Made in Hell 4 Chapter 2

The adrenaline continued to course through my body as I whistled through the afternoon sun on my way back to the Grimmway.

The village we resided in was a lot different than the Shadow Quarters, in the sense that not a single regular human lived in this area. Hundreds of different creatures and beings lived in the Grimmway, and the magical, mystical vibe was regularly felt in the air. Fairies of all breeds flew through the sky, orcs sold large chunks of meat in the marketplace, and a collection of banshees were constantly seen dancing around fire pits. Carcasses were often seen hanging from spikes outside the banshees’ homes, and that was only a small collection of the beings we came in contact with here.

The residents of the Grimmway weren’t fond of Ashe and I when we first arrived, but that wasn’t anything new for us. Then one day, a demon arrived in Rengfri in order to complete their mission for their Lord Captain, and Ashe and I worked as a team to defeat that motherfucker. The residents watched the entire battle, and ever since then, they’d treated us differently. I had a feeling they felt safe having us around, and they knew we’d slaughter anyone who posed a threat to their village.

It felt incredible having allies in the Grimmway, and it only increased the feeling of power that constantly built up in my body now that I was free of the Hellscape.

Which was exactly why I wanted to overthrow the Church and the fucking worshipers who came with it.

I still wanted to run the idea past Sveila and Ashe some more, but I knew they’d follow my leadership regardless, and they’d only speak up if they thought my idea was in some way risking my own freedom or standing in the surface world, but that rarely happened.

My smoking form traveled over the buildings and wagons that were scattered around the Grimmway, and I didn’t transform back into my human body until I’d reached the trees surrounding our manor.

The tall maroon building didn’t look like anything special from the outside, but the interior had been decked out in velvet, satin, and gold details. It was the perfect size for all the business that went on behind the walls, and for our ever-growing family.

I had plans to expand the family, and hopefully gain the black fairy twins Lux and Lixiss into my harem, but there were a few things I had to do before that could happen. Which included getting their owner, Madame Nyra, to allow me to take them. I imagined Madame Nyra wasn’t going to accept my offer easily, but I wasn’t going to stop until I had what I wanted and desired.

Those little fairy twins would be mine.

I kicked the main door of the manor open with one foot and instantly heard the giggles that came from the living room. I had no idea what my women had been up to during my absence, but the cheerful laughter made me intrigued to find out.

I found Sveila and Ashe sitting on the floor with their legs crossed, and a pile of different materials surrounded them. Sveila had her back to me, but she turned around as I walked into the room.

“What are you up to?” I queried.

“Nothing!” Ashe giggled and scooped up the materials in her arms.

Then my beautiful demon huntress jumped to her feet and quickly ran from the room. Ashe’s silver-blue hair blew behind her as she hurried off, and her green, silk dress shifted with her movements until her back end disappeared from view.

I knew the two of them were up to something, but if they were enjoying themselves, then I’d allow them to have their secrets. Plus, I’d find out at some point.

“Atticus,” Sveila gasped as she jumped to her feet. “What happened to you?”

The Red Witch daintily touched my chest, and her hands roamed down my front as she took in the troll’s blood that coated my clothing.

“Are you injured?” Sveila looked up at me with her brilliant amber eyes.

“No,” I chuckled. “I came across a troll in the forest. He didn’t listen when I told him to fuck off, so I killed him.”

“Of course, you did,” Ashe laughed as she came back into the room empty-handed. “I would have been surprised if Atticus didn’t come back with blood on his shirt. But the real question here is how did he die? Can you paint me a picture?”

I moved over to the couch, and Sveila and Ashe sat on either side of me. Both women draped their arms over my shoulders, and they nestled their bodies close to mine.

“You would have loved it,” I replied. “I slashed through one shoulder, tore off his other arm, then carved off his head straight from the bone. I ended it by pinning his headless body to a tree, and then left. It was incredible.”

“Fuck, I’m so jealous,” Ashe sighed blissfully. “But I’m amazed you managed to do it without the Blessed finding out.”

“That’s what I thought,” Sveila added. “Won’t they know it had been a demon who killed him?”

“Nah, there’s no clear links to me.” I shrugged. “Just a good old-fashioned dismembering. Any ogre could have done it.”

“Good.” Sveila let out a sigh of relief as she rubbed my arm with one hand.

