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

the importance of knowledge, then kept the greatest secret in existence. His own anger at the Choir’s arrogance had been twisted and he adopted their same rationale. His talk of free will was undermined by allowing the Hell Lords to rule as the despots they were. And for all his talk of responsibility, he’d still been trying to avoid it. By ignoring his duties as king, by running off to Earth and allowing Cocytus to crack open—all of it on him.

As he watched the chaos unfold, he thought of Anael. How different might things have been if he hadn’t let his arrogance get the better of him? If he had simply found a different way?

His world was falling apart and he had brought it all on himself.

22

“We don’t know how much time we’ve got before Beelzebub’s guards start getting suspicious,” said Mara. “If I’m going to properly interrogate him, I need a place where I can’t be disturbed.”

“Understood.” In hushed tones, Lilith began whispering in the language of the damned. Her fingers flexed and retracted in specific ways as her hands made deliberate motions, drawing invisible lines in the air. Trails of energy started to follow her movements, and then she worked her arms into it, creating big, sweeping motions with them. The energy trails crossed together, forming a large mass that quickly grew into a portal back to her domain.

“Go, now,” said Lilith. “I have to be the last one through or else the portal will close with me.”

Cross picked up Beelzebub’s unconscious form and went through first, then Mara jumped into the portal right after him. Lilith could hear voices coming from outside the throne room. Beelzebub’s guards were on the move. She jumped into the portal last and it closed behind her just as they came through the doors.

The portal had led directly to Lilith’s own palace. They were greeted by Kragmor, who was sitting on Lilith’s throne and talking to himself. He looked surprised by their sudden appearance.

“M-mistress!” he yelped. “I wasn’t expecting you back so soon! And with guests, no less!”

Kragmor hopped off the throne and flittered over in front of Cross. He landed and then bowed in supplication.

“O great King Cross, it is an honor to be in your presence!” said Kragmor.

Cross slid his sunglasses down his nose and then cast a look of annoyance in Lilith’s direction.

“Yes, he’s always like this,” said Lilith. “Get up, Kragmor.”

Kragmor stood and brushed himself off. “I’m surprised to see you here so soon. What with all the trouble.”

“What trouble?” asked Mara.

Kragmor then told them about the uprisings that had started to occur in domains all around Hell and more than that, about the speech that Raum had managed to broadcast to his followers. A speech that was being shared with other demons as well.

“Are we experiencing uprisings, too?” asked Lilith.

Kragmor nodded. “It’s not as dire as other areas, but yes, we have had some riots break out.”

“Shit…” muttered Cross. “This is exactly what Lucifer was afraid would happen.”

“So it’s true?” asked Kragmor. “The Morningstar really helped maintain the secrets of the Divine Choir?”

“It’s true, and I suppose that’s something we’ll have to deal with,” said Cross. “Meantime, we’ve got to get this under control. Lil, any chance you can zap me back to my tower? I gotta be there to coordinate a response and be ready once Raum turns up.”

“Yes, of course,” said Lilith. “But there’s still the matter of Lucifer’s whereabouts.”

“Give me a room alone with him and I’ll know everything he does in no time,” said Mara.

“You sure about that?” asked Cross. “He is one mean sonnuva bitch.”

“Maybe so, but he started off as an angel and then became a Hell Lord. He’s never actually experienced torture firsthand,” said Mara.

“Once you find his location, I’ll have to send you on your own,” said Lilith.

“Of course, you’ve got your own realm to worry about,” said Mara. “The Morningstar brought me along to protect him, so I have to fulfill my obligation.”

Cross passed Beelzebub’s unconscious body to Mara. Lilith opened a portal for him back to the tower. No words were exchanged, he simply walked through the portal and it closed after him.

“Find out what Beelzebub knows quickly,” Lilith told Mara. “If you need any help—”

“I’m fine,” said Mara. “You’ll need all the help you can get.”

Beelzebub had actually confessed to Raum’s location in a very short amount of time. True to her word, Lilith provided a portal as close as she could get to the caverns in the Badlands where Raum had been gathering his forces. And she also provided Mara with some armor that would provide protection against any forces that remained behind.

Mara emerged from the portal and could see the caverns not far off in the distance. There was no other activity, though. Raum was making good on his threat to storm the center of Hell with his legions, and seemed he didn’t leave many behind.

As Mara approached, she could sense Lucifer’s presence nearby. Without his powers, the signal was definitely weak, but it was still unmistakably him. She broke into a run for the caves.

When she came closer, she saw there were a few guards who remained. Mara’s wings erupted from her back and she launched from the ground. She hovered above the caverns, trying to get a sense of the layout. Two guards were stationed at the ground-level entrance and didn’t seem like there was any other way inside.

Mara flew back down, landing on one of the jutting structures from the side of the mountain. Only two raiders, she could handle them without any trouble. She jumped from her perch and used her wings to increase the speed of her descent. She crashed down into one of the guards, flattening him on the surface.

“Hey!” The other guard held a massive war-hammer and swung it.

Mara jumped over the swing, spun, and kicked him in the head. The attack barely stunned him, and when she landed, he was already bringing the