Author: Lisa Lane; Jaime Johnesee; Christine Sutton
Date: 2015-08-19 00:00:00+00:00
Description: An unknown force threatens Heaven and Hell, along with every soul on Earth. Three unlikely heroes join together to restore universal balance. Will their shared adversary initiate an Apocalypse before they're able to uncover the truth, or will they rise to a calling that has, from the beginning of time, been Cast in Blood?
Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing

Revelations: Cast In Blood

Christine Sutton

Lisa Lane

Jaime Johnesee

DevilDog Press LLC

Contents

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Epilogue

Also In This Series!

Also by the authors

Also Available From DevilDog Press

Extras

Thank you

Copyright © 2015 by DevilDogPress LLC

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Editor: Rob M. Miller

Cover art: Dane at ebooklaunch.com

Created with Vellum

A Special thank you to our beta readers: Vix Kirkpatrick, Lisa Evans, Kimberly Sansone and Angie Crabtree.

Thank you to Leslie Whitaker just for being you

From Author Christine Sutton:

I'd like to dedicate this book to my husband and family that has tirelessly supported me. And, to my extended family, my co-authors, Jaime Johnesee and Lisa Lane, who have made this project so much fun. To Devil Dog Press who is the best publisher, ever. Finally, to my readers. You all make doing this job a pleasure and a blessing. Thank you all!

From Author Lisa Lane:

I'd like to dedicate my part in this book to my loving and supportive husband, Tommy, for encouraging me at every turn and pushing me to grow a little more with every project. Thank you for believing in me.

From Author Jaime Johnesee:

I’d really like to thank our awesome beta readers and wonderful editor, Rob M. Miller, for polishing up these stories we’ve created. A huge thank you to Tracy Tufo for believing in this project (and me), as well as my family, friends, and readers for continuing to support me and my writing. I’d also very much like to thank Lisa Lane and Christine Sutton for making my first foray into coauthoring so fun.

My sincerest thanks to all above and those who are reading this book.

Chapter 1

Carpe Noctem

Lenny walked out the back door, two large, black garbage bags in her hands, into the alleyway behind the Children of Light church and the adjacent soup kitchen. She struggled to raise the dumpster lid and hoist the trash up and over. After nearly showering herself with empty peanut butter and jelly jars, she finally negotiated the refuse into its rightful place.

"Ha, garbage! Suck it! I win again!" Lenny raised her arms in a victory stance.

She turned to go back to the kitchen when she heard a rustling noise coming from behind the dumpster. She lowered her outstretched arms and stopped imagining the crowd going wild over her big win against the trash bags, moving instead to seek out the source of the noise.

"Here, kitty, kitty," she called out, assuming it was a stray rummaging for dinner.

Lenny jumped back with a scream when she saw the massive creature crouching behind the big, metal container.

A single, solid black eye glared back at her. The eye almost took her attention away from what looked like a mouth full of sharp teeth that were framed by canines no less than two inches long.

In a flourish, the dumpster lurched forward, causing her to sidestep to avoid being hit. With her natural grace, the sidestep turned into a side fall, and she tumbled to the ground, skinning her knee and the palms of her hands. She scrambled forward, feeling a fear that was normally reserved for fleeing dark bathrooms or looking out a window at night and knowing a monster will be looking back at you. She felt two hands grab her ankles and pull her back, but she was too scared to look behind her at the owner of those hands. Without warning, the thing pounced, straddling her body, but not crushing her.

She braced herself for the end.

This is how I die, she thought. Crushed by a garbage monster. Great.

The creature placed what felt like a claw in the center of her back. Instead of attacking, it leaned its head down to hers and took a deep whiff. As she closed her eyes tight and waited for the pain, the thing jumped up and disappeared down the alley.

What the fuck was that?

Whatever it was, it was big.

Lenny scrambled to her feet and ran inside, trembling and fighting tears. While she was not exactly unaware of strange and unusual things, never in her wildest nightmares would she have imagined something so monstrous. Not that she was complaining … but why had it left her alone? She wondered if she smelled bad to monsters, like how she hated the smell of certain foods.

I'm like Brussels sprouts to monsters. I can live with that.

She rushed into the kitchen with the other ladies of the Children of Light. The women were singing hymns and smiling as they went about preparing sandwiches for the following day, oblivious to the monster that had just run past their building. She couldn't shake the odd sensation someone—or something—was still watching her. Monday was the day when their outreach group went to the local parks and homeless hangouts with the free food to spread the gospel, so everyone was in high spirits. No one even noticed she'd returned, let alone that she was scared shitless.

She considered telling them about the encounter, but then thought better of it. Who would believe such a wild story?

She went to the sink and wet a small rag to clean her wounds. While she dabbed at the bright red scrape on her knee, her gaze drifted to the open window and she saw the second creature of the day. It was shrouded by shadow, but the long, silver hair glowed like a beacon. It appeared to be a woman, but not exactly. Maybe the shadows were playing tricks on her, but something was not quite right.

The woman-thing turned, and Lenny could have sworn she saw a flash of fire in its eyes.

Lenny gasped.

"Earth to Lenny," Maggie, a petite blonde who'd been charged with the task of wrapping and bagging sandwiches, said from her left. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry. I got in a fight with the ground. The ground won." She turned to her friend with a forced smile. When she looked out the window again, the creature was gone.

Lenny dried her hands and got back to work putting sandwiches together, deciding she must have been imagining the fire-eyed woman. Maggie didn't look convinced. "You sure you're all right?"

Lenny nodded. "Yeah, fine."

"Well, if you've got anything on your mind, Father is always there to lend an ear and offer advice." Maggie stared off for a few seconds, looking lost herself, then returned her attention to the sandwiches.

Lenny nodded. "He is a good man."

"Not just a man," Maggie corrected. "He truly is a gift from God. He's going to save us all, one life at a time, just like he saved me."

"Tell me how he saved you, Maggie." Lenny thought a story might calm her nerves.

"I used my body to make cash, and then I used that cash to ruin myself. By the time I was eighteen, I was a heroin addict and a prostitute who had already given a son away for adoption. Then one day I got a sandwich, and my whole life turned around."

"Praise Father," a few others working in the kitchen said in unison.

Maggie's moment of sadness turned into a look of euphoria as she continued. "When I came here and met Father, I knew I had a purpose. I knew that my purpose was to serve him." Maggie smiled, again far away in thought. "The best part of being a Child of Light is that now I get to choose who I give myself to. Praise Father."

Lenny thought that was an odd statement, but Maggie was so happy that Lenny couldn't help but be happy, too. She hadn't been at the church for long, but Father Chambers had shown himself to be a patient and wise man, and the outreach work he'd assigned to her had added an element to her life that had long been missing. When she'd been living on the streets, sometimes all it would have taken to brighten her day was a tiny bit of kindness from a stranger. She was so grateful that Children of Light had put her in a position to be that brightness for others. While she still wasn't completely sure Father was indeed the Messiah, he was, without a doubt, a natural leader.

Maggie nudged the cart forward. "Could you please take these in to Richard? I think he and Dale are out prepping the back for lunch."

"Sure." Lenny pushed the cart out of the kitchen, toward a side room that also led out into the alley. Her thoughts drifted back to the thing she'd seen out there. I didn't actually see anything, really, she thought, already questioning her memory.

Appearances could be deceiving; she knew that better than anyone.

Lost in a daydream, Lenny snapped back to reality when the cart came to an abrupt halt and she almost went ass over teakettle. She looked down to see what she had absentmindedly run into, and her mild amusement at her own clumsiness turned to horror when she saw the dead boy splayed across the floor.

In front of the cart lay a body she vaguely recognized as Richard. The only reason she recognized him at all was the green Converse that sat squarely on the end of one of his legs. The other shoe, along with Richard's foot, was sitting about two feet away from the rest of him. Where his chest had been, there was a gaping hole exposing a set of sliced lungs hiding under a mess of broken ribs. His face was covered in splattered blood and gore, and his mouth was frozen open in what she could only guess was a final expression of sheer terror before whatever attacked him took his life

You know what did this. The garbage monster.

A feeling of panic enveloped her and she was unable to stop herself from screaming. She stood over what used to be a nineteen-year-old kid and shrieked until her voice went hoarse.

Lenny instinctively reacted when she felt a pair of hands grab her shoulders from behind. She was not about to be caught off guard twice in one day. She whirled around, ready to fight the attacker until she saw who had taken hold of her. When she looked into the sweet, older face of Dale, she relaxed into his embrace. He was a counselor at the church who helped the junkies detox when they came in. He sat with them until the shakes passed or the wailing stopped. Dale never raised his voice or looked angry. He was a good man, and she gratefully accepted his comfort.

"Hey, there, it's okay. Calm down," he said as he gently stroked her hair.

Lenny gathered her senses and took a deep breath. She pulled back as soon as the initial shock passed. "I'm okay now. I just … I … that was Richard."

"I know. Let me take you out of here. I'll get someone to take care of all this ugliness," Dale said in his kindly voice, shuffling her out of the room and back down the hallway.

"What could have done that to Richard?" Lenny asked when they arrived at her room.

The trash can monster with one black eye.

"I don't know, sweetheart, but I want you to lay down and try to forget all of that before services begin. It was probably a stray dog or a coyote or something. Just get some rest."

He tucked her hair behind her ear and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. Lenny pulled away when he inhaled deeply.

"I'll try." She gave a half-hearted smile, trying to cover her sudden uneasiness.

"I'll see if Maggie can bring you some tea."

"That would be nice."

She shut the door behind him and sat on her bed. "That was no stray dog," Lenny said to herself, lying back, trying to get some rest, but unable to banish the images that now haunted her.

A knock on the door made her jump, and she called out, “Who is it?”

“It’s Maggie. I have your tea.”

Lenny sat up, finger-brushing her hair. “Come in.”

Maggie walked in. She held out a steaming teacup. “Drink this. It’ll help you relax.”

Lenny took the cup gratefully and inhaled the lemony aroma. “Thank you.”

“No need for thanks. Just get some rest.” She affectionately stroked Lenny’s hair then left the room without another word.

Lenny sipped at the tea, trying again to reconcile her thoughts on the day.

There had to be a logical explanation for everything. Maybe Dale was so calm because he was trying not to freak out in front of her. Maybe he wanted to stay calm until he could get Father's advice on the matter. Maybe it really was a stray dog.

Yeah, she thought as her eyelids grew heavy. That had to be it.

Chapter 2

Hershel Chambers stood at the wooden podium, overlooking his flock. He wore simple blue jeans and a button-down plaid shirt. Dressing in a suit felt too ostentatious. The curls of his brown hair fell around the curve of his jaw and mingled with the slight scruff on his cheeks. His bright blue eyes surveyed the crowd of people who had joined his ministry and given up their old lives to follow him.

There were single mothers sitting in the chairs with mixed looks of hope and exhaustion on their faces as they held their fussy children tight. There were scores of runaways, drug addicts, and homeless, all people society had turned its back on. They were the forgotten ones that struggled in the shadows to find a place in the world.

On the other hand, some who occupied the seats were do-gooders that needed a faith to cling to. Middle class families, desperate to find something bigger than themselves that made sense, came to him with wide eyes and open hearts. These people were disillusioned with their mega-churches and their pastors that preached one thing and did the opposite. They were tired of the news stories about preachers that condemned homosexuals by day but visited their boy prostitutes at night. They grew tired of preachers that begged forgiveness on Sunday when they were caught stealing money or screwing the secretary, but come Monday, jumped right back on the sin wagon.

He took all of these lost souls into the fold. There was a place for everyone in Children of Light.

"Amongst them was a wolf, and that wolf wore the skin of a sheep." He made eye contact with each member while he spoke, scanning the faces that stared back at him. "It walked amongst them and ate of their flesh freely. The beast had the countenance of a believer, but the heart of a jackal."

"Amen!" several of the people shouted enthusiastically, nodding their heads and clasping hands.

"You, my friends, are those lambs. You are the believers." Hershel stepped down from the stage and walked into the aisle. "There is no question in my heart that you will keep the wolves at bay."

He placed his hands on a brunette woman's shoulder, squeezing lightly. The woman looked as though she might faint from excitement before he walked on.

"I have heard the true voice of the Lord. He has spoken to me directly and told me of the plan we must follow. This church began as a small group of followers that only wanted to serve. I was praying one night, and I made one simple wish. My followers helped to make that wish come true. I knew then, at that very moment, that I was the one true Messiah. I will lead you to a better life, a promised land reserved for the strong and faithful. Are you willing to follow me? Are you strong and true in your commitment to salvation?"

"Yes, Father!" more of them shouted, raising their hands in the air as though they might receive some form of grace through their palms.

"I will lead you to paradise. I promise this. But…" He stepped back up to the stage and paced in front of the podium, running his fingers through his hair. "There is a price for glory. There is always a price."

His eyes ran over the crowd again and fixated on Lenore. She was a little runaway that sat in the third row, bundled up in leggings and an oversized sweater, trying her best not to attract any attention. She nervously bounced her leg and listened intently to his every word.

He reached a hand out to her. "Lenore, our newest lamb, will you join me on stage, please?"

Lenore stood, obviously nervous, but driven by her desire to please her spiritual leader. Her sweater sat askew on her hip, and she pulled it down to hide the curve of her outer thigh. She walked up to the stage slowly, her eyes never leaving his.

As she joined him, he raised an outstretched hand, signaling her to take it. The girl looked around the room and finally decided it would be all right to touch him. He grasped her hand tightly in his, and he felt a shiver pass through her body.

"Yes, there is a price, my children. The price that I ask of you is loyalty. I ask that you repay my kindness with service, love, and obedience. You must bear all of your soul to me and to the other members of Children of Light. You must stand open and naked before God, and me. Can you do that? Can you obey your messiah?"

"Yes!" Everyone joined in this time, including Lenore. Her eyes sparkled with a giddiness that let Hershel know she was his to command.

"Lenore, can you show your love and obedience to your Father?"

"Yes," she whispered, still holding on to the last vestiges of shyness. Or was that a remaining thread of doubt he saw across her face?

"Yes what?"

"Yes, Father." No … it had to be that she was just shy.

"Better." He spoke in a hushed tone, ensuring that only she could hear him. "Lenore … Lenny is what you like to be called, right?"

She nodded, unable to speak as she stared in admiration at her savior. His voice elevated to address the crowd.

"Tell me what led you here, Lenny. Tell your brothers and sisters how you came to be amongst the chosen."

A look of dread overcame her, but she still spoke: "My mom and dad gave me away when I was a little girl. They sent me to an orphanage to be adopted, but no one ever adopted me. I lived there until I was fifteen. The monsignor of the church that ran the orphanage told me I had to leave because I was different. He said I was bad, evil. I left and lived on the street until I saw a flyer for Children of Light."

"And thank the Lord you did. But, I want you to tell us the real story. What happened to you on the streets? What did you have to do to survive in order to get here?"

"I had it better than a lot of other kids. I had to fight to try and find food, but so did everyone else. I settled into a camp where I could sleep at night, so I never had to search for a place to stay. I stayed out on the streets for ten years, so I got good at taking care of myself."

"Were you forced to do things? Did you use drugs? Did you prostitute yourself?"

A shocked look contorted the girl's face.

"No … I never … I never did that."

"Thank God for that." He smiled warmly as he squeezed her hand harder before letting go. "That's good, Lenny. Thank you for sharing with us. Please, take your seat."

He gripped her shoulders and gave a gentle push, urging her to leave the stage. He was disappointed that the girl had not given more information about her time as a runaway. He had hoped she would divulge all of the salacious details, but it would apparently take time for her to truly open up. Time was one thing he had plenty of. He watched her walk off the stage, admiring her long, dark hair and thin frame. There was something different, something special about her. He just needed to find out exactly what it was.

She would do nicely.

Chapter 3

After informing his children that he expected all of them to attend the upcoming blood drives and volunteer soup kitchens, as well as their regular services, Hershel left the stage. He walked down the short hall toward his office nestled in the back of the building.

Joseph stood outside the office door, waiting for instructions. He leaned against the frame, picking at his well-manicured nails. His expensive suit hung on a frame that was much thinner than it had been before he joined Children of Light. He had a healthy charm, and he was a handsome young man, even though most of the church members were afraid of him. He had an air of menace about him that hung just behind a cool smile. He was handsome, all right, but paled in comparison to Hershel, no matter the cost of the suit.

"How did it go, Father?" Joseph asked, grinning widely as he opened the door.

"It went very well, indeed." Hershel stepped inside, waving the young man off while he took the seat behind the desk. "Gather the Faithful. We need to discuss a few things."

The office had no real décor except for the oak desk and a floor lamp that stood next to a large, black filing cabinet. There were no pictures or paintings. No mementos lined the shelves or cluttered the top of the desk. Hershel did not like things that were flamboyant. He preferred simplicity.

Within ten minutes, the five members of the Faithful, Children of Light's inner sect, stood around Hershel's desk, eagerly awaiting instructions.

"My children, I have news for you all." Hershel folded his hands and looked at each member individually.

They all looked back at him with a pure desire to please.

Celia sat to his right. A pretty Hispanic girl, no more than seventeen years old, she had a curvy, muscular frame that conveyed softness. Her long, black hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing a round face with dark eyes that looked angelic. Hershel knew she was anything but. She was easily the most merciless of the Faithful. She was also the most loyal. Hershel trusted her with his life, which was why she had been appointed his personal bodyguard.

Joseph, Hershel's assistant, sat to his left. He was a bored thirty-something who had lived his life as a bank manager until his turn toward true salvation. He had always come in handy when it was time to work the books and creatively move funds. He also came in handy when it was time to invest and grow the coffers to support all of their operations. It turned out Joseph was a wizard in the stock market as well as a loyal right-hand man.

Naomi, Kevin, and Joshua were all definitely faithful to him, but they were more like mindless followers. Zealots were what they would be called by the less enlightened world. Hershel freely used their muscle and devotion to keep the rest of the flock in line when any of them had a crisis of faith.

"We have been given the go-ahead to move forward with the cleansing."

Each of the Faithful smiled and clasped their hands in praise.

Naomi whispered as a tear formed in her eye, "Praise, Father!"

"We will open the outreach next week, starting with the clinic. Joseph, I trust everything is ready?"

"Yes, Father. Everything came in this afternoon."

"Awesome. So, everyone has their assignments, right? I trust you all can carry them out without my help?"

"Of course, Father," Celia purred at him with her slight Puerto Rican accent. "We will make you proud."

"I know you will." Hershel reached over and squeezed her bare thigh. "Well, go and show me, then. Joseph, would you stay behind a second?"

After the others had given their congratulations to Hershel and left the room, Joseph took a seat opposite him.

"How can I serve you?"

"The girl … Lenore. I want you to bring her to me tonight. There is something special about her, and I want to find out what it is."

"Not to question you, Father, but are you sure? She seemed to me to be a bit … skittish. Perhaps one of the other girls could keep you company this evening?"

"It sounds suspiciously as though you are questioning me, Joseph."

"Please forgive me. I just have a bad feeling about that one. Your safety is always first in my mind, Father."

"While I appreciate the concern, I think I can handle one tiny girl. Bring her to me tonight."

"Yes, Father." Joseph turned to leave.

"Oh, and Joseph?" Hershel asked almost absent-mindedly as he shuffled through the papers on his desk.

Joseph turned. "Yes?"

"If you ever question me again, I'll kill you."

With a nod, Joseph left.

Chapter 4

Lenny nervously paced the floor of her small room. She was one of the few followers who had a private room, and she had no idea why she was so special. She had never really felt all that special. Different, definitely. Special, not so much. Most people dismissed her as being mousy and shy, but no one knew her secrets. She had a bit of a wild side, but also a healthy fear of being discovered.

She walked to the window that overlooked an empty field, thinking of the many times she had slept in various places outside that fence and beyond. Her life had been easy compared to most. That part of what she had told Father was true.

What she had not said was how she had made her life as a runaway so easy. She had shifted into the forms of famous people whenever she wanted to go to a fancy restaurant and eat for free. A whole lot of the "Britney Spears has wild night out" headlines had been her responsibility. When she wanted to sleep in a nice hotel, she shifted into the form of a guest and asked to extend their stay.

It had been so easy … and so addictive.

The biggest problem had come on a night when she was particularly lonely. She'd shifted into the form of a man's wife. She had seen the couple around town for a few weeks and made her move when the wife left for a night out.

The husband was so handsome, with his dark hair, peppered with silver at the temples, and those beautiful green eyes. She could still smell his cologne for weeks. After she spent the night with the man, she felt like garbage. She'd barely been able to stand herself. Even though the couple probably never knew what happened, Lenore still felt like a homewrecker.

She was just so lonely….

Lenny couldn't stay in the room a minute longer. She felt as though she couldn't breathe and the room was only getting smaller by the second. She stepped out into the hall and began to wander down the corridors with no real idea of where she was going. She ended up downstairs, outside the kitchen. Her chest tightened as she thought about poor Richard and how scared he must have been, being attacked like that. When she heard the voices coming down the hall in front of her, she jumped. It was against the rules for anyone to be out of the rooms so late, and she had no desire to get in any trouble.

Looking around the room for a place to hide until the voices passed her by, she decided to duck behind the large kitchen door. As quietly as possible, she slipped back behind the wooden door, hiding herself from view. The owners of the voices did not pass by the kitchen as she had hoped; instead, they stopped directly in front of the doorway and continued their conversation, unaware of her presence. One voice belonged to Dale, the counselor, and the other belonged to Father himself.

"I told you, Demas, you can take all the junkies you want, but you can't take established members that will be missed. And you definitely cannot leave a bullshit mess like this." Hershel spat the words.

"I just couldn't help it," Dale whined. "I was so hungry and he was so tasty."

"Just finish cleaning this mess up. Get rid of the damn body—and I do not want this shit to happen again. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," Dale said with obvious disdain. He seemed to know that Hershel needed him, and he was obviously pushing his boundaries.

Hershel turned and walked down the hall to his office without another word.

Dale went into the kitchen, grabbed two large plastic garbage bags and walked out the back door. Lenny eased her way out from behind the door. She knew she should have gone straight to her room, but before she knew it, her feet carried her to the back door. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she looked out into the courtyard. Lenny saw Dale hoist the two bags into a large barrel with no real effort at all. He pulled a lighter from his front pocket and set the contents of the barrel ablaze.

Dale watched the fire grow. He cocked his head and sniffed the air like an animal smelling prey. As he slowly turned toward the door, Lenny panicked and instinctively began a quick shift. She didn't know what she was shifting into, but was able to stop herself and step back into the shadows before Dale saw her. As she stood with her back to the wall, her eyes focused on something else in the far corner of the yard. A woman stood, cloaked in shadows, watching her from her hiding place. She had skin that was an almost translucent shade of pale. Long silver hair cascaded over broad shoulders where it rested on her chest. She was six feet tall if she was an inch. Her dark suit jacket, worn over fitted trousers with a dark blue silk shirt, sat slightly open to expose some impressive cleavage.

It was the woman-thing she had seen that morning, Lenny was sure of it.

Lenny gasped audibly before she was able to clamp her hand over her own mouth.

Idiot girl dies from inability to stop gasping. News at eleven.

She turned and ran out of the kitchen toward her room, scared that someone would see her. Scared that Dale, or whoever he was, would see or hear her.

When she was safely behind her bedroom door, she leaned against the frame, breathing heavily. She wished there was a lock on the door, but Hershel didn't allow it. He said that no door should ever be locked because the Children of Light had no secrets.

"What the hell is going on here?" she asked the empty room.

"Well, that man outside is not a man."

Lenny jumped, her breath caught in her throat when she saw the tall woman from the courtyard. "Who are you and how did you get in here?"

"My name's Apollyon, but my friends call me Polly. Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. Now that we know each other, maybe you can explain what a shifter is doing in a nut-job cult."

"I don't know you."

"Oh, yeah." Polly held out her hand to shake and smiled in a way that almost looked painful, showing off a set of perfect teeth. Lenny only stared back at her. She dropped her hand back to her side. "Stranger danger and all that jazz, huh? I'll make this quick, then. You are apparently a shifter, and I am a demon."

"What are you doing here?" Lenny asked with a definite sternness to her voice that made Polly take notice.

"Listen, I am only here to try and track down an escapee from Hell by the name of Demas." Polly crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame, inspecting long red nails on one hand. "And I'm pretty damn sure that was him outside."

"Demas," Lenny whispered. "That's what Hershel called Dale. But he's a nice guy, he can't be a demon."

"A djinn, actually." Polly wrinkled her nose. "I hate djinn. They are messy and nasty and all around shitty."

The door to her room suddenly opened, and Naomi stood there.

"Lenny, Joseph sent me to get y—" She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Polly. "Demon."

Lenny cried out when she saw that Polly's eyes had turned a deep crimson and seemed to be glowing.

Naomi called out. "Help! There's a demon here!"

"Not for long," Polly said, and then she was gone.

"What the hell is going on here?" Lenny repeated, turning to Naomi for answers, but she, too, was already gone.

Chapter 5

Apollyon had been surprised to see the shifter. Watching the girl shimmer between human and other in a blatantly visceral response to the removal of Demas' leftovers made the demon certain the girl had absolutely no clue what she was looking at. Shifters only shimmered like that out of fear or surprise. Apollyon was intrigued; this case was taking all kinds of odd turns. First, there was the fact that for a demon—the First Knight of Hell, no less—to be tracking down a lowly djinn seemed a task far below her station.

It wasn't until Lucifer explained what Demas had escaped Hell with that Polly's interest in the creature was piqued. Demas had once been a member of Lucifer's cabinet, and as such he'd been allowed to sit in on meetings. Information from which was now being sold to the highest bidder.

Polly could always count on a djinn to trade information. The entire world knew to beware of skeevy little bastards. Delivered properly, the virus he stole from Hell could wipe out more than half the world. Polly wondered what the fuck he was doing with it at a hippy-style commune. Demas wasn't the religious or cultish type. The whole ordeal was beginning to stink, and Polly was hopeful that the shifter would have some shred of information that could help.

She just hoped she was right and the girl knew enough about the djinn to actually be of help. It was more likely, however, that the girl had no clue what Demas was up to, or even what his true nature was, but it didn't matter. Finding a shifter was the best news Polly had discovered all week. Demas could now be tracked without his knowing. Tracking a djinn was difficult business. They're so tricky and paranoid it's hard as hell for anyone to get a bead on them.

Once Polly knew where they were, then her focus could shift from finding them to actually taking them down and, because djinn never went quietly, doing it without getting a city block blown to smithereens.

As she once again wondered about Lucifer's true intentions in giving her this task, she centered herself and prepared to meet the shifter. Once she made an ally of the girl, she would have all over access to the cult so she could figure out why Demas was there.

Something about the way the shifter responded to Demas' kill made Polly curious.

What's he doing there, and why was the shifter so startled to see him? Doesn't she know what he is?

Shifters were usually pretty good at avoiding a mess, and it was rare to see one right in the thick of a plot involving a djinn. Even though she didn't think the shifter knew what Demas was, Polly had to be careful. One wrong move could blow all the hard work she'd put into tracking down Demas over the past week.

She decided to watch the compound and see what else could be gleaned from the comings and goings there. In the meantime, she was going to have to approach the girl and find out exactly what she knew. If it was nothing, then perhaps Polly could use her as bait for the djinn. If she knew a little, then perhaps her life was useful enough to be spared. Either way, she had to find, and talk to, the shifter.

Polly took a deep breath, inhaling through her nose to track the shifter's scent. She found the girl in a room down a long hallway toward the back of the church. However, the initial encounter hadn't gone the way Polly had expected and, before she knew what was happening, she'd had to pop out and get away from the damn djinn that found her inside the girl's room.

Stupid fucking djinn always screwing everything up.

The woman could see her as a demon, that was clue one that something was up. Clue two was the horrid smell of djinn; it was a spicy burnt motor oil scent with a note of singed flesh for fanciness' sake. The scent was unmistakable, and though her sources told her that Demas was the only djinn in the joint, they were obviously wrong.

She teleported back to Hell. Once she was sure she was home, safe and unwatched, she put her fist through a thick rock wall while screaming her rage at the situation. She screamed louder as her hand broke through the rocks and two of her knuckles shattered. Nobody came running to her aid. She hadn't expected anyone to, since the spell that acted as a security camera would show those monitoring the room that her screams were of rage and not fear. They would ignore her and move on.

She called upon the hellfire in her veins and healed the knuckles while ranting viciously about the djinn. Nothing like a lesser demon to piss off a Knight of Hell. Demas had been damned stupid to backbite Lucifer, and he was looking at some serious pain when she got him back to Hell.

Polly grinned as she thought of the torments she would visit on the little weasel. Her boiling anger slowly merged with her desire to really bring down the pain, and her grin broadened as her imagination swept her up in the idea.

She'd get him to talk, no doubt about that. Polly knew there was more to his stealing the virus than just a simple way to make cash. Djinn were lousy in that they'd sell anything—not to mention they were sneaky little bastards who would steal from their own grandmothers if given the chance—but they never did anything without finding the highest payout first. Selling a virus on the black market might pay, but not as much as selling the same virus on the legit market.

The plagues concocted in Hell were done so to cause as much suffering to the victims as possible. Their being was strictly to cause misery and despair upon those evil enough to end up in Hades. Hell wasn't just full of bad guys though; there were some heroes in the mix. Apollyon was proud to be a demon.

She stood as a guardian between the worst souls that ever existed and mortal realms like earth; at least that was how she saw her job. Far too often, others believed the bullshit the heavenly side spewed about demons and figured she was just pure evil.

Not that she didn't have a dark side. Torture had been the name of Polly's game for centuries, until she grew bored of it. She had applied every evil possible to the worst offenders Hell had available. They mostly straightened up and became better souls after one session with her. Sometimes there were two sessions, and one time, she even had to do a third. That djinn didn't actually make it.

Polly had no clue why their kind was always stirring up so much trouble. They were earth magic users and, as such, were inferior to celestial beings like angels and demons. They held no real power and weren't much further above humans on the food chain. They were little more than magical insects, really.

Torturing Demas would be fun. She'd never liked the little beastie, anyway. His betrayal of Lucy, as Lucifer preferred to be called, along with threatening mankind by stealing a virus from Hell's own stock, was very bad manners. Polly had no mercy on anyone whose manners were that atrocious.

Pulling her aching hand back through the hole she'd made in the wall, Polly continued using the hellfire to heal the knuckles and the torn skin around them. She felt a tad disappointed in herself. Lucy always scolded her about being too ready to fight first, and she had pretty much showed her friend to be right. She knew it had a lot to do with the burning anger growing steadily inside of her and the fact that she was forced to live with that rage daily.

Her hatred of humans, coupled with an underlying need to protect and help the hairless little monkeys, caused her to go to war with herself every stinking morning. As part of the gods' "plan," Apollyon, along with all angels and demons, had been borne unto the world with a desire to assist the other creatures that had been created.

When God took over from those He'd dethroned, He made humans a priority. This had really angered many of the angels, and several stood up and said something. For that, they were cast into their own little realm and made it so they would never be able to set foot in Heaven again.

Polly still agreed with Lucy that mankind was more deadly to itself—and other creatures—than anything and should be removed from the equation. Humans, like djinn, were accidental and should have been scrapped. The demons felt that souls from the other creatures the gods had created could feed Heaven and Hell just as easily and without all the trouble brought about by mankind. In time, the demons became used to dealing with this rift between an innate sense to help the humans and a burning hatred and desire for their demise. It wasn't so much that humans were evil, just that they were so fucking vain they didn't even notice other species existed.

Chapter 6

As she walked toward Lucy’s office, she half expected a major bitch of a fight. Polly was supposed to have Demas in her hands right this very second. The little rat had escaped and stymied her plans, and it was annoying the hell out of her. She was sure Lucy would rage at her about this latest debacle for the simple reason that, if the humans came into contact with that virus, it would look bad for everyone in Hell. She didn't think Lucifer could take another black mark on her record.

Since she took over Hell from her predecessor, Hades, Lucy had made a real difference in the earthly realm. Evil souls were caught earlier, which fed Hell (and, in turn, Lucifer) with power. The less time they spent in the mortal world, the better it was for the humans. The good souls went to Heaven and would be surprised to find Heaven was really nothing that great. Just a bunch of feathered dunces sitting around talking about how wonderful God was.

Sycophants. That's all those goody-two-shoed, white-hat-wearing, Kool-Aid drinking, insufferable bastards are.

Lucifer had suffered her first real black mark as Queen of Hell when the djinn originally broke free from the cage that the stupid bloody angels were supposed to be guarding. That was an example of just one tiny thing the angels had screwed up and blamed on demons. Sure, it had been a gremlin's fault, but they'd made it sound like a jailbreak, and not the accident it was.

It isn't fair that the angels are treated properly and worshipped as God's creatures while the world thinks of us as scum, Polly raged internally.

She was getting tired of the world seeing the angels as the good guys.

She hissed and thought, Since the fall, not one angel has ever put their chubby pampered ass on the line when it counted. Nope, that was what we demons are for. We take care of all the evil and bear the brunt of all the fallout from shit that goes wrong upstairs, yet we are the supposed evil ones.

Before she could finish arguing with herself, she reached Lucifer's chambers. Polly took a deep, centering breath and counted to three before knocking on the door and unveiling one helluva bad surprise to her boss and dear friend.

She had been on Lucy's side from the beginning. Polly had been the one to help her take over Hell from Hades. The old man had been easy to subdue. Polly had never been one who wanted to lead the whole shebang, but she found the role of second to her liking.

It gave her the freedom to do whatever she needed to, and yet it still allowed her a taste of the power she occasionally enjoyed. Her favorite thing to do with that power was to hunt down escapees. She preferred the nasty ones; they were usually the type she got her best workouts from.

Lucy hollered her customary, "It's open, for Christ's sake."

Polly took one more deep breath before entering the office to get her ass handed to her.

"Hi. Look, before you get too angry—"

"Where the fuck is Demas, Polly?"

"He's taking refuge in a human church."

"Church? Demas? What the fuck is he up to?" Lucy's eyes narrowed, and she looked ready to kill. Demas was damn lucky Polly hadn't brought him home tonight. Lucy would have had him tortured for hours before she even asked him a single question. She hated it when Lucifer fell into these moods. She felt that torturing before questioning only ever resulted in the torturee admitting to all sorts of things they hadn't done just to make the pain end.

"I don't know. I didn't see the virus, but he has something going with this cult ... er, church."

"Bring him to me, and soon, Polly. I need him back here to answer some questions. That matter we spoke about earlier?"

"The souls?"

"Yes. There are thousands missing." Lucy was pacing, her stride nervous and twitchy. It didn't happen often, but when Lucy was twitchy that meant someone was in for a hurting.

"Thousands? Holy shit." It was worse than Polly feared.

"It surprised me as well. I'd really like to know who would dare to be stupid enough to steal souls from me. I have a feeling our escaped djinn can enlighten us. So, go and bring me Demas. I'd bet his life that he has the answers I need." Lucy completely dismissed Polly and turned her back on her second in command. She sat in front of an equation that would have made a college math major weep in frustration.

In seconds, Lucy had the answer and it wasn't one she liked as she muttered "Fuck" under her breath, conjured a fireball, and threw it at the whiteboard. The hellfire crawled up and down the board before dying out, leaving scorch marks on the edges. Polly decided to leave her to it; once Lucy started going over the numbers on something, there was no getting her back. She would lose herself in the figures until a firm answer could be gained.

Polly said a quick, "Yes, Mistress," and walked out of Lucy's chambers. She decided that getting in touch with the shifter for more than just a few words here and there in a damn dorm room would have to be arranged sooner than she'd thought. After what happened this afternoon, she was absolutely sure the cult would be on the lookout for demons.

