Revealing the Monster by Amelia Hutchins
Chapter Thirty-Two
There’s bliss in the unknowing of what tragedy will unfold next. I wish we could remain there, just on the cusp of knowing, but numb to what will come for us. ~Lena
The lower level of the guild was bathed in shadows. Nothing made a peep as we reached the bottom of the staircase. The walls were covered in fresh splatter from what appeared to be arterial blood, sat above the bookshelves, explaining the tangy scent. Dim light from a backup generator offered enough illumination that we could make out crumpled forms on the far wall.
Ristan paused at the foot of the stairs, looking toward the guild library. No one spoke, and the sadness that filled the air was thick enough to make you choke. He stepped back without warning, and Synthia reached for his arm, preventing him from escaping.
“Too many fucking ghosts down here, Flower,” Ristan uttered softly, his voice cracking. “I’ll go help above. I can’t be down here right now.”
“I understand,” she replied, nodding her head. “I’m sure they can use some assistance, or will once we figure out what we’re dealing with down here.”
He vanished from sight, and a silent look passed between Synthia and Ryder while Zahruk replaced Ristan in the lead. Swords with jagged edges covered the blades he held, pulsing with power, causing the furies within me to acknowledge them. They hummed like they were singing a song that tethered a thread inside of me.
Zahruk’s head tilted slightly left, and his gaze narrowed on me as if he sensed my interest. When he moved closer, his mouth opened, and a shrill scream erupted from his throat. Lucian stepped next to me, awarding Zahruk with a warning glare. He shook his light brown hair, dispelling whatever the hell had just come over him.
Zahruk opened his mouth to speak again, but something else answered him. The sound was like nails over a chalkboard and grating enough to make ears actually bleed. Several more shrilling cries filled the lower level, coming from multiple directions.
“That’s not a good sign.” I slid my gaze over the furthest corners of the library. “We’re being watched.”
“Obviously,” Spyder chuckled. “I think we need to work on your skills, Kitty. We’ve been under surveillance since the moment we entered this building.”
“I’m new at this shit, asshole,” I shot back, searching for whatever was observing us.
We started forward to the source of the erratic heartbeats, each one of us hugging the shelves while we moved through the darkness. The fluorescent lights buzzed, making so much noise that it sounded like we were in the midst of filming some low-budget horror show from the eighties.
I followed behind the others, peeking between shelves until something caught my attention on the floor. Swallowing down the fear etching up through my system, I grabbed Lucian’s arm, stopping him from following everyone else.
There was a winged beast in the middle of the aisle, watching us through dark obsidian eyes. The immense creature was kneeling, shoulders hunched as its wings slowly rose, aiming toward us where we stood motionless, staring it down. Its mouth opened, releasing a scream that had me clapping my hands over my ears. Then, just as quickly as it started, it ended. The aisle was vacant. The winged creature had vanished, and we looked around frantically, trying to find it again.
“Where the fuck did it go?” I asked, directing the question at everyone.
Spinning in a tight circle, I gasped as the lights extinguished, bathing the room in darkness. I grabbed onto Lucian, turning to where I felt shadows wrapping around me as the screaming from the other room turned to a slurping noise.
I closed my eyes, allowing the furies to fix my sight, knowing when I opened them, I’d be able to see again.
We entered the chamber off of the library and paused.
“Holy shit,” Synthia whispered, echoing my thoughts.
In the far corner were more winged creatures that spun on us, abandoning the women on the floor who stared sightlessly at the ceiling. They looked just like the one we’d seen in the other room. Their huge silver wings expanded with claw-like tips, and dark glyphs painted their flesh, pulsing as if alive.
“Oh my gods,” I whispered as the middle one moved closer to us.
The creature slithered toward us, its gaze holding mine as it opened its mouth, hissing. Tears burned my eyes as I shook my head. He hadn’t wanted to be immortal. Alden had chosen his path and planned to die as a mortal, yet here he was, a full Unseelie prince with wings and all.
