Ruby Shadows (55 page)

“
Laish—no—
Laish!”
I tried to rush forward again but something was pulling at
the back of my robe, dragging me backward. I didn’t understand what
it was until I heard Kurex snorting behind me. The giant horse was
pulling me away—pulling me out of danger just as he had when I’d
been dragged into the Drowning Pool in Stygia. But this time I
didn’t want to go.

“
No, let me go!
Let me go!”
I cried,
fighting to get back to the edge of the Abyss. I don’t know what I
thought I would do if I got there—I had no weapons, no way to cast
a spell, no defenses if the monsters of the Abyss decided they
wanted me, too. I only knew I couldn’t just stand there and see
Laish dragged down and away and know I would never see him
again.

But my screams and protestations did no
good. The big horse wouldn’t let go. He dragged me all the way back
to the tent, away from the seeking tentacles, and somehow shoved me
inside it, standing guard at the entrance and blocking my way every
time I tried to get out.

At last I collapsed on the bed and cried.
Laish was gone—really and truly gone this time. And he might have
turned into a huge, beautiful, frightening being that looked
completely alien but still, I didn’t want to see him go. Maybe in
time I could have gotten used to that—as I had gotten used to his
dragon. But now it was too late—now he was either dead or trapped
forever in the Abyss.

I would never see him again.

Chapter
Thirty-two

Gwendolyn

I don’t remember much about the trip back
across the Sunless Sea. My mind was a blur of grief and images and
most of all questions—none of them answerable. Why had Laish
sacrificed himself for me? How had he been able to shut the door?
Why had he refused the help I tried to offer? What was I going to
do without him?

This last question brought tears to my eyes
more than once. I’d been so angry with him for his betrayal but now
that he was gone I had to admit how I felt. Even though I hated him
for doing what he had done, I loved him too. I had given him my
heart when I gave him my body—there was nothing I could do about
that. And now that he was gone, it was too late to do anything else
but mourn him.

I rode on Kurex’s back, plodding stolidly
along, not sure of anything anymore. I was wearing the gray
traveling cloak Laish had given me. Under it, I wore the pair of
jeans and t-shirt I’d brought as a change from the Mortal Realm.
These were the only clothes I had other than the white fur coat
Laish had told me to keep. Still—they were all I really needed. I
had no need to pretend I was Laish’s concubine or consort now—I was
just plain Gwendolyn LaRoux, trying to get back home again.

At least I wouldn’t go hungry for some time,
even if my journey took a while. While packing the saddle bags, I’d
found one that was full of bread and cheese and nonperishable fruit
with a note from Laish.

“
This food is of my
essence. You may eat of it without fear. ~L”

Just seeing the note had made me start
crying again and I had packed the food away without tasting a bite.
I wasn’t hungry—how could I be when I had just lost the man I
loved? Even if he wasn’t really a man, I couldn’t help my feelings.
Couldn’t help wishing to have him back again, even if he had
betrayed me at the end.

Eryn was sitting on my shoulder, looking
like a white snowflake on my gray cloak. I drew some comfort from
her presence. No matter what else happened, at least my pet
lily-moth was still with me. At least she still cared.

I took comfort from Kurex too. He nuzzled my
hair and snorted gently when I put my arms around his neck and
cried. He seemed to understand what was going on and sympathized
with me.

The presence of the huge horse and the tiny
moth made me feel less alone, less friendless in the vast,
dangerous reaches of Hell. Still, we were a mournful little group
when we finally passed the broken barrier between the Sunless Sea
and the city of Dis. One moment we were walking under the endless
blue-green ocean with the vast shadows of prehistoric sea monsters
flitting by, and the next we were emerging into the daylight of
Dis, right beside The Hoof.

“
Oh!” I pulled Kurex to a
stop beside the tavern. Though the day was gray and drizzly, it was
still brighter than the long, endless cavern we’d been traveling
for so many long miles. It took a moment for my eyes to
adjust.

