Page 12 of How to Accidentally get Trapped in Hell

“Yes! Even if I had known this was what awaited me, I still would have done it all. I’m evil. Nothing would have stopped me. Human laws didn’t stop me. Why would this? I wouldn’t have believed it anyway. Hell isn’t real.” He scoffs. Fuckingscoffs. Then his eyes widen and his non-existent heart races. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean to say that,” he stutters. “Why did I say that?”

“Why, indeed,” Luc murmurs behind me. “Did you do it on purpose or was it a happy accident? I love it when those happen.”

“What?” I jerk and spin around to face my smirking grandfather.

“You know… Oz used his power for the first time by accident. Clearly, it was important to you that he answer that question honestly. You used your power to make sure he did, whether he wanted to or not. It’s as if using your power comes naturally to you. You’re so strong,Neptis,”he tells me, his voice full of pride.

“I just… I just thought I couldn’t make him tell the truth. And then he did.” I shrug. “It makes no sense.”

“It makes perfect sense. You’re not just any demon, Madelyne. But even if you were, all demon magic comes from up here.” He taps his head. “You think it and make it happen. There’s normally more to the process than just a thought, though. Belzar, for example, has to complete his thought with a sort of spell. Very few can use their magic with barely a thought. Well, three that I know of,” he tells me with a smirk. “Let’s see what else you can do with your powers. I want you to think of the things he’s done in his life. How does it make you feel? Are you angry? Don’t you wish you could cause him a fraction of the pain his victims felt?”

My eyes close and every entry from his book flips through my brain. All the despicable things he did. The pain his victims must have felt. Luc’s right. Idowish I could make him feel a fraction of what they all felt.

I gasp and my eyes fly open as screaming pierces the air. I watch as Joshua flails in his bindings, screaming so loud it would shatter my eardrums if I were human.

“What’s happening to him?” I demand.

“You are, my dear. You wanted him to feel pain. He is.Youdid that.” Luc beams at me. “Like I said… A fucking natural.”

I can’t help the pride I feel at his praise. I feel as if I’m floating on air. I want to always make him look at me the way he is right now.

“I think you’ve hooked your magic into him good. It won’t stop for a while. Why don’t you go find your boys and celebrate,” Luc suggests.

At the mention of my boys, my heart soars. I’ve had fun learning the inner workings of Hell, but I miss my mates dearly. I can’t wait to see them again and tell them all about my day. I wonder if they’ll be as proud of my ability to use my power as my grandfather is.

“Thank you, Grandfather. I had a great time today,” I tell him honestly, circling my arms around his waist.I’m hugging the freaking devil. I catch sight of Oz out of the corner of my eye. It’s just a flash, but I could swear he looks disappointed… Sad even. Before I can say anything about it, he nods at Luc and leaves the room without a word. My entire body deflates at his departure, but I quickly cover it with my normal bubbly smile.

I don’t know where either Belz or Zeph is, but I really don’t want to go back into the torture hall and risk running into Oz. I thought things were okay between us, but he couldn’t wait to get away from me. He ran out of here like his ass was on fire. If my power is so strong that I can make things happen with just a thought, surely I can make myself appear in front of Belz even if I don’t know where he is.

The last thing I see before I’m completely enveloped in black smoke is the devil smiling at me in wonder.

nine

Belzar

It’sbeenhourssinceLuc ran off with Maddy and sent me to work. Granted, there was actually a problem that needed my attention, but I hate being away from her. I hate that she’s seeing Hell without me. I want to be there to witness her reactions to seeing all of Hell. What did she think of the soul-sorting office? Did Luc make her read any of the books? What did she see when he took her to the torture hall? Because I know he did. Is she traumatized? Will she look at me differently now?

After I read Zar’s email, I left Zofina to her reading and went searching for him. We had to act fast. If Luc found out hellhounds were going missing all hell would break loose. He created the hounds millennia ago and loves them more than his own children… Well, most of his children anyway. I can't even begin to fathom what he'll do if he finds out. One missing hellhound isn’t something to panic about, but it’s certainly worth investigating. If this isn’t an isolated case, Luc will want to know. Zar suggests we get lunch and discuss our next steps. There’s only one restaurant in Gehenna that I trust is secure enough for us to discuss business. Walking into Styx, the owner, Riz’genor greets us with his typical warm welcome.

“Boys! It’s been ages since you’ve been in. Is my food not good enough for you anymore?” he teases.

“Trust me, we’ve missed you more than you’ve missed us,” I chuckle. “Can you send our usual to our table, please?”

“Nonsense. I’ll deliver it myself. You know that. I don’t allow anyone else in that room. Ever.”

“Thank you, Riz.” I tip my head to the old demon and walk to our private room in the back as he heads to the kitchen.

We get settled in our seats and Riz brings out our food and drinks before we can even start our discussion. After a few bites, I level Zarreth with a look. “So what’s going on? How did you even find out a hellhound was missing?”

“The demon whose hound went missing was freaking out. It was a big enough issue to reach me. How do I ever know any of the shit I know.” he huffs. He’s not always happy about the power he has. It’s a very helpful power, but I can’t blame him. It would get annoying fast, always knowing everyone’s problems. I think it’s hardened him over the years. Too much stress will do that to any demon.

“Keep an ear out for any more cases. We need to know if this gets bigger.”

All conversation stops as we focus on eating the delicious food. By the time my plate is clear, I’ve completely zoned out, my thoughts back on Maddy and what she’s doing.

“You’re thinking about her, aren’t you?” Zarreth seethes as he glares at me from across the table, pulling my attention back to him.

“When are you gonna stop being a dick? So what Zo betrayed you. That has nothing to do with Maddy. Stop taking it out on her. She's my fuckingmate. I'm going to think about her. I'm going to talk about her. She's going to be a part of your life now whether you like it or not. So grow some horns and get over it.”

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