Hell's Revelation (Book 3)

Chapter 21

Tension jarred my boneswith every swift footstep I took. Frank led the way, flying down darkpassages with his long loping gait. My new height and longer legsmade it easy for me to keep time with him, though we were heading forThe Pits, and although the tunnels passed in a blur I was back infamiliar territory, I wouldn't be getting lost. Jesse kept in closetime beside me and Lucas brought up the rear with scowlingreluctance.

We all knew we werewalking into a trap Malick himself had sprung for us, and we'd allmanaged to reach some grim acceptance of the fact – everything forthe greater good and all that – all, that was except for Lucas, andthis had me worried.

It was with somedisappointment that I realised just how tentative our alliance was,and at such a crucial stage in the game; one big push in the wrongdirection and it could all crumble around us.

Bringing Jesse backinto the fold should have been strengthening, solidifying our base ofpower so that we could reach our full potential, however ever sincewe'd won him back things with Lucas stood on ever shakier ground. Thefact that Jesse stood beside us now only through the power ofborrowed memories did little to bolster my confidence. What would ittake for all of reality to come crashing back in and blow everythingapart?

Lucas had always beenchangeable as the weather on the surface, shifting alliances to whereit suited him most – we were all the same I couldn't lie and Icouldn't blame him for what was so much a part of our very nature,however, the downside lay in the fact that everything we were aimingfor hinged on us working perfectly together no matter what happenedand I trusted him to stick to the plan least of all. When – and Iknew it would be when and not if – things went awry, how long wouldit take for Lucas to bolt?

"So, go over it forme one more time. What do we do once we get there?" Jesse mutteredin my ear as our footsteps thundered in tandem.

We'd prepared as muchas we'd been able to, although a lot we were just going to have toplay by ear, not knowing the full details of what was waiting for us.I think Jesse was asking again just to stave off the nerves as wedrew closer to The Pits.

"Well, we need tosneak in, stay as unnoticed as possible until we can assess where isbest to work from. Ideally we need to be in the middle of the crowdsomewhere, it's the regular demon population we need to hit with thispower, so the more of them close to our triangle I figure the betterit'll work."

"And what aboutMalick and this trap of his that Lucas is so afraid we're walkinginto?"

I could almost feel thescowl Lucas would be throwing in our direction if he'd overheardJesse's words burning through the back of my skull, as alive andfiery as I'd mistakenly made my hair. Part of the time we'd spent inpreparation had seen me hidden away trying to disguise the brilliantwhite shock that my hair had become. I'd intended it to help me blendin with the crowd a little better, however my go-to red colour thatwas easiest to whip up didn't take quite so well to my newtransparent locks leaving me with tresses on the brighter side oforange.

Lucas had concluded itbetter than the white, noting that with all the fires down in ThePits it'd probably blend in pretty well. Jesse had been renderedspeechless in shock and Frank had all but laughed himself silly.Either way it had been too late to change again so would have tosuffice with me swearing to myself I would break the habit of tryingto change my appearance for every new mission I undertook.

Lucas had made nocomment, and I dared not turn back to look at him so I shrugged. "Forthe most part we just need to ignore Malick for as long as possible.He's planning something, but until we get there we can't even beginto guess what that is. So our best option is not to think about it atall, not let anything he does derail our own mission. This is ourprime opportunity to expose the truth to a great majority of Hell allat one, we can't let it slip through our fingers."