Hell's Revelation (Book 3)

Chapter 4

A sudden and deadly silence swallowed the Pits as the last shared of wood clattered to the floor. The only sounds the distant crackle of the fires and the hollow creak of the doors hinges as they rocked, empty and ominous. My shadow cast a silhouette across the floor as I lingered in the doorway beneath the one burning light the tunnels possessed, hesitant to move forwards. I hadn't really planned on making quite such an entrance.

The Berserker guards dusted himself off, brushing large wooden fragments from his thick hide, appearing little phased by the power that had destroyed the object he'd been tasked with guarding. I could have hoped the blast would have knocked him out, but their thick skins were all but impenetrable to both blades and magic, worse luck. Behind me Jesse still lurked somewhere, waiting to drag me to Malick, in front that Berserker, and countless other demons.

How many of them were also comfortably situated in Malick's pocket? It was a thought that hadn't yet occurred to me until the moment they were staring me straight in the face, it was a discomforting thought. I knew in which direction the bigger evil really lay, and yet I had to keep heading towards it, there could be no turning back.

Taking a deep breath I stepped further out into the light, feeling the heat of the Pits wash over me like a balm; soothing and calming. It gave me a new and much needed boost of confidence. I could do this, I could get out of there in one piece, I just had to believe it. Splinters of wood dug into the soles of my feet as I trod, carefully, into the gathering crowd of demons who'd all been drawn to the commotion; last thing I wanted to do was go and injure myself before anything really kicked off.

Smatterings of chatter rose in the air like a swarm of insects, not many of their words particularly discernible, but the excited tension in the air was thick and palpable. Demons always loved a show, and some prisoner – apparently with some un-contained power – trying to break out of the Shadow Cells was not something they got to see everyday. But it was the words of the Berserker that actually reached my ears.

"You pay for what you break!" It growled.

Its stunted speech rumbled the stones beneath my feet, its voice so low and loud. They didn't often talk and tended to stick to single syllables when they did, they weren't the brightest of sorts. Though I had a feeling when he said pay he didn't mean in the monetary term.

I shook my head. "No. No, everyone will pay once that thing gets out."

I rushed – rather more gingerly than was really effective, but they did not seem to notice – towards the crowd. My voice was already shaky with nerves, so I had not needed to put that on, but the words had been over my lips and out of my mouth before I even had time to process what I was saying, and I have to admit it wasn't really my best work. But what was said was said, there was no chance for me to take it back now.

"What d'you mean?" A voice enquired, though I could not pin point exactly where it had come from.

Then more voices started to pick up, a bubbling murmur of chatter that surrounded me, all curious and questioning, many doubtful, and all hungry for blood. There must not be any executions scheduled for that day.

"Why are you listening to her? She's a prisoner." Another voice suddenly piped up.