Chapter Fifteen

Hael's Prison

“Stop.” Germanicus ordered them and they all stood still where they were. “The doors are just ahead.”

“Well I still can’t�"” the rest of Edmund’s sentence came out muffled as again they were all struck by the power of his voice.

“You will see, you insolent pest. I will open the door and light shall flood the cavern.”

“Why couldn’t you just light a fire?” Jeremiah grunted from behind them. “Same thing.”

“Why would we give you the advantage of sight?” Kollar’s voice barked out and then there was a small snort of laughter from him.

Jen leant against Tony, trying to act subtle. He got confused as she pressed her head into his collar and her lips just below her ear. “Do you have anything on you?” she murmured onto his skin.

He shook his head and Jen could feel it. She sighed and pulled away. Looking blindly in the direction where she thought the door was. Three knocks accompanied by the sound of constant clicking greeted them and then light flooded the cavern, just as promised.

Jen staggered back at the fiery heat which erupted from the iron doors. Wind poured in from inside and after the first blast of heat, all they felt was cold. The wind rushed through their ears and Jen didn’t think anyone would be able to hear Edmund to break into the prison.

Tony kept Jen under his arm and once the wind subsided, he helped her up off the ground.

The doors, fully opened, revealed an iron prison with Fae lined up in a dutiful row in front of them. “What the f**k?” Jen heard Greg whisper and when she looked over her shoulder she saw Angel do his cross three times.

When looking at the Fae, Jen knew where people thought aliens came from. With wide buggy eyes, inked in with different colours, their skins came in an array of fluoros. Some had butterfly wings in electric colours whilst others had sheer dragonfly wings in gold, silver orange. They ranged from extremely tall to tiny sizes, but all of them were nimble, with long limbs that seemed to be nothing but skin and bone.

“State your name, Demon.” The tallest of all of them, with long blue hair and green skin stepped forward. Her eyes were yellow and her clothes were made from the sheerest of clothes. “Or I shall make you.” She lifted her staff up to reveal it was made from iron.

Jen frowned because she knew Iron was just as deadly to Fae’s as it was to Demons. However then she saw each of the Faeries wearing shoes which looked like thick hided skins in multicolour’s and matching gloves to hold their staff’s.

Germanicus pushed Edmund forward and he stumbled for a second. He looked behind him and Germanicus and then at the Fae. “Tell your people to stand down.” Edmund said clearly. “And let my group pass through, peacefully.”

The Fae’s gold eyes became filmy and she turned to look to her peers. “Do as he says.”

Edmund’s shoulders slumped in relief and Jen noted that the head Faerie didn’t have to even explain what she wanted to the others. All of their eyes were covered with film.

“Germanicus, how will we walk inside?” the Demon inside of Zeke asked. “It’s iron.”

Germanicus turned and looked at the other Demons. “You and Deagakora take the cauldron. Your humans wear workers boots. All the rest of you are to remain here. Kollar and I shall continue.”

Chase pulled against his ropes. “And us?”

“Oh, you are not to miss out on the fun.” Germanicus laughed. “One of you must become Adramalech’s new body.”

“What?” Edmund shouted but Germanicus wrapped his hands around Edmund’s mouth, gagging him. “As I said before, I will let them all go alive. Their state of living, however, will be up to your co-operation from this point onwards. Adramalech may only need the body until he reaches the surface, for all I know but you will all be let out alive. In some way, your hearts will be beating. Now, tell the nice Fae to lead us to the dungeon of Adramalech. Any funny business and Kollar will snap Jennifer’s neck. Or maybe Mummy. He’s not a fan of either of them, let me tell you.”

Kollar sneered greedily, staring at both Jen and Helen with hungry eyes. Tony slipped in front of Jen protectively but she squeezed his hand, reassuring him she was fine.

The demon’s possessing Zeke and Tobias both lifted the cauldron and while Kollar took the ropes that bound Chase, Jeremiah, Greg and Angel together and led them into the iron prison.

Edmund looked at the head Fae, his voice painfully gentle. “What is your name?”

“Fedora.”