It seemed going there in person was currently off the table, but there was one thing she could do that would allow her and the shifter to talk. It wasn't an easy task, and she'd have to make sure the shifter was fast asleep for it to work. Polly would have to move quite quickly on her end because the possibility of being trapped in a dream world was no laughing matter.

Creating one of those worlds in order to speak to other souls was child's play, at least it was for Knights of Hell and the archangels. She had been created as an archangel with the ability to move and fold time and space in whatever direction she wished while in the earthly realm. That didn't just go away when she stopped being an angel and fell.

The punishment God imposed on those who rebelled did not faze Polly in the least, mainly because she never wanted to set foot in Heaven again, anyway. Once she claimed Hell, Lucy stripped the power from all but those she trusted. To ensure that none would rise up against her, it became a power afforded only to Hell's Knights. That power had its limits, of course, but Polly would never complain about them.

Everyone believed that angels fell the moment they doubted God. The truth was He'd forced them out. He didn't like anyone to question Him and those who did were sent a one way ticket to the pit. Polly didn't mind Hell because she felt freer and more useful there than she ever had in Heaven. Luckily, the power and wisdom she enjoyed as an angel were still hers to use in the mortal realm, but she had to be careful and follow the natural rules or she'd be in deep shit.

Lucy and/or God would take her powers for disobeying them.

Celestial magic had never been meant for use in the earthly realm. Earth magic, like the kind the djinn used, was considered low magic and was barely usable to an angel. It was akin to throwing small pebbles when faced down with a tank. Very few creatures used earth magic and fewer still were to use celestial magic and survive.

Chapter 7

Celestial magic was strong and left an indelible mark in the atmosphere where it was used. Polly decided to throw together a simple spell that would cloud the essence of her magic so that nobody but Lucifer, Michael, or God could discover what she had done.

The First Knight knew the best way to use her magic without being caught and decided it was time to use it. She began the spell, certain she would be able to talk to the shifter without being seen or overheard.

The only hitch in her plan was that she had to make sure the girl was sleeping when Polly slipped into her dreams. Otherwise, she could find herself in someone else's dream, which would be disastrous, or she would be left in her creation losing time, which could leave her drained and unable to complete the meeting.

She thought for a moment about what it would be like for her to be stuck in the dream world until someone freed her. It was too embarrassing a thought for her to contemplate further, and she pushed it away while she continued working the spell.

To make sure the shifter was in the dream world, Apollyon sent a raven to watch her. The bird would signal her once the girl was in the right realm. As she waited for the raven to report back, she also wondered about Demas and included getting his whereabouts on the bird's to-do list.

Polly just hoped the raven didn't find Demas before she went dream walking. It was never an easy thing to do and manipulating someone else's dreams took a lot of power and energy out of her. A battle with a djinn would make a good meeting impossible, and she had some questions for the shifter that needed answers.

Until her winged scout called to let her know the shifter was asleep (and hopefully also give her Demas' whereabouts), Polly had nothing more to do. She decided to take the time to meditate and conserve power as much as possible. Too much power, and she'd attract the things that stayed in the shadows within the dream realm. Too little, and she'd attract them by broadcasting as prey.

The shadow creatures were simply vague spirits who were occasionally mischievous. They were the people that never were and things that should never be. Sometimes they hung on and caught rides into the earthly realm with demons or angels. Humans and animals were protected from these creatures, in the sense that they were only able to manifest as nightmares to mortals.

Most of the time, when death occurred, the energy that was the soul went back into a queue of sorts, and there they swam the metaphysical currents until their time to be born/reborn, or become something more, arose. Sometimes untapped energy leaked out, attracted to the great magics in the world, the way a moth is to firelight, and it was that energy Polly absorbed while she meditated.

She sat on the floor of her chambers in Hell and worked at stretching and plying her magic. She had no doubt she could cast the dream spell on the girl. It wouldn't be hard in the least, especially since she'd had a good whiff of the girl's soul earlier. It would actually make tracking it in the dream realm easy as pie.

Very few demons, or archangels for that matter, could track the way Apollyon could. She was gifted at it, always had been; tracking ran in her blood. The worries she had were simple. She was afraid someone else could hop on the dream trek and also terrified of getting stuck in the world she created.

Polly went through a ritual that would keep the openings to the dream small enough to keep out intruders while still allowing her to focus her power like a scalpel. With pinpoint accuracy, she would be able to find and track down the shifter the second the raven let her know the girl had fallen asleep. Polly hoped it would be soon. She amused herself making an entire dreamscape that was fun and frivolous, complete with a forest and picnic.

The spells she cast were practiced by young demons trying to get the hang of their power. It amused her to be using an enchantment wrought by young ones trying to find control. She had actually never expected to use the spell again in her lifetime. She had enough control to make a single snowflake stop in time. Unfortunately, when in a blizzard, controlling only one snowflake was mostly useless. It was, however, a good way to learn how to control the power that came with being a demon. That power was also good to use when creating a beautiful trap.

Once the shifter was locked into the dream realm, Polly could control their environment so that nothing that may have tagged along could see them or overhear anything that was said. Someone following the girl was what she was mostly looking for. After crafting the forest, Polly sat her dream-self down under a large tree and waited for the Corvus corax to give her the sign that the shifter was asleep.

It wasn't very long before she heard the raven's call, and Polly refocused her energy on drawing the shifter deep into the woods. She set a thin line of intrigue and curiosity to the path she had created through the trees so that the shifter would want to follow it. As she finalized all the bizarre trappings of the dream she created, Polly waited in a shadow at the edge of the scene. When she was through, she refocused on pulling in energy and waited for the shifter to appear.

Chapter 8

Lenny lay awake in her bed at The Children of Light compound. There was a guard walking the halls just in case that demon thing came back. She felt safe there in her own room, but she had so many questions eating away at her. Where had all these monsters come from, and what did they want?

Despite the day's excitement, Lenny suddenly felt tired. Her eyes felt heavy and grainy as they finally closed for the night.

Within minutes, Lenny was deep in sleep and dreams overtook her.

She walked down a dark path in the middle of a forest she had never seen. The trees on each side of the path were void of leaves, and the outlines of their branches looked like scrawny arms reaching out to grab hold of her at any second. She felt the chilly breeze that whistled through the holes in their trunks cutting all the way to her bones. Her body shivered, partially from the cold but also from the ominous feeling that gripped her insides.

The path wound around a bend, and she expected to see some sort of monster waiting to pounce on her just around the corner. Instead, she saw a small table sitting in the middle of a circle of sunlight. Lenny walked up to the inviting table and surveyed the setting. There was a small, delicate tea service in the center of the table. Two place settings were set with small plates, forks, and teacups sitting on small saucers. On each of the plates, a large slice of cake sat waiting to be eaten. The bright pink frosting looked delicious surrounding the moist white cake. Adorning each slice, a delicate frosting rose rested in a lighter shade of pink. Lenny sat in the dining chair and waited for what was going to happen next.

She didn't have long to wait. Out of the shadows, the beautiful demon from earlier that day stepped out and silently took the seat opposite her. Lenny readied herself to run at a moment's notice, but a large part of her wanted answers to her pre-dream questions.

She found a small spark of bravery and spoke to the demon. "What do you want from me?"

The demon smiled, and Lenny could not help but be comforted by the woman's beauty and strong presence.

"Eat your cake," she said as she poured Lenny a cup of tea.

"How do you know what I am?" Lenny made no move to eat the cake in front of her.

"Please, eat your cake." The demon glared at her.

Lenny got the impression that the demon would be offended if she had to ask her again. She spread the napkin across her lap and lifted her fork. She took a forkful of cake and brought it to her lips. The sweet frosting filled her mouth, and she swallowed without chewing. The demon looked on with satisfaction as Lenny took another bite. She finished the whole piece before she looked down and saw the snake winding its slithering body around the crumb-filled plate. She pushed herself back away from the table and watched as Polly picked the snake up without hesitation.

She brought the reptile up to her face and gave it a kiss as it wound itself around her fingers. She turned her attention back to Lenny.

"You see, shifter, even things that seem sweet may have something dark waiting behind them. And things that seem dark and frightening can sometimes hide the sweetest purpose." Polly gestured to the dark forest surrounding them.

"What are you saying?" Lenny said, getting frustrated, even though she was still afraid of the demon.

"I'm saying that even though you may think this 'Father' character is a saint, he is really just a snake in saint's clothing. You are more than all of that, Lenny. You don't need to follow some ridiculous false messiah in blue jeans in order to find your place. You have a place where you belong. Unfortunately, you just can't see it yet. Also, I need your help."

"What the hell can I help you with?"

Polly laughed a deep, throaty guffaw. "Hell is correct, shifter. I am Apollyon, the First Knight of Hell, and I am something of a bounty hunter. I track down escaped demons and such. This time I need help. I need your help to be specific."

"I'm just a regular girl. What can I do?"

"You are so much more than a regular girl. You have a pretty cool power that would allow you to do and have whatever you want. You just need to use it. But that is not the only reason I came to see you today. You are something special, and my boss thinks I can use your help to capture a djinn by the name of Demas. He is a particularly nasty one that did a lot of damage in your old neck of the woods."

"Do you mean the camp?"

"Yes, I do. Do you remember a girl named Laura?"

"Yeah, she disappeared one night. I figured she got tired and decided to go back to her home."

"Eh … not so much. Demas got hold of her and killed her. He ate most of the parts that could be identified, so what's left of her is still sitting in the morgue."

"Oh my God. He ate her?"

"Easy with the 'G' word." Polly winced. She had no real problems with the big man upstairs, but she also didn't want to go pick out curtains with the guy, either.

"What can I do?" Lenny asked again.

"You can find out some information about this Father character and let us know why he is hiding a djinn in his church. I'm getting the feeling that there are more than a couple monsters hiding there."

The dark forest around her seemed to be closing in and Lenny found herself having trouble catching her breath. "What do you mean monsters?"

"Demas is not the only soul that escaped, and I need to get some intel from an insider. That insider being you. But you have to trust me."

With that, Polly made a sweeping gesture. The darkness faded away and light took its place. Leaves sprouted on all the trees, and grass replaced the dead vines that covered the forest floor. Suddenly, the forest no longer seemed frightening and ominous; it seemed full of life and hope.

"How can I trust you? You're a demon."

"I think it is a lesser-of-two-evils situation for you, Lenny. You can trust me, the one who is looking out for you, or you can trust that whack-job preacher of yours that was planning on riding you like a hobby horse earlier today."

"Father would never…," Lenny trailed off, cementing Polly's suspicion that she was not fully indoctrinated like the rest of those mindless puppets at the Children of Light.

"Wouldn't he?"

"No. He isn't like that. He gave me a home with the others. I may be naïve, but I'm not stupid. Father loves me."

"Well, he would like to."

"You are sick. This is what Father warned us about. People that say disgusting things to try and sway us all from believing in him. Sick."

Polly reached over and took hold of Lenny's hand without saying a word. The girl winced as she had a vision inside of her dream. In the vision, she saw Hershel sitting in his room at the end of his bed beside a fourteen-year-old girl she knew was named Marissa. Marissa was wearing a T-shirt and underwear, and Hershel was in a dark blue robe. He reached over and placed a hand on Marissa's bare thigh. The girl looked frightened and confused. Hershel moved his hand up to her face and pulled her toward him. She tried to resist but he held fast.

"You love your messiah, don't you?"

"Yes, Father," the girl replied shakily.

"Then show me you'll do anything to please Father."

He leaned in as he pulled her face to his, placing a hand on her shoulder.

At that point, Lenny had seen enough. She pulled her hand from Polly's grasp and shook her head.

"That can't be true."

"Ah, but it is. She took your place after I came in and talked with you." Polly looked at Lenny and saw a twinge of guilt in the girl's eyes. "Look, I'm a demon, and even I can't get behind that crap. Hershel is skeevy beyond words. He is worse than a lot of demons I know, and they are pretty shitty."

"I don't believe you. This is a test. Father said I might be tested." Lenny folded her hands and shook her head, but she seemed less than stern in her resolve.

"I don't know about you, but I've never been big on tests. Look, I have no reason to lie to you. I need your help, and that's it. We don't have to be girlfriends or anything."

Lenny shot a suspicious look at Polly. "What exactly do you need from me?"

"Easy stuff. First of all, I need you to help catch Demas."

"Are you out of your mind? Didn't you just say that he ate those other girls?"

"I would be there to protect you. If you hadn't noticed, I'm kind of a big deal." Polly chuckled at her own joke, hoping that a bit of self-deprecating humor might loosen the girl up a little.

"I can't be involved in any of this. You want me to put myself in the path of a demon-dash thing that eats people so that you can collect a bounty?"

"No, that's only part of it. Hell could definitely use someone with your talents. You have a pretty clean soul, and we could benefit from a person that isn't jaded like most of the demons working for us."

"Now you want me to work with you in Hell? I have to say, you are painting an awfully nice picture of this whole proposition. How could I possibly resist?" Lenny said, rolling her eyes.

"Good, it's settled then."

"No, it is not. What do I get out of this?"

"Aha, there's the little street urchin I knew was in there. I'll tell you what's in it for you. You get to find out who you are and where you came from, you get a steady job, you get to have a pretty cool boss, and you get to work with me. What more could you ask for?"

Lenny sat up straight at the delicate tea table, trying to look tough. "I'll need to talk to your boss first."

"Ooh, you want to go straight to the top, huh? Feisty little thing once you get your footing, aren't you?" Polly leaned forward and folded her arms on the table. "I'll tell you what, shifter, if you can get yourself away from those goons at the Children of Light and meet me at the coffee shop on 3rd Street, I'll take you to meet the boss. You are gonna love her."

"Her?"

With that, Polly was gone and Lenny was wide awake in her room at the complex. She lay there for a few minutes, trying to decide if anything that had just happened in her head was real. She decided to take a risk and see what happened.

Chapter 9

The young girl walked down the hall toward the door at the end of the complex. She was not used to the lighter frame that she now wore. Shifting into a new person always took a short adjustment period. It was the same as putting on a new outfit that didn't fit quite right. You knew it would feel better in a while, but for the first few hours, it was a little stiff and uncomfortable.

"Hey, Marissa!" a young man yelled from behind her. "Marissa," he called out again, louder.

She finally realized that he was calling out to her, and she turned around to see who was following. It was Ronnie, a pimply-faced teenaged kid who seemed to be head over heels for Marissa.

"Hey, Ronnie, what's up?"

"I just wanted to see if you would maybe sit with me at services tonight?" He shuffled his feet nervously and spent most of the time staring at the tops of his shoes.

"Um, yeah sure, I'll sit with you."

She thought Ronnie might actually come out of his skin as much as he was vibrating with excitement.

"Okay! Cool then." The boy coughed and tried to calm himself. "I'll see you at service then. Bless Father."

Ronnie smiled so hard she was sure his teeth would pop right out of his face before he turned away and jogged back down the hall.

She continued on her way toward Father's office. As she finally approached the door, Joseph stepped out of the shadows.

"What can I do for you, Marissa?" he said with a tone that was ominous, but still managed to sound friendly.

"I just need to see Father for a minute."

"You know that no one can see Father without being asked."

"I was hoping I could talk to him about something important. Could you please ask him if he'll talk to me?"

"He doesn't need to be bothered." Joseph was getting agitated, but she needed to get in there.

"Please?" She smiled and turned on all the charm she could muster.

Joseph sighed heavily, but she could tell that she had cracked his shell, if only slightly.

"Wait right here."

He opened the door just enough to squeeze his body through and closed it quickly behind him. After a few minutes, he reemerged.

"Go in, but only for a minute," Joseph admonished.

"Thank you." She walked slowly through the door as he held it open just long enough for her to slip inside.

"Father?" she asked, surveying the dimly lit room.

"Come in, Marissa. Sit with me." His shadowy figure motioned to her.

She crossed the room and took a seat next to Father on the brown leather sofa.

"I just needed to see you, Father."

She wasn't sure what to say to the man that she had so much admiration for. She already knew inside what she was going to find out, but she needed proof.

"Of course, my child. You did very well last night in showing your devotion and love for your savior. I was very pleased."

"It felt strange. Good, but strange."

"It is natural to feel that way the first time. We'll have plenty of time together to explore your faith. Trust me."

He leaned in and kissed her on the mouth, darting his tongue between her lips. At that moment, she knew everything Polly had told her was true. She felt a rock drop in the pit of her stomach, and her head started to spin.

"Go now, child. I'll summon you when I need you."

Even though she had not done anything the night before with the man she called Father, she felt dirty and used. She left the room and headed down the hall, feeling like she could not get far enough away from Hershel.

As she turned the next corner, she dropped the visage of the young girl and assumed the form of Joseph.

Everyone in the complex gave her a wide berth. They were all afraid of Father's right-hand man. She heard people whispering about how Joseph was one of the Faithful and how he used to be a convict or something. There were no interruptions as she stepped out of the complex and onto the street. People walked back and forth along the sidewalk, paying no attention to the imposing figure standing there.

"Outside of Children of Light, he is nothing," Lenny whispered to herself in Joseph's voice.

She headed down the avenue toward the coffee shop on 3rd.

A pretty, dark haired woman looked her up and down. "Hey there. You looking for a date?"

"No."

The woman turned away. "Suit yourself."

Lenny felt a slight twinge in her head when she made eye contact with the woman. There was something strange about her, like she wasn't quite human. Lenny was no longer sure about anyone anymore.

What the hell am I getting myself into? She quickened her stride against the warm afternoon sun on her way to meet a demon in a greasy diner about a new job in Hell.

Chapter 10

A light chill to the early evening breeze made Drew wish she'd opted to bring a sweater with her. She'd been warm enough up until the sun had begun to set, but now that the shadows grew and the light faded, her halter top and short shorts began to feel less than adequate.

Best to tough it out.

Home was a five-block walk from there, and her pimp stood somewhere between the two locations. She'd learned long ago not to cross him with an empty wallet. The man had a short fuse and a dangerous temper. He did protect her, though, and Drew knew there were worse things roaming the streets than rapists and murderers. Didn't make him any more likeable; there was always a price to pay if he had to get off his lazy ass and intervene.

"The bastard," she breathed.

A sporty two-door approached, and she bent over to pretend she needed to fix her stockings. She could feel the approaching vibe from half a block away, and this one was definitely on the prowl for a trick. She turned with a smile as a clean-cut thirty-something pulled to the curb.

"Hello, sweetheart." She leaned into the open passenger window, giving him a good show of cleavage.

The man's smile matched hers. "Hello."

"Looking for a date?"

He gave a show of contemplation. "How much?"

"You a cop?"

"Do I look like a cop?"

She shrugged. "Maybe."

"I got twenty on me."

She slid into the passenger seat, his lie smelling like burning leaves. Perfect. The night might be salvageable after all, cold aside. With a sideways glance that said she meant business, she said, "Pull into the alleyway just down to the right."

He revved the engine before throwing the car into drive and pulling out. This one had an ego to boot. An amused chuckle managed to escape her.

"What?" he asked, still grinning ear to ear.

"Oh, you're just cute is all." She gripped his thigh, and he squirmed in his seat. The smell of lust, like overripe peaches, flushed away the burning leaves that lingered in the back of her nose. She savored it when it hit her tongue, bittersweet.

The car stopped and the young man killed the engine. He looked around, a hint of nervousness tainting the air. "You sure we're okay here?"

"We're fine. Twenty bucks will get you a B.J."

Instead of replying, he unbuttoned his slacks and fidgeted with the zipper.

"I wanna see the money first."

He shifted to grab his wallet, oblivious to the stun gun she'd pulled from her purse. By the time he saw it, she had his body convulsing with 20,000 volts streaming into his side. The wallet dropped into his lap, and she snatched it while he struggled to recover.

A quick peek revealed a small wad of twenties, which she stuffed into her purse.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but I'm on the wagon." She gave him a peck on the cheek, another quick jolt, and then hurried off. It took real talent to run in heels, especially as quickly as she could move, and by the time the poor john was able to start his car and back out, she was long gone.

She discretely counted the money while she turned the corner and disappeared into a fast food restaurant. With as much as she'd scored, the rest of the night—or at least until J. D. caught up with her—was hers to enjoy.

For the moment, there was a chocolate milkshake and a large order of fries with her name on them.

She took her food to a booth in the corner, where she could see the entire dining room and both doors leading to the street. Always have your back to the wall and one ear to the floor, she'd been taught. Good advice, even for girls who weren't picking up guys and robbing them blind every night.

She used to turn actual tricks—a legitimate working girl—but the practice had gotten her into far more trouble than it was worth. It wasn't the sex; it was the frequency of it. One would think prostitution would be the perfect gig for a succubus. Turned out, though, that too much soul sucking got addictive—and fast. The more she did it, the more she needed it, and her body just couldn't take that kind of abuse.

The room fell a shade darker, the air going musty and thick, as the far door opened and a man dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt stepped inside. His soul had a strange darkness to it, something she'd never quite seen before, which told her he wasn't a typical person. He might not even be human, and whatever he did happen to be, it likely wasn't good. He surveyed the room before going to the counter and ordering a soft drink, nothing more, before casually inviting himself to Drew's booth.

He gestured to the plush seat across the table from her. "May I?"

Her eyebrows drew together while she struggled to place his scent. It wasn't desire or lust or any of the other stenches that came with most johns; this one was wholly unfamiliar. Whatever it was, it was murky and dirty and not in the least bit pleasant. She hoped if she was dismissive enough, he'd decide she wasn't worth his time. She definitely wasn't going to let on that she could tell he was hunting her.

"I saw you on the street, and I—"

"I'm not working right now, so you can save it."

He sat, taking a sip of his drink. "I couldn't help but see the distress on your face. I can tell you're in a bad place, and I'd like to help."

She laughed. "I've seen Pretty Woman, and you're no Richard Gere."

He took another sip then reached across the table, falling just short of her arm. "My name's Kevin. I work at a shelter. You'll be safe there."

The scent of deception emanated all around him. Mold and oil.

"Safe?"

He nodded. "Please come with me. There's someone I think you should meet."

She took an emotional step back, and the shadows went a shade darker. When she concentrated on them, she could make out the vaguest borders of something that seemed to extend beyond him. Still, whatever it was, she wasn't going to follow its host blindly to the source.

She slid back in her seat to let the man know she didn't appreciate his attempt to reach out to her.

"Father Chambers is a righteous man. It's his mission—our mission—to help those who need it most. No one will judge you. We're all family in the eyes of the Church. You don't need to live on the streets."

"I'm not living on the streets." She crossed her arms, creating an emotional barrier between the two of them. "I share a place with a couple friends."

Of course, this was only partially true. She wouldn't call her roommates friends, per se, but they got along well enough. J. D. owned the apartment, and rent came in many forms, but it was a roof over her head. She wondered what kind of connection the shadow looming over Kevin had with this "Father Chambers." Most pastors she'd come across had good intentions—but Drew knew all too well that the road to Hell was, indeed, paved with good intentions, and good intentions came in many forms.

Never before, however, had she seen such a darkness fall under the guise of religion. She imagined Jim Jones's followers had similar shadows following them around. The source had probably been quite the sight to anyone who could perceive all that lay beyond the physical.

She had never known any different. She'd been born that way, the trait inherited through her father. As much as she loved him, he was a wretched thing. He'd tapped her mother dry when Drew was only four, and her memories of the woman were faint at best. She'd had a pretty, friendly smile, and dark hair like Drew's. She'd also been sickly, skinny, and perpetually exhausted. He'd done that to her, she would learn when she was a little older.

Her first stepmother was also a kind soul, and Drew's father had taken to keeping mistresses on the side in order to preserve the marriage as long as he could. Drew could tell he'd loved that one, his second wife, but eventually she fell ill too. Even though he knew the cause, he let her believe her "mystery illness" had to have a name and a cure. He took her to all the best doctors to keep up the ruse. Maybe he truly believed modern medicine could save her.

She died when Drew was ten.

When eventually her father explained their affliction, he did so in a way that made it sound exceptional and elite. Her mother had been a "mundane," like most of the rest of the world. They, on the other hand, were special. Being special had its price, though, and theirs meant a slow decay of anything that remained in their presence long enough, the life around them ever feeding their special souls. They could take extra through physical contact, and even greater amounts when that contact was intimate, but extra only grew the beast hidden within, and the larger it got, the more it needed to feed.

Drew had protested when her father decided to wed for the third time, but he couldn't help himself. He came home smelling like a different mistress every night, and still his wife slowly fell victim to that terrible sickness that had taken the previous two. When that woman grew skeletal and bedridden, Drew decided she could take no more. She ran away from home at fifteen and never looked back.

Of course, she'd finally understood her father's plight when, not too long after, she lost her virginity to a man who'd so selflessly taken her in. The feeling that had come when their bodies had come together was electrifying. She drank her first lover's soul until she was senseless, lost in the bliss of psychic intoxication. It didn't take long to see the physical effects—his sunken eyes, the subtle weight loss, his waning energy levels—and so she left, determined she wouldn't follow in her father's footsteps. Prostitution had seemed the logical solution, but it had only made matters worse.

She'd cut herself off cold-turkey several months ago. Those around her had assumed she was detoxing from some hidden addiction.

In part, they were correct.

"Here," Kevin said, pulling her from her reverie with the offering of a business card. "If you change your mind, our doors are always open."

He stood, leaving the card on the table before walking off.

Although she wasn't going to take a chance at becoming infected with whatever darkness circulated through Kevin's soul, Drew couldn't restrain her curiosity over what exactly it was. It didn't seem to notice when she threw a psychic tether over the thing and proceeded to follow its path astrally through her mind's eye.

Chapter 11

Kevin walked close to three blocks before hopping into the back of an outdated minivan. Another young man sat in the driver's seat, listening to gospel music. The man looked relaxed, but as soon as Kevin closed the sliding door, he gave an impatient sigh.

"Nothing, eh?"

Kevin sat but ignored his seatbelt. "A couple prospects."

The other man scoffed. "‘Prospect' don't mean nothing, and you know it. Unless you get 'em straight from the street, you ain't gonna see 'em again. Satan's got way too strong a pull in these parts."

"I choose to give people a little more credit."

"Then you choose to be a fool." The man looked around. "What the heck is keeping Naomi? Did you happen to see her out there?"

"Maybe she got lucky."

"Maybe."

Drew took a close astral look at the driver, not surprised to find he had a similar, yet much less pronounced, shadowy presence hanging over him.

Alongside them, traffic slowed, and the men both showed discomfort when they became boxed in by the gridlock.

Kevin stretched to look, frowning. "Must be an accident up ahead."

"One less lost soul to claim," muttered the driver.

A petite young woman with a darkness to her soul that rivaled Kevin's led an emaciated young man to the van. He paused when she opened the sliding door, but she was able to urge him inside before hopping into the front passenger seat.

The thin man had a dull aura, one that indicated either starvation or heavy drug abuse. Based on his appearance, this man suffered from both.

The driver started the engine and turned on the left-turn signal. He watched the slow-moving traffic continue to pass, no one offering him an "in." With a grumble, he made an aggressive move that would have led to a sideswipe had the car attempting to pass not stopped.

"Watch it, will you?" Naomi snapped.

The driver mumbled something under his breath.

"What is your problem today?"

He cut through the traffic, his hands tight on the wheel. "You don't find it just a little frustrating that, while Joseph and Father's other chosen few are working—really working—on saving mankind from itself, we're out here doing this?"

"This is important work." Kevin exchanged a quick glance with Naomi. "This is the most important work."

The junkie beside him looked even more unsure about his company. He glared at Naomi. "I think … I think I'm just gonna go."

"No, you don't want to do that." Naomi turned to face him. "Don't let this grouch change your mind. We've got food, a warm bed. At least get one good meal in you before you decide you don't want to stay."

"He gets this way whenever we don't beat rush hour," Kevin said. "Relax. You're in good hands."

The junkie sat back, but his muscles remained tense. The van crawled through the traffic, seemingly catching every red light. The driver visibly struggled to keep his cool, but he didn't say another word for the rest of the drive.

Drew followed the van to a church parking lot. Opposite the building was another large structure with a sign reading, CHILDREN OF LIGHT COMMONS. She continued to follow Kevin when he parted ways with the others and crossed to the church.

Drew looked all around, noting a strange smudge, one similar to the driver's, looming atop every soul on the property. For a phenomenon so prominent, she would've thought she'd have seen it before. Was there a new kind of creature in town—or was it perhaps some kind of parasite that had only begun to take hold in this realm?

The chapel's interior was well lit, candelabra and overhead fixtures fitted with artificial candles keeping the shadows in every corner at bay. With the help of some well-placed electric lights, the stained glass windows on either side continued to glow their sacred pictures despite the setting sun. Kevin hurried through the room, to a hallway leading to a set of offices.

He knocked on a closed door simply marked "Father."

"Busy," a man yelled through the door.

"Father, we succeeded in bringing home one more. Naomi and Joshua took him to the kitchen. Shall I assign him a job?"

"Hold on just a second." After a few moments of rustling, a young woman opened the door, wiping at her mouth. She looked up at Kevin, her eyes revealing a mesh of confusion and complacency, before quietly hurrying down the hall.

Another young woman passed by. Her aura had a strange spark to it, and despite the dull shadow that had sullied it, the emanation shone large and bright. Even more, it seemed to be in a state of constant flux. Like the shadowy smudges tainting every soul there, this woman's soul had an unfamiliar yet distinctly unique appearance. Whatever was going on, this girl was no "mundane," but she was also far from being a part of the darkness's source.

Drew considered following the creature as she left down the hall, but she quickly changed her mind when Kevin went into the office and she could see their "Father's" face.

The first thing she noticed was his striking blue eyes. The second was the mass of darkness that swam throughout and all around his thick, soupy aura. The darkness reached out to the shadow over Kevin's head. In turn, Kevin's massive, dark aura reached out to touch the pastor's, fortifying its murky stain before retreating to its source.

What the hell is going on here?

"Please have a seat."

Kevin sat.

Father sat back in his own chair, his fingers coming together as a steeple in front of his stern face. His eyes squinted a little and the darkness grew more active. Whatever he was contemplating, it wasn't good. Finally, he leaned forward and propped his elbows on the heavy wooden desk.

"I've decided to keep newcomers off the food line for the time being. Feed him and offer him a bed in the dorm. In a few days, give him a shift mopping floors and scrubbing toilets. Remind him that idle hands are the Devil's playground."

Kevin nodded. "Yes, Father."

"I'll need you in the dorms, too."

"But Father—"

"We've got a lot coming up, and everyone is going to get quite a bit busier in the days to come. I need you to do your part, help keep everyone in their place. I can trust you to do that, can't I?"

"Of course, Father."

Even through the buffer between them—the physical distance bridged through by Drew's astral tether—the scent of deception flooded the room. There was something Kevin wasn't telling the man, and Drew could only presume it had to do with the darkness.

Father stood, made his way around the desk, then gave Kevin a pat on the back before leading him to the door.

Kevin took the hint that it was time to take his leave. When he passed Father, moving within a foot of the man, the darkness became so strong Drew had to fight the urge to pull away.

Another man turned the corner at the end of the hall, and—much like Kevin's—the darkness embodied his entire aura. This time, it was even more profound, tendrils reaching out, writhing, like the arms of an octopus. They reminded her of the psychic threads she'd used when she was actively feeding, and something about the sight filled her with an overwhelming sense of dread. A young woman passed him, and the psychic tendrils reached for her aura, penetrating its outer layers and darkening the smudge looming over her head. She didn't seem to notice. He paused when he spotted Drew. The strange man's eyes met Drew's astral ones, and his lips curled into a curious smile.

There were numerous types of others. Drew had seen angels, fey, goblins, warlocks, and more. Hell, her pimp was a demon. Still, nothing had ever caught her attention, and instilled as much fear in her, as this one did. He charged toward her, his tendrils shooting ahead of him, and she pulled herself from the hallway before their auras could meet.

In an instant, their connection broke and she sat staring across the fast food dining room. Whatever she'd encountered at the church, it was the most evil entity she'd ever come across. Even more, she had a feeling that, as saturated as Father's soul was, he'd merely been tainted by a larger source—and that man in the hallway had been practically dripping with it. Whether he was the cause or just another vessel, he was a force to be reckoned with. Something terrible was infecting these people, something too great for her to ignore.

She wasn't sure what she could do to stop it, but she knew she needed to do something.

Chapter 12

"Ugh. You there! Can't you get me some clean silverware? I dig the whole greasy spoon thing you got going on here, but you do know the spoons aren't actually meant to be greasy, right?" Polly didn't care for mess; she felt that people should be clean about whatever it was they were doing.

Even when she was torturing victims in Hell, she tried to have another prisoner nearby to clean up the blood and effluence before it got too thick and gory. It had the added bonus of cowing the next victim in line, which made her job far easier.

"Okay, demon. You were right about Hershel. I don't know how you knew, but he actually did the things you showed me in that vision." Lenny sat across from Polly and leveled her with a gaze rife with reluctant respect.

"I knew because his soul is bound to Hell. It belongs to us. I can see the seal of Hell on it, and therefore I can see everything he has ever done. Obviously, I'm no saint." Polly grinned broadly at her own joke and continued, "But I can't stand to see anyone hurting kids. I know, as a demon, this appears to make me look weak. The truth is this: Kids who have had a rough life—filled with these sorts of bastards—lose small bits of their souls. It makes them less attractive to both Heaven and Hell, and they're left to drift through the afterlife just as they did in life. I hate seeing that shit." The waitress came and set down Polly's burger, fries, and chocolate shake. Polly nodded her thanks and grabbed the bottle of ketchup.

"You want anything, hon?" The waitress licked the tip of her pencil and waited for Lenny to order.

"Go ahead, I'm buying," Polly said as she nodded at the shifter.

"I suppose I'll take the pancakes. Blueberry, please. Oh, and a side of bacon."

"Good choice. And to drink?" The waitress licked the tip of her pencil again as if it needed the moisture in order to write.

"Pepsi, please?"

"Is Coke okay?"

"It'll do, thanks."

"I'll put your order in, should be up in fifteen minutes. Did you want me to keep yours warm?" she asked Polly.

"No." Polly squinted at the name tag. "Thanks, Susan, but I think I'll just eat mine while she waits."

"Oh, uh, okay then. Is there anything else I can getcha?"

"No, thank you." Polly turned her attention to her burger. It was thick, juicy, and absolutely divine.

"Welcome, ma'am." Susan turned and headed for the order window quicker than she normally would have. The demon watched and grinned.

"So, are you going to just sit there and act like a diva or are you going to talk to me about Father and what is going on, aside from the obvious?"

"Patience is a virtue, shifter." Polly took another bite of her burger.

"Will you stop with all the shifter crap? I have a name and I would appreciate it if you would use it."

"Oh-ho! Look at you growing your fangs. Cute." Polly let some hellfire flash through her eyes and the shifter settled down some.

"What the hell is that?"

"Quite apt. It's hellfire."

"Doesn't that shit burn?"

"That ‘shit' is running through my veins constantly. And no, it doesn't burn me, but I can use it to burn others."

"What, like Superman's laser vision?"

"Not exactly, but we'll go with that if it makes you happy. Now, let's talk Demas." Polly settled back in the booth, one long arm stretched out along the back of her plush seat. Her phone rang, and she spat out a curse and grabbed it. Seeing the number, she turned to Lenny, "I have to take this. Be right back." Then she rose and walked to the other side of the empty diner.

"Lucy, what's going on? I just got the shifter to agree to help us with Demas."

"We may have to put Demas on the back burner for a while. I need you for something bigger than that little bastard."

"What's going on?" Polly felt a surge of worry. Something hadn't been right in Hell for months, and she had let Lucy know. She'd been kept out of the loop on what was being done about it, though, and that bothered her some.

"We've got a third player in the soul game."

"What? Are you fucking with me?"

