Infernal Games by Jenna Wolfhart
31
That was all I needed to hear. I crouch-walked away from the boulder, darted toward the next rock, and then practically crawled the rest of the way out of the hellgate room. When I made it to safety—ha!—I let out a long, shuddering breath. Lucifer was still by the gate with Rafael, and I could no longer make out their words. Maybe they couldn’t hear me either.
Right. I couldn’t focus on Az and the others right now. If I did, it might crush me. Lucifer hadn’t said he’d actually killed them, so there was still a chance they were alive.
There was another option. He’d sent them to Hell. I didn’t know how he’d gotten them from A to B without so much as a shout, but that was what I was working with right now.
As I crept down the tunnel away from Lucifer, there was a part of me that wanted to rush straight toward him and beg to be taken into the underworld. I wanted to reach Az. I wanted to get Serena and Priyanka out of there. I couldn’t stand the thought of any of them trapped in that horrible place forever.
There had to be something I could do.
But I couldn’t be certain that was even where they were. And right now, Lucifer was hunting me.
When I reached the fork in the path, I took the tunnel toward the light.
I needed to remember that I was the only one left. If I let myself get caught, I’d be no help to anyone. Besides, I’d never been to Hell before. What was it like? Was it just a bunch of volcanoes and fire pits? Were there cities? How did I avoid getting eaten by monsters?
All very valid questions, and I had zero answers. Az had never wanted to talk about it, and I couldn’t blame him. If Lucifer loved the place, it probably sucked.
At the end of the tunnel, I reached another cavernous room. Street lamps shone through the sidewalk grates high above, casting light upon a maze of stalagmites. Their sharp points rose from the ground like a bizarre collection of vampire teeth.
My hope deflated. I’d chosen this route, thinking I’d find something else other than rocks and emptiness. Although...maybe they’d all gotten away. They could have raced toward the light and found this way out. I tipped back my head and gazed up at the grates. With wings, they’d be able to force their way back into Manhattan.
And if Serena and Priyanka had been with them, the demons could have taken them out of here, too.
The only problem with my little theory was the fact that none of them would have left me alone in here with Lucifer.
“Mia!” Lucifer’s voice rang out behind me, echoing off the cavernous walls.
My heart rattled. I dove into the maze of stalagmites, scrabbling out of sight. His footsteps were the only sound that followed as he strode into the room. Fear pounded in my veins. Surely he could smell that.
“It’s pointless to hide, Mia,” he said. “You’re in here all alone, and you have no one left to protect you.”
I glanced down at the metal stake in my head. There was no one around to protect me, but at least I had this. I wondered if he’d considered that when moving his little chess pieces around the board. Did he know I’d be more than willing to ram this thing into his heart?
Come at me, I thought, tightening my grip around the steel. He thought of me as a helpless human. And you know what? That was fine. The more he underestimated me, the more satisfying it would be when I beat him at his own game.
He’d won far too much times. He’d taken my past life. And now he’d taken Az from me. I might not be the strongest fighter out there, but I’d never give up.
It’s not about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you get hit, and then stand up again for more.
Lucifer let out a frustrated sigh as he wandered through the cave. “This is very tiresome. You do know you have no hope of an escape.”
He rounded one of the stalagmites close to me. Gritting my teeth, I scuttled to the side, ducking behind a larger rock just before he spotted me.
Lucifer froze. So did I. There was no doubt in my mind he’d probably heard me, but that didn’t mean he could pinpoint my exact location.
“Do you know what lions like to do with their prey, Mia?” he asked from where he still stood, only a few inches away from where I hid.
Obviously, I didn’t answer. Did he really think I was that dumb?
“They stalk them,” he hissed. “They sometimes like to play with their food. It’s a great game at times, but eventually, they grow bored with it.”
Mouth dry, I peeked my head around the stalagmite and gazed at the tunnel that would lead me out of here. The problem was, I had nowhere to go. If I went back to the stairwell, the bolted door would block my exit. If I returned to the other cavern, the only way out was Hell.
And Lucifer knew it.
No matter how well I hid. No matter how long I evaded capture...none of it mattered. Because I couldn’t go anywhere. I didn’t have wings to take me to the safety of the sidewalks, and I didn’t have the brute force to knock down doors.
I fingered the ring around my neck. This was the only power I had, and I’d already used it up. It had never come back to me so quickly after a blast.
But it’s all I’ve got.
He sighed again. “You do know I can smell you, right?”
Slowly, I pushed up from the ground on wobbly legs. Lucifer stood just before me, a wicked smile curling his full lips. His eyes flicked toward the stake in my hands. Good. The perfect distraction.
My other palm squeezed the ring as my mind called upon Az’s power. Magic blasted from deep within my gut and hurtled toward the King. It hit him square in the chest. Eyes wide, he stumbled back.
And then I ran.