“Fedora, may you please lead us to the dungeon of Adramalech. And call a halt any Fae who may try to stop us.” Edmund looked back at Jen, his eyes full of pain. He felt like asking her what he should do and Jen stared back at him.

“It would be better if we all died.” She said to him.

She was pushed to the ground by Kollar. “You just don’t know how to shut up, do you?”

Jen flipped onto her back angrily and threw her hand out. “Break!” she twisted her wrist, waiting for Kollar’s to collapse as all the bones in his body broke under her command.

But nothing happened.

She frowned and tried again but Kollar just laughed. Helen helped her up with Tony and led her away, into the prison. “He’s wearing a flour leaf clover.” Helen whispered. “That’s how he got to me, earlier today. From what I gather the Possessors are both wearing one, however Germanicus is not.”

“He can’t.” Chase whispered from behind. While Kollar was now walking with the Possessors in Zeke and Tobias, Chase, Jeremiah, Angel and Greg were walking alongside Jen, Tony and Helen. “He needs to be susceptible to Wiccan magic when he enters the circle.”

“The circle?” Jen looked at the others. “What circle?”

Jeremiah opened his mouth to reply, but Helen did instead. “Do you not know anything of your ancestry child? Wiccans bound the Demon by casting a circle. A powerful magical spell.”

“My mother died long before I could learn about magic.” Jen muttered bitterly. “So sorry if I’m not up to date with Wiccan Weekly.”

“You should have been raised in a coven, rather than this filthy way. Demonic hunting...” she rolled her eyes. “What a meaningless living.”

“Well how about then, after this is over, we get our asses out of here and leave you to figure it out yourself, hey?” Jeremiah pushed passed her to walk alongside Jen.

“Got a plan?” Jen asked him.

Chase took Tony’s position on Jen’s other side and knelt closer. “Yeah, Jer, one would look good right now.”

“I say we go, open up this Demon then kill him. I mean, we’re in the midst of tons of iron.” He looked at Jen and Chase. “But I have no idea how to bend and break it.”

“Jen does.” Tony murmured from behind. “She did it for Ed and I earlier.”

“Jen?” Jeremiah asked but before she could answer, Kollar yanked the ropes back, pulling the four boys tied to him back onto the ground.

“Stop bloody talking! Edmund, tell them to stop talking!” Kollar shouted.

“I’ll shut up!” Jen shouted back. “Just calm down.”

“You’ll have to excuse Kollar.” Germanicus said from in front of them. “He doesn’t exactly appreciate being back in Hael.”

Jen decided to stay silent and walked ahead of the other boys with Tony and Helen. The prison seemed to be a large iron cube. The iron itself was so cold she could feel the freeze through her converse. However, the air was hot. It was hot enough to cause her to be thick with sweat and soon her white t-shirt was clinging to her and she was just thankful the demons put a bra on her.

Below her she could hear screaming and howling of Demons and Unseelie Fae, all writhing from the centuries of torture. There were platforms, crossing in and out of each other and from the ceiling were chains and cages, each containing prisoners. They hung high above their heads of far below them with access to them through the various platforms. “Why are they in there?” Edmund asked, voicing Jen’s thoughts.

“They are the Unseelie Kings.” Fedora said, walking towards a long shaft that stood tall in the centre of the cube. “They will never leave Hael.”

Jen looked at the chian and wondered if there were any empty cages she could rip the iron from.

They reached the shaft and Fedora opened the door and let them all in. She walked in last and slammed the door shut. There was a lever on the side which she cranked and slowly, they started moving towards the pits of Hael.

“Why is it getting hotter?” Jen whispered, teeming with sweat. The Demons didn’t seem to mind as much but their humans bodies were drenched. Tony’s head was spinning, the heat added to the lack of food causing him to feel dizzy.

“The lower we go, the closer we get to the fire pit.”

The blood in the cauldron started to bubble and Germanicus looked at it warily. “How far into the fire pit are we going?”

“Through it. Adramalech’s prison is below.”

“Told you it was deep.” Kollar grunted, ripping at the neck of his leather skin shirt.