"No. I talked with the other side and we aren't the only ones missing souls. Both Charon and Peter have confirmed that souls are not reaching either Hell or Heaven in quite the numbers they should."

"Heaven, too? Fuck."

"My words exactly, dear. I need you to meet up with your contacts and go over the details. I want you on this now. Demas is an annoyance, I grant you that, but this is a catastrophe waiting to happen."

"Will do. What do you think is going on?"

"I have no clue. I've never seen anything like this."

In shock, Polly's fingers trembled as she spoke, "Never?"

"Apollyon?" Lucy sounded nervous. It made Polly uncomfortable.

"Yes?"

"Be careful. Whoever is behind this has some real power, and I would hate to lose you, old friend."

"You be careful, too. If you get uncomfortable, don't hesitate to call me. I'll pop on home and stay by your side."

"I'm already uncomfortable. The loss of souls is weakening me somewhat. Don't ever relay that or I will rip open your belly and feast on your innards."

"Lucy, you know me better than that by now. Besides, you don't even like innards."

"True, but the threat stands."

"Yes, Mistress," Polly said to a dead line. Lucifer had already hung up and the phone was silent against Polly's ear. Fuck, this is big. She then headed back to the table to deal with Lenny.

"Okay, kid, I'm cutting you loose. The hunt for Demas is back-burnered. More pressing matters, I'm afraid."

"No, wait! You can't come in here, tear my whole world apart, and then expect me to just go back to it like nothing is wrong." Lenny scowled at the woman who'd changed everything.

"Shifter, I can do whatever the hell I want."

"No, you can't. You can't just play with people's lives."

"Hey, I saved you, you ungrateful brat. Your dear Father was about to use you like a cheap whore. The way I figure it, I did you a service here."

"Oh, yeah, thanks. Thanks so much for blowing up my entire life and leaving me back on the streets again with nowhere to go."

"Go back to your flock and play hero to the little ones. Keep them out of your saintly molester's hands. We may still need to hunt down Demas. And, let's be honest here, you knew I wasn't taking you away from there immediately. I mean that's why you wore someone else's face to escape tonight, isn't it?"

Lenny gasped. "You saw that? How could you see?"

"I can see your soul, child. No matter what face and body you wear, your soul will always look the same to me."

"That's just creepy."

Polly smiled. "Perhaps it is. Now, I tell you what, go back to the flock and see what you can find out about Demas and whatever else the false prophet is hiding. If you need me, call me."

"What, like just say your name and you'll show up?"

"No, like call me on my cellphone," Polly said, smiling. She reached out to hand Lenny a card and her smile faded as she changed her mind and pulled the card back, putting it in her breast pocket. "Of course you can always just call my name, too. That's probably a far better plan since cell reception is pretty shitty down in Hell, and I assume the charlatan in charge doesn't allow you a phone."

"No, I don't have a cell," Lenny said with just a hint of embarrassment.

"No matter, I'm not big on cell phones myself. Metaphysical communication is far cheaper, at least until the phone companies figure out how to harness it. Now, Lenny, if you do call out my name because you need me, I will show up. I may be a demon, but I never break my word, and I give you my word that I'll do my best to help you." Apollyon hadn't much cared about humans, but this one had some spark to her that caused her to feel a begrudging … something. It was a feeling almost like respect. She had to admit it took balls to stand up to a demon.

"Thanks," Lenny said halfheartedly. She looked down at her plate and added, "Oh, and thanks for the pancakes."

Polly nodded, turned, and left the diner while Lenny settled back in the booth, determined to eat her dinner. It was actually something the shifter was looking forward to and it seemed that it would probably be the only thing to look forward to for some time. Lenny sighed. She knew one thing for sure, and that was how the pancakes she'd ordered would be a far better dinner than those awful peanut butter and jelly sandwiches the ladies would be making back at the church.

Chapter 13

Apollyon hadn’t spoken to J. D. in over a year. The last time they'd had words, it was because she had just stripped him of his Knighthood. She clutched the phone tightly and dialed J. D.'s number. She took a deep breath to steady herself against the snark she knew was coming and hit the call button.

"Hello?"

"J. D.? Hi, it's, uh ... it's Polly. Lucy told me to give you a ring."

"Polly?" J. D.'s voice sounded cold.

"How have you been?"

"Oh, you know, hating the fact that you betrayed me."

"I understand. I'm not calling to beg forgiveness; I'm calling because you owe me a favor."

"You think I'm going to do you a fucking favor now? After the shit you pulled?"

"Yeah, I do. The shit I pulled was in deference to the crap you tried, so just remember the favor I did for you. Now that we put all that unseemly business behind us, I need you to focus on work."

"Work?" J. D.'s voice grew colder by the second. "I don't work for you. What fucking favor are you talking about, anyway?"

"J. D., do I have to remind you that you bear the seal and therefore belong to Lucy to do whatever the fuck she wants?"

"Go to hell and leave me alone."

"Funny, see, I've been there, and the ruler sent me here to get your assistance on a matter."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I love torturing people. As for your question about the favor, you got to keep your hellfire, didn't you?" This time it was Polly whose voice was icy.

"Fuck. I knew I'd be made to pay for that eventually." His voice sounded shaky as he asked, "What do you need?"

"For you to discretely ask around and see if someone knows something about souls being stolen before they reach Hell."

"What?"

"Someone is trying to siphon souls. I am looking into who. You will help me, and be quiet about what is going on, or I will call in your marker. Sorry to be a bitch, J. D., but that's just the way of the fucking world."

"Jesus. Any clue as to who might be behind all of this?"

"Yeah, I'm out chasing them down now and just took the time to make an uncomfortable and awkward call to you for laughs," Polly said sardonically.

"Jeeze, you don't have to be such a bitch."

"I'm not being a bitch, J. D., I'm being a demon. Look, it's like this, Lucy let you keep your hellfire and you owe her for that. So, pay up and get me some info, now." Polly hung up and unclenched her jaw.

J. D. might be a pain in the ass, but he would get her information. She had no doubt on that. He was never stupid, and scoring points with Lucy and Polly could only help him once his marker was called in. He knew that much. He also had some of the best contacts in the business, on both sides of the board.

As much as Polly hated letting him in on the situation, she knew it was for the best. He would get the info she needed about what was going on.

I wonder how the shifter is doing.

She hoped the girl would be smart enough to keep her mouth shut and her eyes open. There was a good chance she'd still have to take down Demas, and that girl was her best chance at doing so. She felt a tiny and extremely bizarre twinge of guilt that she wasn't able to help Lenny further. Once she got to the bottom of the missing souls thing, Polly did plan on going back to help the shifter out. She wasn't going to leave her in the lion's den high and dry. It wasn't her way.

As much as she didn't like sending Lenny back to the church, Polly knew it was necessary. She really hoped the girl would keep a low profile and not attract any attention—like accusing the cult leader of pedophilia. She felt slightly guilty in showing the shifter the things Herschel had done, but at the same time she realized it would be important for Lenny to understand what a jackhole her "messiah" really was.

Chapter 14

As Polly called her other contacts for information on the soul thief, she also called in chits owed to her by some of those same people. Several were in place nearby the church, so that if she needed to get to Lenny in a hurry she could. One of her contacts called her back with information. She looked at her cell and saw it was Michael.

"Apollyon?"

"Michael, what do you have for me?"

"I'm not doing this over the phone," the archangel hissed and hung up.

Fuck, thought Polly, this is exactly what I was afraid of.

She tossed her cellphone on the table. If the problem was on Hell's end, the big dog upstairs might call for a regime change. Polly was certain of one thing, and that was how much Lucy didn't deserve this kind of treatment. She'd done every vile, horrible, outrageous thing God had ever asked of her. If Lucifer was booted out of Hell and another fallen angel was put in charge, Polly decided she'd defect and go straight.

She'd spend her days playing human, if need be, rather than work for whatever asshole-licking, stuffed shirt, teacher's pet that God would put in charge. All she really wanted was to figure out this mystery so she could snuff the little weasel behind it and carry on with hunting down escapees.

There came a certain satisfaction with being a soul hunter that Polly relished. Ever since she was a fledgling demon, she'd always flourished in a well-organized environment. For her, bringing back offenders and keeping them where they belonged suited her needs and skillset perfectly. Polly had no dreams, or desire, of taking over Hell. She liked her life just fine as it was.

The last thing she wanted was someone coming in and trying to upset the power balance. The system worked as well as it did because each side had a somewhat healthy, if entirely dysfunctional, respect for the other. Both were just doing their jobs in tempting mortals to choose a side.

God spoke a lot about free will, but when all was said and done, there wasn't a whole lot of "free" to it at all. Everyone was forced to choose a side eventually. It fell to the demons to be the jailers of those angelic, demonic, and human souls who chose to do evil. For the most part, those souls were part of God's own army that snapped and decided upon slaughtering His favorite creations to get Daddy's attention. It was a sad fact, but a true one.

Some beings felt uncomfortable about hunting down their own people. Polly rather enjoyed it. They may be fallen angels just like her, but they'd done wrong and had either taken lives they were never meant to take or made a move they should never have considered.

Sure, those souls all looked at her as the bad guy when she had to be the one torturing them. That wasn't anything new to her. Everyone in the universe believed those from Hell were awful, horrible monsters, while those from Heaven were seen as kind and loving. Demons were evil and angels were good, and that was where the lines were drawn.

Polly loathed that demons got all the bad press. Okay, so they tempted mortals into doing some bad stuff, but the fact remained that if those same mortals were good in nature, they wouldn't allow themselves to be tempted, would they? Polly knew that it didn't matter what she thought; the big guy upstairs didn't give a crap about her and those like her. He never had. All that hullabaloo about God and Heaven being the greatest was nothing more than good spin doctors doing their jobs.

The truth was simply that Heaven was just as painful and full of assholes as Hell. However, Lucifer ran Hell with a tighter rein. Her demons were not allowed to get out of hand. They, unlike the angels, were not allowed to lie to mortals. They could be tricky, but they were not allowed to outright lie in order to secure a mortal's soul. God, on the other hand, had no such qualms. He allowed His agents to lie, cheat, and even steal to obtain souls.

True, the souls went to a seemingly nicer place than the ones in Hell, but the souls populating Hades had made the choice of their own free will. They were the ones that still had a choice and the option of living a new life and bettering themselves.

The ones in Heaven never did.

They sat and stagnated, certain in their goodness and proud of themselves. There were some seriously vain and entirely rotten souls up there. Occasionally, those evil little critters fell, leaving it up to Polly and the other demons to keep them in line and remind them of how to be good. The irony wasn't lost on anyone.

What nobody ever said out loud was that free will was something God steadfastly and truly refused to relinquish. If He deemed a soul to be good, He sent angels to protect and guide the soul. Demons were never allowed near it, weren't even given a chance. That didn't sound like free will to Polly and, as she thought about it, she grew angrier. If she found out this issue was coming from the top, she'd take it up with God all by herself, consequences be damned.

Lucifer deserved to run Hell, and she was brilliant at it. Nobody could manage the true terrors of this world like Lucy.

No, Polly thought, I'll make sure this asshole doesn't fuck things up for Lucy, and I'll do it before God ever knows there was a problem to begin with.

Strengthened in her resolve, Polly picked her cell phone back up off the table and continued calling her contacts.

Chapter 15

Lenny stepped back into The Children of Light headquarters cloaked in the visage of Ronnie, the pimple-faced Casanova. She walked down the hall and had a brief taste of what Ronnie's life was like every day. Most of the other kids passing by paid no attention to him at all. There were a few that made a point of running into him or making faces at him, but mostly they just ignored him.

Lenny had never felt like more of a pariah in her entire life.

When she was satisfied she was out of sight, she shifted back into her own form. It was like slipping into a pair of comfortable slippers. She felt … right. As she slid through her bedroom door and turned around, she cried out in surprise when she saw Hershel sitting in the chair adjacent to her bed.

"Oh my … you scared me to death," she said, holding her chest and breathing heavily.

"Hello, Lenny," he said flatly. "I was just coming to check on you. Where have you been?"

"I just needed some air," she lied. "I was up on the roof."

He rose from the chair and stepped closer to her in one long stride. Lenny fought a strong urge to take a step back. She was surprised at herself that she was able to stand her ground.

"Well, they need your help in the kitchen. I don't think that foul demon will try to get at you again. It seems she learned her lesson." Hershel placed a hand under her ear and pulled her in close to him. "You know that Father loves you and that you are so very special, right?"

His lips were only centimeters from hers, and she could feel his warm breath tickling her nose.

"Yes, Father."

Hershel leaned in and Lenny braced herself. Instead of the kiss she expected, he diverted his path and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Go on to the kitchen and help Maggie now," he said, dismissing her with a coolness that matched the electric warmth of ten seconds before.

She turned around and left without saying a word. She just wanted to get to the kitchen, make sandwiches or stir soup, or do some other menial task that did not require thought of any kind. That desire, along with all of the blood in her face, drained away when she saw the thing that was in the kitchen with Maggie.

In the middle of a pile of ruined sandwiches, the thing stood towering over the young woman. Its moist skin was a pale aqua color with splotches of brown that gave it the look of a muddled pool of dirty water. Long arms extended outward at the monster's side, ending in three digits tipped with sharp, black claws. It stood on massive, bulging legs and sharp hooves. The atrocity turned its head full of long, black greasy hair and looked at Lenny. She felt as though her mind might slip away as its eye locked with hers—that single, solid black eye she'd seen behind the dumpster before the poor kid in the green Converse had been brutally killed.

A long, low hiss escaped the nightmare's mouth, and Lenny thought about bolting out of the room and screaming like a loon as she took off down the street and never stopped running.

Then she saw Maggie.

The girl was sitting in a heap against the stainless steel counter. There was a steady stream of blood oozing from the gash in her throat. Lenny tried to assess if she was still alive, but it was impossible to tell. When she surveyed the situation again, she noticed that Maggie's hand was missing. Where it had been, there was a ragged stump with a whitish bone sticking out between strings of gore. The end of the bone was cracked and splintered as if it had been snapped off.

Or bitten off. How any licks does it take to get to the center of a Maggie pop?

Lenny didn't think the scene could get any worse until the thing started laughing and pieces of what she could only guess was Maggie's hand dripped from its mouth. Her blood ran cold and only one word filled her mind.

Polly, Polly, Polly, Polly….

She had no idea if the demon could hear her, or whether it would even come if she did. She sure as hell hoped she had some kind of Vulcan mind-meld , psychic super power thing going on, because she could seriously use a demon to help her get out of this situation.

The monster suddenly squatted low to the ground and leapt toward her. She sidestepped without even giving the move any thought, narrowly missing a claw to her left eye. By this time, she could only assume that this monster was the one and only Demas Polly had told her about. She still didn't see how Dale could be this awful thing.

Then she saw it.

Around the thing's neck, Lenny saw a gold chain with a small medallion. It was a ten year sober chip that Dale had had made into a necklace and never took off. Apparently, he didn't even take it off when he turned into a gruesome, flesh-eating, killer djinn.

She closed her eyes for a moment as Demas got back onto his feet … or hooves. It seemed as though she was suddenly on auto-pilot, reacting before she even had time to think. Within seconds, Lenny had shifted into the shape of the murdering djinn. She felt like a gelatinous blob of twice-baked shit, and she wondered how Demas could even stand himself. It was the foulest feeling of her entire life, and she was in a perpetual state of almost puking, but she jumped forward and took a swipe at Demas with her new claws. She missed, almost losing her footing and falling on her ass. Luckily, she was able to stay upright, and she lashed out at the monster again.

The second swipe found purchase in his abdomen, and she cringed a bit as his flesh tore with a wet ripping noise. A pool of innards spilled out and hit the kitchen floor with a plopping sound. Demas' face contorted in an expression of pain and surprise as he clutched at his exposed guts. He seemed to forget that pain quickly and gathered himself to attack her again.

Lenny wasted no time. She lashed out again, this time slitting Demas' throat. He made a sick gurgling noise as a torrent of blood gushed from his neck. He fell to the ground, still reaching out for her. Lenny shifted back into her own form as soon as the monster finally stopped moving, and she rushed over to Maggie's side.

"She's gone," Polly said from the corner of the kitchen. "She was dead by the time you got here. Demas was just … snacking."

"How long have you been here?" Lenny asked, turning away from Maggie's corpse.

"Long enough to see some serious ass getting kicked."

"You didn't think to maybe lend a fucking hand?"

"You had it under control. Besides, I wanted to see what you could do," Polly said as she walked over to Demas and kicked his hoof. "Looks like you can handle yourself in a brawl after all."

"Is it dead?"

"Nope. Here on Earth, djinn are damn near immortal. He'll heal himself after a few hours. You fucked him up righteously, though. That was quick thinking. I'll take his sorry ass to Hell and let Lucy deal with him." Polly whistled. "He is gonna be so sorry."

Lenny couldn't help but be a little bit proud of herself. She had only been in one other fight in her life, when she was seven and Mary-Ann Glaser had pulled her hair and called her stupid. That fight had definitely not ended as well as this one had for Lenny. "What do we do now?"

"So, it's we now, huh?" Polly smiled.

"I guess it is." Lenny smiled back before her thoughts turned once again to Maggie. "What do we do?"

Polly snapped her fingers and Maggie was suddenly gone.

"The police will find her body in a field about a mile away. As for Demas," she said as she snapped her fingers again, making the monster disappear, "he is now in a serious time-out in a djinn-proof cage in Hell. I will get to interrogating him a bit later. Right now, how about you meet my boss?"

"Does that mean we're—"

"Going to Hell, baby!" Polly interrupted gleefully.

"Um, okay. I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Lenny closed her eyes tightly and waited.

"What are you doing?"

"Waiting to be transported or teleported or whatever," she said, opening one eye.

"How about we get in my car? I'm parked around the corner."

"Oh, we could do that, too, I guess." Lenny smiled, slightly embarrassed.

"I'm just messing with you, shifter." Polly laughed. "Come on, I'll beam us out of here."

Lenny followed her out the broken back door and started her journey straight to Hell.

Chapter 16

What the Hell am I doing here? Drew asked herself while she paced the sidewalk just outside the church grounds. This is a bad idea….

She turned to walk off, but something stopped her. Was her curiosity really that strong, or was something else making her so weak willed? Feeling torn, she turned back to the main building.

She'd understood how vulnerable she was when she'd astrally projected to this place just a couple of days ago. Between then and now, she'd practiced some of the shielding techniques her father had taught her so many years ago. If only she'd taken the time to learn more from him before she'd left, she might have felt safer in places like this.

She found it took too much energy to project and shield herself at the same time, but she felt confident she could do one or the other well enough. She couldn't go in without some kind of protection. Whatever had marked these people's souls was strong, a force she wouldn't be able to resist without some kind of psychic barrier.

Hopefully, she'd practiced enough.

No … I should leave. I don't know what I might be up against.

Kevin, the young man who'd given her one of the church's cards, emerged from one of the side office buildings and began toward the church. He gave her a quick glance, but didn't immediately give her any notice. After a moment, he took another look her way, and she could see the recognition on his face.

He veered toward her with a smile.

Shit.

"Hey!" he said as he approached. He paused in thought then snapped his fingers. "Drew, right?"

She smiled back. "Didn't think you'd remember."

"I rarely forget a face," he said with a shrug. "So, come to check out the church?"

"I got curious after I saw all that—" She caught herself. She felt way too comfortable around this guy. Even more she realized his aura was reaching out toward hers. He was dangerous, apparently capable of manipulating those in his direct presence. He'd almost had her there, crafty bastard, but what was it exactly that he wanted from her?

She concentrated on putting up the barrier, cutting his soul off from hers and vice-versa. Along with the protection came an abrupt disconnect with the sensory information she'd grown so used to: She couldn't smell or taste the energy around her anymore, which left her feeling nearly as defenseless as she'd been without the psychic shield.

"I'm glad you decided to come. Everyone deserves a fresh start. There are people here who want to help you."

She nodded, playing innocent. "A fresh start?"

"Follow me." He started for the church, waving her on.

She double-checked her shield and caught up with the man, letting him lead her to the main building, all the while feeling like she was jumping into shark-infested waters, and with nothing but a wetsuit for protection.

As soon as they entered, she noticed incense and organ music. About half the pews were filled, with more people straggling in.

"Perfect timing." Kevin gestured for her to sit.

She chose a spot in the back, her discomfort only growing.

"I'll be back." Kevin gave her a pat on the shoulder before going to greet the various people sitting and mingling. He moved through the aisle, past the podium, and down the private hallway she'd explored during her astral projection.

She fought the temptation to lower her guard and follow again. Don't do anything any stupider than you've already done.

She dug her nails into the wooden seat. She didn't belong here. Maybe no one did. Was she the only one who felt it? The auras all around her were faint, nearly unreadable. It felt so unnatural. How did mundanes live this way, cut off indefinitely from the energy constantly flowing all around them?

A light shudder overtook her, but she kept the barrier up. As uncomfortable as it made her feel, it was better than exposing her soul to whatever psychic disease filled this place. It was too strong, and she knew if she let down her guard, whatever force was behind it would swallow her whole.

A handful of people filed into the front pews.

Kevin returned and made his way to the back. "Mind if I sit with you?"

She shrugged. "Be my guest."

He sat, but was gentleman enough to keep a respectable distance. He didn't even try to sneak a peek at her cleavage, which was a real feat given her revealing shirt and tight push-up bra.

And these people get odder still….

The organ music stopped. Moments later, the revered Father came in from the back hall and took his place behind the pulpit.

The room was so quiet Drew could swear she could hear her own heart beating.

Their leader surveyed the room with a pleased look while he talked: "My children, I spoke with the Lord today, and He is proud of all you've accomplished over these difficult months. With your help, we've opened a successful shelter, that the less fortunate among us might have a warm bed every night, and we now have a fully functional kitchen, feeding between fifty and one hundred hungry mouths each day. And we're only growing."

Those in the front broke into applause, and the rest of the congregation joined in. Drew followed along.

"We have so much more work to do," the man continued, coaxing the group quiet with raised arms. "In the coming months, we'll be expanding the property and opening an infirmary. Soon we'll be saving souls and saving lives."

More applause.

He took another glance over the crowd, his eyes stopping when he spotted Drew. She turned away as soon as their eyes met, only to notice Kevin nodding back at him.

The room filled with organ music, and everyone began to sing a song Drew was unfamiliar with. It made her feel as if she stood out like a drop of oil in a barrel of water.

Kevin nudged her, then he moved to speak into her ear. "Would you like to meet our Father?"

She tried to mask her surprise. "Oh … I don't know."

He gave her a reassuring smile before he stood. "He has a gift for picking out those with extra potential. God speaks to him."

What does he see in me? What does he know?

She needed to get out of there. If she saw this through any further, things were going to go south really fast.

Curiosity killed the cat….

Without responding, she fled the church. A weight lifted off her shoulders as soon as she cleared the threshold and the door closed behind her. She rushed through the parking lot, not stopping when the door opened again, the music from inside spilling out suddenly and surprisingly loud.

She quickened her pace.

"Drew!" Kevin called.

"I changed my mind. I want to go home!"

"Can we just talk for a minute? Wait up, will ya?"

She didn't allow the gap between them to close, quickly turning the corner as soon as she reached the sidewalk.

"Drew!"

"Back off!"

She continued to run, only slowing when she felt sure he'd quit his pursuit. She stopped long enough to turn and scan down the street and sighed with relief when she didn't see him. She grabbed her knees and took a minute to catch her breath.

Her sense of safety returning, Drew lowered her psychic shield and continued down the street. Her senses coming back to her, making her whole again. What a relief!

When she was only four or five blocks away from her apartment, she could smell ill intent coming from behind her, downwind. Had someone from the church decided to follow her after all?

She made a subtle glance over her shoulder and spotted a couple of people, but no one with a dark smudge on their aura. Secure that no one was specifically after her, she merely hurried up instead of breaking into another run. Good thing she didn't have to; her feet were killing her.

First thing I'm doing when I get home is kicking off these damn heels.

When she cleared the next block, that malicious smell suddenly returned, grew stronger, then overcame her. Her body went tense when she felt the cold metal of a gun barrel pressing into her back.

A deep, gravelly voice ordered into her ear, "Don't turn around."

"Listen, man, I don't have any money, so—"

"We can talk about money once we're square," said the man. "Turn into the alley up ahead."

She did as directed. In her mind, she screamed, "J. D.!" He couldn't keep tabs on all his girls every moment of every day, but he always had his telepathic radar listening for any distress call. She prayed he heard her now.

She did her best to keep her cool. "Whatever it is you want, you don't need to point a gun on me. I'm sure we can work something out."

"Oh, we'll work something out all right, bitch."

J. D.!

They reached a couple of dumpsters, and he pushed her between them. She saw that the man, whose face she now vaguely recognized, held a jacket over his hand and gun. His stare told her two things: She'd ripped off the wrong john, and that this guy would shoot if she did anything to provoke him.

"Strip."

She looked around. "Out here in the open?" Maybe if she convinced him the site wasn't secure, she could buy herself some more time.

"No one's watching. Lose the dress."

Was this how she was going to fall off the wagon? And with this loser? She decided that, if she'd be forced to do this, she wouldn't stop until the son of a bitch was dead. He wouldn't try to stop her. He'd be too lost in the amazing time she'd be giving him. No one could beat a succubus in that department.

Just when she'd gotten the zipper down, J. D. appeared behind the man. It never ceased to amaze her how he could materialize in the blink of an eye. Dark-skinned but racially undiscernible, he looked like a silver-haired giant as he towered over her aggressor, hellfire burning behind focused, dark eyes. He wore a tacky pin-striped suit with a purple velvet fedora, but somehow they looked right on him.

"Excuse me?" he said, his voice steady and polite.

"This is none of your—" The man's words cut off when he turned around, redirecting the gun to point at J. D.'s chest.

"You're messing with my girl."

"Your 'girl' ripped me off." The man's voice cracked and quavered.

"Have a nice trip," J. D. said before plunging his fist into the man's chest, crushing his heart. Blood went everywhere, but J. D. didn't seem the least bit bothered by it.

The body crumpled at his feet.

"Thank God!" Drew went to hug the pimp, but he held a hand between them.

"Thank who?"

"Thank you," she amended.

"That's my girl." He opened his arms and welcomed the embrace. "What are you doing, still screwing over the johns like this, D? It's bad for business."

She shrugged.

"You know I have no choice but to punish you."

She nodded, wishing at that moment she could be anywhere but standing in front of him.

"But that's gonna have to wait. I'm late for a meeting."

She nodded gratefully.

He cocked his head. "You're in more trouble than just with the johns. What have you been up to?"

Why did he always do this, spy on her psychically then initiate a game of twenty questions when he already knew all of the answers?

Drew shrugged innocently. "I'm not sure. These people tried to pull me into their church, the one just down 5th Avenue."

"So, what do you think of the place?"

"There's something wrong with the people. A few of them have auras made completely of shadows, and everyone else has this strange psychic stain. Their souls all seem to reach out like … like astral leeches or something. It's creepy."

"Hmm." J. D.'s glance moved in the general direction of 5th Ave. "Like astral leeches, you say?"

Drew nodded. "Have you seen them?"

He ignored the question. "I gotta go. I'm going to send you home. Wait for me there. Do you understand?"

"What's going on J. D.?"

"I'll be back soon." And with that, Drew found herself transported into her apartment with J. D. nowhere to be seen.

Chapter 17

Hershel shuffled through his notes in preparation for the next sermon. His flock was in a state of flux, which distracted him more than he wanted to admit. Growing pains, he told himself, although it felt like so much more than that. There were some people among the flock who, despite their seeming dedication, embraced varying degrees of doubt. Some were there merely for the food and warm beds. They had no idea how much they actually stood out from the truly faithful. Such individuals would have to choose their allegiances soon or he would have to make their choices for them, tough yet necessary choices for their own good.

Their eternal souls depended on it.

He'd been a gracious host, as was only fitting for a man of his stature. Sometimes he needed to remind himself that his place in this world was as difficult as it was timely, just as he needed to remind himself that all of these people—the faithful and the lost alike—were only human. Human beings made mistakes, and they deserved his forgiveness should they only ask for it. Still, they needed to learn to be steadfast despite the opposition.

He'd need to fit in a small reference to the Book of Job, he decided, and in his mind he went through the memorized passages in search of the perfect words to quote. He needed to bring up the Adversary, the Devil in disguise, ever challenging even the most faithful of people.

Testing them.

He looked up when he saw a flicker of light in the corner of his left eye. His heart filled with love and joy when he saw the Messenger had returned.

He shone a warm light over Hershel, so overwhelmingly beautiful that he had to fight tears. His features were vague, the glow making him appear more like a spirit than the human form he assumed. Still, Hershel could make out the humble smile and crystalline eyes directed on him.

Knowing there was no need for pleasantries, Hershel moved straight to his confession: "I failed Demas. A demon killed him right under my nose … took him away. It all happened so fast. There was nothing I could do."

"Even the Messiah's eyes can be deceived by a powerful enough influence, my Lord. Demas is alive and well. He'll return when the time is right."

Hershel nodded, relieved. The event was a lesson in humility, then. He supposed even the Second Coming had his limits, as few as they might be. Not even Jesus had been perfect. He needed to remember that.

"You've come to me with more good news than that," Hershel said without a hint of question in his tone.

"I have." The Messenger paused for effect. "The Day of Reckoning draws near, and we still have much to do. Timing will be key to our success."

Hershel sat back and crossed his arms. "There's a possibility we could fail?"

"Nothing's impossible. You should know that by now."

"But the prophecy—"

"It's inevitable, but we could experience some delays if we're not careful. We have enemies among us. The young woman you protected from a demon has joined the dark alliance. You may not be able to win her back."

Hershel's posture changed again, this time his body sinking into the chair. He made an attempt to right himself, but he felt too heavy. "Lenore would betray me? No, that's not possible. We spoke earlier, and I saw nothing but love in her eyes."

"She's plotting against you even as we speak."

"But … but you told me she was special. She is special."

"Yes. So was Judas, correct?"

Hershel nodded with a sigh. Why did this all need to be so painful? Why the complications? Didn't he have it hard enough as it was?

"The demons might convince her to bring in one or more infiltrators, evil influences that want nothing but to destroy your congregation from the inside. They'll try to trick you, might even try to seduce you. Invite them in and act as unassuming as possible, but don't try to take them on without first consulting me. God will direct you. He will keep you safe. Listen for His advice."

"I'll do that." He smiled, doing his best to exude strength, but his unsteady voice betrayed him.

"You'll rise above this adversity. We have faith in you."

His burden felt even heavier than before. Crushing. But he needed to remain strong. If the voice of God had faith in him, that was what he needed to cling to, not the heartache. Like his flock, he too was being tested. He would not fail.

"There is a biophysicist in Texas, Neil Sandberg, whom we have gifted with the spark of divine inspiration. He is nearly finished with his work, and he will come to you when you're ready for him. You will allow him to hire and train your infirmary's staff, and you will not question any decisions he makes while he's here."

"Understood."

"I see trepidation in your eyes."

Hershel nodded. "I won't lie. I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders, and at times it's overwhelming. I would bear the weight of the cross again if it could bring the salvation we seek, but I'm painfully aware that the amount of sin now clouding this world is too great for me to take on alone. I know what I need to do, and I'm prepared to do it."

"And you will do it well. Remember, God is with you always. In your weakest moments, God is with you. When you feel forsaken, God is with you. When you speak to your congregation, God is with you."

"I feel His presence."

"Let Him be your strength. He is your father, and He is proud of you."

The pain in Hershel's chest lifted, and a sense of peace and joy replaced it. No longer attempting to hold back his tears, he looked up, clasping his shaky hands together. "Thank you, Father. Your love humbles me, and I am grateful for it."

"We need you to work even harder than before. Once this begins, it will feel like an avalanche is overtaking these grounds. People will panic. You must calm them. The Devil will double his efforts to stop you. It's imperative that you stay one step ahead of him and remain focused on the task at hand. There will be some who try to paint you as misguided. They will not understand our mission, and in their confusion, they will turn you into a target. Prepare yourself."

"I will."

"Remember you are saving souls. Their deaths will cleanse this world, but they will be meaningless if we allow evil to claim them. You must pray with the dying. Hold them. Cry with them. Deliver them to Heaven, one at a time if you have to. Their suffering will open them to the truth."

"Yes … yes, I'll deliver every one of them."

"You've already begun to divide your people, but the numbers on both sides are about to skyrocket. It's time you move the lost into their own wing and have your disciples begin lining them up for the last meals each day. Getting them into this routine now will reduce the questions later. Reach out to the community like never before. The people will remember your acts of kindness. Your love will place a mark on those who are to join your army. That mark will spare them when Pestilence rides through this valley."

God's light became nearly too much for him to contain, and a heavy sob escaped him, his body shuddering. As much as he dreaded the anguish that was to come, he looked forward to furthering his work. He was going to change the world, and that was exciting. This was merely the first step, though.

A war was brewing, the greatest this world would ever see. The Antichrist already walked among them, and it would be his charge to seek the man out. The angels would join Hershel to fight on the front line. He would be their general, personally taking up the sword to cut through the lost and cleanse the soil with their blood. Similarly, the fallen angels would join their dark master in an attempt to take control, but they would quickly flounder. It was going to be a glorious battle.

The Messenger reached across the desk, offering both hands, and Hershel took them into his own. Their connection filled him with his Father's omnipresent spirit. It felt warm and satisfying, fortifying his resolve.

"Thank you, Father," he said again, and then the Messenger dispersed in an explosion of light.

He collapsed onto the desk, crying into his arms and praising the glory he'd been blessed to witness.

He'd been looking forward to this day for millennia. They'd planned, and they'd been so patient. They would watch their enemies starve and wither, and then they would take their rightful place.

Chapter 18

Walking through the brimstone caverns, Lenny felt very small. She was still riding the high from defeating Demas, but her adrenaline was diminishing with every step deeper into the lower levels of Hell.

"Keep up, shifter," Polly urged. "Lucy is waiting to meet you."

"Is she nice?" Lenny asked, feeling stupid as soon as the words left her mouth.

"Nice?" Polly chuckled. "She is the Queen of Hell, you realize."

"That doesn't mean she has to be an asshole."

Polly stopped her breakneck pace and turned to Lenny with a look of begrudging patience.

"Yeah, I guess she is nice." Polly smiled, making air quotes around the last word. "But she does have a few personality traits that are less than congenial. Lucifer does not like liars, at all; however, she does like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain. She is not terribly fond of mind games. Straightforward is the way to go with her. She also doesn't like it when people are late, so let's get the lead out."

"Sorry, I'm a little bit nervous, Polly. Two days ago, I had no idea I'd be in Hell meeting with the Prince, or Princess, I guess, of lies who hates liars, after I nearly killed an immortal genie while I was being evaluated by a Knight of Hell. It is just a little much for me to process right now. So, you'll have to excuse me if I am not running to get to Lucifer's lair and hear God-knows-what about my new job," she blurted, feeling as though she might cry or go completely mad. "And, it stinks like rotten eggs in here. How in God's name do you stand it?"

"Another thing to remember is that, even though there is no hate between us and the man upstairs, no one likes to hear the big guy's name thrown around too much. Just a tip when you talk with Lucifer. FYI, ya know." Polly smiled, making Lenny feel a little more comfortable. "As far as the smell, I hardly notice it anymore. After a few thousand years, you get used to it."

"I feel better."

"Good. So maybe we can move on to your meeting sometime today?"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Lenny returned the demon's smile, surprised at the fact she suddenly felt so at ease.

That feeling went away when they got to Lucifer's office. She stood before a large, wooden door with an ornate carving from floor to ceiling depicting what appeared to be a scene from Hell. At the base of the work, a group of nude men and women stood reaching up to the skyline, where three angels stood guard. Demons mingled with the humans, touching them with clawed hands and extending their forked tongues lasciviously toward the people. The angels at the top of the door looked down with no expression, their wings spread wide, concealing what seemed to be a fortress amongst clouds behind them, their fingers curled tightly around the shafts of long spears, ready to defend Heaven at all costs.

