By the heavens and all the mystical creatures, why did we have to step into Medusa's cave?

I shake off a shudder and focus on the problem at hand. The small smile curving my lips takes all the effort I can muster. "Hi, Medusa, how have you been?"

Her cackling snicker gives me the yuck factor. "Is that you, Lou?"

"Yep, good young me."

The sudden light of a flickering lantern illuminates the part of the cave she calls her home. Long shadows reach out, seizing my ankles with murmuring promises of pleasures ahead, tempting me to surrender. I know better. The snakes that curl around her head hiss with delight. They make my skin itch with revulsion.

She licks her lips. "Come closer. You and your friend."

"It's my brother, actually." I step in front of Anchor to keep him away from her. "How do we get to the dock with the ferryman?"

"The only way is through this cave. We sealed off all the other paths." She cackles again, drool shining at the corners of her mouth.

"No disrespect, Medusa, but we don't have time to play your games. We need to pass as a matter of urgency."

"Awe, do I detect a hitch in your voice? You aren't afraid, are you?"

You bet I am.

Of all the females in the universe, she's one scary broad. "We are simply in a hurry."

"Well, that's too bad because you can't pass until you step into the light."

"And get petrified."

"Of course." Her laugh is like a purr. "Any man stepping into the light and meeting my glare turns into stone, unless, of course, they have a pure heart. A soulmate they have given their unconditional love to."

I grimace. For a demon without a heart, this is quite a conundrum. "And there is no way you could make an exception this once?"

"NO!" The snakes hiss with venom. "But you are a celestial being, so my curse won't last long. Thirty minutes, an hour tops. Just like the last time."

During our last encounter, time had practically come to a standstill. Worst moments of my life.

"You see, that doesn't really work for me. I like to consent when a woman goes down on me."

"Consent?" Her screeching laughter ricochets off the walls. The whole cave vibrates under her mocking. "Since when do men care about consent?"

"Things have changed, Medusa. Females today are no longer helpless but are rather independent. On Earth, some even rule whole countries. If you already petrify creatures, you shouldn't discriminate."

"Why, pardon me for being created for a misogynistic world and not keeping up with recent trends. Now didn't you say you were in a hurry?"

"How about you get to petrify one of us?"

Anchor will just have to take a blowjob for the team.

"Unacceptable." The snakes hiss with renewed venom. "But since I'm in a good mood today, I'll turn you both into stone at the same time. Divide my attention between you two. How does that sound?"

We have to make it to the dock in order to get to Nicoletta, so there truly isn't another option. An hour of anguish will be nothing compared to what Cass has to endure. Anchor and I already lost enough precious time.

I step aside. "Alright, Anchor, you go first. I want to make sure she's sticking to her word."

He chews his lip with apprehension. "Will it hurt?"

"Not the petrifying part." I smirk. "And if you enjoy snakes crawling all over you while a woman sucks your cock, you might even like it."

"Bloody heavens," he mumbles under his breath but steps forward to meet his doom.

Medusa leans closer, her face glowing with excitement.

She needs to get a life.

The hissing of the snakes is the only sound as Anchor stands in the middle of the cave like an idiot. Steady streams of energy radiate off him. No fossilization. No creepy rumble while the stone twists through his flesh. Nada.

Medusa clicks her tongue. "Not sure what's wrong, but he passed the challenge. He can go."

Anchor tosses me a what-now look.

"Wait for me at the other end of the cave."

He bobs his head and disappears in the darkness.

Medusa waves me closer. "Your turn, Lou."

I square my shoulders.

You can do this.

Forcing my legs to move forward instead of running in the opposite direction, I edge into the light. Medusa's golden eyes reach for my spirit. I expect my breath to fail, for my limbs to turn heavy, for the paralysis to tear through my body, but everything functions the way it's supposed to.

She lifts a brow, the snakes stunned into silence. "I don't know what's wrong."

"Maybe get your eyes checked out?"

"You think?"

I shrug. "Since you petrified me just fine the last time, it has to be your glare."