“How the hell did this happen?” Synthia whispered, her words coming out choked as she spoke them.
“Why is he not like Zahruk?” Erie asked, turning her gaze toward Zahruk, who shrugged.
Ryder grunted, pushing his fingers through his dark hair, shaking his head. “Zahruk is fae already. Alden was human. They’re not the same species. Humans that change—they have to go through the transformations that the breed suffers. My guess is, Alden is in transition. It seems that the Unseelie prison claimed him as one of their princes.”
Alden looked majestic. His salt and pepper hair was thicker, darker. Light gray eyes switched from blue to obsidian sheen as he studied us. His brands were silver and black, and his large wings appeared soft and beautiful. His mouthful of serrated teeth, on the other hand, didn’t look gentle in the least.
The other creatures beside Alden turned their heads, listening to something. Ryder’s eyes swung to the doorway. Before anyone could prevent it, the newly created Unseelie shot toward us as Ryder swore vehemently. Just as they would have slammed directly into us, all the Unseelie vanished.
“Jesus, fuck!” I shouted, shock and adrenaline flowing through me.
“Where the hell did they just go?” Synthia demanded, rushing into the vacant library.
“Someone called them, and they chose to answer that call,” Ryder informed coolly. “They’ve decided on a king, or they’ve chosen to serve the existing one. Only a king can summon princes.”
“They have one,” Zahruk stated. “He’s calling them to him right now. I can feel it within me, the need to go to him.”
“Do me a favor, and don’t answer,” Ryder grumbled, his inner frustration exposed in his voice. “Pet, you need to open the shelter so we can check on the children.”
Synthia nodded, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Alden didn’t want this.”
“No, he didn’t. It can’t be undone, though, and he’ll have to come to terms with it, eventually. Right now, all we can do is see if the children and enforcers made it into that protective chamber before Alden began feeding with the others.”
“I can’t put him down, Ryder. I won’t.”
“I second that,” I stated, nodding at Synthia. “Alden is family. He’s our family.”
Synthia nodded, her tears falling with mine as she came closer, hugging me while everyone else watched. It was heartbreaking to know Alden was turned against his will, making him an immortal now. Normally, I wouldn’t feel bad about that, but it was Alden. He’d chosen to live the rest of his life as a human or as close as possible. Now that wouldn’t be happening.
Synthia released me, drifting toward the doorway leading to the enchanted walkway that opened up at the shelter’s entrance. The runes swirled to life around us the moment we stepped foot into the hallway.
“I don’t think they tried to get in,” she stated.
Synthia brushed her fingers over the walls, and a chime sounded that echoed through the tunnel we’d entered. Pausing, I turned to look back past the men behind us. The passageway had changed once we’d walked through it. My eyes rounded, and Lucian chuckled at my response.
“It’s magic, Little Witch. It’s almost as magical as you when I’m buried deep into your…”
“We can hear you, asshole.” Zahruk snapped crossly. “I’m trying to ignore the fact that your girl here smells needy, which you’re causing. So unless you want me and everyone else here to notice that shit, hold that thought until we’re out of this fucking tunnel that is preventing her scent from escaping. Thank you.”
“Someone is snappy today. If you need to eat, I can be your dinner,” Erie offered, winking at Zahruk, who smirked at her wolfishly.
“Careful, Imp, you’re looking like a whole damn meal right now,” Zahruk laughed darkly, a heated gaze burning in his eyes as they traveled down Erie’s frame. “I’m trying hard not to gorge on any female yet. A second transition with me might break records on how long one can take to satisfy the hunger within the beast.”
“Was that supposed to be a determent? It sounded more like incentive,” I muttered, watching Synthia’s head bobbing in silent agreement.
“Lena,” Lucian growled.
“Pet,” Ryder echoed, a warning laced his tone as his wife chuckled, even though it was empty.
“Don’t worry. I’m way too pregnant to deal with another fucking fairy, Ryder. You’re enough for me, husband.”
