Infernal

Cam's POV

Sounds were coming from all sides. Loud ones, smaller ones echoed, they drubbed my eardrums. When I tried to open my eyes, I flinched in anticipation, but blinked when the surroundings appeared dark. The kind of ambiance you'd see at a dungeon from medieval times, that was.

I could barely move my head when someone dragged me, sitting me against something cold and hard. Something told me to be quick and look up.

A guy was about to slap Golden Chains on my wrists. Hell no.

I willed my arms to work, shaking the idiot off—he didn't go anywhere and my vision swam. What had... Oh yeah. Broken neck...

"Sit still, runt." Just for that, I wanted to punt his head. And tried. The dude closed one manacle on my wrist and the change was immediate. He held me down, taking care of the other one. "There. Try and get rid of those." He sneered, getting to his feet.

The only thing I saw were bars before someone got tossed inside the cell—my brother. I wanted to reach for him, but he was too far, the chains didn't let me. I settled on my knees, the closer I could.

"Phill?" I asked, coughing. Getting your neck snapped was the fucking worst thing ever.

"I'm okay..." he rolled onto his stomach, grunting.

Warm tingles danced down my back. My hands latched for the bars. Across from our cell, Nina was being shoved and locked up. Only she didn't have any Power-blocker. On her knees, she looked at me, gripping the iron bars 'till her knuckles turned white.

The Cambions, Vampires—I couldn't even tell what they were right now, left and I wanted to bring this whole place down.

"I'll kill him. I'll fucking kill him." I growled.

"How could you trust a Cambion?" My head whipped Phill's way. Damn I thought my neck would break all over. "Nearly dying from a bite wasn't enough of warning! You idiot—"

"I didn't trust him! I trusted Rory!"

Phillip sat rather sloppily, not bothering with dusting his torn, dirty jeans. His anger shifted as he set his arms on his knees.

"I don't know where she met him," he said. "But he's not trustworthy—you know that now, though. I was wondering where he went..."

My eyes sharpened, "What do you mean 'where he went'?"

Phillip's out-of-order hair fell forward, covering most of his electric eyes. He drew a breath before meeting my gaze half-way.

"Just that he was here before, when I got brought in. That's all." That wasn't all. I knew my brother better than I knew myself and he was an awful liar. "Where's Rory?" The change of talk was another lie-factor.

I went along.

"No idea. Romeo and her left us to look for you—by talking to slave traders. I hadn't heard from them until now." He nodded, eyes glazed.

The more time we sat in silence, the more uncomfortable I felt. What was I supposed to say? 'Enjoyed your vacation here on Inferno Land'? 'Look on the bright side, at least you skipped the history assignment'?

Smartass comments were a no-fly.

"Hey," I called across to the cell in front of ours. Nina's eyes pinned me, but didn't see me. "You okay?"

"I..." she murmured. She was thinking about something, mind far, far away. "I am."

Quietly, I asked, "No, you're not." An eyebrow was cocked my way. "You're worried about something."

"Can you read minds?"

"No, but—"

"Then shut up." I backed up from the bars. O-kay. Whatever she was mulling over was bad, Nina wouldn't get pissed over nothing. She mimicked my sitting pose, leaning on the wall.

I turned to Phill. He looked angry enough to bury a hatchet in my head.

"Did you think I was going to let you sacrifice everything for me? Never look back?" My stronghold glare softened when I whispered, "It's me and you against the world, remember?"

Phillip stared back at me and his anger slowly evaporated into tired lines, then, much to my surprise and relief, he smiled.

"Are you going to hug me again?"

I chuckled under my breath, at least there was a bit of humor left—my back hit the wall with his body against mine. My arms worked on automatic, gripping his back as much as he gripped mine.

I wasn't a softy. And two hugs in one day was soft.

"I missed you, Cam." Screw it, I thought, feeling Phill shudder in my hold.

My hand stroke the back of his head.

"I missed you, too, little brother. I missed you, too." I would've stayed like this for as long as Phillip needed, and if I was being completely honest, I needed it too.

"Where are we?" I finally asked the big old cliche.

"Dungeon," he rubbed some blood off his hands by wiping them on his shirt. Didn't work very well. The shirt was covered with caked blood and sand. "From the arena there's a tunnel that leads here, to the Imperial. It's what they call the fortress." Lovely.

"Have you always been here?" I meant for it to sound soft, still, in my ears it sounded callously.

"Yup. Same cell and everything. Real homey." It might've been a joke, but there was no smile.

"Have you..." I listened with human ears for other people besides us. Not much. "Have you been alone here?"

"Alone," Phill frowned. "No, no ones ever alone down here. Even when there's no else... you can still hear the screams."