"Yeah, maybe. I'll send one of the snakes up to Levinia and get her opinion." She flutters her hand dismissively. "Don't just stand there. Go. Chop-chop."

It's a command I gladly follow. Catching up with Anchor at the other entrance of the cave, I peek through the opening. The waters that separate us from Cass bubble ominously. No breeze disturbs the vast glistening surface. The Lake of Lost Souls is rumored to be the one and only connection to the vacuum that houses the splintered spirits; if you sink to the bottom, you are trapped for eternity.

"Hi, there."

I jump, squinting at the young man who stands in the boat. "Who are you?"

"Ferryman's son. He had to step out for a moment."

"How long will he be gone for?"

"Dunno." The young man rubs his chin. "He left twenty-nine years ago, so I expect him back soon."

I roll my eyes.

Dad abandoned you, bud.

The job sucks, so who can blame him?

"My brother and I need to get across to Nicoletta. Can you take us?"

"That depends."

I swing my arms for him to elaborate.

He catches on. "Passage to Nicoletta will cost you five hundred gold coins."

My brows knit together. "Why do you need gold in the underworld? You can't buy anything."

He smiles. "I like the way they shine."

Bro, I don't have time for this.

"I tell you what. I'm Lou, ruler of Earth's hell and a celestial being. If you take us, I'd consider that a personal favor." I nudge him, trying to bring across that this is a huge deal.

"Would that be enough to be invited to one of your parties?" An enchanted smile plays on his lips. "I heard the last ball was epic."

"Yeah, sure, whatever."

"Seriously?"

"As long as you find coverage for the ferry, you can come to every single one of my parties for the next thousand years. Now can you take us across? We are in a bit of a time crunch."

"Of course, hop on."

Stepping onto the ferry, I have to balance myself not to fall overboard. The small boat is more of a gondola and rocks from left to right under my weight. When Anchor joins me, the whole construct tips dangerously to the side, but we find seats facing each other, which stabilizes everything. Pulling the oar through the water, the ferryman maneuvers away from the dock.

Anchor stares into the darkness. "How long is the ride?"

"I'd say an hour."

He chews the inside of his cheek. "How do you think Cass is doing?"

"We'll know soon." Fear claws at my chest. We could be too late.

"What are you gonna do if Welbourne broke her already?"

"Don't say that. Cass is fine." My sharp, snapped words ripple across the lake. The alternative is too hard to stomach.

"You really like her."

"She's my charge and I'm responsible for her."

"And that's all it is?"

I huff, stabbing him with a glare. "What do you want from me, Anchor?"

"What if there's more? I mean, don't you find it peculiar that Medusa couldn't turn us into stone?"

It was a little odd. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation."

"What if her glare worked as intended?"

"Our hearts would've had to be pure, and as you know, demons don't have hearts."

"What if Cass is our soulmate?"

I snort. He's becoming delusional. "We are demons, brother. We don't do soulmates." Levinia's words sneak back into my mind. "Though Levinia said I might be infected with love."

"We could both be infected."

"Well, I hope Big B finds a cure soon. I don't like the way I feel at the moment." I tap my foot to get rid of the unrest in my thighs.

"It hurts, doesn't it?"

I find his gaze. Torment and worry reflect in his eyes; it's almost stifling. "Yeah, it hurts a lot." I fight a large lump in my throat. If I don't get to hold Cass in my arms soon and confirm she's alright, I'll lose my marbles.

The front of the boat hits against a wooden plank. "This is Nicoletta. I hope you enjoyed the ride."

I stand and stare at the pathetic pyre that might've been a proper dock many eons ago. "Alright, thanks." I jump on land and wait for Anchor to follow.

The ferryman waves. "Have a good day."

Every single hair on my neck rises in alert and my body tenses. I sniff the air for sinners or demons, but there's only staleness. No fear, pain, or agony. It's creeping me out.

Anchor rotates his neck. He is as freaked out as I am. "Where is everybody?"

"The gates of hell are probably further inlands." I point at a trail cutting through the knee-high grass. "Let's go."

