Page 12 of The Road to Hell

“For the record,” he said, a mischievous glint in his beady eyes, “I ship you two.”

I had no idea what that meant—but I’d learned not to ask. Especially when it came to the imp.

Lily groaned, pulling her hand back as Vol promptly ducked out of sight. Moment effectively ruined, Lily turned back to the supplies and resumed packing with the same meticulous attention as before. I watched her for a moment longer, committing the sight of her to memory. She didn’t realize it, but she was my anchor—always had been. And no matter how much I hated the idea of returning to Hell, I’d follow her there just to keep her safe.

After a few moments, she brushed off her hands and stood, appraising her neatly packed bags. “I think we’re ready.”

I rose to my feet next to her, crossing my arms just to keep myself from touching her. No one was ever truly ready for Hell. But we’d go anyway, because we had to. Becauseshehad to. And I’d be damned if I let her face Lucifer without me.

ChapterFour

LILY

“Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to Hell we go…” I hummed the rest of the song under my breath, the improvised ditty doing little to calm my nerves. I’d never been much of a fairytale fan—too much damsel, not enough common sense—but I had to admit, the writers had a knack for catchy melodies. The only difference between me and the seven dwarves was that they carried mining picks, and I carried swords. Two, to be exact.

For now, I’d tucked those swords safely away in a duffel bag, then set it next to my front door. But once we stepped through Hell’s gate, I’d ditch the bag and wear my babies proudly again.

The warrior in me shivered with anticipation.

The rest of me, however, did not.

I stood by my plan. I absolutely believed Rathiel and I needed to return to Hell, if only to save Earth from total annihilation. Yet, I dreaded every second leading up to that pivotal moment. Earth might be a hot mess, but it had coffee and bacon—two sacred gifts Hell lacked. It was a realm of pure torment and torture for a reason. My father had shaped the kingdom in his image, and he’d gone for more of an ash, brimstone, and distincteau desulphur atmosphere. Not to mention, the residents were bred for war, and I’d just spent the last ten years practically on vacation. I hadn’t been sipping martinis on a private jet or anything quite so ostentatious, but I also hadn’t spent the last decade fighting for my life.

Physically, my body was fit as a fiddle. I was combat ready. But mentally? That was a whole other can of worms. Jack’s death had rattled me. I’d seen humans do dark things, but even then, their blackness didn’t compare to Lucifer’s fallen. Zera had murdered Jack out of spite, just to feel his bones snapping in her hands, and to hurt me. Hell demanded a certain bloodlust—one I wasn’t sure I possessed anymore. If the hellspawn sensed even the slightest weakness in me, they would devour me for dinner.

I shook that thought off and tried to focus on the positives. Not that there were many. At least I wasn’t going alone. Rathiel and Eliza would be there, fighting at my side. And Iknewwithout any doubt that Rathiel would fight until his last breath to protect me. As I would for him. But that wasanothertopic I wasn’t ready to explore yet.

I stole a glance around my apartment, silently saying goodbye. It wasn’t the nicest place, but it’d put a roof over my head and given me a place to call home. That meant something to me.

The day before, I’d told my landlord I wanted to break the lease. He hadn’t been thrilled, but I’d turned his frown upside down by paying six months’ rent upfront, giving him lots of time to find a new tenant. Then I’d sweetened the pot with another lump sum, on the condition he pack my things and clear the place out. I’d given him permission to keep whatever he wanted and toss the rest. He’d asked a great deal of questions, ones I couldn’t answer, but in the end, money won.

My bank account, however, wasn’t nearly as pleased about the transaction. But eh, it was just money. And truly, the cash wouldn’t do me any good in the pits of eternal damnation anyway.

Rathiel stepped beside me, his hand brushing mine. The tiny, fleeting contact lit me up like a damn Christmas tree, and it took all my willpower to keep my reaction hidden. Ever since the night we’d kissed, his presence drew me like a moth to a flame. I was trying my hardest not to give in, but I was slowly losing the battle. The damn vampire had more of a hold on me than I cared to admit, and that waswithoutmy memories of our past.

“Ready?” he asked.

I silently nodded. Isowasn’t ready, but I had a plan to execute and the Devil to assassinate. The first step started now—and that step involved claws and fangs.

“You go left,” I told him. “Create a barrier between the living room and my bedroom. I’ll go right and try to snag him before he bolts.”

Rathiel took his position as I ordered, then nodded.

With a deep, steadying breath, I prepared myself. Vol sat on the couch, his wide eyes trained on me, and a devilish grin twisting his lips. We’d discussed the plan this morning, and he’d cackled maniacally. He hadn’t promised to help, but hehadpromised to sit quietly and enjoy the show.

“Good luck, Meat Sack,” he chirped, stretching out his tiny legs like he had all the time in the world. “This is gonna be hilarious.”

I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for the support, Vol.”

“My pleasure,” he said with a dark chuckle, kicking back to watch the chaos unfold.

I shifted my focus to my target, who sat perched on the armrest of the couch, his tail flicking like a metronome of doom. Purrgatory, the fluffiest, sweetest cat on the planet—except when it came to Vol—watched my approach with murder aglow in his green eyes. I’d dressed appropriately for the occasion: long sleeves, thick mittens, and a steely resolve. But it didn’t feel like enough. When it came to cat carriers, my sweet, purring companion turned into a furry demon wielding toe-bean daggers.

“Okay, buddy,” I said softly as I inched closer. “We’ve done this before. Let’s keep it civilized.”

Purrgatory’s ears flattened, and his tail twitched faster.

“This isn’t going to go well,” I warned Rathiel, not breaking eye contact with my furry adversary. Anyone who’d ever lived with a cat knew a flicking tail was a sign of impending death.

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