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“You smell familiar,” his rough voice rings out, causing goosebumps to appear on my skin.
“And you look like shit, but you don’t see me complaining,” Lynx comments, and it brings a small smile to my face until I see the look of confusion crossing his.
It’s as if a small part of him is still in there, demanding he act like his normal self, but he doesn’t understand. I wish there was an easier way to help him. I look back at the Demon before us, and it looks as if he’s debating skinning Lynx alive as he grips his machete tighter.
It’s not until Levi speaks up that he breaks eye contact with Lynx.
“Hello, Beelzebub. How did you find us?” Levi questions. I might be wrong, but I think I detect a hint of fear in his voice. I don’t blame him, though. The Demon in front of us is terrifying.
“Leviathan,” he grunts, nodding his head in greeting. “Wards went off. Come. I have something that might be yours,” Bee—I’m not calling him that long ass name—turns before walking out of the room, expecting us to follow him. Yes, Bee sounds appropriate. He stings like a bee but seems to have more than one stinger.
“Come on, Rez. He’s a gentle mass murderer. He won’t harm a hair on your pretty little head,” Ryker says as he wraps his arms around my shoulders and guides us after the so-called “nice” psychopath.
Yeah, that’s what I want in my murderer… A gentle touch.
“He’s part of L.A.M.B.,” Ryker continues.
“L.A.M.B.?” I arch a brow. “You mean that tattoo doesn’t mean he loves little baby sheep?”
Ryker chuckles. “Not at all. L.A.M.B.: Lucifer, Astaroth, Murmur, and Beelzebub. Together they rule Hell.”
Aww fuck me.
* * *
We walk out of the cavern-like office and into a wide hallway. The walls are lined with abstract art, the kind you would find in a museum. We come upon a window and I pause, glancing outside. There’s a blood-red moon hanging low in the sky, highlighting a massive gate and structures that look like scarecrows just inside of them. The few stars that are out shine a bright orange and blue. This can’t be Hell… Isn’t it supposed to be full of blood and fire or something like that?
Are we still in hell, or did we just switch realms or something?
We walk into an open concept area, which reminds me of a fucking palace. The room is massive, with towering ceilings, and even though it’s an open area, it’s divided into sections, separated by various arrangements of black leather furniture.
Directly in front of us is a sitting area with an L-shaped sofa, a love seat, and two armchairs. An enormous decorative fireplace is embedded into the wall to the right. It’s fucking big enough for me to walk into without slouching. A morbid idea flutters into my head, and I can’t help but wonder if our sweet mass murderer ever has his victims walk into that for a quick clean-up.
Across the room from the sitting area is an old-fashioned L-shaped bar with a coffee machine in the corner, and a poker table is to the right. Fancy. My eyes travel to the far-left corner, where a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf catches my eye. It is filled with books and tchotchkes. I wonder what secrets it holds. To my immediate left is a small game area with a set-up chess table and a few stacks of games, waiting to be picked.
There are three exits off this room, not including the way we came in, and massive white marble pillars line each archway. The walls are painted light gray, and the floors are gray marble with black marble swirls. Thick white rugs are placed around the room, giving it a somewhat lived-in atmosphere, but the fact I’m standing in Hell is doing nothing to calm my already frazzled nerves.
“Sit,” Bee demands as he walks around the sofa and to the back of the room. He looks back at us as the guys make themselves comfortable before he pushes through a set of swinging double doors, leaving us alone.
A squeak leaves me as hands grab my waist, pulling me down onto Ryker's lap. I watch as the guys settle in, but it’s obvious who’s been to Hell and who hasn’t. Levi sinks into the armchair like it was made for him, but JP shifts in his seat like it’s irritating his skin. I don’t blame him. My best friend’s memories are blank; I don’t know where Moni’s at or if she’s okay; Knots is still at the school, which is currently under attack; I have no idea how to reach him or if he’s okay; and to top everything off, I’m in Hell, where a homicidal Demon keeps grunting at us.
“Relax,” Ryker whispers into my ear.
“I can’t,” I confess, and Knox gives me a concerned look.
“I’m sure I can make you relax,” Ryker whispers. His breath tickles along the rim of my ear, causing my skin to break out into goosebumps.
“This is hardly the pla—” I jump out of Ryker’s lap as I hear a commotion in the room Bee has disappeared into.
“What was that?” I ask and look around so someone can give me an answer.
“I’m sure it’s nothing…” Ryker says, reaching out for my hand. But I pull away when I hear a small boom going off in the back room. And before I can say anything else, I hear the best sound in the world, propelling me around the sofa and toward the back of the room.
“Then get out of my way, Goliath!” Moni shouts angrily, flying through the swinging door in the back of the room, looking all red and flustered.
“Moni!” I yell, running to her and pulling her tight to me. JP comes up behind me but waits while we have our moment. “Are you okay?” I whisper low enough for her to hear.
“No!” she wails as she pulls back and looks at me as she turns a light teal, showing her worry. “I don’t know where Chester is. He was with me one minute, and the next, a dirty Demon got his hands on me and assaulted my tail. My tail, Rez. And worst of all, they have no beans! They only have decaf. I can’t live on decaf, Rez! I need my sweet nectar of life! I only have a limited amount in my socket pocket,” she cries as she grabs her tail and rubs it against her rapidly changing blue cheek.
