And Ruin Followed Behind Her

Chapter 9-2

“YOU HUNGRY?” CHARLIE asked.

A walled city rose in front of us. We were still a half day’s walk away, but I could no longer hear the screaming souls in the distance behind us.

“I hadn’t thought about it much, but yeah, a little.”

Charlie snatched a lizard off a nearby rock and broiled it in his hand. Then, he sat down and handed it to me. “You’ll need your strength if you want to find Imogen. The soul, it can stay up for eternity down here, but if you aren’t careful, your body will give out on you, ya hear?”

“I thought magic didn’t work down here,” I said to him.

“Yours doesn’t, but mine does,” Charlie said, pulling a necklace out of his pocket. “Which reminds me, put this on.”

I grasped the necklace out of his hand and looked it over. The leather string held a black talon on it. “What is it?”

“I took it when I realized you were coming down here for real. It will help with the heat. It can’t protect you completely, but it will help a lot.”

I placed the necklace around my neck. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Charlie replied. “Now quit yapping and eat. You need your strength.”

I nodded, taking a big bite of the lizard. “This is actually pretty good.”

“Yeah, I know. I can cook. We got all sorts of skills. My friend Bernie used to sing opera. It’s like we’re three dimensional beings, if you get to know us.”

“That’s not what I meant,” I said, taking another bite of the lizard.

“I know it’s not, but you got me all riled up with that demon comment earlier. You know that’s our word. You shouldn’t even be saying it.”

“Are you really offended by something I said?”

“I’m allowed, aren’t I?”

I chuckled. “Yeah, but it’s usually me being offended by something somebody else says, so it’s just—different I guess.”

“Well don’t say that demon nonsense when we get into Dis.”

“Is that where we’re going? Dis?”

Charlie pointed to the walled city that dominated the horizon. “That’s right. It’s the biggest city in Hell, and it’s our best shot to find Imogen. Every monster in Hell passes through there at some point.”

“You think we’ll find her there?”

“Hopefully. If nothing else, we’ll find somebody that knows something. It’s going to be weird enough walking the streets looking like you do, but I have a plan. We’re gonna have to say you’re a wraith or something.”

“What’s a wraith?”

“It’s like a zombie with a conscience, or a ghost with a personality. Look, don’t worry about it, just eat your lizard, all right. I’ll handle it. Don’t you trust me?”

I had to admit, from the moment I met Charlie I didn’t trust him, but he was being cool to me, certainly cooler than I was to him. I would have been completely lost if he hadn’t helped me. “Why are you helping me?”

“Helping you? I’m not helping you. I’m helping Charlie. What do you think is gonna happen if monsters like Imogen are coming in and out of hell whenever they please? Charlie’s cushy job ain’t gonna be so cushy no more, ya got me?”

“What is your job?”

“I’m supposed to find beings that escaped Hell and bring them back. When it’s just one or two a month, the job’s easy. Lucifer doesn’t ask questions as long as the monsters return. Once they’re back, I can d**k around for a few weeks before I come back here. If somebody gets their hands on a pixie though, and they can open a portal to Earth, I’m suddenly working night and day. No thank you. That’s work. I didn’t get into this racket to work for a living.”

I took another bite of lizard. “How did you get into this ‘racket’ or whatever?”

“I knew a guy who knew a guy in Retrievals. It’s not an easy gig to get. There’s only one opening a century cuz the job’s so cushy. After all, most demons escape Hell because they were summoned by teenagers. Not that hard to track them down. They aren’t usually like Imogen.”

“You knew her.”

“Yeah, I knew her. She was one of my friend’s assignments, Bernie—”

“The opera singer?”

“He ain’t singin’ opera no more. Imogen ripped his throat out and burned what was left. She is a cold-hearted b***h, and that’s comin’ from an imp.”

“If she was one of your assignments, why isn’t she back here?”

“I dunno,” Charlie replied. “One day I get a message that Lucifer called off the contract. She was a bit of a star chaser, and Lucifer is the biggest star of all down here.”

*