My nose scrunched up. “God?”

  He laughed, a sharp and sinister sound. “Of course not! Satan. He is where we draw our power, and he gave a human the ability to bear my child that day, so she could one day rule the Underworld ruthlessly.”

  I scoffed. “You think Satan is the one that set all of this in motion? That’s ridiculous!”

  A low growl rolled through his chest, and fear like none other gripped me. “Child, do not mock me! Tonight, you will come home with me, and not in this form.” He waved a hand up and down at me.

  I gasped. “You said I couldn’t go to the underworld with you.”

  “Not as a weak child. Now that you have trained and you are stronger, it’s time. And while we have had this lovely chat, my men have closed in. All you need to do now is find yourself.”

  Panic filled me. This was all a diversion. No!

  My eyes widened, and Kieran groaned. “Fine, I’ll do it for you.” With a wave of his hand, I was thrown back to myself, and I sat up in my dad’s pickup truck with a sharp gasp.

  Chapter 12

  * * *

  I was panting, out of energy from my first astral projection. I looked around me for the people I loved most in the world, and I found Penelope with her dark red wings spread wide, looking up at the sky.

  “Pen!” I practically screamed her name and she spun around to me.

  “Oh, thank the heavens! Erin!” She ran and wrapped me in a tight hug. “Where did you go? The others are out trying to follow the trail that your soul took, but it goes in circles!”

  I held her out to arms length so she would hear me clearly. “Where are my parents?”

  “They took the rental car back to the house, hoping you would’ve been pulled there.”

  I sighed out of relief, but we weren’t out of the woods yet. “We need to run, or fly, or whatever else we can. It doesn’t matter. My astral projection was forced by my sire, in order for an ambush. We have to go, Pen. Now!”

  Her blue eyes widened, and she nodded to me as she scanned our surroundings. “Hold onto me.” I didn’t have to be told twice, I reached my arms around her neck, and Penelope went to jump into the air, but she was knocked away from me by a black blur.

  I fell off of the truck bed and onto the hard earth, a sickening crack coming from my wrist as I landed on it. “Gah!” I cried out in pain, but now wasn’t the time to wallow.

  I jumped to my feet and found Penelope struggling under the weight of a huge Nephilim that held her to the ground. I looked to the sky for any sign of the other two angels, knowing I’d need their assistance to save her.

  The only thing I found was another fallen angel flying toward me. His nearly white hair flipped in the wind as he descended upon me. I tried to call on my white glow, but my body felt too drained from the spent energy, and the Nephilim grabbed onto me with both hands.

  “Zander! Riyon!” I called out to my guards, but they were too far away.

  “They’re not coming, Maraṇattiṉ āṭciyāḷar.” He held me tight as we flew through the night sky, but his grip was surprisingly gentle at the same time, and his voice wasn’t sinister.

  “Just let me go, please. My friend is going to die back there.” I wept for Penelope, hating that I was too weak to save her.

  He shook his head, and his red eyes locked to mine. “Dankin was given clear orders to restrain the Divine ones, but not kill. She will live.”

  Relief flooded me, along with doubt. Since when did the Nephilim care about killing? “I don’t believe you. Who would give those orders, and who are you?”

  “Quiet. You ask too many questions.” He scowled, and faced the sky in front of him again. We were moving so fast that my face hurt from the force, then his grip on me tightened to a painful pressure and he teleported us.

  I blinked against the morning sunrise. We changed time zones, and I tried to find a landmark to tell me where we were, but in seconds the Nephilim teleported us again.

  My head fogged and I felt dizzy. “Stop doing that!” I shouted, in the dark again.

  “No,” was all he said, and in a flash he teleported us another three times to various weather climates and times.

  By the end of it, I was dropped to my feet and immediately fell to the cement floor. My head pounded and I began vomiting violently. I groaned against the pain, and tried to focus my eyes enough to get a hold of my surroundings.