Lenny stood mesmerized.

It was beautiful.

"It's by Rodin," Lucifer said from behind her, crossing her arms and pursing her lips. "I like it, but I'm not in love with it. He did it as a gift when he got here. Trying to butter me up, I think. It didn't work."

"Oh, uh … I think it's uh … nice," Lenny stammered.

Lucifer opened the door to her office and stepped inside. She was a striking woman with long, dark hair held up in a neat twist at the top of her head. Her eyes were a sharp green, but still seemed warm and kind. Her skin was smooth and flawless, a shade of pale olive. She was beautiful, but she also had an air of welcoming. Behind all of that, Lenny sensed a tough as nails woman that put up with little to no shit.

"Come in and have a seat. Polly, can you wait outside?"

"Actually, I have business to attend to," Polly said, making a sawing gesture across her throat.

"Um, okay. I'll see you later then?" Lenny asked her nervously.

"Yep." Polly made a half-salute and headed off down the hallway.

Lucifer smiled and took her seat behind the desk, motioning for Lenny to take a seat across from her.

"So, what do I call you?" Lenny asked, taking her seat.

"Your Most Supreme Highness of Hell and all of its lowly inhabitants will do nicely."

"Um, okay."

Lucifer suddenly burst out laughing. It was a hearty guffaw that made Lenny smile.

"I'm just kidding, Lenny. You can call me Lucy, or Lucifer if it makes you feel better."

"No offense, but I always thought you were a guy."

"I get that a lot." Lucifer snapped her fingers, instantly transforming into a blond man that looked like he had stepped straight off a Gucci advertisement. "But I find that I am the most comfortable in my regular form."

The male model snapped his fingers and turned back into a woman. This time, though, her hair was a shiny auburn and her eyes were ice blue.

"Cool," Lenny whispered in awe.

"It comes in handy when I run into an especially misogynistic angel or human. But it is all kinds of uncomfortable. I really don't see how men do it, all of the dangly bits getting in the way all the time." She shuddered. "It honestly gives me the willies."

Ha, the willies! Lenny thought to herself, trying not to laugh out loud.

"Wasn't your hair black before?"

"You are quite observant." Lucy smiled. "I can change form as you just saw. I also can take on any appearance I feel will put a person at ease. If you project that redheads are more trustworthy, I'll have red hair. Most of the time, people simply see me as they wish with no effort from me at all. It's a skill that came with the job. I think that might be where the Devil-in-disguise thing came from. I'll have to ask Elvis next time I see him."

"Elvis is here? Are you serious?" Lenny asked excitedly.

"In Hell? No." Lucy chuckled. "He is still alive. Just turned eighty, and still going strong. We have tea about every ten years so I can check up on him. Disappearing from the public eye was part of his deal. Can't have him on stage at eighty but still looking forty, right?"

"That explains so much."

"So, Lenny, back to business. I am told you are willing to come and work for me. I want to tell you that makes me very happy. I believe that you are someone who will be invaluable to Hell, and to me directly." Lucifer sifted through a few papers on her desk, apparently looking for something specific.

"What exactly is it you would need me to do?"

"Well, you would work with Polly for a while learning the ropes. Your skills as a shifter would definitely come in handy."

"So like a spy?"

"Yes, sometimes. Although it appears you have a few other valuable skills, as well. I heard about your tangle with Demas this afternoon. Very impressive."

"That just happened. How did you hear about it already?"

"From the horse's mouth," Lucy said as she waved her hand in the air.

The television next to the sofa came to life, showing a dark room with a small cage in the center of the floor. Inside the cage, Demas sat sullenly, his large body almost touching the bars all around him. He moved what looked like an inch, his hoof touching the side of the cage, and a bright electric bolt shot out causing him to convulse and scream out in pain. With every convulsion, his gelatinous skin connected with the metal bars, sending even more volts through his body. Lucy waved her hand again and the television went dark.

"How long will he be trapped in there?"

"For eternity, of course. I can tell you that he really hates you, so it's probably best he stay trapped forever."

"Makes sense." Lenny shrugged.

"Well, let's get down to business then, shall we? I am offering you a position as a freelancer for Hell. You will be contacted when jobs arise that require your special skillset. I will provide you with an apartment of your own and a company car. You will also get a monthly retainer, as well as payment for each job. How does that sound?"

"It sounds great, honestly. I do have some questions, though," she said, feeling more comfortable.

"All right." Lucifer leaned back and laced her fingers together.

"Can I say no to a job?"

"You can, but it probably would not be a good idea," Lucifer raised an eyebrow, letting Lenny know she was not pleased at the prospect of being refused. "Lenny, I know your soul and I would never ask you to do anything that would compromise your morals. I do not need your soul sullied by foul deeds."

"Okay, that sounds fair. Do I have to give my soul away or anything? Am I going to get my own cage here when I die?"

Lucifer laughed again, but this time it made Lenny feel embarrassed and a little silly.

"I do not want your soul, my dear. Not that there is anything wrong with your soul. It just doesn't work that way. I don't really make deals like the devils in the movies. The way it works is, if you are a good person and try your best not to be genuinely evil, you get a one-way trip upstairs. If you are a rotten, evil monster that turns your back on Heaven, you come to me. Simple as that."

"That sounds pretty fair to me. The last thing is, Polly told me that you would give me some information about my real parents."

"Ah, yes, I have it all right here." She waved the paper from her desk as she spoke.

"You have a file on me?"

"Well, a paper at least." Lucy began reading. "Your father was a man named Luther. He was a pure blood shape-shifter born in the year 1865. He worked for a railroad baron named McCarthy as an enforcer and took a liking to McCarthy's daughter, Helena. Of course, McCarthy didn't want his only daughter consorting with the help, much less help that he considered a monster. So Luther did what everyone does when they love someone they can't have: He found a way."

"Wait, you said 1865? That would make him like one hundred and twenty-four-years-old when I was born."

"Yes. Shifters live very long lives. You have a lot of years to look forward to, my dear."

"Great." She rolled her eyes. "Sorry, go on."

"Well, it seems McCarthy had made a deal himself. He had found a demon willing to help him out with his desire to be rich. In return, the demon wanted to go straight and live a normal life. That life included being the wife of a rich railroad tycoon. She became his ideal spouse and they were actually very happy together. Their daughter, Helena, never knew she was half demon."

"Whoa, wait. I'm part demon, too?"

"There's more, Lenny. Do you want me to go on?"

"Might as well. It can't get any weirder," she said, fearing she might be wrong.

"Luther decided he could not live without Helena. As was the case with many people during those years, Helena fell ill with tuberculosis. Luther was beside himself with grief at the thought of her death. He called out, issuing a plea to anyone or anything that could or would help him. What answered was a ghula by the name of Amanarit. She took over the weakened, infected body of Helena. In the following years, she murdered Helena's father and mother and ran off with all of their money, as well as a new husband who had no idea what she truly was."

"My father," Lenny whispered.

"Yes, my dear. Your father," she said before continuing to read. "In the year 1990, they had a child. When that child was born, Helena died. Most likely what occurred was that Amanarit deserted the body that she had inhabited for almost one hundred years, leaving Helena to die. Luther was beside himself with grief and unable to care for his infant daughter, so he gave her to a human family to raise as their own. The rest you already know."

"What the hell is a ghula?" Lenny knew the answer but needed to hear Lucifer say it, or it couldn't be true.

"Lenny, please listen to me," Lucifer said, trying to calm the agitated girl.

"No. What is a ghula?"

"A ghula is a type of female djinn." Lucifer sighed as she stood up behind her desk.

"I'm a djinn?"

"No. You are only part djinn. A very miniscule part at that. More like you have a djinn essence."

"I'm a monster like that fucking blob of shit you have locked in a cage?"

"Lenny, please sit and calm down."

"No," Lenny turned on the Lightbringer. "I will not calm down. I come in here and get told that I'm demon, shifter, and fucking ghula, or djinn or whatever, and you want me to fucking calm down?"

Lucifer stepped forward and stood in front of the girl, staring her directly in the eyes.

"Did it occur to you just how easy it was for you to shift into the same form as Demas? Don't you usually have to concentrate and work at shifting? With Demas, it was instantaneous. That is because you have that essence. Just think of all the things you could do if you can just harness that power."

"I have to get out of here. I need to think. I don't think I can do this," Lenny said, feeling claustrophobic.

Lucifer stepped aside, allowing the girl to walk out the door.

Lenny rushed out of the office, trying her best to hold back tears. She looked both ways, not knowing where to go. She turned around, facing the carved door that now felt like a blasphemy. The stoic angels now looked like ill-willed voyeurs watching and judging her for the monster she now knew she was. The demons appeared to be reaching out to her, telling her that she was just like them. She turned to her right and hurried down the hall, trying to escape the carving. When she rounded the next corner, the smell of sulfur hit her like a ton of bricks, sending her reeling. The flood of sensory assaults crumbled the last bit of control she had. Lenny wept as she ran down another hall until she came to a door that was slightly ajar. She rushed in, not knowing what was behind it and not really caring much, either.

Chapter 19

Polly checked her phone one more time just in case anyone else had texted with some information for her. She was also wondering if J. D. messaged to let her know he was going to be late. There was nothing. Not a single text or call had come through since his message asking her to meet him at Dante's. Polly was dubious; J. D. had never been a completely reliable source. He was a good demon, and loyal to Lucy, but he had a habit of embellishing a little.

Then there was the troubling matter of the theft that led to his Knighthood being stripped from him. Polly saw being a Knight of Hell as an honor and a privilege. In her mind, J. D. had sullied that honor and it disappointed her because she had once trusted him. She had actually believed he was someone worthy of her trust and respect, and that was something that didn't happen often.

The fact that he stole from Hell really angered her, but it hurt worse that he'd betrayed her trust. She supposed there was a small part of her that still trusted him, slightly. That was why she had spoken to Lucy on his behalf and got her to agree to allow J. D. to keep his hellfire. It afforded him strength and many powers he would have lost otherwise.

As much as she wanted to trust him, Polly was more concerned about having to waste valuable time chasing down a bum lead. She was becoming increasingly annoyed that she had to deal with meeting him in a human establishment. She walked into the club and made a beeline for the bar. Bartenders were always good sources of information, and he'd no doubt be able to tell her if J. D. was already there.

As she moved toward the bar, she couldn't help noticing how the red neon flames that were bolted to the wall were interspersed with metal pitchforks. Polly rolled her eyes at the whole cliché and quickly glanced around taking in all the tacky sights and sounds.

The bar sat in the center of the main room with the dance floor surrounding it. Back behind the circular bar was a decent sized room, where the pool tables and dart boards were. It was there she decided her meeting with J. D. would have to take place. It was one of the best spots for keeping an eye out on the rest of the club as well as the quietest place in the bar.

She wondered if the bartender would know something as to where J. D. was, whether or not he was actually at the club. This place was exactly the sort of seedy gin mill he'd enjoy on a regular basis. Guys like him—with more power than sense—always did. They seemed drawn to the cheap, easy women and the forgetfulness that came with the power of alcohol.

People moved out of her way as she walked, which she was used to. Even if they didn't believe in demons, it was as if they instinctively knew she was dangerous. Very few ever stood in Apollyon's way, and those few who did had a short shelf life. Mostly, folks avoided her like the plague.

As she approached to speak with the man behind the bar, she got no farther than the second row of illuminated tiles that made up the dance floor when a short fellow in a Tommy Bahama shirt and khaki pants stood in her path.

"You're pretty," the little man slurred at Polly.

"Excuse me?"

"I'd like to climb you, Mount Amazon. Get it? It's a double entendre, see, Mount Amazon, 'cos I want to mount you." The drunk fellow began to move forward as if to give Polly a hug. She put a hand on his balding head and pushed.

"Shove off, cretin," Polly said as the man hit the floor giggling.

"She touched me!" he shouted back to his group of nerdy office jockeys, and they cheered their friend on. Polly rolled her eyes, stepped over the vermin, and continued on her way to the bartender.

"Nice moves you pulled on poor Patrick there. What can I get you?" The man tending bar grinned at her, and Polly had a feeling Patrick and his friends had been giving the bartender trouble all night. She looked the man up and down and noticed he had long, thick, dark black hair and was clad in leather chaps and little else.

"I'm looking for someone."

"Aren't we all?" The bartender grinned a little wider.

"No, I mean I'm meeting someone here. Dark skin, tall, silver hair. He been in here?"

"Sounds like he'd be hard to miss. I haven't seen anyone like that." As he spoke, he took orders and made drinks for the people around them.

"Well, when he arrives, if he inquires about someone named Polly, tell him I'll be back by the pool tables," she said as she slipped him a fifty dollar bill.

"Hey, lady, I'm not your messenger," the bartender called. His slipping the bill in his pocket as Polly turned and walked away told her he would do as she asked.

Polly moved toward an unused table and began to rack the balls. Before long, there was a group of guys watching her with smiles on their faces. They expected that because she was a woman, she would have no clue how to play the game. Polly decided she'd be happy to take their money while she waited. After she won the third game and the two men who had teamed up to "kick her tall, pale, gorgeous ass" were walking off scowling, J. D. showed up.

He caught her eye and moved right to where she stood, bypassing the bartender completely. Polly reached for the balls on the table and began racking them again, making sure it was a tight fit. "You up for a game?"

"No, thanks, Polly. I have some information for you on the souls. It's not much, but I figure that a little bit is better than nothing," the tall demon said coolly.

"I'm not in a patient mood, J. D. Just spill what you've got," Polly barked as she broke. Balls hit the pockets as if they were afraid not to. When they stopped rolling, only five were left on the table. Polly picked off every last one. J. D. watched, amusement causing a smile that reached his eyes as she sank each shot expertly.

"You've still got it, P."

"Like I could ever lose it?" Polly winked at him and continued, "It's good to see you, J. D. How have you been?"

"Oh, good days and bad, you know how it goes."

"So, what have you learned?"

"There's been some rumbling in the lesser demon communities." His grin faded and a cold indifference replaced it as if he suddenly recalled that he was supposed to be mad at her.

"What sort of rumbling?"

"They're tired of being known as lesser demons. Some are talking uprising. The djinn have been stirring up several factions, or at least they were before they started busting their pals out of lockup."

"Uprising? That's impossible. They'd have no way to harvest or collect the souls. Plus, let's be honest here, Heaven isn't just going to let a demon walk right in and take some souls. I know for a fact there is nobody up there with access to our souls."

"Except Charon." J. D.'s words made Polly pause.

She explored her thoughts for a moment. Lucy had questioned Charon herself.

There was no way Lucy could overlook something that huge, could she? No, it just didn't seem possible that the Queen of Hell would question the soul thief and not know it.

Polly shrugged those thoughts off and decided it was time to move on." What else do you have for me?" she asked her old compadre.

"I got a girl that can help you with information gathering."

"Spill."

"One of my mares is part succubus. Inexperienced, but talented nonetheless. With the right prompting, she might be able to access information that we can't. She can also smell emotions and psychic residue—trust me, she'll be a good little tracking dog for you. She'll need some guidance, but I've found that a smack or two usually helps."

Hiding the look of disgust on her face at the disrespect J. D. showed the beings in his care, Polly began to rack the balls again. She hated that she had to hide her feelings, but she needed J. D. friendly and talking. This girl of his seemed like just the ticket to her. She hesitated for a moment, then relented. "Okay, bring her to me."

"Now?"

"Soon would be good. I've kind of got a lot of shit to do here. Waiting for you wasn't exactly on my agenda." She turned to him and let some hellfire flash through her eyes to let him know how serious she was. He backed up a step to show respect. Only Knights of Hell (and certain former Knights that had been allowed to keep their power) could harness hellfire that way.

As it shone through a demon's eyes, it also amped up the ability to connect with everything in the universe. Though she had fallen, Apollyon was still an angel, and God didn't take away the gift of communion with everything. The hellfire allowed them to see a being's soul and to tell if they had the seal of Hell upon them. If there was, then the demon was free to approach, and they could also look and see what the person had done to earn the mark.

The seal meant the person had done something bad enough that Hell owned, or was close to owning, his or her soul. Any time betwixt incarnations would be terribly rough. The reprieves for a new life, and another chance at Heaven, were few and far between. Reincarnation happened when the assigned higher demon felt as though the soul they were tormenting had reached a sort of enlightenment, an understanding of how wrong they had been in their previous lives. Hellfire allowed all that, and it also gave her strength well beyond anything possessed by upper demons.

When she told Lenny she could burn with it, she hadn't been lying. It took a lot of energy and power from her to do it, but hellfire could be harnessed in the same way a laser or flamethrower could. Polly didn't like to use it. She preferred more hands-on methods when dispatching enemies.

If J. D. felt this girl had some power and could help, that meant one of two things: She was loyal to him and he could get information out of her later that he could use against Polly, or she was really that good and he hoped Polly would appreciate his aid and give him some form of payment. The latter she could deal with.

"Okay, I'll go get her. You don't have to be such a hard ass. You could lighten up a little, you'd enjoy life more, ya know."

"Hey, J.D?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm not buying the good Samaritan act. What's in this for you?" Like Lucy, Polly wasn't much for games. Instead of plotting around her adversary's next move, she preferred to call them out.

"I was hoping when my girl finds your guy that maybe you'd remember it was because of me and give me a little something." His grin was toothpaste ad worthy.

"If she's any good to us, we will see. You're forgetting that you owe me a favor. Lucy didn't allow you to keep your hellfire because she is merciful, you know."

"So, are you the one who talked her into letting me keep it?" J. D. looked shocked.

"Of course I did. You didn't actually think Lucy would let you keep it out of the goodness of her heart, did you? I encouraged her to allow you to keep your power because I was hoping that one day you'd help me, too. If this isn't that day, I'm sure we can scrape up some sort of bone for you. Now, go fetch." Polly tossed the cue on the table and began walking for the door.

"That shit isn't cool, Apollyon. I've been a loyal friend to you since—"

"Loyal?" Hellfire flashed in Polly's eyes, cutting J.D. off. "You call yourself loyal? What about when Rafael tried to kill Lucifer and smuggled a freaking angelite bomb into Hell because you gave him information on our back door? What about when you stole from us?"

"Hey, I had no idea he was planning to kill Lucy. I actually thought there was some horizontal limbo action happening and they didn't want anyone to know. As for the stealing, I did what I had to do to help myself out. I don't expect you to understand or forgive me, but I never would have hurt you or Lucy for anything." J. D. shrugged as he reached the door first and held it open for Polly to walk through. As she began to step through, Polly noticed a swarthy dark haired man on his cell phone. He was speaking and gesturing frantically all the while looking at her and J. D. intently.

Polly pushed J. D. back into the club and shut the door. She took a quick look outside through the window next to the door and noticed a white van idling in the parking lot. Anger swelled, and she stalked over to the man at the bar.

"You. What are you playing at?" Polly hissed.

"N-nothing." Fear made the man's voice a pitch too high, his eyes a little too wide, and sweat began to appear on his upper lip. In that moment, Polly was certain he had information she wanted.

"What the hell is going on? Why'd you push me back into the bar, P?" J. D. looked a mixture of puzzled and pissed.

"This gentleman here is setting us up for something. I'd like to know what."

"I ... I…. Look, I ain't setting you up, really. I was just letting some folks who wanted to follow you know that you were leaving the bar." The man's face blanched and Polly thought his black hair and dark brown eyes made a nice contrast to his terrified and quite pale face.

"Who is out there?" she growled, an unspoken threat hung heavy in the tone of her voice.

"There's this church I belong to, and they just want to know a bit more about you. I met them through my parole officer. They have a soup kitchen I volunteer at for community service. I have to do it for another offense I was charged with before I went to jail. They're good folks, and they told me that you broke into their church and tried to kidnap someone. All they were going to do was follow you, honest." Polly could tell that the man wasn't lying. He really believed all these church members would do is follow her.

"I don't want to be followed. Do you understand what I am saying here?"

"That they shouldn't follow you?"

Polly closed her eyes a second as she tried not to lose her composure. She took a deep breath and said, "That would be smart, yes."

"Okay, I'll call them."

"How about you wait right here and I'll tell them myself?"

"Oh, it's really probably better if I tell them." The man's face went whiter as he continued, "They won't like that you spotted me."

"Leave this matter alone. You called to let them know we were leaving. Your job is done." Polly allowed a little hellfire to come into her eyes as she checked out the man's soul. There was a seal, but it was faint and he actually had the chance to remove it if he led a good and virtuous life. He wasn't a bad guy, and Polly wondered if she could play fast and loose with the rules. Technically, the seal of Hell was on him, so she could approach and make a deal, but morally she preferred not to bring souls to Lucy for torture if they didn't need to be.

"Okay." The guy backed up against the bar when Polly's eyes turned red. As the scent of his raw terror hit her nostrils, she smiled. The bartender started to walk over and Polly waved him off. He nodded and returned to his conversation with a young college-aged girl at the other end of the bar.

"Good man," Polly said to the church's informer. "You realize you still have a chance to turn your life around, right? I suggest you take it. I hate torturing souls that could have gone to Heaven if they'd turned things around." Polly turned and made her way back to the door with a bewildered J. D. following behind her.

"What church is this, man? Drew said something about a couple dudes trying to take her to a church earlier. I wonder if it is the same one."

"Good question. I assume Drew is your … mare?" At J. D.'s nod, she continued, "When we leave this building, they're either going to try and fight us or they're going to try and follow us like the little stool pigeon believes. I'm fairly certain they mean to kidnap or kill us. I don't know about you, old friend, but I'll be damned if I let any church take me. That said, it would do us some good to find out what the hell their game is. I mean, Jesus, do these religious nutters have shitty timing or what?"

"You can say that again. Just rest assured that I've got your back."

"Hey, J. D.?"

"Yeah, Polly?"

"Good luck." Polly grinned as she opened the door and stepped out.

A small group of lesser demons stood in the parking lot. She had been expecting humans, and to see djinn out there showing such little respect to her, the First Knight, pissed her off. They smirked at her, and at their insolence, Polly's eyes began glowing red. She held her ground as they rushed at her and J. D. She conjured a blade made of brimstone and steel, held it up, and screamed a battle cry that was almost older than time.

Snarling her anger at their disrespect, Polly rushed at the lesser demons and began to carve her way through. The first one fell when Polly's fist, clutching the blade, crashed down on his skull.

He fell to the ground, unconscious.

A female djinn, or djinniri as they preferred to be called, rushed her thinking she had a chance.

Polly put her blade through the djinn's belly and sliced upward toward her chin with all her strength. Her eyes, flooded with hellfire, were the same color as the blood that flew around them while she disemboweled the djinniri. They both looked down for a moment as the djinn's intestines fell onto her feet. Polly thrust her hand into the hole in the djinn's chest and pulled her heart out with a wet sucking sound. The woman looked into Polly's eyes for a brief moment before she crumpled to the ground atop her intestines.

As she crushed the djinniri's heart into pulp, Polly said, "That oughta keep her dead. Man you guys are like cockroaches, hard to kill and annoying as hell."

Then, awaiting another attack, she moved into a defensive position, but the remaining two djinn ran for the van, shouting at each other.

"Fuck! He said this would be easy, but now Naomi is dead and Joshua might as well be. Get us the hell out of here, Celia!" the male djinn screamed as he and the remaining djinniri took off in their van, tires squealing in the night air.

J. D. stood near the door of the bar and clicked his tongue, "I was hoping to have a go myself. Too bad they were so cowardly."

"Yeah, because you were right there with me when they struck," Polly said sarcastically.

"Hey, you didn't need me backing you up there, She-Ra."

"She-Ra?"

"It's a human thing, never mind."

"Do you like the humans, J. D.?"

"They're not that bad, P, if you give them a chance."

"It's not humans I object to. It's the fact they took precedence over us to Him. It was as if we angels no longer mattered. As if we were nothing more to Him than janitors created to clean up after these beings, which was what upset me the most. Look at what He has done to us for daring to request the love of our Father, J. D. He makes us demons! You know what? I don't want to get into this right now. All it ever amounts to is justifiable anger." Polly sighed and wiped blood off her face.

She shrugged and grabbed both the corpse of the djinn she had gutted and its unconscious friend.

"Hey, you should try to have fun with your role sometime, Polly. If you do, maybe you'll see things in a different light." J. D. blew her a kiss.

She rolled her eyes at him just before she popped into Hell without saying so much as a goodbye. She set the corpse in cold storage and took the unconscious lackey to a torture cell. She would get the information out of him as soon as he woke up.

She had no doubt she would find out what this ridiculously annoying cult was up to and what they had to do with Demas and the virus. Once she got all the information she could, then she'd go see Lucy and get back to finding out what had happened to the missing souls.

She thought about what J. D. said. If she took more pleasure in her role as a demon, perhaps she would be happier. Though she was having a hard time seeing how having to spend eternity torturing and extracting information from souls could make anyone happy. For a while, when she was younger, she felt justified in doing her job. These days, she mostly felt nothing when torturing a soul.

It wasn't that she felt her job was pointless, or even that she felt she was too good to somehow accomplish the tasks set before her. It was more that centuries of cutting and gutting had hardened her somehow and she didn't see the torture as the fun she once did. As she grew in age, she also grew in wisdom, and wisdom dictated that slicing beings up was a tedious job.

She knew it was necessary, especially with all the evil humans could get up to on their own without anyone watching over them. She liked being in charge of keeping the worst of humankind away from the best of them. It made her feel like she was really somehow helping the world.

Chapter 20

Polly strapped the djinn into a special stone chair that would move and turn as she required in order to torture its occupant effectively. Once she was certain the lesser being wasn't going anywhere, she set to work. She began to arrange the tools she wanted to use, conjuring each one and displaying them in what she thought would be the most terrifying way possible for the djinn she was torturing. She couldn't wait for him to come to; she wanted to get the information quickly and be done with this mess. She itched to hunt down the cause of the missing souls and gut them.

As she worked, she wondered: What the hell is this church up to, and is Lenny safe there? It's weird there are so many djinn attached to the place. Could the church and the djinn have something to do with the loss of souls, or was that done by something entirely different?

She really didn't like all the djinn working as a unit. That was something she had never seen before. Djinn didn't normally band together like that, and certainly not for a simple little church. What was so important about this Hershel character that the lesser demons were swarming around him like this? She struggled with the lack of sense.

Djinn were not churchgoers, and they disliked Heaven as much as any of the demons. They didn't like that they were also tossed when the Fallen rose up and were pushed out. They had agreed with the demons that God was spending too much time and energy on the humans, but they held no more sway over God than a single fish would hold over the ocean. In His anger at being questioned, God sent everyone who disagreed with Him to Hell.

A lot of current lesser demons had been simple earth magic creatures when the Fall happened. They were pissed about becoming demons—everybody was—but they felt it wasn't fair that they weren't considered angels in Heaven yet they'd still be labeled demons in Hell.

Lucifer had been understanding of this, and so had made sure to refer to these factions by their species name, only referring to her fellow fallen angels as demons. It didn't seem to matter how politically correct she was, the lesser demons still felt as if they'd had an unfair shake of things, and that pissed Polly off.

"What…. Where am I?"

"Oh, good, you're awake. I can torture you for information now and, I'm not going to lie, I am quite excited about that." The smile dropped from Polly's face as she grabbed a Taser and decided to start slowly. She thought to give the demon a chance to own up to his crimes and give her some information first. "Tell me about Hershel. Why are you working for him?"

"Because he is the Messiah," the djinn said with a false sense of piousness.

"And I'm Betty Crocker." Polly fired the Taser at the lesser demon's chest and chuckled as he twitched and convulsed.

"Hershel is far greater than you know. You'll see."

"Right, I'm supposed to believe that this human is really that important?"

"He is. He's the Messiah."

"So you say." Polly grabbed a scourge and began to lash him with it. The ends ripped open his flesh as she pulled it away from his skin. After ten lashes, he still wasn't spilling, but she would have been disappointed if he had.

"You have to understand, Apollyon, Hershel truly is the Messiah. He will lead the lost lambs back to God." At his words, Polly rolled her eyes, grabbed the bat, and then hit him in the right knee as hard as she could. There was a loud crunch of bone as his patella shattered, and a horrible wail rose from the djinn. She continued her ministrations with the bat on his left knee, ankle, and his right wrist, when he finally gave up some info.

"The seals, we have to break all the seals," he hissed.

"The seven seals?" Polly asked, curious as to why Hershel and his cult would want to start the apocalypse.

"Yes, no, I don't know. Please stop."

"I'll gladly stop if you tell me what I want to know. Is Hershel trying to start the end days?"

"No, he has other plans in mind." The djinn looked her in the eyes while he spoke. She could see he was speaking the truth in that statement, but she still had no idea what the truth was. She had a hard time believing a human like Hershel could have the power to pull together so many djinn and start the apocalypse. It didn't behoove him to end the world; it could only make things worse for him because his soul would belong to Hell and he'd be tortured for eternity.

"I don't buy this seven seals crap. You're making shit up to make the pain stop. I can guarantee you that it won't stop until you stop it. Tell me the truth." Polly tried to put on her best concerned face, but the djinn wasn't buying it.

"It's true. The Messiah wants to end it all."

"You are telling me Hershel wants to bring about the end times?"

"I am telling you the Messiah is after the seven seals, and you will never stop him. Not in a million years." The tortured, pained, scared look the djinn had been wearing was replaced with a sly grin.

"Djinn never tell the full truth. Everyone knows you can't be trusted."

"So why am I here, Apollyon? Why waste time torturing me if I won't tell you the truth, anyway?"

"Because you djinn may lie, usually do, but there is always a grain of truth to your lies." She held up the bat and decided to go for his other ankle. Before she swung she said, "This is going to hurt you a lot more than it hurts me."

The sound of his ankle bone being smashed into a dozen tiny pieces echoed in the cell, and his scream came following close behind.

"Who are you working for?" Polly asked, refocusing the bat on his chest.

"Hershel and the Children of Light," he said with a weak smile.

"What is their goal?"

"Utter dominion of all realms."

At his lie, Polly swung the bat and grinned at him as she heard the crunch of his sternum.

"They really believe that by starting the end times, they'll rule the world?" she asked him.

"Something like that." The djinn was looking rough. The smile had gone completely and was replaced with a grimace.

Polly thought that maybe the torture had worn down its need to play games.

"When will they start actively breaking seals?"

"As soon as Greenpeace allows it." The Djinn smiled again and Polly realized the games were still afoot.

"Bad idea to be sarcastic with me, lesser being." Polly stalked to the wall and conjured up a speaker. She called up some Europop music and left the djinn to stew a bit in the awful din.

When she stepped outside in the hallway, she ran into Lucy.

"What are you doing?" Lucy looked a bit frazzled, but with everything going on Polly couldn't blame her.

"Interrogating a djinn that is working with that cult."

"Oh, weird. Okay, torture on, don't let me stop you. Come and see me when you get the information you want from it. I want a quick update on what is going on." Lucy turned sharply and walked away from her without another word.

That's odd, thought Polly as she took a deep breath and walked down to see Bismuth.

She'd put him in charge of the djinn, and she wanted to know why the hell so many had escaped and how they'd gotten out.

She entered his office and caught him with a djinn on the rack. He saw her, smiled, and motioned for her to step outside in the hall. His short, silver hair was damp with sweat, and Polly could see this torture session had lasted some time.

"Bis. Any info on how the djinn are getting out yet?"

"No. I've been torturing the remaining ones for days with no straight answers. I'm starting to feel like I'm being tortured, too."

"Take a break. I'm working on someone who might give us some answers."

"You sure? I really hate that they got out on my watch."

"I really hate that they got out on your watch, too." Polly wasn't the type to cater to societal niceties.

"It'll never happen again, I swear."

"I sure hope not. In the meantime, take a break and we will see what we can gain from our newest guest. I'll see you later. And Bis, don't leave town."

"Wow, that bad, huh?"

"You allowed—what at last count was—thousands of djinn to escape from Hell. It's pretty fucking bad."

"I didn't help them escape. I didn't even know they were escaping. They covered for each other in a way they never have before. You know how tricky they are."

"Do you not see the issue there, Bis? You didn't even know they were escaping. What the hell is that about? I put you on this job because I thought you could hack it. Obviously, I screwed up in trusting you. When I say take a break, I mean it. You're off djinn duty. I'm putting you on gremlins."

"Aw, come on, Polly. I promise I'll find out how they got out and why."

"Bis, this isn't up to you any longer. You're now on pest duty. That's the rule around here. Has been for millennia."

"Damn."

"You can earn you way back, but you are really going to have to work hard in order to earn it. I'm so disappointed in you."

"I'm sorry, Polly."

"Oh, you will be. Go ahead and get some rest before your shift with the gremlins starts. Remember, the big yellow one likes alarm clocks. Give him one, and he'll help you keep the others in line."

If djinn were the cockroaches of paranormal beings, gremlins were the termites. They were hard to kill, annoying, and they were everywhere. They were fairly harmless, but creepy as hell, and they were a complete and utter pain in the ass because they weren't evil, they weren't good, but just mischievous simply for the sake of it.

They were puckish, for sure, but their intent was not malice. They weren't on good terms with technology, and they loved to shred and eat machinery. Occasionally, they'd hitch a ride with a demon on their way up to earth. When they got there, the gremlins would wreak havoc on anything mechanical nearby.

One time, in 2003, two gremlins got out and into the world through a portal in Ohio. They went nuts at an energy company. Fifty-five million people were left without power. It was lucky for humanity that, for the most part, Hell kept a tight rein on the little fiends.

"I'm going to make this up to you, I promise."

"Show, don't tell." Polly smiled. She might have been pissed at Bis, but he wasn't a bad guy.

Having only one upper demon responsible for coordinating the watching of thousands of djinn made things difficult, but it wasn't impossible. Polly had held the djinn post herself before, and she found (if she made sure they stayed in their cage) they were fairly easy to deal with. Occasionally, they would cause problems, but nothing a little talking to and some torture couldn't fix.

Bismuth nodded and walked toward his bedchamber, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Yet again, Polly felt a twinge of guilt. She'd known she would have to remove Bis from his post on the off chance he was involved, but she wanted to tell him she still believed in him. Her position as the First Knight meant she had to keep those thoughts to herself. If he did have anything to do with the jailbreak in any way, she had to find out. Sending him to gremlin duty was a way to test him and see if he was the weak link. It also showed the other demons that she was still in charge around here, with Lucy's blessing. As Polly watched Bis walk away, she called for another demon to finish what Bis had started with the djinn on his table.

Once she had Bis' replacement filled, she went back to her office to work on her own djinn. She was pissed that she couldn't trust her own people. These were folks she had hand-selected for their jobs, and if they couldn't do it properly, then Polly felt like she was the one who had failed. As she walked, she wondered about how the djinn were escaping.

She knew Bis hadn't been involved; that kid couldn't hide anything from her. He was a third generation hell-borne demon, and she had even changed his diaper once. She worried for a moment if sentimentality was clouding her judgment, but she brought to mind his eyes as they spoke. He was sincerely sorry for the incident, and he seemed disheartened that she'd bumped him down to what was Hell's version of daycare. She stopped in front of the door to her torture room and centered herself, locking away all emotion and bringing forth the true evil in her nature.

Is evil for the sake of good actually evil? Polly wondered as she put a smile on her face and opened the cell door to go back to work.

"Oh, don't worry, I didn't forget about you. Hey, how would you like to hear some ABBA? I could put on a little Dancing Queen, you could groove in your chair, I could do some carving, and it could be really nifty."

When she opened the door, all she saw was one dead djinn. He had foam around his mouth and small, milky blue flecks could be seen scattered in amidst the froth.