“Did you get any more information on the Blessed while you were there?” Ashe asked. “Does it look like we’ll finally get out of here, or do we get to stick around and have a little fun?”

This was the perfect question, and the perfect way for me to talk about my idea.

“They’ve increased their numbers since yesterday,” I replied. “More pillars have been added, and there are more chains tied, but I had an idea as I watched them, which could mean there’d be no reason for us to leave Rengfri. In fact, it’ll be quite the opposite.”

“The opposite?” Ashe parroted with a greedy grin. “Whatever do you mean by that?”

“Well, I’ve thought about what it would mean to kill the Blessed, as you know, and what would happen if we did,” I explained. “If we attacked them right now, and cleared the port, it wouldn’t be long before the Church found out. I want the Blessed dead as soon as possible, but I’ve decided I also want the Church to go down with them. Those fuckers deserve painful deaths, and I want to be the one to give them that.”

“So you want to…” Sveila’s words cut off as a thoughtful expression crossed her face, like she was trying to work out my plan.

“I want to take down the Church,” I answered.

“Ooh, yes!” Ashe’s eyes, one black and one pink, grew wide, and she clapped her hands together excitedly. “I don’t even care what that involves, I’m doing it!”

“So… we’ll kill every holy follower in the city?” Sveila asked as she played with a strand of purple hair. “You know I’d go along with your plan either way, but is this really the right thing to do?”

Ashe and I must have been thinking the same thing, because she replied before I could even open my mouth.

“No.” Ashe shook her head. “Only the evil fuckers will die. Not every follower is evil. They only worship the same Holy King as the evil fuckers, which is poor judgement on their part, but… a large percentage of the followers are innocent, so we’d need to think about that.”

“Yes, what will we do when they find out what’s happened, and we’re responsible for all the deaths of their Church leaders?” Sveila wondered.

“That’s something we’ll need to discuss and thoroughly think about.” I shrugged. “It isn’t just a case of killing members of the Church and walking away again. This is an upheaval of their organization.”

“And we’d need to think about the rest of Rengfri, too,” Ashe added.

“Exactly.” I smirked. “People are going to be pissed, and they’ll hate us for it, but we’ll hold the power here. If the angrier residents try to act on their feelings, we’ll just have to kill them and add them to the pile.”

“It may be a large pile by the end of it,” the Red Witch snickered.

“Good,” I snorted. “As long as the right people stay on the right side, I don’t care what happens to the others.”

“So, what will we do first?” Ashe frowned. “Where do we start?”

“Simple, we’ll get a lay of the land,” I replied. “If we can work out who’s corrupt, who deserves to die, and who’s allowed to live, it’ll give us a better idea of where to go from there. We’ll need to make sure we’re certain of our plan before it goes ahead.”

“I can certainly think of a few corrupt men who deserve to be slayed,” Ashe chuckled evilly. “We’ll just need to decide how to torture them. A slow and painful death? Quick and painless? There are so many options!”

“Who’s on the list?” Sveila asked. “Apart from the priests, of course, but fortunately, one of the fuckers has already died.”

“We’ve got the priests, the Bishop, the deacons, and of course, the Blessed,” I listed off the people in my head. “But there are others, too.”

“That lady who held the protest against the undesirables?” Ashe suggested. “And the residents who protested with her.”

“Yeah, she’s on there.” I nodded.

“And the king’s guards,” my beautiful demon added. “But that’s a given in this scenario.”

“I’m not so sure about that one,” Sveila said in a cautious tone. “Destroying the Church will draw enough attention from the king already, but attacking his own knights--”

“Sveila…” Ashe said with a pointed look. “This is a mortal king we’re talking about. That’s it. One sniveling, probably portly, and very mortal king, who I’m guessing resides miles and miles away from this city.”

“A few hundred miles over the sea, actually,” the Red Witch confirmed, and she smirked at Ashe’s snicker of amusement.

“Yes… let’s not waste our energy giving two fucks about him, then,” the beautiful demon suggested.

“Fair enough,” Sveila chuckled.

“The Blessed have hired the help of some slaves to block off the port, too,” I continued. “But from the looks of things, they’re killing them left, right, and center. I’m unsure how dark their souls are just now, but there could be a few to end if the Blessed don’t kill them all first. Maybe not, though. Overall, I think we can speak to the mermaids and the werewolves, and have them assist us with the ultimate plan. We all know how much their kind love to hunt down their prey.”