I shared a fleeting glance with Nina, who'd been dragged from her brooding by my brother's far-off tone, and what I saw in her starry irises scared the living crap out of me. Her thoughts were a pure reflection of mine. Why did Phillip sound like one of those old-timers that survived the war in Vietnam?

The memory of him standing above the human girl, snapping her neck, hit like a shit load of bricks. Who I'd seen then hadn't been my brother. Not on a good day. Not even on a crappy, stormy, he-lost-the-basketball-game kind of day.

The Phillip I'd grown up with wouldn't ever kill a human. Demon-possessed-human-yes. Had been done. But never something like that.

I wondered just how much of my brother was still in there—in front of me.

The sound of a latch opening set Phillip off. He was on his feet and grabbing onto the bars, completely serious and battle-ready. Way to change it up, little bro, I thought.

Some guy pushed a girl down the hall. Her hair was the true kind of blond, falling closely to her waist. Her clothes were nearly as dirty and wasted as my brother's. Especially the sleeves of her sweater, they were rags. Her cheek was bruised on the left, heavily.

"Don't get any ideas, lover boy, the Witch has a ritual to prepare."

"Screw you," he breathed, locking eyes with the girl's. "Where were you? Serena—"

"Keep walking, sweetheart. You'll see each other real soon."

"Will I'll be seeing you real soon, too? 'Cause I would love to rearrange some body parts." Phillip growled, gaze darkening on the guard.

"Don't get cocky with me, brat."

The edges of his lips tipped, "At least I can get cocky."

One of the man's hands reached out for Phill's neck and I couldn't even reach them. Phillip's face smacked on the iron. The grip around my brother's windpipe was strong enough to leave dusty hand-prints.

"The Witch's late, Bryce." As soon as the Britannic accent sounded, I shot up, turning to the left. "We both know how much he hates lateness. So why don't you stop being weak minded and do what you were sent here to do!" Romeo's voice might have shaken Nina and the guard, but all I wanted to do was rip out his eyes.

Phillip staggered back a couple of steps after being released. He rubbed his neck.

"You son of a bitch," I grabbed onto the cell's bars. "You betrayed us."

The chains holding me rattled as I tugged forward.

"Yes, no," he shrugged. "You wanted me to get you into Hell and find your brother. I did just that."

"No one ever asked you to deliver us to the Devil on a silver platter." Nina said.

I blanched. The Devil?

Romeo spared a glance before shouts hailed from down the hall, from where he had come, where Bryce and the Witch had disappeared. Rory! My head and Phillip's glued to the iron rods, trying to see her.

Romeo held his ground as she yelled curses and insults in languages I didn't even know existed.

"Maybe for once, something I did is not as black and white as you want it to be." He barked in a monotone to one of our Aunt's call outs.

I couldn't see her right, nothing but some flaying hair, but her voice was powerful. "You're a bad person, you do bad things—it's just who you are. You can't change, you never will. I was an idiot to trust you!"

"There wasn't another choice."

"There's always a choice!" Rory yelled. I saw her then, tugging from the man yanking her down the hall. "You just make all the bad ones..." she whispered before the slamming of a door took her away.

At least she was alive. One less thing I needed to feel responsible for.

Romeo yanked open Nina's cell door. My muscles tensed. He took her wrist and she went along. Next, another guy strolled to the front of our cell, opening it, and snatched Phillip's arms, bending them behind his back. Phillip didn't go quietly like Nina; but watching him struggle was like watching a helpless fly in a spider web.

"You're getting five minutes," Nina got thrown inside the cell. "Then it's time to work." Romeo's smiled widened as he locked us up and they walked away, taking my brother along.

Breathing in a short, controlled, breath, I reached for Nina. She leaned on me as I pulled her up.

"Is it hurt?" I touched a spot on her right hip, noticing she wasn't putting any weight on it.

She winced.

"It's just bruised." She mussed, testing it out. My arms circled her waist, keeping her against me. "You can let go now. I'm okay."

I didn't comply. She didn't ask me again.

"The Devil?"

"He said Lucifer wanted us... I assumed he was... you know." I nodded, wigged out.

***

Nina's POV

He drew a breath at the same time as I did.

"Are you scared?" I folded my hands on his chest.

Gazing down at me, Cam surprised me.

"I am. I'm scared to death." Not what I'd been expecting. "Because you're here and I can't protect you. Not with these." He made the Golden Chains clink. "Without Power I can't do a damn thing. I'm totally useless..."

I reached for his face; our stares held strongly.

"You aren't useless," my fingers stroke along the sides of his face. "And nothing that might happen to me—nothing—will be on you. Understand?"