“
I guess we made it,” I
said to Kurex, who tossed his head and snorted agreement. “Now if
only I can remember the way back to the Citadel of
Knowledge…”

But just as I had decided which way to go
and was tugging on Kurex’s reins, a huge demon with brick red skin
and twisted black horns growing out of his forehead stepped out of
the shadow of The Hoof and came to stand right in front of
Kurex.

“
Mistress Gwendolyn
LaRoux?” he rumbled in a voice like someone gargling with
gravel.

“
Uh, yes? I guess…that’s
me.” I wasn’t sure if I should admit it or not but I didn’t know
what else to do. “What do you want?”

“
To read you this
summons.”

Briskly, the huge demon unrolled a large
sheet of parchment and began reading from it in his deep, grating
voice.

“
Whereas the defendant,
Mistress Gwendolyn LaRoux, the mortal, did knowingly and willingly
enter the Infernal Realm and while she was there did stay at the
Hotel Infernal, and furthermore did steal, pilfer, and purloin a
treasure beyond price from the accuser, Master Druaga, Demon of the
First Order of Lucifer and General Manager and Owner of said hotel,
I hereby place you under arrest and order you to accompany me to a
place where you will be tried and punished for your
crimes.”

“
What?” I stared at him in
disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me! I didn’t take
anything
from that
bastard! Now leave me alone—let me go!”

“
I am afraid not,
Mistress.” The demon tried to take Kurex’s bridle but the big horse
snapped at him and kicked out with one huge hoof.

The demon groaned and cursed as the hoof
connected with his shin.

“
None of that, now!” he
growled, taking a hasty step back. “Master
Yerx!”

A
massive demon with dark maroon skin and twisted spiral horns
growing from the sides of his
head strode up, his hooves pounding on the
cobblestone road. My heart sank as I recognized him—it was the
demon we had borrowed Kurex from in the first place—the one who had
caught us trying to sneak into Hell at the very beginning of our
journey. But now Laish wasn’t with me to make him obey and
something told me the huge demon wasn’t going to listen to a word I
said in protest.

“
Kurex!” He took the bridle at once and though the horse
snorted and stamped, he didn’t try to kick or bite. Then he looked
at me. “Mistress LaRoux—I see you are well. But where is Lord
Laish?”

“
He’s…not here,” I said. I didn’t want to admit that Laish was
gone—not to anyone and especially not to a being that might harm me
the minute he thought it was safe to do so. “He’ll be back soon,” I
improvised.

“
Mmm-hmm.” Yerx looked at me through narrowed yellow eyes.
Then he inhaled, his nostrils flaring as he breathed us in. “I
smell the stick of the Abyss on you, Mistress. Why is that and
where is Lord Laish?”

“
I
told you—he’s coming.” I lifted my chin. “I have nothing else to
say to you.”

“
We’ll see about that.” He tugged on Kurex’s bridle. “Come,
we’re taking the accused to be tried before the Council of Elder
Demons.”

Kurex tossed his
head and let out a ringing neigh. Then he tried to pull back from
the demon’s grip.

“
Here—what’s got into you?” Yerx sounded both perplexed and
angry. “Come, you big brute or you’ll feel my lash against your
worthless hide.”

“
You don’t dare touch him!” I bent down and put my arms around
the big horse’s neck protectively. “Lord Laish will have you thrown
into the Lake of Fire if you so much as look at him wrong, you
nasty-ass demon!” It was an empty threat but Yerx didn’t know
that—and I prayed I’d be gone before he found out.

Yerx looked from me
to Kurex, frowning, as though he was trying to figure out what was
going on.

Kurex snorted
softly and turned his vast head to nuzzle my hand. His demon master
still had his bridle, but it was clear he had ears only for me and
my orders. As far as he was concerned, Yerx was a distant
memory.

“
I
see,” the demon said at last, roughly. “It seems you have bewitched
my horse, Mistress, but you’ll not find me quite so easy to
bespell. I have orders to take you to the Citadel of Knowledge and
that is where you must go.”

“
As a matter of fact, that’s exactly where I was headed,” I
said, straightening up and looking down my nose at him. It wasn’t
easy since he was twelve feet high but I tried. “I need to speak to
Belial—Lord Laish gave me a message for him. I refuse to speak to
anyone else until I deliver it.”

