“I’m going after her!” Rami barked to his boss, Camael.

The smug archangel sat at the table, seemingly unaffected by the horrific turn of events. Ramiel felt certain the archangel was incapable of feelings. Well, except anger. The chief oozed with that emotion. Rami conceded more times than not it was because of his actions that the archangel lost his temper. Oh, well, c’est la vie.

How Camael could sit there and say there was nothing they could do when Elsie was on the verge of a nervous breakdown was unimaginable. It was all Rami could do not to destroy everything in sight. Unlike Camael, he wore his emotions on his sleeve. Unfortunately, most days it landed him in heaps of trouble.

He wasn’t going out of his mind with worry just because it was regarding Elsie. Rami was over her. That bone-deep, all-consuming love he harbored was a thing of the past.

Yeah, right a voice snickered in his head. Rami told his conscience to fuck off. He was responsible for Elsie’s daughter, Isobel, and that’s why he was about to go ballistic. She was abducted by the archdemon, Crocell, right from under his nose. Now, he could no longer feel a connection to his charge.

From the second he accepted the role as Isobel’s Guardian Angel, Rami shared a bond with her. She was always at the back of his mind. A happy little buzz that warmed his heart. Her presence was a bright spot in his otherwise bleak world. And he was on the brink of losing his mind now that the connection was gone.

“No, you’re not, Ramiel. You can’t enter the Underworld without falling from grace and losing your wings,” Camael countered in clipped words.

“So, we are supposed to allow an innocent child to suffer and die at the hands of the devil? How can you say that? You’re supposed to be an archangel,” Rami spat and his large black wings rustled with agitation.

Elsie’s sobs increased with his words and Zander wrapped her in his arms and held her close. The Vampire King looked as bad as Elsie. His eyes were red and puffy with dark circles under them. He’d aged a decade in the hours since his daughter was taken which was unbelievable because his kind didn’t age. The guy was older than dirt but looked to be around thirty.

Rami’s hands fisted at his sides and he forced his eyes away from the sight that added to his torment. It was a knife through his heart every time he watched the love between Elsie and Zander. But he was no longer married to her. She belonged to another. It killed Rami to see her happier than she’d ever been with him.

He shook off the gut-wrenching thought. Izzy was his priority and nothing else mattered. It was his duty to find the little girl and save her from a horrible fate.

He turned and started walking from the group gathered in the war room at Zeum. Suddenly, an image bombarded his mind. He stumbled and nearly fell on his ass. For a brief second, he saw Izzy’s tear-stained face. Her Sapphire-blue eyes told him volumes about her suffering. He lifted his hand, wanting to smooth her tangled black hair and wipe the dirt from her heart-shaped face. The image disappeared before he got anymore details.

He turned to see Elsie watching him closely. “What did you see?” she demanded. “Was it Izzy?”

The room went quiet and all eyes shifted to him. Rami nervously tugged on his ear and eased the clench in his jaw. He wasn’t comfortable being the center of attention.

He cleared his throat then said, “I saw her but it was only for a second. She’s still alive. I didn’t see any blood but I sensed her pain. I can’t say if it was physical or emotional though. I got the impression they aren’t going to kill her…yet,” he told Elsie.

Zander was up and pacing the room. “Shite! Rhys, get a group together. We leave as soon as Pema and her sisters have a location. We have to get to her before anything else happens.”

The desperation in Zander’s voice was something Rami had never heard from him. He was the Vampire King, always under control. Calm and collect, that was Zander. But not today. He was frantic and terrified for his daughter.

“Liege,” Rhys interjected then stopped talking. He swallowed hard, cleared his throat and continued, “you can’t go. You know that. Only that which is bonded to Hell can travel through the portals,” he explained, clearly overcome with emotion. Everyone seemed deeply affected by Izzy’s disappearance.

“That’s not true. An angel can be summoned there by deed or kidnapped and forced there,” Illianna, Rhys’s mate replied.

Rami had never seen the Joybringer angel so despondent. She was pale and sickly in a room of despair. Hell, there wasn’t even a shred of hope coming from her body.

“How do we convince a demon to commit a selfless act in hell?” Gerrick asked as he held his pregnant mate’s hand.

