A Legacy of the Damned: Daughter of Astaroth

Chapter 64 - The Limbo

Hurtling into hell through the portal isn't like going through regular doors in your house. The fire that you see? It burns you. For real.

And that's why a regular human wouldn't have survived the portal. Throwing themselves into the fire at the portal's mouth means death to a human- a physical death, while their souls continue on the journey, possibly through the nine gates of hell or maybe to heaven...who knows.

And that's what happens to my body. The fire burnt me. But since I'm not fully human, and the power of darkness is stronger here in the underworld, my body regenerates faster than in the human realm. Even so, the pain is excruciating.

I'm on the ground, crawling on my hands and knees. My mouth is wide open as I let out a broken keening howl that sounds like it's coming from an animal rather than a human.

Smoke billows out from my body to disappear into the thick fog that surrounds me. The smell of burning hair and flesh fills the still air.

In some parts, my skin is black, charred right to the bones while some other parts are white or deep red. The material of my clothes had melted and stuck to my body. My glorious hair is now singed into smoking black clumps on my scalp.

The Nephilims are slowly approaching me. They are shrouded in that shield of energy and they seem to fare better than I do. Still, smoke rises from their bodies and they are all staring at me with stunned expressions on their faces.

Sacha is a few steps in front of everyone and the look of horror and devastation on his face makes me aware of my appearance. I was so focused on my pain that I've forgotten about how disgusting and hideous I must look.

I turn my face and my whole body, cowering away from him. "Don't look at me! Look away! Don't look at me!" I scream, but what comes out is just a pathetic growling with slurred words. I crawl backward, trying to disappear into the fog.

But he won't let me hide. He follows me as I retreat.

His body is rigid and his face is tight as though he's in agony. When he reaches out like he's about to touch me or wrap his arms around me, I jerk back. He stops and clenches his hands into tight fists before he slowly pulls them back to his side.

"Why didn't you tell me that this is what you have to endure to get here?" His voice is hoarse and breaks at the end and when I look up, I see the pain swimming in his eyes as though he could feel my pain.

I close my eyes and shake my head. I knew I would burn but I didn't know to what extend. So, typical of me, I had just closed my eyes and jumped in.

I continue to moan quietly as my body slowly heals itself and a short while later, he pulls me into his arms. I open my eyes in surprise. The pain is gone and having his arms around me feels good.

"I must've looked awful," I mumble in his chest.

"I don't care."

I pull back to look up at him in disbelieve.

"Danica, I love you no matter what," he tells me, keeping his arms tight around me.

"Don't tell me my look wasn't the first thing that attracts you to me," I say. My look defines me. I can't comprehend how anyone would still like me, let alone love me when my beauty isn't in the equation.

His hand cups my face and he leans down to almost my eye level. "At first, yes. Then I got to know you. You are more than just your looks, princess. There's beauty inside you," he continues. "I'm in love with your strength, loyalty, intelligence, and fearlessness." His thumb grazes my full bottom lip and I lean into his touch. "I love you even when you're being reckless, devious, unscrupulous, and cruel. I love all parts of you."