“Good, wife,” he rumbled in a deliciously wicked voice.
Synthia placed her hand on the metal door, which glowed with a mix of rainbow-colored runes. A gentle hymn began, sounding almost angelic. The door slowly slid open, revealing an empty room. Gradually, we entered with a foreboding feeling rushing through the group while we peered around.
“Stanislav, are you in here?” Synthia asked.
“Holy shit, it’s about time you got here,” a feminine voice whispered. A woman with cherry-colored hair slid out of the shadows; her complexion was pale, adding to the dark circles beneath her eyes.
“I guess praying to the Goddess of the Fae while her subjects are trying to eat you, actually worked, huh? I told you she’d come,” a male stated, striding up to stand beside the female. “I cannot put into words how glad I am to see your faces right now.”
“Adrik, Ivy, I’m happy to know that you survived.” Synthia’s relief was visible in the way she exhaled and removed her armor with magic. Adrik’s eyes lowered to her swollen belly, and he chuckled.
“That explains the delay, huh?” the male’s smokey gaze rose, and he slowly blew the air from his lungs. “Shit went bad fast, here. Alden—he turned. He went out to get a few enforcers, and when he came back, he told us to get inside the shelter and close it until you or someone else arrived to release us. I think he knew what was coming. We didn’t have any communication other than the two-way radio, and when he asked us to come out, I just knew. I knew it wasn’t really him. Alden said he was starving, which is what happened to Lars after the black goo had infected him.”
“Alden is gone,” Ryder stated. “The children?”
“They’re fine. The children didn’t enjoy being locked up so soon after the last time, but they handled this situation better than I would have anticipated. The few changelings we had are being kept separate from the fae until we figure out their niche, but they’re adapting here. The orphaned fae are flourishing. While most do cry at night for those they lost, they’re doing well. We were getting short on food, so we rationed it since we didn’t know when anyone would figure out what had happened here.” Adrik nodded to the alcove where little ones watched us.
“They’re little monsters,” Ivy snickered, but she wrinkled her nose at the children who did it right back to her and laughed when she stuck her tongue out. “But they’re good kids. Not a single one of them freaked out when days turned into a week. I can’t say I didn’t write you off as my hero.”
“I don’t blame you there. I was preoccupied trying to find my daughter. She was taken when we were crowned and has been missing ever since. We can talk more about that later. For now, let’s get you guys out of here and to someplace safe.”
“Club Chaos has enough room for everyone for a few days. They can go there until you can take them to Faery or find another location to house them,” Lucian offered, tugging me back into his arms.
“Thank you, Lucian. I can’t express how much that helps us at the moment,” Ryder stated, nodding to Adrik. “Help them pack their belongings. Until we can refortify this place against the new threat, it won’t be safe for you or them to stay here. We’ll secure the exit while you get them moving.”
I turned toward the doorway, exiting, with Lucian right behind me. As I left the tunnel, something slammed into my body, knocking me sideways. I gasped in pain, slowly pushing off of the ground where I’d been thrown. My gaze met Lucian’s as his eyes rounded and he shouted.
My gaze followed his, finding a pair of violet eyes studying me. Lucifer smirked, tilting his head as he walked to where I had gone down. The earthy scent that mingled inside the room was off from his usual aroma of cinnamon and brimstone. He was dressed in armor, his chest covered in what looked like platinum metal, but it shimmered with his movements.
“Do not touch her, asshole,” Lucian warned.
“Oh, I intend to do a lot more than just touch her, Lucian.” Lucifer chuckled. In front of me, he smiled seductively, using his pointer finger to lift my chin. “Hello, beautiful. You shut me out, so I’ve come to claim what will be mine.”
“I am not yours, Lucifer. I won’t ever be yours,” I whispered. “Don’t do this, Luc. Please don’t do this.”
“Too late,” he stated, pulling me up with him.
Another male stepped from the shadows as I prepared to fight my way back to Lucian. Asmodeus laughed, shaking his dark head while he studied me. He was dressed in a dark suit, his hair pulled back into a leather strap, with a few stray pieces framing his angular-shaped face.
