“No!”
Puckering his lips, Iarla blew.
“NO!”
Flames blew from his palm and engulfed me.
Screaming my descent into hell, I was consumed.
Chapter Thirteen
Ifreaked out.
Straining and flailing against the ropes, I screamed myself hoarse—tears soaking my face and gag—as the flames consumed me and the pain—
Wait... The pain?
All around me was fire. Burning, crackling, and roaring so loud, it drowned out the bloodthirsty mob. Smoke filled my eyes and blotted out my vision, but the pain... why was there no pain?
No, not just no pain. Sound suddenly winked out too.
The chanting stopped, the roaring stopped, the crackling stopped, everything stopped. It was as if someone hit pause on the whole horrific scene.
Hold on. Lucifer! He did something! He stopped them from—
“Char?”
Every muscle in my body locked up.
That voice again. The voice I heard in the library that early morning before I was conked on the head. Thatfemalevoice. That voice belonging to a person who absolutely could not be here.
“Char, can you hear me?” A figure moved through the smoke. “Don’t worry, you’re not hurt, and you’re not going to be. Just give me a second and I’ll get you out of there and away from these squealing pigs.”
Over the shouting and confusion banging around in my mind, I heard a clear and distinctivesnap.
My ropes fell away, dumping me on the uneven surface.
I stumbled off the burning but heatless kindling, and dropped on the ground—my legs not even trying to hold me up.
She tsked. “Oh no, you’re still weak from the blood loss.”
Her shadow fell over me, and I choked. Curly golden locks, freckled nose, and that charming, crooked smile. Everything was the same except for one thing. Gone were her green eyes. Staring down at me were eyes that could be called nothing but demon red.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I have something that will make you feel good as new. The nightmare is over, Charlie. I’m here now.”
“But— But— But you can’t be here!” I burst out. “This is a trick. A glamour. An imp’s illusion! Mom,” I gasped, eyes bugged. “How?!”
My mother smiled at me. That same soft, loving smile I’ve missed for four long years. “When all other explanations fail you, the simplest one is best. You know how I came to be here, sweetheart, because there can be only one reason.
“Four years ago, when I died, I was sent to hell.”
“MOM” FLOATED ME THROUGHthe halls on an invisible magic stretcher. And like a stretcher, invisible bands lashed me down. Even if I was strong enough to get up and get away, that wasn’t happening.
“The first thing to know is that you’re safe now,” she said. “From that perverted vampire, from that fae brat, and from that mutt who’s so obsessed with you.”
My goodness, how long has this weirdo been watching me?
“I cast immobilization magic over the entire academy. Normally, I wouldn’t have the power for such a feat, but I’m much stronger these days.” She looked at me. “I know you have a lot of questions—”
