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Sliding down the stone, Big Daddy's eyes rolled back in his head as billowing clouds of Black Magic filled the air. Blowing hot air through his lips, Sith cleared the cave of the noxious smoke just in time for us to see his Sorcerous costume puff away and the real Gryla to reach her son. Dropping to her knees, she lifted his head onto her lap and scolded through tears, "See? I told you it wasn't me. Why wouldn't you believe me? Why did you have to go and cause all this trouble and get yourself hurt?"
“Never argue with your mom. Right, Old Man?”
“Indeed, Lad,”Sith responded, taking us over to where Lucy still lay.
“How is she doing?” I asked the Gingerbread Woman through Sith’s mouth.
"She'll be fine," the Familiar answered. "Fine but pissed. She will never get over the fact that she didn't get to kick Thor's ass."
"Somethings never change," I chuckled. "Lucy always was a wild one. If it's okay with you, Sith and I will send you both to Molly's house. Can you contact her and make sure she and the other Brown Witches are there and waiting to heal Lucy? Please? We have to deal with the person who caused all this trouble."
"Of course I will," she answered. "Trust and believe, I want to get outta here as quickly as possible." Looking down at my Mate, she smiled and then looked back at me. "And since we're gonna be spending the rest of forever in the same house, how about you call me Ginger?"
“Sounds good to me,” I snickered. “Now, hold on.”
No sooner had she climbed on Lucy's tummy than potent, non-specific Magic hit the back of my Warrior Dragon's neck, and Sith and I heard a portal open in the farthest corner of the dungeon. Spinning on our toes, my Dragon King was ready to blow Dragon Fire on whoever - or whatever - was about to enter the dungeon.
Fiery bolts of Dragon Magic flew in every direction as I warned,“Maybe wait until we know who it is.”
“Better safe than sorry, Lad,”he snarled.“And you know how I feel about backseat Dragoning.”
Before I could think of a good comeback, the portal opened wider still. Flames licked at the burning embers lining the exit of the vortex. Ungodly growls and howls and beastly cries echoed throughout the dungeon. The scent of sulfur and brimstone was everywhere, stinging not only Sith's throat but also mine.
The caustic bite of Black Magic and Evil Sorcery bit through scales and flesh and bone, nipping at the very core of our being. Something from Hell was entering our world, and the only thing we could do was fight it with everything that we were.
Charging forward, Sith and I made it halfway across the chamber when a deep bellow shook the entire mountain. “Halt, King Sith. It is I, Heffernan. I request permission to enter your world and collect what belongs to Lucifer.”
“Enter Heffernan,” Sith commanded. “Your entrance into this world is sanctioned.”
“You know the leader of Hell’s Guard?”I was shocked.“When did that happen?”
“Lad, we do not have time for a history lesson.”
“Well, we do have time to back up closer to our Mate. You may know these dudes, but I do not. And….”
Walking out of the bright swirling lights, seven of Hell's Guards marched into the dungeon, and I couldn't finish my thoughts. The Evil Magic was not coming from them but from the world behind them, and that made me feel a little better.
What I had always been told was the truth. Hell's Guards were not those sentenced to spend eternity in the Underworld. They were heroes who chose to sacrifice an eternity in the Heavens to protect the borders of the Underworld.
Wearing iron armor from head to toe, only the leader, Heffernan, had Phoenix feathers atop his helmet. Lifting his face shield, I saw an unbelievable sight.
His eyes were milky white with lashless eyelids that were just this side of translucent, and they glowed an eerie gold like a flame just about to go out. When our eyes met, I knew without a doubt that he was looking directly into my soul – and I refused to look away.
His skin was a purple and red mottled and lumpy scarred mass of flesh that reminded me of creatures from the horrible horror movies my cousins and I used to watch on late-night T.V. Most of his features were simply melted into blobs of skin and muscles resembling chunks of clay slapped onto a sculpture but never smoothed.
His lips were little more than the thinnest line of the palest pink, and his chin was nothing more than a dent. I could only imagine the rest of him, malformed by his centuries, standing guard near the Fires of Hell.
"There's no need for that," Sith warned. "He only has a familial connection to your escaped prisoner. There is nothing else. He and I share a bond forged by the Universe Herself."
A single sharp nod was the only response the Hell's Guard Commander gave as his probing gaze switched from mine to the Dragon King with whom I shared my soul. After several long, tense seconds, another nod came as his gruff, shadowy voice asked, "Do you need a Healer for the Mate of you and your Guardsman, King Sith?"
“We do not, but….”
“I am here now,” the unmistakable sound of silver bells answered.
"Goddess Brigid," I gasped as all seven of the Hell's Guards dropped to one knee, and Sith did an about-face so quickly that everything was a blur.
Instantly down on one knee, the most reverent and respectful tone I'd ever heard came from the Dragon King with whom I shared my soul. "Goddess Brigid, you humble us with your presence."
