Escape

Joel’s POV

We returned to Stonehenge and followed the instructions that Patricia gave before she left the other day. She said as long as we drip Garrett’s blood on the grass, we should be able to enter again, she just warned us to do it at night when there was less likely to be tourists.

When we made our way back down the stairs and to the podium, there was a different set of instructions.

The moondrop flower is what you seek next. It only grows once every 100 years, will you be the lucky one to find it? This is a necessary ingredient for the poultice.

“So we should probably wait to make the poultice.” I told the others.

“Yeah, I would say so.” Brent retorted.

“Where the hell do we even find this flower? This is some bullshit!” Colten exclaimed. I had to agree. What was the point of these trials?

“Once every 100 years? That’s some more bullshit!” Brent chipped in.

“Did Lucifer say how many trials there were?” I asked Brent but he just shook his head no.

“What if this is just a wild goose chase?” Damien whispered.

“But what if it isn’t? What other option do we have?” I asked.

“We don’t have any other option.” Max said.

We left the tomb and decided to retreat to the hotel room.

“Does anyone have the Asmodeus’s phone number?” Colten said.

We all just looked around at each other, obviously none of us did. I tried to call Rose but the phone just went to voicemail. I tried Sophie next to see if she’s seen Rose but her phone also went to voicemail. I started to get a bad feeling so I tried Sebastian next and again, voicemail.

“I think we should head back to town for now. Something isn’t right.” I told the guys, “I can’t reach anyone.”

We booked the next flight out so we could go check on things.

Rose’s POV

I was wandering around Merihem’s home, trying to find something to do. He left to go “attend to business” so I was left alone. I tried every door and window but had no success opening anything. I even tried screaming to see if I could crack the windows like before but, nothing.

I plopped down on the couch in the living room and sighed. I rubbed my eyes, sick and tired of this kidnapping bullshit.

While I was pondering how life got this way I heard a tappity tap on one of the windows. I walked over and took a peek and saw a strange creature. It was short with sharp horns, jagged teeth, claws, pitch black with red eyes.

I stepped back in shock. The creature smiled largely at me, showing more of it’s jagged teeth before it drew a large circle on the window with one of it’s claws and pushed, popping the circular piece of glass out. I looked at it curiously and it tilted it’s head to the side, looking back at me while slowly moving back. I walked towards the hole and cautiously stepped out. To say Hell was hot is an understatement. Instantly my skin was coated with a sheen of sweat.

“Do you speak?” I asked the creature but it just tilted it’s head at me and began to trot off. I looked side to side and felt my only option was to follow the strange creature that helped me.

It began to trot faster and faster until I was ultimately going at a full run just to keep up. After a few minutes of running we reached a section of Hell where it wasn’t all brimstone and fire. There was a fluorescent blue light coming down from the sky. I looked up but was unable to see where it went. The creature stepped into the light and seemed to disappear. I slowly approached the light and stuck my hand in. It felt like a wind tunnel. Taking a chance, I breathed in deeply and entered the light. I closed my eyes felt like I was floating for a few minutes before I felt my feet touch the ground. I opened my eyes and came face to face with Asmodeus, still inside a cage.

“Good boy, Romeo.” He said. I looked at the creature in disbelief, this was Romeo?

“Yes, that’s Romeo’s devil form. I was able to summon him here and sent him to fetch you. Now can you help me get out of this blasted cage? I tried to get him to open it but he has no thumbs.” He shrugged. I couldn’t help the tears that fell while I laughed. I opened up the cage and let him out.

“So how can a cage hold a prince of Hell? I asked.

“It’s magicked. These are specially to hold creatures from Hell. Thank you so much, sweetheart.” He picked me up and whirled me around before laying pressing his lips to mine.

“Ahem.” I heard from my left. I looked to see poor Sophie still strung up. Her wounds have healed but she was still a mess. I undid her restraints and tried to catch her as she fell.

