“You’re not taking her to the Academy or anywhere else for that matter.”
His mom nods. “That’s fine. Either way, it’s her choice, but we’re not leaving until
you agree to help us.”
He laughs again. “Me help?… YOU?” He rolls his eyes. “Not that I will, but what
do you need help with?”
“We need you to lead us to Ezra.”
“First, I have no idea where he is, and even if I did, I would never betray him. You
have to remember that he was there for me when you weren’t.”
She looks away for a split second. When she looks back up at him, I can tell she’s
holding back tears.
“I don’t blame you, son.”
“Stop calling me
son.
”
She flinches at the sound of those words.
“We know where he is, Ben. We just need your help to actually get to him.”
“Where?” he asks.
I get closer to him and hold his hand, trying to calm him down.
“Will you help us?”
“Answer my question!” he yells.
“Ben, not until you agree to help us. He has your sister and the other nephilim.”
Ben’s grip on my hand tightens and I can feel his entire body tense.
“Of course he does. All he ever wanted was to have precious nephilim at his side.”
Looking at the door, I can see two others show up. Ethan and Hunter.
I already knew what Ethan and Hunter needed help with. The only reason I allowed
Ethan to know where we are is because I trust him. I face Ben’s mom.
“Please step outside. I will talk to him.”
She nods and asks everyone to leave.
When Ben turns to face me, I see betrayal all over his face.
“You showed them we were here,” he says.
“Ben, it’s not like that. I only showed our location to Ethan, I knew they needed
help so I thought—”
“What? You thought I’m evil turned good? Steph, I’m who I am and you can’t change
me.”
He did change but there is no need to bring it up… not now. “Did I EVER ask you to
change, Ben?”
He shakes his head. “But isn’t that what you are doing now?”
I shake my head. “I’m simply asking that you listen to what they have to say and
consider helping in any way you can.”
“I’m not going against my father.”
I put my hand against his chest and meet his gaze. “I’m not asking you to do that.
Just listen to what they have to say and we’ll take it from there. If there’s a
way to help get Kayla without you having to cause your father any harm, please help
them.”
He nods. “I’ll listen to what they have to say, but that’s all. And only one of
them can come in… and I suppose the immortal can, too.”
I smile at him and gently touch his lips with mine, giving him a kiss.
I go to the door. “Ethan, Hunter, please come in.”
Irene starts to walk toward me, “Please, Irene. He said Ethan and Hunter only. I
don’t want to push it.”
She looks hurt, but steps back.
Ethan and Hunter come in and stand across from Ben. I was honestly surprised he let
Hunter in.
“So what is the deal?” Ben asks Ethan.
Ethan sighs. “Your father is keeping Kayla and Samael in Hell and we need you to
get through the wards and get Hunter through the portal.”
Ben gives them a puzzled look. “So you think that the immortal who passed out when
attacked by a succubi, can survive in Hell?”
Ethan nods. “I doubt you’ll volunteer to go and get the nephilim, so Hunter is our
best chance.”
“Well, I’m not betraying my father.”
Hunter moves forward as if he is about to attack Ben and I move in between the two
and shake my head at Hunter.
Hunter takes a deep breath. “Can anyone else get through that portal?” he asks.
“Not without a demon from his blood line.”
Hunter takes another step forward. “Name your price. I will do anything. Just please
help me get her out of there,” he begs.
“Hunter!” warns Ethan. “You’re not making a deal with him.”
But Hunter doesn’t back down. He doesn’t even look back at Ethan. He just stares
at Ben, searching for his answer.
I turn around and see that Ben is considering it. His eyes are dark and cold like
they used to be when I first saw him. I walk over to Ben, unleashing my now dark
wings and wrap them around his body, blocking him from everyone else.
“Look at me, Ben,” I say.
He looks down at me, his eyes locked on mine.
“I know you don’t see it, but you have changed and I love you for that and for so
much more. Ben, do this for me… please,” I beg.
I place a kiss on his cheek and walk away to the other side of the room. I can’t
look into his eyes, not with all that darkness in them. I can’t be reminded of how
much pain he was in when we first left. And the last thing I want is for him to go
back to feeling worthless like he did before.
There is silence in the room and I can feel Ben’s gaze on the back of my neck, but
I can’t bare to look.
“I won’t betray my father,” he says. I turn around with tears in my eyes and find
him still looking at me. “But there is another way into the Otherworld,” he says,
“and you won’t need my help with that.”
I watch him wondering if this is just a trick, even though his eyes tell me otherwise.
I hate that during this moment, I question him like I used to so long ago.
He winks at me and I close my eyes.
“Please tell them, Ben.”
He looks at Hunter. “You can get there through the Otherworld. Follow the most painful
shrieks; they are your guide. You’ll know once you are there.”
“Thank you,” says Hunter.
“Now you are going to do something for me,” says Ben.
Ethan steps forward and I can tell he doesn’t like this at all.
“Don’t leave until Steph portals us out of here. I don’t want them coming after her.”
Ethan and Hunter both nod and I approach Ben, wrapping my arms around him and taking
us out of there.