"Little bird—"

"I'm serious, Cam. If something happens to me it won't be your fault. I won't blame you for a thing." He didn't seem all that convinced, but that was all the seriousness I could muster."So if I wasn't here you wouldn't be scared at all?"

"You kidding? I'd be the guy sipping mojitos by the pool."

I pressed my face into his chest, muffling a laugh. Only he could make me laugh in a dungeon, at the brink of unknown trouble. Once I looked up, Cameron cocked his head, drawing me even closer.

"I'm not sure why you look at me like that, but I like it." He whispered.

I cupped my hands behind his head, curling my fingers into the strands at the end.

"Cameron," I closed my eyes and tipped my mouth up, gently touching his lips. He stayed there, allowing me to savor him at his most vulnerable. "You know exactly why I look at you this way." I'd spoken the words once. I wouldn't speak them in this place. Feelings could be a great weakness, especially if heard by the wrong set of ears.

Apparently, I set off a spark that blazed into full-bloom lust. Cameron held my face, kissing me with a new type of urgency, stripping any armor away. I stroke his neck, smoothing my hands down his back and then some.

A door creaked at the end of the hall.

There was a look of impending doom in his eyes, I knew what he was thinking. Should we try for an escape?

"Time's up love birds. Your presence is requested."

Romeo got inside, pushing me into the guy who'd taken that other girl away. Bryce manhandled me outside. My elbows smacked his chest. Cameron was having trouble of his own with Romeo replacing the Golden Chains for shackles. Golden ones, with the exact same Enochian words all the Power-blockers had.

I tried staying close enough to Cameron to feel his warmth. It proved impossible when Romeo kept pushing him forward to walk faster. We stumbled up stone steps and Bryce, the guy holding me, put a hand up making the door fly open. The same door everyone else had gone through.

A spiral staircase spiraled out of sight.

Before reaching the top, there were several levels. With doors leading to God knows-where. I almost slipped on a stair with all the pushing Bryce was doing; behind us, I heard Cameron growl. I was convinced these stairs were infinite, sweat dripped between my shoulder blades, then, I was stirred into a right corridor.

My heart churned.

An archway later, we were standing in front of a door that could've been stolen from a cathedral. A blond man stood inches from it, looking like the sentinels at Buckingham Palace. Minus the outfit and fury hat.

Not saying a word, he spun around, pushing open the double doors. My foot flattered, Bryce towed me forward—shoving me into the darkened room. Romeo and Cameron were beside us. A small gust whispered past us, followed by a thump—we were locked tight.

My arms were released but I didn't move. I was mesmerized, eyes compelled on the man lounging on a tall throne; the seat padded in blood-red velvet. The throne was outlined in gold, and the wood's shine made me think of mahogany. Leading up to the royal seat, was a black carpet. We had to be seven feet apart, still, silver eyes pierced me.

"a once splendid being (indeed the most perfect of God's creatures) from whom all personality has now drained away."

The sentence from Inferno jumped to mind. A gigantic monster, buried-chest-deep in ice and ratted wings. That had been Dante Alighieri description. He and Mr. Carter would've been very disappointed standing in my shoes. Because there wasn't a demon with three faces.

There was a man who had nothing of grotesque and he most definitely wasn't being tortured. Unless wearing a bomber jacket, dark Tee, designer jeans and boots, was against his fashion choices. Judging by the arrogant set of his jaw, they suited him just fine. I noticed the hair—dark as night. The features were exotic, cheekbones sharp and high. Lips… His lips curved and I stopped looking altogether, lungs cold with fear.

"Take those off." It rung out, deep and booming.

Romeo stood in front of Cam, who looked frozen speechless. Like seeing a ghost, I thought.

My heart jumped to my throat, head whipping to guy in charge. The Devil—even my head choked on the word—had a slight resemblance to Cameron and Phillip, but a striking one with Gabriel. The twin's Father had had icy-blue eyes, Lucifer's were moon-light silver and his face was thinner, while Gabriel's had been rounder. But the differences stopped there. The lines were all there. That's why Cam stayed dead-still once Romeo freed his wrists.

"Are you sure this is wise, my Lord?" Bryce piped, eying Cameron warily. "He caused a lot of trouble back at the Games—"

"Leave now." Lucifer's lips moved fast, easily. But damn, it sounded like he'd screamed the words.

Bryce's mouth pinched, he nodded. Romeo was the last to leave, surveying the room one last time.

We were alone with the freaking Devil. I wanted to get the hell out of dodge so bad I'd pop a finger nail off.

Lucifer was quick getting to his feet; faster than one of Cam's bolts. He stood two feet away. It felt like nothing. First, he studied me, tilting his head and stepping around us in a circle.