The bastard swallowed an angelite pill. How the fuck did he get that shit in here? Lucy is going to be pissed, Polly thought as she looked around the torture cell.

Polly stared at the dead djinn, and anger welled up in her. Someone had betrayed her. Someone who knew her, someone she thought of as a friend. There was no way around it; the person who provided the angelite pill had to be an upper demon, as nobody else would have access to her offices. She scanned the room looking for some sign, any kind of sign at all, when she saw it.

A small scrap of cloth was on the floor by the shelf filled with torture equipment. It looked to Polly like someone had gotten their pants caught on the rusty remains of an eyebolt. She gingerly removed the scrap with a pair of pliers from the tray of tools she had been using. She'd take it to the hellhounds and let them track the bastard down. They didn't worry about innocence; they just did the task at hand.

They did the job well, too. Usually when a hellhound was deployed, not much more than meat and bones remained. Polly often gave the animals the scraps for a job well done. They didn't eat indiscriminately, however, she could ask them to bring the guilty one back whole if she needed to get a positive identification on them.

Sometimes demons framed others for their own crimes. It didn't happen as often as people would think. Looking at the dead djinn one more time, Polly felt the anger in her swell.

Fuck, thought Polly, how the hell could this happen? She called forth a cleaner and asked her to record all details of the room and body before she cleaned. When Polly was sure the pudgy little demon would do a good job at her task, she went to visit Lucy.

Chapter 21

As she walked into Lucifer’s office, Polly wondered why she'd been so lax as to let the djinn sit in the cell alone while she went to deal with Bis. She made sure he had been securely strapped to a chair when she left, and nobody but high level demons were able to enter the torture cells, but she was still angry with herself. There was no getting around the fact that someone on the inside had to have helped him.

Polly wished she had time to figure out who had done this. Lucy was going to have questions she couldn't answer, and that made her uneasy. She didn't like not knowing what was going on. She really didn't like that someone was able to get in and kill the djinn on her watch. It made her feel incompetent, and that was not a feeling Polly dealt with very well. With rage burning through her, she stepped into the hall that led to Lucy's office.

She knocked on the door and heard a gruff, "Enter."

"Lucy, I got some information from a djinn prisoner that I found rather interesting."

"No ‘How are you doing' or ‘Nice to see you'? You just jump right into business without greeting me properly? Maybe you'd better go out and try this again." The tone in Lucifer's voice let Polly know she wasn't messing around.

"Um, okay." Polly stepped back out into the hall and knocked again, a bit taken aback at Lucy's reaction. She'd had never been one for small talk and neither had Lucifer.

"Enter."

Polly stepped into the office and said, "How are you doing, Lucy?"

"Oh, I'm peachy. How are you?"

"I'm having a bad day," Polly said, confused at Lucifer's behavior. The Lucy she knew was cool as a cucumber.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Is there something I can do to help? No, of course there isn't, because you don't need my help. You don't need anyone's help."

"Lucy, are you okay?" Her words seemed to snap Lucifer out of the mood she'd been in, and it was as if an entirely different being stood before her than had a moment before.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What do you have for me?"

"Well, I still have no clue how the djinn escaped, but I do know that they're helping a charlatan run some religious sect called the Children of Light. I also heard from the prisoner I just extracted information from that the djinn are referring to this charlatan as the Messiah. There's something else troubling me."

"Really? Something more than allowing prisoners to escape by the hundreds and some crazy motherfucker thinking he's the new Jesus? Please, tell me, what else is troubling you?" The sarcasm in Lucifer's voice cut Polly to the quick. Not that she was undeserving of the tone, given she had allowed mass escapees and had no clue how to stop more from happening.

"Someone killed my prisoner. I left him chained to the hot seat in my locked cell for a few minutes. I had to talk to Bis and see if he'd found out anything. While I was dealing with him, someone somehow slipped my prisoner an angelite capsule."

"What the fuck, Polly? How the hell did angelite get into Hell? How could you allow that shit into my house?"

"I didn't know it was here. Aside from the bomb, I've never seen it here before today."

"With this sort of gross incompetence, I have to wonder why in the world I made you my lieutenant. I mean, be honest here, what would you say to you if you were me?"

"I'd be extremely disappointed in me and would give me time to figure out what was going on."

"Would you? That's interesting. There once was a time you would have eviscerated anyone who had allowed the trespasses you've trespassed against me."

Polly was embarrassed and surprised at the venom in Lucy's voice.

"If you feel I require torture to be straightened out, I will give myself up for torture."

"You don't get it. You just don't get it," Lucy muttered then she sighed and said, "Tell me about this church."

"According to the djinn, they're trying to bring about the end times. He said they were after the seals. He also kept repeating that the cult leader is the Messiah. I'm not sure what is real and what the lie in all this is. I have an inside man—woman, actually—at the church. I have J. D. up top checking things out, and I have a few demons down here looking into the escapes. I will get to the bottom of this, Lucy, I promise."

"The seals? The end times? Sweet Christ on the cross, Polly! I want you to get this figured out ASAP. I mean, what the hell are these djinn and this messiah guy really up to? As for you leaving a prisoner to speak to Bis, you really let me down with that. You know better, Polly. I thought I could trust you, depend on you. I thought you were more than my second; I thought you were my friend!" Lucy started off her denouncement angrily, but finished it yelling almost hysterically, which was out of character for the ruler of Hell.

"I … I am your friend. What is going on, Luce? You don't seem like yourself." Polly chewed her lip worriedly.

"I'm … I'm fine." It took some effort, but Lucifer's calm demeanor returned and her tone evened out. "What else do you know?"

"Well, I know that there's some sort of djinn uprising going on."

"No, you don't say," Lucifer spat.

"Look, I don't exactly know what they have planned, but I'd bet that this cult boy and his flock are involved. I know that there is more going on at the Children of Light than we originally thought. I have the shifter looking into things, and J. D. promises me he has someone who can help us as well."

"Oh, you're trusting J. D. now? The demon who stole from me? The vicious little backstabbing bastard?" Lucy's vehemence surprised Polly. She was angry about all the hell breaking loose in Hell, and that was to be expected, but there was something more going on, and it frightened Polly.

"Lucy, I will get to the bottom of this, and I promise that I will not stop until I've got all those djinn back dead. I also promise that if they come back, they'll be locked away forever. Hopefully that incentive will bring some home on their own."

"You don't have the ability to promise all that. I believe it is my decision whether something is locked away forever and not yours, understand?" Lucy's eyes flashed white hot with anger and her own special hellfire.

"I completely understand, my liege."

"Now then, since all that nasty business is behind us, why don't you tell me about the new gremlin habitat?"

Polly shook her head, wondering whether she'd heard the question correctly. She had no clue why Lucy would give a crap about the gremlin housing with all the other pressing business at hand, but she felt it best to obey and answer.

"The new place is shaping up nicely. Quite a few gadgets are being installed for them to play with in the hopes that they leave our stuff alone."

"What? Who?" Lucy shook her head, clearly disoriented.

"The gremlins."

"I don't give a fuck about the gremlins, Polly, find me some answers about the fucking djinn and the church," Lucy snarled, sitting back behind her desk.

"But, Luce, you just asked me—"

"Don't you worry about what I asked you, I know what I asked you. I wouldn't have asked you if I wasn't going to ask you." The fallen angel was getting more and more upset.

"Okay, sorry. Are you sure you're okay?"

"No. I mean, yes. I'm fine. I'll be just fine. You need to get your ass out there and figure out what is going on. Sooner rather than later would be good." She stared at Polly and gave a half-smile.

"Okay, Lucy. I'll check some things out. I've got a meeting set up with someone who might be able to provide some leads." Polly did her best to hide her worry.

This isn't like Lucy at all. Poor thing must be under too much stress.

Before she left, she took one last glance at Lucy. Her friend looked paler than she ever had before, and when Polly added the confusion and mood swings, she wondered if someone hadn't done something to Lucifer. If someone had, Polly wasn't sure what the hell she would do. She was going to have to solve this case quickly, and that was all there was to it. As Polly closed the door behind her, she hoped that taking some of the stress off Lucy's shoulders would help. She wasn't sure what else she could do for her friend.

Lucifer stared at the door long after her lieutenant had closed it. She felt paralyzed for the moment. Her head throbbed, her body ached, and her mind felt caught in a daze, and she couldn't think of anything more terrifying. So this is how it feels to be mortal.

And this is what it feels like to be truly alone.

She looked upward, imagining the heavens and those still inhabiting them. Was God feeling just as ill? Did He know any more about this than she did? Was there any possibility He was involved?

She shook her head as if someone else had asked the question. No, He had just as much to lose if Hell were to fall. He might have wronged her in many ways, but He had nothing to gain by killing her. Moreover, He disliked the djinn even more than she did. They were devious little vermin, and He knew that just as well.

"Get your head on straight, Lucy," she muttered under her breath. Now wasn't the time to be speculating ridiculous, paranoid thoughts, especially about God. She needed to be looking in rational directions, seeking out real leads.

Apollyon would get to the bottom of it. She was competent; she'd never failed in her duties, and she wasn't going to fail now.

Have faith….

She closed her eyes, a dizzy spell causing the room to spin for a few seconds. Her stomach tightened, nausea taking hold. The heat was getting to her, making her feel sick, and she fanned herself in an attempt to cool off. The motion only tired her, accomplishing little more than waving around the hot air.

"God, what's going on?"

Another stupid question. She might not know the details, but she knew exactly what was happening. She'd seen it when Zeus had been dethroned, and she'd seen it when she'd been sent to take Hades' place. Gods came and went, and humanity was the key to their existence.

Olympus had been good to her, even if she had been there to serve the gods. When the souls entering the Underworld had begun to wane, belief had been to blame. God—Jehovah—had started it when he sent Jesus to the people. He hadn't anticipated the hold His son would end up taking—or so He said—the masses he tore from Zeus' grip.

He'd claimed it had merely been about humbling the god, taking him down a notch. Zeus had all but buried his younger brother under his thumb. He'd kept the people from including Him in their tales, kept Him from holding any power on the Mount. Zeus must have seen something in Him, known deep down that someday He'd dethrone him, and his paranoia in that regard had been his downfall.

Faith—that was what directed the souls—and when the people's faith in Olympus' gods began to fade, so did their immortality.

Jehovah might not have meant to destroy them, but when there was no question as to what was happening, He didn't do anything to stop it. Zeus and the other gods had fought valiantly. They'd sent Roman leaders to execute the people's new messiah, but that had only sealed their fate. It turned out humans loved a good martyr.

At first, Zeus and the others had put up a good front. They hid their growing weakness, certain they could take back the power slowly funneling more and more into the world's new dominant god. But as the Judeo-Christian beliefs grew and the leaders of Olympus went from gods to myths, they lost their standing.

The first of many battles ensued. Zeus challenged his little brother, but he was no match. He might as well have been a human declaring war on all the heavens. Jehovah offered the fallen god a place in His new kingdom, which he named Heaven, but Zeus' pride proved the final nail in his coffin. Powerless, and suddenly without the support of the newly enthroned god, Zeus and the rest of Olympus perished.

And when deities perish, there is no afterlife for them to enter. They simply cease to be.

During the shift, God had made so many promises, especially to Lucy. She'd been so devoted to Him. She would have done almost anything for Him.

Almost.

"How did things go so terribly wrong?" she whispered.

She thought about how nearly perfect everything had been right before the Fall. God had shared portions of His power with those who had been the most faithful during Olympus' decline. Lucy had been His most loyal. She'd stood by His side, never questioning. At first, she'd been okay with her transformation from servant to angel. At first, she'd seen it as an honor and a privilege.

But then she did begin to question.

"If I'm your most beloved angel, why won't you make me your goddess?" she'd asked Him one beautiful day while they lay together in one another's arms.

"You are my goddess. You're my brightest light, my morning star, my greatest love."

"But I'm not. How can you expect me to believe that when you keep me beneath you, just another angel among countless others? I want to be your wife."

For reasons she'd never fully understand, He laughed, and His response crushed her.

"What's so funny?"

He shook His head. "What did marriage ever do for Hera? Heaven only needs one God, and you know that. Don't worry, you'll always be the one I hold right by my side. Isn't that enough?"

She got up and covered herself with a robe. He didn't deserve to admire her perfect form—at least that had been her thought at the time. He was being selfish with His power. Who needed all of that to himself? Zeus might have denied some of his family members his wealth, but overall he'd been far more gracious. He'd allowed numerous others the distinction of "god," and had even allotted each a special attribute.

What was so special about being an angel? Being allowed to oversee all of those spoiled, rotten humans? Being privileged enough to sit back with a smile while the tiny, finite creatures worshipped and sinned and played? Being blessed enough to watch them write their new holy books, rewriting history to accommodate His story? Being allowed to bask in God's warm light? Being allowed to remain immortal?

Why had she allowed herself to become so jealous? Had she remained at His side, had the djinn instead been given reign of Hell when Hades dissolved into the ether, perhaps none of this would be happening. Maybe she'd still be standing at God's side, His favorite, His most beloved. What else might have been so vastly different than it was now?

Her thoughts shifted to the actual Fall. She'd been the organizer. She'd convinced almost half the angels that Jehovah had done them a gross injustice by denying them the places left behind by Hera and Hermes and Athena and Aries and all the other gods Zeus had given a special place. Even more, she'd convinced them that God had favored humanity far too much, offering them all His love and devotion while reducing the angels to mere servants, their power only so great as the people's needs. The battle had been both glorious and horrific. Wings were slashed, angels mutilated, injured, and some even destroyed.

God hadn't allowed the fight to last long. When allegiances were clear, He split the groups and sent those who'd betrayed Him to Limbo while He decided their ultimate fate. He'd spoken with each individually, searching for both answers and signs of regret. When He'd interviewed Lucifer, all she was able to express was spite.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned….

The pain in His eyes was evident, but immortals didn't cry, so His words had to express what visible emotion couldn't. "How could you, Lucy?"

She scoffed. "You just don't get it, do you? You have Heaven and Earth at your disposal, legions of angels willing to do your bidding, humans praying to you and loving you. You! Not you and your most loyal. Not you and your right hand. You, and you alone."

"If you had it in you to cross me over refusing to make you a god, what might you have done if you'd had the power? What would it have taken to upset you enough to overthrow me and take my place?"

"I never would have done that! Is that what you believe?"

"It's what I know, Lucy."

"Don't pull that omniscient crap on me, Jove. I'm not one of your little creatures on Earth. You have no idea what I would've done."

The statement took Him aback, and He scowled and turned away, shaking His head incredulously. "Well, I guess that's it then."

"Is it?"

"I'm thinking I might just leave all of you here. I'm definitely not allowing any of you back into Heaven. You've done too much damage, and I'm afraid I can't trust any of you. Not anymore."

"If you'd trusted me, you would have made me your wife."

"Your obsession will only cause you further ruin."

"And your ego will eventually ruin you."

He turned back, the pain on His face instantly transformed into anger. "You want power? You want to be the queen of all you survey? Fine. I'll grant you your wish, and your army can join you. I have one opening in need of being filled. Now it's yours. Do what you will with it."

She screamed when the hellfire flooded her veins. "What … what is this?"

"Hades is on his way out, one of the last of Zeus' entourage. His job now falls onto your shoulders. Wear his hat well. If you fail in it, I'll give it to one of the djinn and let you and your fallen brethren rot."

"Please, not this! Forgive us. We'll never challenge you again, I promise!"

"No, you will not."

The sudden heat overcame anything else she could have perceived during that first moment in those fiery, sulfurous pits. Her transformation came slowly, part of the punishment. Her beautiful wings melted into black membranous atrocities, her skin scaled and cracked, and the hellfire within her made her feel as though she were burning both inside and out.

It took her centuries to get used to the screams. For many years, she wanted to show mercy on those who'd suffered for so long, but her instructions were clear: Punish the damned, and with little exception, do so without reprieve. After what had felt like an eternity, she was able to harden her heart and tune out the cries and pleas.

As time went on, her perception of the heat diminished, and eventually it became a sense of comfort. She learned to embrace her dark world and take pleasure in her job. She set up an executive group, composed of her most trusted Fallen—no longer angels, but demons just like her. She'd made the place everything Hades had hoped for and more, better organizing the levels of torture and how to determine who deserved to go where and who would deliver the punishment.

It was a Hell to be proud of, and God took notice.

While He made it clear Lucy's own punishment was every bit as eternal as those of the darkest souls she collected, He did eventually repeal most of her restrictions. He allowed her and her demons to take on more acceptable forms, even allowing them to reclaim their wings and fair features whenever they so chose. He also allowed some of them limited access outside of Hell, so long as they had a purpose for it, and He gave Lucy the ability to banish anyone who crossed her or did not do their job well enough.

He did not, however, allow any of them the pleasure of seeing Heaven ever again; their exile stood absolute. He also put in place a series of safeguards—seven seals that stood between any entity gaining power or stealing humanity's beliefs and the absolute power that came with ruling all worlds. These seven seals reflected the seven realms between the micro and the macro, all that stood between the musical strings and quarks that came together as atoms, molecules, cells, worlds, and universes. Each seal was a part of Him, and there were catastrophic consequences to each one's destruction. He'd kept the knowledge of the seals, and how to break them, to Himself. Somehow, someone had tapped into His omnipotent knowledge and deciphered the seals' secrets.

Might He suspect she was behind yet another revolt? Just the thought of that filled her with a feeling of sorrow she hadn't experienced in millennia. No, even if He had His suspicions, deep down He had to know she never wanted things to end like this.

So many times, she prayed, hoping He might hear her.

He had to know how sorry she was for her crimes. Did He care? Might He have shifted his affections to another angel still by His side? Or did He gaze down on her with as much longing as she still felt for Him, just too stubborn to forgive her fully? He had to know how devoted she was to Him, even now, after all that had been said and done.

She would have done almost anything for Him. Anything—except worship Him.

If they did fail, would they perish without ever having the chance to gaze into one another's eyes just once more?

Her thoughts clouded again, and she realized she was crying when the tears began to sizzle down her cheeks.

Immortals didn't cry….

"Oh, God," she whispered.

Chapter 22

Drew moved through the unfamiliar area, staying alert just in case someone else decided to mess with her. She wasn't as concerned with running into another disgruntled john as much as she was with the possibility that she might cross a vampire or goblin looking for trouble. The area reeked of supernatural souls, some of them nearly as filthy as the ones she'd encountered at the church, and a half-human morsel like her was always a potential target. If J. D. had to come to her aid yet again, she could be sure the consequences would be dire.

From the outside, Dante's Inferno was easy to miss, concealed by the brownstone façade that opened up only at a single door. Pale light shone through an open window above the door, and Drew paused to look at a wooden sign hung overhead by two brass hooks. It swung softly in the faint breeze, and the print—black lettering with red, orange, and yellow streaks that might at one time have resembled flames—was faded and unassuming.

Drew looked around, ensured she had the right address, and then quietly stepped inside.

The interior was a bit livelier, although it was by no means loud or crowded. A handful of patrons sat at the bar, quietly nursing their drinks. A few twenty-somethings played pool in the back, and by the way they played and reacted to each shot, all of them had clearly taken in generous servings of alcohol. The ambiance was a combination of dejection and drunken cheer—the smells coming from the different groups creating a cross between engine exhaust and fresh salsa.

In the bar area stood a cute young man shaking some kind of mixed drink. Had circumstances been a little different, she might have given him the eye on her way through the dim room, but luckily for both of them, she wasn't looking.

And by the scent of his aura, neither was he.

The sound of a neon sign on its way out irritated her, and she had to make an effort to tune it out. Why choose this, of all places, to meet? Was it the obscure location or the dark, dank atmosphere?

The scent of demon was faint, but the black flicks to her aura made her easy to pick out. She had done a good job disguising herself as a human, albeit an Amazon of a woman. Drew strode to the back of the room with as much confidence as she could muster and slid into the booth across the table from her.

Polly smiled, setting down a tumbler of gin and tonic. "Hello, Drew."

Drew had expected an offer to shake hands, but failed to initiate the formal introduction herself when it didn't come. Demons were fickle creatures, unpredictable and often arrogant when it came to people like Drew. For all she knew, the move would enrage Polly rather than satisfy her ego.

Then again, it could've been a test, and in that case she'd failed miserably. If she had, Polly didn't let on.

Polly eyed Drew's skimpy clothing, amused. "J. D. told me you were a firecracker. You really are just as cute as a button. Michael is going to love you."

"I'm not exactly sure why I'm here."

"Of course not." Polly sighed, then muttered, "Thanks, J. D."

"So, what am I doing here?"

"Well, I have a meeting with an … old acquaintance. We're not on the best of terms these days, and I think he might be more forthcoming if someone a little less conflicting than myself came along as a buffer."

"That doesn't answer the question: Why me?"

Polly considered her words, looked like she might actually give a direct answer, and then turned away with a slight grimace. Her scent shifted a couple of times, going from smoky to sulfurous to slightly metallic. Clearly, she decided J. D. had made the right call by keeping her in the dark. Maybe she'd refuse to go if she knew what would be expected of her?

She shuddered at the thought of being sent to entertain some awful creature, something none of the pimp's fully human girls would be able to handle. It would be his style to send her off to a particularly terrible job to knock her back off the wagon.

Polly crossed her arms, grabbed her chin with one hand, and then gave Drew a sideways glance. "Are you questioning J. D.'s judgment?"

"No—no, not at all." Drew knew better than to continue pushing for a reasonable response. If Polly wanted her going in blind, there had to be a reason. Even more, the choice to send her was not likely a decision either of the demons had taken lightly, even if the rationale made sense to them alone.

"Good. Now, I know you've been teleported before, but this time is going to be much different than your previous experiences. It might be disorienting at first, so try not to puke."

Drew simply nodded. Man, I hope we're not going to pop to the peak of Mt. Everest or something like that. Or a boat in the middle of the ocean.

God, I hate boats.

Polly's cell phone beeped, and she pulled it from a pocket to take a look. "Time to go, kiddo." She stood, stretched, and then led Drew outside and to a dark alley nearby. The smell of sulfur grew overwhelming, which was never a good sign.

Drew felt her heart speed up a little, her palms going sweaty. Wherever they were going, she wasn't feeling good about it. She wanted to back out, come up with some quick excuse as to why she couldn't go, but J. D. would have her hide if she did that.

Polly took a moment to center herself. Was that dread Drew smelled? The demon turned to her with obvious hesitance. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

In the blink of an eye, they were transported to … nowhere? Disorienting is an understatement, demon. And yes, it was a bit nauseating.

"What is this place?" Drew surveyed the seeming nothingness that now surrounded them. Other than the vast grey fog that rolled around them, not only in every direction she looked but also above them and in place of any semblance of solid ground below their feet, the only other visible phenomena were little flicks of light glimmering and fading randomly throughout the void. The place was neither warm nor cool, and Drew couldn't smell anything, ethereal or otherwise. While they walked, the illusion of even footing kept her from feeling like she might float away.

Polly didn't look the least bit concerned, so Drew did her best to hold her composure despite the unsteadiness that came with the artificial traction.

"Limbo—neutral ground. We're here to meet with the archangel Michael."

"How will we find him?"

"By will. He'll know how to find us."

As if on cue, a figure as massive as any demon, with silver hair and towering white wings, emerged through the haze. His features were slightly feminine, yet discernably masculine, and his eyes gleamed with what Drew could only imagine was the light of Heaven.

He gave Polly a subtle nod, keeping his distance. "So, you have my attention. What do you have for me?"

Polly shrugged. "I hoped you had a better idea of what's going on. Someone is smuggling angelite out of Heaven."

"Is that so? What would anyone in Heaven have to gain by smuggling out angelite?"

"You tell me."

He glanced at Drew. "Why did you bring a child of Lilith along with you? I thought we were to meet in private. If I knew better, I'd think I was walking into a trap of some kind."

"But you do know better."

Drew looked back and forth between the two. "Excuse me, but I don't really appreciate the third person dialogue. Child of Lilith? What the hell does that mean?"

Michael's wings rose and a deep scowl reflected his disgust. His voice was explosive, echoing all around them, when he responded: "You will address me with respect, or you won't address me at all." He turned to Polly. "What's the meaning of this insolence?"

"Oh, stand down, Michael. She was raised human. She doesn't know any better."

"I don't know any better than what?" Drew suddenly felt small, and growing smaller still, as though she were some kind of insect crawling beneath these two powerful, knowledgeable beings.

"Just be quiet for a minute." Polly stepped forward, in front of Drew. "She doesn't know what she is or what she's capable of. She's completely harmless."

"Someone needs to put her in her place."

Drew fought the temptation to defend herself and demand an explanation. Instead, she watched Polly stand between the angel and her, wishing she didn't feel so much like a third wheel.

"What do you want, Polly?" the angel asked, his voice much less intense.

"Hell has seen a noticeable decrease in incoming souls. Someone else has been claiming them. Lucifer actually thought, for some insane reason, your people might be behind it."

"God has similar suspicions about your boss. I told Him that was ridiculous, of course. How could either of us have anything to gain in destroying the other? That would be suicide."

"So you're seeing fewer souls making it to Heaven, too?"

Michael nodded. "We've crunched the numbers several times, and we can't account for the discrepancy."

"Do you have any leads?"

Michael considered her words. "I've paid Earth several visits, and the demonic activity down there is … substantial."

"Hell has had an additional problem as of late. Escapees."

"You expect me to believe anyone could escape Hell?"

"Djinn. A lot of them. Don't ask me how they're doing it. Clearly, it's an inside job. It's obvious to anyone with a brain that there's a connection. We're still trying to figure out what exactly that connection is. Do you know anything that might help fill in the gaps?"

"One of my searches led me to a church," Michael said, then immediately amended, "A religious cult. I tried to infiltrate it disguised as a human, but they wouldn't have me. Someone on the inside had to have recognized me."

"What else?"

"That's it."

Drew could tell Polly thought he was holding back—the trust between them was shaky at best—but she just smiled and nodded.

"A church … that's why I brought the succubus. She can show you what I can't." Polly motioned for Drew to come forward.

Drew meekly stepped up. "I don't have anything to show."

"You have your memories. Your kind constantly draws in the energy around you, which connects with everything you do, everything you see, everything that goes on around you. Your soul records it all as psychic photographs. You can show Michael what you've seen."

"How did you know I was at the church?"

Polly shrugged. "You don't think J. D. gives you that long of a leash, do you? He lets you get away with all he does because he likes you."

Michael stared Drew down, still unsure about her presence. "How can I trust you aren't going to use her as a weapon against me? I'm supposed to take you on your word that she's not going to steal the intelligence I've collected instead of giving me hers?"

Polly crossed her arms, getting impatient. "Either we're going to work together on this or we're not."

"I should have cleared this with God first," he said with a sigh. "I shouldn't have gone behind His back."

"Then go home and pull God into the loop, but make it quick. We're running out of time."

Michael looked between the two women, contemplated for another moment, and then offered Drew a tentative hand. "Show me."

She took his hand, shaking. "I don't know how."

Polly put a hand on her shoulder. "Close your eyes and think about everything you saw when you were at the church. You're going to project your memories the same way you project your consciousness beyond your body."

"But—"

"Relax. Let it flow out of you. Picture your memories like you would a movie in your mind's eye."

Drew nodded, taking a deep breath. "I'll try."

She pictured the cult leader and the darkness flooding his soul, then she thought about the man whose essence appeared to be composed of pure darkness and the tendrils that reached out from him toward every living thing in their reach—including her projected spirit. She thought about the people combing the streets for new members and the congregation she saw in the church proper. Then she thought about the way their leader had looked at her when he'd spotted her sitting in the pews.

She shuddered.

Michael pulled away. "That's enough."

She watched him, knowing based on her sudden fatigue she'd done something, but feeling unsure whether she'd actually shown him what she had intended to. "Did I do it?"

Michael nodded, and yet he looked puzzled.

"What is it?" Polly asked.

"The demons I followed … they're inhabiting a different church. They're not even in the same country."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm certain."

"What's that mean?" Drew asked, feeling a little sick.

"That means we're looking at possibly a global pandemic," Michael said. "Whatever is out there is big. It's highly organized. It's a whole new faction separate from Heaven and Hell, and somehow it's hiding away souls worldwide. Working toward cutting us off. Starving us."

Drew turned to Polly. "I'm not sure I understand. What do the souls do for you? Are they … food or something?"

"Or something. Collecting souls is our purpose. Without a purpose, Heaven and Hell as we know them will cease to exist and everyone in charge will die."

"God can die?"

"It's not going to happen. We're not going to let it happen," Michael said, his hands clenching into tight fists. He turned to Polly. "Keep in touch. I'll let you know if I learn anything new on my end."

Polly nodded.

Michael backed into the mist, fading.

"Hey," Polly called out.

He paused, barely visible. "Yes?"

"Give my regards to the Big Guy, if you would."

Michael paused long enough to roll his eyes and raise a parting hand, then he disappeared into the grey nothingness.

Drew looked around, unsure what else she expected to see. Like images in clouds, short tricks of the mind manifested fleeting shapes through the swirling greyness, but nothing concrete enough to mistake as anything real. Still, she squinted her eyes a couple of times to be sure the apparitions were just that.

"What now?"

Polly stared ahead at the spot where Michael had disappeared, looking lost in thought. "Now I take you home."

Drew blinked, then she staggered when she saw they now stood in her tiny, run-down apartment. The familiar scent of musty walls and grimy carpeting filled her nose, only slightly obscuring the metallic smell of blood and the lingering essence of spite.

Sour apples.

A single lamp filled the living room with a soft glow, plenty of light to see J. D. writhing on the floor, clutching his bloody chest.

He turned. "Drew!"

She stayed where she was, just as torn over helping him as she was shocked to see him in such a weakened state. Part of her wanted to see him die, the part that had—despite any claims he'd given her preferential treatment—brought her much pain when she'd tried to spread her wings a little too far. She had no other protection, though, and while she could defend herself against the average man, she was powerless against the advances of other, more malevolent beings.

Polly crossed to him and knelt to assess the damage. "Who did this?"

"I didn't recognize him. Some kind of lesser demon." He coughed, spraying blood.

Unfazed, Polly wiped away the spatter from her face and brushed what she could from her clothes. She turned to Drew. "Get a rag, will you?"

Drew hurried off to the bathroom to grab a spare towel from the cupboard. Instead of applying it herself, she handed it to Polly.

Polly moved to press on the wound, noticing the dagger, its handle broken off and the blade firmly embedded. "Shit."

"What did he want?" Drew asked, pacing nearby.

"He came for you, D." J. D. pointed with a burned, bloodied finger. "He'll be back."

Drew flinched at the pointed finger. The gesture in itself seemed to hit her in the chest, shooting a heavy jolt straight through the heart. "But you can stop him … right?"

He didn't seem to register the question, saying instead, "I need to get this dagger out of my chest before it kills me." He looked down at the wound then over at Polly, holding up his mangled hands.

Polly took another look beneath the bloody towel. "Maybe with a pair of pliers?"

"I don't have any," Drew chimed in, deciding she did indeed want him to survive.

"Polly!" He coughed again.

"The dagger's made of pure angelite—it's blocking my ability to conjure." Polly reached for the milky blue shard, using a layer of the towel for what Drew first guessed was for leverage. She made several attempts but couldn't get a decent hold on it. Smoke rose in sulfurous curls while Polly dug for the shard. Her hand slipped, slicing a finger through the material and causing her to pull away. The wound sizzled as though a drop of acid had been flicked across it. Her hands were red and raw.

"Damn!" Polly wiped down her hands using another section of the towel.

A sickening gurgling sound emanated from J. D.'s throat while every muscle in his body flexed. He convulsed, gasped and coughed again, then went limp.

Drew placed a hand over her mouth. "Is he…?"

"Yeah."

An unexpected pang of sadness hit Drew, and she sniffled. When she tried to make sense of her grief, she realized it wasn't so much the loss that upset her as it was the fear of being left alone again on the streets. He might have been crude and controlling, but he was also extremely protective. "I don't understand. I've seen him take a knife to the chest before."

"It wasn't just a knife. The person who did this knew our weakness." Polly held up her wounded hands for emphasis.

"What is it?"

"It's a material that is most prevalent in Heaven, which means the assailant likely came from Heaven or has a connection there. His appearance here is very likely connected to everything else that's going on … and, for whatever reason, whoever is behind it seems to think you're enough of a threat to put a hit out on." Polly moved to stand beside Drew. "I need to get you out of here."

"I don't have anywhere else to go."

"I can think of one place."

Chapter 23

Never in her wildest nightmares did Drew imagine she would ever find herself wandering through the deepest reaches of Hell. The sudden teleport there had been jarring, much more so than her trip to Limbo, and nothing could have prepared her for the onslaught of heat and sulfur that assaulted her the moment she entered. Sounds of torture and anguish surrounded her as an angry, chaotic din. She couldn't distinguish any one cry or device, nor did she see any activity in the immediate vicinity. Still, the sound rattled her profoundly, and it was all she could do not to cover her ears and scream at the top of her lungs to escape it.

She stood where she'd appeared there, too afraid to move. Flashes of fire came through cracks in the blackened rock, the only source of light. The long, dark shadows moved in a constant, ever-changing dance that corresponded with the flames, and the pungent yellow smoke that seeped out along with the fire made her feel dizzy and nauseated.

"This way," Polly said, the expression on her face telling Drew she was no happier about being there than she was.

The words didn't immediately register. Drew was too distracted. When she realized Polly had spoken to her, she turned, blinking hard. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you said."

"Come with me." Polly led the way, and Drew reluctantly followed.

They negotiated a narrow, rocky path. On one side stood a wall reaching as high as Drew could see, and on the other was a lake of lava and fire. She tensed at the sight of feet sticking up through the thick, oozing lake. They kicked and squirmed, but somehow they didn't ignite. There had to be some kind of supernatural magic behind it, the same kind that kept her from sizzling away into jerky and melting into the ground. The heat was so intense Drew thought for sure it would smother her. Somehow, she kept moving.

They entered a cave, and the smell of sulfur became even more overwhelming. Drew raised a hand to steady herself against a wall, quickly pulling away with a yelp when it singed her skin.

Polly turned back. "Yeah … you probably shouldn't touch anything until we get to the break room."

Drew's clothes quickly saturated with sweat, and heavy beads trailed along her hairline. She wiped her face, and a few drops hit the ground with a hiss. "How hot is it in here?"

"Hot as Hell."

Drew noticed the rubber soles of her shoes were melting. If she didn't get to somewhere cooler soon, they were going to melt straight through to her feet. Interestingly, Polly's shoes appeared to be untouched. "Isn't this dangerous?"

"If you weren't half demon, you'd be dead by now."

"Half demon?"

Polly raised her nose, making her contempt visible. "Incubi and succubae are lesser demons. Like the djinn."

Drew decided not to dignify the comment with a response, instead following quietly despite fuming inside. Was all of Hell's upper crust so snobby? Maybe there was a reason the djinn were attempting to dethrone those in charge. If they felt the lesser demons were beneath them and treated them accordingly, they definitely had an understandable motive.

Would Drew be so easily dismissed once her services, however minimal, were no longer needed? She shuddered at the thought of ending up down there once she finally died. Did her demon lineage secure her fate, or was there a chance, after all was said and done, that her human side could land her in Heaven?

Would her father's final resting spot end up being somewhere among these rocky depths?

They passed a room on their right, and Drew caught a glance of a massive, red demon with black horns and hooves in place of feet turning a naked man skewered over a rotisserie. Flames seared the man's skin at every pass. If that wasn't bad enough, another demon whipped him with a cat-o'-nine-tails. As the barbed ends pulled away, they pulled off substantial chunks of flesh. The torn, bloody skin seemed to be in a constant state of repair, so that the torture might last indefinitely without reducing the man to nothing. He screamed as well as anyone might while gagging on a skewer, failing miserably in an attempt to plead for the demons to stop, but to no avail.

