Hades (33 page)

and wished I were back in the penthouse; imprisoned but

safe from the prying eyes of the damned.

Jake stood tal as he lifted one hand in a grand,

sweeping gesture and like dominoes the watching souls fel

to their knees one by one. I tried to keep my focus on the

crimson sky and not look directly at anyone in the crowd. I

was too afraid of what I might see in their eyes. I had a sick

feeling in the pit of my stomach that told me something

terrible was about to happen. I saw a bent and bearded old

man haul himself up the steps with the aid of a staff and

approach the microphone. He was dressed in the daily

vestments of a priest, black cassock and white col ar. His

face was lined and weathered looking. His eyes were red-

rimmed and bloodshot and the skin beneath them was

pouching; soft pockets of purplish flesh that reminded me of

used tea bags.

“Please welcome Father Benedict,” Jake said, sounding

like a talk-show host. “He wil be conducting today’s

ceremony.” Jake smiled indulgently as the older man

bowed his head in reverence. I was taken aback to see

something so sacrilegious—a man of God bowing before a

demon like Jake.

“Don’t look so shocked,” Jake said casual y, returning to

his seat. “Even the most devout can fal .”

“You’re despicable,” was al I said.

Jake looked at me in surprise. “Why me?” He jerked his

head in Father Benedict’s direction. “If you want to point the

finger at someone, point it at him.”

“What is he even doing here?”

“Let’s say he failed to protect the innocent. He works for

us now. I’m sure you can appreciate the irony.” I glared at

him furiously. “Or not.”

It occurred to me that Jake was being deliberately cagey.

Despite the heat, I felt my blood run cold, as though

someone had injected shards of ice directly into my

bloodstream. I knew I was Jake’s conquest, a souvenir of

his victory over the agents of heaven. But what else was

going on?

“Whatever you want me to do, I won’t do it,” I said.

“Calm down,” Jake replied. “Your presence is al that’s

required.” Suddenly the pieces seemed to fal into place.

The gown, the parade, and now a ceremony—it was

starting to make sense.

“I won’t marry you,” I said, gripping the throne so hard my

knuckles turned white. “Not now, not in a mil ion years from

now.”

“This isn’t a wedding, darling,” Jake said, laughing softly.

“That part comes later. As a gentleman, I would never

push you into something you weren’t ready for.”

“Oh, but kidnapping’s okay?” I asked sarcastical y.

“I needed to get your attention,” Jake replied in a blase

tone.

“Do you real y want to be with someone who can’t stand

the sight of you?” I asked. “Don’t you have more self-

respect than that?”

“How about we save the domestic spat for a more

private time? Right now you’re everybody’s sweetheart.

Just enjoy the moment.”

Jake gestured toward the audience, who were waiting

with baited breath for something to happen. “They’ve made

a long journey to welcome their new princess.”

Then, quick as lightning, he pushed back his chair and

was behind me, propeling me forward so I was now center

stage. There rose a col ective flutter of excitement and

thousands of eyes watched me with a fanatical eagerness.

“This,” Jake whispered seductively from behind, “is an

induction. Look around you, Bethany. This is your kingdom

and
these
are your people.”

“I’m not their princess,” I spat. “I never wil be!”

“But they want you, Beth. They need you. They’ve been

waiting such a long time. Just think of the difference you

could make around here.”

“I can’t help them,” I said feebly.

“Can’t or won’t?

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of

someone loudly clearing her throat. It was the redhead

named Eloise from the banquet. “Can we please get on

with it?” Jake responded by motioning Father Benedict

forward.

“Let’s begin.”

I had no idea what their “induction” involved, but I knew I

couldn’t go through with it. I had to get away. I bolted for the

steps and even managed to scramble down a couple

before being met by Jake’s entourage below. Soon they

were swarming around me. Their hot hands grasped at me

from every direction. Their faces contorted with pleasure,

flashing between masks of beauty and their true grotesque

forms. A few moments later, I was forcibly returned to my

seat. Jake sat beside me looking serene. The priest

placed a silver crown of vine leaves on his head and it

shimmered against his smooth dark hair. In his gnarled

hands, Father Benedict held an identical crown intended for

me. When he spoke, his throaty voice resounded through

the space.

“We are here today to welcome a new member into our

family. The prince has searched for her for many centuries

and we share in his happiness now that he has found her at

last. She is no mere mortal who succumbed to the lure of

power and immortality. She comes from a much higher

place—a place known as the Kingdom of Heaven.” There

was a col ective gasp from the spectators. I wondered if

their tortured minds could even remember such a place as

Heaven. Somehow, I doubted it. “You shal worship her,”

Father Benedict intoned, his voice rising in fervor. “You

shal serve her and bow to her wil .” I wanted to get up and

contradict every edict coming out of his mouth, but I knew I

would only be silenced. Father Benedict concluded, “I

present to you, the new Princess of the Third Circle, the

Angel Bethany!” With that he turned and placed the crown

on my head. As soon as he did a flash of lightning

il uminated the red sky and a storm of ash blew up around

us, forcing the souls to duck for cover and shield their

faces. The demons seemed to enjoy the crowd’s reaction.