  Somehow, after all of the teleporting, I ended up back in the empty, rundown warehouse that I saw Kieran in less than an hour before. And there he was, leaning over me, dark eyes spinning in my vision.

  “Thank you for being here, my daughter. Let us go home now.”

  And with his words echoing in my mind, I blacked out completely.

  ⬨⬨⬨

  I had the feeling like I was falling slowly. A hot breeze lifted my sticky wet hair from my neck, and I jumped awake.

  My eyes sprang open to see what looked like a deep crevice of red lava below me, rapidly growing closer. Yup, I was definitely falling, but how?

  My instincts kicked in and I flailed my arms, fighting gravity. Instead of kicking and swatting at the air, I realized that I was against a hard body, and I wasn’t falling. I was being carried.

  My eyes finally found the Nephilim cradling me in his arms. His strong jaw was clenched tight and the stubble that sprinkled there was dark. His eyes watched ahead, ignoring my perusal. Joey.

  “Erin, will you stop wiggling? I don’t think you’d like falling in that chasm, but I’m happy to let you go and see what happens.” He still wasn’t looking at me, and his tone was stern.

  “Joey, what’s going on? Where are we?” I studied our surroundings. Joey was flying us through the air that felt thick with heat.

  Below us was the lava chasm that flowed like a river through a black earth. It seemed to go on for miles with no end in sight. The land was desolate, and had no vegetation or people anywhere that I could see.

  A flapping sound came from behind Joey, and flying behind us were three more Nephilim. They all had the same black wings, but their arms were empty, unlike Joey’s that were filled with a sarcastic eighteen year old.

  Joey lifted me higher in his arms and his wings pushed against the air, keeping us moving forward. “We’re in the Underworld. What, did you think we were flying through Florida?”

  My mouth dropped open. “We’re in the Underworld?” I shouted the question. “Are you freaking kidding me?”

  His dark eyes flicked to me quickly before returning forward again. “Not kidding. You’re home.”

  Anger boiled inside of my stomach, and I craned my arm back to slap it across his face. The force of the hit hurt my palm, and I was shocked at the strength behind it.

  “This isn’t my home, and you know that.”

  The black in Joey’s eyes spread, and his jaw ticked beneath the skin. His arms tightened around my back and knees. “Do you really think you could hurt me, Erin?”

  I shook my head, seething. “No, you’re the one who does all of the hurting.”

  His eyes connected to mine again as his face fell, and his silence was worse than anything he could’ve said. It struck me then, even after a two year relationship, I never truly looked into his eyes like I did with Zander.

  None of it was real, as much as that thought killed me. “Did you ever actually care about me, Joey?”

  He continued searching my gaze, but I had no clue what he was looking for in the gray of my eyes. “Erin. I’m incapable of loving you.”

  His eyes were hooded, and my chest hurt from his words. Nope, that was definitely worse than the silence. I blinked back traitorous tears and turned to look ahead of us at the home of my high school sweetheart. The Underworld.

  That sounds ridiculous.

  I didn’t remember being taken through a portal, but it was impossible to think I hadn’t been. We definitely weren’t in a place that could’ve existed on earth, and it was the complete opposite of the Divine City.

  The ground was black and the entire land lacked hills and valleys. It was just a forever long plane, except for a single mountain that sat ahead of us. That had to be where we were headed.

  I had so many questions, but I didn’t want to talk to Joey. I remained silent as we approached the mountain. It looked like a beehive with holes dug into the sides that led to who-knows-where.

  The base of the mountain had to be a mile long and wide, and had a single wide opening that shone bright red from the inside. We were headed closer to that biggest gape.

  Joey jostled me in his arms and I had no choice but to hold onto the back of his neck. We dove with the other Nephilim into the mountain’s entrance and my mouth dropped open at the interior. It looked carved, like thousands had dug into the rock with small tools.

  A smaller river of lava flowed through, and stone buildings sat scattered along the ground. It felt like being inside an ancient cave with stalactites hanging from the ceiling, and stalagmites growing from the floor to meet them.