Shae repeatedly voiced it was her fault, and Gerrick was trying to comfort her. She felt responsible for the abduction because the women were shopping for baby stuff when it happened. The dhampir wasn’t to blame. In fact, it was another archdemon that stole Shae’s life as a vampire, turning her into a demon-vampire hybrid. No, this was entirely Crocell’s fault, but Shae blamed herself.

Nate, a dragon-shifter and Zeum’s majordomo, entered the room with a large platter of finger foods. The male’s head hung low, his flirtatious personality absent. Rami knew he carried guilt, as well. Nate was sent to protect the women from harm and failed.

Rami glanced around the room. There wasn’t a being present that didn’t blame themselves for Izzy’s abduction. Each one of them would give their lives to save the child. Thoughts of what Izzy could be suffering had Rami’s anxiety and rage skyrocketing.

“There is no way to get those selfish bastards to do something for someone else, let alone put their pathetic lives in danger. Our only option is to force our way through the portal,” Rami said.

“You would give up your wings for the child?” Camiel asked with a tilt of his head.

“Of course I would. I would do anything to save her. I’m her Guardian Angel. I’ll give up my wings and anything else needed. I will stop at nothing to get her back to her family,” Rami vowed.

“What about the portal in Tennessee? You know, that one in Tennessee that Rhys used the last time he went to the Underworld. Have you checked with Kellen or the other Dark Warriors that leave there?” Mack asked in response.

Kyran’s spunky mate was one of Ramiel’s favorites at Zeum. She was a total smart-ass but fearless to the core. The type you wanted at your back when things went down. She’d slaughtered more demons than any other Dark Warrior, except for Gerrick. That ruthless sonovabitch would never be surpassed when it came to number of kills.

Typically, Mack wore one of her snarky t-shirts but even that was amiss. Mack was dressed in black leather from head to toe, the poster child for vengeance.

“Nay. The Cave of Cruachan closed after Crocell and Cresil came to Earth, and it hasna reopened,” Zander replied with a curse as he stopped his pacing and placed a hand on Elsie’s shoulders.

Her sobs lessened and it seemed to ease Zander’s agitation. Rami didn’t need to see this shit. He was more than aware of the love they shared and it only made his current pain that much worse.

A loud crash echoed through the room. The sound came from the next room and they all hopped up and went running. Could Izzy have found her way back to them? The little girl was very powerful and Rami wouldn’t be surprised if she escaped the demon’s clutches.

Zeum was bigger than most hotels and Rami thought it was going to take forever to get to the source of the sound. Why did these fuckers need such a big place?

At first, Rami thought the home stuffy and pretentious with its marble floors and fancy antiques but after living there for a short time, he quickly realized that beneath the façade was a true family. They worked together, supporting one another and protecting innocent humans and supernaturals from the evil that preyed on them.

As their group rushed inside the large ballroom, they saw Pema, Isis, and Suvi, along with their mates, sprawled on the ground beside a small black object that looked charred. Surrounding them was a circle of salt which told Rami they were performing some type of spell.

“Shit, that smells worse than a pus demon,” Mack announced as she waved her hand in front of her face.

“What the hell happened?” Zander barked a second later just as Elsie asked, “Are you guys alright?”

Pema patted her mate’s wide chest and sat up with a groan. “We’re okay. I think. And that lovely smell is courtesy of Lucifer. We tried everything we could to scry for the Cave of Cruachan but came up empty. Just as we were about to give up Pepper walked in with Izzy’s favorite stuffed toy and we switched tactics,” Pema explained.

“We knew such a direct approach was dangerous,” Isis added, but we all agreed the risk was worth it.”

“Did you find her?” Elsie asked as she rushed to their side and knelt beside them.

Pema met Elsie’s gaze and tears formed in her eyes. Rami watched as Elsie’s shoulders slumped and the light disappeared from her eyes. This ordeal was taking a toll on his ex-wife and he feared she wouldn’t survive the loss of Izzy.

Her normally vibrant skin was gaunt and gray. The shine from her hair was gone and tiny lines creased the corners of her mouth. Even Elsie’s clothes hung loosely from her shoulders as if she’d lost twenty pounds overnight.