“And we could speak to Madame Nyra and see if she’d allow us to have Lux and Lixiss join in for this mission?” Ashe suggested.

“If the black fairies are known for one thing, it’s snooping,” Sveila chuckled. “I bet Madame Nyra wouldn’t think twice about it, especially for a good price.”

“If they want me to pay them, then I will, no questions asked.” I shrugged. “It gives me the opportunity to ask her about the twins joining us anyway.”

“Ooh, yes!” Ashe sighed with a large smile on her face. “I’ve missed those flirtatious little bitches.”

“Well, you may not have too long to wait.” I winked. “I know they’ve missed you, too.”

“Most people do,” Ashe snickered. “There’s something very special about me.”

“There certainly is.” I smirked as I ran one hand over Ashe’s bare thigh.

Sveila followed my actions and draped one leg over my own, and she drew small circles over my chest with her fingers. Our conversation quickly came to an end as I enjoyed the gentle, subtle touches of my women, and I almost forgot what we’d been talking about.

The rest of the day continued in the same way. Our stomachs began to growl, so Ashe and Sveila worked to load up a slate of food, and we all gathered around the kitchen table to devour it all. They had torn up chunks of bread, added some red and white meat, some blocks of cheese, and they’d dotted a few grapes around the board. An apple had been sliced into thin strips, but the fight with the troll had taken most of my energy from me, so I focused one the bread, meats, and cheeses.

I’d always remember when I first arrived in the Port of Rengfri, and I searched for food my demon self craved. I hunted down a lone rabbit in the forests, and prepared the perfect weapon to skewer the little animal, but I was repulsed from the very first bite. The bitter taste of blood, the rare meat, and the tiny hairs that clung to the rabbit’s insides were enough to almost make me sick. That was the first time I ever had to please my human stomach, and it took a bowl of stew to fully satisfy my needs.

Now, I couldn’t think of anything worse than tearing a rabbit’s flesh from its bones, and instead, I went for what I truly desired.

As we devoured our meal, Ashe and Sveila spoke about having a training session with their weapons and the orbs we mined. They were getting used to how the magical stones worked, but it took a lot to fully power them with just our touch alone.

“I want to get some more practice with the yellow one,” Sveila decided. “If I can produce the perfect poisonous, yellow smoke, it would really come in handy when it comes to the Church.”

“I think I’m okay with that one now, but I’m more interested in the red one,” Ashe said. “Imagine if I paralyzed the Blessed with the red orb, and then you came up behind me with the yellow smoke! We’d be fucking untouchable!”

I chuckled loudly at Ashe’s enthusiasm. Ashe had no real need for the orbs, especially with the two hell powers she now owned, but this demon huntress would do anything to gain more power, just like myself, and she delighted in finding new ways to destroy our enemies.

“I doubt it’ll take you long to get the hang of it,” I said to both women. “As soon as you know how they work, and what you need to do to control them, you’ll have the orbs sorted in no time.”

“As long as we have you there to assist us, master,” Sveila swooned.

“You won’t need my assistance, but I’ll be sure to help if you need it,” I replied. “Just think about the soul amulet. It took you a couple days, but then you managed to cast that difficult spell without any issues.”

Sveila was an incredibly powerful witch, but it often took her slightly more convincing to realize this for herself. The souls of her family had been kept in the soul amulet, and with the help of two half-elves, Garrik and Elora, Sveila managed to break the spell and set the souls free. I believed that was the first time she noticed her true potential, so it was still very new to her.

“Plus, the way you killed those incubi,” Ashe gushed. “It was amazing, and you literally had those assholes paralyzed in the air! The Church is fucked now that we have you on our side.”

“It’s also the perfect way of getting your own revenge on the things the priest and the Blessed did to you,” I added.

“Yes, I have to admit, I cannot wait to end their lives.” Sveila gave us a wicked grin. “I know I say that about the majority of our enemies, but the feelings never change.”

“You’ll get used to that.” I nodded. “Ashe and I have been doing it for eons, and we still get excited, and the adrenaline continues to pump through our veins with every dying scream of our victims.”