  Still, no other beings were out and about, even though Nephilim were supposed to live there. “Where is everyone? There are houses, but no people.” I couldn’t stop the question.

  “They do not show themselves when a prisoner is brought in.”

  “I’m a prisoner?” I surprisingly didn’t feel like a prisoner, even though I was brought there against my will.

  He shook his head. “They are unaware of your status at this time. Soon, you will rule them all.”

  I gulped down a hard ball of nerves. “Great. Queen of the demons.”

  He didn’t respond to that quip. If we were in school he would’ve laughed. How did it feel like a decade since that time already?

  We turned a corner and atop a mountain within the mountain sat what looked like a medieval castle with sharp knife-looking peaks and dark gray stonework. It had cave growth around the base and looked like something from Dracula.

  Joey descended toward the castle doors. “Welcome home, Maraṇattiṉ āṭciyāḷar.”

  The Nephilim that kidnapped me, with the white hair, called me that. “What does that mean?”

  He actually chuckled softly, still not smiling. “It means ‘Ruler of Death’.”

  Chapter 13

  * * *

  Ruler of Death. That’s who they wanted me to be, but I still felt like just a girl. What had my life come to?

  Was I really an evil being, meant to run the Underworld, created by Satan? Or was I what my mother believed me to be? A Divine being, created by God? I didn’t feel worthy of either. Someone was being duped in this deal, but it wasn’t me.

  After arriving at the castle, Joey dropped me on my butt in an empty state room. It was gorgeous, even with the dark accents and lack of color. Without a word, he left me and locked the door from the outside.

  I had been looking for a way out for what had to be hours, but it was completely secure. I was a prisoner after all.

  “Hey! Let me out of here! How can I be your ruler if I’m locked in my bedroom?” Silence. It was worth a shot.

  The room had a large king-size bed against one wall and stone-carved furniture throughout. A large bathroom attached to a walk-in closet sat off to one side, but the clothing was not something I wanted to try on. It was worse than the white drapes in the Divine City. Everything looked to be made from torn black cotton, and came in two very small pieces.

  Angels and their lack of modesty.

  I tried to astral project over and over, but nothing seemed to be working. I couldn’t teleport even across the room. Something blocked my abilities while I was in that room. Occasionally I would hear a growling sound, so deep that it gave me the chills.

  There had to be an animal nearby, which would normally excite me, but not when it sounded like that. “Hello!” I called out against the door again. “I thought I had a sire around here! What happened to that father-daughter bonding I was promised?”

  I leaned against the door, tired and feeling defeated. A squeak from the doorknob came, and the door was pulled open, dropping me to the ground.

  “Dang. Stupid stone floor.” I stood, rubbing my sore butt.

  Standing before me was Kieran, finally. He didn’t look happy with me, and I just smiled back at him. It felt like the easiest way to piss him off, and it worked. He scowled with his black eyebrows pressed together.

  “Your guards are getting tired of the shouting, daughter. I have warned them not to harm you, but they are not so easily controlled.”

  I gasped at that. “What would you do if they hurt me?”

  He shrugged. Actually shrugged! “I would be forced to kill them, of course. But it would already be far too late for you I’m afraid.”

  I peered around him into the dark hallway. “Do I get the grand tour yet?” I needed to shut my mouth.

  He stepped back, waving an arm toward the nearby stairway. “After you. This is your home now.”

  My mouth gaped. Was he seriously just letting me go? “You’re letting me out?” Don’t question it!

  He smiled, and it was the most wicked look I had ever seen. “I would like to get things moving along. Would you not?”

  “Yes!” I shouted, and had to reign in my excitement. I didn’t want things “moving along”, whatever that meant. But I did need to start planning my escape.

  I stepped out of the room, toward the stairs and took them two at a time to the bottom. Kieran stayed close behind me, giving me the tour with clipped descriptions as we made our way around.

