Page 24 of The River of Hatred

“Yeah,” I mutter. “Fecal matter.”

As I take my next step, the sucking sound of the mud trying to keep my foot immersed in it overpowers Sariel’s amused snort. It’s like walking with resistance bands, but eventually, my shorter legs bring me to the boys.

“Easy part’s over,” the Fallen sings. I roll my eyes, then look at the silent angel beside us.

“Are you okay, Itha?” I ask tentatively.

His head slowly turns in my direction. “Why would I not be alright?” he asks with a hollow tone.

I shrug as much as the river will let me. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”

“I have nothing to say,” he replies.

I open and close my mouth a few times as Sariel starts humming the chorus ofLosing My Religion. I press my lips together and pull my hand out of the mud with great difficulty so I can smack his shoulder. Shit flies everywhere from the point of impact, including back at my face. Well…shit.

Throwing his head back on a roar of laughter that temporarily silences the wails of the tortured, Sariel pulls me in until I have no choice but to start swimming. Ugh. I’d tell him off but I don’t want to risk opening my mouth this close to the water. Ithuriel joins us on a muted splash, and together we trudge through the thick liquid.

It’s not long until we swim past the first sinners. The demons above are still ignoring us, and don’t seem worried we might try to save someone from their fate. Fifteen minutes in, one of the punished souls tries to use me as a life raft. This time it’s Itha that gets to her first, breaking the arms she used to crawl over me and throwing her away. After that, we make sure to stay as far away as possible.

My eyes are tearing up from the noxious fumes and even if they weren’t, I feel like crying anyway. This is the most horrible thing I’ve gone through so far in Hell, and that includes the dislocated shoulder a couple of months ago and the three broken ribs a year before that. Finally, the edge of the other side comes into view, and the three of us find our second wind and pick up speed.

Sariel reaches the ledge first and pulls himself up. I’d appreciate the sight of his ass right in front of my face a lot more if he wasn’t covered in sludge. Itha climbs up next, the sucking mud almost tugging his clothes off as he does. Turning around, he reaches for my hand. Just as I’m about to grasp it, the water starts churning underneath me, a spinning vortex ripping me out of the angel’s reach.

“Jessica!” he shouts, but it’s too late. The current pulls me under. As my body twirls in the maelstrom, the viscous liquid tries to force itself into my mouth, my nose. I don’t know how much longer I can hold on before my body instinctively seeks air. I don’t want to die in a river of shit in Hell!

Large hands find me in the darkness, sliding up my hips to my waist. If they weren’t so warm and inviting, I’d think one of the sinners is trying to pull me further under. My savior and I burst through the surface of the putrid river. I spit and gulp down air, choking on stray droplets of muck. I’m passed into another pair of strong arms and pulled to safety. I open my eyes.

Ithuriel climbs up after me and gazes at me with such worry that I feel like crying all over again. “You keep saving me,” I tell him.

“I won’t stop,” he vows.

“Come on, poppet,” Sariel murmurs. “The pool’s this way.”

Chapter 13 – Sariel

The Malebolge:The Trench of Simoniacs

“No wonder the demons didn’t look worried about us swimming in there,” Jess grumbles. “The river wouldn’t have let a mortal go.”

I can’t help but smile at her surliness. She’s kind of cute. “Fear not, babycakes. We weren’t gonna let ‘drowned in shit’ be the epithet on your gravestone.”

The Nephilim snorts. “What gravestone? I’d be at the bottom of the Stygian River, decomposing among the turds.”

“There will be no need for a gravestone,” my angel says vehemently.

And he is. Mine. I saw his body’s reaction to what I did with the little human, saw his reaction to my body before the literal shitstorm. I have both right where I want them. Jessica I’ll seduce with what was always out of reach for her – pleasure. Those idiot mortal boys did me a favor by being selfish lovers. As for Itha… I’ll get him with the forbidden. With the yearning for closeness, for being needed. I will make him sell his convictions.

Jess will get over it. I mean, no one will ever compare after I’m done with her, but her life will go on. Ithuriel? He’s going to feel the pain I’ve felt all these centuries without him. He’s going to be left with nothing and no one because of his feelings, just like I was until Ash found me, crawling in my misery, much like the sinners in these trenches.

“Sar.”

I shake myself out of my vengeful thoughts and focus on the little Nephilim.

“Which bolgia are we in?” she asks.

Ithuriel answers her first: “I believe we’re about to witness the punishments of those guilty of simony.”

Jess wrinkles her lightly freckled nose. “What’s that again? I didn’t pay enough attention at Sunday school.”

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