Hell was ruled by five demons. Melloch, Belphegor, Astaroth, Lucifer, and the Master himself, Satan. Melloch knew most humans believed Lucifer and Satan were one and the same, but in reality, they were very, very different.
Lucifer was an exquisite creature, perfect to behold, with a mane of golden hair and majestic wings that glimmered like mother of pearl. He was the first angel cast from Heaven, the first to break God’s heart. But Satan was something else entirely. He was the Beast, the creator of hell.
As old as the universe itself, Satan dwelled in the nether regions amid the flames of an unquenchable fire. His skin was burned and charred, his desire for anarchy insatiable.
Before Aurora’s foot even touched the old wooden porch Jasmyne came bursting out of the front door, her hands perched sharp on her hips. “And just what do you think you’re doing here?” “Jasmyne…”
Out on the veranda, Aurora stroked Aurel’s head as he dozed quietly by her side. When she had first wandered through the forest all those years ago with Stefan and her sisters in tow, it was Aurel who had appeared from behind a towering elm and led her to the old farmhouse. He had been just a cub then, separated from his pack, and they bonded immediately. Since then he had been her constant companion. When things got tough there was something about the strength of his presence that reminded her of who she was. Aurel was an alpha. A leader. And so was she.
They were coming. Any day now, the Reaper Army would rise, and the world Aurora loved would be destroyed. She thought of Gabriel and wondered how, knowing all they were up against, he could choose to just sit back and let it happen.
It was quiet. Too quiet, and Gabriel couldn’t think. There was something about the stillness of the cabin, the way sounds echoed through the empty rooms. Everything looked the same. The fire still crackled in the hearth, the old leather armchair still stood in the corner, and in the bedroom… Gabriel hadn’t been able to bring himself to sleep in the bed since she left. Instead, he spent restless hours on the couch, tossing and turning, and cursing the quiet.He sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. Had it b
Aurora was exhausted. She had spent the entire day training in the mountains, running and climbing, but mostly fighting the monsters in her head. As she approached the farmhouse it was almost nightfall and through the window she could see her sisters crowded around the kitchen table, warm lamplight spilling over their faces. Despite all that was on her mind, she smiled and reached down to stroke Aurel. “At least I have my family back,” she told him softly. &
Melloch reveled in the heat and hate of Hell. He adored every realm, but being invited to the Lake of Fire was an extraordinary delight. He rejoiced in the charred remains, the ungodly sin that hung heavy in the air. It was paradise.He stood quietly on a bank made of ash and pumice and waited. Soon the Dark Lord would appear, and Melloch would be humbled by his presence. Satan was not just a demon, he was every demon. Commander in Chief of the five realms of Hell, Melloch knew that Satan valued all his generals, but h
As his father poured two more glasses of scotch, Gabriel looked closely at the folds of skin around his eyes. He wondered, could the burden of keeping secrets age someone beyond their years? Could the weight of a lie somehow alter gravity?“Gabriel you need to know that what I did, I did out of love. At the time I believed with all my heart that I was doing the right thing. I need you to know that.”
“There’s someone coming up the drive and they seem to be in kind of a hurry,” Jasmyne warned as she peered out the window. “Aurora, do you recognize that car?”Aurora’s heart leaped. Gabriel had finally come. She tore back the curtains and stared down the driveway where a black four-wheel-drive was speeding toward the house, a cloud of dust streaming out behind it.