Drew wondered what a person might do to deserve such treatment, but she dared not ask. The demon at the rotisserie shifted its glance to meet her eyes, and she quickly turned away. She vowed not to look through any further cave openings.

None of my business … nothing there for my eyes.

After winding through far too many passages, they reached a closed metal door. Even though the doorknob was white hot, Polly turned it without so much as a flinch. She flung it open, revealing a white room.

While stuffy, the room wasn't searing hot, and it was furnished with a table, several chairs and—most surprising to Drew—a water cooler complete with paper cups. Cupboards lined two of the walls, and a few dishes sat in an otherwise pristine sink.

"I take it this is the break room."

Polly nodded. "An astute one, aren't you?" she said, her words heavy with sarcasm. "You can stay in here until I figure out what to do with you."

Drew sat, unsure whether to feel relieved or even more uneasy with Polly's prompt exit. With the door closed once again, she felt caged, knowing she would not share her guide's immunity to the doorknob's scorching heat. Had she felt adventurous, she would have explored the cupboards or gotten herself a cup of water.

Did demons eat? What did they do on their free time?

She jumped when the door opened and a demon—a massive beast that looked more animal than human—stepped in. He looked just as surprised to see her as she was to see him, and an amused smile crept across his pointy, red face as he walked over and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Hello there, beautiful." His voice was deep and gravelly.

She shrank in her seat. "Hi."

"New here?"

"Just stopping through … I think." I hope.

"Polly bring you?"

Drew nodded.

The demon sat in the next seat over, glaring at the cleavage showing through her low-cut shirt. "Here for business or pleasure, sweetie?"

She crossed an arm over her chest, obscuring his view. "Business."

He raised his eyebrows and licked his lips. "Maybe fit in a little pleasure with that? Mmm, you look like you'd be a yummy little morsel."

She cleared her dry throat. "I'm flattered."

He scooted a little closer, and she cringed. The door to the break room opened and she prayed it was Polly. Instead, a young girl walked in, taking little notice of them except to roll her eyes before taking a seat at the far table. The demon didn't even miss a beat.

"What's the matter? Am I making you uncomfortable? The way you're dressed, I'd say you're begging for it. Why else would Polly have dropped you off here? I mean … you're a working girl, aren't ya?"

She turned away, her face hot.

He reached to feel her hair, and she slapped his hand away. "Back off!"

"Chill out, girl. I'm not gonna hurt you … much."

Chapter 24

Polly stalked to the chamber where Demas was being held. She passed numerous torture chambers along the way, and in each one a demon was hard at work torturing djinn and other lesser demons, trying to gather more information on the uprising. Polly was certain that Demas would give everything up. He was too selfish not to.

"That little rat bastard is going to tell me everything or I'll make him eat his own damn eyeball," she growled.

Her footsteps echoed off the cavernous walls of one of Hell's many corridors. When she reached the appropriate torture cell, she stopped outside and gave the silent order for the door to open. It closed behind her with a loud clang. Demas sat, strapped to a chair in human form, looking rather smug.

"You will tell me everything I want to know, djinn."

"Oh, Polly, you really believe that, don't you? Aw, you're adorable," the djinn said as he tried to spit in her face, or as close to her face as he could, given the chains that bound him.

"No, Demas, I am Hell itself closing down on you," Polly scowled as she conjured up a set of tools, grabbed a blade from the tray, and set to work. She decided to begin with the djinn's hands, and she brought her blade down through the center of his right palm, causing him to gasp out in shock and pain. It was almost as if he hadn't believed Polly would hurt him. A cruel smile played in Polly's eyes and a twinge of fear came into his. All too quickly, he squelched the fear and the sarcastic façade of a moment ago returned.

"Give me whatever you think you've got, bitch."

"Oh, see, now that's just music to my ears, filth." Polly smiled even broader and pulled the blade out of his hand slowly, twisting as she went. Once free of its fleshy prison, the blade gleamed, reflecting both the fire around them and the hellfire in Polly's eyes. She chuckled and began the long and intensive process of skinning Demas, beginning with his ugly beak-like nose.

As she worked, she played smooth jazz in the background. It was the same sort of music heard in doctors' offices and grocery stores worldwide. Demas seemed more annoyed by the music than the cutting, and Polly began to grow frustrated.

"Aw, is the First Knight of Hell unable to crack a filthy little djinn? How sad for you. I thought you were the greatest torturer Lucifer had. Boy, did she oversell your talents."

"Do you think you're the first moron who has tried to rile me, Demas?" She switched from sharp to blunt and picked up a mallet off the tray of weapons she had conjured earlier.

"No, I'm sure others have tried, probably succeeded, too. You're pretty easy to rile, and, truth be told, I think you're nothing more than hot air. All you have to offer me is pain. I can handle that easily." He grinned and blood ran from the gaping hole where his nose was starting to grow back. It poured down his chin and stained his teeth, yet he kept smiling.

For some reason, this insolence, this disrespect from a lower demon, really pissed Polly off. She held the hammer high as she broke each one of Demas' bones, enjoying the snap and subsequent scream. It went on like that for a while, her asking questions and Demas refusing to talk. She found herself starting to respect the djinn for keeping quiet.

"How did you and the others escape?" Polly hissed.

"Your little girlfriend, Lucy, let us go. She has a plan in place that you are not a part of."

At his lies, Polly kept hammering. She shattered his femur, causing a loud wailing scream to issue forth from the djinn and a smile to turn up the corners of her mouth. It was times like this when she realized how well suited she was for torture. She tried to be angelic, like the old days, but being demonic just fit her better.

"Tell me how you crossed the barrier without us finding out beforehand," she asked the djinn sweetly.

"Eat shit," Demas hissed back, and he spat at her.

She decided she was finished with the hammer and chose a pair of pliers next.

"You will tell me what I want to know."

"I will tell you what I want you to know." The djinn looked her in the eyes, and she could see the sparkle there. He knew something and the little bastard was having fun with her. She allowed her anger to fill her and she used it in her work.

As she tore Demas' nails off, she recalled her very first torture session. It wasn't long after The Fall, when Lucy was still new to the job. Polly had been called up to torture a demon suspected of being in league with Michael and the others in Heaven. Lucy requested that Polly find out which side the skunk was really loyal to.

Polly hadn't been as skilled in those days, and she accidentally killed the angel before she could ascertain which side he was on. Lucy had shrugged and congratulated her on executing an enemy of Hell. It was the start of her move from nobody to second in command.

When Hades passed and the reins fell to Lucy, she immediately made folks stop calling it the Underworld. Lucy felt it was meant to be a slur. She thought Underworld was a disgraceful name, and she didn't see Hell as a disgrace. She felt she was righteous in her anger toward God, and Polly agreed. All Lucy and the other angels wanted to say was that He had been spending far too much time with the humans and not enough with His other creations.

For daring to question Him, God had Michael toss Lucy and her supporters out of Heaven and made sure those He cast out would not be able to return. God felt this punishment would bring Lucy and her followers to heel. God had been wrong.

All it did was cement in the minds of the Fallen that Lucy wasn't the bad guy the folks upstairs wanted to portray her as. Lucy believed Hell was necessary; Polly agreed with her on that point. While she reminisced, Polly worked on Demas.

"Tell me what I want to know, and I'll stop," she said as she ran the flaying knife between his skin and muscle.

Sometimes she went deeper and cut into the muscle itself, and Demas would cry out with every slice. Before long, she was tossing another large strip of skin, this one about the size of a hand towel, onto the floor with the others. There was a pile of bloody skin to the right of the djinn and, for the first time, Polly felt stymied. He may have been crying out, but it wasn't in pain or fear. The pain and fear were there, but they were nothing compared to the amusement that lit up Demas' skinless visage with a lipless smile.

"Oh, don't stop! Don't ever stop; it feels so good," wheezed the djinn.

"It can always feel better. Just tell me how you escaped."

"Polly, darling, fuck off. I am not telling you a damned thing."

"You'll tell me everything. I will find a way. Surely you've heard that about me."

"I've heard you're stupid and have to do things more than once before you realize they won't work. But I never believed it until now. I figured the second in command of Hell would have to be one smart cookie. I guess I was wrong. By all means, keep cutting me."

"Don't mind if I do," Polly said as she removed Demas' newly reforming nose.

He chuckled at her. "Feels so good," he mocked.

"You are one fucked up dude. You actually have been enjoying this, haven't you?"

"Oh, baby, you've given me the best damn flaying alive I've had in centuries." His bloody grin made her blood boil.

"You think you can take anything I dish out, huh?" Polly seethed, her white hot anger evident in the snarl on her face.

"All you give me is candy, little bitch. You keep dishing it, I'll keep licking it." He smiled even broader, but with all the torture, it looked more like he was dealing with bad dentures.

"Wow, you've been waiting this whole time to say that, haven't you?"

"Well, when you get a good line…."

"One of these days, you'll know what that feels like," Polly broke in.

"Oh, Apollyon, don't you understand just how fucked you lot are? I'll never tell you what is going on. What I will tell you is get to packing your shit, you demonic cunt. We will have our situations reversed one of these days and I won't be as nice to you as you've been to me."

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that insulting and annoying the woman torturing you is really idiotic?"

"Well, I suppose if you were to ever start torturing me, I'd really be in trouble. Wait, is you babbling on about making me talk the torture? It's the most painful thing that's happened all day."

"Oh, Demas, you're so funny." Polly walked over to the wall closest where the door was and changed the song playing. It went from the Muzak version of "Addicted to Love" to Toni Basil singing "Mickey."

"Oh, come on, Polly. Even you have to admit this song is catchy." Demas bobbed his head, gobbets of flesh falling from his ruined face, but the grin remained.

She went to work removing the skin that had grown back after she'd changed the station. Before long, Demas had fallen into unconsciousness, more from the blood loss than terror.

After what felt like hours of torture, Polly realized it would take too long to break Demas this way. He was a lot stronger than she'd given him credit for. She'd skinned and disemboweled him twice. She was covered head to toe in his blood, and small bits of his flesh clung to her hair and skin. When she looked at him to take stock, she saw that his flesh and entrails hung off of him in tattered strips, his eyes were starting to grow back, and his bones were knitting and reforming. He was way past using pain as a motivator, and Polly realized that he was never going to talk.

Pissed at her failure to gain information, she was ready to put her fist through a wall when an idea hit her, and she realized she might not have to talk to, or torture, him anymore at all. This torture session hadn't been for naught, though. It made her feel a helluva lot better than she had before, and it left him weakened. Vulnerable. She laughed out loud, silently chastising herself for not thinking of it earlier, and she walked out of the room, leaving Demas tightly strapped to the chair at six points. He wasn't fully conscious, and there was no need to worry about escape as he was steadily oozing blood and other bodily fluids.

After what had happened to the other djinn prisoner she brought back, she called a fellow Knight to come stand by the inside door and make sure this prisoner didn't get help in the suicide department like his friend had. Nobody was going to mercy kill Demas on her watch. Nope, she'd make sure that bastard got what was coming to him.

As the door disappeared behind Polly, leaving Demas trapped inside his cell, she strutted back down the hall to implement her new plan. She might not be able to get information out of him with torture, but there was someone who could get access to that info by far easier means.

All she needed was Drew.

If she could get the succubus to help, she might just get the information she needed off Demas quickly, efficiently, and in a far less messy fashion.

She snapped her fingers as she walked, and the blood that had been coating her disappeared and she was in clean, dry clothes. She smiled as she went over her plan, taking solace in the fact it would really screw with the djinn's mind and possibly ruin him mentally. Out of sheer excitement at the thought of breaking Demas, her pace quickened as she continued her half-jog to the break room.

Chapter 25

When Lenny entered the break room, she'd expected it to be empty. Instead of the peace she was looking for, she'd run into the middle of some sort of demon pick-up session. She'd rolled her eyes and sat at the table farthest from the action.

A dark-haired woman that looked vaguely familiar sat in one of the plastic chairs next to a monstrous looking thing. He seemed to be laying the schmooze on pretty thick, but the woman didn't seem very responsive. When Lenny saw her slap his hand-claw away and yell when he tried to touch her hair, she knew something wasn't quite right. He said something else and the woman suddenly looked very frightened. He took a lazy drink from his coffee mug that had the words I HATE MONDAYS printed over a picture of a kitten wearing glasses sitting at a desk surrounded by stacks of papers. Lenny hated bullies more than almost anything in the world, and even though she just came here to be alone, she had to speak up.

"Hey, is everything okay here?"

"Yeah, sweetheart, everything is fine," the red, goat-human thing said. "How about you go over there and mind your own business? My friend and I are just getting to know each other."

Lenny looked to the woman for confirmation. She looked at Lenny with fear in her eyes, her hand held tightly over her chest while she shook her head.

"Well, Billy Goat Gruff, it seems the lady is not in agreement. I think it's probably time for you to get back to work, isn't it?"

"I don't know who you think you are, little girl, but I'll give you one last chance to get out of here before I make you wish you were never born," the demon said as he rose from his seat and took another sip from his coffee mug.

Hearing him say that, on top of the smug look on his misshapen face and the stupid coffee mug in his hand, she felt a rage build inside of her that was unfamiliar and more than a little frightening.

"One, I am not a little girl. Two, I'm the one that is warning you. You had better get your dumb ass out of here, and take your stupid mug with you."

"All right, I'm done playing around," he said as he set the mug on the table and stepped around the seated woman, his claws reaching out to grab Lenny.

She ducked and reached forward on the table, grabbed his mug and swung it over the other woman's head. The porcelain handle broke off as it connected with his skull. He was unfazed. Instead, a grin spread across his face, revealing two long, sharp teeth set in the middle of his mouth. He reached out again, this time taking hold of a handful of Lenny's long hair.

"Don't you hurt her," the woman cried out, but neither of them paid any attention.

"That was my favorite mug, you bitch. I'm gonna love hurting you."

Lenny closed her eyes and concentrated for a second before she felt the change coming on. Within seconds, she morphed into the form of one of the demons from the carving on Lucifer's door, towering over the woman and the horny demon. She felt the forked tongue that now resided in her mouth slither out, and her hands were now tipped with razor-thin claws. She charged the demon, knocking him to the floor and straddling his chest. He cried out in surprise and pain as her claws swiped across his cheek, slicing skin and muscle.

She balled her fist and punched him in the face. Even though he was big, Lenny was bigger and her jab hit home, obviously knocking some of his steam out. She hit him again, and this time, he lost consciousness altogether.

She stood up, breathing heavily as she shifted back into her own form, still angry but able to control it. Turning to the woman, she felt suddenly embarrassed for her outburst.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I just really hate bullies."

"Yeah, I gathered. Thank you for saving me. My name is Drew," she said, holding out her hand.

"No problem. I'm Lenny." She took Drew's hand, shaking it. "Are you a demon or something?"

"Or something, I guess. I'm half-human, if that even counts for anything in this place."

"I'm part human, too," Lenny said, sitting down in one of the plastic chairs. "I'm apparently also a whole bunch of other shit. I'm a mutt, and a monster. I'm a monster mutt."

Lenny couldn't stop her tears from flowing. Drew took a few napkins from the dispenser on the table and handed them to her. Lenny took them and dabbed at her leaking eyes.

"Hey there, it's gonna be okay." Drew tried to console her with a soft pat on the shoulder.

"I'm not so sure about that. I just found out that my parents were monsters. Actual monsters, not metaphoric ones. I'm a shifter and a demon, and…," she trailed off, not wanting to reveal the darkest part of her ancestry.

"I know a thing or two about shitty parents." Drew sighed as she took a seat next to Lenny.

"Hey, if you aren't a full demon, what are you doing here, anyway?"

"I'm here with a demon named Polly. She brought me here to hide out for a while, I guess."

"Polly brought me here, too. I was just meeting with Lucifer, and she told me a pretty shitty story about my parents."

"Wait, did you say she? Lucifer is a woman?"

"Yep. I was surprised, too. She was actually really nice to me, and I ran out on her," Lenny said, feeling bad for leaving the way she did. "I know where I've seen you. Outside the Children of Light church, right? You were standing outside on the street corner asking men if they wanted a…."

Her eyes widened and she went silent when realization dawned on her.

"A date?" Drew prompted. "It's cool, I'm not ashamed. I'm a succubus, so being a working girl seemed to be a logical choice."

"A succu-what?"

"A succubus." Drew enunciated the word. "I feed off auras and energy, basically. Well, I used to. I'm clean now."

"Oh, cool." Lenny shrugged, not knowing quite what to say.

"You know what I've learned about parents? It doesn't matter who they are or what they were. It matters who you are. My dad is basically a junkie. I'm on the wagon. I'm not a copy of him; I'm my own person, and I make my own destiny."

"You sound like a Lifetime movie." Lenny laughed.

"Maybe an afterschool special." Drew joined in, their laughter mingling and turning into full-scale giggles.

"This is what happens when you shoot up the marijuana, kids. You become a half-demon with shitty parents and then you go to Hell!"

The two women roared with laughter, their eyes watering. After a few moments, Lenny had forgotten all about her rage and anger.

That didn't last long.

The demon groaned and jumped up from the floor, grabbing Lenny around the waist and pulling her off her feet.

"You little half-breed bitch, you won't get away with that. Look what you did to my face!"

"I made an improvement," she snarled.

"Purgamentum," he whispered into her ear, snaking his tongue out and licking her cheek, leaving a wet trail of slime. "Garbage. You taste like a filthy piece of djinn garbage."

Lenny screamed and kicked frantically trying to loosen the death grip the monster had on her. It was no use. He squeezed her so tight she felt as though her lungs would pop like an overinflated birthday balloon. This snake was not going to get the best of her.

Snake! Lenny thought, instantly shifting into the form of a large boa constrictor.

She slithered out of the demon's grasp and hit the floor, transforming back into her own form. Her rage at his epithet bubbled over again. This time, she didn't need to shift into anything. She jumped off the floor and wrapped her legs around the demon, knocking him back down. She went blind with rage and landed punch after punch on the demon's jaw. He put his hands up to defend himself, but Lenny was working on pure adrenaline. She felt herself involuntarily shimmering in between her own form and the form of the demon himself. A grunting sound was coming from her own mouth that she barely registered as English.

"I'm not a monster, I'm not a monster, I'm not a monster."

Drew jumped from her seat to join Lenny in the attack. "Fuck you, asshole."

The demon reached out and grabbed a claw full of Drew's hair. She responded by repeatedly kicking the demon in the head, trying to get him to loosen his grip.

It didn't work.

The two women only stopped their assault and turned around when they heard Polly enter and slam her large hand down on the nearest table.

"What in the holy blue fuck is going on here?"

Chapter 26

The demon had Drew by the hair, and she screamed, arms flailing. She scratched his face, and he laughed. Just as he bucked Lenny to the floor and advanced on her, the door opened and Polly stormed in.

"What in the holy blue fuck is going on here?"

He froze, then turned. "Polly—sweetheart—we were just talking about you."

While he was distracted, Drew took the opportunity to punch him. She had a decent right hook, but it barely fazed him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Polly asked, pushing him away.

Drew jumped to her feet and brushed herself off. "Asshole!"

"He tortures people for a living. What do you expect?" Polly glared over at him. "Ever mess with one of my guests again, and I'll make sure Lucy puts you at a desk job for the rest of eternity."

"Looked like a present to me," said the demon, his voice indignant. "What was I supposed to think?"

Lenny staggered away from the demon, glaring down at the blood on her hands. She went to the sink, a look of relief taking hold when she turned on the faucet and water streamed out. She rinsed her hands.

"Not a monster, eh?" the demon snickered.

Lenny turned back to him with a fierce, angry face.

"Let it go," Polly said. "I need to ask a favor of you, Lenny."

Lenny sighed. "Does it entail getting as far away as possible from this asshole?"

"I killed one of the djinn posing as a member of Hershel's Faithful. They'll notice if he's gone for long. Your … unique traits make it possible for you to fill in for him until we have a chance to remove the rest of them."

"I'm not going back there."

"Lenny, more than just a few lives are on the line here. If they suspect we're hunting them, they'll shift gears, maybe even change their plans altogether. You can disguise yourself as one of them. You can buy us the time we need."

"Seriously?" Lenny gave Polly a wide-eyed stare.

Polly stepped forward and took Lenny by the arm, pulling her aside. She leaned in and whispered.

"This is day one of your new job. You ran out on Lucy, and now you want to say no to your first assignment?"

Lenny felt a pang of guilt for leaving the office the way she had.

"Okay, I'll go back. Just get there quickly. I don't want to be stuck in that freak show alone for long."

"We'll move as quickly as we can. Come with me." Polly grabbed Drew by the hand. "You, too. I've got another job for you."

They crossed back through the burning pits, taking a different path that led to another series of caves. Sweat stung Drew's eyes, and she wiped her face with a slick arm.

"Can't we just pop into wherever we're going? These caves are murder," Drew sulked.

"Seriously," Lenny agreed.

"What fun would that be? I thought you might appreciate the scenic route."

The two women exchanged glances, and Drew shook her head, growing indignant. "Are you kidding me?"

"Actually, I am. There are barriers all across this place, blockers to keep prisoners in and infiltrators out. I have … high clearance, so I can come and leave as I see fit, but even my access pass has its limits. Security has to be high in a place like this, so there aren't many doors."

Drew felt a sudden and overwhelming sense of claustrophobia. She was at the mercy of this demon. What if Polly decided to keep her there? Was her sadistic streak anything like J. D.'s had been, unpredictable and impulsive?

They reached a crossroads in the caverns, and Polly stopped them. "Ready?" she told Lenny.

Lenny nodded, reluctance still complicating her frustrated face. Then, suddenly, she waved her arms. "Wait!"

Polly rolled her eyes with an impatient huff. "Yes?"

"Could I see Lucy real quick? I want to apologize for something."

"Apologize?"

"It's important."

"Fine. She can send you back to the church. I'll see you soon," Polly said with a flick of her wrist.

Lenny disappeared, and Polly pulled Drew to the left. "This way."

Polly led her into a cave where a massive, snarling creature of a man sat chained to a large, steaming stone chair. Drew didn't recognize the figure, but she did recognize the darkness surrounding him—the dark presence at the church. He showed evidence of extreme torture, and a slew of whips, chains, and devices lay discarded nearby.

"This is your ace in the hole?" the creature laughed.

"We need you to extract information from him, Drew."

Drew glared at Polly. "Me?"

"It's the same basic principle as when you projected your memories for Michael. Instead of giving, you're going to take."

Drew shook her head. Yes, it had happened before. She'd accidentally pulled information from men along with the bits of their souls she consumed while having sex—but she certainly wasn't going to break her sobriety on this nasty thing.

"You can't break me," said the creature, shifting into his hideous djinn form. "None of you is gonna break me, so you might as well just give up and put me away."

Polly turned to Drew with a heavy sigh. "You can help us. Just try."

"I'm not screwing that thing."

It laughed.

"Just place your hands on his head, relax, and let your soul tug on his a little. You don't have to have sex with him."

Drew felt the pressure weigh heavily on her shoulders. This was not how she'd expected the evening to go, not by a long shot. God help me.

"Go on." Polly nudged her toward the creature.

Drew shook her head. Even if she could take more than ambient essence from the djinn, it would feed the beast she'd held dormant within herself. It had taken almost more willpower than she'd thought she had to keep it in check, to keep her humanity in check. One misstep was all that potentially stood between remaining in control and slipping into a hurricane of endless hunger and need.

"Drew, I need you to do this."

Her heart raced at the thought of taking anything from Polly's prisoner, let alone the darkness that even now reached out for her. It stared her down as she walked up to it, and she jerked back when it lunged against its chains. As soon as she recovered from the jolt, she could see the creature was secure. Still, its aura smelled dirty, like crude oil. Would consuming it make her sick? Would it infect her the way it had infected all of those people at that church?

She turned back to Polly. "Please don't make me."

Polly crossed her arms. "We need this information. If I have to go track down another soul sucker, I swear I'll leave you here at the mercy of the demons."

Fear meshed with anger and spite. Without any choice left, she placed her fingertips on the creature's head and let his dark, dirty soul mesh with hers. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on pulling at his aura, but his pulled just as actively. The smell of oil morphed into the taste of something bitter in the back of her throat, and she choked it back. Her body shook as a battle of wills ensued.

She felt a heavy rush when suddenly he let go and the darkness filled her. She felt a terrible urge to stagger back, the creature's essence blinding, but she held on. With every breath, she could feel her soul drinking in the blackness. A horrifying mix of excitement and dread took hold. She enjoyed it—the high that came with stealing a piece of an unwilling soul—and she hated herself for it.

The darkness became too much, and one after the next, her senses failed until all that remained was an electrifying buzz through her limbs and a stabbing pain in her head. Images flew through her consciousness, visions of purgatory and fields of souls moaning, trapped.

She saw the creature drawing strange symbols on a dark, rocky wall, carving them with some kind of a crystal that, despite the heavy layers of cloth between them, burned the palm of its hand. It drew a massive circle, and the symbols glowed a bright blue against the fiery rock. It muttered words Drew didn't recognize, and then it stepped through the circle and disappeared into the wall. The symbols sizzled for a moment, and then lava engulfed them and the wall went dark and dull.

She lost her sense of touch, feeling like she'd dropped into a pit and now sped and whirled in a freefall. She didn't know how to pull herself from it. Help me! her mind cried, her lips and throat too detached from her psyche for her to utter the words physically.

She saw a bright flash, and her sense of touch returned. She was on the ground, retching. The bitterness in the back of her throat manifested into a thick sludge that threatened to block her airway, but she managed to vomit it out in several forceful heaves. Her hearing returned, first a heavy ringing, but soon distant voices echoing all around. Her vision returned, too, and she found herself on her hands and knees before a puddle of black slurry, the oily substance still oozing from her lips.

She looked up, the room coming together and Polly coming into focus.

"What did you see?"

Drew gagged and coughed up another surge of the poison she'd ingested from the creature's aura. She took a moment to catch her breath then wiped her lips and slowly rose to her feet. "I think I know how they're getting out," she said, finding a window of lucidity.

The room spun, but she felt energized and aroused, disoriented and overwhelmed. Her spirit still feeling tainted and dirty despite all she'd expelled, she stumbled off, laughing and crying in intoxicated shrieks.

Chapter 27

As she walked back into The Children of Light church, Lenny had to tell herself she belonged there. She had assumed the form of Joshua, a member of the Faithful. He was a lesser member for sure, more muscle than brains, but he did give her a free pass into the church without any suspicion or sideways glances.

Lenny had been absent long enough to arouse suspicion from the other members. That and the fact that the last time she had been seen was by Hershel, and he had been none too pleased that she was missing for even an hour. She had now been gone for an entire day, and Lenny had no idea what kind of shit had been stirring up at Casa de Children of Light. She could walk right into some crazy ass trap that meant certain death. It was definitely better to ease in and feel it all out before she opened the door and shouted, "Here's Lenny!"

Walking down the church's inner halls, she felt better after a few of the other members smiled and nodded to her, giving no indication there was any issue.

She had just left Hell after apologizing to Lucifer for running out, and then accepting the job that Lucy had offered her. She was now a full-fledged nine-to-five employee of Hell itself. Wow, that was weird. Being back in the church, though, she felt more skeeved out than she had in the break room or in any other area of the Underworld.

"I gotta remember not to call it that. Polly said Lucy hates it," she whispered under her breath.

Lenny continued walking, going deeper and deeper into the church offices. She came to Hershel's office door and looked around to see if anyone saw her. There was no one around, but these church members seemed to be really good at sneaking up on people. Also, she had learned that a few of them were evil monsters, so there was that.

She grabbed the doorknob and twisted gently, letting the door pop open just a bit. She gingerly leaned her head in and spoke as if she was supposed to be there.

"Father, are you here?"

No answer.

With that, she slipped in to the office and closed the door. She would have to work fast so no one would see her.

I could shift into a mouse or something, she thought, and then quickly dismissed the idea because mice can't open drawers or read. That was one sucky part about shifting: She was bound by the limitations of the form she chose. The cool thing was she also got the strength and power of whatever she shifted into.

She opened the first desk drawer and looked inside, hoping to find a smoking gun sitting on top waiting for her, but there was nothing but a pack of gum, a comb, and some hand lotion.

"At least his hands are soft and his breath smells fresh," she whispered.

In the second drawer, she found some files that seemed to be mostly financial records of donations and some prayer requests. She saw a request form sitting on top of the pile that was from Maggie. She winced as she read it silently.

Please, pray for my new friend, Lenny. Help her to find peace in this world and to embrace the Heavenly love that Father showers down upon us. Allow her to see that Father is the light of the world and only through Father will we attain our true salvation. Lenny is a lost lamb in a sea of wolves, and I wish only for the salvation of her eternal soul and for her to embrace the inner light that Father brings to all of us. I worry about her.

Praise Father.

Lenny felt a lump in the back of her throat as she replaced the paper in the drawer. It wasn't fair that Maggie had died for all of this bullshit. She was a nice kid.

She wiped at her eyes with Joshua's hand and walked back to the door. There was nothing of value here. As she reached for the knob to leave, she heard voices in the hallway.

"Shit, shit, shit," she chanted as she tried to figure out what the hell to do if they came in the office.

As the knob turned and she thought she might have an actual heart attack, she quickly plopped herself down into the chair behind the desk, trying to look natural.

Celia entered, looking shocked to see anyone in the room. "What the hell are you doing in here?" she whispered in a growl.

Lenny scoured her brain for a viable excuse, but found nothing.

"You are supposed to be getting that pig ready for the releasing, not chilling in the pendejo's office. He'll get suspicious, and that pinche zealot Joseph might tattle on you—again."

Lenny thought she might do a happy dance when she realized she was not actually going to die. Instead, she kept her composure.

"Where are we doing the releasing?"

"In the basement, dumbass. The same place we do them all. Are you feeling all right?" Celia asked, looking Lenny's borrowed body up and down. "You're acting muy loco."

"Oh, yeah. I'm cool. Just tired from all the, uh, gathering and releasing."

"Okay, then," Celia said as she turned to leave the room. "Freak."

Lenny followed Celia down the hall to the main waiting area. A man between sixty and seventy sat in a plastic chair with a dirty blanket wrapped around his gaunt shoulders. The poor guy looked as though he had not had a bite to eat in more than a month and a bath was only a very distant memory. Lenny walked up to the man and leaned over, the stench of body odor almost making her lose her lunch.

"What's your name, Sir?" she asked.

"Billy. Billy Martin," the man said in a voice roughened by alcohol, smoking, and a life lived in the elements.

"Like the baseball coach, right?"

"Yep, that's right, young man." He smiled at her with a mouth full of greenish yellow teeth, and a light in his eyes that had obviously not been there for a while.

"Well, Mister Billy Martin, how about we get you some food and maybe a nice hot shower?"

"Oh, that'd be so fine," the old man said, seeming to be on the verge of crying. "That'd be mighty fine."

"All right then, mijo," Celia interjected. "Let's get you in to meet with Father. He'll get you all set up and settled in."

Billy rose on shaky legs and followed after the teenaged girl. Lenny brought up the rear, wondering where they were headed. The trio passed the kitchen without slowing down.

"Can't I have a little bite to eat now? Just a piece of bread, maybe?" Billy asked hopefully.

Celia ignored his request and kept walking until she came to a door that Lenny had never been through. It was the door to what Hershel and the Faithful called the conference room. It was actually a nursery that was no longer used. This was the place they made all of their plans for God only knew what. Celia lightly knocked on the door three times and waited for a response.

"Come in," Hershel called out quietly.

Almost the entire church was out for the evening. Outreach was scheduled from six to eight every night, and everyone had to go and pass out flyers and sandwiches. The Faithful were not bound by that rule because they did a lot of their "outreach" work much later at night.

Celia entered the room, leaving the two of them out in the hallway. Billy stared longingly in the direction of the kitchen. They didn't have to wait long before Hershel emerged from the room, a thousand dollar smile spread across his face.

"Thank the Lord! God has seen fit to bring us another lost soul to deliver to salvation. It is my pleasure to meet you, Billy. I'm Hershel, but my flock calls me Father."

Hershel offered his hand to the homeless man and did not flinch when he took it. He cupped Billy's grimy fingers in his own and shook them warmly.

"All right then, Father it is." Billy smiled again. "Father, is it too much to ask to get something to eat? I ain't trying to be pushy or beg, it's just that I haven't had a bite in about three days."

"Of course you can have some food. It is not begging at all. That's what we are all about here, helping our fellow man. Right, Joshua?"

"Yes, absolutely," Lenny replied.

"You just come with me and we can get you fed and cleaned up and then get you rested. I'll bet you are ready for a good rest, aren't you? The rest that only salvation can provide," Hershel pontificated as he put an arm around Billy's shoulder and gently eased him down the hall, toward the door to the basement.

"We going down there?" Billy asked with some trepidation as Hershel opened the door to reveal a darkened set of stairs.

The dirty man looked down into the dark cavern of the church basement only illuminated by a single forty-watt bulb that Celia had switched on, and turned back to Hershel.

"I don't wanna go down there. Something ain't right about all this mess. I'll go. I don't need nothing, and I won't tell a soul I was even here, I swear it in Jesus' name."

"It's too late for that now, Billy," Hershel said, flashing a grin that made Lenny feel dirtier than Billy. "It's time to repent your sins. All of the years you spent defiling the body that God gave you, filling it with alcohol and drugs, ignoring every opportunity for salvation, you get to make good on that now. Don't you understand, Billy? You need to get square with the house before you can be saved. You'll give your life for a greater cause than you could ever imagine. Then you and I will be rewarded in Heaven and all of this mess will be cleared from your soul."

Billy tried his hardest to pull away, but Celia had a hold on his frail arms. Hershel had a look in his eyes that Lenny could swear was absolute, utter madness. He was gleeful in his proclamation that Billy had to die. Billy had other ideas.

"Naw, fuck that, preacher man. I ain't gonna be no damn sacrifice for your devil cult or whatever you got here. Let go of me, you crazy bitch!"

"Aw, mijo," Celia said sweetly. "I can't do that. You need to pay for your sins to get salvation. Via con Dios."

Without further warning, she shoved the old man down the steps leading to the basement. He tumbled head over feet, landing at the bottom with a thud and a loud expulsion of air. Lenny did her best to stifle a gasp. She wanted to rush down to the old bum and see what she could do to help him, call an ambulance, maybe, but she knew that would only lead to her landing in a pile right next to him.

She was able to look past Celia and Hershel into the basement. What she saw made her want to go just as crazy as Hershel.

A shadow fell over Billy's body, hovering over the bone that protruded from his right shin. Billy weakly cried out as the shadow surrounded his wound. Based on the man’s ragged breathing and weak cries of pain, Lenny could tell that he was not going to last much longer. At least she hoped he wouldn't last much longer, for his sake. The shadow spread out and enveloped the man, seeming to take some sort of abstract shape. As it covered his face, his body hitched and shuddered with his dying breaths. Lenny fought back tears as she watched an innocent old man die.

The shadow pulled back like a cobra ready to strike. A large red stone materialized in its makeshift hands. It held the stone up and out toward the corpse. A thread of smoke moved up from the body and danced toward the stone, disappearing slowly into its crimson center. The thread of smoke continued for almost a full minute as Hershel and Celia watched with smiles on their faces. Lenny glanced to her side and felt the urge to throw up when she noticed that Celia was lazily stroking Hershel's erection through his jeans.

The shadow thing puffed up as the last of the smoke dissipated. Billy was dead. Lenny hoped that the old guy really was going to go to Heaven, but she had serious doubts.

"I have to get back to my office now," Hershel said, pulling away from Celia. "Can you two get this cleaned up?"

"Of course," Celia answered with what Lenny thought was a slight hint of irritation.

