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“Where are the humans?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know, but it looks like they’ve been gone a while.”
“Gone where?”
“I don’t want to think about it. But we can take what we need and rest before we move on.”
“I think the next question is obvious…”
“And if I had the answer, it would be yours. In the meantime, gather what supplies you can—look for canned food, water stored in bottles, and somewhere dark and enclosed to rest in. Temperatures will plummet once the sun goes down.”
“Consider it done. What will you be doing?”
“I’m going to speak with our guest,” I replied, cocking my head toward Hekata. “She was once one of the best Seekers I knew, maybe she has some idea of where we are.”
Missolis nodded and walked toward the nearest group of rebels, barking orders as she went. It didn’t take long for them to organize into groups and start searching the nearby buildings. It was impressive, but then, she’d been an Overlord in Hell; giving orders came naturally to her, and the rebels were keen to have something to do.
Etari approached with Hekata, bound still and sullen-faced, handing her chains to me before joining the rest of the scouts. I waited until they were all gone before sitting cross-legged in front of Hekata and inviting her to do the same, but she remained standing.
“Are you going to kill me?” she asked.
“Why would I kill you?”
“You’re an angel, I’m a demon. We are at war.”
“That may have been true once, but things have changed. I wouldn’t have rescued you if I was just going to kill you.”
Hekata rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Rescued me? Is that what you think you did? Don’t tell me you intend on trying to get me to access my feelings again. I assure you, it will not work.””
“No, that’s not why I wanted to speak with you.”
“Then why have you rescued me? Why not let me take my chances in the desert like the others?”
“Call me sentimental, but I couldn’t just let you die out there with the others—because they will die, either from thirst, or hunger, or sunburn.”
She seemed not to understand the word sunburn. Instead of dealing with that word, she scowled like she so often did. “Lucifer brought us here to challenge us, so that only the strongest will form part of his glorious army.”
“I had a feeling you’d say that, but I’m afraid you are wrong—Lucifer brought you here because he’s a sick fuck who enjoys tormenting others.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Except I do. Of the two of us, I’m the only one who’s actually met Lucifer and spoken with him.”
Hekata looked down at me, her jaw moving as she considered whether I was being truthful or not. Curiosity must have won as she sat down, chains clinking, in front of me. “Tell me.”
Her curiosity about him clearly outweighed her contempt for me.
“Medrion freed Lucifer.” Hekata cringed visibly at the name, about to protest, but I continued. “I tried to stop him, but I was too late. As Medrion’s reward for freeing him, Lucifer snapped his neck and tossed his corpse into the Pit. I’m pretty sure the only reason I’m still alive is because he didn’t see me as worth the effort to kill—he just kicked me into the Pit to join the corpses.”
“Perhaps he meant to challenge you, to see if you could claw your way?—”
“No,” I said, interrupting. “I’m sorry. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but Lucifer is not who you want him to be. He wasn’t who I wanted him to be either.”
“Then why release us?”
“I genuinely don’t know. I can only imagine that he wanted you all to suffer as he did.”
“We have suffered enough in his name.” She spat on the ground in disgust.
