Page 58 of Hell's Queen

“Buffy?” I recognize the voice immediately.

She bows playfully. “We are your service.”

A human who helped me to my feet moves to Evara and says a Latin chant. The woman holds up a metal ball. The moment it opens, Evara evaporates into a black cloud and is sucked into the ball like a vacuum.

Blinking, the woman hands over the ball and smiles. “I’m Opal, and here’s the demonic evil bitch.”

“This will hold her? For how long?” I laugh, cupping the ball like it will break open.

Buffy shrugs. “Until you want it to be open. Sorry, it took a while to get to you.” She takes off a bag before handing it over. “There are at least twenty souls, and I couldn’t get them all.”

“Where have you been all my life?” I could just kiss her.

She laughs. “Now, how can we get this door closed so you can get back and heal.”

Reaching down, I summon my power. Hissing at the pain, I burn the wound close until it’s not bleeding anymore. I just need a moment to think. Someone from the ground helps me stand on my leg. “How long is your whip?”

“It can extend to up to twenty feet and retracts to five. It’s enjoyable in the bedroom,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows.

I hold back a laugh. “Buffy, pay attention. I need you to send it through. About ten feet ahead is a building with pillars. Would you be able to hit that?”

Buffy nods, moving to the front of the portal and whipping her whip right through the portal. It doesn’t catch and comes right back at high speed. “That was just a test,” she mutters. She does it again, this time grabbing hold of something. I limp to her, throwing Evara’s ball into the bag of spheres. I have no reason not to trust Buffy, and the fact that Evara hasn’t escaped it is a good sign.

“I am forever in your favor,” I say, bowing to Buffy as she ties the whip around my waist.

“I would like my whip back,” she says, finishing the last knot. “That’s it.” She takes a moment to show me how to use the mechanics of the electric whip.

“Thank you, all.” With a slight bow, I press the button. I almost don’t expect the force of the weapon as it pulls me through the vortex.

The end of the whip isn’t attached to Lucifer’s house like I thought it would be. It is attached to Ryker’s telum, and he and others are holding onto it.

My heart swells as I see them.

But the moment my body breaks through the vortex’s surface, I flip my flaming sword and twist my body. With a deep breath, I harness my magic and force the door closed with a massive burst of flames. I land sideways on the door, feet on either of the doors. I groan in pain, trying to keep my balance.

“Asura! No!” I hear Ryker’s voice above me. I grab the whip, hook the bag of balls, and shoot it toward him. I can see Khazon flying my way. If I don’t hurry, he will stop me.

“Stop! I can’t lose you! We can figure something else out.”

My eyes move to the door, and for a moment, I think of Edris and how he must have felt. He was in the same predicament, wanting to save everyone without any other way out.

The Gates of Hell only has one way of closing it. This is it. My sword, that was Edris’s before mine. I almost messed up with Evara, but I won’t here. I lift the sword overhead and shove it right in between the seams. Heat rushes over my body as power swirls in the air, stronger than anything I’ve ever felt. In my head, it shows what my grandfather did to lock it. With all my rage, strength, and pain, I blast it into my sword, fire-forging the seams to weld together. It shatters like it did once before, exploding with my magic.

Screams cut through the air as the force sends me backward, and immense heat covers my body, hotter than The Flame. With that, coldness comes as I let death swallow me whole for the people I love.

My body is soaked. So, death is very… wet, isn’t it? I feel warm hands against my fingers and body. I thought Hell’s Flame would at least be a bit warm for me.

“Asura, can you hear me?” Ozias’s voice comes.

I… I killed him too?

“She’s still frozen,” Hazen mutters.

“If you let me blast her, I would be able to get her out of that ice quicker,” Ledger’s voice comes. He sounds… anxious.

“And kill her? Stop being stupid.”

“Get her pissed,” Khazon mutters before I hear his voice loud and clear, “Asura, Evara, and Ryker kissed.”

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