FORBIDDEN: THE SOULKEEPERS

Chapter Six

                                                                  Chapter 6

                                                                    Dante

   In a dank cavern in the upper catacombs of Hell, Vaughn Raider lowered the daggers he was twirling across his palms. He, Wolfgang, and the kid, Santiago, were appropriately shocked by Dante’s news. They couldn’t believe The Order approved Dante’s petition to resurface. It was unprecedented.

   There was a customary chain of command for this kind of thing. The Order would assign jobs to Demon Knights or reapers. They were issued death contracts and then allowed to resurface to Take the Unforgiven soul. Never had the process been reversed—a Demon Knight requesting a particular assignment.

   “They actually agreed?” Vaughn asked. His face was dark and handsome in a rugged sort of way, and it registered the proper surprise.

   “Of course. I was happy to persuade them.” Dante offered an insidious grin that the others understood; he had used the Demon of Persuasion to get his way.

   “They weren’t suspicious?” Vaughn asked, perfectly in the right to worry. Most spiritual entities could feel a compulsion being used on them. When administered by an amateur, it felt like a brain freeze. But a skilled Demon Knight, such as Dante, could effect a warm, light feeling no heavier than a thought.

   Still, Vaughn was concerned. There was nothing worse than getting caught using your personal demon on a member of The Order. Well, okay, there was always something worse; it was Hell, after all.

   “I had complete control of my demon,” Dante assured them. “I used a new technique I have been working on. Like fly-fishing. A little compulsion whipped back and forth, just touching the surface enough to move a thought. I call it lie-fishing.” He smiled magnanimously. His friends stared, unsure they could risk themselves on Dante’s word. “Well?” he snapped and waved a hand at them. “Let’s go. Get ready.”

   Wolfgang loomed over Dante with a scowl, his face half hidden behind stringy black hair. “We have conditions upon resurfacing.” His voice was deep and resounding but marked with the ever-present edginess of the Demon of Impatience buried deep inside him.

   Wolfgang’s statement was no surprise; everyone in Hell had conditions. It was a crude bargaining system, something like, “You stab my back and I’ll stab yours.” Nothing was done for free. Even with friends, conditions had to be met before they would fully cooperate. So Dante agreed to provide certain distractions to keep them occupied while he secretly worked on Sophia’s soul.

   This would also keep Wolfgang busy and out of the loop. Dante wouldn’t risk Wolfgang accidentally killing Sophia and losing her soul to Heaven or limbo, all because he couldn’t control his demon. So why take him along? Besides being friends, Wolfgang could be very intimidating and useful when necessary. It would raise suspicion if he weren’t included.

   “Yes, you have made your conditions quite clear. And I will provide what you need.” Dante hoped to sound upbeat, even nonchalant, because he had additional news that would surely irritate them. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “But there is a catch to our resurfacing. The Order has conditions, too; we are not given free rein. You must control your demons. At all costs. And you are not allowed to Take any souls while there. Understand, Wolf? Only me and only the one.”

   “What the hell?” Wolfgang growled.

   “The Order is still—how did they put it? ‘Less than pleased’ with our last assignment. So we have been placed on something called probation.”