I grin at Jerif’s back. “Is he gonna get in trouble with his mommy about how he hasn’t been using his manners with me?” I snicker, and I feel the adrenaline and fear that was just pounding through me give way to relief and safety. I exhale, oddly feeling more centered, anchored even, and once again focus on my feet as we climb down the stairs.
Behind me, Iceman hooks a finger through my belt loop with a deep chuckle. “Yep. His sisters will lay into him too.”
My smile spreads wider. I never thought I’d look forward to visiting someone in Hell before, but I’m practically giddy now. Payback’s a bitch, and her name is Delta Gates.
As we continue to make our way down the evil flight of stairs, I start to make out the view below. There’s what looks to be concentric circles rippling out to cover the cavern’s floor. I can’t tell how high up we are, and it’s not like Hell’s lighting helps much, so I squint at the rings and tell my heart to calm the fuck down.
“Are those the Rings of Hell?” I finally ask as we make our way closer and I’m more certain of what I’m seeing.
Damn. How far down to these stairs go? My thighs are going to be killing me tomorrow, especially if we have to hike back up these things. Then again, given my little tumble, maybe I can convince Jerif that it will be safer if his rude ass just carries me back up on his back. I’m not too proud for a piggy back ride.
“That’s the Vestibule,” Iceman tells me, his mouth closer to my ear than I realized. I jump a little and have to fight off goosebumps at the same time. I swear I hear him chuckle.
“It’s set up like a mini version of what the Rings of Hell look like,” Crux explains. “But if you look down the middle, you’ll spot a line.” He points, and I follow his tan, well-muscled arm and see exactly what he’s talking about. “That’s the aisle that leads to all of the Ring Gates. We can get to each Ring from that passageway.”
I study the line that bisects six layers of circles. The Outer Ring is the largest, with every interior ring growing smaller inside of it until you get to the very middle. It somewhat resembles a bullseye. I see that the pathway that Crux pointed out goes straight down the middle, all the way to the center circle. That must be Nihil, where Satan and his former Heavenly homies all live.
I try to tamp down the anxiety that starts to hammer at my chest. I’m about to find out what kind of demon I am. I’m going to hopefully get some answers, and then I’m going to be inducted as the fifth Guardian of the Perdition Estate Hellgate. No pressure.
An image of my mother and father before they died flashes through my mind, and a stinging sensation resonates through my chest with each beat of my heart. I want to tell them that this will all be okay. That they’ll always be my parents no matter which one of them fucked a demon, thus resulting in them becoming the proud parents of literal demon spawn. I mean, we all make mistakes, right? I think I turned out pretty good for a hellion, if I do say so myself.
So what if one of them messed up? Clearly, they forgave each other for it. My parents were always madly in love with one another, and they always loved me. There wasn’t a day that went by where I ever questioned my place in their heart. That thought makes my face feel hot and my eyes prick with emotion. It’s strange to find out something so epic about myself and not be able to talk to them about it. Now, more than ever, I wish they could answer back.
After what feels like forever, we step off the last stair, and I gape down the huge aisle that leads to the different Rings of Hell. We all pause for a moment, and I’m not sure if they’re simply letting me take it all in or if they’re as taken by this moment as I am. It feels...big. Like something major is going to happen that will affect all of us.
But out of nowhere, I feel the overwhelming sensation that everything is going to be okay. I study the unusual sensation for a moment, wondering where it’s coming from and why. I can’t help but think that maybe it’s my parents from the other side, somehow offering me some comfort. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking, but either way, I can’t dismiss the rightness I feel in this moment. I’ve been so anxious, confused, and scared. But right here, right now, I just feel like I’m finally where I belong. I release a peace filled breath and look up at the towering walls all around me.
Now that we’re level with the Rings that I saw from above, I realize just how enormous they are. They looked so much smaller as we made our way down, but the walls that make up each stone Ring border rise at least thirty feet above me. I feel like that kid from The NeverEnding Story as he walked through those creepy angel gates, only for me, it’s like I’m surrounded by a humongous circle maze. Hopefully it won’t shoot me with lightning bolts when I try to pass.
Collectively, we all seem to take a deep breath. Then, like we’re already a seasoned team, we stride forward together. There’s a very here goes nothing tone to our steps as they meet the shale-covered ground. The guys are tense and silent, attentively scanning our surroundings, but luckily, there’s nothing around. The Vestibule is deathly quiet other than our scraping footsteps over the loose rocks at our feet. We move steadily past the outermost stone
