Dealing with Devils (Book 2 in the Road to Salvation Series)

CHAPTER 2

Worry and fear still plagued Katie, but her anxiety wasn't able to overtake the euphoria. And Katie didn't want it to. She was enjoying the sensation. A portal opened before her in a glitter of blue. The edges were framed in rainbows. Josh grabbed her hand and warmth radiated up her arm. He helped her to her feet, and Katie felt as if she floated into the brilliant light.

She stepped into darkness. The smell of sulfur burned her nose, heat pressed against her skin. She was back in Hell. Visions of the last time she had been there drifted into her mind. A Tormentor had tried to attach itself to her, and Katie had blamed Josh for setting it up. She should have been afraid. Wes told her that it was possible she would never return. Yet, she wasn't. And it wasn't even because of the soul. The euphoria was welcome after all the confusion, pain, and anger. It was nice to shut her brain off for a while and not have to worry about anything. It was a feeling she could get used to. But it was more than that.

Josh intertwined his fingers with hers and glanced at her. A smile covered his lips. His eyes glowed in the darkness like the portal had a moment before. She placed her other hand on his arm and moved close to his body. He placed his forehead against hers.

"I won't let anything happen to you. Okay?"

Katie nodded. Of course he wouldn't. He always kept her safe.

The gravel crunched under their feet as they proceeded deeper into darkness. Moans echoed through the void. The heat became more oppressive. Sweat dripped down Katie's back.

A red light shone in front of them, growing in intensity as they approached. It was reminiscent of the last time she was in Hell, and she expected to see the edge of a cliff that overlooked a red lake. Instead, they stepped into a massive cavern. In the middle was a pit that sucked every last ounce of light from the immediate area. Katie imagined that was probably what a black hole looked like. Demons of every shape and size milled around the wide space. Wings flapped above her, and her gazed drifted upward, but she couldn't see the demons, only their glowing white and red eyes. Was it because of the darkness or was the cave so massive? She didn't know. Her gaze drifted back down. Katie instantly noticed large, black, winged creatures and heard the distinct buzz of Tormentors. She tensed, wondering where they were and thankful the sound wasn't close to her ear. Hell Hounds zipped through the crowd, and white demons with fire-red eyes towered above them all. They looked almost like bats without wings. Their skin had a leathery sheen, their eyes were beady. Fangs protruded from their lips. Her heart skipped as she looked at them. Dread tried to push through the other feelings, but it couldn't. Despite the heat, a chill ran through her. But so did fascination. The demons were unlike anything she had seen before, and they were so thin and frail looking, Katie was amazed they were upright at all. She thought a gentle breeze would snap them in two.

They took a few steps farther into the room, and all the demons stopped and stared at them. She swallowed thickly. Several of them curled their lips and showed their teeth. Others glanced at her hungrily. Their actions were threatening, and Katie wondered what they wanted to do. No doubt they would take her soul if they could, perhaps tear her to pieces, but they didn't move toward her. Josh tightened his grip and walked forward. Was it because of him or the soul? She wasn't sure, but she was thankful for whatever it was. They were incredibly outnumbered. The creatures parted, giving them a clear path to the pit. Katie eyed them as she passed. They were fearsome and grotesque—beasts that surely only existed in nightmares, and yet there they were before her. With her soul-heightened vision, she saw the muscles on the large black ones flex beneath their skin and the claws glitter in the dim light. She remembered the story Randy had told about how he and Wes were attacked in the forest and the role these demons played in the warehouse. One of these creatures had lifted her out of harm's way when Wes was coming after her. Its grip on her had been tight, but nonthreatening, but she realized it wouldn't have strained the creature to hurt her if it had wanted to. She knew they were strong.