Page 44 of Unholy Fate

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

IAN

The ice stonesin my crystal glass of Macallan clinked gently as I scrolled through my tablet, lounging on the plush, cool comfort of my sleek couch. A mellow saxophone solo, its notes smooth as velvet, drifted through the apartment, the soft jazz contrasting with my ever-present tension. I could never fully relax, always plotting new ways to incite chaos and corrupt humanity. A flicker of a shadow, like a dark bird passing a window, drew my attention. Before I could react, Aziz materialized, his signature smugness etched across his strong jawline.

“Hey man,” Aziz said casually, leaning against the doorframe. “Lucifer’s asking for you.”

I frowned, swallowed the remaining whiskey, and slammed the glass onto the table. “Since when does Lucifer send you to fetch me?”

“Who knows what’s going on in his head? I’m just the messenger.”

Unease, sharp as thorns, made me pause, but with a sigh, I stood. There was no point in arguing. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

With a crackle of dark energy, Aziz’s swirling portal spat us out into the oppressive heat of Hell. I squinted in the flickering reddish-gold light of the cavernous throne room that stretched out, illuminated by rivers of molten lava. The surrounding air was thick with the sulfurous stench, a complement to the distant screams and groans.

The throne, crafted from bone, its spikes glinting faintly in the shadowy light, sat empty. The flames, licking at its side, cast jagged, ominous shadows that danced and writhed in the flickering firelight, their movements a terrifying ballet.

It was empty.

Where was Lucifer? There was a profound wrongness, something about this whole situation was... off. I glanced at Aziz, trying to read his expression, but his features revealed nothing beyond mild amusement. The unease that had made itself known in my apartment intensified. What was Aziz playing at, what did he have to gain by summoning me here without our King?

Why would Lucifer simply not call me to his side?

I took a step forward. The atmosphere weighed on me, Hell’s inherent darkness seeming to dampen my power and slow my movements. I had to stay alert. In this realm, surrounded by demons jockeying for status and favor, letting my guard down for even a moment could prove fatal.

“Lucifer,” I called out, his name booming in the emptiness. “You summoned me, my liege?”

Only silence greeted me, punctuated by the rhythmic bubble and hiss of the lava flows. I shot another glance at Aziz, but he just leaned against a pillar, arms crossed, watching me with an unreadable expression in his deep brown eyes. Bastard. He knew more than he let on.

There was no going back, only the relentless path ahead. I approached Lucifer’s throne, every sense on high alert, my brain racing through possibilities. If this was a trap… If Lucifer really was “acting weird.” I had to be ready for anything. Flexing my hands, I called upon the barest hint of my power, just enough to defend myself if needed. The dancing lava cast my blue skin in a lurid crimson light.

I steeled myself and pushed open the massive door, its hinges groaning in protest. A blast of blistering heat washed over me as I stepped into Lucifer’s private torture chamber. The room stretched out before me, a chilling vista of gleaming racks of instruments designed for pain; their polished surfaces reflected the dim light. Hooks, chains, and blood-streaked iron maidens pulsed with a malevolent energy, the ancient sigils carved into the rock walls glowed faintly, their light a sickly yellow.

An enormous granite slab stood in the center of the chamber, its surface cold and smooth from centuries of unspeakable acts. Overhead, chains dangled like skeletal fingers, clinking softly in the suffocating silence. The sound of my boots on the black marble floor grew louder as I searched the room for any sign of Lucifer.

“Lucifer?” My shout was swallowed by the echoing vastness of the space, disappearing into the silence. “You wanted to see me?”

I was just about to turn and leave when a sudden, violent force knocked me forward, the breath whooshing from my lungs as I stumbled. I barely caught myself on the edge of the stone slab, my claws gouging deep marks on the surface. Aziz’s mocking laughter, a cruel, high-pitched sound, echoed in the chamber as Levi shimmered into existence beside him, his form solidifying with a faint crackling.

“Gotcha,” Aziz crowed, his purple skin gleaming in the hellish light, his long, phallic tail lashing behind him.

I whirled, the raw power of fury coursing through me like liquid fire, propelling me forward. “What the hell is this?”

“You’ve been hogging all the fun lately.” Aziz shook his head in mock disappointment. “Not just content with corrupting humans left and right, basking in all the chaos and war. Now trying to keep the delectable Evelyn all to yourself. Your dream manipulation tricks are putting us at a disadvantage. So Levi and I figured it was time to… level the playing field a bit.”

Levi shoved me backward. He and Aziz left the room, and with a casual flick of his wrist, slammed the heavy door shut with a deafening clang that vibrated through the floor and up into my bones.

With a furious roar that echoed through the room, I launched myself at the door, but it held firm, sealed by Aziz’s power. I could sense the energy humming through.

“Have fun in there, Ian,” Levi sang out, his voice distorted and distant. “Plenty of time to think about playing nice with your brethren, yeah?”

Their laughter, heavy with rancor, trailed off as Aziz and Levi left me in oppressive silence, with only the sinister creak of swaying chains for company.

This was payback, petty revenge for my successes with Evelyn. ‘Hogging all the fun,’ Aziz had said. Well, they could choke on it. I was simply better at this than them, and they knew it.

With a desperate, furious pounding, my knuckles slammed against the ancient, imposing door. The silence was absolute, and my hope dwindled. Wisely, it seemed everyone was keeping clear of the infighting amongst Lucifer’s highest ranking demons, or perhaps no one was within earshot. I gathered my power but locked with Aziz’s magical sigils, it resisted. Lucifer’s chamber blocked my phasing ability, leaving me completely stuck. A string of curses flew from my lips. Cocksucking Aziz and his games. And ratfucker Levi for going along with it.

I turned, leaned against the door, and surveyed the dimly lit chamber. Lucifer’s inner sanctum, the heart of his power in Hell. And I was trapped here, at the mercy of those two idiots. The irony was lost on no one, least of all me.

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