“I’m sorry. All we saw was Lucifer’s snarl before his power slammed into our scrying bowl and exploded in our faces,” Pema admitted.

“He’s sealed off every entrance into Hell,” Suvi admitted. “Even the small cracks we’d been tracking the lesser demons through are gone. There is no way in or out of the Underworld right now.”

“He’s reserving all of his resources to break free of his prison. He needs every ounce of power to pull this off,” Camael informed them. “The curse that holds him frozen in Lake Cocytus was cast by numerous Gods. Having Isobel is only one piece of the solution. That vile demon will feel my wrath the moment he steps foot out of the Underworld,” he vowed.

“Wait a fucking minute,” Rami interjected. “You can’t mean that you are going to sit around while he kills an innocent child. We have to get in there and do something!”

“You aren’t listening, Rami. There is no way in,” the archangel retorted.

“No! There has to be a way,” Elsie objected as she grabbed hold of Camael’s lapels. Sorrow flickered in the archangel’s eyes but was gone so fast Rami questioned if he even saw it.

Camael cupped Elsie’s face and Rami watched her dissension. His Elsie was as defiant as they came. Tell her she couldn’t, and she would just to prove you wrong. It was one of the things he loved most about her.

“If Lucifer has sealed every opening into Hell there is no way in. I’m not trying to be difficult or deny you your daughter. It kills me to tell you this, but once the Dark Lord seals his domain there is no way to get through. We must wait until he leaves the Underworld and crosses to this plane. Once Lucifer’s anchoring power is gone, Rami can cross over and rescue Isobel,” Camiel informed Elsie.

“And you think she will be alive at that point?” Rami growled at his boss. “There’s no way I’m going to sit back and accept that there’s nothing I can do while that beautiful soul is decimated in Hell. Mark my word, I will find a way to the Underworld and I will find Izzy and bring her home to you, Elsie.”

“Please,” Elsie said, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I can’t breathe without my little girl.” He hated that the feel of her in his arms was all the incentive he needed.

Ramiel would move Heaven and Earth to find a crack in Lucifer’s shields. He wouldn’t stop until Izzy was freed.

* * *

Isobel was terrified and so confused. She didn’t know where she was and wanted her mommy and daddy. She was so cold her body trembled uncontrollably. It was worse than when she ate ice cream faster than Donovan.

Looking down, she saw why. She was standing on top of a frozen lake and shivers shook her tiny body. Wrapping her arms around her middle, she tried to make herself smaller to avoid the wind beating against her. It blew so hard it almost knocked her over.

There was so much screaming and loud noises around her that she didn’t want to move. The monsters surrounding her were scary. They were all giants, taller than her daddy, and had gray skin and black horns. When they opened their mouths, she saw razor-sharp teeth like a shark and she knew they could chew her up and eat her.

Their teeth weren’t the scariest part. They also had black claws as big as her daddy’s sword. When she saw their long, flame-red hair and matching eyes she realized they were the same kind of demon she killed at Uncle Gerrick and Aunt Shae’s mating ceremony. She would never forget Kadir.

She didn’t mean to kill him. She just wanted to get away from him. When she touched him, she had no idea he would turn to stone then explode. But she didn’t feel bad about what she did. He was big and bad and very mean. Kadir wanted to hurt her and her family and she couldn’t allow that.

Izzy was surrounded by evil and it terrified her. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see anymore. Maybe if she wished hard enough, she could disappear and go to her bedroom.

She wanted to be brave like Mack. She remembered her aunt telling her to do what she did to Kadir when the ugly blue demon took her. Izzy could kill them if they got close enough, but the big scary demon behind her had cautioned the others to stay away. Now, they hovered nearby, staring at her like she was a big fat cookie they wanted to eat.

Slowly, she turned and saw the biggest demon. He was almost as tall as the cliffs behind him. This must be Lucifer, the devil Goddess Morrigan warned her about.

The goddess created Izzy, and all the beings in the Tehrex Realm. Izzy had a direct connection to the Goddess. She bore the mark of the Triskele Amulet on her body and could call upon the deity at will.

