Ashfall

I contemplated the map before me with my chin resting on top of my clasped hands and elbows propped on the edge of the polished desk. Leviathan’s army was to the west of the kingdom, a few days hike to the nearest settlement depending on how quickly they navigated the rough terrain. Thankfully, they weren’t privy to Alastor’s shortcut through the mines, so the climb out of the canyons would tire them out. They would need their rest before an assault on the otherwise undefended township of Leraje, the Duke.

I lifted a small statuary of Beleth and placed it on the outskirts of the town. My hand was hesitant, knowing how Beleth had betrayed me to Leviathan and sought to murder me before my coronation. I let my hand drop to the desk near the statue and ball into a fist. Sighing deeply, I decided to remove it from the board and grab another piece, this time of Paimon.

While I trusted the bounty hunters, I was unsure of Beleth’s loyalties and to allow him to be the first to encounter Leviathan’s armies in battle felt like I would be stoking an ember that hadn’t completely died. No... Beleth needed to remain close to me so I could keep an eye on him, but then again, I wouldn’t be here for much longer. Samael was steadily making his way closer to the Vatican every day. I had to track him down and beat him there.

The Antichrist may have fooled the world into believing he was a healer, but I couldn’t let him get his claws on the Pope. If Earth were to fall, then Hell would be next. We’d never see the light again.

A soft knock at the door pulled me from my foreboding thoughts. I straightened in my tufted armchair as Gabriel and Callan entered. Allowing myself to relax, I waved them forward. They didn’t sit in the seats opposite my desk, but instead stood at attention, a worrisome notion.

“It’s time, Kas,” Gabriel announced. “Alastor has a few informants topside and they’ve got a lead on where Samael is heading next on his tour of false worship.”

I cringed at the reference. “I can’t leave until I’ve figured out how to position our allies. I can’t leave Hell to her own fate.”

Callan glanced down at the despairingly blank map before me. “Would you like some help?”

I let my head fall in my hand. “Penelope may be the only one who could come up with a more strategic plan. She was the one who studied demonic hierarchy alongside me.”

“I can fetch her,” Gabriel announced.

“Wait!” I said as he turned to leave. “What’s this about a lead?”

“Samael—Sam—as he asks people to call him, was invited to a meeting with some CEO from China. He’s heading to Tokyo where there’s a technology conference,” Gabriel replied.

I raised an eyebrow. “So, he’s getting chummy with world leaders now?”

“That’s what I would do if I wanted to take over the world one day,” Callan said as he flopped down into one of the plush chairs. “He’s rather charming from what we’ve heard, voice of an angel.”

“Pfft,” I scoffed. “There’s nothing angelic about him. How is he making all these connections? It can’t be through Leviathan. Aunt Helen said he rarely leaves Hell. There’s no way he’s made that many human friends.”

“Most are human, but my guess is there are more demons out there helping him.” Gabriel took the unoccupied seat and leaned forward. “Who do we know that might have these types of connections who spends most of their time topside.”

I leaned back in my chair and rest my arms on top of my head to think. “I know I have my enemies out there and, unfortunately, I could think of a few prominent demons out there who probably hate my guts.”

“Well, I could think of one who has the most influence.” Gabriel eyed me from his seat, his stormy eyes waiting for a glimmer of recognition.

“Shit.”

“There it is.” Gabriel’s grin was almost too much to handle, especially given the dire circumstances we were in. “Lorelei was seen with several businessmen, all of whom will be attending this conference.”

“Does Josh know that his mother is still trying to kill me?”

“He knows,” Callan chimed in. “He informed us before we came to you. He may be an outcast with the sirens, but he’s still their prince regardless. He has a few childhood friends who still remain loyal, but they won’t be able to help us with anything further.”

I let my arms fall and rested them on the table. “I’m the only one immune to the siren’s call. Lorelei will have plants everywhere inside and outside that conference center and the surrounding hotels. I know you two want to accompany me, but I won’t be able to protect you from yourselves if you get sucked into their spell.”

“We’ve thought of that, too,” Gabriel replied. “Josh knows another siren who’s an outcast, a man who was supposed to be executed for treason against the royal family for creating noise-canceling technology that could even cancel out the siren song.”

“Well, I can see why they wanted him dead. Why was he trying to undermine the royal family?” The question didn’t really matter, I was simply curious.

“Apparently, his ex-lover was a cousin of the royal family. He left her for a human, but he was paranoid that his new girlfriend would be lured to her death with a siren song so he developed the technology in hopes to keep her safe,” Gabriel answered.

“I’m guessing that didn’t work out as planned.”

Gabriel simply shook his head without explaining any further. After knowing Josh, it was hard to picture him as a part of Lorelei’s family. The way he treated Ashlin like a princess made it hard to think that he could do any harm to anyone or that he was member of what was equivalent to the mafia on Earth. All the sacrifices he made for me would secure him a seat in my inner circle forever.

“What’s the siren’s name?” I asked.

“Thalior,” Callan replied. “But he’s nowhere near Tokyo. The last Josh heard was that he was somewhere in Russia, far away from any ocean or sea.”

