“Um, Cas, not to point out the obvious, but how exactly do we get through the gates?” I gestured towards the looming wooden gates that also seemed to be burning without any sign of damage beneath the flickering golden flames.
Cas sighed. “We have to be let through. Just let me deal with this part.” I looked at the gates apprehensively as we approached them. We had just gotten close enough for me to feel the heat on my face when a flurry of black wings descended in front of us, and I stepped back in alarm.
Three women stood before us. If they hadn’t been so intimidating, I might have asked Cas if they were from a Xena convention. They wore short, black leather skirts and knee-high boots, and I wondered if there was a shop back in Greed that sold something similar. Or maybe I should look in Envy, I mused. Black leather bands were wrapped around their breasts, and to my horror, snakes encircled their waists like belts, their heads weaving back and forth while they hissed.
Cas bowed his head. “Ladies, I beg admittance to the citadel with your blessing.”
The taller of the winged women came forward. At first, I had thought they were fallen angels, but now I realised their wings were leather, more like bat wings. She held an aged hand out to Cas, and he took it, brushing his lips gently over the wizened skin. Her wrinkled face seemed to soften slightly.
“What business have you within the citadel?” she rasped.
“We have come for an audience with the king and queen, bearing important news. They know we are coming,” he answered, releasing her hand and standing upright.
She looked up at him. “You are from Concordia? I remember you from before.” He nodded, and her steely gaze swept over to me.
“And you? I do not recall seeing you in Dis before.”
Cas opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. I could speak for myself. Besides, I was a fast learner. I bowed my head slightly. “I’m new to working with the Concordia, and it’s my first time here.”
She regarded me coolly. “I see. And you are here because?” She kept her eyes on me rather than asking Cas.
“A demon has taken possession of a person I care about, and I want him back.”
Her eyes flashed at me. “Oh, vengeance is your goal?”
I smiled coldly. “Hell yes. Oh, no offence with the Hell thing, but yes, vengeance is definitely going to be a theme here.”
The bat woman smiled, and I rather wished she hadn’t, as I caught a glimpse of rows of tiny sharp teeth. A pointed black tongue flicked out over her lips, and she wrapped her hand around my wrist.
“If it is vengeance you seek, that I can grant you. Call on us to aid you, and vengeance we shall bring to those who wronged you.” Her grip tightened like a vice, and I gasped as pain spread over my skin for a brief moment. I tried to pull away, but she kept hold of my wrist for a few more seconds. “Call us, and we shall come.” She released me and I backed up a few feet.
The woman turned to Cas. “You may enter.”
With a flurry of wings, the women fluttered back up into the sky. The flames that encompassed the gate drew back to the walls, and the black gates swung open to allow us passage. I looked up at Cas, rubbing my wrist.
“Well, fuck, that was intense.”
He rolled his eyes. “I told you to let me handle it. Still, I suppose they might come in useful if we ever track Shemyaza down.”
“What? She asked me. What was I supposed to do? Something told me lying would be a bad idea. And what do you mean they might come in useful?”
He took my hand and pushed the sleeve of my jacket up. My mouth fell open. Curled around my forearm was a black tattoo of a snake, and it was disturbingly similar to the one the bat woman had worn around her waist.
“They were Furies. They live for vengeance. When she knew that was what you were seeking, she gave you permission to call on them to help you exact your wrath on your victims. Basically, it’s a way to contact them. You can only do it once, and you can only do it to bring vengeance down on your enemy. So yes, it might come in useful.”
“Jeez.” I rubbed my skin. “Mind, that was the quickest and least painful tattoo I’ve ever had. Reckon they do requests?”
“Unlikely. Come on.”
We headed through the imposing gates, and I turned to watch them swing shut behind us, the flames spreading once more over the unmarked wood. I shivered, feeling slightly claustrophobic despite the wider streets of the citadel. Cream coloured buildings rose around me, some topped with golden domes, others with bronzed tiles. Dark climbers covered entire walls with tiny white or purple flowers, and the frantic hustle of the city below seemed to quieten here. People appeared less harried, and the place seemed lighter. Burning torches and lanterns were everywhere, and there were even small sections of wall that burned like the immense ones behind us. On several buildings we passed, large bronze sculpted panels depicted the sins of the circle we were currently inside. I paused by one, running my fingertips over the 3D relief depicting a battle. I had seen several, mainly with horses and armour, but this one showed guns and tanks. Getting closer, I could make out some of the flags and emblems on uniforms, and then I realised it was a scene from World War II.
“I take it they keep these updated?” I remarked to Cas as he leaned in to see what I was looking at.
“I guess so. I never paid much attention before, to be honest. Come on, we need to reach the palace soon or we’ll be late, and that won’t look good.”
“So, this king and queen, are they… demons?” I inquired, struggling to keep up with his long strides.
He noticed and slowed somewhat. “Samael and Lilith? Well, no, not exactly. He’s a fallen angel, like me, only far more powerful—the first fallen angel. And Lilith, well, she was the first human woman, though she’s changed since then.”
“Changed how?” I panted.
Cas grinned. “You’ll see. Don’t worry. She’s a bit odd, but I doubt she’ll bite your head off.” I gave him a sidelong look to see if he was kidding. I was learning that in Sheol, a comment like that wasn’t always made in jest.
