Road to Hell (23 page)

It will use more dark magic than usual. The moment the spell is activated, it will draw unwanted attention. Strong demons can sense it when large amounts of dark power are used,
he explained to me
. Unfortunately, this particular rune only works once. You will not have time to create it a second time. They will be on you before you can escape.

Morax made an exasperated sound.
What use is this spell going to be if it means that she will become trapped inside the room?

There might be a way for me to escape,
I said before they could start arguing. First, we needed to take a closer look at the room in question.

₪₪₪

Sneaking down the hallway, we pressed ourselves against the wall when a pair of soldiers rounded the corner. We blended in with the stone, becoming almost invisible. Whispering intently to each other, they didn’t see us as they hurried past on their patrol.

Continuing on when they were gone, we peered around the corner and saw the two soldiers halfway down the hallway. Still standing rigidly in the same spots, their eyes remained straight ahead as the Demon Lords and captains continued to argue in the room below.

Staying next to the wall, we slowly moved closer until we were only one door away. Putting my hand on the doorknob, I gingerly turned it until the latch gave a soft click. The soldier closest to us didn’t give any indication that he’d heard the noise. I pushed the door open as quietly as possible and we slipped inside.

Closing the door, I turned to see a lesser demon standing near the window. He wore sackcloth and was probably a servant of some kind. He stood so still that I hadn’t seen him immediately.

How fortuitous,
Morax said in a pleased tone.
You will need demon blood to create the rune and here is a servant waiting for us. Try not to wound him too grievously, or he will be banished back to the first realm of hell before you can use his blood.

I pulled my dagger before the demon could become aware of us. Sneaking up behind him, I slid my hand around to cover his mouth and stabbed him in the back. I aimed low, hoping to avoid his vital organs. He let out a muffled scream then went limp. I didn’t know how long he’d remain unconscious, but with luck, he wouldn’t rouse until long after we were gone.

Helping me ease the lackey to the floor, Sam examined the demon’s slack face and unmoving chest and his jaw dropped open. “You killed him,” he said in a bare whisper.

“How? I thought demons were immortal.”

“They are. It should not have been possible for you to end his life.”

My advisors went still as they contemplated this news. Not even the hellgates could kill a demon. Defeating them meant they were sent back to the first realm of hell. I had no idea how I’d managed to kill him. The name ‘Hellscourge’ suddenly took on an entirely different meaning. Only Sam, my unholy hitchhikers and I were aware of how deadly I was to demonkind. It would probably be a good idea to keep it that way, at least for now.

Crossing to the window, I stuck my head out just far enough to look at the wall to our left. As I’d hoped, the room where the treasure was being stored had a window as well. Looking down, I saw the row of carriages lined up neatly below us, waiting for their masters to return. The lesser demons were still missing, presumably waiting somewhere inside. Like the guards at the back of the mansion, the soldiers below had gathered into a huddle. They kept a wary eye on the front door and paid only scant attention to the carriages.

“I have a plan,” I told Sam.

His expression was hopeful. “Does it include us being able to escape safely?”

“Maybe. First, I need to draw the rune, then I’ll fill you in on the rest of the plan.”

He helped me haul the body over to the wall then the hellscribe sent the rune that I needed to paint to the forefront of my mind. Dipping my fingers into the dead lackey’s blood, I drew a complicated symbol on the wall. Nicking my palm with my dagger, I pressed it against the rune and scarlet light flared. A door appeared that was just large enough for me to squeeze through.

Listening intently, I didn’t hear shouts coming from the lords below. It only took a small amount of power to activate a rune. Using it would apparently be a different story.

“Can you tell me the rest of your plan now?” Sam asked.

“Help me move the body over to the window first.” We carried it over to the opening then I outlined the plan for him.

“There is a good chance that you have lost your mind,” he said in disbelief when I was done.

“Can you think of a better idea?” I asked and he shook his head miserably. “Then we’ll just have to go ahead with my plan and hope we don’t get caught.” Heaving the body up to the windowsill, I checked to make sure the carriage directly below us hadn’t moved. A pair of undead nags stood in the traces. If nightmares had been hitched to the coach, I wouldn’t have contemplated what I was about to do.

