Death’s Window?I’ve heard of this place, but I never expected it to look like this. I thought this place was supposed to be more of a battleground for the elite. A battle royale, if anything. To teach demons how to navigate through Earth’s streets and fight among ourselves if need be in the night. Think of it as survival grounds, and Hell’s version of the Blood matches wrapped up in one place. I’m definitely glad we have an escort through here. We continue down the road, passing a few groups of Gauntlet students fighting off little mobs of monsters as we zip around corners. After a forty-five-minute drive, we pull up in front of a cathedral surrounded by a cast-iron gate.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Levi scoffs.
“Nope,” Zissa says with a snap as she gets out, and we all follow. She smiles as she opens the gate and ushers us through, locking it behind us. “Only the best for the heirs of Hell.”
An ominous howl ripples through the night, and the cathedral bells start ringing, startling me.
“Shit,” she says under her breath. “Quickly. Get inside,” she urges as a few demons inside the gate run past us and into the building. Without needing to be told twice, I follow them into the church with everyone following me, as the clock strikes the final bells signaling it’s now seven p.m.
“Well, you guys know how to cut it close,” Zissa chuckles as she walks to the front. “Come on, I’ll show you around for the night. In the morning, I’ll take you to the portal: it’s not safe tonight.”
“Why do you say that?” Chester asks, pushing up his glasses as Moni snuggles into his side.
“Lucifer has released the unwashed and unwanted, so they are out feeding tonight in Death’s Window for the trial. Only the ones who know how to deal with the demons will know how to outsmart them or take them down. That was the howl you heard. They were being released.” She gives us a deadly look. “They are hunting.”
I can hear the audible gulp behind me, but I don’t look to see who it came from, being too focused on the decor in front of me.
“But my bestie!” Moni’s bark flashes a light teal as she darts in front of me and raises to Zissa’s eye level.
“Relax,” Zissa laughs. “Those guys should be scared of Rez. She’s a badass of her own accord, and she’s personally branded by L.A.M.B.,” she reminds us. “They will sense that mark a thousand miles away and steer clear of her. Besides, she has that escort waiting for her.”
I nod along as she explains, feeling my shoulders drop, not realizing I was as tense as a brick before.It makes sense, even though Zissa doesn’t know about Rez’s lack of magic anymore, she is still carrying L.A.M.B.’s mark, and that should still mean something.Knowing Knox will be wolfing out if something is wrong with Rez, I try to focus on what’s before me.
“What is this place?” I asked, feeling slightly stupid. I know she said this was Death’s Window, but this cathedral definitely wasn’t a part of it. “This can’t be a part of Death’s Window,” I accuse.
“You’re right.” She turns and walks backward towards the open nave, her arms out, indicating the side aisles decorated with faces. I don’t recognize anyone, except for L.A.M.B. and Lilith. “This is the part of the Seven Seductive Sins Special Training Unit,” she admits.
“I thought your school specialized in subjects that supported the business and arts world,” Zeke inquires.
“Huh?” Moni asks. “I’m lost.”
“Think of lawyers, dancers, artists, and businessmen and women,” Zeke names a few.
“Ohhh!” Moni's eyes go wide with wonder.
“Oh, it does, but not every demon is qualified nor equipped for such…” Zissa searches for the right word,“delicate…handlings.”
“She means some of them are straight-up killers,” a feminine voice interrupts, calling it like it is.
A beautiful woman with round, brown eyes and shoulder-length blonde hair steps up with an easy smile and leans against Zissa.
“So, this is the famous group that runs with the next heirs?” Her eyes sweep over our group until she sees something that makes her expression freeze.
“Angelette?” Knots’s voice barely comes out as a whisper.
“Kanotiel?” The woman covers her mouth as her eyes fill with tears.
“Damn, and I thought this level was going to be an easy one,” Lynx comments.
“Same,” JP says.
Knots reaches out, taking the woman into his arms and holding her tight, making me feel a little uncomfortable.
I don’t know this lady, or why Knots feels so comfortable hugging her so intimately when he’s kinda with Rez. Like, is he cheating in front of all of us, because if that really happens, he knows he’s not walking out of here, right? It’s kinda guaranteed. I think we all know it’s an unspoken rule that if we cheat, we die.
Or maybe that’s how I take it and plan on dishing out. Maybe that’s something we should all talk about.
“Nah, Ryker. We all see it that way.” JP nods at me, agreeing that I’m about to kill Knots as soon as he lets go of this blonde.