Yerx nodded. “Very
well—let’s go then.” He tugged at Kurex’s bridle but the big horse
refused to move.

“
It’s all right, Kurex,” I said, patting his neck. “We’re
going back to the Citadel of Knowledge. You can go now.”

At once, the
big horse started moving. I saw the angry look on Yerx’s face and
hoped it didn’t spell trouble for the big Demon-steed later. But
for now, it was enough that Kurex was standing by me.

I just hoped Belial
would as well.

~ ~ ~

“
I
am afraid you are in grave trouble—very gra
ve trouble indeed.” The ancient,
hunchbacked demon paced back and forth in the library between the
couch and the fireplace. I was sitting on the red leather couch,
trying not to remember the tender scene that had taken place right
there between Laish and myself just a few nights before.

“
But how?” I argued. “I haven’t done anything. Haven’t
taken
anything
from
Druaga. I don’t even know what he’s talking about!”

“
He will reveal it during the hearing,” Belial said,
frowning.

“
There shouldn’t even
be
a
hearing—this is ridiculous!” I protested. “If Laish was
here—”

“
But he’s not, is he?” Belial snapped. “And where
exactly
is
he, young
lady?”

“
He…he’s…” I could feel the tears building inside me but I
held them back grimly. “He’s not here.”

“
He’s gone, isn’t he? Into the Abyss, never to
return.”

I opened my mouth to
reply but he rounded on me, pointing a crooked finger in my
face.

“
Don’t bother to dissemble—the Mirror of the Eye showed me
everything. He
is
gone.”

“
Yes.” There was no point in lying. I could feel the tears
coming and this time I couldn’t stop them. “Yes, he’s gone,” I
admitted brokenly. “I tried to save him but there was nothing I
could do. They dragged him down—the tentacles—they wrapped around
him and pulled him down into the pit. They—”

“
Enough.” He held up one wrinkled hand to stop me. “You don’t
have to explain—I saw it all. The slumber of the Ancient Ones was
disturbed and they demanded a sacrifice. They wanted you but Lord
Laish got in the way. He gave himself that you might
live.”

“
I
know that,” I whispered, barely able to get the words out. “I
don’t…don’t know why he did it.”

“
Nor do I,” Belial said grimly. “Do you know what Lord Laish
was? What he gave up to save you?”

“
A
fallen angel—he was a fallen angel, right?” I wiped at my wet eyes
with the sleeve of my gray cloak.

“
Not just any fallen angel. He was
one
of the Da`evas—the small group of Archangels that chose to go with
Lucifer during the uprising in Heaven. In the ensuing battle, they
were cast from Heaven down to Hell. Though some were destroyed in
the fall, others gained even more power from being cast down.
Laish, himself, fell into the Lake of Fire.” Belial glared at me.
“Do you have any conception of what that means? The Lake of Fire
is
death
, even to
demons. It is the final place prepared by the Creator for those of
us who oppose him.”

“
I know that,” I whispered
numbly. I remember what Laish had said about the Lake of Fire and
shivered. So he had fallen into it when he was cast out of Heaven.
And there he absorbed its energy and dark power, becoming what I
had seen when he cast off his human form. A being who was burning
from the inside out—burning but never consumed because he contained
the power of the fire within himself.

“
Baptism in the Lake of
Fire would have killed a lesser being but not Lord Laish—he
absorbed its energy and dark power to become one of the greatest of
our kind,” Belial said heavily. “Truly, he was a Prince of Night
and Shadows and he gave all that up—immortality, almost limitless
power, wisdom beyond measure—for you, Gwendolyn. For an
insignificant
mortal
.”

He spoke the word as if it was a curse,
making me flinch.

“
I’m sorry,” I said in a
low voice. “As I said, I don’t know why he did it. If it makes you
feel any better he took half my power with him when he went.” I
still didn’t want to think of his betrayal—it seemed so strange
that he would do something like that to me and then sacrifice
himself to save me. Such a contradiction…