Then as quickly as it had started the ceremony appeared

to be over. The priest hobbled off the stage and the crowd

began to disperse. Just as we were getting back into the

car a ragged child tore through the crowd toward us. He

was smal and frail with an urchin’s face. He reached for

me, arms outstretched in supplication. Diego noticed him

first. He leapt out of the procession and grabbed him, his

cruel fingers coiling around the child’s throat. I watched in

horror as the child began to gasp for breath, his eyes wild

with terror, his smal hands scrabbling uselessly at his

sides. Then Diego looked suddenly bored and tossed him

aside as if he were a crumpled paper bag. A strange

gurgling sound came from the boy’s throat. Every instinct in

my body urged me to run to his aid. I tried to move forward,

but Jake’s vise-like grip pul ed me back.

“Show some dignity!” he snarled.

Then, without thinking, I kicked him hard in the shins to

free myself. It distracted him long enough for me to rush to

the boy’s side. I lifted up the little limp body, the train of my

gown dragging in the dirt. The child’s eyes were shut, and I

gently brushed the dust from his gaunt cheeks, laid my hand

against his chest, and wil ed whatever healing energy I had

left to restore the life force that had been stolen from him.

When the color returned to his lips and his eyes flickered

open, I smiled down at him reassuringly. It was only then

that I noticed how quiet everything around me had become.

Every face was turned in my direction. I saw Jake standing

only feet away, but his face was fixed in an expression of

dismay. Before I could move Jake’s party enfolded me,

guiding me protectively back to the car. Only once I was

seated next to him did I feel Jake’s hot breath at my ear.

“Never do that again,” he said. “What do you think this is?

We are children of Lucifer. Our purpose is to inflict

suffering, not relieve it.”

“Speak for yourself,” I told him boldly.

“Listen to me,” Jake hissed, grabbing my arm. “The

Seven Virtues in Heaven are Seven Sins in Hel . An act of

kindness here is a capital offense. Even I won’t be able to

protect you.”

I wasn’t listening to Jake anymore. Suddenly I felt very

calm. I knew now I had the potential to make a difference,

even in Hel . My entire body rippled with this new

awareness. I had only done what came natural y to me, tried

to offer comfort where I had witnessed pain. I focused on

my powers of healing, felt them gather momentum under my

skin. My wings tingled, but I repressed the urge to unfurl

them. Light began to emanate from me. It spil ed out of the

car, into the dusty clearing and over the heads bobbing in

the crowd. It rose and bleached the fire in the sky to a milky

white. Al the while I could hear Jake’s voice in the

background … .

“What are you doing? Stop that right now! I forbid you!”

He didn’t sound angry now, only alarmed. Then the light

ebbed and final y vanished, leaving in its place a solitary

white butterfly. It hovered in the air just above the crowd, a

tiny fragment of hope in a sea of despair. Some tried to

grasp it, but every face was now turned upward, either in

wonder or in horror. Jake became rigid as stone. With him

temporarily incapacitated, it was Asia who stepped forward

and took charge.

“Kil the bug,” she snapped. “And get her outta here.”

21

Big Daddy

BACK at Hotel Ambrosia, Jake’s demons gathered for a

crisis meeting. They refused his offer of the boardroom and

stood in the lobby arguing loudly like schoolchildren in the

playground. I was largely ignored, but I heard my name

bandied around along with phrases like
massive screwup

and
we’re cactus.
The dispute continued to swel until I felt

Jake grab hold of my elbow and steer me toward Hanna,

who watched from the wings and nervously wrung her

hands.

“Get Beth upstairs,” Jake said, propeling me into her

arms. “Don’t stop and don’t speak to anyone.”

“I didn’t mean to cause so much trouble,” I stammered. I

couldn’t bring myself to say I was sorry … I wasn’t. I just

hadn’t expected this kind of pandemonium. “It sort of just

happened.”

happened.”

Jake ignored me. “Now, Hanna!” he roared.

“I don’t understand why it’s such a big deal,” I said,

resisting Hanna’s attempts to bustle me away. “At least tel

me what’s going on.”

Jake lowered his voice and fixed me with his smoldering

gaze. “Things are about to get ugly. I’m trying to save your

skin and my chances of doing that are much better if you

get out of the way.”

Looking around I saw the tar black eyes of every demon

present blazing with bloodlust. My presence was no longer

being viewed with the customary amusement or curiosity.

The faces around me looked manic, like they wanted

nothing more than to dismember me limb by limb. I watched

as Jake turned to face my jurors. He looked tal and

formidable in his black tailcoat with his hair unbound and

fal ing free around his shoulders. I could see by his

aggressive stance that he was bracing himself for a fight.

“Come away, miss.” Hanna was becoming flustered. This

time I didn’t argue but hurried after her. Even inside the

elevator, fragments of the raging argument floated over to

us.

“This is a travesty!” someone was shouting. “You should