Page 120 of Endless Terrors
Waiting for me? I knew from experience that it would be futile to ask questions—Roger would just say something vague, or promise that Heilel would tell me everything. That never stopped the demon from asking questions of his own, though. As we stepped onto the elevator, I waited for Roger to mention my bag, but he just stood there. He didn’t even hum, which was something he’d started doing around me recently. As if the demon had become so accustomed to my presence he wasn’t even aware of the low, cheerful sound he was making. Now I almost missed the disjointed melody. What was going on? I frowned and tried not to fidget. The silence pressed in on all sides.
Seconds later, the doors opened. Ding. I peered out at the rooftop, and I spotted Heilel straightaway, his distant figure visible in the firelight. I was about to move forward when Roger spoke again, and I turned at the sound of his voice. “I would just like to say, my lady, that you are the loveliest creature I’ve ever met, and it was an honor to serve you.”
As he gave me a deep bow, I studied him. Somewhere along the way, Heilel’s adviser had become dear to me. His hands were tucked behind his back, as they always were, and his wrinkled face radiated sincerity. He wore the ragged, shapeless clothes he’d been wearing since the day we’d met, and those tufts of hair over his large ears were more chaotic than ever.
“Why does it feel like you’re saying goodbye, Roger?” I asked finally.
“Because I am, my lady.” The old demon smiled at me again, and the elevator doors slid shut.
I stood there for another moment, frowning. A gust of cool air stirred my hair, blowing it across my chin as I turned. Heilel stood in the center of the stone structure, the shapes of the gargoyles looming far above him. The devil wore his wings, and they were spread but relaxed, the metal edges curved all the way to the ground. He was dressed all in black again.
“Will you please tell me what’s going on?” was the first thing I said once I drew close enough.
Heilel smiled, and it looked like the one I’d just seen from Roger. Wistful. A little sad. “Will you fly with me one last time, Fortuna?” he asked.
My heart pounded harder. Suddenly I understood what was happening. Why Roger and Heilel were acting like we would never see each other again.
He’d found a way. In spite of everything, all our back-and-forth, his own desires, and his claims that it was impossible, Heilel had figured out how to send me home.
He confirmed it when he said, “You won’t need this,” and slid the bag off my shoulder, setting it on the flagstones a short distance away.
A hundred more questions crowded in my skull, but I didn’t speak. I couldn’t. I allowed Heilel to pull me close and lift me into his arms. I relaxed in his hands as his wings began to flap—a habit, since we’d been flying many times now—and Heilel arched his head back. The air rushed past as we ascended into the inky expanse of sky. Swoosh. Swoosh. I watched how Heilel’s muscles rippled beneath his golden skin while he brought us higher, higher. I wrapped my arms around his neck and forced my thoughts to settle, so I could commit every detail to memory. Heilel. The glint of red light on metal feathers. How warm and safe I felt, there at the top of the world, resting against the Dark Prince’s warmth.
After a while, the First City was enshrouded in darkness. Without moon and stars above us, it felt like there was no beginning and no end to the world. Nothing else existed, save for me and Heilel. He still hadn’t offered an explanation, and I’d lost the urge to press for one. I leaned my head against him and stared at the black horizon, unafraid of what it held.
We’d only been airborne for a few minutes when I heard a familiar chittering sound. I straightened and craned my neck to see behind us. After a moment, I saw the glow of red eyes. The gargoyles had followed us. They were making the sound that meant my name. I would’ve been alarmed, but there was no urgency in their voices … only sorrow.
It felt like someone had pinched my heart. They must’ve figured out that I was leaving.
Heilel kept going, his eyes fixed on something I couldn’t see. We were still ascending, and he’d never brought me this far before. I waited for a sense of unease to take root.
Then something landed on my cheek. I touched it, startled, and my fingers came away wet. My eyes widened in disbelief. I stared at a small, gleaming droplet that clung to my skin, visible only because the sky was flashing now.
Rain.
I lowered my face and met Heilel’s gaze. He’d been watching me, instead of the sky. As if he’d known exactly what to expect. Realization hit me like a bright, roaring truck.
He’d brought us to this spot deliberately.
My grip tightened on his shoulders. My heart was beating so hard it rivaled the thunder all around us. There was lightning, too, but Heilel didn’t seem concerned about it. The gargoyles didn’t, either. They were still flying around us, calling my name, shouting farewells in their strange, rasping voices.
Heilel still hadn’t explained. I shook my head in denial, even as a glistening drop clung to my eyelash. “I thought rain didn’t exist here. Both you and Asmodeus said it!” I shouted.
Another bittersweet smile curved his beautiful lips. “We lied. No time to talk about it, unfortunately. Spells like this tend to work fast.”
What? Why would you lie about that? I started to ask, but the rain was coming down in torrents now. All at once, my confusion faded. It was sinking in that I was really going back. Right here, right now. I would never see Heilel again—not like this. Never touch him again.
He must’ve had the same thought. Before I could say anything else, Heilel bent his head, kissing me roughly. Consuming me. I kissed him back and matched his fierceness, digging my fingers into his hair. Losing myself to his taste, his hands, his tongue. My heart called out his name. Heilel.
Suddenly the insides of my eyelids lightened. But there’s no light in Hell. I broke our kiss, startled. My skin prickled and tingled. I recognized magic when I felt it.
“Wait,” I gasped. I didn’t know who I was speaking to, but my voice was full of pleading. “I’m not ready yet!”
Heilel pressed his forehead to mine. “No one ever is,” he murmured. “Have courage, dear heart.”
I held him tighter, as if I could delay the spell just by holding on. But I was fading, little by little. Soon, Heilel’s arms would be empty. He’d be alone again. I stared into his eyes, and water ran down my face, tears intermingling with rain. Words lodged in my throat. There was nothing I could say that he didn’t already know, anyway. The light got brighter, and brighter, and brighter. There was a sound coming out of that blinding orb now. Collith’s voice, I realized excitedly, even as I despaired about what I was leaving behind.
I tried to turn, to catch one final glimpse of Heilel.