The staleness in the air doesn't ease; there's no breeze, not even a whiff of freshness. No blinking stars, moon, or sun. The only light source is a greenish glow that's penetrating and gives me a slight headache. The ground is almost flat with the occasional pile of dirt resembling mud.

Anchor takes the words right out of my mouth. He smirks. "Looks like the demons had the sinners take a good dump and called it a hill."

I chuckle. "This place is the pits. I'd be ashamed to be a ruler here."

"But Welbourne is always voted Devil of the Year."

I snort. "Not gonna lie, if this is the flagship of the universe, I pass on that award."

We reach the gates of hell. They are rusty and squeak; the whole place is in shambles and could use an overhaul. A bored-looking demoness sits on the edge of a dried-up fountain, a deck of cards in front of her. She lines them up in some sort of order. Other than her, there's no sign of life anywhere.

When we walk up, she doesn't take her gaze off the cards. "Sinners need to check in at the main desk."

"We aren't sinners. I'm Lucifer Morningstar." Aka the original devil.

I expect her to stand at attention, but she just yawns without bothering to raise her hand. "If you are looking for Welbourne, he's in the torture chamber. We are quite busy this month." Lazy eyes roam over me. "Two sinners. Hasn't happened since I've been around."

If she isn't careful, she won't be around for much longer.

"And where is the torture chamber?"

She points with her thumb over her shoulder at a brick building. "Right over there."

"Thanks for your overly enthusiastic help."

She dismisses my sarcasm with a snort; the little hussy really has a death wish. If I had more time, I'd give her a good roasting and a lesson on respect, but she isn't worth another wasted breath. Stepping around her, I head for the building. Anchor huffs beside me; judging from his clenched jaw, he's loaded with anger and about ready to unleash his rage on the next demon stepping in our way.

Save it for Welbourne, brother.

The "torture chamber" is as run-down as the rest of the place. Paint peels off the walls, some of the tiles are busted, and a coat of dust covers almost every inch. I follow the footsteps left behind in the dirt. Eerie quiet hangs over the building; if sinners are being tortured, they must not experience a lot of pain.

The footsteps lead to a closed door. I crack my knuckles.

Showtime.

Tearing the door open, I lunge into the room.

No Cass clinging to life.

No tools that could be used to inflict pain.

No simulation chamber to cause an array of emotional distress.

Just a plain old office with an abundance of award plaques plastered on the walls.

Welbourne grins at me from behind a desk. "Are you here to collect your little human?"

"Where is she?"

"My torture master had a good run at her. If he hasn't broken her already, he'll get it done in the next few minutes."

Hot anger shoots into my head, blurring my vision. "Stop him and surrender her immediately."

"Awe, but I can't do that. You see, Levinia assigned her to me, so you have no more rights to her. She is my toy now." A vicious chuckle springs from his lips. "I have to admit, watching her scream in agony and beg for her pathetic life was an experience. Humans are so weak and fragile."

The little punk didn't just admit to hurting her.

"I'll fucking end you."

As rage takes over, my body is no longer under my control. I will smash his face into the desk and pound him into oblivion until his spirit shatters into a trillion pieces. The pain I'll inflict will be tenfold of what Cass had to endure. His eyes and tongue will be decorations on my wall.

Anchor and I leap for him at the same time, but before either of us can get to him, a swarm of demons crowd around us.

Blessed coward is hiding behind his thugs.

I wipe the spit from my lips. There must be at least two dozen of them, armed with maces, swords, and slings. Their sharp teeth glisten with poisonous saliva; they are the primitive ones that give demons a bad rap. Even though they are ultimately no match for me, they will seriously delay us.

Welbourne chuckles. "You're never going to get out of here in time to save your little human."

I raise my fists. I'm gonna show him what a seriously pissed-off devil is capable of. He and his army are toast.

WP total word count: 23,346

So Lou and Anchor made it to Nicoletta but now face Welbourne's army. Do you think they'll prevail and finally get to hold their girl in their arms? And any theories why Medusa's glare didn't turn them into stone?

I hope you are still enjoying the story; if so, please consider clicking the little star and/or drop me a comment. Thanks for reading and I hope to see you again soon.