Demonheart: Book 2: Walkers From Another Dimension Read online

  “I wonder how you’ll turn out,” Lucifer began. “Will you be cast aside like the pariah you’ve always been or will you let your own need for fitting into this world destroy what you have.”

  “You’re fucking psychotic.” Michael’s eyes flared with contempt. “Just get me out of here, already! This conversation is over!”

  Lucifer grabbed Michael by the front of his shirt and slammed him against the wall. His heart raced from the sudden aggression and the usual calmness Lucifer still possessed as he gripped him.

  “Not until you tell me why you think you’re here!”

  The fear in Michael’s eyes grew to a point where he broke into tears again. “I seriously don’t know. I just want to go back to my friends so I can help them on our mission.”

  “Mission, you say?” Lucifer grinned, slowly loosening his grip.

  “Yes, the three of us want to stop the Legion of Morningstar from destroying the world with the titan rings,” said Michael, calming down.

  “Really? That seems ambitious. Wouldn’t you say?” Said Lucifer. “After all, you must be aware by now I’m the driving force of your opposition.”

  “Maybe. So, what?” Michael’s eyes widened.

  “You still don’t get it?” asked Lucifer.

  “Get what?” said Michael, growing flustered.

  “While you may have all agreed to defeat the Legion of Morningstar, is this really a promise you can uphold? A reasonable endeavor?”

  “Are you threatening me now?” Michael demanded.

  “Surely, you’re aware of our intentions with the titan rings and the challenge that’ll come with taking them from us. How exactly do you plan to do that? Will you hope to draw out our remaining members with the ring you took from Hecate? I’m afraid the rest of us can’t be seduced so easily.”

  Lucifer leaned forward until Michael could feel his breath against his face. The hot air mixed with the aroma of wine left him shaking.

  “Or perhaps you’ll seek them all out yourself and take the rings for your nefarious desires. I’ve read that story all too many times and I know how it ends. What may just be bottled up thoughts you’ve been keeping for a while are potentially the reason you’re here. A frail man mistreated by the world … Seeking the power needed to reap revenge. A restless soul is the damnedest thing, isn’t it? What a pity it must be to be you,” said Lucifer with a grin.

  “That’s enough!” said Michael, shoving Lucifer back.

  “I said nothing you didn’t already know. Tell me; how do you plan on carrying out such an ambitious mission?” said Lucifer as he dusted himself off.

  “I don’t know. Julianna’s a great fighter and Isabella’s got a titan of her own now, plus that axe. And I” —

  “So, you aim to lean on those two little demon girls to get the job done? I wonder if that plan of yours derives itself from oversight or insight. What do you last recall from before arriving here? Just curious,” said Lucifer.

  As if in a trance, Michael thought back to what he was doing before his dream. Another dream, entirely. One he’d never had before. “I recall something from another world crashing into mine and changing it forever.”

  “There’s my answer,” said Lucifer.

  “There’s what answer? What does my last memory even mean?” Michael asked.

  “All will be made clear soon enough, my friend. Just stay patient and the bells of time will chime in a new era in your life,” said Lucifer.

  “Enough with the riddles!”

  “You’re no fun, Michael. If you wanted a straight answer, you should have just asked me for one,” said Lucifer. He walked back to his chair, holding up the king piece behind his back. Michael reluctantly followed him.

  At the snap of his fingers, another chair appeared across him. “Take a seat, Michael. You and I are about to play a game. To see if you really have a chance at defeating me. Perhaps one of us will be surprised in the end.”

  “But I don’t even know this game,” said Michael, already bewildered.

  Lucifer replied, “You might know it better than you think. Try it. You just might surprise yourself.”

  Michael’s exasperation dwindled as he focused on the game board in front of him. He laid a puzzled look at the two rows of white pieces on his side facing the black pieces on the opposite side.

  “This game is chess, right?”

  Lucifer grinned. “Very good. And you realized that all on your own, having never seen this game in your life, correct?”

