“Stern?” Lucifer asked. “This is my territory. I don't need to be anything but me.” He waved a hand, and a bridge formed, connecting us to the island. Wings pulled back, he strode across the bridge and grabbed the pitchfork. It didn't move. “What in all the worlds?”
Princess started barking again and struggling harder.
“Princess!” Cerberus shouted.
The rope broke.
“Not today, me!” Lucifer snarled and plucked Princess out of the air.
She still struggled, even after she was safe, her little claws scratching at Satan.
“All right, puppy,” the Devil cooed as he unwrapped her. “You're safe now.”
Princess stopped struggling at last and surged up to lick Luke's face.
“Yes, yes,” Luke said and stroked her. “I know. You were very scared.” He turned and handed Azrael the dog. “Go to Az. I have to help your friend.” Luke crouched and frowned at the cartoonish amount of chain wrapped around Cerberus. “What the my-territory is this?”
Cerberus, a huge man who looked as if he were part of the mountain, simply grown out of the rock, shook back his wild, shaggy, dark hair and grimaced. His full beard softened the grimace, but his puppy dog brown eyes showed the full weight of his annoyance. “I don't know, but I can't break them. And I'm not a dog that can be chained.”
“How did you get taken?” Az passed Princess to Morpheus.
“Hey, girl,” Morph murmured and petted the dog.
“I don't know that either. I was distracted. Playing with Princess,” Cerberus grumbled. “Next thing I know, I'm chained up here.” He looked around. “Where the fuck is Hades? Why didn't he come for us?”
“I sent him home,” I said. “We were given a clue that love wouldn't save you. We needed cold reasoning.”
Cerberus snorted. “The Boss is nowhere near cold.”
“Hold on,” I said and crouched beside Luke. “These are fey.” I grabbed the chain at two points and pulled.
Metal creaked, then broke.
“What the fuck?” Cerberus growled. “How did you do that?”
“They suppress magic, but only the magic of the bound,” I said. “Your magic was suppressed. That's why you couldn't free yourself. But for me, they were just chains.”
“Rude!” Cerberus stood up and shook like a dog fresh from a bath. Chains slithered from him, then he took a deep breath and stretched his massive shoulders. “Oh, that's better.”
Princess immediately started barking.
“Princess!” Cerberus pushed past us and went to Morpheus. “Thanks, Morpheus.”
“No problem.” Morpheus handed the dog over.
Then all of us, even the Demons, watched the huge man cuddle the little, fluffy, white dog.
“You're okay now. I've got you.” Cerberus nuzzled his face against the dog. “We're going home now.” He started for the tunnel.
“Hey, you can't go wandering through Hell alone,” I called after him.
“I'm a hound of Hell,” Cerberus tossed back.
“Not this Hell,” Lucifer said and lifted his chin at one of his Demons.
A hulking form of horns and scales plodded after the Hound of Hades and the Queen's lapdog. Just to be clear, the latter was Princess. Although, I'd like to see someone try to make Cerberus their lapdog.
“You're welcome!” The Devil shook his head, then went back to his pitchfork. “Now, we deal with you.” He grabbed it again, but this time, the pitchfork shivered. “What's this?” Luke jerked his hand back.
