Hell's Gift (36 page)

He wasn’t here. He hadn’t gone through all that I had. It was easy for him to sit up there behind his desk and give orders. Where was he when Princess Lameria held my heart in the palm of her hand and threatened to end one of my lives, inevitably sending me back to the beginning of my quest? Malcolm would have at least been there to give me moral support or to tell me how much I had screwed up. I could always count on at least that with Malcolm, but this time he was the one that had screwed up, and now I was minus two friends because of my stupidity. If he hadn’t been trying to help me, nothing bad would have ever happened to him.

I sniffled as I looked down to my unblemished, uninjured torso. There was no blood or any other sign of ever having had two hands shoved through my chest, but I knew it had happened. I couldn’t even pretend it hadn’t, because I was still missing a friend I had promised to protect.

There was an old brass key hanging from a brown leather cord around my neck. I took it with my fingers to examine it further, but there didn’t seem to be anything extraordinary about it. I exhaled as I let the cool metal drop to rest in between my pectorals once again. It had to have been the gift I was promised from Lucifer.

Looking to my left, then right, at all the doors that lined the corridor I was in, I debated with myself the decision to give up. The option was always there. I could say it at anytime and I wouldn’t have to try anymore. Lucifer wasn’t going to let me win, so what was the point in trying anyway? Who else am I going to sentence to death if I stubbornly go on? Abbi would, in time, understand if I give up, because the reason is so our friends could be ok.

“Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Abigail is waiting for you to do as you promised!”

I sighed as I let my head fall back to the wall. Looking up to the gray ceiling, imitating the angry scowl I could imagine the archangel sitting up in Heaven was wearing on his face, I brought my hand up where he could see through my eyes and flipped him the bird.

I was so tired. I was mentally as well as physically exhausted. Maybe they were right all along: there was no way to get out of Hell. I thought of myself as a pretty strong-willed individual, but even I was beginning to doubt what I could accomplish.

“Get up, Rhyan. You’re not giving up.”

“Says who? You?” I laughed. “Can you stop me? It’s called freewill, Isaiah. If I want to give up there is nothing anyone can do about it. The only thing you can do is nag me to death.” I didn’t even care that I was talking to him out loud. It didn’t matter to me if someone knew I was being helped, if you could even call it that with how much ‘help’ Isaiah had given me.

“I’m sorry—”

“Sorry? You’re sorry? Seems like that is all you can say while I’m down here actually risking everything. Why should I care if you’re sorry? Get out of my head if you aren’t going to be any more useful to me than that. I think I would have better luck on my own, anyway.”

“You are doing all you can do, and that is all we can expect from you, but giving up is not an option you have. Keep moving. If it takes an eternity to complete your mission, so be it, but do not give up. Phoebe was never going to be allowed a pass out of Hell. I fear Velan only let her leave Pride with you so she would slow you down, and then when they knew you would protect her, they killed her so you would grow depressed, question your limits and give up, like you’re doing now. They can see into your heart, Rhyan. They know how much you can love and what your weaknesses are. They will use those against you every chance they get. I wouldn’t even doubt that Phoebe was all planned out from the time you entered Pride. She may not have even been a real girl. They have set you up to fall and you are letting them win. Do not allow it to happen. Your wife and charge are waiting for your return.”

I sat there a moment, taking in everything he’d said. Phoebe had seemed so real to me, but I supposed he could have been right. Even if she had been real, they’d probably only allowed her to accompany me to slow me down, then use her failure to make me give up. Either way, I couldn’t do anything about it. What’s done is done, and I had no choice but to move forward. I couldn’t give up. I needed to get back to Abigail and Kendra, but above all else, I could not allow Lucifer to have access to Earth again. I wouldn’t be responsible for that catastrophe; it was bad enough that his minions were there. I couldn’t do anything about his demons being on Earth; God banished Lucifer to the pits of Hell, not his pawns. But I could do something to keep Lucifer from gaining access again. I would complete the mission successfully.