“The feelings intensify when we kill someone who really deserves it, too.” Ashe smirked.

“I certainly know that to be true,” Sveila snickered.

We continued to talk about our killings in the past for an additional hour, and the sun had finally set by the time our conversation came to an end. I created a small flame on the tip of my forefinger and then proceeded to light all the candles that sat in lanterns around the room.

Ashe and I had heightened senses, and we could see in the dark without any issues, but the same couldn’t have been said for Sveila, so she found it slightly harder.

Once the candles were lit, and a warm glow coated the manor, Ashe and Sveila cleared the table from our meal, and I headed upstairs to the office, where some paperwork waited for me.

I owned the mining organization, but I worked behind the scenes, so to speak. Lately, I’d been more occupied with slaughtering any bastards who got in the way of my business, but it was a collection of imps and a human called Bennet who completed the orders and mined the orbs. Whenever we had another deal in place, Bennet ran everything past me and the imps, I went through the finer details, and then Bennet would return to me once the deal had been made and we had more pieces to store in the house.

The papers that littered my desk held information on the customers who were after the orbs. According to what I read, a human man from the other side of Rengfri was after a crate of blue and green orbs, which would come to a total of two thousand pieces. The blue and green orbs were some of the most impressive ones, so it made our prices slightly higher, but I’d noticed an uptick in sales on the blue orbs in the last few days.

Part of me wondered if this was on account of the Blesseds’ hunt for the priest’s murderer, and the fact that the blue orbs could allow anyone to vanish and travel undetected. I found it somewhat amusing that there were human mortals in this vast city who were just as eager to avoid the holy hunters as the undesirables were, if that was the case, but still, if it brought more money into the manor, then I wasn’t going to say no to the deal.

I didn’t recognize the name of the purchaser, but from some issues we’d dealt with in the past, Bennet and the imps knew to scope out everyone before the deal could go ahead. The first issue came when a group of vampires decided to fuck us over, and they ambushed Bennet and the imps, but we quickly showed them who was boss, and Ashe and I slayed those bloodsuckers before they could screw us over again. The second issue came from the incubi, but instead of taking orbs or money, they took four of my imps. The incubi slowly tortured the imps before the werewolves were able to track them down and rescue them.

That had been how the majority of our fights started out. We always came out as the victors, and that was how it was always going to be. But it was different with the Blessed and the Church in general, and my hatred toward them ran deeper into my sinews than anything else around here.

I overheard Ashe and Sveila head up the stairs a short while later, and once I’d finished with the last few papers, I left the office, locked the door behind me, and then went to join my women in the bedroom. Both of them were in the middle of untying the backs of their dresses, and I couldn’t take my eyes away from them as the white light of the moon caught their bare skin. Ashe’s skin was icy-pale, and her shimmering nipples hardened as they sensed the chill in the air, but Sveila’s skin was darker and more tanned than ours. She had a perfect hourglass figure, and the shadows around Sveila helped to emphasize her incredible curves for me.

Neither of my women wore undergarments, either, and that was how I wanted it to stay.

“It’s cold tonight,” Ashe mentioned as she climbed onto the grand, four-poster bed which had been covered in red silk.

“I’m sure we could warm you up somehow.” Sveila winked as she went to join Ashe.

“I can certainly think of a few ways to do just that,” I agreed.

I slipped my arms out of my jacket and threw the item of clothing over the back of a chair, and then I ripped the bloodied shirt from my body and allowed it to drop to the floor. The scent of the troll’s blood swarmed around me, and it took me straight back to the fight and how the troll’s dead body dangled from the tree. Then I untied my weapons belt from around my waist and removed my shoes and pants before I went to join Ashe and Sveila.

They shuffled toward the sides of the bed to give me ample room to nestle in between them. The silk covering added some extra warmth, but the real heat came from my delicious women as they tucked their bodies against me and draped an arm over my chest. Their soft skin ghosted across the hairs on my chest and stomach, and I felt the slight scratch from their nails. Nothing was more comforting than the feeling of my women beside me, and I couldn’t wait for more to join our little family.

We were going to need to get a bigger bed when the numbers increased.

It didn’t take any of us long to fall asleep once we were nestled close together, and we stayed in this exact position until the moment the morning sun poured in through the window.