We watched the guards until they were all looking away then tossed the dead demon out through the window. He fell almost gracefully and landed exactly where we’d been aiming. The roof of the carriage was made of cloth. As I’d hoped, the corpse tore straight through it.

Startled by the thump, the pair of horses stamped their feet nervously. The guards looked at the horses suspiciously for a few seconds. One of them muttered something and they went back to gossiping. Nightmares were far more intelligent than their undead cousins. They would have known what had happened and would have immediately raised the alarm.

“Now it’s your turn,” I said to Sam. Clearly terrified, he climbed up onto the sill and crouched in the opening. Turning to look over his shoulder at me, he opened his mouth, but I didn’t give him time to say whatever was on his mind. “Down you go,” I said and gave him a hard shove.

He gave a startled squeak as he fell. Landing more lightly, but far less gracefully than the corpse had, he glared up at me through the opening that had been torn in the carriage roof. The horses didn’t react at all this time. Death had dulled their sense of curiosity.

I waved at him cheerily then turned to the magical doorway. Made of the same black stone as the wall, it didn’t have a doorknob. Putting my hand on it, I shoved it and it opened silently to reveal a swirling gray fog. The scribe had failed to mention that I wouldn’t be able to see what was on the other side.

Left with no choice but to proceed, I silently prayed that I wasn’t about to step into a trap. The moment I stepped through the portal, the demons stopped arguing and a short hush took over. Inarticulate shouts sounded and I knew I was out of time. The door shimmered then disappeared, just as the hellscribe had warned me.

A quick glance around made me think that I’d made a grave error. At first, I thought the room was completely empty. Then I spied a small stone pedestal near the window. Crossing to it, I saw a flat piece of metal about the size of my palm lying on it. I picked it up and slid it into my pocket just as the door burst open.

The Demon Lord who had been standing at the podium stared at me in confusion. Several of his brethren crowded behind him, peering through the doorway over his shoulder. “Who are you?” he demanded.

There was no point in lying. They’d figure out who I was quickly enough, so I went with the truth. “The master gate called me Hellscourge when I defeated him,” I said and smirked at their shock.

“But, you are just a puny human.” He seemed almost offended that the legend they’d expected had turned out to be so utterly underwhelming.

“Would a puny human be able to take down a leviathan single handedly?” Their shock increased, but I didn’t wait around for an answer. Jumping onto the windowsill, I leaped down to the carriage below, making the hole in the roof larger when I landed.

Scrambling into the driver’s seat, Sam slapped the reins against the horses and they reared up in surprise. Turning out of formation, they bolted down the cobbled street.

₪₪₪

It was a rough ride and my teeth felt like they were going to come loose as we rattled and bumped down the hill. I clawed my way up through the torn roof to see we were heading in the opposite direction of where we needed to go.

Lesser demons leaped out of our way with startled shouts as the ground finally levelled out. Hearing a racket behind us, I turned to see several carriages in pursuit. Instead of being pulled by nags, nightmares were in the traces. “We need to get out of the city!” I shouted to Sam.

Clutching the reins in a death grip, he turned a panicked look on me. “I cannot control them!”

We careened along the street as the horses remained in a panic. They were terrified of the nightmares and felt them hot on our heels. The carriage scraped the wall when we came too close to a building. Reaching an intersection, we narrowly missed colliding with another carriage. The driver shouted insults after us as we continued on.

Running in a blind panic, the nags cut across the city until we reached another gate. Word had spread and the rusty wrought iron barriers were slowly swinging shut. “We are not going to make it!” Sam shouted.

Calculating the narrowing gap, I sincerely hoped he was wrong. I held my breath as we closed the distance. The gate gave a tortured groan and sparks flew from the metal as we scraped past. Then we were through and the horses were galloping madly along a well-worn road.

From the resounding crash behind us, it appeared that some of the other carriages hadn’t managed to stop in time. Nightmares neighed in fury at being thwarted. They wanted to catch us almost as badly as their masters did.

Clambering out of the carriage, I thumped down onto the hard seat next to Sam. It took both of us hauling on the reins to change our direction. Leaving the path, we cut across the wasteland towards the road where we’d first entered the city.