"I thought you looked more like her. My mistake. I don't make many, but sometimes it happens—every one hundred years or so." I felt my arms crossing—shielding me. His eyes changed to Cameron. "Not about you, you look like Gabriel."

At the name, Cam's labyrinthic eyes snapped, meeting silvery ones.

"I'm his son. That's why I look like him." He started. "The question is, why do you?"

A pleasant brow arched on Lucifer's forehead.

"I had the same problem with your brother. He didn't know, either." He sighed—a sound that felt fabricated, like he was getting a kick out of the situation. "I figured your Daddy wouldn't include me in the family tree. I've gotta admit, I was a little disappointed, but I figured he wanted to get as far away from his origins as possible—I mean, he didn't put Saint Michael on it, either."

I'd seen plenty of looks on Cam's face to know he understood—or was grasping some of it. He also looked winded. My arms closed harder around myself when Lucifer's lips stretched into a true devilish smirk.

"Gabriel didn't tell you we were brothers? The three of us? Well, we were." His shoulders were wider than the twins'—I frowned. I'd seen someone with those… someone as tall… "Angels aren't all brothers and sisters—"

"You're saying you're my uncle?" he interjected, body swaying back.

"That's exactly it," the Devil stepped closer to me. "Phillip took a lot longer to accept it—bravo. I knew you were the smart one."

Big mistake. Cameron's temper flared in a manifestation of Power. Energy crackled from his skin, shooting to Lucifer's face—the dopest thing happened. Or it would've been the dopest thing if Satan hadn't done it.

The blast of whitish sparks brushed his skin and crawled in. Disappeared. Vanished. Like his skin was a sponge.

"Nah, do it more like this—" I covered up a scream when a heavily charged bolt left his palm, crashing into Cam's torso. He was sent flying into a wall, rolling over the floor. "I expected more. Less amateur and more deadly? Oh well."

Cameron's T-shirt was scorched right in the center, like a fire ball had hit bulls-eye. Static ran over the surface of Cam's skin, hair and clothes. Leftover energy.

I jumped, shoulders hunching.

"You and I have something to discuss." He said, looking down at me with mocking eyes.

"I don't have anything to discuss with you." No stuttering. I considered that an epic deed. He'd just sent his nephew flying—oh, Holy Nephilim babies. Cameron and Phillip were related to the Devil—the actual breathing, living Devil.

"No, we do." I moved back, he moved forward. I shook my head, not liking the thought of averting my eyes. Who knew what else he could do? "You're afraid now, but it'll wash over." I doubted that.

Another step and I felt was trapped between the wall and him. Not the best running-away spot.

"You'll warm up to me, women from your family always do." Now, I stuttered. My eyes probably looked bug-eyed, that's why he laughed. "See? I can tell you so much about your own family. Things you've always wanted to know, things your Mother never knew. And all you have to do…" he trailed off, long fingers touching a wave of blond hair. "Is do me a teeny favor. Pretty fair deal, hmm?"

His eyes and voice had a compelling effect. It didn't feel like he was using, it was just part of him—his charm. Cameron really was related to him.

"You're lying," I said, snatching my hair from his fingers.

"How do you figure?"

"You're the Devil."

Again, he smirked, backing off an inch or two.

"You're right. I am. And I do lie, a lot. That's why you came here the way you did. Romeo betrayed you, didn't he? That's what I told him to do. I mean, I could've ordered him to bring you kicking and screaming—but there's something poetic about you digging your own grave." I shuddered. All of my brain cells really hoped he wasn't serious—that we weren't going to die here.

All because we'd trusted a Cambion too easily.

"I had no idea Helena wanted to bring you in," he caught my attention. "I didn't know she knew you existed—so, when Felix sent that Cambion topside… things got messy. I actually thought Camy here would die." He jerked a thumb in Cameron's direction. He was holding his chest, getting to his knees. "But when Phillip struck that Deal—it was perfect. You two came here willingly. All because of the right bait."

Cam tried coming over, mildly cringing, when a shock wave hit him—swatting him aside. I gasped as his forehead bust on a wall. Blood dripped from the gash.

"Why did you do that?" I gritted, seething.

"Because he was going to try and attack me." Lucifer rolled his eyes. "He's very predictable when it comes to you. But then again, it's not just him. Women are the fall of mortal men."

"Guess you know all about falling." Cameron spat, shaking himself off, the gash stitching itself up pretty fast.

"That's a story for another day." He dismissed the taunt. "I didn't save your life so you'd be useless." Save his life? When…

"You," I breathed. "You were the one who killed Felix—the one who gave me my backpack and… and the herb that healed him—weren't you?" That's why he seemed familiar. Even the way he held himself. His speed.

