“Hey, Jake!” I yelled. “Maybe your new bestie Azazel will tell you the same bedtime story just before one of his angels breaks your neck. Because it’ll happen. As soon as he doesn’t need you anymore, it’ll happen.”
“Whatever, Milayna. Right now, I think you have bigger problems to worry about,” Jake mocked.
“Tsk, tsk, Milayna. Are you saying I’m not a man of my word?”
My body shook so hard I had to concentrate to keep my voice from wavering. I didn’t want to show fear. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “You’re not a man.”
Azazel laughed. “You got me there. I’m not a man. I’m stronger.”
“Doubtful.”
“My, my, you have a lot of attitude for someone in your position. I’d consider treating me with a little more respect.”
“Earn it. Let Muriel go.”
“Mmm.” He tapped one long fingernail against his thin lips. “Nope. Not gonna happen. I will do this, though. I’ll kill her last. That’ll give her the best chance of being rescued.”
We’re not getting rescued. It’s two against… shit, two against all of Hell. Eh, those odds aren’t too bad.
“Okay, I think I’ve had enough chatter for one day. I’m growing bored with this whole ordeal, Milayna. It’s time for us to end this.” He waved his hand in the air like he was swishing a bug away. “Let go of her. She’s not going anywhere.”
With one final, painful squeeze, the demons let go of my arms. I stumbled forward, falling on my knees.
“Now see, if only you’d fallen on your knees in front of me sooner, this could have been avoided.” Azazel chuckled and shook his head. “Such a pity.”
I stood and brushed myself off. Squaring my shoulders and schooling my expression, I looked into Azazel’s cold, dead eyes. “I’ll never bow to you.”
“And that is why you will die.”
The floor began to shake, and I held out my arms to keep my balance. The tile broke, the pieces flying through the room like knives as they sailed past me. I felt blood ooze from a cut on my cheek. It ran down my face and neck.
As pieces flew at me, I waved them away with my hands, amazed that I could finally tap into my telekinetic power without thinking.
The floor broke open. Fissures spread across the concrete floor like fingers. The earth parted—sliced open like melted butter. The sound of the cracking concrete and churning earth was deafening. It drowned out even Muriel and the demons’ screams, who lined the wall behind Azazel. Two held Muriel as she struggled to break free. The only sound was the groaning of the building as it gave way around us.
Pieces of the ceiling crashed to the floor as supports broke. As pieces fell above me, I raised my hand and flung them to the side. The chunks of ceiling followed the direction of my hands, landing just inches from Azazel.
“Wow! You’re getting good at that. It’s such a shame all your power will be wasted. Last chance, Milayna. Come with me. Think of all the fun we could have using your powers!”
I flung a piece of ceiling tile at him, knocking him in the shoulder hard enough that he stumbled backward. Jake and the line of demons shuffled toward the door of the church, dragging Muriel with them. They moved as far away from the falling ceiling and the pieces of concrete I was throwing toward Azazel as possible.
“I’ll take that as a ‘no.’” He steadied himself and brushed off his robe.
I turned in a circle, watching Azazel break away the floor little by little until I stood on a small surface, the hole in the floor like a moat encircling me.
I smelled it first. The stench of sulfur filled the air just moments before the smoke coiled up from the fissure. I saw the faint yellow glow coming from below. The earth gave way a little more, and I saw them. My stomach churned at the sight. So many people, such destruction. That would be my fate.
“Bow!”
“No!” I screamed. He flung his hand toward me, and a portion of the floor I stood on gave way.
“Do it or die,” Azazel yelled.
“No.” Fear clogged my throat, choking me.
He shrugged. “Okay.” He gave a small wave. Barely a movement of his hand, like he was so bored he couldn’t summon enough energy to do more. The small area of floor I stood on cracked a little more. I took a step back. My heels hung off the back, rocks and broken pieces of tile fell into the pit leading straight to Hell.
The clock chimed. One o’clock. I had one minute until the exact time of my birth. He’d do it any second now. He couldn’t wait any longer. If he didn’t kill me before the clock read one minute past one, I’d be immune to him and his demons. I’d be stronger. I closed my eyes and waited for the visions to tell me what to do. How the hell was I going to get out of this? When they finally came, the visions scrolled through my mind like credits after a movie. Faster and faster they came. I could hardly keep up. Scenario after scenario. Around and around they swirled, blending into each other.
They stopped, and I jerked forward with the abruptness. I opened my eyes and locked on Azazel’s glare. I knew what had to be done.
“Oh dear. Sounds like your time has run out, Milayna.”