Looking back, I saw the palace perched on top of the hill in the center of the city. Scarlet light glowed from inside a dome on the tower. As long as we kept the beacon at our backs, I was confident that we’d be able to find the master gate again.

My plan worked and several hours later, we neared the town where we’d hitched a ride on the captain’s carriage. My elation faded when we found our way blocked by a thousand demon soldiers. Seeing the blockage, the horses slowed and came to a halt. Standing up so I could see in all directions, a cloud of dirt behind us alerted me that we’d been followed.

“Does the scribe know of a rune that will help us this time?” Sam asked.

After a quick mental consultation, I shook my head. “Nope. We’re screwed.”

Do not be so hasty,
Morax said slyly.
There is something you might be able to try.

“If you know something that will help us, now would be the time to spill it,” I said.

When a demon conquers a gate in all nine realms and manages to escape from hell, they are elevated to the position of a Lord. As a reward, they can call on a nightmare as a means of travel whenever they return to hell. Since you have defeated the master gate, perhaps the same privilege will be extended to you.

“At this point, I’m willing to try almost anything,” I muttered. It was a longshot, but I was just desperate enough to try it. “I, Hellscourge, have conquered the master gate and I require a nightmare to carry me to safety.”

I said it loudly and Sam flicked me an amused look at how pompous I sounded. I felt like an idiot for a few seconds, then a pair of scarlet eyes appeared in the distance. A shadowy body coalesced into a galloping nightmare that skidded to a stop next to our carriage. Shadows writhed around it and I realized they were part of its flesh. Rearing into the air, it made a sound that was a cross between a neigh and a roar of defiance. It clearly wasn’t happy that it had to serve me.

“I cannot believe you plan for us to ride that thing,” Sam said in a faint voice.

“Let’s get out of here before the Demon Lords catch up to us.” It seemed that the regiment of soldiers had been put in our path to stop us. They hadn’t made any move to attack and were just acting as a blockade. The carriages were almost on top of us and we had to move fast.

Jumping to the ground, I opened the carriage door and hauled the body of the lesser demon out. Sam clambered up onto the nightmare and I handed him the corpse. He dragged it across his lap then held his hand down to me. He was stronger than he looked and managed to pull me up behind him. I didn’t have reins or any way to control the nightmare, but it immediately took off at a gallop.

Anguished shouts came from behind us when our pursuers realized we were getting away. The soldiers in front of us braced themselves for impact as we headed straight for them. Proving it was far more than just a shadow, the nightmare exuded some kind of invisible force field. Soldiers were thrown to the left and right as we barreled our way through them.

Holding on for dear life, I looked back to see the small army of demons desperately chasing after us. My smug smile withered and died when a carriage burst through their ranks. Larger and far more ornate than the other coaches, four nightmares were pulling it. They strained in their traces, striving to catch up to us. A sense of malevolent evil exuded from the carriage and I knew who was inside it.

“Go! Go!” I screamed at our ride. The nightmare put its head down and galloped even harder. We streaked past the town and the distance that had taken us a couple of hours to walk passed by in mere minutes.

“There is the gate!” Sam shouted, drawing my attention away from the slowly gaining carriage.

Willing the nightmare on, I thumped my feet into its sides. It didn’t have breath to draw, but it put on a burst of speed anyway. “Open!” I shouted at the master gate. For a long, agonizing moment, nothing happened. Then the gargoyles stirred and a crack appeared in the wrought iron.

Only a hundred yards behind us now, the sound of the carriage’s wheels was overwhelming. I risked a look back to see great, glowing red eyes peering at me through the dark curtain. That one malevolent glance froze me to my core. Then we were streaking through the gate. It clanged shut before the carriage could slip through behind us. The nightmares roared in frustration and pulled up moments before they could smash into the barrier.

I looked back to see the curtain twitch then slide shut. Apparently, not even the master of hell itself could compel the gate to open. It had to be conquered before it would obey orders.

While it hadn’t been easy to defeat the gate, I felt a small kernel of doubt begin to fester inside me. If the master of hell was stronger than any demon in existence, then why hadn’t he conquered the master gate that ruled all others? A sense of doom took up residence in the back of my mind and I couldn’t shake it no matter how hard I tried.