“Great.” I let my back hit the backrest of the seat. “We don’t have time to trudge through the tundra searching for an outcast. Looks like we’re back to me doing this alone.”

“What about Baba Yaga?”

Callan’s eyes grew wide as his head slung in the direction of Gabriel. “You mean she’s real?”

“Yes, Callan, she’s real,” I answered. “Gabriel, she’s known to be a neutral party and there’s no telling what she’d want in return for Thalior’s location. She could ask for anything.”

Gabriel shrugged. “Like you said, she’s neutral. She won’t ask for something that would sway victory for either side.”

“There’s a reason she was banished from Hell.”

“Banished from Hell?” I didn’t think Callan’s eyes could go any wider. “Wait, you mean, she did something that bad?”

“Callan, focus. She plays both sides. What if we’re not the first to visit her?” I asked Gabriel.

“We’ve got some time, Kas. The conference isn’t for another week and Lorelei will be too preoccupied with gathering as much support for Samael as possible. I doubt this is on her radar.”

Pushing my seat away from the desk, I stood up and paced the room. I ended up in front of the fireplace where I rested my hand on the mantle and leaned into it, staring into the flames. Baba Yaga was neutral because her abilities were so intense that if she ever could be swayed to one side, it would be over for the other. My father was afraid that would happen if she were to stay in Hell, so he sent her to an isolated place where she could never venture away from. She had to rely on people knowing where to find her or stumbling into her haunted forest where she ruled.

But what if I could convince her to help us? What if I could offer her something so valuable that she couldn’t refuse? What if I granted her freedom and allowed her to finally return home?

“Kas?”

Gabriel appeared beside me, waiting for my response. “How long do we have?”

“A week,” he replied. “The conference is next weekend. That should give you time with Penelope to draw up a battle plan here and get the technology we need to infiltrate whatever meeting Samael is having with these corporate bureaucrats.”

I closed my eyes and blew out a deep breath before letting my hand fall from the mantle, slapping against my thigh. “Please, go collect Penelope.”

Gabriel nodded and went for the door, noticing Callan lingering behind. I waved Gabriel on and he obeyed, leaving the room without a fuss as Callan stood from his seat came over to me. “Why didn’t you tell Gabriel I was immune to the siren song as well?”

I turned to face him, my back to the heat of the fire in the hearth. “Because I’m not sure if that’s true for you.”

“If it has to do with a connection to your celestial half—”

“That’s just it, Callan. I’m not sure all celestial beings are immune. Lucifer was God’s favorite. There’s no telling what gifts He granted my father before his fall. I know for a fact that I’m immune,” I interrupted.

Callan flashed an amused smile. “Sounds like there’s a story there, especially since I know how your mother can be.”

I chuckled. “You could say that. I was ten. I don’t recall the girl’s name, but she was a well-known bully, kind of like Mara. She tested out her song of persuasion on me. It didn’t work, she backed off, but when my mother found out, she was livid. I never saw that poor girl again.”

“You don’t think...?”

“Oh, no,” I rushed to say. “I’m pretty sure she was sent to a different boarding school. Lilith is ruthless, but she’d never harm a child.”

Callan sighed with relief. “Sorry. I never know when it comes to demons. Still learning the ropes around here.”

The door opened to the study and Penelope popped her head around the corner to see if it was fine to enter. Callan crossed the room to the door, opening it further and left, while Penelope scooted past him inside. She closed the door softly, the lock clicking into place.

“You summoned me?”

I laughed and greeted her warmly. “You don’t have to be so formal, Penelope.”

She gave me a quick hug and took a seat across from me at my desk. “Gabriel filled me in on everything.”

“Everything?” I asked skeptically.

“Well...”

I rubbed my temples with my fingers, feeling a tension headache settling in to my otherwise severely aching body. Between the lack of sleep, the constant growl of hunger, and carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders, I was feeling peachy. “It’s fine, Penelope, but if you’re here to lecture me, I’ve heard enough for one day.”

“What about a pep talk?” Her smile was bright. Even after the ordeal she had went through being tortured by Leviathan and his minions, she still found a way to stay positive about the whole situation.

I glanced down at her hand where her fingers had been severed. I had commissioned a leather glove for her, one that allowed her to have the appearance of her fingers and move them as if they were still there. It was the least I could do since no magick could undo the damage. While others might not known of the hell she went through, I would always feel the twang of guilt every time my gaze landed on that gloved hand.

“I like the new haircut,” I commented.

Penelope lifted her hand to her short, pixie-cut. “Thanks. I guess I needed a change.”

She could lie to me all she wanted, but I knew why she was changing her appearance. While she had trauma to work out with her mother, I knew she cut it because she didn’t want to resemble her anymore. Penelope was essentially a clone, but after Mrs. Melchom did to her daughter, I understood why she wanted to be her own person. Penelope had worked so hard to please her parents over the years. This was one of the few ways she could get back at them.

