66: Arriving in hell

*The best part about not being human? Superspeed.*
It had been... years, technically, since I felt so free. The trees blurred past, and the feeling of the cool air against my fur felt euphoric. Sebastian and Demetri seemed to be enjoying themselves as well, and even began racing each other at one point. It was refreshing seeing a vampire and werewolf so carefree. No, it was refreshing seeing Sebastian and Demetri so carefree. And as I watched them race ahead of me and dodge the trees ahead of them, I couldn't help but think that Demetri's decision to join us on our trip to hell was one of the best decisions he had ever made.
Our destination was a place I'd heard about centuries ago. Desertus- a place known to be forsaken by the living. It was once a breeding ground for witches who practised dark magic and summoned demons from hell. But after the battle between those who practised magic based on light energy and those practising dark energy magic, the place became filled with dark energy, energy which demons fed upon. Now, however, Sebastian said it had become nothing but a pile of haunted ruins to those who didn't know the true history of the place.
The moment I stepped foot amongst the soot covered ruins I could feel it: the chills running up and down my spine. And to make matters worse, when I changed back into my human form, I was naked in the cold.
"Here we go," Sebastian said, handing me my clothes and then reluctantly handing Demetri his, after saying, "I'm not your babysitter."
Demetri laughed and then said, "As if I need to be babysat by you. I'd much rather Phoenix looked after me."
Sebastian was about to punch Demetri when I stepped between the two of them. "Enough. Stop acting like children."
Sebastian glared at Demetri but retracted his fist and then, once he’d recovered from his anger, retrieved something from his pocket- a packet filled with bright red crystals.
"What are those?" I asked.
Demetri chuckled and snatched the packet from Sebastian's hands. "Oh, you're in for a treat Phoenix! These things are mind-blowing."
Sebastian growled and snatched the packet back. "Don't grab you savage. Anyway, these are called grounding crystals. Hell is a place for damned souls and demons. As such, our souls will leave our bodies the second we enter through the gates, to feed into the hell fire. So, in a sense, hell will force us to adapt to the environment by ripping our very souls from our physical forms which will burn to ash. These crystals will prevent this from taking place."
“So how does Demetri know about them?” I asked.
Sebastian shrugged, “He may have tagged along for a visit or two to hell. After all, he was a thorn in my side for many… *many* years.” Thereafter he handed me a handful of crystals and then he gave some to Demetri before stuffing his hand in his bag and taking some for himself. I looked at my palm confused and then Demetri tapped me on the shoulder before stuffing the crystals in his mouth and swallowing them.
"Oh... I ingest them." I said nervously.
Demetri moaned in response and then stumbled a little.
"That happened the last time as well. I think these crystals have a drug-like effect on wolves." And as Sebastian said this, Demetri let out a loud laugh and fell to the ground.
"And you want me to end up like this too?"
"You're only half a wolf. I'm sure you'll feel lightheaded at best." Sebastian said before ingesting his own crystals. I sighed and followed. They were hard to swallow and sharp in my throat. But the moment they were ingested, I was surprised to find myself feeling completely normal.
"I don't think him being a werewolf has anything to do with... that." I said, pointing towards Demetri who began flicking away at nothing in the air.
"Then I suppose no one knows why this man gets high off of grounding crystals. Now, would you be a dear and help me carry him to that spot right in the centre?"
We both lugged a rather rowdy Demetri to the centre of the clearing, amongst the ruins. There, in front of us was a lone circular piece of burnt grass, on which grew a drooping narcissus. And as we stood around this flower, Sebastian grabbed my free hand gently and began chanting something. It was an old language, one older than Latin- an ancient summoning language I'd only heard a few times in my previous lifetime. The second he finished his little chant, the ground beneath our feet began to shake and I soon realised that my hair began to float upwards in the air, and so did a few leaves which had fallen off of the trees. I turned towards Sebastian, worried that I was beginning to get high off of the grounding crystals too, when he shot me a reassuring smile as his own hair began to stick up.