“Where’s Sebastian?” I asked her.

“I think he’s locked in his damn coffin. I told him who needs a coffin that strong but he didn’t want to listen to me. He’s probably thirsty as hell, I know I’m emaciated.” She said.

“What are we going to do about the townsfolk?” I asked Asmodeus. I was still wary about leaving with them being held hostage.

“Knowing Merihem, they’re probably hiding in plain sight.” He said. I wasn’t quite sure what he meant until we exited the castle and he snapped his fingers. Next thing I knew, I could see people bustling around as if nothing had happened.

“As I thought. He just did a spell to trick the eyes.” He said.

“So he never held the whole town hostage?” I asked.

“Nope, besides where would he keep all the people that are here and in your city? It’s pretty much impossible. The trick is to make them invisible to our eyes specifically and not their eyes, that way there’s no mayhem.” He said.

It still didn’t make sense to me but I chose to ignore it and just be happy that everything seemed halfway normal.

“Finally out of that goddamn coffin!” I hear Sebastian complaining loudly behind me. Looks like Sophie got him out.

“Will you guys be okay if we leave?” I asked Sophie.

“Yes, we decided that we’re going to go take a vacation somewhere, not sure where yet but it should be far enough away from that lunatic.” She said. I gave her a big hug. I was definitely going to miss her.

“So what do we do now?” I asked Asmodeus. He seemed to ponder over my question for a minute before saying, “I guess we head back to my home. He’s bound to show up there eventually looking for you.” He said. I nodded and grabbed his hand for reassurance. Romeo came bounding up to me in his normal form, for which I was grateful.

“Romeo!” I called out before picking up the fluffy puppy.

“Let’s go Rose. We can think of something then. Maybe you can try to reach out to your men?” He asked. I tried mindlinking Colten.

“Hey baby,” I said through the mindlink.

“My gods! Rose we’ve been worried about you. We were going to head back into town to check on things. How is everything?” He asked.

“Everything is fine now, though I’m worried about all of you. Are we sure there’s no other way to get our babies back?” I asked him.

“We were wondering the same thing, these trials feel like some bullshit. But they’re the only way that we know to get them.” He said.

“What is it that Lucifer wants with the angel wish anyway?” I asked.

“He wouldn’t say. But from what I know of Lucifer, it can’t be good.” He said.

“Ok baby, stay safe, I will try to reach out to you when I can, I’m headed back to Hell with Asmodeus now.” I told him.

“Okay I love you,” he said.

“I love you, too. Please tell the others I love them, as well.” I said.

I cut off the link and looked to Asmodeus. “They’re still working on the trials. Do you think there’s something in your library that can help us out?” I asked him.

“Not sure, but we can check.” He said while caressing my hair. He snapped his fingers and we were back in his study.

“I don’t know much about angels nowadays, all my knowledge is a bit dated, but I do know that they can do miracles. I don’t know why they would create a trial though. We’re missing something.” He said.

I was thinking over what he said when I felt nauseous all of a sudden. I ran to the restroom to throw up.

Shit. I closed my eyes and wiped my mouth.

“Everything okay in here?” Asmodeus asked me.

“I’m not sure, I think I may be pregnant again.” I told him.

He looked concerned before his eyes lit up. “You know there’s a chance I could be the daddy.” He said gleefully. I looked at him with my mouth agape. “Oh shit, A. Stop celebrating! How am I supposed to tell my guys that?” I asked him.

“Fuck those men, you have me.” He exclaimed before walking up to me and rubbing my cheek. “Just get washed up and I’ll give you some blood. We can get you a pregnancy test this evening.”

I stood up from the toilet bowl and went to the sink to brush my teeth. Is what we did enough to get me pregnant? We didn’t essentially have sex because he stopped my horny ass. Tears streamed down my eyes as I thought things over. I can’t believe that my life has become so complicated. I wish I was never born as a fallen.