her to become an immortal either? With the way their luck was going Valerie wouldn’t be surprised.
James gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Of course she will. I don’t know what Marion saw in his visions, but I do know that if there is a war coming Styx would be on our side in this. Just because she reigns in Hell doesn’t mean she is evil.”
“Let’s get going then, I don’t want to sit here and watch this anymore.”
“You really do have a kind soul.” James whispered, lifting her hand to his mouth.
The walkway may have been outside the pit, but it still shook and rumbled whenever the demon sent the pit spinning. Valerie was focused on keeping her balance and didn’t notice an elderly woman who had somehow managed to keep a firm grip on the walls of the pit below. The woman was just breaching the top when she called out to them.
“Wait, please wait. I can’t hold on much longer, won’t you help an old woman?”
“Don’t stop.” James whispered in Valerie’s ear, but she had to stop. Hadn’t he just said she had a kind soul? She couldn’t just ignore this woman.
Bending down Valerie stuck out her hand to pull the woman up, but instead of the woman’s own hand Valerie was rewarded with a fistful of jewelry.
“Be a dear and hold those for me please.”
Valerie was shocked but did as she was asked. The woman, even in her battered state, had enough strength to pull herself up on her own. The minute she was standing firmly on the walkway she ripped the jewelry back out of Valerie’s hand, holding it to her breast, as if in fear that Valerie was going to steal it.
James snorted. “You could have at least said thanks instead of treating her like a common criminal.”
The old woman ignored him, staring hard at Valerie. “Why you’re a human, I can tell I see your sweat. Immortals and demons don’t sweat.”
Valerie glanced at her armpits, expecting to see sweat rings or something, but there were none to be found. “Yes I’m a human, my name is Valerie.”
“My dear lady you still have your clothes on, that means you are going to leave. Take me with you, please take me with you.”
James quickly positioned himself between the old woman and Valerie. “You know that she cannot or else she would risk being kept here herself. We will not alert the demon to your presence, you may rest on the walkway until you get caught, but that is all the help we offer.”
Valerie wanted to protest but James gave her a look that made her clamp her mouth shut. He knew the rules of Hell far better than she did after all and the last thing she wanted was a permanent residency.
The woman sat down, with just her feet dangling over the edge into the pit. She still had all the jewelry clutched to her breast and was murmuring something about immortals being selfish muppets.
“I have been called worse.” James called over his shoulder as he led Valerie away.
Valerie was still laughing about someone actually using the word muppet as an insult when she felt herself falling. Something hit her from behind sending her over into the pit, she watched in horror as televisions and broken lamps rushed closer to her. She closed her eyes bracing for impact, but all the air was sucked out of her lungs as she felt her body shooting up in the air away from the pit. A pair of arms were wrapped tightly around her but she didn’t open her eyes until she felt her feet safely back on solid ground.
She expected to see James standing in front of her but a scream tore out of her throat when she saw the winged demon instead. He was much taller up close then she had realized, standing around seven feet tall, his wings were massive. His entire body was covered in red scales.
Before the scream died in her throat the demon reached behind her, grabbing the old woman out of James’s choke hold. All the carefully protected jewelry lay on the ground.
“Are you alright Valerie?” James asked. “She pushed you, that old bitch
James gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Of course she will. I don’t know what Marion saw in his visions, but I do know that if there is a war coming Styx would be on our side in this. Just because she reigns in Hell doesn’t mean she is evil.”
“Let’s get going then, I don’t want to sit here and watch this anymore.”
“You really do have a kind soul.” James whispered, lifting her hand to his mouth.
The walkway may have been outside the pit, but it still shook and rumbled whenever the demon sent the pit spinning. Valerie was focused on keeping her balance and didn’t notice an elderly woman who had somehow managed to keep a firm grip on the walls of the pit below. The woman was just breaching the top when she called out to them.
“Wait, please wait. I can’t hold on much longer, won’t you help an old woman?”
“Don’t stop.” James whispered in Valerie’s ear, but she had to stop. Hadn’t he just said she had a kind soul? She couldn’t just ignore this woman.
Bending down Valerie stuck out her hand to pull the woman up, but instead of the woman’s own hand Valerie was rewarded with a fistful of jewelry.
“Be a dear and hold those for me please.”
Valerie was shocked but did as she was asked. The woman, even in her battered state, had enough strength to pull herself up on her own. The minute she was standing firmly on the walkway she ripped the jewelry back out of Valerie’s hand, holding it to her breast, as if in fear that Valerie was going to steal it.
James snorted. “You could have at least said thanks instead of treating her like a common criminal.”
The old woman ignored him, staring hard at Valerie. “Why you’re a human, I can tell I see your sweat. Immortals and demons don’t sweat.”
Valerie glanced at her armpits, expecting to see sweat rings or something, but there were none to be found. “Yes I’m a human, my name is Valerie.”
“My dear lady you still have your clothes on, that means you are going to leave. Take me with you, please take me with you.”
James quickly positioned himself between the old woman and Valerie. “You know that she cannot or else she would risk being kept here herself. We will not alert the demon to your presence, you may rest on the walkway until you get caught, but that is all the help we offer.”
Valerie wanted to protest but James gave her a look that made her clamp her mouth shut. He knew the rules of Hell far better than she did after all and the last thing she wanted was a permanent residency.
The woman sat down, with just her feet dangling over the edge into the pit. She still had all the jewelry clutched to her breast and was murmuring something about immortals being selfish muppets.
“I have been called worse.” James called over his shoulder as he led Valerie away.
Valerie was still laughing about someone actually using the word muppet as an insult when she felt herself falling. Something hit her from behind sending her over into the pit, she watched in horror as televisions and broken lamps rushed closer to her. She closed her eyes bracing for impact, but all the air was sucked out of her lungs as she felt her body shooting up in the air away from the pit. A pair of arms were wrapped tightly around her but she didn’t open her eyes until she felt her feet safely back on solid ground.
She expected to see James standing in front of her but a scream tore out of her throat when she saw the winged demon instead. He was much taller up close then she had realized, standing around seven feet tall, his wings were massive. His entire body was covered in red scales.
Before the scream died in her throat the demon reached behind her, grabbing the old woman out of James’s choke hold. All the carefully protected jewelry lay on the ground.
“Are you alright Valerie?” James asked. “She pushed you, that old bitch
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