Hell's Revelation (Book 3)

Chapter 26 Part 2

I turned my back on him. Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness himself – or one of them at least – glared white hot daggers of rage in my direction and I didn't cower in terror, I turned away. Point for me.

"They'll never believe a word that comes out of your inconsequential mouth!" He snarled at me. His cold exterior shattering and falling away as I felt the radiating heat of his rage reach out and touch us all. Yet more fuel for the fire.

"We'll just have to see won't we," I shot back over my shoulder, not looking back. My path was straight, true and determined and I wasn't about to let anything throw me off. A self-satisfied smile curved my lips as I descended back into the crowd, and that's when I felt the first shot.

The force of it shoved me forwards, crashing into two tiny mischief demons and sending them scattering into the crowd. My palms stung as they slapped against the stone and I gasped, mostly out of shock. I went to push myself backup, and then my back erupted in the most excruciating pain.

Flames whipped up my spine, burning my clothing to wisps of cinders and blistering my skin raw. I cried out in pain as the rush of heat singed my hair and melted my flesh, and then it was gone.

The flames burned only for a few seconds before they died. They'd done their damage, every nerve ending in my body was alive and screaming in pain, but I wasn't dead. Had I still been a Hybrid Lucifer's ball of flames would have burst a hole right through my chest, but I was more now, I could withstand more. It hurt, but already my burnt flesh was healing. I could hear it crackle and pop as it knitted back together and slowly I rose back to my feet.

The huge stone cavern was engulfed in a thick and stunned silence. All eyes were on me as I slowly stood once again and turned to face my attacker.

"You're going to have to try better than that, Dad!"

Foolish words delivered to an audience who, looking back on it, I'm not sure fully appreciated the impact it might have had if everyone had been human. But it was the best I could come up with in that moment.Besides, I'm sure no one would remember the words I spoke when my next actions screamed far louder.

Gathering my own power, all the force that I could muster fueled with every little bit of anger and frustration, every single emotion I had suffered and struggled through as a Hybrid settled into my hands and I threw them with all of my might. Throwing hands of will and force outwards I shoved them against Luficer's chest, forcing every little bit of power I had spare into him.

The look of disbelief on his normally stoic face was almost laughable until he hit the stone wall with a heavy crunch and slid down to the floor.

A cheer erupted from the crowd like a roar, and I knew then with amazing clarity that they would follow me, unquestioningly. Now if only the other Faces would be so easy to convince.

"Nice little display there, Love," Frank muttered into my ear.

"Yeah,but it won't keep him down for long. We need to get moving. D'you think they'll listen to us now?"

"Well if they don't we're screwed."

"Way to be positive, Lucas." I smiled, looking around at the gathered crowd that were looking at us expectantly. "So, are you all with us?" I called out, letting my voice ring out loud and clear around the hall.

A collective muttering of agreement rippled through the crowd and I nodded with relief.

"Then let's get moving."

"Wait,hold on..." Jesse grabbed me by the shoulder just as I was about to move. "Where the hell has my dad gone?"

I turned, looking frantically to the last spot I'd seen Patrick, then further around the platform in case he'd taken a chance and moved to some relative safety, but he was nowhere to be found. Ashamedly, I had forgotten about him, just for the very briefest of moments but I had, there had been more important things happening around us. Yet I hadn't lost track of him for long, he couldn't have gone very far.

I was just about to open my mouth to say as much when Lucas beat me to it.

"More importantly, where the hell has Malick gone?"

There was no chance the two of them were not together, and now we were left with one major predicament. Who did we go after first, Malick and Patrick, or to find the Faces and expose Lucifer? What was more important to our cause. Honestly, I didn't know.

"Shit!"