It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dark, dimly lit hallway that we were standing in. I glanced behind me and saw the door that had haunted my dreams for so long. There were engravings on the door and claw-marks stained with blood, almost as if someone had tried to escape and had found themselves torn apart from the demons that had followed, almost like my nightmares.
I turned around and took a deep breath. "Ready?" I asked Arashi.
"I was born ready. The question is...Are you ready?" he asked me in turn.
"As ready as I'll ever be," I stated.
"Then let's go get your girl."
We had been walking for what felt like hours down that long hallway. It was no wonder no one ever escaped from here. Most probably never even made it to the door. I kept my eyes pealed for anything that would jump out at us and try to attack. The further down the hallway we went, the more wary I became. Something wasn't right. Lucifer would've felt the portal that had allowed us to enter. Something should've been waiting for us. We shouldn't have been able to make it this far into the dimension.
I was about to tell Arashi about this when we heard something coming around the corner. "Hide," I told Arashi.
We hid in the crevices of the darkened hallway, in the areas where the torchlight wouldn't reach. We stayed as silent as we possibly could be, waiting to see who was coming. "I can't believe you didn't get killed entering his chamber to speak with him," one female voice said. She sounded impressed.
"Well, I had useful information," the second voice said. "He was very pleased to hear what I had to say."
"Are you actually going to try to steal what you came here to take?" the first voice asked.
"Tomorrow night. The boy and the little fox-demon should be here soon. If the army out front doesn't take them out, they'll still be dead by morning. There's no way they're getting out of here. No one ever escapes. The boy's little girlfriend will be turned or sacrificed for the cause. One of the two. Personally, I hope she's turned. It will prolong her suffering far more than she's already had to endure."
I could feel anger surge through me. They were talking about Izzy. She'd been hurt already, and it was my fault for getting her involved in this. I was going to murder all of them if I could. And I knew the second voice all too well. It was Giana. That stupid vampire was here to steal something, and she'd sold me and Arashi out for it. She was selfish and...
Shh! Arashi's voice entered my mind. They'll hear you!
But it was too late. I felt a hand clamp down on the front of my shirt and drag me forward out of the shadows. An instant later, Arashi was thrown to the ground right in front of me. Giana stood above us with a smirk on her face, another woman standing right beside her. "What'd I tell ya?" she said.
