It was a crazy, hair-brained plan. A plan that could not only get me killed, but unleash a great foe upon the Earth. But it just might work.
All I needed now was a little backup.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Adam trudged through the woods beside me, his sword swinging at his hip. He scowled at me for the millionth time and wiped the back of his hand across his brow. I could feel his gaze burning a hole in the side of my head. Tired of the attitude, I swung his way with a questioning look.
“What?”
His scowl grew deeper. “Tell me again how this isn’t going to bring about the end of the world?”
“She’s going to sic the hounds of Hell on the naughty Prince,” Raquel offered.
She and Ashley were both covering our rears. We couldn’t be too careful with so many ferals running around the woods these days.
“Yeah, I get that.” He scratched the back of his head. “The five other Princes come and spank their little brother. That part makes sense.”
“Then what don’t you understand?” Ashley snarled.
It was obvious the two of them still weren’t getting along. I wished they’d just kiss and make up. Or at least ignore each other completely. This tension was giving me a headache.
“What’s going to make them leave when it’s all said and done?” he snapped back. “What’s going to stop all six of them from taking over the world together?”
“Faith.” I lifted my chin and kept hiking forward, with purpose in my step. “I believe that the Princes want to rein in their brother. They’ll do that, with our help. But once that’s done, they’ll have to go back and rule their homeland. It’ll fall apart without them. And they won’t want to be stuck here without their armies.”
That’s what I hoped, anyway. Nothing like taking a huge gamble with the entire world and everyone in it. Now, I could understand Gabe’s own risky maneuver a little better. Except, he’d gambled and lost. I couldn’t afford the same.
“Great. Faith.” Adam grumbled to himself. “That’s perfect...”
Surprisingly, we made it to the Hell Gate without incident. Prince Seth must’ve rallied his troops together and left the forests unguarded. It didn’t bode well for the manor. An attack was coming, sooner or later. Blood would be spilled. That was a promise. I only hoped to stem the tide.
“Good luck.” Ashley pulled the sword from her side and held it up. “Anything goes wrong, we’ll defend you.”
“With our lives,” Raquel added, fingering the trigger of her gun. She smiled at me, but there were tears in her eyes. “You can count on us till the end.”
Their words of solidarity meant everything to me. I turned to Adam and smiled. He leaned against a pine tree, a stick in his mouth. When he realized I was waiting for him to speak, he shrugged and threw the stick. “Yeah, sure. What they said. Go unleash Hell.”
My lips curled into a disbelieving smile. Even here, at the end, he was still the same snarky jerk. Some things never changed.
Slipping down the crumbling hill to the base of the Hell Gate, I gazed upon the sight I’d hoped never to set eyes on again. Yet, here I was, again. With any luck and a bit of heavenly intervention, I’d only have to face this gate one last time. Taking a deep cleansing breath, I reached out to touch it.
At first, I felt nothing but a solid wall. My heart beat faster as panic began to course through me. Forcing myself to be patient, I pressed harder against the rough surface. Finally, my fingers sunk into something slippery, like the edges of a bubble. This was it. The way to Hell.
Pushing forward a little bit more, I emerged my face into the uncomfortably warm layer between Earth and Hell. This was as far as I would go. If my plan worked correctly, then the Princes would come at my call. I only needed to open the gate the tiniest bit.
My stomach twisted as I gave fear one last second to claim me. This was the craziest plan I’d ever had. If Luke were here, he’d surely yank me back and lock me away for even considering letting the remaining Princes on Earth. But something had to be done. We were desperate. I was desperate.
With a large inhale, I yelled out their names, one by one. “Prince Aita, Prince Arawn, Prince Iku, Prince Nergal, and Prince Han. You are the Princes of Hell. I am the gatekeeper. Come to me.”
My ears strained to hear any commotion on the other side. The slightest hint that I’d been heard. But nothing happened. My heart thumped in my chest as the seconds ticked by. This had been our last hope. We’d never defeat Prince Seth now. And I’d never see Gabe again.
Suddenly, what felt like a strong breeze shoved me out of the Hell Gate and back into the forest. It hit me so hard, I landed up at the top of the hole, flat on my back. When I pushed myself up on my elbows, I got a look at the cause. Five men stood in front of me. Each of them was as different in appearance as could be, but there was no mistaking their similarity: something terrifyingly evil glinted in their eyes.
“Who dares to call us?” the tallest asked. He had a large beard and a thick, muscular neck. A heavy cape with fur hung from his shoulders. That had to be Prince Arawn. I remembered him from my studies with Luke.
A second hissed, his spine bent beneath a black cloak. “Where is this gatekeeper?” His voice was snake-like and harsh on my ears. The dark hid his face, of which I was glad. Something told me he would be a horror to behold. He was the second oldest—Prince Nergal. A master of torture and pain.
&n