“Something happened when Lilitu sliced meopen and her blood mingled with mine.”
Kobal had said her blood healed Hawk faster,but it had obviously done much more if he was still standing inHell with me. “Yes.”
Sweat dotted his upper lip when his eyesfell on me. “Am I like one of them now? Am I becoming or have Iturned into a canagh demon? Is that why Sarah is so obsessed withme?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you’re more like me,still human with demon tendencies or something like that.”
His full lips compressed into a thin line ashe kept his gaze focused straight ahead. “Maybe,” he muttered, buthe didn’t sound at all convinced by my words, and neither wasI.
We wound our way through the aisles towardthe back where we found the live “show.” If I’d ever been to acarnival on Earth, I would havehatedthe human version ofthis tent. The demon version made me want to scrub my skin in abath for a week.
The demons trapped behind the glass cagesset up on a stage were all alive, but their vacant gazes werefocused on something far beyond us as we walked before them. Thebearded lady looked human. I wondered if she had somehow stumbledinto this mess like us. Maybe she’d perished and her soul had beensent here, and now she was trapped within a hell mimicking what herlife had been.
Her blue eyes fell on me. There was noacknowledgment within them before she looked away again. We madeour way past more creatures and a couple more humans before comingacross the gallapos demon. Jabba the Hutt would have been jealousof the rolls on the gallapos. It was so heavy it was impossible tosee its legs; all that could be seen were tiny feet poking out fromunder its belly. Those feet were better suited to a two-year-oldthan a two-ton demon.
“Keep going,” Hawk said.
He rested his hand on my back and nudged meforward until we came to the end and the salavandor demon. Slimecoated the glass front, the walls, and ceiling of its cage. Itsblue tongue rolled out when it spotted us; its stubby arms flailedas it flattened its chest against the glass.
Looking like a much larger version of thesalamander its name resembled, it rose on its hind legs to a heightof fifteen feet. Mostly black, its body had yellow circles over itsbackside that became brighter in color as it stared at us. Athree-foot penis slid out from between its back legs; it slammedagainst the glass, leaving behind a fresh trail of slime. I took astumbling step back and spun away from the over-sized, hornylizard.
A scream of frustration burned my throat. Icouldn’t take much more of the oppressive feel of this place. Thestench of the living and dead gathered within the musty confinesmade my head pound.
Hawk rested his hand on my shoulder as Iinhaled a shaky breath and bent over to rest my hands on my knees.All the suffering of those trapped within pressed down on me asmisery clawed at my chest. I was struck by the overwhelming urge tosob out the anguish choking me. I hadn’t felt like this since myearly days of standing beside the gateway.
This was Hell, and it was living up to itsreputation. All I wanted was to out, but I had a feeling we werecaptured in some sort of sinister trap and breaking free would benext to impossible.
“River, are you okay?” Hawk inquired.
I was ashamed to realize a few tears hadslid free, and I hastily wiped them away. I’d worked so hard to beable to handle this place, to keep myself under control, but withinthis foul-smelling tent, I was unraveling faster than a yo-yo onits string. I’d never survive Hell if I didn’t get it together andkeep it that way.
“I’m fine,” I assured him.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.”
“I don’t think it’s going to be that easy.He’s trying to test us in here, but so far all that’s been testedis our ability not to puke.”
His hand squeezed my shoulder, but he didn’targue with me; we both knew I was right.
Never break free. I hated the thoughtblazing through my mind, but as I straightened and started walkingthrough the crowded aisles of the tent again, I became convinced wewould never be free of this place.
I was so entrenched in trying to shed mydesolation and not see what surrounded me that I didn’t noticeanything out of place until I heard a distinct click. My heartleapt into my throat. Had the salavandor gotten out? Was it huntingus within these aisles, looking to breed? I couldn’t imagine a moreunsettling notion, but once it was there, I became convinced thedemon was leaving behind a slimy trail of desire as it slid towardus.
CHAPTER 17
Kobal
“Magnimus has been extremely busy over theyears,” I said as I took in the booths and buildings lining thethoroughfare before me. Red, yellow, and orange banners hung limplyfrom poles in the breezeless darkness surrounding us. “What is thisplace?”
“It’s a carnival. Something the humans oncewent to for fun,” Corson said, his voice holding a note ofdisbelief. “I didn’t think Magnimus watched the human world.”
“Neither did I,” I muttered as my gaze slidover the empty booths and the creatures and demons of Hell gatheredon some of the shelves. “But then, we haven’t known what the demonof illusions has been up to in years.”
“I don’t trust him,” Bale said as she lookedaround.
“He was once an ally and friend,” Corsonreminded her.
“And then he became a coward and retreatedinto his own world,” Bale retorted with a snort.