"I suggest holding your breath for this next part."
I furrowed my brows and attempted to ask what he meant but was cut off by an aching throb in my head and the feeling of fire touching at my skin. Slowly the air around us began to grow unimaginably warm and a strange brightness began to engulf us. Throughout this entire situation, Demetri laughed hysterically while Sebastian and I howled in absolute agony. The flames from hell were a special kind of torture.
By the time the pain had run its course in our bodies, all three of us found ourselves in what I could only describe as an endless void of fire, screams of agony and the stench of pain and suffering lingered in the air and left a nasty, acrid aftertaste at the back of my tongue.
"How the hell are we going to find Lucretia?" I asked, glancing around at the fiery place. Here and there stood a lone rocky structure and amongst it flowed winding rivers of molten lava, upon which an occasional demon drank, filling their darkened bellies and burning away at their scorched flesh. They didn't look at all pleasant or friendly, but Sebastian proved me wrong by calling out to one of them.
"Vincent!"
The demon I assumed to be Vincent looked up from the pool of lava he was engaged in and glanced through eyes that seemed to be blazing embers.
"Sebastian? Is that you?" He asked. Soon he was taking flight, letting his dark wings expand in the air for a moment before stopping right in front of us. Admittedly, there was a certain beauty to his ghastly appearance, and for a moment I could swear a smile lingered on his burnt lips.
"It is you! How are you old friend?" He asked Sebastian.
And as he did, Demetri shrieked and yelled out, "It's a monster! Save me, he's going to eat me!"
Vincent chuckled and shook his head, "And I see you've brought Demetri with as well. And..." His eyebrows furrowed when he saw me. "And you are?"
"Phoenix Ackerman." I said, holding a hand out for him to take.
He stared at it, and it was then I was certain the smile he wore earlier was as real as the one he wore now. And as he leaned in to touch my hand, his burnt and darkened form began developing subtle and smooth human flesh and skin. It took a moment, but soon, all that remained of his demon form was a pair of horns and demon wings. Other than that, the man was practically human... a very naked human. But his face and body seemed almost unreal. He was so beautiful; I found my eyes entranced by his very appearance.
"My name," he said after placing a kiss on my hand which he now held, "Is Vincent Addington. I am the guardian of the gates of hell. It's not often that I meet a creature as... polite as you."
His tone was flirtatious and his words dripping with a hidden, subtle sense of seduction. He really reminded me of Liam.
"Well, it's not every day I meet a demon. It's a pleasure to meet you, Vincent." I said.
By then Sebastian had had enough of our little exchange and he cleared his throat. "She is also Diana. Diana Lorenzo."
The moment he said this, Vincent let my hand go immediately, but not out of disgust, more out of complete and utter shock. "D-Diana Lorenzo... as in *the* Diana Lorenzo." He paused, looked around nervously and then leaned in closely, "You should not be here, Miss Lorenzo."
I looked at Sebastian who shared the same concerned look as me, and then turned back towards Vincent before asking him why.
"Well, I-"
"I thought I was going to have to wait a century until I saw you again!" Said a voice behind Vincent. Everyone turned their attention to the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. Her smooth pale skin was clothed in a beautiful, intricately designed red dress which looked like literal flames enveloping her body as she walked up to us. Her eyes were a deep violet colour and they sparked in amazement the moment they landed on me.
"Oh my! You look exactly the same as you did when you were Diana!" She shrieked. By now she was standing right in front of us, and I could see her more clearly. She looked out of place here. Her aura was bright and vibrant, strikingly different to Vincent's dark, aggressive and seductive aura. But more importantly, she looked at me as though she'd seen me before.
"I'm sorry, have we met before?" I asked.
"You may not know me, but I know you. Hi, I’m Lucretia Dragović."
"D-Dragović?"
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Do the surprises end in this novel... no, no they do not. Sebastian clearly has a lot to explain...
Stay safe! Stay healthy! Sending my love!