“We might not survive that long.” Jen said, looking at Germanicus. “Our blood will boil and we will die, unable to help you free your master. Even you’re susceptible to the heat in that body.”

Edmund was removing his jacket before it got sweaty as the Demons inside Zeke and Tobias removed their shirts. “You will make it.” Everyone looked towards Fedora whose eyes were still glazed. “No one dies in Hael.”

Again they were reminded of the fact that even if they fought, there was no chance of survival.

The elevator moved slower than they all would have wished and the heat built up around them. The top of the lift was an iron cage, which meant Germanicus and the other Possessor Demons had to stand in the middle of lift as not to get burnt. Chase stood next to Jen, not touching her from the heat but staying close enough to hold her up should she fall.

They watched each of the platforms pass by and no one disturbed them. Apparently Fedora was that important that just to stand next to her meant everyone else had to stand down.

Tony fell back against the wall, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Jen gasped and her and Jeremiah knelt next to him in the small elevator. “He’s got low blood sugar.” Greg blurted out. “If he doesn’t eat properly or over exhausts himself he faints.”

Jeremiah sighed and looked towards the ceiling. “Yeah, just what we needed. We’re calling a shitload of ambulances on the surface.”

“Get up.” Kollar sneered at Jeremiah and he got up but Jen stayed with Tony. She looked up at Edmund who was looking more pained than ever. He then bit his lip and looked at Fedora.

“Give me your staff.”

“What?!” Germanicus exclaimed.

Fedora passed Edmund her staff and Edmund pointed it at Germanicus’s chin. “I stab you with this, you won’t die until we reach the surface, right?”

“Only your father would die.” he spat. “I’ll escape the body and you’ll still have Deagakora and Retalc to deal with.” The two Demons in question put the cauldron down and had grabbed Greg and Angel. “And they can rip your friends heads off and they too won’t die until we drag them to the surface. Now give the staff back to Fedora.”

“No.” Edmund snapped. “I’ll keep it for good measure.”

“Then we’ll keep their heads.” The one Jen knew to be Retalc in Zeke’s body, pulled at Greg’s neck. “For good measure.”

Jeremiah grabbed Retalc from behind and Chase took Deagakora. Deagakora threw Chase back against the iron walls but Jeremiah forced Retalc’s face onto the bars. “Stop! Pull him back!” Edmund ordered and Jeremiah did as told, unable to disobey. “It’s still Zeke.”

“Edmund.” Helen hissed. “You must remove your worldly possessions if we are to make it from her alive.”

“Listen to your mother, Edmund.” Germanicus growled. “Rid yourself of worldly possessions. Your father, your mother... Your love.” Edmund’s eyes flickered towards Jen and he looked back at Germanicus. “Or just rid yourself of the iron staff and keep everyone safe.”

Edmund closed his eyes and leant the iron staff against the wall of the elevator. “What a short lived revolution.” Kollar wheezed. “Now how long until we get through the pits?”

“Not long.” Fedora said. She seemed unfazed by all of them, concentrating on the lever of the elevator. “We’re approaching the fire. I’d advise you all to kneel down, should you want to survive.”

Hesitantly, they all did as they were told. Jen kept glaring at Edmund who looked deeply ashamed of himself. “You could have saved us.” she whispered.

“I can’t lose any of you.” he whispered back. “What if Zeke and Tobias was Chase and Jeremiah? What if it was your ultimatum and your father?” He looked her up and down and when Jen couldn’t reply he looked away. “That’s what I thought.”

Chase watched them whispering from the other side of the elevator but his view was cut off as Fedora too knelt down. Zeke’s face was still burning from the iron, a mark running down from his forehead to his cheek, over the corner of his eye. “It’ll heal.” Jeremiah assured Angel who was glaring at Jeremiah angrily. “Did you want him to kill Greg?”

Jen then realised why they all had to duck below the bars of the cage. Whilst the bottom of the elevator was like a basket, the top was open to the flames which poured out into the elevator, licking the tops of their heads. Jen and Edmund both overed Tony with their body, hiding him from the flames while the others ducked as low as they could.

