Page 74 of The Road to Hell

I didn’t miss the subtle shift in wording. Not if I succeeded. If I survived.

Cute.

I’d survived everything my father had thrown at me—his training, his punishments, his expectations. A hellspawn outpost wasn’t exactly what I’d call a challenge.

“You leave before dawn,” Korrak said, his gaze flicking toward me. “I’ll give you three hellspawn. And you can take your wyrms.”

“How generous,” I drawled.

“Take what you need from the armory,” Korrak said. “But if you die, you’ll prove me right. And we’ll know you weren’t worth the effort.”

I snorted. “Oh, Korrak.” I stepped toward the exit, tossing him a glance over my shoulder. “You should start getting used to disappointment.”

I pushed past the vexori guards without another word, and Levi fell into step beside me as we emerged back into the camp.

The moment we were out of earshot, Levi let out a long-suffering sigh. “You’d think after all my years watching you, I’d be used to it.”

I shot him a glance. “Used to what?”

“Toyou,” he muttered, clearly flustered. “Are you physically incapable of being polite?”

I grinned. “Ah, well. It’s a gift.”

“Hmm.” Levi shook his head. “Would you like me to accompany you to the outpost?”

I considered his offer, then shook my head. “If things go south, they’ll need you here. And it wouldn’t be a good move tactically to reveal your presence to Lucifer. Not after all this time.”

“Very well. Try not to kill Korrak’s hellspawn.”

“You meanmyhellspawn,” I corrected, winking at the visibly flustered angel. “Don’t fret, Levi. I’ll be back before you know it.”

* * *

I landed first,wings kicking up a gust of hot wind as I touched down on the ground. Behind me, Mephisar and Sable circled once before folding their wings and dropping onto the cracked ground with heavy, bone-rattling force. A moment later, my three new companions dismounted, all with varying degrees of grace, or lack thereof.

I ignored them for the moment, focusing on the outpost. It sat like a blackened wound against the scorched landscape, nestled within a ridge of broken stone. The walls were thick and fused from layers of warped metal and charred rock, its only entrance a heavily fortified gate flanked by two watchtowers. Firelight danced along the ramparts, and even from here, I could make out the dark silhouettes of hellspawn patrolling the perimeter. And if I wasn’t mistaken, while flying, I’d spotted a row of cells near the back—the prisoners, most likely.

Not impossible. But not exactly easy, either.

A sigh from behind pulled my attention back to my companions, and as I turned, I finally took a proper look at them.

I’d been in too much of a hurry back at the camp to pay them much mind beyond a quick assessment of their species, but now that I had them standing in front of me, I was starting to notice the details.

Varzok—or Varz, as he’d grunted when I’d called him by his full name earlier—stood stiffly, his arms crossed, his slitted golden eyes narrowed slightly as he surveyed the outpost. He looked like every netheron I’d ever met—built like a predator, sleek, lethal, all honed muscle and precision. But something was…off. Not in his appearance, but in his demeanor. Where most netherons carried themselves with the easy confidence of natural killers, Varz seemed tense.

Then there was Calder, who had already made himself comfortable by leaning against a protruding rock, arms folded loosely over his chest, a slow, amused smirk curling his lips. I hadn’t known many vampires, other than Rathiel and Deidre, but Calder looked the part with his coiffed hair and handsome smile. He exuded the air of someone who didn’t particularly care if this mission succeeded.

Super.

And then there was Gorr.

I’d fought my share of ravagers over the years. Battled them throughout all my training. They weren’t the strongest hellspawn, but they weren’t weak either. They were bestial monsters, intent on ripping your head off in a single bite, which tended to make fighting them rather challenging. But this one…

He was big, sure. Thickly muscled, his dark hide broken by deep scars and patches of bony plating. His horns were slightly smaller than most ravagers I’d seen, curving back from his skull in thick, ridged arcs. His claws looked lethal enough to tear through steel, and his fangs gleamed in the dim light.

But he was weirdly expressive. Almost…cute.

Ravagers prowled with single-minded focus, and Gorr shifted his weight, his head tilting slightly as he studied the outpost. His furry tail slowly swished behind him. When I caught his eye, he blinked at me like he was waiting for a command.

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