Probably not the smartest order to give a creature that relishes others’ pain, but this one made no move to do as I commanded.
“I am your queen, and I am ordering you to put me down!”
“Boss told me to protect you,” he growled.
My breath caught at his admission. That was so … uncharacteristic of Hades.
And apparently, my commands couldn’t trump the devil’s. Big surprise.
Far below us, the rest of the demons rushed the officers. My body tensed as an eruption of magic and blood saturated the night air. Even this far away I could sense it.
I was partially responsible for whatever lives were lost, and I couldn’t stop it. I wondered if that was part of the plan—to get me out of there before I could command the demons to cease.
Either way, it was too late to stop the carnage. Castletown, the city below us, was quickly becoming just a cluster of lights.
The wind howled, sweeping around me. I could feel the lost souls as they blew by me, some lifting my hair, some caressing my face. I could taste their sweet sorrow and ruin on my tongue. There was a whole procession of us evil things arcing across the night sky.
“Where are we going?” I yelled over the roar of the wind.
The demon either didn’t hear me, or he chose to ignore me. I grimaced as his hot breath hit my skin.
Just when I thought my life couldn’t get any more screwed up, it went and did just that. A good part of it was my fault. What was I thinking, going into the Politia’s headquarters like that?
Way to kick the hornet’s nest, Gabrielle.
Once we hit the outskirts of Castletown, the demon began to descend. He lowered us rapidly, aiming for what appeared to be a residential area. Little houses with pitched roofs sat close together. I breathed in the damp smell of wet asphalt. The rain had let up, but it would be back.
As we touched down, I eyed the homes around us. No fluttering curtains or strolling neighbors to witness a winged beast delivering a strange girl to the earth.
I turned and stared the demon in his red eyes. No joy lingered there. No happiness. Just a thirst for others’ suffering. He nodded to me and tensed.
A moment later, he shot back into the air. I threw an arm over my face as his large wings whipped my hair around my head.
“Hey!” I yelled. “Where are you going? Don’t leave me here!”
He had to have heard me, but he didn’t once glance my way as he flew back into the night.
Motherfucking demons.
I brushed myself down, mostly to get the smell of sulfur off me. Several streets over, a car screeched as someone took a turn way too fast, then gunned its engine. From what I could hear, it sounded as though it was getting closer.
I began to walk, not sure where I was going because some idiot demon dropped me in the middle of nowhere.
For the first time all evening, I had a moment to think. What was I doing here? On earth? I’d hated hell, but I didn’t want to be thrown right back into this melee.
Then end the fighting.
I started at the devil’s voice. I hadn’t expected to hear it this far away from him.
“This is larger than me,” I said out loud.
Nothing is larger than you, save for me. The devil’s voice rang in my ear. Remind them with blood and violence and pain.
“Go away.”
Never, his voice whispered.
A car turned down the street, fishtailing as it did so. I squinted as headlights shined into my eyes. It screeched to a stop next to me, and the driver-side door banged open.
Leanne leaned out. “Hey stranger, long time no see.”
“Leanne?” I began to smile at the sight of her before I remembered my situation. My eyes moved from her to Oliver, who sat next to her. “What are you guys—?”
“We’ve got thirty seconds to execute this, or else the future changes dramatically,” Leanne said. “I love you, Gabrielle. Now please get in the fucking car.”
“Damn girl,” I heard Oliver say over her shoulder. “Just when I thought you had no attitude left.”
Wise enough to heed her warning, I headed over to the car and slid into the back seat, my feet and long skirt dragging mud and grit in with me.
“You really did it this time, Sabertooth,” Oliver said as Leanne maneuvered the car out of the neighborhood. “That was a lot of demons.”
The only way he knew that was if he stayed to watch. “I thought I told you to leave Castletown.”
“Because I follow orders so well.” Oliver shook his head. “One day in hell and you’ve forgotten that your BBF is a fucking fairy.”
“Speaking of fairies,” Oliver leaned around his seat and lifted up an edge of my dress, “this looks fae made.” He rubbed the lace together. “Why is this wet—?”
He squealed when he realized what the liquid was. “Ewww!” He wiped the blood off on the seats, then swore, staring at the stain for several seconds. When nothing happened, he relaxed. “Phew, thought I’d just released another hellspawn.”