As they touched the fire pit, the bottom of the cage turned ice cold. Jen and Edmund could both hear water running between the iron plates, cooling the iron down. But the tops of the bars were flaming red and if any of them were stupid enough to touch one, Jen knew their skin would melt off.

As quickly as the fiery onslaught started, it ended and there was a freezing gust of wind which had all of their sweat drenched bodies shivering. Jen and Edmund both sat up then checked on Tony. He was also shivering so Edmund to his jacket and tossed it over him. “Greg, Angel.” Edmund murmured, grabbing their attention. “You two stay here with Tony. Keep him safe.” Edmund took the iron staff from the cage and handed it over to Angel, swinging it close to Germanicus on purpose. “If anything happens, pull the lever and get out of here.”

Germanicus glared at Edmund but said nothing. Chase too was glaring and then said, “Jen you should stay here too.”

“They can.” Germanicus snapped. “She can’t.” He leant down and pulled Jen up by her arm pit. “We need this one.”

They unloaded from the elevator, Greg and Angel staying behind to look after Tony, and followed Fedora down a long hallway that seemed to have turned blue, the air was so cold. Jen was shivering alongside Helen and Edmund, the three of them were unsure of what was about to happen.

Fedora stopped and turned around. “Here.” she said.

“Where?” Edmund frowned.

Germanicus’ face split open into a maniacal grin and he looked to the ground. “Here.”

They all looked to the ground which Germanicus was grinning at. On the ground, etched into the iron was a carving of a pentagram. Retalc and Deagakora looked panicked and both sighed a breath of relief when they saw they weren’t standing in the pentagram. Chase pulled Jen out of the circle and Helen took Edmund’s hand, yanking him back. “Never stand above a Demon.” Helen whispered.

Jen saw the edges of the circle were teeming with wisps of black demon smoke. Whoever was in there was more powerful than Jen could imagine for him to be able to push out of an iron pentagram. “Retalc. Deagakora. Go.” Germanicus said.

The two Demons walked over to the edge of the pentagram with the cauldron and poured the blood of Lisa and Eddy Belwink into the grooves of the pentagram. Helen started whispering a Latin prayer which Jen recognised from her own mother’s funeral. It was a blessing to the dead.

The blood spun around the edges of the pentagram, filling the circle then, from each of the five points, spilling into the star. Edmund’s face contorted and Jeremiah held Jen’s hand tighter, pulling her back towards him. “That’s the blood of two Wiccans.” Germanicus said, staring at the filled star. “Now...”

Edmund’s eyes widened and he stepped back. “You can’t drain us. If you do�"”

“In reality, I only needed to drain one Wiccan to fill the thing.” Germanicus withdrew a dagger from his pocket. “I only need a sampling from you three.”

Jeremiah pulled Jen behind himself. “You’ll have to kill me before I let you lay one more hand on her.”

Retalc laughed. “No need.” He disappeared from sight and grabbed Jen off of Jeremiah. Then he pulled Jen’s arm out and squeezed at one of the many cuts she’d acquired from outside. Jen screamed in pain, falling to her knees as her blood spun down her arm and joined the blood of the dead.

Germanicus walked towards Edmund smiling. “Now we can do this the easy way, or the hard way.”

Edmund pulled away, keeping Helen behind him. “This wasn’t the deal.”

“I am quite sick of repeating myself to you idiot. I said alive, they will be alive.” Germanicus grabbed Edmund, pulling him over the pentagram in one movement. “You will be alive.” He cut Edmund’s palm open and spilt the blood into the pentagram.

There was a scream and Deagakora had grabbed Helen. “This one?”

“All of her.” Germanicus said.

“No!” Edmund shouted and tried to get to his mother but Germanicus grabbed him and pushed him away. “This is for all the stress you put me through today.”

“You said alive!”

Germanicus muffled Edmund and held him back, forcing him to watch Helen struggle in Deagakora’s arms. “If you remember very carefully, I never said your mother’s name. I thought you’d caught on when you spoke of your father’s body but you hadn’t.”