“That’s my boy! Now get up and go find the lock that key opens.”
Isaiah said enthusiastically in my mind as I got to my feet.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head, but I could honestly say I felt a little better about the situation after giving Isaiah a thorough butt-chewing. I bent to retrieve my acid-jacket and Phoebe’s pack from the dirty red runner that traveled the length of the hallway. I stuffed my jacket in with the other supplies she’d brought along, and then left with me when she was forcefully ripped from Greed and thrown back into Pride. I prayed she would find a way out someday. I would make it a mission, upon completing my current one, to track down her soulmate to see if he was up for a little adventure. I would even offer to accompany him if it was possible for her to escape the bowels of Hell. I worried about Malcolm, too, but Isaiah hadn’t volunteered any news, and since I was dealing with as much as I could take at the moment, I didn’t ask. I tossed the equipment to my back, wove the spear through the straps and set off to finish what I started.

~ ~ ~

Thinking that the first door I tried would be locked because my object had been a key, I tried to fit the brass into the keyhole first, but it wouldn’t go in. My brow furrowed in confusion as I tried several different ways to make the key fit into the hole.

I let out an exasperated ‘heh’ and turned to look at the door adjacent to the lock I’d been trying to throw. The lock mechanism was shaped exactly the same. Why would they give me a key that didn’t unlock any of the doors? I thought to myself. Maybe it unlocked doors on another floor.

“Try the knob. Maybe it’s already unlocked and the key is to a chest or something else you might come across later on,”
Isaiah suggested.

I didn’t have such a great feeling about the key anymore. I took the knob in my hand and it turned without resistance. I stopped pushing the door open and gave a silent curse when the hinges gave a low creak. With the door ajar about five inches, I could tell the room was illuminated and I wouldn’t have any trouble seeing something attack me if it chose to do so.

I took in a deep breath, let it seep out slowly though my lips, then pushed the door open with a nudge of my hand.

What I saw puzzled me. Roughly 12’ x 15’, the room was empty, apart from a small bed and a white chest, with a clean hardwood floor and a white curtain drabbed window on the wall directly across from me. It was definitely a change from what the corridor looked like. If I’d ever been there, I was having trouble remembering the time or location. I kept my guard up and my fingers closed tightly around the spear at my back, just in case I received any new surprises.

Three steps in, the door slammed shut behind me. I turned swiftly, pulled the spear from the pack straps and fell into a defensive crouch.

There was nothing there.

I ran and grabbed the doorknob, but it only jiggled in my hand. Locked. Damn! I hit the door once with the side of my fist, but only accomplished hurting my hand. I retaliated by kicking it with my too small boot and hurting my toes.

Stepping back, I forced myself to calm down so I could think.

“Any ideas, Isaiah?”

I heard him sigh.
“I only see what you see, but so far I haven’t noticed anything that will help you out. Turn and look at the whole room again.”

I huffed, but did as he requested. I felt like I was wasting time. Why had I walked into an empty room? There was obviously nothing…

I froze when my eyes fell upon a closet door painted the same white as the walls.

“What do you think?”
I asked.

“You’re out of options. Keep your spear up and open it.”

I walked cautiously to the door and tried the knob. It was locked. “Heh.”

“See if the key fits,”
Isaiah offered.

I wondered briefly if there would actually be something behind the door that would help me on my way or if there was something there that would send me back to Gluttony. It didn’t matter what it was; I had to look, regardless of what would be waiting for me. I could see no other way out. The key slipped in easily and I wasn’t at all surprised when the lock clicked free as I turned the brass.

I took in a shaky breath, steeling my nerves for the inevitable, then turned the knob and threw the door open. I blinked in confusion at what was before me. It was a little girl, and she was hunkered in a corner, not moving, her face hidden behind her sand-colored hair.

I sheathed my spear and took a small step toward her.

“Careful, Rhyan, remember where you are. This isn’t Heaven.”

Isaiah’s words caused me to pause. He was right. There would be no children that young in Hell. She couldn’t have been any older than four, from the looks of her tiny frame. I reached to grab my spear again and she looked up at me. Sad, almond-shaped green eyes stared up into mine and I forgot how to breathe.

