I settled in next to Mason and brushed a thin layer of fresh snow off his foot.He’d positioned himself on the ledge to face the back of the building, his eyes aimed directly at the grounds below.After a decade, I couldn’t recall theexactspot of the portal, but I knew it was down there somewhere.Guess it was too much to ask for a glowing sign with a flashing arrow that read, “Entrance to Hell.”
I braced my arms against the ledge and peeked over.Before I lost my wings, heights had never bothered me.Why would they when I could fly?But now, my heart gave a tiny, anxious flutter.A fall wouldn’t kill me, but it sure would hurt like the dickens.
Still, the view was quite breathtaking.Snow blanketed the grounds below, muting everything in shades of white and grey, the trees stripped bare for the season.The sun had just started to dip, casting a warm glow over the winter landscape.As much as I hated the cold, I had to admit—winter looked peaceful, even beautiful.
“Definitely scored a prime location, hey Mason?”I murmured, my gaze scouring every inch of land.
The only answer was the wind, whistling through the silence—a faint, hollow hum that cut through the crisp, winter air.Mason, of course, remained perfectly still, his face locked in a vigilant, unmoving expression.Carved into his gargoyle form, he looked every bit the ancient guardian, standing against ages of frost, wind, and time itself.
Gargoyles had always fascinated me.Their transformation was unlike any other shapeshifters.The way they snapped to life when the sun finally set, as if they hadn’t just spent the entire day frozen in stone—it was both eerie and impressive.
Minutes ticked by, and the sun continued to inch its way lower.I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, rubbing my gloved hands together for warmth and watching as the sky deepened into twilight.Shadows stretched across the grounds below, and the chill in the air grew sharper as the light faded.My anticipation grew, knowing Mason’s transformation would soon begin.
Finally, the sun dipped below the horizon, and dusk settled over the city.A faint cracking noise broke the silence as Mason began to shift, small fissures spreading across his hard surface.I watched as the granite layer splintered and crumbled, his rigid, winged form beginning to expand and reshape.His limbs elongated, muscles shifting beneath his skin as he grew to his full size.As the last remnants of stone fell away, he stood fully clothed, presumably in whatever he’d worn at sunup, before taking his perch.His almost grey eyes blinked open, sharp and alert, and he instantly took in his surroundings.
“Lily,” he greeted me with a half-smile.“Never thought I’d see you up here.To what do I owe the honour?”
I turned my attention back to the snow-covered grounds.The landscape below stretched out in pristine white, smooth and undisturbed, with no sign of any supernatural ripples or hidden doorways.Just the quiet, empty beauty of winter.“I was hoping to get a look at the portal,” I admitted, chuckling, “but all I see is snow.Guess gargoyles really do have the best eyesight.”
Mason chuckled alongside me.“I can take you to it if you want a closer look.”
“Lead the way,” I replied, gesturing to the narrow stairs.
With a slight smirk, Mason did exactly that.Together, we turned away from the ledge and began our careful retreat down the winding stairwell.I had to hand it to him—for a guy his size, he moved with surprising stealth, each step soundless as we descended.But even so, I kept my ears sharp for any sign of security making their rounds.
As we reached the ground level, Mason held a finger to his lips and pointed ahead.A flashlight beam cut through the darkness just beyond the corner of the building.I pulled back into the shadows, pressing myself against the stone wall as the security guard’s footsteps grew louder.I glanced over at Mason, who remained perfectly still, blending seamlessly into the shadows beside me.We waited, barely breathing, until the guard’s steps receded and the light disappeared around the far side of the building.
Once the coast was clear, we slipped around to the back, careful to avoid any more patrols.Our boots crunched softly over the snow, the icy air stinging my cheeks.
“There was another reason I came to see you,” I said, breaking the silence.
Mason cocked his head toward me.“Oh?”
“I wanted you to know…that hellspawn you saw?She’s dead.So you don’t need to worry about her anymore.”
Mason’s eyes widened, but he nodded.“Good.Less hellspawn means a little less trouble around here.Provided more don’t come through.”
When he didn’t ask any more questions, I breathed a sigh of relief.The fewer details I shared, the better it was for everyone.
“You haven’t seen any others come through?”I asked.
“Not during the day.But I don’t hang around here at night.”
I nodded thoughtfully.One hellspawn had already slipped through, and with no one here to watch the portal, it was possible more had followed suit.I hardly expected Deidre would be the last.My father wasn’t known for patience.When he wanted something, he did whatever he could to acquire it.
Mason led me across the grounds and pointed in front of us.As we neared our destination, a shiver ran up my spine, the faintest ripple in the air brushing against my senses.Even after all this time, the energy here was unmistakable—a dark, magnetic pull I recognized all too well.
I stopped just shy of the portal’s invisible boundary, my gaze drifting over the familiar patch of ground—now blanketed in snow.Standing here, it was impossible not to think back to the day I’d arrived.One second, I’d been standing in Lucifer’s throne room, and the next,boom, I was here—thrust into a place the stark opposite of Hell.
Where I’d expected to see geysers spewing hellfire and scorched, jagged terrain, I’d instead seen soft grass, fluffy clouds, and leafy trees.Back then, I hadn’t known what any of those things even were.Everything had seemed so foreign to me—the sounds, the smells, the colours.
Maybe that was why I hadn’t been able to remember the portal’s exact location.Everything had been a blur of confusion and disorientation.But none of that had compared to the moment I’d realized my wings were gone.The utter hysteria that had brought me to my knees.
Slowly, I reached a hand toward the portal, fingers stretched out to test the energy that lingered in the air.The sensation was faint but unmistakable—a ripple, a subtle distortion that set it apart from the otherwise quiet stillness of this world.Right here, hidden from my eyes, was a tether to Hell, an unwanted link to the place I’d once called home.
“And Bingo was his name-oh,” I whispered, my fingertips tingling.
“Can you see it now?”Mason asked.
