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Before he can say another word, I’m storming back out. Not caring about the many demons standing and watching the fiasco. Not caring I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve.
Blindly, I storm through twisting corridors, tears blurring my vision. I don’t care where I end up, as long as it’s far from Bax and the smoldering wreckage of my dreams.
But as with Hell and Damnation Financial, without a purpose in mind, you tend to end up where you need to go.
The bar isn’t much, just a hole in the wall tucked away in one of Hell’s many winding corridors. The sign hanging above the door creaks ominously, the letters barely visible in the dim lighting: “The Devil’s Brew.” I push open the door, the scent of cheap booze and stale smoke washing over me.
Inside, the bar is bathed in a dim reddish light. Rough laughter and smoke fill the gloom. The mix of strange and unfamiliar faces look up from their drinks as I enter, their expressions ranging from mild curiosity to outright fear. I ignore them, striding to the bar and sliding onto a worn stool. The bartender—a demon with too many eyes and not enough ears—eyes me warily.
“Whiskey. Leave the bottle,” I croak. I know drinking away pain never works, but right now I’m desperate for any escape.
The bartender nods, pouring a tumbler full and sliding it towards me. I down it in one go, the liquid fire scorching its way down my throat.
Round after round, I lose myself in the burn of the alcohol, each glass a brief respite from the gnawing anger and hurt. The demons keep their distance, their sidelong glances seem tinged with…fear? I must look deranged in my disheveled state.
But I can’t find the humor in it. Not tonight.
I keep drinking, the world around me blurring until all I can focus on is the sharp sting of the alcohol and the dull throb of my heart. I’m on the verge of ordering another drink when the drink catches up to me and I pass out atop the bar. When I come to, a demon bouncer is dragging me outside. “You’re cut off, human. Sleep it off elsewhere.”
Humiliated, I shuffle into an alley. What am I doing? This won’t help matters. Bax may have dealt the blow, but wallowing in self-pity solves nothing.
As I sober up, steely determination settles over me. My goals remain unchanged, no matter these temporary setbacks. Starting tomorrow, I’ll redouble my efforts, on my terms this time.
With renewed conviction, I stumble my way to the bus stop. The late-night bus will take me to Upper Hellfire Street and I can sleep this off in my cozy bed in my free-for-now penthouse.
I weave through the winding streets, the world tilting and blurring around me. The harsh, otherworldly lights of Hell’s cityscape dance and flicker in my vision. Demons of all shapes and sizes scatter as I approach, their eyes wide, their mutterings lost in the haze of the alcohol still clouding my senses. That’s right. Buzz off.
I barely register their fear, too consumed by my thoughts and the gnawing pit in my stomach.
The bus stop is a beacon in the swirling chaos, the only solid, stable thing in my world right now. I collapse onto the bench, the cold metal seeping through my clothes, grounding me. I close my eyes, the darkness behind my eyelids a spot of relief from the whirling colors in my vision.
The bus arrives with a hiss and a groan, its doors creaking open to reveal a packed interior. Damn. I’ll probably have to stand and I’m hardly steady on my feet. But when the demons inside glance my way, their eyes widen in fear. A wordless ripple passes through the crowd, and like a wave receding from the shore, they scramble to the back, pressing against each other in their haste to create as much distance as possible between us.
I can’t fathom why, I’ve never experienced this on the bus before, but I don’t have the energy to care right now. I shrug and stagger into the suddenly vacant front seat, the bus jerking into motion as soon as I’m seated. The world outside the window becomes a blur of lights and colors, a swirling vortex that lulls me into a restless sleep.
The abrupt stop of the bus jolts me awake. I blink, disoriented, as the doors slide open. The sign outside reads “Hellfire Street.” I frown, confused, I hadn’t pressed the bell. But the bus driver, a massive demon with rows of serrated teeth, simply grunts and ushers me off the bus without a word as if he can’t wait to be rid of my presence. As soon as my shoes hit the pavement, the bus screeches off with a speed that sends a gush of air flying around me.
The street outside is eerily quiet, the towering buildings casting long shadows that stretch out into the night. The demons on the street scatter at my approach, their eyes wide and fearful. I don’t understand why, but again, I’m too tired to care.
Finally reaching the looming edifice of Hellfire Hotel, I slump against the cold stone of the building. The smooth surface is a stark contrast to the chaotic whirl of my thoughts, the coolness seeping into me, grounding me. I decide to rest here for a few minutes, just to gather my thoughts.
Leaning against the wall, I slide down to the pavement, my knees drawn up to my chest. My thoughts are a whirl, spinning and twirling, the events of the day replaying in a never-ending loop.
The night stretches on, the city’s cacophony fading into a distant hum. The demons continue to give me a wide berth, their eyes wide with something akin to fear or respect. It’s a mystery that I’ll solve another day.
For now, I close my eyes, the weariness pulling me into its embrace. The last fleeting thought before I succumb to sleep is a promise to myself: tomorrow, I’ll start anew.
I’ll fight, not for Bax, not for Hell and Damnation Financial, but for myself and my sister. I’ll make it through, on my own terms.
ChapterTwelve
Bax
Elara storms out of my office, leaving me with a room filled with her righteous anger. Her accusations hang in the air like a curse. The door slams shut behind her, the sound echoing in the tense silence. I stand there, stunned and fuming.
Hell’s bells, what a temper.
I didn’t crash the system. Damn it, why would I do that? It was a glitch, a stupid, unavoidable glitch. Just as I’d been trying to explain to the lower demon when she walked in.
