“Also Shade speaks the language of hell. Is he a demon as well?” Kayos asks out of nowhere.
“No, Shade’s not a demon he’s…” Malek’s explanation fades out slowly and I realize just as he does that I have no fucking idea what Shade is.
“He spoke to Izzy’s prod,” I whisper quietly.
Shade’s a fucking demon. Hehasto be.
Because I don’t know what we’ll do if he isn’t. And right now, Professor Slim Shady looks like our best option to save our girl from hell.
Hold on, Izzy, I plead, like my voice can be carried from this dimension to her,we’re coming for you.
Four
Izara
If there’s one thing I quickly come to realize in this hellish dimension, it’s that there’s almost nowhere to hide. And by almost nowhere, I mean literallynowhere.
I fly for most of the time, leaving behind the snarls of beasts and screams of rage of the Messenger.
The heat presses against me even from the air. The hem of my dress is completely destroyed, hanging around my calves, and where a golden band of a magical GPS once burned, nothing but a dull steel manacle is in its place.
I’m assuming the worst as I see it around my bare foot, the other one still clad in a high heel. The Academy won’t be able to track me here. And if the Academy can’t track me, can my men?
It doesn’t matter. I’ll get out of here myself.
My wings grow tired after a while, and here with no sun to rise or set, I don’t know what time it is, or even how long I’ve been here. Time flows differently here. What could be hours for me here, could mean weeks back in my dimension.
I try not to dwell on that either.
I shift down to the earth near tiny lizard demons that scatter as soon as I land in a puff of smoke. I inhale. While the air here smells like sulfur, it isn’t painful on my lungs. In fact… Even if my muscles ache, there’s something about this dimension I never really noticed before.
Here, I’m stronger—if I ignore the pixie venom coursing through my veins, the scrapes, bruises, and open bleeding wounds. Perhaps it’s my demon blood recognizing its birthplace, I don’t know.
I take a wobbly step forward, heeled foot sinking into the ash. With a grumble, I bend and undo the straps, letting the thing bury itself deep into the dead earth. I need to get out of here without being seen.
Who knows what other types of demons dwell in this dimension, ass trolls notwithstanding. Seriously, if I see one, I’ll vaporize it in one blink.
I walk, my feet warming with each step. Ash enters my lungs and my mouth grows parched and thirsty.
I can’t believe my father ruined my fucking prom by sending demons after me just so I could sit on his weird ass little throne. I picture the three thrones in my mind now, wondering who the third one is for, which rouses one disturbing question.
Who is my mother?
I doubt anyone would willingly sleep with that hobgoblin statue.
Just the thought makes me shudder.
Don’t think about it.But it’s hardnotto think about it with so much space between me and freedom.
Think, Izara, think. How do I get out of here?
I have to imagine a doorway; I have to call it to me, my tether back to my dimension. If I remember the lessons correctly. It’ll cause a split in the multi-dimensions, leading me towards my own. Of course, I’d need a partner to help me with that, but I have to make do without.
I picture it now, the Academy. Crumbling buildings and cracked bathroom tiles have never seemed more inviting.
I take a breath, close my eyes, and imagine the entirety of it. The dead woods surrounding the property, the angel’s statue at the center of the academy, the golden bands of confinement…
When I open my eyes, the air in front of me shimmers. I hold my breath and walk towards it just as a shining silver portal seems to form.