There was a coldness to him that terrified me, but the furies inside me beamed with pride, chiming in my body at his presence.
“I wouldn’t attack him, woman. Lucifer might have a soft spot for you, but I assure you that I do not. I only care about those things within you. I don’t care about the shell they’re using. Now, be a good girl and tell Lucian goodbye,” Asmodeus ordered, shoving his hands into his suit pockets, a darkened look blossoming in his depths. “It is a beautiful shell, though, isn’t it?” he asked, turning toward Lucifer. “I may have to taste her as well, brother.”
“Lena is mine!” Lucifer exclaimed.
“For now,” Asmodeus replied. “I’m going to need my furies back for what comes next. I do believe they’re the only thing keeping this shell alive, aren’t they?” He directed the question to Lucian, who had gone deathly silent, his hands balled tightly at his sides.
The space between us reeked of brimstone now. I felt the familiar heat that sizzled around us; the obnoxious stench of sulfur that clung to the air made my throat constrict. It was a struggle to get air deep enough into my lungs since every breath I took increased the amount of sulfur I inhaled.
“I said, tell him goodbye, bitch,” Asmodeus growled.
“Goodbye, Lucian,” I replied like a sheep heading to the slaughter.
Fear spiraled through me as I realized I was standing inside Hell. They’d opened a Hell Gate within the guild and had hidden it from us. I’d walked right into it without knowing it was here. The walls began glowing with crimson veins that exposed the flames of Hell in their cracks.
“Luc,” I pleaded, but he shook his head, cutting me off.
“I gave you a chance to come to me willingly, Magdalena. You chose Lucian, which was a bad decision, considering he will never love anything ever again. If you beg me, I may lessen your punishment, pretty witch.”
“You think this barrier will stop me from finding you?” Lucian asked, his eyes glowing with the eerie blue of his world leaking from them.
“Long enough for us to free Pandora and open her box. After that, I’ll be sure to take your bitch’s head and send that sliver of your soul back to you,” Asmodeus taunted. “She, however, won’t survive this if you come for her. I promised Luc that I wouldn’t murder the bitch outright. Apparently, he is as addicted to her pussy as you are. Why is it you both weaken over a tight cunt? There are literally thousands of them readily available to be used, yet you both pick one to fight over. It’s pathetic, really.”
“Fred, you fucked up. You think I’m crazy? You’re about to unleash something that causes me to appear sane on my worst day. Let Lena go, and we’ll discuss your punishment later,” Erie injected, her eyes slowly sliding between Lucifer and me.
“Send me your guy, Mórrígan. I’ll show him how to handle you by using this one as a demonstration. I bet she makes the sweetest music as she’s being dissected. When Pandora is free, I am coming for you, Goddess. Mark my words, you will be inside my freezer once Hell is fully opened, and the world falls to those it has condemned. Now, we’re leaving. Oh, but before we do, Magdalena, is it? Kiss Lucifer and demonstrate to your man how easily your loyalty can be swayed.”
“No,” I growled, but I was already turning toward Luc. His violet eyes scanned my face, watching the silent tears of frustration rolling down my cheeks. “Please stop, Luc. You don’t want to do this.”
“No, but I will enjoy it, Lena,” he whispered. His hand came up to cup my jawline, wrapping his fingers around my cheek. His lips lowered to mine, softly brushing across them as his tongue swiped against mine. I opened to his kiss, not because I wanted to do so, but because the furies were in control. “Come on, Lena. I won’t hurt you,” Lucifer growled, cupping me behind the neck to claim my mouth hungrily.
I could feel the anger pulsing from Lucian and Spyder. I heard angry muttered words and knew I was about to be dragged to Hell, literally.
I lifted my hands, feeling the swords within my palms, but before I could bring them up to fight against the Devil and Asmodeus, something slammed into the back of my head, and darkness rushed up to me, blanketing me in nothingness.
