Damned if I do | Damned trilogy #1

Chapter Twenty: Wren

"This way. This way," Kyle called as he disappeared around a bend.

Truman hung between Kyle and me as though he wasn't sure who needed more protection. He threw the occasional look back at me

Ignacio, though, seemed to think for once that Kyle could handle whatever we came up against better than me. He stuck close by my side. His ears twitched this way and that as though he was constantly on alert.

After all I'd been through in the past month, after everything I'd seen, it was nice to know I could still be totally freaked out by the unknown. Except, I think most of my panic was at the idea of seeing Drake again rather than being concerned about what hellspawn we'd meet along the way.

It hadn't taken me long to convince the devilbums to show me the closest gateway back into Hell. It had still taken us a bit of time to get there and Harmony had demanded to drive us. Although, driving anywhere long-distance with three devilbums in the backseat was a whole new experience. I was pretty sure I knew how parents felt on road trips.

So, Harmony was on her way back home again and the boys and I were looking for the gateway into Hell. Because, like any sane, rational person, I was choosing to go back to Hell. I felt very Ancient Greek, just significantly lacking in the quest department.

I finally got around the bend and saw Kyle bouncing next to a rock wall that abruptly cut off what barely counted as a path.

Ignacio grunted and looked around, holding his makeshift spear in his claws tightly.

"We go in, ma'am," Truman said.

"In?" I clarified.

"There's a fissure here."

He held back the vines and I ducked to slip between the rocks where he pointed. Kyle took my hand gently, his claws cool and hard against my skin, and tugged me forward. My eyes took a while to adjust. But, as they did, I saw we walked into a large cavern.

The floor was impossibly smooth, meeting the bottom of the jagged walls as they arched up and over us many feet above. There was another fissure at the other end, through which I could see the flickering of flames that was both unnerving and tantalising. I could just hear the familiar soundtrack of Hell – faint screaming, but nothing too horrifying so as not to overly scare the tourists.

"This way, ma'am," Truman said softly.

The four of us took tentative steps forward, even Ignacio who was almost always the first one into the fray. As we got closer to the fissure, the dull sound of bells thundered through the cavern like some perverted shop bell. I also saw there was a shadowy form at the base of the fissure.

The form was a large stone throne and on the throne was a girl who looked barely older than me. She was sitting sideways; her back against one arm rest and her legs over the other. She had dark purple hair, pulled up into a style that looked centuries out of fashion. But she wore jeans and a hoodie like it was totally normal. I couldn't quite see what was in her hands, but she was staring at it.

As we neared the base of the throne, something caught on my foot and a small stone scattered away.

The girl looked up sharply, her eyes glowing bright yellow in the semi-darkness. She looked around, taking everything in in the space of a heartbeat. She stood up slowly, looking regal and authoritative.

"Speak," her voice boomed around the cavern.

"Miss Grace," Truman started, stepping forward.

But she cut him off. "Human. Speak."

I looked down at the devilbums, but they pushed me forward encouragingly. I swallowed hard, not sure why I was feeling so nervous.

"I... Um, hi," I started lamely.