The child had my nose and Abbi’s mouth and eyes. I could see us both in her so easily, and I wanted nothing more than to run to the skinny little girl and squeeze her tight. She was mine. She was Abbi’s. This was our daughter.

“She’s not, Rhyan!”

“My daughter.”

“Your daughter is not in Hell! They are trying to fool you. Run away! Get out of there before any more harm is done!”

“Daddy?”

My hand came up to cover my mouth as tears flooded my eyes. I felt a huge swell around my heart and knew it was happiness. I nodded to her.

“She isn’t what she seems! Please—”

“Daddy, I’m scared,” she said.

I watched as she stood and took a step toward me, and I was just about to match her step when a loud bang on the door grabbed my attention. Another sounded before I could look back at the child, but I heard a distorted growl coming from her small throat.

I looked back to her as another great bang sounded and rattled the creaky hinges. I knew any second that whoever was on the other side only needed one or two more jabs before they made it through to where we were.

I wasn’t thrilled about that. I didn’t know who it was, but protecting the child was the only thing I could think of in that moment. I looked back to the door as a low growl bellowed deep from my chest and throat. I would protect what was mine.

“Have you lost your mind, Rhyan? Your child was never born. That little girl is not your daughter. She is a demon they are using to trick you. Please listen to me. She will kill you, and you will return to the Syde of Gluttony. Everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve will be lost…it will be gone.”

I shook my head to clear the sudden pressure I felt behind my eyes, but brief images flashed through my mind; memories of the child before me.

“They aren’t real, Rhyan.”

Abbi was holding Maci in a soft, pink blanket. She smiled up at me and held her out for me to take, to hold for the very first time.

I looked down to the little girl in front of me with wide, happy eyes. “Maci?”

Her hand lifted up and she smiled so bright. It warmed my heart just to look at the tiny angel. “You’ve come for me, daddy. I knew you would. Mommy doesn’t play with me anymore. She doesn’t love me. Why doesn’t she love me?”

I watched as great tears welled in her innocent eyes, then overflowed and fell down her cheeks. My heart broke in that instant. How could Abbi neglect her own child? She wasn’t at all the woman, the mother, I hoped she would be.

“They are all lies. Don’t allow them to trick you! You love your wife.”

Another hard bang came at the door, knocking it free of two hinges, causing it to fall crooked to the side of the jamb. The corridor lighting was brighter and silhouetted the male, but I knew who it was.

I rushed to grab Maci with one arm while pulling my spear free from the straps with the other hand.

“Put her down. I’m here to help you, Rhyan, to try and make right the wrong I’ve done by you, brother.”

“You are no brother of mine, Coen,” I growled out through a clenched jaw.

“Stay bitter if you like, but I am here to help you. I deserve my fate, but you do not deserve this.” He gestured with his hand at Maci sitting on my hip, and shook his head. “She is not your daughter. They are trying to get you to hate Princess Abigail so you will not want to save her.”

“How would you know anything about us?”

“I have my ways. You spend a long enough time in Hell, you either start to learn things to keep you alive or you go insane running from your fears.” He cleared his throat and gave me a stern look. “I’m risking a lot. I will be punished severely for disobeying them and helping you, but no matter the hell I go through, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I didn’t at least try after what I did to your charge. I apologize, Rhyan. You will never know how deeply sorry I am to have been so selfish and greedy, but I am glad my charge was able to be brought back to the light and find love in your charge. That, I will never regret. I’m only sorry I put you and yours in danger.”

Maci wound her arms around my neck and clung tighter to my body. “He’s a bad man, daddy. Don’t listen to him.”

I knew he was a bad man.

“You do not have a child, Rhyan!” Coen bellowed. “Your wife committed suicide while pregnant and that is why she is here, in Hell. That is why you are here to save her. The child in your arms is a demon disguised as a child to distract you. Don’t let it happen. Don’t let the greed of wanting it to be real allow you to accept it as truth. Lucifer must not win!”