With much weeping and wailing, they moved from the doorway. Despite the direness of the situation and Minos’ anger, he almost rolled his eyes at their theatrics. Adam would have found it endlessly amusing to see them carrying on in such a way, and that thought brought a smirk to his face followed quickly by a flash of pain, because Adamwasn’there to laugh and comment over their antics.
Upstairs would pay for that.
He stalked forward, ready to open the door, when a figure stepped in front of him. As tall as him, pitch black, with wings that sometimes looked made of feathers and sometimes of steel, the demon blocked the door, casually leaning on a battle axe larger than the lesser demons who were continuing to wail in the corner of the clearing. His eyes were lighter than his skin, but only barely, and a luscious black mane of hair covered his head, along with a full beard. Minos had the thought again that Adam would have quite a bit to say about this “sexy” demon, and his wrath surged forward once again at the fact thatADAM WAS GONE.
“Minos, fellow king of hell, looks like you’ve caused quite the stir. That’s usually more my thing, isn’t it?” the demon asked jovially.
“Arioch, Infernal King of the Underworld, Demon of Vengeance and Chaos,” Minos greeted him. “Move out of my way,” he then ground out.
Minos felt his anger calm the slightest. He felt some of the rage and urgency drain from him, and he growled in response.
“You may syphon off as much of my need for revenge and chaos as you like. It will not change my mind in the matter. I will go through that door, Ari,” he stated firmly. He was calmer, however, and perhaps that was not a bad thing. His resolve was stronger than ever, but blindly charging in might not have been the wisest course of action.
“Bruh, rest assured I have no desire to put a stop to what the future will bring.” Arioch stopped, looking off into the distance, his eyes swirling. “Cracking, stone, blood, and a new age,” he said in a dreamy voice before snapping back and looking at Minos.
“It’s gonna be some good shit,” he smirked, his gaze clear again. “Although your legions are out trying to find some asshole who will stop you, so I don’t expect you’ll have too long. No, I’ve come for the shitstorm. Chaos and revenge are, after all, totally my speciality.” He winked at that.
Minosalmostrolled his eyes at Arioch—Chaos always had to combine the surreal with the gritty, and it usually amused Minos, but his anger was too great for such entertainment.
“Little problem, though, asshole,” Ari added. “Have you figured out how you’ll get the door open?”
Minos had not. His demons could not open it, there was not an angel to be found, and he also noticed that Pandora had disappeared from the field. Perhaps she had realized the dilemma that Arioch had brought up and had left to avoid being commanded to do it. He thought she might have been able to open the door, but it was useless to try to find her now. He had no doubt she had hidden herself, and possibly anyone else who could open the door, deep within the rooms of Limbo.
Minos frowned at Ari. “I did not,” he admitted.
Ari chuckled. “Revenge is an art, bruh. You gotta plan these things, not just blunder in all half-assed.”
“It is not revenge I seek. I seek Adam, and there is no time for planning when they have taken him from me.”
“Yes, but revenge shall come nonetheless. You shall all fulfill the roles needed of you, and I will dine on the chaos and vengeance,” Ari breathed out reverently. Minos nodded his head once. Because of course he would. They had dared to take what was his.
“Then I’m totally down to help you,” he added matter-of-factly. “In the spirit of vengeance and chaos, of course.” He winked, drawing his axe up above his shoulders and stalking toward the closed door.
He stopped at the doorway and turned toward Minos. “Bruh, I wish I could see their fucking faces up there when you get there. I, however, have no desire to turn into billions of quarks to be spread into the universe, so I’ll be hanging right here. I’m sure I’ll hear the stories, though. Angels are the most ferocious gossipers.”
With a dreamy smile, probably at what he considered Minos’ impending destruction, he brought the axe down heavily and methodically against the glowing, white door, the entire valley shaking and echoing with the force of his blows.
Chapter19
Adam
The walls were cracking. At first, he hadn’t been sure what he was seeing. It kind of looked like a dark hair was stuck on the pristine, white wall. But as he’d watched (because he was completely ignoring Bitch Lady), it had spread down and gotten wider. And then another had formed. And another soon after that. He had to resist the urge to get up and feel along the cracks to make sure they were real. The window was cracking too. Hairline fractures that slowly grew longer. They were kinda forming a pretty spiderweb-like pattern on the glass, which was infinitely more interesting than the harp players outside.
Bitch Lady had begun asking him question after question, and he had given her his snarkiest, bitchiest stare down in return, refusing to answer a single one—at least out loud. Because he couldn’t help keeping a running commentary in his head.No, I don’t want to garden. Playing harps looks boring as fuck. Who would want to ‘relax on a cloud’ for eternity when you could have demon sex instead? No, I don’t want to master a new trade, unless it’s sucking Minos’ dick better(he almost chuckled at that thought, but he held it in).No, I don’t need to raise farm animals or another pet.
Although he had been super tempted to say yes, he’d like some pets, but downstairs please. Because alpacas. So soft. And cute. He wouldn't mind some alpacas. And a dog. He had managed not to say a word, however. Which was when he had directed his gaze away from Bitch Lady to ignore her completely. Honestly, the hardest part of this whole thing was probably not bursting out to tell Bitch Lady what a horrible angel she was. Adam having to give someone the silent treatment was totally a form of torture.
His not even looking at her only seemed to piss her off even more, but she just continued her questions in her saccharine sweet voice. Even though he wasn’t staring at her, he could still see her, and she occasionally looked up before she seemed to compose herself and continue asking questions. He remembered the voice from above his first time around in this room, and he wondered if this call was being recorded for quality purposes. Hee hee. He hoped so. He hoped that they saw what an ineffectual, horrible angel she was.
But he had little faith in the Leadership Team based on what Yah and Luce and Minos had said. The “team” obviously had no idea what it was like to be a mortal soul. Or to be a worker bee in the whole afterlife conglomeration they had going on.
He wondered if he could lodge a complaint? They ought to have a complaint box. Adam made a mental note. When Minos came to get him—which was totally happening, Adam had no doubt at all—he was going to suggest one. For every department. And then each department could lodge complaints against the Leadership Team. And Yah and Luce could get copied on all of those complaints. And maybe corrective actions could be put in place. That would befun—corrective actions for the Leadership Team. They totally needed a really long, boring sensitivity training seminar. Because those things were total torture, and they deserved it.
Adam’s drifting thoughts were interrupted by a note of… something in Bitch Lady’s voice. He directed his eyes back in her direction.
She was looking a little worse for wear. Her voice was taking on a strained quality, and… were those wrinkles?
Holy shit. Bitch Lady’s porcelain, perfect skin had little crow’s feet by her eyes. And frown lines were marred into her skin. He could actually see her pores. He stared in fascination as she seemed to slowly but surely get less angelic looking.