  Michael’s face grew pale from shock. He’s right! I’ve no recollection of ever playing or watching anyone play this game in my life, yet I knew it as if I did. How is this possible? Is this another one of his spells?

  “You’re destined for great things, Michael. But, I’m sure you already knew that,” Lucifer said, moving his pawn piece forward.

  Michael shook as he matched Lucifer’s opening move. “There. That’s my move.”

  “Well, that wasn’t very inspiring, but it’ll have to do,” said Lucifer.

  “What is that supposed to mean? It’s the same move you made,” Michael argued.

  “Exactly. Innovation will grant you victory, but copying the moves of your adversaries will lead to a quick defeat. Is that what you want?”

  “Just make your move.” Michael gritted his teeth.

  “Are you hiding your knowledge for the game behind that mediocre move because you wish to prove all my words wrong somehow, or is it because you hope to end this game quickly with my victory, getting you back to the life you so desire?” Lucifer asked.

  Michael’s entire body quivered as his breathing grew heavier.

  “My turn.” With a grin, Lucifer moved his pawn piece forward.

  Michael nodded and then mirrored his move.

  “A wise man strives for innovation on the battlefield. Mimicry, however, is for fools.” Lucifer made his next move: sliding the king piece forward.

  “The king? But why would you move your best piece out in the open like that?” Michael asked.

  Lucifer grinned. “There’s the chess master I know. And to answer your question, a great king leads his men from the front lines of battle, Michael.”

  He keeps acting as if he knows me, and yet no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to remember ever meeting you, Michael thought as he moved his knight piece. But what if he actually knows me and I know him?

  He recalled his encounter with Hecate again and the way she spoke of the demon king’s demands. Specifically, for him. Paired with the sense of familiarity he still carried, the unease of another potentially lost memory worsened.

  “Some memories are more difficult to dig up than others.” Lucifer moved his king piece forward again.

  Lucifer’s words startled Michael.

  “Did I frighten you?” Lucifer asked. “Or did you remember something truly chilling about yourself?”

  “Quiet.” Michael gritted his teeth. To shake off the frustration, he glanced at the chessboard and the peculiar move Lucifer had made.

  “That strategy has a major flaw, don’t you think?” Michael focused on moving his pawn pieces forward as a few turns passed.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” said Lucifer with sarcasm, as he moved his pawn pieces forward, as well.

  “So much for not copying moves,” said Michael.

  “My moves are nothing like yours. Not when I still lead with my king and you sacrifice your pawns for an early game advantage.” Lucifer grinned, taking Michael’s third pawn piece in a row.

  “A true player of the game knows his pawns are just as valuable as any of his other pieces. I know you’re aware of this, so how about you stop holding back?” Lucifer said, capturing Michael’s fourth pawn piece.

  Michael took a deep breath and did as Lucifer requested. He moved the pieces at the back forward, and Lucifer copied him, while still leading with his king piece. The two of them started capturing each other’s pieces, one by one, until half the game’s pi
eces on each side were captured.

  Suddenly, Michael moved his queen piece out into the open field. Lucifer raised his eyebrow. “You wish to place your queen in such a compromising position?”

  “Yes, I do. I believe in my queen. As the king’s right hand, she’ll lead me to victory by ensnaring your army and leaving your king defenseless,” said Michael.

  “The queen? A king’s right hand?” Lucifer turned towards the single painting of a silhouette depicting a young girl. He sneered, then shook his head before turning towards Michael. “Not if I block with my castles and bishops.”

  Michael captured a series of Lucifer’s pieces, leaving him with the king piece alone. His confidence grew as he cornered Lucifer’s king piece with his. Lucifer grinned.

  “Oh, how the arrogant have fallen.”

  “What are you saying? You’re the one without your strongest”—Michael started. He looked down at the board, realizing its current state.

  “You say you believe in your queen, and yet where is she?” Lucifer asked.

  Michael’s eyes widened. “My queen”—He exclaimed in total disbelief.