"Praise God, another soul is saved." Hershel smiled. "That man has been cleansed and can now sit at the hand of God in paradise."

"Praise God," Lenny whispered. "And praise to you, Father."

She knew that she needed to play her part. Even though she felt awful for having led that poor soul to his death, there was no other way. Logically, she knew she had no choice, but her heart broke for Billy Martin.

Hershel turned and walked away with a renewed spring in his step. It pissed Lenny off that the psycho was so pleased with himself. Was he really that deluded? What did it say about her that she had followed him and even started believing some of his bullshit?

"Hey, Earth to Josh." Celia snapped her fingers in front of Lenny's face.

"What?"

"We need to get down there and get this pile taken care of. Besides, I'm hungry."

Lenny's stomach lurched, remembering what djinn liked to eat.

"Yeah, okay. Let's get it done."

The two walked down the steps toward the broken corpse. Celia squatted down and picked the red stone up from the ground.

"Put this with the others."

Lenny took the stone from her. It was warm and heavy. She looked at the dark red gem, about the size of a softball, and swore she could see something moving. Squinting her eyes, she saw a small, swirling cloud of smoke in the center of the stone. Seeming to know that she was looking, the cloud moved to the edge of the stone and formed the face of the dead homeless man. His small, smoky eyes stared into hers pleadingly. It was Billy's soul, trapped in this shiny rock. When she looked around the basement floor, she was stunned to see a pile of similar stones stacked up over four feet tall and at least as wide. There had to be hundreds of them, each one containing a small cloud of smoke.

All of these murders had happened while she had been upstairs making peanut-fucking-butter sandwiches and singing songs. She felt like throwing up again.

Lenny placed the stone onto the pile with the others and turned back to Celia. She was sitting on the floor next to the corpse, chewing the flesh from his thin arm as if it were a piece of fried chicken.

"I have to go," Lenny said, not sure she could do anything but throw up at that point.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" Celia asked, her mouth covered in blood.

"Um…" Lenny felt panic setting in before she blurted, "I don't like eating the really dirty ones. I got a whiff of that guy and it made my stomach turn."

Celia eyed her suspiciously for a moment, then shrugged.

"Suit yourself." She went back to gnawing on Billy's forearm.

Lenny decided not to waste any time. She made her way up the stairs and closed the door behind her. As quietly as possible, she took the small plastic door stop from the floor and wedged it under the door. It wouldn't stop Celia from getting out, but it might slow her down. Besides, she looked as though she was enjoying her meal.

Lenny shuddered and left to see if she could find any more information about what was going on in this church.

Chapter 28

The djinn knew exactly when Lucifer’s right-hand bitch teleported that half-breed succubus whore back into the church. So they were going to play it that way. Their persistence wasn't going to gain them anything but pain. They were going to die either way, but now he'd make sure they screamed for the sweet release for a good long time before they went.

The hassle they'd turned this into was starting to piss him off.

Hershel was just finishing a discussion with a couple of the kitchen staff when the djinn entered the office. No one could see him, and he could be patient. Sometimes it was fun just to watch the little people do and discuss the things that made them feel so damn important. Humans, as a rule, were obsessed with placing significance on their actions, and they loved to find reasons for their peers to adore them. Like little bugs climbing over one another to escape their demise, these people had no problem turning each other into both the ends and the means.

Step on heads. Throw the guy next to you under the bus. Take what you need, and throw away the rest.

Such amusing creatures.

Their lives were nothing more than a flicker in space and time, the blink of a god's eye, and still they concerned themselves with who said what to whom or what was the current popular consensus on the best way to wear their hair or who could harness the most political power. Even these three people sitting together, discussing the best way to increase their meal output, thought more of themselves because they had special duties, stations that had the potential to affect others.

"I think we're at a point where we need to be thinking about feeding more than just the homeless," said one of the kitchen workers. "With regular, organized food drives, we could put together care packages for low-income families."

"We barely have enough to go around as it is," snapped the other. "And we don't have the shelf space or the manpower to store and sort the random items we'd end up with. The monetary donations are really the most efficient way to go. We can reduce portion sizes to increase our service."

"Well, it would be nice to broaden the menu a little. How many peanut butter sandwiches do we expect these poor people to eat? Yes, it's protein, and the jelly gives them a little fruit, but we could be doing more."

"Do you know what people usually donate? Vienna sausages and canned spinach."

"Oh, come on!"

"Freeze dried potato flakes."

"Potatoes are healthy."

"That's not the point. We need foods that stretch, and we need consistency. Can you imagine how the guys in the back of the line would react if the ones in front of them got mashed potatoes and they got left with the spinach?"

"We're not a restaurant, Jack."

Hershel sighed, and both the workers went quiet and turned to him. "Are you finished?"

Neither said another word.

Hershel clapped his hands with a single, loud smack and rubbed them together. "So, I think we're getting ahead of ourselves a little with the care packages, but it's a wonderful idea to consider after we've expanded. For now, we need to think about quantity over quality. If not peanut butter and jelly, it'll be whatever they can dig out of the dumpsters."

The one worker gave the other a smug look.

"With that said, we do need to find a way to increase what we have to give. It's really as simple as spreading the peanut butter a little thinner and not worrying about who might have a problem with getting the heel of a loaf," Hershel continued. "Maybe arrange bags with half-sandwiches if need be, or conveniently forget the chips every few loads."

Neither looked happy with the solution, but they didn't dare challenge their leader. He knew best. The two of them were there to take orders, not command one another.

"Is there anything else?" Hershel shifted his glance back and forth between them.

They shook their heads.

"Then you're dismissed."

They left quietly, shutting the door behind them.

Hershel stretched and rubbed his eyes. He looked tired. They all tired so easily, even the half-breeds. They craved rest each day nearly as much as they craved all of those disgusting foods they ate. The djinn smiled at the mental image of Hershel stuffing his face with a greasy hamburger and soggy fries while the bums he'd taken on fought over bread crumbs.

The man played the part of humble leader well, but that didn't keep him from enjoying the benefits of his position. Sometimes he enjoyed them a little too much. He let the darkest parts of his humanity rule more of his decisions than he'd ever care to admit, and he manipulated his people accordingly. Did he wonder who might be watching over him, judging him, when he loved his congregation a little too much? Did he truly think he was entitled to the children whose innocence he took, or was he in as much denial as half the people who went along with his supposedly divine ordinances?

He had to know, deep down, that it couldn't possibly be God's will for him to feed the drugged and destitute to hungry angels. Part of him had to understand he was offering souls—not simply flesh—to his Faithful, and those souls served as fuel to keep them sustained while they worked toward their own personal objective. Granted, he did seem to be clueless about the darkness he'd been spreading in the name of love and light, and he had no idea that the more power they offered him, the bigger the pawn he became. Still, at the end of the day, he'd be lying if he tried to claim complete innocence in the arrangement. His motivations were just as selfish as theirs.

The djinn willed himself visible, cloaking his true form in a veil of light. Hershel noticed him immediately and looked up with a smile.

"I was just thinking about you," Hershel said. "Divine providence."

"Yes, my Lord."

"My kitchen staff is having difficulty with the expansion. We have so many plans, but not enough direction." Hershel shook his head. "I need a few experienced workers, some people who've managed in cafeterias or restaurants and can bring in some fresh ideas."

"We're working on it. More help will be on its way soon."

The man looked more relieved than he wanted to let on. "I never doubted you. I must admit, though, that figuring out the logistics for all of this has been a bit overwhelming. I should be guiding my flock, not deciding between donation boxes and canned food drives."

"We couldn't agree more. Your congregation needs your direction, now more than ever."

That seemed to satisfy him.

"Do you remember when you first learned of your calling?"

Hershel nodded. "Somehow I'd always known, although I didn't fully realize it until the evening I first saw you."

"Being the Son of God is the most difficult calling any man could endure. You are divine, but you're also human, and that makes for a heavy burden. Jesus found his task no easier than yours—and he merely had to die with grace. You must see this world through its end times, the battle between Heaven and Hell over every last soul. So much is at stake, and time is growing short."

"This church has grown exponentially. You've gifted me with great allies and taught me so much. I won't let you down."

"Your congregation has indeed grown, and it will continue to grow. Gone are the days of obscurity and uncertainty. So many people have sought your direction for so long, ignorant of the leadership that was waiting for them right under their noses."

"I'm grateful to have found my flock … finally, after so many years of feeling so lost myself. I'd just about given up. Nearly closed my doors." The man's voice raised an octave with his sudden show of emotion. "Could you imagine what would have happened had our church folded? These grounds would have been rendered unhallowed. The cemetery behind us suddenly would have held unsanctified remains. What would have become of their souls? Would they have been torn from Heaven, damned simply because I wasn't strong enough to keep them safe? How long might it have taken for me to redeem them?"

"All questions that never need to be answered—because you were brave enough to accept your charge. Thank God for you, your people's savior."

Hershel's lips quivered, but he held his composure.

"It is your strength and bravery that will keep you one step ahead of all that Hell attempts to throw your way."

The man sniffled, his sense of self-satisfaction finally bringing him to tears. If only he could see himself, the djinn thought, amused. With his help and the help of so many others like him, they'd marked enough of the population to effect the change they'd set out for. Soon, the other kingdoms would crumble.

He'd been looking forward to this day for millennia. They'd planned, and they'd been so patient. They would watch their enemies starve and wither, and then they would take their rightful place.

"I wouldn't have gotten to this point without your guidance," Hershel said, trying to sound humble. It was always entertaining to watch men such as this make a show of humility. It left them wide open to suggestion.

"I've come now to warn you that the enemy has arrived. She thinks she can use you as a guide for the demons she's allowed to bond with her spirit. She thinks she can corrupt you, take you down before you have the chance to offer humanity the salvation it desires."

Hershel visibly braced himself. "Is Lenny with her?"

"We believe Lenny has either fled or died. She's … disappeared."

"She has to be somewhere. What's the worth of having omnipresence if we can't even keep track of one girl?"

"We would guess the demons have decided she's of better use to them in Hell."

Hershel exhaled heavily, his eyelids fluttering for a moment. "No, not her. Why did they have to take her?"

"To hit you where it hurts the most, my Lord."

More tears glistened in the man's eyes. "They'll pay dearly for that."

"Yes, they will."

"This girl, the one who's bonded with the demons, might she know what they did to Lenny?"

"We believe so, but she won't give such information over easily. She's handed her soul over to the Devil and given her will to the demons. They will harden her heart and hold back the answers you seek."

The determination that quickly etched itself across the man's face filled the djinn with glee. He allowed it to settle for a minute and waited to see what Hershel would have to say in response.

"But we can get her to talk?"

"We believe you'll have no choice but to resort to extreme measures."

"Extreme measures?"

"An exorcism, my Lord."

"An … exorcism? I thought churches didn't perform exorcisms anymore."

"That's because they aren't qualified. Only one man has the requisite power, one man who houses the will of God and possesses the rights to do with it as he sees fit."

"Me."

"Yes, you."

The man's face twisted and the muscles tightened, the minutest trace of a smile taking hold. His hand went to his lips, like he'd just received a scandalous tidbit of information, and his eyes wandered the room in contemplation. "I've never done anything like this before. I'm not sure I know where to start."

"God will guide you. He will be your hand … and you, His vessel."

Hershel nodded.

"His glory will shine through, and so will the truth, but you must force the demons into submission. They must suffer terribly if they are to break, and if they refuse to break, their vessel must die."

Hershel didn't seem to like that, but he said nothing.

"Hopefully it doesn't have to come to that," the djinn quickly added.

"I pray it doesn't."

The succubus neared, and the djinn turned toward the door. "She's coming down the hall. Are you ready?"

Hershel nodded, but the subtle tremble to his hands betrayed his concern.

"We will be with you every step of the way."

Hershel continued to nod, slipping a little too deeply into his own thoughts for the djinn's comfort. This human-succubus would serve as a lesson to anyone who opted to side against them. He'd make sure she was just recognizable enough to send back to Hell, a picture perfect example of what they were capable of, a message relaying the extent of their influence over both humanity and its realm.

Chapter 29

Lenny walked the halls of the church, trying to figure out where she could go to find any information on who was behind this crap. She continued to hold the form of Joshua because the Faithful basically had free reign. None of the church members would question him, no matter where he went.

There were doors on each side that led to rooms and closets, but there was nothing of value in any of them.

"Think," she whispered.

"Think about what?"

The voice behind her was a familiar one, but it still scared her half to death. Joseph stood there with his arms crossed, waiting for an answer.

"I was trying to figure out where Lenny may have gone," she improvised. "She's been gone for a long time."

"Yes, Lenny. She is very special to Father for some reason. He has taken quite a shine to that girl."

"Yeah, she's pretty special, all right."

"Well, I don't know what you think you're going to find, but happy searching. I have to go out and pick up a few new converts at the camp over on Sixth Street. I'll be back in an hour or two. Can you let Father know when you see him?"

"No problem."

Lenny waved at Joseph, not sure what else to say. Joseph turned and walked away without another word.

Lenny sighed as he turned the corner. Jack and Marcy walked down the hall toward her, arguing about mashed potatoes and spinach. They paid no attention to Joseph, other than to give a small nod as they passed. They had apparently just come from Father's office, according to their mumblings as they rounded the next corner.

Lenny decided she needed to head to the conference room. That was the only place she hadn't searched. She pivoted on her heel and headed back toward the secret room.

Chapter 30

Drew wandered through the pews, her confidence inflated by the djinn energy still flowing through her spirit. She felt the part of the trickster, capable of outsmarting anyone there who might suspect she didn't belong. She almost felt as though she could disguise herself accordingly, like a shifter or similar creature, although she knew logically that there was a big difference between stealing life force and stealing physical abilities.

Lenny, on the other hand, was perfectly capable of taking on the physical appearance of whomever she wanted. According to Polly, she currently roamed the church grounds in the disguise of one of Hershel's Faithful, a djinn who'd hidden his identity by posing as a man named Joshua. Not even the other djinn there could tell the difference.

Lenny's job was to keep the Faithful occupied long enough for Drew to extract whatever information she could from Hershel. The plan had been a hasty one, but Lucifer, certain that time was running short, had felt it necessary to send them out sooner rather than later. Lenny had been adamant against her return, but something Polly had told her privately had convinced her to go.

Drew had no idea what she'd said, but she didn't really care. She would have been agreeable to just about anything the demon had suggested, her mood far too elevated for her to object. She still felt some residual nausea from the djinn's toxic soul, but she'd expelled the darkness—or at least most of it. The dizziness hadn't yet abated, but now it felt more like the buzz that came with a couple of beers.

She didn't want to admit she was still a little high from the exchange; she didn't want to think about it. That would mean admitting she now teetered on the wagon's edge, a place she'd prided herself for having avoided slipping back into for a long time. This is different, she rationalized. This is for purely unselfish reasons. This might help save the world.

The thought of it made her giggle. Who'd have thought a prostitute thief would have anything to offer, let alone something so important? Did it matter if she enjoyed herself a little in the process?

Just this one last time….

Polly had sent her to syphon off just enough to draw a clearer picture of Hershel's part in the larger plan, similar to what she'd done to the djinn, but Drew had other plans. She'd take all she could from the man. She wanted him.

To hell with abstinence.

Tomorrow would be a new day.

The anticipation roused her dormant hunger, and her body went warm and flush with desire. She licked her lips as she reached the hall. Trembling and nearly panting, Drew went to the closed office door and knocked.

"Yes?" Hershel called out.

"Do you have a minute … Father?"

He came to the door and opened it just wide enough to peer out. "Yes? What is it?"

Drew could smell the deception—burning leaves—but chalked it up to the lie of his total being. The false prophet. He was there to deceive, there to divide humanity's souls from the ether and deprive them from their rightful place in the afterlife. If anyone deserved to lose what she was capable of taking, it was this guy.

"Can I talk to you?" She struggled to remain focused. "Alone?"

"Of course, my child." He invited her in and shut the door, offering her a seat.

She remained standing.

"I must say I'm glad to see you again. The way you left the other day made me think you were lost to us for good."

She smiled sweetly, doing her best to hide the sudden trepidation that came with his recognition. Was she that memorable? Did he know more than he was letting on? "I was just a little overwhelmed."

He smiled back. "That's understandable. God's love is a powerful thing. I'm just glad you came back, gave the church another chance."

She moved closer, close enough to feel the energy radiating from him. The darkness weaved throughout put a bad taste in her mouth, and she considered walking away one more time.

His eyes scanned up and down Drew's slim body. Her clothing left little to the imagination, and she could smell a hint of arousal breaking through. Still, he kept his hands to his sides. He glanced away from her, to the darkest corner in the room.

What did he see? Was the darkness speaking to him?

He walked around to the seat behind the desk. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"I just…" She sauntered a little closer. "I'm so lonely. I feel so empty, you know? I was hoping you could help me. That's what you do, right? Help people?"

"It is."

The room got darker, the one corner appearing as though shaded in the darkest night. Something was there, something that was trying to hide from her. She struggled to hide her panic, the realization that she'd stepped into a trap both sudden and sobering.

"Why don't you sit?" Hershel gestured again.

"I'd rather stand."

"It's really best you sit," said the dark creature materializing behind her right before it hit her in the back of the head with enough force to make her see stars—and then total darkness followed.

"My Faithful…." Hershel's voice was dim and distorted, and Drew's first thought was that she had to be partially submerged in water.

Her head throbbed, and her thoughts were every bit as muddled as the words coming at her from more than one direction. She opened her eyes, wincing at the light shining down on her. Everything was blurry, so she had a hard time discerning her location. It seemed she was not underwater, but in a different room somewhere in the church.

When she tried to move, she realized she'd been secured to a sturdy, wooden chair with lengths of twine. Her wrists were fastened to the armrests, and her body was held fast against the chair's back. She tried to pull away, not yet fully registering the situation.

"Joshua had a lead on the security breech. He and the other Faithful should be here shortly," said Kevin.

The one who'd initially tried to bring me in….

"She's awake," Hershel said. "Stand guard at the door. Make sure only the Faithful are allowed to pass."

"Yes, Father."

Drew heard footsteps, then the sound of the door creaking open. It closed with a massive slam. She struggled to focus her eyes. Whatever kind of head injury she'd sustained, it had done a number on her senses.

"Drew, can you hear me, child?"

She turned to the sound of Hershel's voice.

"The demon you harbor has made a mess of your life. I understand now why you've resorted to selling your body. You had no choice; the evil drove you to do the things you've done. Today is your lucky day. Today, everything is going to change."

She squinted, just making out the shape of his face. "Demon?"

"I know you have no choice but to deny it, but we'll remedy that. It's going to be okay. I have the power to save your eternal soul."

She tried again to get up. "You're crazy!"

"Just relax. We'll be ready to begin soon."

She watched while he sprinkled water from a shallow dish onto the ground around her, muttering some kind of prayer. He finished by pouring the remaining water over her head. The room itself was cold, but the water made her shiver. Her teeth chattered.

Hershel stood in solemn prayer. "Yes … yes, I see."

Who's he talking to?

"The holy water agitates the demon inside," he continued. "It knows we're ready to fight for this soul."

The smell of dirt and oil grew pungent. Something else is in here with him … that thing, the darkness tainting the people here. What does it want with me?

My soul?

"There's something evil in here," she tried. "It's stained your spirit. Whatever it's telling you, it's lying."

He paused for a few seconds then said, "Yes, I know."

"Then let me go!"

"Yes, she's in heavy denial," Hershel continued. "No, of course I didn't expect any different. This might be my first exorcism, but it's not my first interaction with evil."

"Exorcism?"

Hershel chuckled. "That got her attention."

She pulled and jerked against the twine, cringing at the pain in her head intensifying with her rising blood pressure. "You've got it all wrong. This is a mistake. You need to let me go!"

"You know I can't do that." He glanced past her. "We should get started. The others can assist when they get here."

"Please—"

Hershel whispered another prayer, his words so quick and hushed she couldn't make out what he was saying. Then, as if with a violent jolt, he turned to her and stared directly into her eyes as hers fell into focus. His was filled with anger and … sadness?

She flinched when his hand went gently to her cheek.

"Don't be afraid, my child. Salvation is at hand."

"I'm not your child."

He inched forward to get a closer look. "Who's in there? Asmodeus? Beelzebub? Legion?"

"I'm not possessed. Listen, whatever you think you're—"

His open hand connected with her face before she even saw it coming. As unexpected as the blow was, it was nothing she hadn't endured before. The smack might have been abrupt enough to cut her off mid-sentence, but she kept her emotions in check. The shock of pain gave way to the numbness that came with a swelling lip, a sensation she'd become well acquainted with over the years. She hated that feeling, a fat lip. It could have been worse—a black eye, a box to the ear, a cracked jaw—and it could always get worse. She needed to size this man up, see what he was capable of, before she said a whole lot more.

He began to pace around her, long strings of gibberish coming out in feverish growls.

Speaking in tongues….

What was he saying—or, more specifically, what did he think he was saying? Whatever it was, his words were filled with emotion. He turned to the dark corner.

She followed his line of sight, finding the shadow. Was it trying to mask itself? Did it think it could hide its spirit from her? What did he see when he looked at it? There was no way he saw what she did.

What was it? She'd never seen a demon take that kind of form before.

A djinn.

Would there be any convincing the man that this creature was tricking him? Was there any possible way to make him see it for what it was?

Hershel stopped in front of her again and leaned in to view her at eye level. "I'm going to ask you again: What is your name?"

She held her tongue.

"Tell me!"

She turned away.

He turned back to the shadow. "No, I don't—" He sighed then said, his voice deeper and sterner, "I'm only going to ask you once more: What's your name, demon?"

She held her silence.

With an angry cry, he punched her squarely in the sternum, knocking the wind out of her. "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, get out of her!"

She gasped in an attempt to catch her breath.

"Get out of her, Asmodeus!"

When she didn't respond, he punched her again in the gut. "Get out of her, Beelzebub!"

Another pause.

"Get out of her, Legion!" Another punch. "Get out of her, Coller!" And again. "Get out of her, Mormo!" And again. "Get out of her, Azazel!"

She coughed, heavy spasms freezing her lungs.

"Tell me your name!" he screamed.

She shook her head, straining to take in a decent breath.

He grabbed her by the face, forcing her to look at him. "Don't make me keep guessing! I don't want to hurt this poor girl. I know you're hurting with her. Please don't make me start breaking bones."

Drew cried out, forcing in a strained gasp.

"Please don't make me," he tried again, his grip tightening and his fingers pressing into her cheeks.

She closed her eyes, doing her best to concentrate. She felt the darkness in his soul reaching for hers, and she used that as a bridge between them. Her lungs relaxed and she breathed in, pulling at his life force.

Very little came.

Concentrate….

A little more. She could feel the light buzz that came with swallowing a small piece of his energy. In her mind, she saw his congregation, the soup kitchen, and the Faithful. Little was as he perceived it. He truly believed he was the Messiah, and these creatures—these djinn—were, for some reason, reinforcing that belief. To what end? What could he possibly contribute to their selfish cause?

He backed away, confused, before anymore images came to her. She glanced at the dark shadow, suddenly seeing a blinding light, instead. Is that what he saw? Did he think it was an angel guiding him?

He turned to it, staggering when he lost his balance for just a second.
"What just happened? What did she do?"

"The demon inside her is attempting to use your strength against you, my Lord. It wants to kill you."

Drew shook her head, now able to hear every misguiding word.

"You have no choice. You must beat it out of her," the djinn continued.

"No—it's lying!"

"Punch her in the head. Punch her until there's nothing left for the demon to cling to. Do it now, my Lord!"

"No, please—"

She saw stars again when his fist hit her temple, disorienting her but not knocking her back out. The second blow made her hang her head, clinging to consciousness.

"Kill her. Exorcize the demon. Send it back to Hell."

She saw the next punch coming out of the corner of her eye, and she cringed back with a scream. "Okay—I give up! I'm done!"

He held his punch. "Tell me your name."

She fought to compose her thoughts, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. Her breaths became shaky and weak. What were the names he'd listed before? Aziel? Crawler? Beelzebub?

"Your name!"

"Beelzebub, it's Beelzebub! But I'm leaving. I'm done."

"She's not being truthful, my Lord. The demon has no intentions of leaving. You have no choice but to kill the vessel."

"No!" she screamed. She looked up at the djinn. "Why are you doing this? Why do you want me dead? I'm nothing to you! I'm nobody!"

"You are the enemy," replied the djinn.

Hershel took a step back. "She can hear you?"

"She's guessing, my Lord."

"She's guessing, my Lord," Drew repeated, sobbing. "I can hear it. I can see it. But I see it for what it really is. You see light. I see—"

"Kill it now, before it infects your thoughts any further!"

"I see a shroud of darkness. It's left a smudge on your soul, and that smudge keeps getting bigger. If you kill me—"

"Be done with this! Kill her now, while you still can!"

"I thought only I could hear the voice of God…."

"That's not God," she cried.

Hershel's eyes locked on hers again, and they watched one another for a moment. He looked like he might be seeing reason, but then his expression hardened and his gaze shifted to a sideways glance.

"The great deceiver," he growled. "Satan himself."

She shook her head furiously.

"That's right," said the djinn. "You know what you have to do."

Hershel raised his hands into the air and closed his eyes, then he fell back into speaking his gibberish. Tears streamed down, the conflict in his face undeniable. Was he going to kill her because he really did believe she was possessed by the Devil, or was he going to kill her because he couldn't stand to consider the possibility that he'd been living a lie?

He shoved her, knocking the chair backward. Her head slammed into the hard floor as the chair fell. Her thoughts slipped in and out, and she knew if she let them slip away completely, she'd never wake up.

"Stomp in her head. Crush her windpipe. In the name of God, banish Satan from your presence!"

"No!"

She looked up, unable to focus. All she could see was a vague mass of movement. His soul was close, though, and she made another attempt at feeding off it. She could feel a new sense of resistance, as if he knew suddenly how to block her, and she held her breath and tensed her body in her desperation to draw him in.

His aura shifted, and she sensed he was raising a foot to bring it down on her. She screamed, and a burst of energy exploded outward from her body.

Hershel cried out as the sudden wave threw him from her side and he crashed into the wall behind him, where he slumped to the floor.

"Get up, my Lord. You must finish her!"

Hershel merely responded with a weak string of more gibberish.

The djinn loomed over Drew for a moment then materialized into a massive creature at her side. "I'd love to see you try that again," it said.

Drew screamed.

Chapter 31

Lenny heard the scream and took off running. It had come from the conference room around the corner. Lenny was pretty positive it was Drew. She was supposed to come to the church to try and extract information from Hershel, but Lenny had no idea she'd already arrived. When she saw the corner, she saw Kevin standing sentry at the door.

"Hey, Kevin, what's up?" Lenny asked, walking toward the man.

"Father has some business inside. Wait—shouldn't you know what's going on?"

"Oh, yeah—that's right." Lenny balled her fist and punched Kevin directly in the nose.

The man went down to his knees, and Lenny knocked him unconscious with a swift kick to the face.

She stepped over him to get to the door, and turned the knob.

Locked.

"Open up," she yelled in Joshua's voice, banging on the door.

"Go away," a gravelly voice said from the other side.

"Fuck that," she said as she backed up and kicked the door.

She heard a slight crack and hoped that it was the door and not her hip. She kicked again, and this time the door pulled away from the frame. One more kick, and it flung open, revealing the scene inside.

Drew was flat on her back, tied to an overturned chair. Hershel sat in a heap on the floor across the room, mumbling something unintelligible and drifting in and out of consciousness. Lenny rushed to Drew's side and started to untie her arms.

"Are you o—" She was cut off as something unseen knocked her off her feet.

She stumbled back and hit the floor with a thud.

"Lenny," Drew mumbled. "It's a djinn."

"I can't see it."

"I can," Drew said. "In the corner."

An invisible hand connected with her cheek, and she flew to the other side of the room. As she rose from the ground, ignoring the pain that radiated through her jaw, she shifted into the form of her new friend, the succubus. In an instant, the shadowy smudge in the room became fully visible to her. She smelled a musty scent like an old cellar full of potatoes and dirt.

"I see you now." She smiled at the shadow and cocked her head. "That's a neat trick, hiding yourself like that. Did your mommy teach you that?"

"You have no idea who you’re dealing with, bitch. Your shifter parlor tricks are nothing compared to my power."

The shadowy figure materialized into what she figured was its true form. It wasn't quite the monstrosity that Demas was, but it was close. It was a massive, red thing that had glowing black eyes and a thick lantern jaw. Its muscular frame bulged all over, and it had two sets of arms on its sides. When the thing opened its mouth, it had what looked like a single row of icepick-sharp teeth.

"Ooh, I'm shaking in my boots. You are so big and scary, picking on girls when you're invisible. That takes a whole lot of balls."

"I'll rip off your head and shit down your neck!" The monster advanced on her, anger blazing in its eyes.

Lenny shifted into the form of the demon from the break room and stopped the djinn in its tracks with a well-placed right hook. The djinn looked at her with more wounded pride than wounded jaw.

"What the hell? You shouldn't be able to do that. How are you doing that?"

"What, kicking your ass?" Lenny smiled again. "I guess I got mad skills."

"Shifters can't…." He trailed off, still confused. "This isn't over, bitch. I'll be back and I'll get you."

"And my little dog, too?"

The djinn disappeared in a cloud of red mist. Lenny knelt down again and used her claw to slice through the twine holding Drew in place.

"Thanks," Drew said, rubbing her wrists. "That was weird."

"Yeah, but it was the only thing I could think of in the moment."

"It was perfect. Are you going to shift back?"

"I figured we would wake up sleeping beauty over there first. This look might be more effective."

"Good call." Drew walked over to where Hershel sat and used the twine to bind his hands.

Lenny righted the overturned chair and lifted Hershel's limp body onto the seat.

Drew stood above him and slapped him across the face. He mumbled and came partially awake. Drew slapped him again, harder. His eyes flew open and the first thing he saw was Drew standing over him with a huge red demon standing behind her.

"Is this Beelzebub?" he said groggily. "Is this the demon that held you prisoner, Drew?"

"No. This is my friend, and we have a few questions for you."

Lenny stepped forward and leaned in close to Hershel, breathing heavily for emphasis.

"Tell us what is happening here, Hershel."

"Don't you speak my name, demon."

"Hershel, Hershel, Hershel. Tell us what your plan is for all of those souls trapped in the stones."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Hell beast."

He tried to look defiant, but Lenny could tell he was terrified. It would only take a little persuading to get him to talk. She traced a claw down his chest, poking it into his gut but not breaking the skin. Hershel cried out.

"I don't know anything about souls trapped in stones, I swear it. All of the souls I freed were sent to Heaven."

"No, you are a murderer that preys on the weak. You delivered those souls to a monster, not God."

"I do the work of God," Hershel said, tears streaming from his eyes. "I save souls."

"Does that include Marissa's soul?" Lenny shifted into the form of the young girl. "Were you saving her soul when you took her into your bed? She's just a child."

"I showed her love. I was gentle with her."

"You are a sick freak." Lenny spat at him, shifting into her own form.

"Lenny? Lenny, is that really you?" Hershel sobbed and hung his head. "Praise God you're alive, sweet Lenore."

She decided to try another tactic.

"Yes, Father, it's me." She leaned in and took his hands in hers. "I need you to talk to me. I need to hear about the souls. Who is taking them?"

"I swear I don't know anything about souls except the ones I sent home to be with God. The angel told me that God needed me to send Him souls in order to defeat Hell. All the other things were just to get money to build up the church."

"What other things?" Lenny asked sweetly.

"The guns and the drugs," he whined. "It wasn't my idea."

"Lenny, someone is coming down the hall." Drew sniffed the air. "It's another djinn."

"What else are you involved in?" Lenny asked Hershel, leaning in close.

"The cleansing will happen soon."

Before Lenny could ask anything else, Celia appeared in the broken doorway.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Celia asked, surveying the scene.

"Praise God! Celia, help me," Hershel begged incoherently. "They are demons trying to get my soul. Lenny is fine and she's coming back to me. But the stones, why are the souls still here … I thought they were going straight to Heaven. They asked about the cleansing, but I didn't say anything about Dr. Sandb—"

Celia reached behind her and pulled a small knife from her waistband. Before Lenny or Drew could stop her, she flung the knife through the air. It embedded in the center of Hershel's forehead, cutting him off mid-sentence and killing him instantly.

"Holy shit," Drew exclaimed.

"Aye Dios mio, I'm so glad to be rid of that crazy fuck. I told the boss he was unstable."

"The boss?" Lenny asked.

"Nice try, puta demonia. I'm not some whack job preacher you can scare into spilling the beans. I'm also not stupid. I'm not going to take on a shifter and a succubus by myself." She backed out of the room, slowly. "Good luck getting out of here, though. You'll need it."

She ran down the hall, yelling at the top of her lungs.

"Father is dead! They killed him! Oh, God, they killed Father!"

"Shit," Drew said, looking worried. "How are we going to get out of here?"

"Until we get some help from Hell, I guess we fight."

The two women started out of the room, hoping they would be able to get out of the church alive.

Chapter 32

Most of The Children of Light members were still out doing their community outreach, oblivious to the celestial battle going on in the church. They were handing out flyers, trying to gather more converts from the junkies, prostitutes, homeless, and runaways in the city.

All the while smiling and spreading the gospel of their now-dead savior.

Drew and Lenny walked out of the office, staying close against the wall. Lenny inched forward toward the corner, peeking around to see if they had a clear path to the door.

She looked back at Drew and shook her head. Celia was standing in the middle of the lobby, surrounded by several church members. She was sobbing as she told her story about how the demons had come in, taken over Lenny and the prostitute, and killed Father. They were consoling her and looking around to see if they could spot the monsters that had murdered their messiah.

"What do we do?" Drew mouthed the words, not wanting to make a sound and attract attention.

Lenny shrugged, not sure what to say, but then she raised a finger in the air, signifying she had an idea. She shifted into the form of Joseph, Hershel's right-hand man, and the only human member of the Faithful. Drew looked puzzled, but Lenny mimed the plan out for her.

Uneasy, but with no other ideas, Drew nodded her consent. Lenny took hold of her upper arm and dragged her out into the open as she struggled.

"I got the hooker right here," she said in Joseph's voice. "The demon has left her, and she has no idea what happened. I'm going to take her out of this holy place and get her to the police."

The two headed for the front door, the church members parting to let them pass.

"Wait," Celia called out from behind them. "Where is Lenny?"

"I have no idea," Lenny said nervously. "Why don't you go and look for her?"

Celia eyed them suspiciously. It was obvious she didn't want them to leave, and Lenny assumed that she knew it was her and was trying to figure out a way to stop them. Lenny continued toward the door, pushing Drew ahead of her. Drew added in a few vocal protests to make the situation more believable.

"Let me go!"

"I'm taking you to the police. Shut your mouth."

As they approached the front door, within a few feet of freedom, the real Joseph walked into the lobby. He gave a look of fear and surprise when he saw himself standing there.

"Well, that wasn't supposed to happen," Lenny said as she let go of Drew's arm and shifted back into her own form.

Celia raised her arm and pointed at the pair as she screamed, "Demons! Those are the demons! Get them!"

The church members rushed forward as Lenny and Drew tried to make a run for the door. Joseph held out his arm and took hold of Lenny, tossing her backward into the lobby with little effort. She landed squarely in the center of the floor and winced at the pain that radiated from her tail bone into every inch of her body.

Two members grabbed Drew and pulled her away toward the reception area behind Lenny. She tried to turn and see where they were going and what they were doing, but before she could, two other church members grabbed her by the arms and hauled her up from the floor.

Joseph hurried down the front steps and came face to face with Lenny. He took a small bottle from his pocket and unscrewed the lid. She winced as he flung its contents onto her face.

"Holy water, demon," Joseph said with hate contorting his features.

