Lucifer Damned (Morningstar Book 3), Percival Constantine [electric book reader .txt] 📗

Joran brings news,” said the demon, kneeling before the chair.

The leader’s hand stopped and the hellfire dissipated. “I’m listening.”

“Lilith’s regent, she in the Badlands. But she not alone.”

“Is that so?” asked the demon. “And who has come with her?”

Joran shook his head. “Joran not know. But he no powers. Yet…no human. Something else. Something…different.”

“Isn’t that interesting…” said the demon. “Then, perhaps we should send out some feelers to learn more about our new arrival.”

10

Since the manticore attack, Lucifer and Mara had traveled over a wide distance. Although there were some slight variations—rock formations, a few mountains, forks and crossroads—by and large the terrain looked largely the same. The sky and the weather never changed and the horizon remained in a perpetual fog.

But change eventually did come when they saw the massive walls of a city pierce the haze. They walked along the length of the wall until they came to an entrance—a pair of massive doors with torches flanking either side. Two massive demons stood outside the gates. A tower just behind the wall had another demon, who drew a hellfire bow and kept the arrow nocked.

“Where do you think you’re going?” asked one of the two guards. Both wore black, chitinous armor that made them look like demons wearing the hides of giant insects.

“We’re here for an audience with the Lord of the Flies,” said Mara.

“Only those with special dispensation may enter the realm of Beelzebub. We don’t just let anyone come in here from the Badlands.”

“I’m a representative of Lilith, which makes me an officer of the Infernal Court. And according to the laws of the Court, officers are allowed free passage between realms,” said Mara.

One of the guards stepped forward and stared down at Mara. She looked right back up at him, not the least bit intimidated by his larger stature. He raised a hand and slapped it across her face. His strength was so great that Mara was knocked to the ground.

“Officers of the court may be allowed passage, but Beelzebub does not recognize the authority of Lilith,” said the guard. “As far as he is concerned, Asmodeus is still the rightful ruler of that realm.”

Mara looked up, her yellow eyes burning with rage. She waved her hand and the guard was thrown right back against the wall. The other guard raised his weapon—a large hammer—and charged at her. Mara’s arm lashed forward, a hellfire bola flying from her hand and snaring the guard’s ankles together. His momentum still pushed him forward and he fell face down.

The archer up in the tower started firing arrows. Mara raised up her arm, a hellfire shield forming to block them. Her wings popped out of her back and with a large flap, generated enough of an updraft to propel her towards the tower. She threw the shield and it transformed into a spear as it flew, impaling the archer and sending him falling back on the other side of the wall.

The doors opened and more guards poured forth, all of them armed with their own hellfire weapons. Mara landed on the ground and forged twin hellfire swords in her hands.

“Enough!” said Lucifer, moving between the combatants with his arms extended out to the sides. “We simply want an audience with Beelzebub.”

“You attack our realm and expect us to give you an audience with our leader?”

“Your men threw the first punch, I was just defending myself,” protested Mara.

“She’s right, he did attack her first after refusing to obey the laws of the Court,” said Lucifer.

“Regardless, we cannot permit you to pass through the gate,” said the guard.

Lucifer took a breath and hesitated. It was his hope to maintain a low profile, so that no one would even know he had entered Hell other than a select few. But in order to get to Beelzebub, he’d need to do something. Lucifer pulled back the hood from his cloak to reveal his visage to the guards.

“Tell the Lord of the Flies that the Morningstar would like a word,” he said.

The guards all wore dumbfounded expressions on their faces. Some remained battle-ready, though confused. Others relaxed their stances. And a few immediately expressed their servility by bowing before Lucifer.

“Apologies, my Lord,” said the head guard. “Had we known it was you…”

“Yes, I’m certain things would have gone differently. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the way I wanted to conduct business,” said Lucifer. “Now, can we please be shown to Beelzebub?”

The head guard rose to his feet and bowed once more. “A thousand pardons, Sire. But Lord Beelzebub’s decree remains in effect—he does not recognize Lilith’s claim to lordship and as such, does not consider any of her representatives to be officers of the Court. This demon will have to remain outside or we shall treat her as an invader.”

“This is ridiculous,” said Mara.

“I’m inclined to agree with her,” said Lucifer. “Mara is my aide and as such, where I go, she goes. You certainly can’t expect me to enter what could be hostile territory on my own, do you?”

“But Lord Beelzebub…”

“You leave Beelzebub to me,” said Lucifer. “I’ll take full responsibility for your actions. But refusing to allow Mara passage would be like refusing to allow me passage. Does your master really want to make the Morningstar his enemy?”

The head guard hesitated. He looked to his compatriots for guidance, and they seemed to be at just as much of a loss. When he turned his attention back to Lucifer, he gave a nod of agreement.

“We shall honor the wishes of the Morningstar,” he said. “Please, follow me.”

The head guard turned and led Lucifer and Mara past the gates and into Beelzebub’s realm. Each realm of Hell was governed in accordance with the Hell Lord who ruled it. This was far from the vision of freedom and independence that Lucifer had hoped for when he led the revolt against Heaven, but in those early days following The Fall, the only way to maintain some semblance of peace and prevent another war was to give his