but Max took note that nothing in the room seemed to be catching fire… rather, the flames danced merrily atop the bed and floor. “Stop hurting her,” Max hissed, slamming a fist down into Trench’s face. A cracking sound was followed by blood pouring from a broken nose.
“Would you rather feel the pain yourself?” the devil taunted. He gripped Max by the ears, channeling more of the strange flame in a direct line against the Peregrine’s skull. “Feel my Hellfire.”
Max lost track of the world for a moment. All was red and black, as the horror of the situation overwhelmed him. He thought he smelled his flesh sizzling, cracking and popping like bacon. It’s not real , he tried to tell himself. The flames don’t really burn. They don’t really burn. They don’t really burn!
And then the fire was gone, replaced by the coolness of snow, falling heavily upon his shoulders.
Max looked around, finding that he was once more outside the strange temple. His father was there, looking as stern as ever. “Am I dead?” Max asked.
“No. You’re still locked in battle with the thing inside Trench. But you’re going to lose… unless you open yourself to your full potential.”
Max rose quickly, rushing over to grab his father by his arms. “Send me back! Evelyn needs me!”
“You’re not listening to me, son.”
Max shoved his father away from him. “Fine. Tell me what to do.”
“You’re able to tap into parts of your mind that normal people can’t. That’s why you can see and hear me so well… even before the rise in magic that’s been going on since Trench started working on opening the Cage. It also allows you to channel energy, from the world of the dead to the world of the living. And vice versa.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Find Jacob. Use him.”
“I don’t understand what…”
Max found himself being thrown away from the devil inside Trench. He landed amongst the dancing fires of Hell, barely able to focus as his opponent rose up over him.
“How did you do that?” the devil asked, in a tone that spoke of confusion, anger… and perhaps a bit of fear, as well.
The Peregrine groaned, trying to shake off the pain that was overwhelming him. His injured leg was throbbing and he felt a grinding motion in his side every time he took an inward breath. Broken ribs. Two, maybe three. “Do what?”
“Your soul… disappeared. For a moment, I held lifeless flesh in my hands.”
Another moment of that and I might have really been lifeless flesh , Max mused. He reached for the glowing dagger and drew it forth but the devil swatted out a fist and knocked it aside. The knife skidded across the floor into the midst of the inferno.
“No,” the thing inside Trench hissed. “None of that. It’s time we ended this.”
“Get away from him, you bastard!”
Max looked up as Evelyn jumped on Trench’s back, raking at his face with her nails. Long trails of red followed the action and Evelyn capped off the attack by digging her fingers into the man’s eyes.
Trench howled, reaching behind himself and grabbing hold of Evelyn’s dangling hair. He ripped a small patch of it from her skull and she lost her hold on him, landing hard on her rump.
Max took this as his cue. He still didn’t understand his father’s words, but he was weaponless and that meant he had no choice but to come to blows with this thing. He wrapped his arms about Trench’s chest, hissing out the words “Where are you, Jacob? I need you.”
Somewhere within the devil wearing human flesh, there was a stirring. Jacob was locked inside his tiny little cell… but he heard a faint knocking of sorts. He called out an answer…
And Max heard it.
Even as the devil began thrashing about to get free, Max’s eyes were rolling back in his head. He felt like he was falling from some great height, tumbling head over heels.
“How did you get here?” Jacob asked. He was staring open-mouthed at the Peregrine, who had
“Would you rather feel the pain yourself?” the devil taunted. He gripped Max by the ears, channeling more of the strange flame in a direct line against the Peregrine’s skull. “Feel my Hellfire.”
Max lost track of the world for a moment. All was red and black, as the horror of the situation overwhelmed him. He thought he smelled his flesh sizzling, cracking and popping like bacon. It’s not real , he tried to tell himself. The flames don’t really burn. They don’t really burn. They don’t really burn!
And then the fire was gone, replaced by the coolness of snow, falling heavily upon his shoulders.
Max looked around, finding that he was once more outside the strange temple. His father was there, looking as stern as ever. “Am I dead?” Max asked.
“No. You’re still locked in battle with the thing inside Trench. But you’re going to lose… unless you open yourself to your full potential.”
Max rose quickly, rushing over to grab his father by his arms. “Send me back! Evelyn needs me!”
“You’re not listening to me, son.”
Max shoved his father away from him. “Fine. Tell me what to do.”
“You’re able to tap into parts of your mind that normal people can’t. That’s why you can see and hear me so well… even before the rise in magic that’s been going on since Trench started working on opening the Cage. It also allows you to channel energy, from the world of the dead to the world of the living. And vice versa.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Find Jacob. Use him.”
“I don’t understand what…”
Max found himself being thrown away from the devil inside Trench. He landed amongst the dancing fires of Hell, barely able to focus as his opponent rose up over him.
“How did you do that?” the devil asked, in a tone that spoke of confusion, anger… and perhaps a bit of fear, as well.
The Peregrine groaned, trying to shake off the pain that was overwhelming him. His injured leg was throbbing and he felt a grinding motion in his side every time he took an inward breath. Broken ribs. Two, maybe three. “Do what?”
“Your soul… disappeared. For a moment, I held lifeless flesh in my hands.”
Another moment of that and I might have really been lifeless flesh , Max mused. He reached for the glowing dagger and drew it forth but the devil swatted out a fist and knocked it aside. The knife skidded across the floor into the midst of the inferno.
“No,” the thing inside Trench hissed. “None of that. It’s time we ended this.”
“Get away from him, you bastard!”
Max looked up as Evelyn jumped on Trench’s back, raking at his face with her nails. Long trails of red followed the action and Evelyn capped off the attack by digging her fingers into the man’s eyes.
Trench howled, reaching behind himself and grabbing hold of Evelyn’s dangling hair. He ripped a small patch of it from her skull and she lost her hold on him, landing hard on her rump.
Max took this as his cue. He still didn’t understand his father’s words, but he was weaponless and that meant he had no choice but to come to blows with this thing. He wrapped his arms about Trench’s chest, hissing out the words “Where are you, Jacob? I need you.”
Somewhere within the devil wearing human flesh, there was a stirring. Jacob was locked inside his tiny little cell… but he heard a faint knocking of sorts. He called out an answer…
And Max heard it.
Even as the devil began thrashing about to get free, Max’s eyes were rolling back in his head. He felt like he was falling from some great height, tumbling head over heels.
“How did you get here?” Jacob asked. He was staring open-mouthed at the Peregrine, who had
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