After that, an amazing thing happens. The rider’s eyes roll into his head and he slumps over, dead, a dagger embedded in the back of his skull. Once he falls, I can see Lincoln riding toward me on a demon horse. In his left hand, he holds a gun to the last rider’s head. His right hand reaches toward me. Kiya sits on Lincoln’s shoulder.
As Lincoln rides by, I grab his right arm and get hoisted onto the horse’s back. There’s not a lot of room with three of us, but my tail anchors me to the saddle enough to hang on.
The horse leaps through the still-open portal behind me. We all tumble through empty space, coming out right by the Wall of Hell. Everything looks deserted. I immediately slide off the horse’s barrel. Kiya leaps from Lincoln’s shoulder to land on mine.
“You made a promise,” says the rider. “If I brought you here, you wouldn’t kill me.”
“Dismount,” orders Lincoln.
“There’s no point in stealing my horse. It won’t answer to no one but me.”
“Dismount,” repeats Lincoln. “Don’t make me say it again.”
The rider slides off the horse and lands on the desert floor before me. Lincoln does the same. With quick glances, he scans the horizon.
“No one’s around,” says the rider. “Just like I promised. Now, you keep yer word. Don’t kill me.”
Lincoln uncocks the gun. “I won’t kill you.”
The rider’s eyes flare demon red as his fingers creep toward the knife on his belt. “I didn’t think you had it in ya.”
“He won’t kill you.” I stab the rider straight through the heart with my tail. “But I will.” I yank my tail out of the rider’s chest. The demon crumples forward and falls onto the desert floor.
Lincoln leans over him, checking for any sign of life. “He’s dead. Nice work.”
“Not the cleverest of the bunch, I’m guessing.”
“Fortunately for us.” Lincoln slaps the horse’s hindquarters. “Hyah!” The animal rears on its back legs, whinnies and takes off into the desert at a gallop. Lincoln watches it go and shrugs. “Sometimes they return to normal once they’re away from their riders. It’s worth a try.” He turns to me. “How are you holding up?”
The adrenaline rush of demon-killing pumps happily through my veins. I can’t help but smile. “Great. I ate a mouthful of sand and lost my backpack.” Kiya chatters into my ear; I pet his tail in long strokes. “But I suppose I kept my most precious cargo, thanks to you.”
Lincoln shifts the weight of his own pack on his shoulders. “See? And I kept my pack, too.” The thrill of battle is brightening him as well. “That’s why you need me desperately.”
“I’d say that you’re right, but then, I don’t want you getting a bigger ego than you already have.”
“Oh, say it anyway.” Lincoln rolls his eyes. “You know my ego can’t get any bigger.”
“Fine. I need you…to step back so Kiya can open our way into Hell.”
“Yeah.” Lincoln stares at the towering wall, and all the adrenaline seems to disappear from both our systems. “We need to do that, don’t we?”
“We’ve already lost time in this desert.” I flip over my wrist and check out the Looking Glass. Maxon is now white eyed and sitting calmly. Hopefully he’ll stay that way until we reach him. I prod Kiya with my pointer finger. “We’re ready for you.”
Kiya scales the wall of vines and pauses about seven feet above the ground. Around him, the snaking cords transform from blackened ropes into bright green vines with wide leaves and tiny white flowers. Kiya lets out a happy screech. In response, the vines below him turn the same emerald shade, all the way to the desert floor. Kiya pats at the now-vibrant wall of green. The vines part like a veil, revealing an all-black interior beyond.
My breath catches. We’re here. The back entrance to Hell.
My heart hammers in my throat. Somewhere inside that darkness waits Maxon, my sweet baby. And he’s imprisoned by Armageddon. What if we can’t save him? What if he ends up tortured?
I look to Lincoln, feeling my eyes sting with hidden tears. I’m sure I’d be bawling my eyes out if I had any extra hydration in me.
Lincoln takes my hand in his. “We can do this,” he says in a low voice.
The cool resolve in his mismatched eyes thrums through me. My spine straightens; my heart rate slows. My wrath demon unfurls inside my soul, heating my blood with rage.
Fuck Armageddon. We’re getting our kid back.
We step inside, still holding hands. Kiya scrambles onto my shoulder, his little hands gently pawing my cheek as his chatter turns low and soft. Behind us, the wall-hole silently closes. My heart leaps into my throat.
Suddenly, the vines burst forward, pulling us against the wall, and then, inside it. Vines band around my chest, making it hard to breathe. My pulse skyrockets. Complete darkness surrounds me. I sense my body tumbling through space—moving downwards so quickly, I could be jet propelled—with the vines dragging me the entire way. I focus my energy on keeping my palm locked with Lincoln’s.