Page 119 of Temptation
“Skylar?” somebody said from behind me just as I closed the door of one of the rooms. With my heart in my throat, I swiveled around, seeing her standing there. “What are you doing here?” she whispered.
“Looking for you.”
I looked to my left then to my right, seeing that we were all alone and came closer to her.
“You need to get out of here,” I murmured. “Get far away from here.”
“Why?” She looked down at the canisters in my hands. “What are you going to do?” Her eyes connected with mine. “Skylar?”
“Just get out of here, Aigira. You have ten minutes.”
I turned in the direction of the Great Hall and started walking. I didn’t have time to explain. I couldn’t tell her.
“Skylar,” she hissed. “You can’t do this. They will—”
“Haunt me?” I laughed. “They’re already doing that. Get out, Aigira.”
“I can’t let you do this on your own.”
“Yes,” I stopped and looked at her over my shoulder, “you can.”
The red cape she always wore was a reminder that she probably spent most of her life locked in these catacombs.
“Loose the cape, Aigira, and get the fuck out.”
I didn’t wait for her response. I couldn’t wait, because I had no idea how much time I had before they finished with their meeting.
The sound of her footsteps faded away as I marched through the hallway, finally reaching the massive door that appeared every so often in my nightmares. Like a waterfall, memories of that night trickled into my mind, showing me again everything I went through.
My fear. My pain. Dylan’s face. Ash standing in the crowd.
Me finally surrendering.
Lauren’s death.
Constant mental and physical torture from Judah.
The door was closed but I could hear their voices from the inside, chanting for their leader, speaking in the tongue of serpents. If they loved their Unholy Majesty so much, then they wouldn’t mind burning for him.
I looked around, trying to locate anything that could be used to block the door from opening.
Bingo.
Zip ties lay on top of the table next to the door, and as I dropped the canisters to the ground, I ran toward them and picked one up. The chanting from the inside increased in volume, moans and prayers echoing in my ears, and I gritted my teeth, stopping myself from screaming at them.
Foolish people.
I pulled the zip ties around the iron handles and tied them together, tightening them as much as possible. I slowly stepped away from the door, a weird kind of peace slowly settling in my bones.
I bent down and opened the lid on the canister and started pouring right in front of the door. I splashed the gas on the walls, over the drapes they stupidly put here, over the flag showing Lucifer’s sigil, the same one that graced my arm.
I dropped the canister as soon as it emptied and picked up the other one, making a trail through the hallway, all the way to the stairs.
“Skylar.” I jumped at Aigira’s voice.
“What are you still doing here?” I hissed.
“Waiting for you. But you need to hurry, darling. He’s almost here.”