  “That’s right. You were so busy chipping away at my army, you didn’t even see me snatch your queen off the board. And with a pawn, of all pieces,” said Lucifer.

  “No, that can’t be.”

  “Oh, yes, it can. And with only our kings left on the board, it leaves us at a stalemate. A state where neither of us can win nor lose,” Lucifer said.

  “A stalemate?” Michael looked at the almost empty board with a smirk. “It seems you don’t care about your soldiers as much as you said.”

  “But I kept you from winning, did I not?” Lucifer asked. “And that, somehow, a victory. Because it means you didn’t win, either.”

  “So, that was really your plan.” Michael scowled.

  “Indeed. It seems we’re evenly matched. However, if you’re looking for a change of fortune, I have another for you,” said Lucifer. He pulled out a deck of cards from the drawer of the table beside him.

  “A card game?”

  “Yes, and I’d like for you to do the honor of shuffling. Do so well. I’d hate for you to be dealt a bad hand. Or another bad hand, I suppose.” Lucifer grinned.

  “Fine, I will! I don’t trust you, anyway.” Michael said, shuffling his deck and placing it on the table.

  “Here’s how the game works. To settle who wins the chess game, we will each draw one card from the top of the deck. Whoever draws the higher card wins,” said Lucifer.

  The pace of Michael’s heartbeat increased with suspense.

  “Feeling nervous, are we?” Lucifer began. “Would you prefer I go first? Maybe that’ll ease the tension.”

  “Fine, you go first,” said Michael.

  “With pleasure.” Lucifer revealed the top card of his deck to be the king of hearts.

  Michael’s eyes widened. “No way! You drew a king!”

  I told you we’re evenly matched. If you want to beat me, you’ll have to draw something quite impressive from the deck,” said Lucifer.

  Letting him go first didn’t help at all, Michael thought, And I’m not even sure I know how to play this game … Or do I? Just what the hell is going on? Where are these memories coming from?

  “I’m waiting, Michael,” Lucifer said.

  Michael bit back his confusion and fear. That’s not the point! I can figure this all out once I get back to my friend. That’s all I really care about. Not beating this masked lunatic. I just want to get out of this nightmare, already!

  Lucifer frowned. “Are you going to draw a card or not? I’m growing bored.”

  “Very well.” Michael’s hand inched towards the deck, struggling to pick among the stack until he picked one at random in the center. He trembled as he pulled out the card and slowly turned it towards himself, revealing it as the ace of spades. He looked at his card with outrage. Lucifer grinned.

  “No! It’s a one. That’s the lowest card in the deck.”

  Lucifer chuckled. “Quite the contrary. The ace is an incredibly diverse card in that it can either act as the lowest card or the highest card, depending on the outcome you desire,” said Lucifer.

  “Depending on the outcome I desire?” Michael asked.

  “Yes, your destiny is in your hands. You can call a victory right now by calling your ace a high card, defeating my king, or you can call it a low card, handing me the victory instead. You drew the card, so only you can decide. Will you choose to defeat my king of hearts or will you choose to see what awaits you behind the door of defeat?” asked Lucifer.

  Michael’s heart raced with anxiety. Panting heavily, he looked down at the card and back up at Lucifer. “I call neither.”

  Lucifer grinned. “Neither, you say? Does that mean?”—

  “Yes,” Michael said, cutting Lucifer off. “You said my destiny is in my hands. Well, I’ll decide how this game will end when I’m good and ready. For now, I have more questions to answer. How could I be the archangel? Who is the Legion of Morningstar? And what are the dimension titans really all about? It’s too early to win or lose when I don’t even know what’s on the line.”

  “How right you are. I think we’re finally done here,” said Lucifer.

  “You mean?”—said Michael with surprise as the doors behind him flung open.

  “You and I will meet again soon. Until then, protect your new pieces and grab your victory before someone else does,” said Lucifer.

  “My new pieces?”

  Suddenly, Michael woke up in his tent. He frantically scanned his surroundings, covered in sweat.