Lenny looked at him and tried to determine what he was doing. "I'm not a demon, and neither are you, Joseph. You are a good man, aren't you? You really believed in him." Lenny suddenly felt pity for this man she'd been afraid of only a week before.

"What do you mean, believed?"

"Hershel is dead. Celia killed him, and she's trying to blame us," she said, trying to get through to him. "It's me, Lenny. I'm different, but I am not evil. They've been lying to you. Hershel was no messiah."

"Lies," he whispered, obviously not swayed. "Demons like you lie. He is the Messiah."

"No, Joseph, he was nothing but a monster that meant well. He believed the lies of creatures that are worse than anything you could imagine, and they killed him for it."

The man stared back at her, his expression shifting to one of confusion and worry. He took a small knife from his belt and pointed it at her throat as he stepped closer. Lenny felt the blade scrape her skin as she tried to pull back.

"I'll kill you, you monster."

"No, you won't. You aren't a murderer."

"Killing demons is not murder."

He pressed the knife harder against her throat. She winced as she felt the tip of the blade pierce her flesh.

"Joseph, don't do this. You are not a monster like Hershel or the rest of the Faithful. You don't have to do this. You can walk away. You can still save your soul," she pleaded, feeling panic at her possible misjudgment of the man.

"I am saving my soul."

"Hershel was not your savior. But you can save yourself, I swear. Just put the knife down and walk away. Please, Joseph."

"I won't listen to your lies," he said with less conviction than before. "I believe in Father. I gave up my life, my family, to follow him because he truly is the way and the light."

"I'm sorry to do this, Joseph," Lenny said as she shifted into the form of the djinn that had tried to kill Drew. "There's obviously no other way."

A single tear ran down Joseph's cheek as Lenny raised both sets of her arms out and picked the man up off the floor. She carefully flung him across the room, hoping that he would be knocked out but not seriously hurt. Many of the church members screamed and ran away from her, yelling about demons and monsters. Some of them dropped to their knees and prayed through their fear. Lenny turned around to see what had happened to Drew. She didn't immediately see her, but she spotted Celia rushing over to Joseph's side. Lenny shambled over to where the man lay fighting to stay awake. Before she could get to them, she saw Celia pull the blade out of his skull, quietly killing Hershel's most trusted lieutenant. Lenny shifted back into herself and called out to the monster.

"Celia, stop."

"Fuck you, shifter."

"We will stop you," Lenny yelled. "You won't get away with whatever you're trying to do."

"You and what army, puta?"

Celia smiled and licked her blood-soaked finger. Lenny smiled back at the look of surprise and fear on her face when Drew grabbed her from behind and pulled her off her feet.

Chapter 33

Drew tackled the djinn, and with a slow, concentrated breath, she tugged at its dark but powerful soul. The two went down together, hitting the floor with a heavy thud. Her ability to pull away at Celia's life force by touch alone was nothing compared to the damage she could have done under more intimate circumstances, but the beast within her had stirred from the little she'd fed it, and now it was ravenous.

If only she'd learned more from her father, she would have known how to channel this power, how to draw and consume this soul—tainted as it might be—more effectively. As it stood, she had little idea what she was doing, her only training having been Polly's second-hand instruction. Instinct kicked in, her only saving grace when the djinn's psychic tendrils challenged her own, creating an invisible battle between them.

More screams rang out, the few remaining parishioners fleeing through the closest doors, when Celia shifted into her true form and physically overpowered Drew. It tried to strangle her, surprised when Drew somehow continued to tug at and ingest the creature's life force. Images began to come to her, fragments of her opponent's memories, and Drew had to put forth even more effort to piece them together into cohesive thoughts. Some of what came either made no sense at all or was irrelevant to their cause, but some useful bits did make it through.

In her mind, she saw the djinns organizing their efforts. They had sympathizers in Heaven and Hell, and they converged in another plane that seemed to belong to them alone, and they numbered in the thousands. The djinn came in several variations, but Drew could recognize each individual just as well as the djinn she now syphoned from.

In one memory, one of the organizers, a fat, ugly creature named Panuk, handed out dozens of leather bags that were held closed with drawstrings. A member nearby opened his bag and looked inside, revealing a translucent blue dagger. He tested it against his skin with a quick touch, pulling away when it singed his finger.

The name of the mineral flashed through Drew's mind: angelite.

The knowledge came to her that this material was deadly to demons of all forms—but it also was a necessary component to the spell the djinn were using to make their escapes from Hell. Drew couldn't pull from the creature's essence any information as to where they'd obtained the angelite, only that it was abundant in Heaven.

Even the Pearly Gates were made of the stuff.

Another memory showed her Demas and a few others shaving brimstone from the fiery walls, and then another showed them crushing it into a fine powder and distilling it with numerous other ingredients. With another spell, they enriched the resulting clear, yellow liquid with traces of their own essence, and it turned a smoky black color.

They believed the liquid created the necessary base to a disease never before seen by humankind. That base would end up in a laboratory in New Mexico, where a Dr. Sandberg would mix it with the necessary biological material to create a super plague.

And, like the stones the djinn had convinced religious leaders all across the globe would "deliver" countless souls, this plague would bind them to Earth.

Starving Heaven and Hell alike.

Drew tried to seek out more specifics on the lab and the plague they planned to unleash, but a sharp psychic attack pulled her from the djinn's mind to her own, forcing her back into the moment. The djinn had successfully cut off her airway, and her vision had begun to grow dim. She looked at Lenny for help, only to find she had her hands full with a djinn of her own.

Panic hit, and she tried to remember how she'd produced the psychic blast that had thrown Hershel off her. It had just … happened, but the knowledge of how to do it on command had to be in her somewhere. She closed her eyes, her concentration fading with her senses. She'd felt a particular sensation when the energy had thrust itself from her, but recreating the event felt just beyond her reach. She struck and clawed at the strong arms holding her down, even raked her fingernails against the creature's fat, red face, but to no avail.

Their eyes locked, hers under fluttering eyelids, threatening to roll back on her. The pressure in her face made her feel flushed, and her mouth opened wide in her attempt to force in one good breath. She couldn't scream. She couldn't push her attacker off. She couldn't fight off the hands tightly clasped around her throat.

She closed her eyes, too tired to continue in the struggle. In that moment, the weight lifted and the grip cutting off her airway loosened. She felt like she was floating, and her first thought was that this must be what it feels like to slip away from the living, her soul leaving its body, readying the journey to wherever it was she would spend the rest of eternity.

Which place would it be?

"Bitch!" the djinn growled, the word echoing as though through a massive cave.

She opened her eyes, gasping in a quick and painful inhalation of air when the creature's grip slid and they floated away from one another. Their surroundings reminded Drew of Limbo, but this place was filled with colors, like they'd entered a giant prism.

What the hell…?

The djinn's flabby limbs flailed in what looked like a pathetic attempt at swimming to her, but it merely continued to drift. Its eyes were wide with anger … and was that also a hint of horror?

"I'll tear you apart, limb by limb!" it shrieked.

Yes, definitely horror.

Did I do this? Drew wondered, although a part of her already knew the answer. She'd somehow transported both of them to a different plane.

Somewhere on the astral?

Her body relaxed for a moment while she recovered from the near-miss at being strangled to death, and she felt a slight smile come to her lips. Yeah, that's right; you keep drifting off into whatever else is in this weird void, she thought, watching the creature continue trying to fight the weightless reach between them.

"Take us back!" the djinn commanded, although there was no longer any authority left in its voice.

Drew crossed her arms, enjoying the shift in power. To see something so monstrous, so intimidating, suddenly scrambling so desperately was enough to make her suppress a light chuckle.

"I'm gonna break every bone in your body!"

Drew shrugged. "You're gonna have to reach me first."

The creature snarled, suddenly a rabid beast, fire in its eyes while it reached and clawed at the open air. "You can't keep us here forever—"

Those words alone were enough to shock Drew out of her high. How did a person leave a place such as this? Could she get herself back?

As if responding to a mental cue, her surroundings shifted and the church materialized around them. They went from suspended in the air to a freefall to the floor, and they both hit it hard.

The djinn lunged forward, unfazed, and grabbed her again by the throat. "I'm gonna have fun with you," it said, lifting her off her feet.

Again, Drew pulled at her opponent's life force, but the battle on both the physical and psychic fronts became too much for her to handle, although the energy she did manage to steal was probably all that saved her from an otherwise certain death when the creature tightened its grip and flung her into the pews.

She stayed there for a moment, dazed but giddy. The energy charged through her, culminating into a ball of dark, heavy foulness deep inside her gut, and she was unsure whether she would laugh like a maniac next or violently puke. Both came at once. When the djinn advanced, ready for the kill, she was too busy retching and heaving out the thick, black sludge her body had filtered out and rejected. She saw the djinn through the corner of her eye, unable to respond in time for flight or fight.

While it was in mid-air, Lenny, moving in the form of another djinn, leapt toward the creature and thrust it into a neighboring pew. Something in its side cracked upon impact, but it only laughed at the pain. Drew collapsed, coughing up the final remnants of filth, dizzy with the residual energy.

Another djinn advanced on Lenny, and Drew realized the shifter had abandoned her own battle in order to give her a fighting chance while she recovered.

Both of the djinn attacked Lenny at once, and Drew watched, too punch-drunk to assist, while they tore and raked at her. She held her own at first, parrying strikes and rebounding against sharp teeth and massive claws, but it didn't take long for them to gain the upper hand.

Drew tried to get up, but only managed to heave more black ooze onto the floor. She watched through hazy eyes, slipping into unconsciousness right after catching a glimpse of Polly's massive form joining in on the battle.

Chapter 34

"Is this a private party or can anyone join?" Polly quipped as she teleported into the church amidst a battle that was pure free-for-all.

"Demon!" screamed a djinn that had been knocking around Lenny.

Polly looked around for Drew and found her. She saw the woman's eyes roll back into her head and her body go limp. Seeing that the succubus was out cold (luckily being ignored by humans and djinn alike), Polly went to Lenny's aid, fighting her way through a mob of idiotic humans that fell almost as quickly as she hit them.

The djinn saw her coming and scurried away from Lenny, leaving the shifter slumped to the floor and trying to catch her breath. Polly was livid as she recognized the female as being the one that had attacked her and J. D. The coward had run before she could be dealt with, and Polly wouldn't make that mistake again. Snarling, punching her way through human after moronic human that tried to attack her, Polly made her way to the djinn.

"You will not escape me this time. I will have your ass in my chair and you will spill your guts, then you'll tell me everything." A wicked half-snarl, half-smile turned up the corners of Polly's mouth, and hellfire shone through her eyes as bright as any lightbulb. The djinn turned to run and found herself with her back against the wall.

"You said you would help me! We made you the Messenger for a reason!" The djinn cried out to an empty corner.

Polly looked around, confused for a moment, until she saw a shadow flee the corner and hurry out through the door. She considered pursuing it, but instead, she refocused her anger on the djinn. She figured she'd hunt that shadow creature down later; they were fairly harmless beings with little to no power.

"You hurt some friends of mine. I really don't like cowards who hurt people and try to run. Not to mention you escaped from Hell, and that, my dear, is a very. Big. No-no." Polly grabbed the djinn by her throat with her left hand and brought her right fist into its gut.

"Oof! I'm just a lackey, puta. I'm not the one you're after."

"Don't really care at this point. I'll find the one I'm after. Until then, I'll be happy to use you as my punching bag." Polly grinned broadly and sent her fist into the djinniri's nose. A loud crunch and a flow of scarlet brought a bigger smile to the demon's lips.

"You should care. I can help you."

"Oh, sweetie, I don't need your help." Polly tightened her grip on the djinniri's throat and a large scarlet bubble began forming from the woman's nose. A human male rushed her from behind and tried to hit her with a large prayer book. Polly sent her right elbow into the human's face and donkey kicked the man in the testicles.

"Let Celia go, you monster!" A tall, willowy brunette ran at Polly as she yelled.

"Aw, you didn't tell your little prayer group that you're a demon, did you, Celia?"

The woman stopped in her tracks and stammered, "What? Stop spreading your filthy lies!"

"Tell her, Celia. Tell all of them the truth of what you and Hershel's other Faithful are. Tell them what you were doing here. Tell them about how you were stealing people's souls. Tell them how you led people to their deaths just for those souls. Explain how you fed off the souls of the homeless these people thought they were helping." As Polly ranted at the djinniri, she called up her hellfire. The djinn looked into her eyes and gasped.

Celia saw everything, all of her sins, within that fire. Polly relaxed her grip on the lesser demon's throat and looked around to see Lenny had shifted into Demas' form and was tearing apart the other djinn. While her attention was on the shifter, Celia struck at her with a small angelite knife she pulled from a sheath on her thigh.

As the blade of light blue stone pierced her flesh, Polly felt like she was in one of her torture chairs being burned alive. She grabbed at the blade and tried to pull it out, but Celia broke off the hilt, leaving only bare angelite behind in Polly's shoulder. Her hand smoked and burned as she tried to pull it out without letting go of Celia.

Realizing it wasn't going to happen, Polly squeezed until the djinniri fell limp in her grasp. She held tight another second for good measure and dropped the djinn to rip the blade from her flesh. Her hands slipped on the blood and sizzled as they made contact with the angelite, making the task even more uncomfortable. She finally managed to get a good grip and yanked the remainder of the blade from her shoulder. It smoked as droplets of her blood ran down it. The blade smoked even more as it landed on Celia's cheek, waking the lesser demon from her bout of blackness.

She lunged for Polly's legs, trying to tackle the tall demon down low. Polly chuckled and kicked her in the chest. Then, filled with rage for everything the rotten filthy djinn had done to Hell, and to Lucy, Polly picked up the djinniri in one hand and the angelite in the other. Her hands blistered and bled, but Polly held the blade up to Celia's throat and yelled, "Tell them what you are and why you were here!"

"Fine! I'm a demon! I did it. We killed people so we could steal their souls. Hershel and his Faithful were sent here to collect as many souls as we could. There are other things, so many things, I could tell you, but I won't." Celia smiled as the blade slipped from Polly's fingers. The burn from the stone had been harsher than Polly could bear, and it tumbled to the ground while the demon's fingers still smoked and sizzled from their contact with it.

Celia took one of her hands off Polly's strong wrist and reached into her pocket. She grabbed something from within and tried to shove it into Polly's mouth. As the demon leaned back out of Celia's reach, the djinn appeared to realize what she was trying to do wouldn't work.

Instead, she shouted, "Viva los djinn!" and swallowed the object she had been trying to shove in Polly's face. Almost immediately, the djinniri began convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Several specks of foam hit Polly's hand, and she winced as the traces of angelite within burned her. She let go of Celia and the angelite blade as she watched the woman's lifeless body slide to the floor. Polly said a quick incantation over the body. A mist issued forth from the djinn's mouth, and with the incantation Polly sent the soul to Hell, and Lucy, where it belonged.

Several of the humans had heard Celia's confession and stopped fighting. They backed off to the other side of the room and began talking. Soon, the rest of Hershel's congregation was quiet and staring at Polly. Lenny backed away from the human who had been attacking her. He stopped and stepped even farther away, looking sheepish and embarrassed when the gossip reached his ears. Lenny shrugged it off and began taking her true appearance while she moved to Polly's side.

"Is it true, what Celia just said?" a man with brown hair and a scar down the left side of his face asked.

"Yes, Celia and the other djinn —that's the type of demon they were, though some might call them genies—were here to take souls away from Heaven and Hell. They were trying to take over, but we have stopped them…. You're welcome," Lenny said condescendingly as she wiped a drop of blood away from her eye.

Polly shot Lenny a look telling her to be quiet. "Yes, they were not the people you thought they were."

"What happened to all those people we got off the streets?" a tiny blond woman asked.

"They're dead. Hershel took their souls and gave them to the djinn. I have no idea where they are right now, but my guess is there is a djinn out there that has been consuming them."

"Eating souls? You can't eat souls," a woman with bright red hair said snidely.

"Humans can't eat souls, but demons and angels can. We don't do it unless it's an emergency, because those souls deserve to go to Heaven or Hell." Polly was starting to become uncomfortable with this little Q and A session she'd never meant to start.

"There is a Heaven and Hell, though?" This came from one of the people near the back of the crowd that was gathering around Polly and Lenny. Polly grabbed Lenny's arm and started walking closer to where Drew was. The succubus was still out of it, but her eyelids were fluttering a little, which let Polly know she would be coming around. The crowd parted to let them through and moved after them.

"Yes, there is both Heaven and Hell. Yes, your choices take you to either one. Yes, it is possible to move from Hell to Heaven and vice versa."

"Where will I go?" Several members of the Children of Light asked the same question.

"That is entirely up to you. As of this moment, you all have a chance at redemption," Polly lied, trying to buy some time so that she could reach Drew and get the three of them back to Hell and away from all these people. Polly was certain they'd start coming after her again, and she was really tired of killing people just because they were idiots.

"What do you mean?" the petite blonde asked again. The seal of Hell shone on her soul, but it was slight, which meant she really did have a chance.

"If you leave here and live good lives, helping people, taking care of each other, there is still a chance for you. If you go out there and start stealing, lying, cheating, robbing, and killing, I will see you again and you will not like it. Part of my job is to punish the guilty." Polly smiled her most wicked and terrifying grin.

"Why should we trust you? You're a demon!" the man with the scar yelled.

"Fine, don't trust me, Roy. I see the seal of Hell is on you." Polly called up the hellfire and looked deeper into the man's soul. "You killed two people in the past. Hmm, you did it to defend another, which is honorable, but murder is murder, Roy. You will never be able to erase that deed, but if you live the rest of your life being good and helping others, you might escape Hell." Polly allowed the fire to ebb from her and noticed the others had stepped away from the man, who was now sobbing.

"They were going to kill my baby sister—I had to do something! Nobody would help me!" The man's pathetic mewling was enough to give Polly a headache.

"Go forth and do good works, and you have a chance to escape the fire of Hell," Lenny said dramatically.

Polly glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, and Lenny shrugged.

"Wh-what's happening?" Drew asked as she came to, shaking her head as if to clear the cobwebs.

"And Sleeping Beauty rises," Polly said.

"I got some info from Celia. I think I know more about the djinn's plan."

"We can debrief when we get back to Hell." Polly turned to the scared group of people. "We have to run, folks. Do what your friend Lenny said and you might have a chance." She grabbed Drew and Lenny and popped out of the church and into Hell.

"What's going on? We don't have to stay down here do we?" Drew asked, her nose wrinkling against the smells of pain, lies, and evil that permeated Hell.

"No, I just needed to get us out of the church before they went all ‘torches and pitchforks' on us." Polly smiled and steered the women to the break room.

The demon Drew and Lenny had encountered in the break room before was sitting on the couch with a mug of coffee in his hand. Lenny noticed the mug had a picture of a kitten hanging from a tree limb and yellow lettering that spelled out "Hang in there" on both sides.

"Hey, I don't want any trouble! You two leave me alone, you big bullies!"

"Us, bullies?" Lenny spat.

"You're the one who attacked us!" Drew shouted.

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't say attacked…."

"Oh, yeah? What would you call it?" Lenny stepped forward, her hands clenched in anger.

"I showed some interest in that one," he pointed at Drew, "but they both just attacked me."

"Bullshit, Frank. I know what happened. I saw everything through her eyes." Polly pointed at Drew and then at the demon. "Apologize to my guests and be on your way, or you can help Bis with the gremlins."

"Fine! Sorry I attacked you girls. I was just trying to have a little fun. I was just playing with ya. Jeeze, you outsiders are so touchy," Frank said as he set his coffee mug on the break room counter. Noticing it was within Lenny's reach, he snatched it back, eyeing her suspiciously. He looked at Polly. "I have to get back to torturing Hitler. If he isn't roasted daily, I'll get the flack for it. May I be excused?"

"Yeah, get back to work, Frank. Don't ever mess with anyone in this room again, capisce?"

"Yeah, I understand," the demon said, looking awfully sulky for such a terrifying, hulking beast.

"Thanks for apologizing," Lenny said and then added, "Ow!" as Drew elbowed her in the ribs.

"Don't thank him for apologizing—he tried to hurt us!"

"But he apologized for it."

"I really am sorry. I didn't know you were friends of Polly's." Frank looked contrite.

"I accept your apology," Lenny said. "Also, it was fun kicking your ass."

"Yeah, I had no clue you had such mad skills. Props." Frank smiled weakly at Lenny and Drew, then rinsed out his mug, his eyes never leaving Lenny, and placed it in the highest possible cupboard. He turned and left the break room.

"What the hell, Lenny?" Drew asked.

"What? The guy apologized and, besides, we did kind of kick his ass."

"It doesn't matter, he was going to hurt us."

"Why don't you two just agree to disagree?" Polly said.

"Okay."

"Works for me." Drew said.

"I just have to make a stop really quick first, and then I'll take you two home. Stay here." Polly left the women in the break room and walked to her office to grab the scrap of cloth she'd found earlier in the torture cell. From there, she took it to the gamekeeper of Hell and asked him to have a hellhound run down the owner of the cloth. She returned to the ladies in the break room and popped them into Drew's apartment.

When Drew saw she was back home, she looked at them and said, "I hope you two don't mind, but I need to sleep for about a week. You can see yourselves out."

Lenny turned to Polly and said, "I don't really have anywhere to go."

Polly handed her the two keys she'd grabbed from her office and popped Lenny over to a furniture store. "Pick out whatever you like. I will make the payment arrangements while you are shopping."

"Are these the keys to my new place? I get furniture, too?" Lenny said excitedly as she looked at the keys in her hand.

"According to Lucy, you do. You work for Hell now, and there are perks that come with it. We can't have you sleeping on the floor. Now, pick out your furniture so we can get going. I really want to get home and soak in a nice hot tub of sulfur; it really takes the aches out of the bones."

Chapter 35

Lenny plopped down on the sofa in her brand new apartment before she remembered the pain in her tail end from being tossed across the floor at the church. She winced for a second, but soon settled in comfortably. She took a sip from her soda and shoved a few potato chips in her mouth, surveying her new home.

The taupe carpet perfectly complemented the chocolate brown furniture . The sofa and love seat were both accented with an assortment of pillows in several colors, each of them making the room look even better than the last. The artwork adorning the walls made Lenny feel sophisticated and posh. In short, she was in love with her new place.

Lucifer had really outdone herself.

"Are you going to share any of those chips?" Drew asked with a smile as she sat down on the other end of the sofa.

"That depends on how fast you can get to them." Lenny grinned, her teeth full of potato chip crumbs.

"Nice." Drew laughed and reached into the bag.

The two women jumped at the sound of a sharp knock on the door. Chuckling at her own skittishness, Lenny rose to see who was there. She opened the door and saw Lucifer standing in the doorway, holding a bottle of wine with Polly at her side.

"Hello, ladies." Lucifer walked into the living room. "I thought it polite to bring a gift."

"Hi." Lenny ushered the two in as Drew got up and took the wine before heading to the kitchen. "Please come in and have a seat."

Polly sat down on the loveseat as Lucifer took a seat in the large accent chair to her left.

"How are you adjusting to your new place?" Lucifer was obviously not very good at small talk, but she was trying.

"It is amazing," Lenny gushed. "I love it. The view is unbelievable, and the bathroom is bigger than any room I have ever seen."

"Well, that is one of the perks of being employed by Hell. Plus, we have a great 401K and dental."

"I hope it's okay with you, Lucy; I asked Drew to move in here with me. She lost her place and this apartment is so big…." She trailed off as Lucifer blotted a bead of sweat from her forehead.

Polly sat up straight, wondering what was wrong with her boss and friend, but said nothing.

"It is perfectly fine with me. This place is all yours for as long as you work for me. That actually brings me to the point of my visit."

Returning with a corkscrew and a tray of glasses, Drew poured each of them a glass of the rich red liquid and handed them out before settling in to her seat with a glass of her own.

"I want you to come to work for me as well, Drew. I was going to offer you the same deal as Lenny, your own place, a monthly stipend, and pay per job. Plus, of course, the dental and all of that. I trust that Lenny has told you all about our arrangement?"

"Yeah, she gave me the glossy version. So, this job would basically be doing the same kind of thing we just did in the church?"

"Hopefully there will be less getting your asses kicked," Polly interjected with a snarky grin. "Also, you'll get to work with me. So … bonus."

"Well, I will have to think about it." Drew took a sip of her wine. "All right, I'm in."

"Excellent." Lucifer smiled, her eyes looking brighter. "Where would you like your apartment to be located?"

"If it's all right with Lenny, I'd like to stay here."

Lenny nodded vigorously.

"That works for me. Your company cars are parked outside, by the way." Lucy dropped two sets of keys on the coffee table.

Lenny and Drew looked at each other before jumping off the couch and heading to the window to look down at the street.

"Are you kidding?" Lenny said in disbelief. "Those two cars belong to us?"

"Yes. You can fight amongst yourselves, or you can let me know if they don't suit you."

"Holy crap! I've always wanted a Mustang." Lenny jumped up and down with excitement.

"I think that I can live with a Fiat," Drew said, smiling from ear to ear.

"This job will not be all fun and games, however." Lucy leaned forward. "It will be dangerous, and it is more important than you can possibly imagine."

"We can do it," Lenny said, her confidence radiating.

"I want you all to know how important this really is. You know about the soul deficit. Souls are not making it to Hell or Heaven in the volume they should and it is causing some … difficulties."

"What kind of difficulties?" Drew asked, her interest piqued.

Lucifer stood up, running her fingers around the rim of her wine glass as she looked out the window.

"I am weakening by the day," she said grudgingly. "It is not easy for me to admit that, but you need to know."

"What do you mean by weakening?" Polly asked, leaning forward in her seat. "Not like Hades weakening, right?"

"I'm afraid if we don't get this soul issue under control, then it will mean I meet the same fate as Hades." She took a long drink of wine and turned back to the group.

"Lucy, why didn't you tell me?" Polly asked, looking wounded.

"Because one of my many sins is that of pride, my friend. I did not want to admit it, not even to myself."

"We won't let you down, Lucy," Lenny interjected. "We'll find out who is stealing the souls and get them back where they belong."

"Yes, we will," Drew chimed in.

"Good." Lucifer finished her wine and put her glass on the table. "So, it's settled. You three are a team."

"Just like Char—" Lenny started to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Polly raising her palm.

"If you say Charlie's Angels, shifter, I will set you on fire, I swear it."

"Okay, then." Lenny giggled. "We'll have to think of another name."

"While you do, I am going to take my leave." Lucifer smiled and turned toward the door. "I think you ladies will do fine. I'm putting all of my trust and the continuing survival of Hell in your hands. Don't let me down."

"We won't," Drew reiterated as she stood up.

"If you do, I'm sure you can guess what will happen." Lucy smiled as hellfire flashed in her eyes. "Bye, ladies."

With that, she walked out the front door.

"Well that was terrifying." Drew sat down and poured herself more wine.

"I think we can forego a superhero handle. It's not like we're getting tee shirts made or anything." Polly took her seat. "But we had better get to work figuring out how to stop this mess. I definitely do not want to get a new boss, and I can't lose my best friend."

"Then let's get down to business," Lenny said as she took her seat. "What's our next move?"

"I hope you ladies like baguettes. It seems, based on the intel I've been able to gather, you two need to pack your berets, because we're heading to Paris."

Epilogue

The bum watched as two figures made their way up the Parisian alley to the Children of Light church. They set a large crate at the church's back door and knocked lightly in an odd pattern. The door opened, and the two men were met by a woman. They grabbed the crate, and one of the deliverymen opened the lid.

"Is the Messiah here? Shouldn't he see this?" the shorter of the two asked the woman.

"The Messiah is out at the moment. I am to take charge of the delivery. You already know this," she barked sternly.

They shrugged at each other and took out a vial of some liquid, holding it up for the woman's inspection. When it met her approval, she ushered the men inside. As he moved, the vial slipped from the man's fingers and shattered on the concrete.

"Merde! You fools!" The woman screamed at them in a thick French accent. She quickly pulled them into the church and closed the door.

Thinking that perhaps there were drugs in the vial, and hoping there might be enough for him to scrape off the broken concrete and get high, the bum walked closer. It'd been twelve hours since his last hit of crack, and he was desperate for something to relieve the pain building inside of him.

He knelt by the puddle of amber liquid and reached out to swipe his finger through it. As the tip of his finger grated across the glass, he hissed. While he watched, blood pooled at the wound site. The man stood for a moment, sucking on the tip of his finger, when the door flew open.

The woman emerged from the church in hazmat gear, carrying a red plastic gas can. She saw the bum and sighed.

"Madame, could you assist me, s'il vous plait? I have cut myself on some glass here and could use a bandage."

"Where did you cut yourself?" The woman's voice was stern, and he dared not disobey for fear she would alert the police.

"On my finger, here." The man held up the injured finger.

"No, fool, I mean where was the glass you cut yourself on?"

The bum pointed to the smashed vial at his feet and mumbled, "I was only trying to clean it up."

"Lying is not good for the soul." The woman grinned broadly.

"No, it is not. Will you help me? It just won't stop bleeding." The man sat on a five gallon bucket of paint that was near the dumpster.

"Unfortunately, nobody can help you." She spread the gas over the smashed glass and lit a match. She tossed it onto the puddle of gas and turned to the bum. While he was busy sucking at his fingertip and watching the fire, she knocked him out with a fist to the side of his neck and doused him with gas. Once she was confident there was enough fuel there, she lit another match and tossed it on his limp form.

The flames brought him to and he began thrashing and screaming. It didn't last long. He was dead in moments and the stench of charred meat hung heavy in the air. The djinniri sighed heavily, and the flames exploded back to life as she added more gasoline to both the corpse and the vial. This could have been very bad, indeed. If the bum had not stuck around, the virus would have spread like wildfire.

It worked quickly. The old bum would have been dead within a matter of days. This assured the woman that her betters were right. Their idea for war was going to be a good one. The humans would never know what happened, and other beings caught in the crossfire would spare their souls to the cause. The woman held a red stone up in the air and caught the man's soul as it fled his body.

At least she managed to do something right tonight. She hoped the Master would be grateful to her and would overlook the broken vial. It wasn't her fault, after all, that the delivery men were so clumsy and stupid. Dr. Sandberg would be pissed. He sure as hell wouldn't like that these bumbling fools had already made a mess of things.

The smell of burning flesh assailed her nostrils. The body would still be an issue; even if the virus was destroyed by the flame, the corpse wouldn't be. She sighed and called out at the doorway to the church. Another of the messiah's "Faithful" approached, and she gave them the orders to wait for the body to cool before disposing of it and the glass.

They'd most likely cut it up and put it in the soup for the homeless. She sighed as she realized she'd have to check with the good doctor to make sure that was okay. The virus was a vicious one, and though she couldn't wait to deploy it against the humans, she knew she would have to. The timing wasn't right yet. If they didn't all go at once, everything would be ruined. She didn't want the Master to be angry at her. She saw what he did to their messenger after the scuffle at one of the Children of Light branches in the States.

He was still alive, but he would never fail the Master again. Even if he had managed to grab the souls before he fled, he still had allowed those damn girls to ruin the church. That was an unacceptable loss to the Master.

Hershel had been bringing in some good numbers. He was the highest producing soul factory in the chain, and losing that had put a serious dent in the plan. She would succeed where the Messenger had failed. She chuckled as she thought to herself, Faith always succeeds. Then she walked swiftly down to phone Dr. Sandberg in the U.S. and ask about the body. She wasn't looking forward to the lecture she would most likely receive, but she knew it wasn't her fault, and she knew her Master would only be grateful that she had cleaned up the mess the others had made.

"What is it?" a gruff voice asked over the line.

"Doctor, this is church 111-908 calling. We had an incident with one of the vials. It fell and smashed in the alleyway. I burned the remains of the virus and the man who'd become infected. I need to know if the meat will still be good to eat."

"I wouldn't serve it. We need the virus to be released on our terms. Just get rid of the body another way. Hide it in the catacombs or something. Be very careful not to be so clumsy next time. If the plans aren't kept on track and have to be escalated because of your buffoonery, the Master won't be so pleased with you."

The not-so-good doctor hung up rudely and the djinniri spat out, "Stupid, lazy, asshole American!"

She knew what he said was true, that once the virus was released, war would begin and that was all they'd need for their team to get a leg up on the idiotic demons that once stood in their way. If they weren't careful and the virus leaked too early, it would definitely destroy everything they'd worked so hard for.

Things are going to change around here, the djinniri thought as she walked to her newly renovated office next to that of this church's "messiah."

Soon, the Master will see to it that we djinn are given the respect we so richly deserve, she thought as she phoned for someone to help the djinn upstairs remove the body and deliver it to the catacombs below the streets of Paris. Once that task was done, she quickly went back to the alley to tell the djinn waiting on the body to cool what they would have to do with it.

The loss of the Children of Light church in the States was a rough one, but it wasn't something that will hold up or ruin the Master's plan, the woman thought blissfully. Soon, it will be up to us to change the world in a way nobody ever thought possible and we won't be second class citizens anymore. We will be the stars! She was certain of it. So certain, in fact, that she would give her life to make it happen if need be.

We shall soon see who the lesser demons truly are, she thought gleefully as she went to the storeroom to hide the crate that held the key to their freedom.

Also In This Series!

Cast In Fire: Revelations Series Book 2

Click here to purchase Revelations Book 2

Cast In Shadow: Revelations Series Book 3

Click here to purchase Revelations Book 3

For upcoming news and events regarding the Revelations Series follow us on Facebook

Also by the authors

Christine Sutton

Currently Free! Burkheart Witch Saga Book 1: Red Snow

Christine can be found at:

Amazon Author Page
and

Facebook

Lisa Lane

Currently Free! Jane The Hippie Vampire

Lisa can be found at:

Amazon Author Page
and

Facebook

Jaime Johnesee

Currently Free! Bob The Zombie

Jaime can be found at:

Amazon Author Page
and

Facebook

Also Available From DevilDog Press

Click here for a free copy of Zombie Fallout

Click here for a 6+ box set for 0.99

Click here for : Chelsea Avenue by Armand Rosamilia

Click here for: The Hollowing by Travis Tufo

Click here for: The Burkheart Witch Saga Books 1-3 By Christine Sutton

Click here for Mossy Creek: A Maggie Mercer Mystery By Jill S. Behe

Click here for Shifters: A Samantha Reece Mystery By Jaime Johnesee

Find us at www.devildogpress.com

Extras

Christine Sutton

Hey there, I'm Lenore. Lenny to my friends. I'm a shapeshifter that seems to be getting the hang of shifting into anything I can think of. It's pretty damn cool. I've had a rough go in life, spending a big chunk of it living on the streets. I've been looking for a place to belong most of my life, and I thought I found it. Boy was I ever wrong! Now, I'm settling in to my new job and a new life, thanks to a few new friends. Work is Hell, but I'm loving every second of it!

Jaime Johnesee

My name is Apollyon, people call me Polly for short. I'm the First Knight of Hell and a demon by nature. I've pulled together a team to try and save you mortals from a great evil that wants to get its hooks in Heaven and Hell. I won't let that happen, not on my watch.

Lisa Lane

Hi! I'm Drew, the third lady in the REVELATIONS trio. I'm a succubus who's lived on and off the streets since I was fifteen. I found a vocation that seemed perfect for a person with my ... *ahem* talents, but it turns out soul sucking can be dangerously addictive. I like my new boss a lot more than my last, although she too can be a bit demanding. Can't complain, though. After all, we are saving the world...

Thank you for reading the first book in the Revelations Series. Gaining exposure as independent authors relies mostly on word-of-mouth, please consider leaving a review wherever you purchased this story.

Thank you

Thank you for reading the first installment of Revelations: Cast In Blood. Gaining exposure as an independent author relies mostly on word-of-mouth, please consider leaving a review wherever you purchased this story.