  There was a kitchen, a large library, a few bedrooms and it was all decorated the exact same. Black and gray, with bits of red. I hated it and loved it at the same time.

  “Can we go outside?” I asked, needing some air, or whatever that thick hot stuff was that we breathed in.

  He nodded. “The grounds are yours as well, but the groundskeeper may not be so welcoming.” Like I had been all that “welcome” in the first place.

  “I’ll take my chances.”

  He led me out the same doors that Joey first brought me through, and the red hazy air hit my face. Blech. It felt like hot Texas humidity.

  I looked around for the threatening groundskeeper, and my heart fell like a rock to my feet when I spotted the three sets of yellow eyes staring back at me. “Oh dear lord, what is that?”

  I backed away from the elephant-sized beast, and into Kieran’s chest. He steadied me, and his hands were too cold against my skin.

  Kieran righted me and then stepped between me and the creature. “That is a cerberus. A beast of Hell, and the only one that resides in this world.”

  “Like a hellhound?” My voice was too quiet, hiding like I should have been.

  Kieran shook his head. “Similar, but not the same. The hellhound has only one head, and is covered in fire. A cerberus has three heads and black fur, similar to the wolf.”

  I wanted to turn and run, but Kieran grabbed my arm. “Let go! I’m getting away from that thing before it eats me!”

  “You don’t want to meet him?” His eyes were glowing as he looked between me and the creature.

  I shook my head. I knew I had a way with animals, but the big, black, three-headed monster was no animal. I didn’t want to go near him in the slightest.

  Kieran considered the options before releasing me. I let out a steady breath, still eyeing the cerberus. “What about the rest of the land? Will I get to leave here?” If I could get past the guard dog.

  Kieran’s eyes darkened again. “There will be no chance for escape, Erin. Do not get your hopes up.” He pointed to a black gate that wrapped around the property. “That is the barrier. If you approach that barrier, use any power, or attempt to harm any of my men, the cerberus will not hold back.”

  My heart quickened. There’s no way to go home. I wanted to cry, but I wasn’t giving him what he wanted. I held my chin high. “If there’s no way out, why have I been locked in my room?”

  “Submission.”

  It was just one word, but it stopped my heart. There was no love in the man that sired me. I wasn’t a ruler to him. I was just a pawn.

  ⬨⬨⬨

  I stared through the window at the cerberus. I had been thinking for the past day about my next action as I watched him. One of his large heads would always turn and watch me when I watched him, like a curious animal, while the other heads continued surveying the surroundings. Always on guard.

  At some point, my “sire” left the castle and hasn’t returned. Two Nephilim would take turns checking in on me. The large one with the white hair, and a skinny brunette man. They never spoke to me, even though I talked their ears off. I had a million questions, but I spent my days with zero answers.

  It had been at least four days by my count since I was taken to the Underworld. The days weren’t obvious though. It was always a red hue and never day or night. I could only sleep in spurts, waking up in a sweat every time.

  Now, I watched as Mr. white-hair flew off to who-knows-where, leaving me and the beast alone. I had a plan. The more I watched the cerberus, the more I realized that he acted just like another animal. He was like a big terrifying dog, and I had to try getting through to him. It was my only chance.

  I opened the front door, and started slowly toward him. All three of his heads watched me, their yellow eyes glowing. He stood on his thick legs, turning in my direction as I approached.

  My heart hammered in my chest, but I needed to try. “Hey, buddy. I thought it was about time I introduced myself.”

  His eyes stayed unblinking, and his long tongue jutted out to lick his lips. Please don’t be hungry.

  I tried to calm my nerves. “You know, you’re super scary. I’m sure that’s not news to you, but I have a couple of scary friends. Though they don’t look like you.”

  He finally blinked with all six eyes and that calmed my nerves slightly. “We’ve been here for a bit now, and I still don’t know your name. Mind if I give you one? It’s sort of a tradition.”