Hissing and spitting, Welbourne's demons inch closer. The majority has zoomed in on Lou, but a handful has their eyes set on me. Saliva drips off their fangs. No doubt that this fight will leave me with a good few scrapes and bruises, but I'll reduce their asses to a pile of dust.

Anything for Cass.

I have come too far to give up now. These demons will not stand in my way to rescue her.

One of the bastards lunges at me. I elbow him in the temple and knock him out cold. Heat scrapes the back of my neck; I'm about to swipe the feet from underneath the attacker with my leg when splintering wood brings every breath in the room to a standstill. The door has been taken off its hinges by a powerful source; Lance, horseman of conquest, fills in the entire frame. With an impassive face, he assesses the situation.

"Yo, guys, I found them."

He is shoved into the office. Drake has to lower his head to a semi-bow and curl his shoulders to even make it through the door. The horseman of death pulls the sharpened chicken bone he uses as a toothpick out of his mouth with a grin. "Looks like we got here just in time."

"What's happening? Did you find Lou?" Fernando trips over his own feet in this haste to peek over Drake's shoulder. "Yum, fresh meat."

Taking famine to a whole new level.

Wolf is the last one across the threshold. He knocks his fists together. "We got this, boss. You go and get your girl."

Lou only has to toss me one glance and I find myself sprinting behind him down the corridor. Door after door reveals empty rooms. The breath catches in my lungs.

Are we too late?

Rushing down a spiral staircase, taking three steps at a time, I shudder as coldness gnaws at my limbs. By the time we reach the bottom, the ground is glossed over with a solid sheet of ice. I careen across the slippery surface, stretching out both arms for better balance. Colliding with Lou who is holding onto a rock in a desperate attempt to stay on his feet, we both land on our asses. Pain shoots up my spine.

Ouch.

I grit my teeth and take a deep breath. "What is this place?"

"Looks like a dungeon."

"Maybe we should turn around?"

Lou shakes his head. "We checked everywhere else. She has to be here."

Sliding on our hands and knees, we make it across the ice. When I crawl onto black rocks, I hiss in pain. The stones are burning hot. Catapulting to my feet, I cross the lava coals with a few hops. In the next corridor, I bend forward to catch my breath. The walls are wet, a few water droplets splashing on my head. The heavy scent of salt lingers in the air and stings my lungs.

Lou runs his fingers over the stone. "These are tears."

My gut twists. "Are you sure?"

The jumping muscle in his clenched jaw gives me the answer. I storm forward and tear open the door at the end of the passageway.

I gasp. "Cass!"

She is thrashing on the floor, her screams muffled by a gag in her mouth. The ground around her is wet; a sea of blood, tears, and excrement that bears witness to the suffering she has had to endure. Seeing her in such agony chills me to the bone.

The demon who hovers over her straightens. "You are too late. Her spirit has started to splinter. In a few minutes, she'll be gone."

Lou grabs him by the scruff of his neck and shakes him. "Turn off the simulation or I'll toss you into the fires of the heavens." His glare leaves no room for negotiation. Every inch of the room is charged with his rage; if he finds any resistance, he'll bring the entire hell down and then some with a blow of his fist.

The demon stumbles to the control panel and flicks a switch. The chamber goes silent. Cass's whimper snaps me into action. I'm on my knees, tearing the electrodes off her temples and loosening the gag stuffed in her mouth. She wheezes, her breath shallow. Her eyelids flutter and blood bubbles pool on her lips.

I cradle her in my arms. "I'm here now. Everything will be fine. Just open your eyes."

"I'm so cold." Her cough splatters me with a mist of red rain.

I tug her closer. "Just stay with me."

Lou drops on the ground on the other side of her. "How is she?"

"Not good."

"Lou?" The raspy word is no louder than a whisper.

He squeezes her hand. "I'm here. Anchor and I are both here."

"I'm sorry." She sobs. "I'm sorry that I messed everything up."

"Don't blame yourself." His eyes shine with tears. "I was the one who screwed up."

"I'm so cold."

"Just hold on." My voice is scratchy and it takes all my effort to keep it together.

In the next breath, she goes rigid in my arms.

Panic wells in my chest. "Do something, Lou."

"What can I do?"

"I dunno. You are the devil. You need to be able to hold her spirit together."

"I can't work miracles, Anchor."

"So we are too late?"

I refuse to give up. If I just hold on to her, force her to stay with me in the now, I can prevent her spirit from splintering into a million pieces.

Please, don't take her from me.

If I let her go, her fate will be worse than death. An eternity of her spirit drifting in the void without a destination or purpose. Cass captured in her own consciousness without a way out.

She yelps and in my panic, I seal her mouth with my lips. If I can't save her, I want her to feel my energy one final time. Her breath tastes as sweet as before; if I try hard enough, I can imagine us back in my bed the night I met her. When there was a glimmer of hope for salvation, a promise to make her whole again if she redeemed herself. Leave the torment of her sins behind in hell, where they belong.

As I break the kiss, her body trembles. Lou places his hand on her chest, his eyes wide with horror and fear. I stroke Cass's cheek. Her tears have dried up, but the salt stains on her skin are a display of her despair. Her anguish is like a stab to my core. I rest my hand next to Lou's on her sternum.

Another shudder shakes her frame. I close my eyes.

This is the end.

Lou gasps. "Anchor, look."

I snap my eyes open and suck in a sharp breath. Cass's skin is glowing. Luminous and bright, radiating right from the spot where we touch her, rippling across her body down to her bare toes. Warmth sprouts under my palm. In the next beat, her lungs fill with air to the brim.

"I can feel her heartbeat." Lou laughs with relief. "I think she's going to be okay."

As color returns to her translucent cheeks, her eyes flutter open.

It's Lou's turn to pull her into a hug. "By the heavens, we thought we'd lost you."

Her lips curl to the sweetest smile. "Can you take me home?"

"Yes, of course, and I swear that Anchor and I will never leave your sight again. We'll always protect you and keep you safe."

WP total word count: 24,565

Anchor and Lou managed to save Cass and are taking her back to Earth's Hell, but will Lou be able to keep his promise? In the next (and final) chapter, Levinia will step into hell and give us some much needed answers to tie all the ends together. Originally, I was going to give you a final spice scene, but that's not a necessity for the plot and I'm running out of time, so you'll get it as a bonus chapter after the ONC has concluded.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, if so, please consider clicking the little star and/or drop me a comment (hoping to catch up on all comments after tomorrow's conclusion). Thanks for reading <3