We continued on through the citadel, until we finally reached the palace itself. It was worth the wait. Creamy coloured stone walls rose to giant golden domes that looked as though they must touch the black sky above. Flames flickered over the curved rooftops, and the towers burned brighter than the citadel walls. Arched windows shone with colour, as light from within revealed the stained glass designs, and large vaulted openings gave way to curved balconies where you could look out over the city.
“What do you think?” Cas asked, wrapping his arms around me from behind.
“It’s… stunning,” I breathed.
“It is,” he agreed, resting his chin gently on top of my head. “It’s one of the reasons I wanted to get you here before nightfall, and we just made it.”
“One of the reasons? What were the other reasons?”
“Well, I get to spend a few more moments alone with you before I have to share, and I also wanted you to see this.” He turned me around slowly, and my eyes widened as we gazed out over the entire city of Dis. It was huge, stretching into the distance, the walls of each circle clear from our high viewpoint. Beyond the very edges of the city, black and gold desert sands stretched out as far as the eye could see. Flat plains and rolling dunes glittered in the light of the vast city. As I watched, deep blue and purple clouds rolled in across the sky, and vivid turquoise lightning lit up the desert. I watched in amazement as balls of light began to fall like snow from the clouds, drifting slowly down to settle on the sand. Before long, the desert was covered in these tiny white fairy lights.
“Is that snow?” I questioned, turning to Cas.
He smiled at me, but it bore a tinge of sadness. “Not snow, no. They’re the souls of humans descending into Sheol. They only fall at a certain time, hence the term ‘nightfall.’ If you look there, you’ll see the soul hunters going out to collect them all.”
I looked where he pointed and watched as a crowd gathered at the edge of the desert. They moved forward in a line, each collecting several souls before returning to the cover of the city.
“What happens to the souls once they’ve been collected?” I queried, wondering how long it took. I could see thousands, if not more.
“Those destined for Heaven are essentially stored until angels come down and retrieve them. The others are sent to Pandaemonium, where they are given a spirit form and judged by Mahazael. He’s one of the supreme rulers of Hell.”
“Oh yes, I’ve met him,” I murmured, still staring at the falling light display.
“You have?”
I felt Cas shudder. “What? Is he that bad?”
“No… no, I guess not. He just gives me the creeps. He’s up there with Samael when it comes to power, it’s just the way he can see deep inside your soul…” He trailed off and shuddered again. “Anyway, he decides whether a soul remains in Sheol or gets sent to Gehenna. It’s more of a formality really, there aren’t many that get sent there.”
The falling lights began to lessen until only the odd one or two drifted down from the dark sky, and I saw the inky clouds begin to clear away. “What’s Gehenna? I’ve never heard of that place,” I asked, turning and wrapping my arms around his waist.
Cas stared out across the city, his dark eyes far away. “It’s where the evillest and most twisted of souls are sent—those with no chance for redemption. It’s what humans think all of Sheol is like, with the burning fires and torture and torment.”
I stared at him. “Have you ever been there?”
He looked down at me and embraced me tighter. “I’ve been to the gates and heard the screams. Amadi spent some time there, but that was a few hundred years ago.”
“Amadi was there? But he’s so…” I thought of my warm, cheerful demon lover and couldn’t picture him as something evil enough to be sent to a place like that. My heart went cold at the thought that he was currently possessed by something that was truly evil.
“He was there, yes, but not as one of the inhabitants. When he was in the Sheol military, he was stationed there for a time on guard duty. They all have to do a short period of service there, but it’s not long, a couple of decades usually, unless they are happy to stay longer. Most demons can’t take it.” He laughed coldly. “It’s funny, it’s a job, a requirement of those in military service, and yet humans think most of us do this sort of stuff for fun. There are several counsellors that constantly engage with the guards to keep them sane. It eats away at their souls. Some have gone mad in the past. Amadi came out relatively unscathed, but he only lasted another year before he resigned from the military and came earthside. He doesn’t talk much about it.”
I shivered, even in the warmth of the night air. “I can understand why. He told me he was in the military, just not what he did.” I looked up into Cas’s dark eyes. “We have to save him, Cas. Before Shemyaza puts him through any more horrors.”
He watched me closely. “You’re really starting to care for him, aren’t you?”
“I… Yes, I am.” My eyes dropped from his, and I was unsure what to say.
He tipped my chin up so I met his gaze again. “Faith, he’s a great guy, don’t look away. If you have feelings for him, don’t run from them. Own them. He’s like a brother to me, and if you bring each other happiness, that makes me happy. Remember, us supernaturals don’t have the same restraints human society does.”
“I guess.”
“You have feelings for him. Do you get jealous when you see him with Alex?”
I smiled. “No, they’re so sweet together.”
“Exactly. There’s enough love to go around, Faith. It never runs out.” Cas bent down and kissed me, slowly and deeply, and I lost myself in it, forgetting where we stood and what lay before us. I revelled in his taste and touch, and the feel of his hard body pressed against mine. When he finally pulled away, both of us took a shaky breath.
He leaned his forehead against mine. “Come on, enough talk. We have royalty to meet with, and it’s not a great idea to keep them waiting.”
I nodded, and he took my hand before leading me away from the view of the sprawling city and the deserts beyond and through the gates of the palace of Dis.
