Page 35 of Seeking Hades' Ember

Chapter 18

Hades

Fury.

Rage.

Blood.

Cerberus showed me his sight as he was grinding on the bones of a demoness that had breached the fence line. She was no longer in human form, now donned in her red skin and onyx hair. Cerberus was not known for violence. He may show his dominance and stature, but he almost flat out refuses to spill blood. I created him in a time where darkness did not loom in my heart.

Ares felt my aura leak into the office outside the door; on alert, he waited for me to motion him to follow. I could no longer feel her on the palace grounds. As I mentally searched the area, she was gone. A large growl ripped through me as Ares followed. We transported to the backyard. Blood and parts of the demoness were strung across the grounds and nearby statues. Her torso laid on the cement, dripping into the now tainted pool water. Cerberus continued to growl, showing his complete form as well as his height.

The demoness was gurgling, coughing up the blood that had drenched her lungs. Pulling her up by her neck, I held her over the water. “What happened?!” I yelled, Cerberus tried to speak to me, but I shut him out. I wanted to hear from this demoness before me. She wouldn’t talk, so I stuck my thumb into her forehead with my free hand, pushing hard enough to penetrate her skull. The shrills didn’t keep me out as I watched their plans for Jillian from start to finish.

I lost my form as I felt my ink-black hair dissolve and my skin brighten. I have had many names throughout history, Lucifer, Beelzebub, and Dark One, but the human favorite was the Fallen Angel. Fallen from the grace of God. The God humans referred to was actually Zeus. There was no such fall; it was me who took shelter into the Earth to make sure our own father didn’t return to attempt to kill us all again.

Gritting my teeth, my hair waved in front of my face, mocking me that I can’t keep control, I threw her remains aside, scattering to dust. She won’t regenerate; I won’t allow it. She has forfeited her right as a demon for touching and even thinking about hurting my mate. Ares puffed up his chest and asked for direction.

Cerberus was already on the trail, and we head to the village not far from here. The demoness is taking her to the worst place for a human. It is a place of nightmares for those who sleep. Incubi are only used when summoned to curse a human or supernatural. They are hard to control, and only the best witches and sorcerers can tame them. There have been several times throughout history I have unleashed them, such as the dark ages in the human world. Many political leaders, royals, and bluebloods tried to drain their people of money, leaving them in poverty while they suffered.

The church that was established by humans claiming I was the Fallen Angel, Morning Star, and now devil declared that one must pay for their sins through money. The only way for humans to pull a family member’s soul from the holes of hell was through payment. Not one dime was received, and I would never agree to such a tragedy. If they were in hell, they deserved it. If they lived a good life, they would spend their time in the Asphodel Fields.

Jillian would be thrown into the Incubus lair; none have been released in many years and will be hungry, thirsty to drain an aura and eventually a soul. They don’t care if the soul is evil or good. However, a virgin soul will be sucked dry in a matter of seconds.

With a snap of my fingers as we continued to run, I folded the Underworld, so now our feet hit the cobblestone path of the village. If it weren’t for the red-skinned demons, this village could house many humans. Many stop to stare and fall to the ground for mercy. I never graced the village unless I came to destroy those who did an unworthy job. The smaller demon children kiss the ground and dare not look on my bare face.

“Where is she!?!” I roared as I stomped to the building. The ground shook as several more demons realized who I was and fell to the ground from afar. “Get that demon,” I whispered to Cerberus. I flashed a picture in his mind, and he smirked as he ran off. Ares had already reached the Incubus house, and with one push, he knocked down the door. Ares stood to the side, arms crossed, daring for anyone to pass. No one would, but you could never be too sure. Everyone seemed to be an idiot today.

Jillian was in the middle of the room, hands clutching her chest, pleading for them not to touch her. Several hands were grabbing her upper arms while I could see the hint of someone whispering in her ear.

Doubt. They were spreading doubt through her mind that no one would come for her, to give up and relent her soul. I could hear Jillian whispering to herself, “He will come for me, he will, he will come for me.” If I weren’t so damn furious, I’d swell with pride.

The Incubi’s heads all darted to the door. The light was trailing behind me, and the front of my body was darkened. They didn’t need to see; they knew who I was. Taking slow, calculating steps and reeking my dominating presence, they all slowly backed away. “My Lord.” One bowed to kiss my feet. I pushed him back with one foot as he fell to the ground.

These Incubi may look intense to a human, even dashing and attractive, but they were nothing but a pebble in my shoe. A worthless demon that only comes in handy once a thousand years. The worst part, these demons were the worst of them all. They were locked away for sucking the life of too many beings at once.

They will all pay.

Dearly.

Jillian opens her eyes, and even with my blonde hair, she realizes who I am. Running to me, she latches on to my torso and buries her face into my robes. I hold her tight, checking for bruises until I see the long claw marks down her leg. A growl escapes me, but she continues to hold onto me. Flicking my head up, I see the faces of five Incubi with horrified looks.

“You came, you came,” Jillian sobbed as I wrapped her in my robes. Waving my hand, I had every single demon chained from the ceiling of the house. I gave a glare at them as another chain ripped around their heads, choking them so they couldn’t speak while another chain with a heavy metal ball hung from the appendage between their legs. Their groans filled the room as I kept Jillian’s face buried into my robes.

Walking out with Jillian in my arms, Ares does a once-over to see blood from her leg. His face reddened as he tried to go into the room. Holding him back, I shook my head. We would deal with them later. There would be no traces of the incubus house.

Cerberus comes back, dragging the demoness from one of the apartments; many demons have gathered in the square to witness the punishment. I put one arm under Jillian’s legs and another behind her back as her thick lashes look up at me. She knows what I am now, and even under terrible circumstances, she isn’t afraid. Clutching my cloak, she lays her head in the crook of my neck.

“My Angel, I’m going to put you to sleep and take the pain away. When you wake, we will be home, all right?” Not saying a word, she nodded her head in confirmation as her body finally slumped into my grasp. Leaving a gentle kiss on her forehead, I handed her to Ares, who took her gladly. He wrapped her up in his arms and stood as the war general he was.

“Listen here!” I yelled as the buildings trembled. The whispers quieted as all the demons stood in distress. “You all stood by and watched as your future Queen was handled poorly and thrown into the damn Incubus House. The fuck is wrong with you?!” There were cries from the crowd, knowing my fury was building. Smoke had begun to flow beneath my robes and cover the path. Several demons started screaming as they felt the smoke hit their feet and the acid ate away at their skin.

“You left her there to die; you let an innocent human in there to die. You all can sense an innocent! I CREATED YOU! I can DESTROY YOU!” The whites of my eyes turned blood red; I felt the pressure as I did the day I lost someone I thought I loved, Persephone. Now I almost lost the only one that truly mattered, my Jillian, my mate.

Screams and smoke began to cover the ground in its entirety, but their feet remained planted to the ground. I wanted them to feel the burn in their walk as they worked the bowels of hell. They will feel the pain for weeks if not months for betraying their Queen, an innocent.

The strangled screams became quiet as they tried to listen to my quiet words. “If I find anyone dares hurt the future queen of the Underworld or did not try to help fight for her safety, so help me Rhea, I will drown you in an everlasting fire and listen to your screams as I fall asleep at night throughout eternity.”

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