She chuckled, soft and musical. “My dear, I haven’t destroyed anything. I’ve given you the greatest gift of all—a purpose. You were born with a destiny. Do you know how many people would die for that?”
I hazarded a glance in her direction. She had leaned forward, as far as the ropes would allow, and a fire burned in her eyes.
“You’ve cursed me,” I threw back at her. “Part angel, part demon. I’m an abomination.”
“No, you’re a gift.”
“I’m evil.” I dropped my hands and took a step toward her. “Just like you. Can’t you see? We both belong in Hell.” My chest rose and fell as I gasped for air. Tears sprang to the corners of my eyes.
“Hell is not our home.” She pressed her lips together. “Hell is a prison. We were meant to reclaim this Earth. To help it realize its potential. Humans have wasted it. They’ve clouded its skies with smog, drained its veins of precious resources, and slaughtered each other by the millions. They don’t deserve it.”
I rubbed my hand up my arms, suddenly chilled. She was right, humans had done a great job of messing up the world. If Granny’s newspapers had taught me anything, it was that the world outside Hanna was just as messed up as the rest of us.
“See?” Elizabeth perked up as she caught the doubt in my eyes. “You’ve witnessed it yourself. Your own family tried to have you killed. The rest of the world is no better, my child. My Prince will end the violence. He will come and set us all free.”
Gabe had spoken to me once about the six Princes of Hell, but that seemed like a life ago. I’d imagined them as extraordinarily gruesome beasts, like dragons with three heads that spit fire. Releasing a Prince of Hell didn’t sound the best way to fix the planet. Even if he could rid us of all the evil people.
“Have you made contact with the demon inside you?” Elizabeth continued. She cocked her head and fixed me with an inquiring stare. “Have you felt her urges? Her desires?”
“We’ve been introduced.”
I thought about the first time we met and the pain she’d inflicted on me with a single touch. A shudder went through me.
“Set her free,” Elizabeth begged, her brown eyes widening. “Let her take control. All the pain, all the struggle will be over, my child. She knows the way. Join us. Leave this prison.”
“I can’t,” I sputtered. As if I’d just suddenly give up my entire existence to the evil presence in my skull. She’d have to kill me first. “I won’t do it.”
She groaned and leaned back in her chair. Her eyes rolled toward the ceiling. “These people are not your family, Lizzy. They treat you as an abomination.”
“That’s what I am!” I wasn’t sure why I was arguing with a demon. She only wanted one thing—to corrupt me. Still, my voice shook with emotion as I cried, “I’m a monster.”
“No.” Her voice grew deadly calm and she tensed every muscle in her jaw. “With me, you shall be a queen.”
Something inside my head shifted, unbidden and unwelcome. It rushed forward and filled me with anticipation, begging me to say yes. My demon. My parasite. I scowled and hissed in frustration, shaking my head. I couldn’t think straight with that thing in my head.
At that moment, Oscar and Silvia came bursting through the door. Silvia threw me a suspicious glare and planted her feet in between us. “What did she tell you?”
“Nothing new.” My heart beat like a drum in my chest. “She wants me to join her. Release a Prince of Hell.”
Her lips curled into a snarl. “We knew that already. Did she tell you any of their plans?”
My brow furrowed. “No. That was all she said.”
She hissed in annoyance and twirled to face Elizabeth. “You. Start talking. How are so many ferals getting through the gate? How can we stop them?”
Elizabeth laughed, throwing her head up. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes. “You’ll never stop them. And once we have the key, you’ll wish you’d joined us. We will reign on this Earth until the end of days.”
There was an audible smack as Silvia backhanded Elizabeth across the face. I threw my hands over my mouth and muffled my cry. Blood trickled from my mother’s lips as she gave me a reassuring smile and then returned her gaze to the woman standing in front of her.
“You will be sorry.”
“I don’t think so.” Silvia retreated to my side and waved at Oscar. “Please, continue.”
The crunch of fist against face sounded as Silvia pulled me from the room. I dragged my feet, but couldn’t fight against her vice-like grip. No groans of pain or shrieks of terror came from Elizabeth’s cell. Nothing but the dull thud of a body being broken.
A body long
used to the terrors of Hell.