HUNTER
The fallen can feel as soon as they are gone. By the time we turn around to leave,
they are already walking into the cabin. Ethan faces me and shrugs. “I’m already
damned anyway.” He grabs my arm and just like that, we are out of there and through
the portal that takes us to the Academy, straight to Xavier.
“What’s going on?” asks Xavier.
Ethan sighs. “We have no time to explain, but we need you to come with us.”
Xavier nods and Ethan portals us out of there and into the cabin that belongs to the
Erza… the one where Kayla was last.
Within seconds, Chase shows up with Jennifer.
Xavier gasps at the sight of her. This is the first we’ve seen her since she fell
and something about her falling is all wrong. In spite of the black wings, she radiates
goodness… and sadness.
Her expression softens once she looks at Ethan, but anyone can tell it’s just a façade
to hide her sadness from him. She walks over to him and he puts his arms around her,
pulling her close to his body and what they have, makes me miss Kayla even more.
“You called,” says Chase.
“I’m going to get Kayla,” I say.
“How?” Chase and Xavier ask at the same time.
“Benjamin said I can get to where she is from the Otherworld.”
Xavier shakes his head. “There are rumors that it can happen, but you can’t seriously
take a demon’s word for it!”
“It’s all I have to go on,” I say. “I’m doing it. Chase helped me get her from the
Otherworld before, so at least that part is familiar to me.”
Xavier is right. We don’t know if this will even work, but I’d go through hell and
back to find her and now it’s time to prove it.
Chase nods. “Just like last time?”
I nod.
“I’ll see you there,” he says and vanishes.
Ethan has limited abilities because of what happened to Jennifer. Once she fell,
for being with him, his wings darkened even more. He can no longer send me to the
Otherworld without help, so Xavier helps him.
I grab Kayla’s dagger and hold it close to me. Shortly after I close my eyes, I can
feel that I’m in the Otherworld. It’s dark, but I can hear Chase right next to me
and I’m glad that at least for now, things are moving along as planned.
“So, I guess we just wander around and see if one of the lost souls knows something
that will help us get there,” says Chase.
“If we can even get there…” I pause. “Benjamin said we would be able to tell the
direction based on their sounds.”
We walk for a while in the darkness, guided by nothing but the cries and screams of
lost souls. It makes me wonder just how much worse is the place where Kayla has been
trapped and I start to prepare myself for the worst. She won’t be the same. Not
after something like this.
We walk in silence trying to find anyone who can help us. I suddenly hear Chase’s
voice, “What is that?” he whispers.
I look to the other side of where we were heading and see a light.
“I don’t know. Should we check it out?” I ask.
I have Kayla’s dagger in hand, just in case we need it.
“Let’s go,” says Chase. As we move toward the light, we notice that it’s moving toward
us at a fast speed.
I freeze as soon as I realize that it’s a person, and that the light is radiating
off him.
“Took you long enough!” says Samael.
“You piece of—”
Chase interrupts me, “Where is Kayla?”
I look at him with disgust. He watches me but doesn’t say anything. I launch toward
him but my body goes through his.
“What the hell?” I ask.
“Yeah, about that… I’m dead.”
“WHERE IS SHE?”
“Look, I’m here to help you get to her, okay? But chill out.”
I know he didn’t just tell me to calm down.
“Is she okay? Is she hurt?”
“She is fine and I can tell you how to get there, but Chase won’t be able to get through
and neither will I.”
“But I will?” I ask.
“I’m not sure. You’re different than any other beings I know. I’m not exactly sure
how the rules of Hell apply to you exactly.” He pauses. “There’s a building there.
It’s the only one you’ll see, but it’s warded. Also, there are a lot fires around
and the lost souls are a bit more aggressive than the ones here.”
“How do I get past the wards?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I honestly don’t know. For all I know you could get in there but just
not be able to get out. Worst case scenario, you’ll be her motivation to break out.”
“She hasn’t tried to break out before?” I ask. “I know her. She would have.”
“She did at least once, but things are not that simple. There were other obstacles.
Not to mention that fear can block what we can do. Our abilities were already limited
because of Ezra’s wards, but some of her fears made things worse.”
“Fear? You are talking about Kayla?”
He nods. “For one thing, she is afraid too much time passed and that you moved on.
God knows I have no idea what she sees in you—”
“Enough. Stop wasting time. How do I get there?”
He points to the side. “Keep moving that way. You’ll see the fires soon enough.”
He pauses. “I was only given a limited amount of time to help. I have to go, but
Chase should follow you for as long as he is able to.”
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“I can’t say, mostly because I don’t know it myself.” He hesitates. “Before you go,
you should know that some things have changed, but they won’t be what they seem. Please
help her make things right.”
I give him a puzzled look.
“Time to go,” he says as he vanishes and we are in darkness again.
Chase and I don’t say a word. We practically run in the direction he pointed.
We run until Chase abruptly stops. “This is as far as I can go,” he says. “We must
be close. I’ll wait here. If things don’t go right, just rush back.”