Then I shuffled around slightly as I came to, and the whispered mumbles from Ashe told me she had just woken up as well. The same noises came from Sveila a few minutes later, and the three of us laid in silence as we allowed our bodies to recover from sleep.

I had a lot planned for the day, so I couldn’t stay in bed for as long as I wanted to, and as I left the bed, Ashe and Sveila copied my movements, but they both had an excited smile on their faces.

“What are you so happy about?” I asked with a curious grin.

“Nothing.” Sveila smirked.

“We’re just excited for the day, that’s all.” Ashe shrugged.

I knew they were up to something, but if they wanted to play a game to keep me guessing, then I could play the same game and force the answer out of them.

“Do you have anything planned?” I asked casually. “I’m going to speak to the mermaids if you wish to join?”

“Oh, no, that’s okay,” Sveila replied sweetly. “Thank you, though.”

“I’m sure Sveila and I will come up with something to help pass the time,” Ashe giggled.

And that was when I knew for certain that they were up to something.

“You know you can’t hide things from me,” I said with a smile. “You may as well tell me what you have planned.”

“I thought I could introduce Sveila to the little elf at the dress shop,” Ashe said lightly and shrugged again. “I have some… ideas for new dresses, but I want it to be a surprise for you when they’re ready.”

I chuckled as I recalled how Ashe and Sveila had been playing with materials when I came home the night before, so her answer helped me work out what they had been up to. If Ashe wanted to keep it as a surprise, then I wouldn’t pry any more, but the little elf made some incredible dresses, so I was curious to see what Ashe and Sveila had designed.

“Just be sure to show me when they’re finished,” I replied as I stroked the back of my hand down Sveila’s spine.

“Of course, master,” the Red Witch purred. “We’ll only wear these dresses for you.”

“Good girl,” I murmured with a grin.

We continued to get dressed for the day, and both Ashe and Sveila kept the same smiles on their faces. Sveila chose one of her favorite dresses to wear, and she went for one made from red, crushed velvet, with dropping sleeves and a hood. The dress stopped at her ankles, and it had a thin black belt tied tightly around her waist. She kept her purple hair down, and it curled neatly down her back in a way that kept drawing my eyes to her back end.

Ashe went for a black dress that stopped at the thigh and came with a gray corset. She also slipped on a pair of fishnet stockings, knee-high leather boots, and her weapon belt, equipped with her favorite blue sword. Her silver-blue hair had been tied into two plaits, and both of them fell over her shoulders. Occasionally, my women would apply some makeup, but they went without it today, and I admired their natural beauty as I realized they were just as gorgeous without any black or colorful shit around their eyes.

Once I was clothed for the day, I quickly cleaned my onyx blade free from the blue bloodstains, and then I selected the yellow sapphire sword from our ever-growing collection of weapons and slipped it into my belt.

“Will you be back before me?” I asked Ashe as we readied ourselves to leave.

“I assume so.” She nodded. “The elf is only taking more specified measurements and drawing up the design today, so it shouldn’t take too long.”

“Just be sure not to torment her too much.” I grinned. “I know what you’re like with that elf.”

“But she’s so easy to tease,” Ashe giggled.

“That she is,” I agreed. “I’ll need to see her again soon.”

“I think she’d looooove for you to visit.” My huntress winked.

“I’m interested to see this elf you speak so highly of,” Sveila said as she walked over to us. She had her red hood up, and her hair fanned around the material.

“You’ll know what we mean when you see her,” Ashe gave a dreamy sigh. “There’s no other elf like her in the Grimmway. She’s delightfully innocent, but there’s just a hint of wicked curiosity in her that I cannot help but notice.”

“Don’t scare her away, Ashe.” I smirked. “I know what you can be like around innocent women you want me to get to know better.”

“I don’t think I could scare her away if I tried,” Ashe snorted. “We’ve both seen how much she loves our company.”

“That’s true.” I nodded.

We all left the manor at the same time, and I locked the door behind us and shoved the key in my pants pocket. We sauntered through the streets and alleys that led to the dress shop, and both Ashe and Sveila held onto my arms as we walked. Once we arrived at the shop, I gave them both a heated, passionate kiss, and then I continued on with my journey toward the mermaids’ cove.