  “I’m back?” He took a sigh of relief, recognizing the piles of clothing and liquor bottles laid across the floor of his tent.

  He quickly threw on some clothes and stumbled outside. The surroundings of their new campsite were a lush and open field surrounded by a ring of trees in the distance, spread in the very center of the Twilight Forest.

  “Yes. It’s all coming back.”

  In his moment of a very vivid and foreboding dream, he nearly forgot the discussion he had with the Julianna and Isabella a few days prior.

  “Why are we leaving the outskirts again?” Michael asked.

  The three of them hiked their way out of the Light Realm with all their belongings, bound for where both the realm of Light and Dark touched.

  “I told you last night, or did you forget?” Julianna said.

  “Sorry. Mind telling me again?” Michael asked with a nervous smile.

  Julianna sighed. “We can’t be seen by either of the two major surrounding kingdoms. Two demons and an angel, I mean.”

  “That would be a problem for a lot of reasons,” Michael replied.

  “Yes, between the light realm that hates demons and the dark realm that hates … well … you.” Isabella began.

  “Thanks,” Michael said with a dim eyed look.

  “It just isn’t safe,” Isabella said.

  “Will you two be alright? Leaving your homes, that is. And your businesses. I don’t wish to be a burden,” Michael looked down with a downhearted stare.

  “You’re not a burden. We’ll be fine as long as we’re careful,” Isabella answered.

  “Besides, an assassin can run her business anywhere,” Julianna said.

  “I should be fine, too,” Isabella added.

  “If you say so,” Michael replied. “Twilight Forest, it is.”

  “And days of intense training, here we come,” Julianna stated.

  Michael nodded as she stood in Twilight Forest, remembering with half a smile the discussion.

  They care a great deal about me. Enough to leave their homes behind and join me, he thought.

  Michael watched Isabella and Julianna train just as they had planned. Isabella practiced with the new axe she claimed from Hecate, while Julianna practiced new dual wielding strategies.

  Those two are fighting rather early in the morning, he thought.

  He approached them to ge
t a closer look, then stopped.

  Wait, he thought. That was just a dream, but I know that was really him: the demon king, Lucifer. The guy we’re after. I need to inform them of this fast.

  With a confident breath, he stomped forward with his hands balled. Meanwhile, the girls battled with grins of exhilaration on their faces, moving swiftly through the wind as their weapons sliced the air.

  “You’re not half bad for a jewelry heiress.” Julianna smiled, slashing at Isabella’s axe with her swords, one after the other at a ferocious pace.

  “Don’t act all surprised.” Isabella quickly locked both her swords in place with the edge of her axe, staring back with a smile. “All aristocrats are taught the art of weapon-wielding at a young age. Though I have no fighting experience aside from my plight with Hecate, you’ll find I’m a fast learner.”

  Julianna smirked. “Don’t get cocky. I murder for a living and these swords have shed a great deal of blood.”

  She pulled both her swords out of the hold of Isabella’s axe, slashing them in a single movement like a wave of gleaming iron under the sun.

  “Is that a threat?” Isabella grinned.

  “Perhaps it is.” Julianna grinned back. “You’ll have to fight a lot better if you want to win Michael’s heart.”

  “No problem,” Isabella refuted.

  The two of them continued to spar, sending sparks against one another’s blades when they noticed Michael approaching.

  “Speak of the angel,” Julianna said.

  “I thought you were going to give me lessons in dual-wielding,” said Michael as he walked over to them.

  “So, you finally woke up, I see. It’s almost noon, you know?” said Julianna.

  “Sorry, I had this really weird dream,” said Michael.

  “You tell us that every day,” said Isabella.

  “Yeah, I guess I do,” said Michael. He paused and thought back to his dreams over the past couple of weeks.

  “Anyway, I’m busy getting Isabella in shape. Between her lack of familiarity with her new weapon and her weak healing magic, she’ll be easy to beat,” said Julianna.

  “Oh, fuck off! You know it was my healing magic that won me my battle against Hecate,” said Isabella.