Thinking about the goddess sparked an idea. Yes, that was her way home. She would call the goddess to come and save her. She quickly closed her eyes and went to that special place in her head where she held her magic. She pictured the beautiful goddess with her long black hair and ice-blue eyes. She prayed harder than ever before that her maker would come for her but when she opened her eyes, the Goddess wasn’t there. She was still in the dark, scary place where nightmares were born.

A deep laugh rumbled and Elsie startled. “Don’t even try, little one. You can’t reach Morrigan from my house. That phone line has been severed. Just do as I ask then you are free to go home to mommy and daddy,” he cooed softly.

This bad devil was trying to trick her. The Goddess told her he was the master of trickery. In fact, she told her many things about this demon. Izzy focused, trying to recall if Morrigan told her a way out of the devil’s world.

Isobel had many conversations with the powerful goddess and Izzy tried her best to pay attention to what Morrigan said, but her mind sometimes wandered to better topics like Pepper and Dipple, the gnomes that lived at Zeum with her. Or to Donovan, her bestest friend in the whole wide world. Most times, Izzy just stared at the silver circlet wrapped around the Goddess’s head. It was so shiny and pretty and had a big beautiful red stone in the center. Izzy wanted one of her own. She loved sparkly things. They were her favorite.

Izzy placed her tiny hands around the top of her head, dizzy from the influx of information flooding her brain. Her mind whirled and she thought she might fall. That was the last thing she wanted. There was black gunk covering the ice and smoke coming off it.

Lucifer’s enormous wings beat against the ice but the lower half of his body remained frozen in the lake. Seeing his black wings reminded her that the Goddess said he was once an archangel and that his wings were charred after his treachery against God.

Izzy spotted the barest hint of white at the base of his wings. He used to be a magnificent angel in heaven before he betrayed God and fell from grace. She knew of only two other angels. Illianna was a Joybringer and had the most beautiful gold wings. They had sparklies on the tips and Izzy felt happy whenever Illianna was near. And then there was her Rami. His wings were black and scary like Lucifer’s and even had sharp razors on the end, but she wasn’t scared of Rami or his wings. Rami was her protector and made her feel safe and loved.

That’s how she knew Lucifer was a very bad demon. He made her want to cry and her tummy hurt real bad.

“Release me from my prison, Isobel,” Lucifer demanded.

“I can’t do that,” she whispered. Her legs quivered at the harsh tone.

“Yes, you can. Touch the ice and it will free me,” Lucifer replied in a much calmer voice. He smiled as if they were friends but Izzy wasn’t fooled.

“No. The Goddess told me never to do that,” Izzy replied.

“Everyone you love will suffer if you don’t do what I ask,” the devil boomed and his smile turned to a leer.

The ground shook and suddenly she couldn’t see. She screamed as she fell to her knees. Her skin burned as images filled her mind. It was her mommy and daddy and they were being cut open by big grey demons. They were calling out her name and begging her to save them.

Izzy shook her head, trying to make the picture go away. It wasn’t real, she told herself. Her daddy was big and strong and would never beg her to save him. He was the Vampire King and protected her and her mommy.

The images disappeared and she opened her eyes to see a strange beast flying above her head. It was part human, part beast, and enormous. It had the head of a man, a lion’s body, and wings and tail of a dragon. It reminded her of Nate except Nate’s wings were bigger and prettier. Her brain told her this creature was a Geryon and that it was another bad demon.

Izzy’s eyes roamed the area and she almost shut them again when she saw people on the mountain. Their heads were stuffed into holes in the black rock with their feet sticking up in the air. Ugly demons held torches and were burning the bottoms of their feet with fire.

Suddenly, the image wavered and she could see through the bodies. She sighed a relief. They were ghosts, not actual people. It didn’t make sense because she could smell burning flesh and see red blood dripping down their pale gray legs but she was glad it wasn’t real. This was an awful place and she wanted to go home.

Izzy didn’t feel good. She was going to throw up. There was evil all around her and it made everything hurt, even her skin.

“I said to set me free!” Lucifer roared and the nearby demons stepped away.

“I can’t. The Goddess said no. Please stop. I can’t,” Izzy cried out as she curled into a ball.

The awful images of her mommy and daddy returned when Lucifer shoved his way back into her brain.