Terminal (Terminal trilogy #1)

6: Libra

"Pride." I reminded. "Not Lust."

The doorman nodded sadly.

Blake, meanwhile, peered outside. "There's something going on down the hall, like a huge crowd is gathered and there's two of those big wolf demons."

"Oh god. Hellhounds." I looked out and confirmed my suspicions. "Come on. It's a security checkpoint. We have to pass through and take the next elevator up. Might as well walk to Pride from here."

Several hundred people, more than I'd ever seen hang out in the inter-level passage beyond rush hour in Pride, were waiting in a haphazard line that filled the entire width of the hall. Taller than everyone were two hellhounds, who sat on either side, tails whipping about. Just in case.

This was going to take hours, but until everyone was through, there was no way around it. I wondered who they were expecting to catch? Hell had a pretty low rate of violent crime, so it had to be someone interesting.

"Is this going to be a problem?" Blake asked. "My uh, whole thing?"

"Probably not, but I don't have my ID on me. I can probably get through if I... if this wasn't such a high level search I could probably get us through on word alone, but two hellhounds probably means they're out for a murderer. Maybe a serial killer! Hell hasn't had a good one of those in a long time."

"You sound a little too psyched about that."

"Besides the killing bit, it is all good fun." I reached into my pocket and brought out the angelsword. "As long as it's obvious I'm not threatening them, this thing should solve all our problems. Except you being human."

"Wasn't I already slated to die in a few days? What could they possibly do to me?"

"Actually kill you in a few days?"

"Right."

"Stick with me. and you should be fine." I started making my way through the crowd, scooting through the thicket of people. A little bit into what felt like a jungle- man, I was short- I realized I had left Blake somewhere behind.

I turned around and found him at the end of the line. "Let's just wait, politely, like lawful citizens."

"With this ring, I can basically claim to be anything I want and people will move right over. You're not from here-"

"Be quiet about that-"

"-So you don't really get how freaked out everyone is by the angels. You could sell an angel's shirt to someone for a bundle of cash just for them to burn."

"I'm also scared of crowds."

"Agoraphobia?"

"More like claustrophobia."

"In that case, suck it up kid. This isn't a dark enclosed tunnel."

He stared at me flatly.

"Well at least it's well lit!" Blake didn't seem amused, so I frowned and grabbed his hand, pulling him forward into the crowd. I had no problem pushing people aside to make my way towards the checkpoint, ignoring their judgmental gazes, but Blake kept apologizing with his head down.

When I got maybe two lines of people away from the gate, a security guard split the line and walked up to me. "End of the line. No exceptions."

I showed the ring, which I had suitably slipped onto my ring finger. "I have to deliver this to Kell. And you do know what this is, right?"

The guard cooly turned her head, and then looked back to me. Before I could react, she slipped the large ring off my finger and held it in her palm. "In that case, I'll bring it to him. Back of the line to you." She walked back through the checkpoint.