fromthe alcove as the skeletal hand scraped the air hungrily before sinking back into the shadows.Myheartwaspoundinglikeadrumsoloatarockconcert.“Holyhellfire,whatwasthat?”
“Despair Shadows,” Mara explained, her tone nonchalant as if skeletal hands in the walls were just another Tuesdayforher.Shesmirkedatmyincredulouslook.“They’llgladlyfeedoffyouifyouwandercarelessly.AswilltheEchoes ofSorrow Maybedon’tgostrollingaroundtheInfernalThronealone,yes?”
She chuckled, her eyes dancingwithamusement. “My, my, aren’tyoua resilientone? Notmanymortals make itthis far withoutlosingtheirsanity Luckyyou”
“Lucky,” Imuttered, more to myselfthanto her. This place was like a twisted amusementpark, and Iwas anunwilling participantstrappedintotheworld’sworstrollercoaster Icouldn’thelpbutwonderifLuciferwassomewherelaughingatmy plight.
As we walked alongthe outer parapets, Mara gestured downthe mountainside witha flourishofher hand “There’s the CircleofLust.Lilith’sdomain.ThismightbeagoodtimeformetowarnyouaboutsomeoftheprominentcitizensofHell.It’s goodtoknowwhotoavoid,yousee.”Shespokelikeatourguideintheworld’smostmacabremuseum.
Shenoddedsagely,herexpressionserious “True,butsomearemoredangerousthanothers TakeLilith,forexample The Lord ofLust. She’s gotanagenda, and she’s always lookingfor new playthings. Cross her path, and she mightfind youtoo intriguingasnacktopassup.”Herwordssentachilldownmyspine.
As we left the dungeons behind, the air grew colder, and the scent of decaylingered like the world’s worst perfume I hesitated,brushingmyfingertipsagainstadarkwall,curiositymyabsoluteworsttrait.
Her lifeless formonthe deathbed,her once vibranteyes closedforever,leavingme adriftina worldsuddenlytoolarge andtoocold
Maratutted.“Ididsaytowatchyourstep.Thewallsherehaveamindoftheirown.”Hervoicewasadistantecho,barely penetratingthestormofpainandmemoriesraginginmyhead I rubbed my temples, trying to shake off the residual agony. “What’s happening to me?” I gasped, my voice weak and trembling.
“An Echo has you, I’mafraid. Nasty tricksters,” she said, her tone unexpectedly serious, a stark contrast to her usual playfuldemeanour.
The echo morphed into the laughter of schoolkids, taunting me for my oddness, my affinity for the shadows and the whispersofunseenthings.Irememberedshrinkingintomyself,wishingIcoulddisappear.
Andthen,therewas him myfirstlove,his facenow blurredbytime Thewarmthofhis handinmine,thepromiseof foreverinhiseyes allshatteredinamoment.
“There’ssomethingnotrightaboutyou.”
Eachmemorywas a threadinthe tapestryofmylife,wovenwithpainandloss Igasped,a sobescapingmylips as the weightofyearsoflonelinessandmisunderstandingpresseddownonme.
Iwastheoutcast,themisfit,theonewhoneverbelongedanywhere Iclosedmyeyestighter,tryingtoblockouttheimages,thegriefthreateningtoconsumemelikearavenousbeast. After whatfeltlikeaneternity,thevisions releasedtheir clawinggrip Ipanted,glaringatthedarkspaceas ifitwerea livingentitythathadattackedme. Was itliving?
Maraclearedherthroat,hervoicecuttingthroughthethickair.“Apleasureasalways,Lilith.Sadly,wemustbegoing.” “Sosoon?”Lilithtutted,hervoicelacedwithfeigneddisappointmentasshefollowedmyretreatwithanenticingswayof her hips.Her longnailstrailedlazilyalongthewall,unconcernedthatashadow beingmightensnareher,apredator playing withherprey “Butweonlyjustmet Youdon’treallyhavetoleave,doyou,Bronwyn?”
CHAPTER NINE
LUCIFER
Thirty minutes earlier…
I walked into the assembly room, a grand chamber ensconced in undulating shadows, each corner whispering secrets ofbygone eras The air was thickwiththe scentofancientpower,a headyblendofsmoulderingembers and time-wornleather,tingedwithafaint,almostimperceptibletraceofbrimstone.
The Lords of Sin, each a paragon of their respective vice, gathered around the obsidian table, their eyes ablaze with infernalhungerevenwhiletheyexudedanairofindifference.
Itookmyrightful place at the head ofthe council, mygaze sweepingacross themwitha mixture ofdisdainand weary resignation.
Beelzebub sprawled lazily in his chair, his rotund figure draped in rich, albeit soiled, garments, his eyes glinting with insatiablehunger Hegnawedonabone,hislipssmearedwiththeremnantsofafeastonlyhecouldappreciate Beside him, Belphegor lounged, eyes glazed withdisinterest;he barelyregistered mypresence. His posture was one of utterdisengagement,abeingsoconsumedbyennuithattheweightofhisheadwastoomuchtobear Moloch, Lord ofWrath, satrigidly, his hands clenched into fists. His eyes, burningwitha perpetual fire, flickered with barelycontainedrage Theairaroundhimcrackled
Abbadon, representing envy, was a study in contrasts. His eyes, a piercing green, bore into mine with an unsettling intensity.Heshifteduncomfortably,hisformshimmeringasifunabletosettleintoasingleshape.
And lastly, Lilith. She watched me withanintensitythat belied her seductive poise. The Lord of Lust, her gaze was a cauldronofdesire and cunning. Dressed ina gownthatclungto her like a second skin, she exuded anallure thatwas both perilousandintoxicating
As Iobserved them, a mixofcontemptand amusementchurned withinme. These beings, once fearsome intheir power, nowseemedalmostcaricaturesofthemselves,sodeeplyentrenchedintheirsins
