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“Where exactly do you keep your hellhound?” I ask, shielding my eyes from the suddenly bright flames that light the sky above me.
Micah moves a bit faster, and he doesn’t respond to my question until we reach a vast arched doorway with thick flaming bars caging something inside.
Wicked, animalistic growls rumble from within the cage. The hairs on my arms rise. My heartbeat picks up pace, and I clutch onto Micah tighter. “Whoa.”
“Don’t be frightened.” He sits back on his haunches, forcing me to slide off his back and onto my feet.
I cautiously shuffle around him, keeping close to his body. “Says the beast-man overlord of Gluttony. I’m a snack for most here.”
Chuckling, Micah flicks his tail at me again. “They wouldn’t dare. You’re mine to feast on in pleasure and ecstasy.”
Damn, do I like the sound of that.
I gather my gall and make my way to the front of him. He transforms back into his human façade. Strolling forward, he leads the way and stops in front of the flaming gate. My whole body tenses the second a massive form appears. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting a hellhound to look like, but now that I see it, I realize it was exactly like this. Well, except for the three heads. I always thought that type of monster was just a myth. Okay, I guess I thought all of Hell and Heaven and angels and demons were just make-believe as well. But now, I think I’d even believe in aliens. But I’ve never asked. It’s already so much for me to take in.
“Raven, this is Hound,” Micah says, touching his fingers to the flaming bars and using power to open them. “You don’t have to be intimidated or frightened. It knows that you are mine.”
“Wait a minute. You call this thing Hound? Isn’t that a little...basic?” Mustering the strength to keep my nerve, I strut my way closer to stand beside Micah. I instinctively tuck myself under his arm, and I slide my hand around his back, hugging him close. “Technically, you should have three names for it.”
“I’m not very creative. Why don’t you name the guys?” Micah reaches his hand out and scratches the flames under the middle head’s chin. “I’m sure they would love that.”
I love how Micah has gone from referring to the hellhound as it and instead calls the three-headed beast them. Because clearly, each of the hellhound’s heads looks to have distinct personalities. And despite them being on fire, with bright red eyes, frothy jowls, and coats that look as if they are covered in black goo, these beasts are kind of cute.
“Well,” I say, pointing my finger at the head on the right. The beast stretches his neck forward and bows slightly. I reach out and gently graze my fingers just above the flames on the top of his head between his ears. “I think you should call this one Chaos.”
Micah tilts his head and studies the beast for a moment. “That is actually very fitting.”
“Is that so?” I ask.
“He is a bit hard to handle sometimes. He tends to interrupt the others and causes chaos when he is let loose among the rotten souls around here.” Micah grins with his words like he remembers an incident that happened with the hellhounds.
I move on to the head on the left and let the beast sniff my hand. He puffs out a breath of hot smoke and then licks his sizzling tongue across my fingers. “I think you should name this one Spike.” I reach up and touch the pointed ears on his head. It’s not just two ears either. It looks like the beast has four. Or maybe the two extras are horns? I can’t be certain. “What do you think?”
“I think that is perfect. Isn’t that the name of one of the guys on that show you and Elias sometimes watched?” Micah scratches his fingers under Spike’s chin.
“It’s one of them. Which means that I think I want to name the middle hound Dean.” I grin, thinking how Elias would appreciate the fact that I’m naming Micah’s hellhounds after some characters in our favorite shows.
Micah turns to me and touches my cheek. “He would.”
Silence falls between the two of us as we stare at the three-headed hellhound and just continue to pet it as if it’s a cute fluffy poodle. Screams echo in the distance, and I shift on my feet and look behind me. I’m desperate for Micah to distract me more. I need to move. I need to cut a dick or punch a boob. I just need to get my mind off Elias again before tears prickle in my eyes.
“What do you think about having Dean, Spike, and Chaos, help us pick out the next bastard you practice on?” Micah pushes me back and whistles softly, getting the hellhounds to come out of the kennel.
“That would be incredibly awesome,” I say, swiveling on my feet. “Can I just give them an idea of the type of evil soul I’m looking for, and they’ll help us?”
Micah wiggles his eyebrows with his beaming smile. He obviously loves entertaining me any way he can, which I appreciate. I’m lucky to have him as my teacher of punishment and justice. It helps me feel better, knowing that I’m still his purpose in this eternity, and he enjoys standing with the devils. “That’s exactly what you can do. It’s a lot of fun. The beasts will lead the way, and we can sneak up and scare them from behind. Or maybe you can have them beg for some mercy first.”
“Had I not known you used to be an angel, I think that you would actually be known as Satan instead of Lucian claiming the title of the most notorious devil. Because you are one sexy evil, just devil.” I kiss Micah on the cheek and lace my fingers through his.
“I try my best to fill the position.” Micah swings our hands and lets out another whistle, sending the hellhounds running.
“You do a damn good job,” I say, twisting my body to plant a kiss to his shoulder. “Now, what kind of evil soul should I practice on next. I kind of have a thing for the fire chain that Lucian uses.”
Micah doesn’t get a chance to respond because the hellhounds swing their body around and release a harsh, throaty snarl. I tense and close the space to Micah. Something about the hellhounds’ reaction scares me. I automatically think that something giant, disgusting, and evil is about to start a fight with the king of Gluttony.
“I knew that you liked my fire chain.” Lucian’s deep voice sounds from behind me. “Don’t you think that it should be me teaching you how to use it?”
I don’t know whether I should be annoyed or happy to see Lucian. I still have all sorts of mixed emotions about him. I know he’s trying his best, but I do hold a long-ass grudge. I can’t help it. But I also can’t help the fact that my body goes crazy at just his presence alone, Especially in Hell. It’s like my soul craves his darkness.