Jen tried grabbing for Helen too, wanting to help the woman who’s screams echoed through their ears but Retalc held her back. Edmund tried screaming through Germanicus’ grip and tried getting to his mother. Kollar threw his hands out as Chase and Jeremiah tried to help her and they were forced back into the wall by his powers. “Naughty, naughty.”

Before Helen could try anything magical, Deagakora grabbed her neck and twisted it sharply. Edmund cried out and fell back against Gemanicus. Jen felt her heart pounding through her chest as she watched the pain on Edmund’s face. Jen knew that pain. She’d felt it before. She felt it every time she thought of her parents or brother and again whenever she heard lightening.

To see that pain on Edmund’s face burnt Jen to her core. Deagakora started draining Helen of her blood in front of their very eyes, dropping her onto the ground and walking off, a keen grin on his face.

Jen forgot that Retalc was in Zeke’s body and shoved her hand against his chest, jumping on top of him and shoving him into the iron floor.

Chase and Jeremiah tried getting out of Kollar’s hold but couldn’t. It also meant Kollar couldn’t do anything to help the Demons.

Edmund crawled over to his mother in disbelief as the entirety of the dungeon started shaking. The blood below their feet bubbled and the iron melted underneath it. Germanicus started chanting as Jen threw Retalc to the side, his bare-chested body smashing into the iron wall.

She then went to Deagakora who was trying to attack Edmund from behind. She leapt onto his back and shoved him face first into the iron ground. He hissed and cried in pain as he too was also shirtless after removing it in the elevator. She flipped him over and with her bloodied palm drew a pentagram on his chest. “Stay down.” She growled.

When she got up she saw Retalc back up but fighting Jeremiah as Chase held Kollar at bay. Edmund was on the floor and Fedora was in no way inclined to help them, still in a daze from Edmund’s voice.

Jen ran to Germanicus and spun him around but he was no longer chanting on his own accord.

If this was any other situation... Jen watched as the black smoke gather around Germanicus’ ankles and Germanicus chant as if he was �" for lack of a better word �" possessed. His eyes were in their natural state of inky black and his mouth was moving on its own accord. The smoke started coiling around Jen’s ankles and she jumped back in fear, stumbling away.

The iron rusted and deteriorated, the blood falling through the cracks. Jen knew there was no way to stop it anymore so ran and took Edmund’s hand. She tried dragging him away from Helen’s body but to no avail, he wouldn’t move.

He held onto her, crying as she continued to bleed into what was now just a black opening in the ground. “Jen!” Chase left Kollar alone for a second which was enough for him to grab Chase’s leg and yank him back. Jeremiah took Kollar from behind and threw him into the wall.

Germanicus stumbled out of his trance, falling to his knees in front of the black smoke that was rushed high above their heads, spinning around. It was the largest Possessor Demon Jen had ever seen and the smoke which spilt from it seemed to taint the very air which they breathed with an evil like non-other.

The smoke of Adramalech reared back, casting a shadow over their heads. Jen stared deep into the blackness and saw red eyes in the deepest centre of the smoke. “Jennifer.” It seemed to hiss and the smoke flew towards herself, Edmund and Helen.

Jen screamed and grabbed Edmund. With unnatural strength, she pulled Edmund away from Helen, the shock of her yanking at his shirt pulling him from his daze and into the present. When he saw what was coming for them, they both scuttled across the ground, standing up and breaking into a run as Adramalech surged to them.

But it was apparent that Adramalech was not after them as he kept on towards the body of Helen long after they’d gone. Edmund turned and saw Adramalech slam into his mother’s body, encompassing it in his essence. He buried his face into Jen’s shoulder and she held him tight, shaking with fear.

Adramalech pulled himself up, floating above their heads again in his black smoke. Helen’s body was gone, nothing but streaks of blood left. “Wiccans.” The smoke growled. “Always delightful.”

Jen knew what was coming as did Edmund. The two of them turned and started running back to the elevator. “We need to close Hael’s doors.” Jen said, running just ahead of Edmund.

