Page 21 of How to Accidentally get Trapped in Hell

“Okay. Let me know what you find.”

“I will.” I walk past him, turning at the end of the hall. I don’t stop until I get to Luc’s wing. Hopefully, he has Maddy somewhere else today. I really don’t want to have to explain what I’m doing.

I start from the first corner I come to at the back of his wing. Unleashing my power, I walk down the middle of the hallway as black smoke covers the floor and spreads up the walls. Not many know exactly what my power is. You see, everyone leaves an impression everywhere they go. Most demons can’t see them, but I can. I’ve honed my powers with Serafina’s help to the point where I can catalog all of the imprints in an area, including to whom they belong and how long ago they were left, as well as the feelings of the demon at the time they were left. It’s a convenient skill to have in my line of work.

I walk down the halls, not sensing anything out of the ordinary until I get to Luc’s chambers. That’s where I find it. I don’t know how they did it, but I know instantly it was them. The anger, resentment, and glee mixed together make complete sense when I identify the imprints. Pulling my powers back, I pull my phone out of my pocket to call Belz.

“We’ve got a problem. Get Oz and Zar and meet me in the office.”

“Shit. It must be bad if you want me to bring Oz into this,” Belz groans.

“Well, it’s notgood, that'sfor sure. I think hisskillswill come in handy though,” I tell him as I walk back the way I came.

“Fuck. Okay, I’ll get him,” he says before hanging up.

I pace the office, ignoring the looks my brother and Belz give me, waiting for Oz to show up so we can get on with it already. He finally enters the room, not looking happy to have been pulled away from whatever torture he was inflicting.

“What’s so urgent you had to interrupt my session?” he growls once the door is closed behind him.

“We have a situation that requires your help,” I explain. He perks up at that.

“What kind of help? Do I get to hurt someone?” His eyes light up at the possibility and a creepy smile takes over his face.

“Possibly… eventually.” I shrug a shoulder as he deflates at my words. I explain the situation with the missing hounds and he glares at Belz. Clearly not happy to have been left out of the loop either. “I think I know who’s behind the disappearances. I have no idea how they did it, but their imprint was all over Luc’s door.”

“Who?” All three demons snarl as one.

Steeling myself for the outbursts I know are coming, I give them a name. “Droxley.”

“What?!”

“That fucker is behind this?!”

“How? He doesn’t have the power it would take to pull this off,” Oz scoffs.

“I don’t know. That’s what we need you for. You need to follow him. See if you can figure out what he’s up to and how he’s doing it,” I tell him.

“You think he has a hidden power no one knows about?” Belz furrows his brow as he considers the implication of that possibility.

“No way,” Oz argues. “That fucker would never hide that he has a power. He’d flaunt that shit like it made him special. He’s been looked down on his entire life because he doesn’t have any power. Surely if he had one, he wouldn’t tolerate all the ridicule he’s lived with for millennia.”

“I don’t know… He’s twisted enough. It may have started as a game to him then it became too ingrained in him to keep it a secret.” I shrug. “Who knows why that asshole does anything. But his signature is the only one that was out of place. So either way, he’s our main suspect at the moment.”

“Fine. I’ll follow the idiot and report back,” Oz relents.

“Hopefully you find something before Luc gets back and notices Snowball is missing,” I say, reminding him of the urgency of the situation. We don’t have time to waste. He must agree because he nods once before disappearing, the door opening and closing a moment later.

fifteen

Madelyne

“Iwanttoshowyou something today. Something I’ve never shared with anyone before,” Luc says when I meet him in his office.

He’s been different since the family dinner. More open with his emotions… at least with me. When we’re alone he’s like a different demon. He’s not afraid to show me his vulnerabilities anymore. That or I’m more attuned to the emotions of those around me, like my late grandmother. Belz and Zeph told me more about her after the family dinner… Well, after we recovered from ourdessert. I wish I could have known her. She sounds like an amazing woman. Zeph says he sees a lot of her in me. I take that as a compliment.

“Oooh. A secret? I love secrets.” I light up at the prospect of knowing something else about the infamous devil that no one else knows.

“Let’s hope that means you’re good at keeping them.” He raises a brow at me and I nod solemnly. “Good.” His expression shifts to a mischievous smirk and black smoke fills the room, encircling both of us until I can’t see.

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