Evie
I pull my plait up into a bun, winding it around and using hair slides to put it in place. I spent well over half an hour looking for the tiny little things I always seem to lose when I need them. I pick the leather corset belt up off the bed, putting it on, and tightening it up. I slide the five knives into their hidden compartments and make sure they are all secure before stepping away from the mirror. I glance at my bedroom; the clothes all over the floor, the messy sheets from where I couldn’t sleep last night. How did everything change so quickly? I fling the bag with arrows on my back, and my other bag with food and water on the other side. I glance at myself in the mirror as I pick my bow up and swallow the fear I have at going back to hell. The last time was an accident, and I’ll never forget it. The memory flashes in my mind without me even wanting to think about it.
I scream as I fall into the portal when the Protector pushed me, and I keep falling as I open my eyes and spread my arms out to catch something. Snow and mountains are everywhere I look, the harsh snow slamming against my face as I fall makes me close my eyes again and hold my head to my chest. My body hits the snow-covered ground with a thud, sending pain shooting through what feels like every part of my body.
Where the hell am I? Antarctica? It looks like it.
I stand up, when I can, looking around at the empty area around me. There is nothing but snow, and well, more snow. I look up at the sky, pausing when I can’t see the sun, or the moon. There are no stars, just blackness with a blue smoky haze that gives off light. Right, time to leave. I pull my sleeve up, pressing my finger to my red rune and try to call a portal.
Nothing happens.
That’s impossible.
The rune doesn’t even glow red. I move to my other arm, pulling the sleeve up in a panic and pressing my finger against the blue rune. My hand instantly burns with holy blue fire. So that rune works here. I close my hand, putting out the fire, and looking around again. I spot a fire in the distance on my right, and I start walking towards it, crawling to get over the hill. When I get to the top, I freeze at the horror in front of me. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of demons walking in a line, with transparent-looking people in the middle of them. the people look human, but it’s hard to tell from where I am. They are see-through, though, that’s not normal.
“What do we have here?” I hear a sickening sounding voice say from behind me, and I turn, seeing a demon that looks half snake and half human in front of me. I step back, missing my step, and I go flying down the hill.
The next three days the demons keep me, feeding off my blood and beating me up. It’s all a blur, but I have never been as powerless as I am now. The next real thing I am aware of is a red, a bright light…When I open my eyes, a red-eyed demon with black hair and a handsome face was holding me in his hands.
“You’re safe now.”
I snap out of the first time I met Azi, and the only time I’ve ever been to hell. I saw a lot of it as the demons dragged me around as their slave. They claimed my blood was worth more than anything they had seen, that’s the only reason they didn’t kill me. I walk out of my bedroom, closing the door. Azi may have saved me, but he broke me far worse than any demon did in hell. He should have left me there. I stare around at the empty apartment; the stillness of it, and hate it. I hate being in my home without Hali, it’s too quiet, it’s too messy. Hali was the neat freak, and I tend to forget to pick my stuff up. I used to get annoyed when she moved stuff to clean, and I couldn’t find it, but now I miss having her do that. It’s only been two days, and I will get her back. I have to keep telling myself that or I might lose the plot and try to rescue her instead of doing this plan. I go to the kitchen, reaching into the fridge, and getting out my five packets of bacon when I smell a familiar smoky smell, and then I sense him. I turn around to see Azi stand in my living room, only the faint trails of smoke still surround him to tell me he used a portal to get in here. He is dressed for hell this time, no more suits like he usually wears. This time he has a North Face jacket on, similar to mine, but his is blue. He has a bag on his back, two swords, and I’m sure plenty of other weapons hidden underneath. I hate the first moment I see him, my body instantly warms, remembering every moment we spent together like it was yesterday. He was my first everything and being with him was the first time I felt safe. But he ruined it, and I have to remember that.
“Have you heard of knocking?” I frown at him, pulling my bag off my back, and shoving my bacon inside the container inside. It won’t last more than a couple days, but the freezing land should help keep the bacon fresh.
“Bacon? I see you haven’t changed much in all these years,” he chuckles as I close my bag, and chuck it on my shoulder. I ignore him, going to walk to the door, but he steps in my way, making me arch my neck to look up at him.
“Get out of the way,” I snap, and he steps closer, close enough that I can smell his peppermint scent. I never knew if it was a cologne, or something he put on that made him smell that way, but I always loved how he smelt.
“We need to talk, what happened–”
“I don’t want to talk about it. You fucked me over, like everyone said you would. Demons like you can’t be trusted, can’t love anyone but themselves. So, get the fuck out of my way before I do something that you will regret,” I threaten him as his eyes burn with anger, and he goes to reply when there is a knock at the door.
“Come in,” I say, stepping back, and Azi steps aside.
“This isn’t over, and if I have to tie you down to make you talk to me, I will,” he states firmly, crossing his arms with a determined expression. I hate how he knows I like being tied up. Can’t believe the bastard actually just used that against me.
“You can try,” I harshly whisper just as the door opens and the Protectors walk in. They have cloaks on again, this time with rucksacks on their backs, and weapons everywhere to be seen. I notice straight away the two axes on Trex’s back, the shiny black metal looks awesome. Connor has swords, and when he walks over, I spot the dozens of daggers, and two guns on his belt. Nix is the last one through the door, and he doesn’t look impressed, but he does look hot. He has a bow, similar to mine, attached to his back along with arrows.
“Here, these are for you and Azi. They have advanced Protector’s technology in them, making them stay as warm as you need them,” Connor offers me the folded-up cloaks. I nod, accepting them and chucking one at Azi, who catches it.
“Where is it safe to make a portal around here?” Trex asks as I take everything off and clip the cloak on. I put everything back on and pick up my bow.
“There is a basement under the building, it’s big enough, and no one goes in it,” I reply, pushing past them all and towards the door. They follow me down the steps, and I wait for them to leave the house before locking the door. I walk around the building to the alleyway, unlocking the basement door with my key and walking down the steps. I wait until we are all in the middle of the dark basement, with Connor using the flashlight on his phone to see. The others don’t care, and Azi can see in the dark, anyway.
“Are you ready for this?” I ask, pulling an arrow out my quiver and holding it at my side. They all nod, pulling their weapons out. Azi doesn’t, just stands still.
“Are you opening the portal, or me?” Azi asks.
“Me. Just keep an eye out, we can’t have any souls escaping. You know how much trouble souls cause humans. People don’t like ghosts, and we haven’t got time to call a reaper,” I comment, and pull my sleeve up, pressing my finger to my red rune, and thinking of hell. I open my eyes as my rune glows bright, blasting red light into the room. A second later, a red portal burns into existence, getting bigger and bigger until it’s about the size of a door. A soul rushes out almost instantly, and I load my bow, shooting it in the chest, and sending it back through the door.
“After you,” I say, waving my hand at the door. Connor runs into it first, then Nix and Trex.
“I’m going last,” Azi tells me, and I don’t bother arguing with him, running towards the portal and jumping in, feeling the fire burn all over me, and then I’m just falling.