Page 19 of Guarded By the Hellhound
Smash.
“Kaaaaaatherine.”
Clank.
Clank.
SMASH.
It’s so loud I scream, and I start shaking. He found me.
RAIDER
Katherine’s cries echo in my ear as the house collapses on top of me. Instincts have me in Hellhound form before the beams hit the ground, and I howl as fire blazes all around me.
“Come home.”
The fire whispers to me, making me howl again. Come home. Home… Hell! I can see it clearly in the flames: my home, my origin, my cradle. A fierce yearning takes over; one minute, I’m in Katherine’s home, and the next, I’m in mine. Transferred through the flames, back to hell.
With my physical form returning come my memories, and my life comes back to me. My entire past hits me all at once, and for a moment, I black out from the force.
When I come to, I feel the familiar warmth of Hell’s antechamber, and I sense the presence of our ruler, Lucifer.
“Hello, Dagran,” Lucifer says from his throne above me. “Or should I call you Raider now?”
I arch an eyebrow, the cocky son of a bitch technically is my boss, but I don’t really obey him. As long as I bring him enough souls, we have an understanding.
He shrugs. “Well, at least it’s better than Bingo.”
“What do you want,” I bite out, fighting the need to get back to Katherine.
“Well, it appears you find yourself in quite the pickle. You have left your post the past week, only to find yourself being owned by a human.”
“Not owned,” I spit out. The devil is infuriating.
“Ah, but you see, there was a collar and a leash and…”
I growl, loud and menacing, causing him to hold up his hands.
“Okay, okay. You want to go back, don’t you? But you also need to guard the gate. What if we make a deal…”
“I am listening.”
“I will grant you permission to keep up the playing house with your little girlfriend if you continue guarding the gates and bring me a soul.”
“One soul?” That’s an odd request since I have brought him many souls.
“Yes, on top of the ones that I sent you to get. I want one soul every year on Halloween.”
“And who do you want?”
“I will leave that up to you, Raider…” He rises and waves me off. “Off you go, we have visitors incoming.”
I sigh. “I’ll take the deal, Lucifer.”
“Great,” he says. “Now move.”
I grumble, always wanting to have the final say on that one. I shift and start running in the direction of the gates—time to find Katherine and get the Devil his soul.
