Chapter 1
Hell — a place one enters but never leaves. By his side I stand tall, ready to fight whatever battle he throws at me. “Time and time again we face them just for them to be defeated,” he laughs coldly. “We cannot celebrate just yet, Lucifer. There are many more battles to come. Angels outnumber us by the thousands. And God is a hard man to find.” Lucifer throws down his scepter and shoots me a look that says shut the f**k up, and I do.
Lucifer is one of my closest allies, and I am his right hand, but that doesn’t mean I can question him. He was once an angel of God who chose his own path, and now he is the king of Hell.“How many times must I tell you, Demetrius? Hmmm? This is a party to celebrate your marriage to Alara. She is the most striking demon — the strongest in the army besides you and my personal guard. She will make the perfect wife for my most trusted general.” His words hit a nerve I didn’t know I had. I force my composure. “Marriage? I did not agree to that. I told you I would lead your armies and stand by your side, but I will not sacrifice my sanity for a low-life demon. I will not marry anyone. Love is a waste.”“It is not about love, old friend. It’s about power. Her family owns half of the above-ground city and I plan to acquire it all. Then we can use the humans — and their souls — as bait in the play against God. You know his soft spot for humans. He will never know what hit him.” His devilish laugh cuts like ice against my ear drums.
Why does it always have to be like this? Demons fighting angels. Before Lucifer fell we lived in Heaven among the angels; our wings were black, and that was how you could tell us apart. God loved us just as much as the white-winged angels — we were different, but beautiful. Our duty was to ferry the lost and wicked souls to Hell, to place them into the never-ending inferno, then return home. Lucifer loved God once, but God’s favor for humans clouded his judgment. I never wanted to leave Heaven. I was content with my place; I was one of God’s chosen. When Lucifer rebelled, the dark-winged angels followed him. I hesitated because I did not want to lose God’s love. The white-winged angels attacked us for the color of our wings. They took me prisoner and cast me down to Hell. That day I vowed I would not let them win; I would fight them at every turn. Lucifer and I became uneasy partners, united by a shared grudge — until his ambition split us. Now he wants to seize God’s place as king of Heaven. I will fight the angels for what they did to me, but I will not challenge God. He is too strong; our power could never suppress his. Lucifer is powerful, but I will not follow him to our collective ruin. Still, I must make him think I will.
“I will not agree to an arranged marriage. I am a soldier. I will take the task of going to Earth to collect souls and bring them back. I will acquire the city for you — but on my terms. You know I get what I want.” With that I turn away from Lucifer, from Hell, and from a long life with a dreadful wife.
I walk into the portal room. Three portals hang in the air: one to Heaven, one to the depths where all the condemned souls fall, and one to Earth — to a city whose name I cannot recall. It is a place I have forbidden myself to go because of the pull it exerts on me.
