“Hell Maw? You mean like…hellhell?”
The Founders warned us about hell and what awaited us there if we didn’t seek absolution through Wrath and obeying the Founders' edicts. Hell was always there—hanging around our necks like a rope to be tightened at the Founders’ decision. Any misstep or disobeyed order could land any of us on the fast track to hell. A place of unfathomable pain and suffering, a placewhere our souls would be damned for all eternity, from this life to the next.
Fire shoots out of the crevasse and my mouth falls open.“What other hell is there, witch?”
In all the aftermath of the cult falling apart, hell was one of the things I thought was just a fairytale. Guess I was wrong about that. Turns out Hell is one hundred percent real.Who knew?
“What kind of demon are you? Full-sized, right?” I ask.
He growls and another blast of fire comes pouring out of the boulder.“This blathering makes me ill! Free me now! You must make haste. A feast will be had, the Chosen One served to the hungry god.”
Hungry god? Definitely a demon. No question about it. Only a demon would try to get out of answering that question. Too bad about the dinosaur. That really could have been cool to see.
“Not before you answer about Charlie and getting in my dreams! You can’t just be walking around in people’s basements!” I yell back. “You felt my power. That was nothing for me,” I lie. “Answer me before I light you up!”
The blast of power that I shot off was all that I had in me. My hands shake from exhaustion. I’m tired. There’s no pulling in anymore energy right now. I feel like a container that’s had its sides blown out but this hell dweller doesn’t know that.
“If you had any more power in you, you’d use it, witchling. You’re weak.”He says the last two words like an insult. He isn’t wrong. I’m not that strong of a witch but he doesn’t have to say it like that.
I hold out my hand. “Charlie, give me the knife. I’m going to stab the demon,” I tell him like I’m not having flashbacks to when Roy called me dead weight. My ex-fiancédefinitely hit a sore nerve and I don’t need this demon piling on.
The demon chuckles and when Charlie doesn’t bring me the knife, I stomp over to him and grab it from him. I turn to face theboulder with a slash of my knife. “Listen up, spill the beans on the idiots messing with my friend’s brain or we’re going to walk right out of here and forget all about you.”
“Even if you left, the dreams would plague you still…”
“What dreams?” Charlie asks. He gives me a confused look, eyes moving from me before going back to the rock. “Spill the beans on the dreams if you want out of rock jail, demon.”
“Charlie, don’t listen to him.”
“The dreams torment her. Spin a web of terror only she can see. While the world sleeps, she walks through endless terrors sight unseen. She does not have long before they claim her,”the voice drops and so does my stomach when it continues,“and they will claim her.”
I know what Charlie is thinking. He wants to put me first and get my nightmares handled. “Meadow,” he starts and I wave him off.
“They’re just nightmares. I don’t care about the dreams, I’ve dealt with them all my life. What’s a little longer?”
Charlie looks horrified when I say that. “All of your life? No. Meadow, we can’t leave,” Charlie whispers. “If he knows anything, we have to get the information to help you. Maybe we can get him out and end everything.”
“I’m fine,” I tell Charlie.
“Liar.”
My bottom lip shakes because he’s right. No one knows how hard it's been. Yes, there’s the whole matter of me being locked away by my family because of night terrors, but lately? I can’t sleep, not even a little bit. I’ve been pretending that everything is fine and dandy when it’s not. We can’t leave here without answers. I know that and I hate it.
I cross the clearing to the boulder and stop in front of the opening. I take a deep breath and force myself to stare inside. Two silver eyes flash in the firelight. I can’t see him no matterwhich way I tilt my head and try. Time slows, the seconds narrow. I lean forward to look at his eyes.
I know those eyes.
Silver and…and…happy. I’ve seen these eyes crinkle when they smile, I’ve seen them stare at me with sadness and longing. The knife in my hand shakes while I engage in a staring match with the demon.
“Who are you?” I ask.
“You know my name, Meadow. Say it now.”
I shake my head. “How do you know my name? I don’t know you. I-It’s not possible.”
“Think, Meadow. Remember all that you have tried to forget. There you will find me.”A black tipped claw snakes out of the fissure towards me but I slap it aside with my knife.
“Keep your claws to yourself, demon,” I snap and make a stab at the clawed hand. “Next claw that comes out gets cut clean off. You want a mani and pedi special?”