The mermaids lived on a dark, dank, rocky cove, not far from where the incubi’s headquarters used to be. They were the incubi’s minions at first, but I had freed the mermaids from their slavery the moment I set fire to the pile of dead and dismembered incubi. I knew the mermaids were incredibly grateful for what I had done for them, and they were the perfect new additions to my team.

I wandered through the rest of the village, but I transformed back into my smoke flight form when I reached the fire beacons, and I traveled through the Shadow Quarters that way. It wasn’t a long journey to the mermaids’ cove, but it was definitely quicker to travel by air. I flew over the top of Medusa’s Palace and traveled high above the treetops instead of following the path through the forest, and when I reached the cliff by the cove, I simply flew down to the ground without the need to descend the rock face.

The mermaids’ cove had a large crack through the center of it from the time Ashe and I had defeated two demons here recently, and it was my mission to find these women a new home, but I hadn’t come across anywhere suitable just yet. A small cave sat in the middle of the cove, and they had a few rock formations which acted as tables and chairs.

The sea softley crashed against the rocky shore, and as I looked out across the water, I noticed the horizon in the distance, and the ocean appeared to be never-ending. Cliffs and trees towered high around the cove itself, though, and dark shadows were casted across the rocks. A small selection of birds flew delicately through the air, and occasionally, one would drop to the water and bob across the waves as the animal found some rest.

I knew the mermaids had been happy in this place, but I was certain I could find them a better location.

I didn’t phase back into my human form until I’d landed on the rock, and a few of the mermaids gasped in shock as I appeared in front of them.

“Fuck, Atticus,” the leader, Naia, laughed with one hand over her chest. “I think you just about gave us a heart attack.”

I laughed along with her and sent the mermaids a charming smile. “I’m sure you can all relate to enjoying a scare once in a while.”

“We certainly can.” Naia winked.

The mermaids had been treated so badly by the incubi, and at first, they all had appeared lifeless, bruised, and pale, but I was pleased to see their skin had more color to it now, their hair wasn’t as brittle, and their bruises had started to fade.

Each woman, regardless of the color of their skin, shimmered in the light when they were on land, and a dress automatically formed over their bodies when they left the water. They all wore the same dress, although the colors varied from mermaid to mermaid. The material stuck to them like a second skin, stopped mid-thigh, and just about covered their breasts. Two thin straps wrapped over their shoulders to keep the dresses in place, but I wouldn’t have been bothered if the straps broke to reveal some more of their gorgeous, shimmering skin.

The mermaids really were a feast to behold, and I had no doubt I was more worthy of tending to their needs than the incubi ever were.

Particularly the leader of their group.

Naia had been blessed with vibrant orange hair that reminded me of fire, and bright, sea-blue eyes. She sauntered over to me with a coy smile on her face that told me she’d missed me as much as I’d missed her, and she swayed her hips seductively with every step.

“It’s good to see you again, Atticus,” one mermaid called over from the water.

“Yes, it is,” another giggled. “Would you care to join us?”

These women were known for their mischievous and flirtatious natures, and they constantly tried to get me into the water with them.

“I can’t,” I replied honestly. “But I’ll join you in there one of these days.”

“I see you came alone,” Naia said as she waved a hand in my direction. “Ashe and Sveila decided not to come?”

“They’re busy at the moment, and I had to come and see you quickly,” I answered.

“Okay,” Naia purred. “We’ll be sure to keep you company if you feel alone?”

“You all may have to create a line,” another mermaid laughed, and I looked over to see Sirena approaching. “It appears as if everyone on this cove wants a shot with the handsome demon. Especially now that his women aren’t with him.”

Sirena was Naia’s right-hand woman, and I’d gotten the impression it was rare to see one without the other. Sirena’s hair was long and brown, and her eyes matched the dark, earthy tone. I had a feeling Sirena held a bit of an attitude, but I didn’t mind.

I’d soon make her drop to her knees and fucking beg whenever I’d need her to.

“I’m sure I have time for all of you.” I smirked at Sirena.

“Atticus, please, sit,” Naia offered with a soft voice and led me over to the stone table and chairs.

“I can’t stay for long, but there is something I need to run past you,” I explained.

Naia and Sirena stayed quiet as they waited for me to continue.

