something new.
“Ah. Good.”
Coming down the hills, threading through crevices and fissures, were the creatures of hell, all summoned to this place. This was the staging area, the place from where the invasion would commence. The creatures would gather in their thousands after entering through the open hellgate.
Small and large, ferocious and sly, dim-witted and clever, they came, held in check by the wills of Baal and Belial, and even Crowe. She was not without demonic powers—a fact the recently obliterated residents of the trailer park would attest to if they could.
“Guests ,” she said, her voice amplified by her powers. “Welcome to the final venue of the tour that heralds the demise of the humans and the rise to power of a new god!”
A ragged cheer went up among the gathering crowd. The more feral supporters started running to the front.
“I’m your GI cocktail, your Lidocaine. Follow me, listen to me, your anesthetic to world issues. I will bring you a new world! Hell.” She smiled. “It’s already here!”
More shouting, cheering , and now even prostrations from the people in front. Baal and Belial moved among the worshippers, laying their hands on the necks of the men and women. Crowe shuddered as she realized what power those demons held, how they could snap each person’s neck in a millisecond, and just how much she envied and desired that power.
“Our time is at hand. Soon, all the crosses will be inverted. The clergymen ousted for their sly sins. The churches will come crumbling down! A burning pyre of priests will light up the skies, day and night. We will warm our hands over their ashes. My people, my friends, follow me down and never look back. Follow me down and reignite the rage in your soul. Follow me down and get your fuckin’ evil on! ”
Like the rock star she was , Emily Crowe raised her hands and basked in the glow of adoration. Melissa crawled at her feet. Her fans—her subjects —screamed in joy. The great hierarchy demons stretched impossible smiles across their almost-human faces, teeth glittering.
The show was about to start.
THIRTEEN
Ken felt the weariness set in. After the skirmish at the grand bazaar the little group had wasted no time escaping from the fifth circle of hell and heading down to the fourth. Constant trudging wore them all down, even the Ubers. Felicia explained that it wasn’t necessarily tiredness that assailed them, more the lack of stimulation and, for her at least, the constant knowledge that every single step led her further from choice and freedom.
Lilith showed no signs of tiredness. She seemed happy to part of the group, expectant and a little excited even, but harbored that terrible fear that her demon guard would eventually find her. The fear blighted her every thought, her every cheery moment. It always came back to the fear.
Ken put one foot in front of the other. The fourth circle of hell was a fearful land. A cloying dark was lit only by blinking lights in the sky that looked unnervingly like the eyes of crocodiles. Barren wasteland surrounded them. A stinking, snaking stream crisscrossed their path, its waters a heady poison.
And unseen things slithered in the dark, always present.
Ken spoke only once, his voice not much higher than a whisper. “Y’know, one thing has surprised me from the start. Nothing has attacked us yet. And we’re in hell. Does that not seem a bit odd to you?”
Lilith said, “Dementia attacked us.”
“Well, yeah, but she’s the wild card. The crazy. What I’m saying is that not one of hell’s creatures has sniffed us out or made a challenge. It’s . . . weird, though not unwelcome.”
“I ’ve been thinking the same for many miles,” Eliza surprisingly agreed with him. “And I do not think it’s because you travel with three powerful vampires.”
Ken tried not to sound sarcastic when he said, “Oh, really?”
“No. It could be that we are compromised and our destination is known
“Ah. Good.”
Coming down the hills, threading through crevices and fissures, were the creatures of hell, all summoned to this place. This was the staging area, the place from where the invasion would commence. The creatures would gather in their thousands after entering through the open hellgate.
Small and large, ferocious and sly, dim-witted and clever, they came, held in check by the wills of Baal and Belial, and even Crowe. She was not without demonic powers—a fact the recently obliterated residents of the trailer park would attest to if they could.
“Guests ,” she said, her voice amplified by her powers. “Welcome to the final venue of the tour that heralds the demise of the humans and the rise to power of a new god!”
A ragged cheer went up among the gathering crowd. The more feral supporters started running to the front.
“I’m your GI cocktail, your Lidocaine. Follow me, listen to me, your anesthetic to world issues. I will bring you a new world! Hell.” She smiled. “It’s already here!”
More shouting, cheering , and now even prostrations from the people in front. Baal and Belial moved among the worshippers, laying their hands on the necks of the men and women. Crowe shuddered as she realized what power those demons held, how they could snap each person’s neck in a millisecond, and just how much she envied and desired that power.
“Our time is at hand. Soon, all the crosses will be inverted. The clergymen ousted for their sly sins. The churches will come crumbling down! A burning pyre of priests will light up the skies, day and night. We will warm our hands over their ashes. My people, my friends, follow me down and never look back. Follow me down and reignite the rage in your soul. Follow me down and get your fuckin’ evil on! ”
Like the rock star she was , Emily Crowe raised her hands and basked in the glow of adoration. Melissa crawled at her feet. Her fans—her subjects —screamed in joy. The great hierarchy demons stretched impossible smiles across their almost-human faces, teeth glittering.
The show was about to start.
THIRTEEN
Ken felt the weariness set in. After the skirmish at the grand bazaar the little group had wasted no time escaping from the fifth circle of hell and heading down to the fourth. Constant trudging wore them all down, even the Ubers. Felicia explained that it wasn’t necessarily tiredness that assailed them, more the lack of stimulation and, for her at least, the constant knowledge that every single step led her further from choice and freedom.
Lilith showed no signs of tiredness. She seemed happy to part of the group, expectant and a little excited even, but harbored that terrible fear that her demon guard would eventually find her. The fear blighted her every thought, her every cheery moment. It always came back to the fear.
Ken put one foot in front of the other. The fourth circle of hell was a fearful land. A cloying dark was lit only by blinking lights in the sky that looked unnervingly like the eyes of crocodiles. Barren wasteland surrounded them. A stinking, snaking stream crisscrossed their path, its waters a heady poison.
And unseen things slithered in the dark, always present.
Ken spoke only once, his voice not much higher than a whisper. “Y’know, one thing has surprised me from the start. Nothing has attacked us yet. And we’re in hell. Does that not seem a bit odd to you?”
Lilith said, “Dementia attacked us.”
“Well, yeah, but she’s the wild card. The crazy. What I’m saying is that not one of hell’s creatures has sniffed us out or made a challenge. It’s . . . weird, though not unwelcome.”
“I ’ve been thinking the same for many miles,” Eliza surprisingly agreed with him. “And I do not think it’s because you travel with three powerful vampires.”
Ken tried not to sound sarcastic when he said, “Oh, really?”
“No. It could be that we are compromised and our destination is known
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