Chase and Jeremiah were running ahead of them, shouting at Angel and Greg to start cranking the lever. Jen turned her head back to see the smoke gaining on them. Jen pulled Edmund’s hand and gripped his arm. “Come on!” she yelled and Edmund’s run faltered.

She knew he was distressed and she knew he probably wasn’t thinking straight however she also knew he needed to run. “Come on!” the two quickened their pace, almost at the elevator.

Greg and Angel and started it up and slowly, it was rising up, the door wide open. “Hurry!” Greg shouted.

Jeremiah jumped in first, Chase just behind him. They both turned to see Jen fifteen meters or so away, still running. “Come on!” he shouted.

Edmund looked back behind him as Adramalech’s smoke whipped around his ankles. “Stop!” he tried shouting. “Turn around! Go back!”

Jen knew it was useless. Without a body, Edmund’s Wiccan powers wouldn’t work on Adramalech. She tugged him closer and let go of his hand just as she was in reach of the elevator. She bolted forward and jumped up, catching the edge of the elevator and being pulled up by Jeremiah and Chase. She turned around and stuck her hand out. “Edmund!” she screamed and Edmund jumped out, grabbing onto her arm. Jen grunted as she slammed against the bottom of the elevator, unable to hold his weight. Chase and Jeremiah knelt down beside her, reaching both their arms out, but Edmund’s arm was slipping, his sweating arms making it difficult to hold on.

Adramalech’s smoke was crawling up his knees and they needed to hurry and close the iron elevator. They were also nearing the top where the fire pit started.

“Take my hand!” Chase shouted and Edmund tried and tried but couldn’t get a grip.

Jeremiah looked up, the pit just above. Jen’s grip was slipping and Jeremiah tried grabbing at Edmund’s shirt but it wasn’t enough.

Adramalech came up towards the cage and Edmund realised there was only one thing for it.

Jen saw the realisation in his eyes and knew what he was going to do before he even did it. “It’s my fault.” He said. “I thought I could save all of us.”

“Edmund!” Jen screamed, pulling her arm up, trying to drag him in. Chase kept clawing at his t-shirt, pulling him up and Jeremiah was holding his wrist, just below Jen’s hand.

“I think... I think I love you.” Edmund frowned, trying to make sense of things. “I’m sorry I stuffed up though.”

Adramalech went above Edmund’s head, hiding his face in smoke but he wasn’t the one he wanted. He was going for Jen and by the time they realised they only had ten meters of ceiling left until they had to close the door. From behind them, Greg had retrieved the iron bar and was waving it at Adramalech. He backed off wherever the iron bar swung but Greg couldn’t get it that far

“Let me go!” Edmund’s voice echoed through the black smoke and unwillingly, Jen, Jeremiah and Chase let go of whatever part of Edmund they were holding. Greg and Angel both leapt over, trying to grab Edmund but it was too late.

Chase pulled Jen back and Jeremiah slammed the door shut of the cage. Adramalech started creeping through the iron bars and went toward Jen but her pocket flashed red and Adramalech was pushed back. Confusion swept over her as Adramalech unable to get through to her. There was a roar of anger and the black smoke disappeared far below them. “No!” Jen stood up and leant against the bars, looking down.

The black smoke coiled and blocked all of Jen’s vision of the ground below. Greg and Angel stood on either side of her, rattling the elevators bars, shouting out Edmund’s name over and over. Jen could only watch, horrified, as the smoke coiled thinner and thinner becoming a small cloud as it was absorbed into something.

When the entire smoke had disappeared, Jen saw finally what it had coiled into.

Edmund stood far below them, his eyes an inky black. His shoulders were pulled back and he stood straighter than ever. The Possessors of Zeke, Tobias and Edmund’s father all walked over to him, standing guard on either side of his shoulder.

Jeremiah pulled the horrified Greg and Angel to the ground and Chase pulled Jen back. They fell to the ground just before the flames erupted over their heads, their last images of Adramalech being those of him inside of Edmund’s body.

Author's Note

Grammar? Spelling? Any dyslexic mistakes? Aaand, how does everyone feel about the character development?