Page 111 of Endless Terrors
The journey was shorter than I thought it would be. Heilel soared high, and it felt like we nearly brushed the top of the sky. A strange haze surrounded us on all sides, and it wasn’t quite like clouds, but it wasn’t smoke or mist, either. A subtle scent clung to it that reminded me of sulfur. Dagan and several other guards followed us at a distance, as they always did, though it took me a while to realize it. I rarely caught sight of them through the darkness. It became a game, of sorts, seeing if I could spot the tip of a wing or hear something rustle nearby.
But then Heilel and I broke through the hazy wall, coming out on the other side of it. My eyes were immediately drawn downward, where I could see thousands of small, faint lights.
The Second City was a lot like the Hell I’d imagined before I’d actually seen it. There were fewer skyscrapers here, and the roads far below were cracked, the depths within glowing like molten lava. There were fewer machines here, as well. Instead, the main mode of transportation seemed to be lumpy-sided carts, all of them being pulled slowly along by gigantic, strange-looking creatures that somehow made me think of a cross between an elephant and a donkey. To my relief, Heilel never began our descent. Instead, he flew higher, and I quickly realized why.
Asmodeus lived on top of the crest that overlooked the entire city.
It was a jarring palace. It looked like it had been carved out of the rock, and if it hadn’t been for the lights flickering in many of the windows—which were barely more than slits in the stone—I would have wondered if anything even lived there. Bat-like creatures nested in every crook and crevice, and darted through the open air all around.
As we approached, I saw that there were the same red flashes here as in the First City. But where I found the flickering horizon to be beautiful in Heilel’s city, it seemed more sinister here. Like there was something hungry in that darkness. Something that had no good left in its heart.
We landed on a ledge, of sorts. A ledge that had been converted into a bizarre, eerie courtyard. This one was vastly different than the rooftop of Heilel’s tower. It was endless, for one thing, spreading in both directions as far as the eye could see. There were no stone pillars or walls, no friendly gargoyles perched overhead.
Instead, there were statues. Dozens and dozens of statues.
It reminded me of a scene from a book. As I turned my head, a hollow wind stirred the ends of my hair, and the sound was eerie in the stillness. The statues looked like real creatures and souls that had been encased in stone. Some of them were even on their knees, as if they’d been begging when their flesh went solid and the light went out in their eyes, bright pupils becoming dull and gritty.
I quickly shifted my attention elsewhere. In front of us, a set of vast doors loomed. They were covered in carvings. I was unsurprised to discover these were twisted and bleak, depicting moments of torture or death. I was sensing a theme for the palace of the Second City, but I hadn’t taken Asmodeus for the murderous type. This seemed off-brand for him.
Just as I started to wonder if we should knock, the doors parted. The hinges creaked like this really was a horror movie. Heilel moved forward without hesitation, so I did, too, despite how this place made my skin crawl.
The first thing I saw was the staircase. It filled most of the space, and like the walls, the steps were carved directly out of the rock. It wasn’t the black, gleaming stuff Heilel’s tower was made from. This was gray and dull. Lifeless.
Before I could take in more details, Asmodeus appeared in a doorway on the left. He walked toward us, his bare feet slapping against the stone.
“Brother!” the Prince of the Second City exclaimed, opening his arms wide. He wore a black garment similar to a robe, but beneath the open flaps, there was nothing else. Asmodeus was naked.
His beauty was different from the fallen angel at my side—there was something wistful about it. Though his body was defined with muscle, he was thin, and his skin was as pale as the surface of a pearl. His dark hair looked like silk, and his high cheekbones accentuated the hollow shadows either side of his face.
Unaware of my scrutiny, Asmodeus embraced Heilel. The two of them lingered like that for a moment. The love between them was so obvious that I thought of my own brother, and a pang of longing went through me. Then Asmodeus pulled free from Heilel and turned. To my relief, he didn’t attempt to hug me. Instead, he bent over my hand, and a lock of his hair brushed whisper-soft over my skin.
“My lady,” he murmured. “Since the day of your arrival, I have longed for our paths to cross. The gargoyles have much to say about you.”
There was genuine reverence in his voice, and it disarmed me. I didn’t even think to pull my hand away as I replied, “I’ve been wanting to meet you, too, actually.”
As he straightened, the demon prince gave me a warm smile, revealing subtle dimples. He started to say something, but Heilel beat him to it, making a gesture toward his brother’s open robe. “Asmodeus, must I keep reminding you that not everyone has your proclivity for nudity?”
Asmodeus made a long-suffering sound and rolled his eyes at me, as if we were in complete agreement on this and Heilel was being totally unreasonable. I kept my opinions to myself, but my lips twitched while he dramatically closed the flaps of his robe and secured the ties around his narrow hips. “There. Now that we’re appropriately civilized, shall we adjourn to the dining room?”
He tucked my hand into the crook of his arm and led me through a wide doorway to our right, saying, “You’ll love what my chef has put together, I promise you. His skill with spices is unparalleled in all the seven cities. I believe we’re just waiting on one more guest … ah, here he is now.”
A fourth figure had entered the room behind us. I hadn’t even heard him.
Every angel in the room could probably hear the way my pulse reacted. I instantly worked to slow it, control it. I gathered power around myself and imagined plates of armor, knowing even as I did that it was a childish gesture. Meant for my own comfort, and nothing more.
Because Samael hadn’t come for me this time.
Heilel’s eyes narrowed at Asmodeus. “I thought we were past these childish antics,” he said.
“Just hear him out, brother.” Asmodeus handed Heilel a glass full of amber liquid, then casually walked over to the table and stood behind one of the chairs. Not the head of the table, I noted. Even though Asmodeus ruled this city, it didn’t change the family hierarchy. Heilel was the alpha here, regardless of the obvious affection they held for each other.
We were all reminded of that fact when he didn’t move. Heilel held the glass Asmodeus had just handed him in a loose grip, keeping his blue eyes on the prince standing in the doorway. Samael stared back at his brother without flinching, and in that moment, I had to give it to him—the guy had some balls. If the devil looked at me like that, I’d probably shit myself.
Samael’s voice was steady, too. “You have my word that I will never attempt to harm Lady Sworn again while she is in this dimension,” he said.
Even I was tempted to believe him. I didn’t, of course, and it was clear Heilel wasn’t swayed, either. His demeanor was cold and remote as he replied, “Let’s just eat.”
Asmodeus was still standing by the table. The rest of us entered the dining room, which was another cavernous space. There were fireplaces carved into two of the walls, the flames so well-tended that I could hear the hiss and crackle from here. The other walls were covered with paintings. There were dozens, all varying in size and degrees of creepiness.