"I protect my assets." Lucifer said coolly.

"We're not your anythi—" Cameron never finished. He simply stopped. Lips parted mid-sentence. Face stuck in a expression of rage. Not even a nose twitch—Cam was completely and utterly frozen.

Lucifer had frozen him with a look. Literally. My mouth clamped tightly once those gunmetal irises slammed into mine.

"He's loud," Lucifer shrugged one shoulder.

"So you paralyzed him?"

"He's fine. I need him alive." About to breathe a sigh of relief, his words choked me. "For now, anyway."

Treading carefully, I whispered, "What do you want?"

His face brightened, glad I was getting on with business. "It's simple. A century or so ago, I asked a very powerful Witch to do something for me. Once she was done, I killed her. Her Coven wasn't very happy with me killing one of their own—" I snorted but controlled myself once he braced a hand above my head, leaning forward. The amusement poured out of him. "They put a spell on me, a curse, as punishment. I can't leave Hell—I haven't left here for almost two hundred years. The Gates reject me, the Portal, too." His voice grew, angry. I could taste a change in the air.

Lucifer stepped back fisting a hand for self-control.

"You can't possibly understand what it feels like, to be imprisoned in the same place. It really is hell." He smiled, dauntingly. "I sent people looking for Witches powerful enough to break the Coven's spell. None succeeded. So, I started looking for a loophole, every spell has one. And fifty years ago, I found it." His eyes slid over to Cam's motionless self like slithering snakes. I didn't like it. "Your grandmother told me how."

Wh-what? I stood pressed into the wall, sweating heavily.

"How... She..." I blurted.

"She did. I've known your family for a long, long time and like I said, the women always seem to like me. And my family, apparently."

I clung to burning anger, wanting to deny anything between my family—my grandma—and Satan.

"Family? Phillip's been kept in a dungeon, sent out to fight for his life in some arena! That's not how you treat family."

He looked completely above accusations. Twenty-year old face ridden of any guilt.

"I'm the black sheep in the family, biscuit. Get over it. My brothers did." He mussed his hair back. "All the generations in your family had the same ability. To see the future. Visions and dreams. Your grandma was no different," he walked to Cameron. My shoulders stiffened. "When I ordered that she be brought here, I learned many important things. That in the future, a girl would be born with the ability to both see the future and past. That the same girl was going to move to a town called Haven Hills and meet a boy." His hand curved on Cam's shoulder, squeezing. Not even a slight flinch. "A boy from my bloodline. Gabriel's son."

Having a hard time believing my grandma had offered our heads on a stick to Mr. Morning Star, I shook my head. He nodded.

"It's true. And you two are exactly what I need. Because I don't care about the future, I care about the past. That's how you're going to find her for me."

"Why does everyone want me to find people?" I exploded momentarily.

"Everyone? Interesting." He mused. Then went on. "And he's my get-out-of-Hell free card."

"Cameron can't do Magic."

He chuckled at me. The tips of my cheeks reddened.

"The Coven made it so my body and soul couldn't leave this place—as one." He gestured down at himself. A gasp for air came from behind—Cam was free. "As I am now, it's impossible. But if my body and soul are split apart..."

"No," it dawned what he was getting at. "No."

His eyes lit, "You're smart, I like that." I ignored the smile. "I found a very powerful Witch who's going to extract my soul from my body and put it inside his."

"Why...? Why him?"

"It has to be someone from my bloodline."

"Yeah... but Phillip's been here for nearly two weeks." I couldn't believe I was suggesting he'd take his soul and jump inside my best friend's body.

"Because once I'm inside another body the abilities I'll be able to use are the ones their blood offers me. I'm much more familiar with Electrokinesis." We'd seen that. "Oh, and leverage." Lucifer said very lazily.

"Leverage?"

"So I know that you'll find Etna. See, I know what you two are, and I also know there's no way you'd ever sacrifice Cameron for anyone or anything. Twin Flames are that strong, little Nina. You wouldn't go through such lengths to save Phillip." My mouth opened in protest. He wagged a finger my way. "Don't lie. We both know it's true."

In the deepest, blackest part of my heart, I agreed.

"What you're saying," I began. "Is that your soul is going inside Cameron, that we're supposed to let you out of Hell, and then I'll have to help you or you'll kill Cameron?"

"Oh, no, I won't kill him." His lips curled in a malicious little smile. "I'll do worse than that. I'll rip him apart from the inside out."

My knees trembled with weakness as every emotion overwhelmed me. I sunk to the ground, vision going black.