"Wait." Does he think he's going with us? "Don't you think you should stay here, and you know... do council things."
"After what happened last time, I will be accompanying you on this journey." He stands there and looks down at me. "You both will need all the help you can get, so here I am."
This is a huge red flag. Granted there is still one artifact left after this, but why is he insistent on going this time, when he wasn't at all last? Also, he's not very upfront about his intentions. I still can't get a read on him. "Why should I trust you? It was your wife after all who tried to take the Earth Element." There, how are you going to address that one?
"You're right." He sighs and slumps his shoulders. "My wife did mess up, but I'm not her. She let her power and influence go to her head and wanted more. I don't. I still respect the position I was given. I want what's best to protect our world and our people."
At least he has the audacity to act humble, but, at the end of the day, I don't get to make this call and we both know it. He does. "Fine, we'll pick out the weapons but don't take long. We need to go. It feels like we need to get down there fast."
"Understood." He hurries out of the room leaving Dax and I alone.
"So, one of the elder's lost their way?" Dax raises an eyebrow and watches me.
That's the first time I've heard it put like that, but yes, she did. That's how the council explains the people who are cast out of the community. They inform us that they lost their way. "Yes, she did and died because of it." I don't know if this is a test or what, but I'm not sugar coating anything.
It's silent for a moment and then he snorts. "Huh. Isn't that ironic." He heads over to the weapons and chooses his favorites. "Come on let's make sure we get some good ones before Luke gets back."
I head over and pick up a large sword similar to what I trained with and a few knives to put around my waist.
"Hey, Christina." Dax walks over and gives me a few super small blades. "Put these somewhere you can get to easy and don't tell Luke. This is just between us, but you'll have them just in case."
Wait... Is he suspicious of Luke as well? Maybe he isn't on his side after all or this is just a play to make me think that.
The door opens and Luke walks back in with jeans on and a black shirt. This is the least formal I've ever seen him, but I'm glad. He can't dress up in a suit or blazer for Hell. He has a backpack on his back, and he grins. "Are you guys ready? We're stocked."
Dax hands him a knife and Luke puts it away.
I come up next to them and picture Hell again and project it out. After just a second, Dax reaches out touching both of us. Soon, we're swirling and making our way down to Hell.
As we touch down, the world around us comes into vision.
"Shit." Dax grumbles and pulls out his sword.
We've landed right in the middle of an area of demons. I turn around and note there are fifteen demons to our three people.
22
My heart races as I take in the demons surrounding us. We struggled with just a handful last time. How the hell are we supposed to get through them and find the flame? This almost seems impossible, but at least we have weapons this time.
The six demons closest to us turn their red eyes on us and let out an ear-piercing shriek, causing the other nine to turn our way.
"Christina, get behind us now." Dax grabs my arm and attempts to tug me behind him.
Oh, hell no. Last time that didn't turn out so well. "Nope, I'm all in this time."
"Now listen here, Dax is here to protect us." Luke takes a step back to where Dax was trying to place me a second ago.
Wow, did he just come down here to supervise the trip? That's not cool or needed. "Both of you shut up." I turn and the demon closest to us is smiling as if he's enjoying us imploding right before his eyes. "If you think Dax is supposed to fight fifteen demons and protect us down here alone, you're wrong and frankly stupid. We are down here as a team and we will all fight together, or we won't make it out with the flame." I take a step toward Luke and raise my chin. "And it will fall in someone else's hands."
Luke's breathing becomes ragged and he looks away from me back to the demons who are now forming a tight circle around us. "Fine, you're right, but you and I have to be more careful."
"Stop the shit." I can't stand this right now. This is why he shouldn't have come. "Down here we are all equals whether you like it or not. So, suck it up and fight." I turn away and grab my sword, pulling it out of its sheath.
"Thank you, but he is right." Dax steps up on the other side, his tone low.
"No, he's not." I glance at him. "You're just as important as anyone else on that council. Don't let them make you think otherwise."
The demon must realize that we are done arguing and it shakes its jerky head. "That was disappointing. I thought you might kill each other." He jerks his head and opens his razor sharp mouth. "That would have been funny to watch, but we will enjoy this maybe even more." He rushes right at me.
Not missing a beat, I lift my sword. Please let us come out on top. I need
