“I believe you have at least one more little task to complete, before this piece of soul is rightly yours once more?” Hellen asked, voice all syrup again. I shuddered.

“SJ said you were awful. I think he lied to me, too. Because you’re not just awful, you’re despicable!” I spat.

Hellen grinned, her eyes lit with a feverish gleam. “What a delightful compliment! But you know, I think I’ve had enough of your inane prattle. It’s time to see if you can handle the sort of task Junior should have been giving you all along.”

The portal swirled, brightened. Hellen stepped towards it, shoving me ahead of her.

“Don’t you fucking dare take her with you!” Joe growled.

“Oh, feeling left out? Don’t worry, I’m taking you, too!” She flicked her fingers and the winds roared. Joe practically levitated off the lounge, stumbling towards the portal. His eyes were wild, but they found me, determination glinting for a split second. He thought this was how he could protect me.

How wrong he was.

“Leave him alone! You’ve got me—that’s what you wanted!” I screeched.

Hellen tightened her grip on my neck, as Joe fell into the portal … and disappeared with a shocked yelp.

“Oh, I am going to have so much fun with the pair of you!” Hellen crooned, stepping one foot into the portal.   `

Luci came galloping from wherever she’d been lurking, climbing me in record time. I watched in awestruck horror.

Luci bit down hard on Hellen’s hand.

With a screech, Hellen released me, Luci still latched on and swinging, her red eyes promising more pain.

Hellen flicked her hand.

Luci went flying into the wall.

She fell to the ground.

She didn’t move.

“Luci!” I screamed, just as Hellen shoved us through the portal.

47. The B Team Strikes Again

Chapter 47

The B Team Strikes Again

SJ

Hellen’s winds, even at their most tumultuous, had nothing on the sensation of free falling from Heaven.

I tried to speak, to shout out to the Hounds as we plummeted straight through those fluffy clouds, but the wind filled my mouth the second I opened it.

I had a sudden, mad realisation that I was, at that very moment, life imitating art. Lucifer’s fall from Heaven was a defining moment in human religious mythology. It, of course, had never really happened.

Until now.

I laughed at the absurdity of this, of the entire situation I’d found myself in, but the wind flapped so violently at my cheeks that the only noise I made was verging on obscene. It put me to mind of the sound of me enjoying some self-care in my favourite Hell hot spring.

Which only made me laugh harder. Perhaps I’d truly, finally lost the plot entirely. I had just leapt out of a Heavenly high-rise, after all.

Crunch!