“I have an issue with the Blessed, as you are aware,” I told them both. “I have a plan in mind to end the fucking Church here once and for all, but I’ll need your assistance to do so.”

The mermaids shared a frown, and all was quiet for a moment as they thought through my words.

“You wish to fight the Church?” Naia asked.

“Of course, but I doubt it will require much fighting.” I grinned. “The second I have them in my sights, no holy asshole will walk away alive and unharmed. It is my mission to slaughter them all and hear the sweet pleasure of their screams. But I have to be sure of a few things before that can take place, which is where you come in.”

“What do you need us to do?” the leader queried.

“I need you to use your invisibility to collect as much information for me as possible,” I explained. “I need to know what the holy bastards are all up to throughout their days, which ones are the most corrupt, but also any hidden plans they may be stewing on. If all the members of the Church meet at the same time and place, I need to know that. But most importantly, I need you to gather information on the Blessed. It’s too risky for Ashe, Sveila, and I to follow them around all the time, so you’re the perfect ones to do it.”

“The Blessed?” Sirena asked with her brown eyes wide. “Are you serious?”

“Absolutely,” I snorted. “I wouldn’t have come here if I wasn’t serious.”

“Hush, Sirena,” Naia spoke to her second-in-command. “Atticus needs our help, and we’ll do whatever we can to assist him.”

“Thank you,” I said with a nod of my head.

“But I have to admit, we also have a past with the Blessed,” Naia continued.

“Which is why we need to be certain we’re safe,” Sirena urged. “They’d be able to sniff us out in two seconds, regardless of whether we’re invisible or not.”

“Aah, but that could create a fun game for you to play.” I smirked. “Imagine how pissed the Blessed would be if they can smell you closing in all over the city, but cannot catch you. There’s nothing more enjoyable than an enraged holy fucker.”

Both Naia and Sirena smiled at the thought, which told me they were willing to play the new game I’d created. However, Naia had mentioned their past with the Blessed, and I was more than curious to find out more.

“What is your past with them, though?” I asked. “What have the Blessed done to you?”

“What haven’t they done?” Naia snorted as she tousled her long, orange hair. “The Blessed used to get a kick out of capturing mermaids around here, before I became the leader of our swarm, and we constantly felt like we were being watched. I overheard gruesome stories from the mermaids who’d managed to escape their prisons, and I’ve never managed to forget it.”

“What did they do?” I pressed.

The incubi had almost killed my imps from the torture they threw upon the tiny creatures, so I couldn’t help but wonder if the Blessed had performed the same vicious acts.

“Nothing so simple as killing us,” Nala replied with a furious expression. “All of the holy beings deeply despise our kind, because we’re not only violent, but use our bodies and allure to draw in our prey. We’re both devious and promiscuous, and this only infuriates the Blessed. Their easiest way to torture us is to drown us, but they drown us on dry land.”

I furrowed my brow as hot rage settled in my gut. “How do you mean?”

“We need to constantly be around water so we can return to it,” the blue-eyed mermaid explained. “The Blessed took the captured mermaids deep into the forests, far away from any water source. They’d beat the mermaids, bruise them, break bones, and starve them. Some of the prisoners never survived, and some were seconds away from death when they made it back to the sea. They said the Blessed treated them like some bludgeoned trophies, and they competed to see who could capture the most mermaids.”

A low growl formed in my throat.

It angered me so much to hear these women’s struggles, and it made me even more determined to end the lives of every Blessed bastard who crossed my path.

“Which is why we need to be cautious,” Sirena said with pure emotion in her voice. “We cannot risk getting caught by them.”

“I made a promise to keep you safe, and that promise still stands,” I responded.

“I have to look after my group, but I also want to seek revenge on those holy bastards,” Naia spat.

“Then you’ve come to the right man.” I grinned. “I’ve spent my entire existence exacting revenge, and I believe your assigned task will help to satisfy you.”

“You do?” Sirena asked.

“Of course.” I nodded. “The Blessed wouldn’t be able to catch you while you stalk them under the cloak of your powers, right? So, tricking the Blessed will only make their ultimate deaths more drawn out, enjoyable, and worthwhile. It’ll be a torturous kind of fun, ending in the most satisfaction when you watch them die.”

“Atticus is right.” Naia nodded. “The Blessed tortured us, and now it’s time for us to retaliate.”