I glanced down at the map of Hell and raked over it. “As you can see, I don’t feel comfortable leaving Hell when there’s this much work to do.”

Penelope peered over the map with me and pointed to where I had placed Paimon. “Beleth’s hunters are closer to this village than Paimon. Besides, that’s part of his territory. Why did you put Paimon there.”

“You noticed that, huh?”

“I know Beleth betrayed you, but you have to give him the opportunity to prove that he’s changed, Kas,” she replied.

“So soon? I’m not sure pitting him up against Leviathan with the first skirmish is the best plan...”

Penelope shrugged. “Beleth’s hunters are the ones who turned on him to help you. I don’t think his hunters will allow him to break yet another promise to their queen.”

We went back and forth over the decision a little more before I conceded that she was right. It made more sense to have the troops already on the ground well before Leviathan’s army of souls made it over the mountains. It would give them time to gather, strategize, and rest before a bloody battle.

Penelope gave me thoughts about other positions of interest on the map. I informed her of the significance of some of the townships and kingdoms that we couldn’t allow to be captured. She listened to my thoughts with intrigue and made suggestions of where to place my troops.

“Josh and Maisie have offered to recruit the Rusalka for the rivers and seas in Hell,” Penelope mentioned.

I raised an eyebrow. “The Rusalka and Sirens working together? I never thought I’d see the day.”

Another knock was at the door followed by a voice. “Your Highness, your afternoon tea.”

“Come in!”

Misty stood towering in the doorway holding a silver tray and tea set. I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle my giggles as he awkwardly barged in with about as much grace a bear trying to balance on one leg while juggling. He made it over to the antique serving cart in the corner of the room and placed the tray down to wheel over beside the desk.

He wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his suit jacket and poured us a cup. “I’m definitely getting my steps in with how large this castle is. I’m not a spry youth like you two anymore.”

“You know you don’t have to always bring me tea,” I said as I took a sip of the steaming brew. “Take a seat. Rest.”

Misty did as he was told without complaints. It was the first order I had given where he hadn’t rolled his eyes at me in a playful way. He was the only demon that could do that and get away with it. A perk of being my bodyguard for all of my life, and my best friend.

He pulled up an armchair closer to the desk and leaned back with a huff. Pulling a white handkerchief out of his breast pocket, he dabbed at his face. Waving the handkerchief in the direction of the map, he asked, “So, how’s it going?”

“Better, now that Penelope’s here,” I admitted.

“Are you about ready for me to send the orders down?”

I glanced over the map one more time. It appeared more complete with tiny statues littering the top of it. I could sit here and pour over it for weeks, and still not feel fully confident, but I didn’t have that kind of time. I had to pull the trigger eventually and now seemed like a time good as any.

“I still need to write out the orders, but they’ll be ready later tonight,” I answered.

Misty nodded and stood from his seat. He placed it back where he had pulled it from and came over to give my shoulder a squeeze before leaving quietly. His silent encouragement was more appreciated than he would ever know, but for now, I needed to stay focused on the war at hand. Penelope made some minor adjustments as I pulled out several sheets of parchment paper and wrote down the commands for the Lesser Kings who were still allied with the kingdom.

They would in turn, send my commands down to their armies and provide the necessary reinforcements that we would need for the citizens. Even with our solid plans, I still called for an evacuation of the elderly, women, and children to inside the kingdom walls if they were able to travel. I would never forgive myself if a village was burned to the ground or seized by Leviathan and his allies.

Josh, Ashlin, Ebony, and Penelope would remain behind in Hell to provide reports of our losses while I went after Samael. If I could destroy what Leviathan was fighting for, we could gain an advantage. His mission would crumble and his supporters would abandon the fight and, hopefully, beg for my mercy.

It did seem rather odd to be going after the Antichrist when I was taught my whole life that I was the Antichrist and the true heir to Hell. While I sat upon its throne, I still felt like an imposter. I even sometimes questioned why I was ever born if I wasn’t Hell’s intended. While everyone kept reminding me that I had Hell’s best intentions, was it enough? Was I enough? This war started because of me, after all.

I pressed the wax on the last letter and handed them off to Penelope. She counted them one last time to make sure they were all there and secure.

“You should get some rest, Kas,” she said. “Let us take it from here.”

I poured myself another cup of tea as she headed out the door. Misty’s brew eased the tension I had been feeling, or maybe it was the relief from finally completing the orders I was having trouble with. I wish I could say that leading came naturally to me, but I always felt so lost. There were so many lives at stake, and I knew with a war there would be casualties, but...I wanted to save everyone.

I stood up with my teacup and headed over the sofa in front of the fire. I sat down, kicked off my shoes, and curled my feet underneath me as I leaned against the arm. I took a sip of tea, thinking about how much time I’ve spent in my father’s study rather than the room my mother had lovingly decorated for me.

After finding out that he had sacrificed himself for me, my feelings had changed towards him. I missed him, which was something I never thought I would feel. I wanted to know the real man that he was, not the one he pretended to be in order to protect me. A tear slid down my cheek and evaporated on my skin.

I will save Hell, or die trying.