Made in Hell 2 Chapter 9

“I wouldn’t fear the Blessed too much, Sveila,” I told the witch. “There’s no way in hell I’d let them--”

“Those men don’t hesitate to attack any undesirables at the slightest provocation,” the Red Witch insisted. “Especially a witch. If they feel like someone from the Church is under attack, especially given how fond the Bishop is of this priest, more than a dozen would likely come to his aid. Maybe more.”

“A dozen, huh?” I grinned at the memory of the dirty, rugged, holy bastards that Ashe and I slayed together, and I started to salivate at the idea of slaughtering a fresh bash of golden-eyed fuckers.

Still, as much as I’d love to murder more of the angels’ dogs, getting another band of the Blessed involved would only make the risks of the job even higher, and my chances of killing that holy bastard would decrease as every second ticked by.

I leaned back against my chair as all the new information ran through my mind.

“I will find a means of handling this that keeps the Blessed from getting involved too soon,” I assured Sveila. “But about these werewolves… I never knew you had additional tasks outside of the payments you collect on Pixie Lane.”

“Yes, I am a very busy woman,” Sveila sighed.

“How many werewolves are there?” I asked curiously.

“Eleven of them,” Sveila replied. “Which is why we need to be careful.”

Eleven werewolves didn’t sound like too much of a threat to me, but Sveila wasn’t from a world like mine, which would explain why she’d feel the need to warn me. Still, all werewolves were different, depending on their breed, so I did appreciate her taking the initiative to bring it up.

“And what can you tell me about them?” I queried. “What would I need to know?”

Sveila looked slightly hesitant, like she was scared to include me in the secret, but that only made me more eager to find out. It took a few moments for her to find the courage, but as she spoke, she kept her voice low and head bowed toward the table.

“They’re scraggly men, who appear somewhat wolfish whenever there isn’t a full moon,” Sveila explained. “I have to work harder whenever the full moon appears, because they get far more feral and uncontrollable on those evenings.”

“Yes, I know that,” I chuckled. “I’ve killed plenty of werewolves in my time. “But how are you keeping them in line? Is erecting silver gates one of your many talents?”

“No, it is not, and that is the problem, but it hardly matters,” Sveila said with a smirk. “These men are incredibly smart. Even if they did have silver gates blocking their exit, they’d probably find a way around it without their skin burning too much.”

“Then… what do you use?” I asked in a more direct tone.

“Whatever I can.” Sveila shrugged. “I am always working to contain the werewolves, whether I’m here or there, I am constantly in control. There is a separate part of my brain that is keeping them in check, and the wolves are aware of that.”

I knew that Sveila was powerful, there hadn’t been any doubt about that, but the idea of her constantly working her magic both day and night to enslave these werewolves proved just how powerful she really was. It felt like she was essentially two separate people, both working on two different jobs at the same time. It also made me wonder if she used all of her power to keep these guys in line, or if that was only the tip of the iceberg, and there was a mound of power still to be discovered underneath it all.

“That must be distracting, right?” I asked. “If your mind is preoccupied, I’d assume that you’re more likely to slip up somewhere.”

“Not really.” The Red Witch paused for a second, and her amber eyes seemed to gleam a little when they met mine. “You see, Red Witches can use powerful exterior means of channeling our magic. You’ve seen what I can do with my eyes and hands, but we can essentially enchant anything to get what we need. Whether that means crystal balls, staves, jewellery, or any other inanimate object, we can enchant them all.”

Sveila spoke with such reverie about her powers, and I found myself becoming enchanted myself as her warm tone matched her golden skin perfectly. It was like I couldn’t look away from her beautiful face or her amber eyes, but I could feel that she wasn’t bewitching me in any way. I just needed to know everything about her. All of her secrets, her talents, and her stories, I needed to hear them all.

“Is that what you’re using right now?” I asked the beautiful witch.

“Yes.” Sveila nodded. “I have an array of crystal balls keeping the werewolf pack in check, but I can change that to something else if I feel like the balls aren’t doing the job properly, or if I feel like the men could find a way around it.”

“And that’s why you need to be careful with your disappearance,” I concluded.

“Correct.” She smiled. “Although I can control the crystal balls with my mind, I still need to be within distance of them. If I tread too far out of that circle, the enchantments will stop, and the werewolves will be set free instantly. The priest would know if I vanished, and he’d assume that the werewolves would be after him at the first opportunity.”

That explained why the priest would want to go to the Blessed, but it also explained why Sveila was hesitant to say or do anything. She couldn’t just leave the priest’s estate and cut ties with him that way, because the risks were too high. Not only would it distance her from the werewolves, but it would potentially sic the Blessed on our tails again.

I needed to be careful with how I went along with this plan, and any small mistake could cause everything to come crashing down on top of us. But it made me wonder about the other risk involved. Surely, if Sveila had this power and commitment, then she would have made some enemies over the years.

“Who else do we need to be cautious of?” I asked. “Do you keep another group in line besides the wolves? Would any residents of Pixie Lane want to kill the messenger for the payments they’ve made to the priest?”

Sveila held back a laugh and drank the last of her unicorn’s blood.

“Fortunately, the residents are enchanted whenever I visit them, so if they do remember making a payment, they won’t remember who took it,” she explained. “No, the werewolves are the biggest threat. If they were set free, they wouldn’t only come after the priest. Nothing would stop them from coming after me, and there’s a good chance they could win that fight.”

I wouldn’t allow that to happen. I’d made a promise that I would take her from that life of slavery, but I also made a promise not to let anything harm her, including a pack of feral werewolves. What was clear to me, though, was that the priest would need to be dealt with before we could do anything with the witch. As long as he was dead and buried in the ground, then we could try and sort out the werewolves without the fear of them attacking Sveila.

But I hated catering to beasts, and I felt more inclined to put a stop to all the threats in one fell swoop.

“I’ll think through a solution for you,” I decided. “But you’re certain you’re safe in the priest’s estate until we can sort out the perfect moment for this to all take place?”

“Yes,” Sveila replied. “I’m very used to the life I live. It isn’t a good one, but I believe I’ll be fine until you finish all this.”

“Until I finish this?” I grinned a little at the statement. “Then what you’re saying is you do trust me to handle this without question. Last we spoke, you seemed to think my plan was too crazy to work out.”

“I didn’t say…” the Red Witch started, but as I kept grinning, she started to struggle against her own smile.

“You trust me,” I told her. “And you’re willing to place your fate in the hands of a demon to gain your freedom. You can admit it, you know.”

“I do not trust you simply because you are a powerful entity,” Sveila said with a slightly haughty expression. “I would be a fool if that was all it took to sway me in such dangerous matters.”

“I agree,” I replied. “So, what did sway you?”

“It’s… well, I suppose it’s your eyes,” she said more seriously, and her answer surprised me. “Or rather, the way you looked at the woman who came to the alley with you the first night we met.”

I held the witch’s amber gaze for a moment, and I noticed another blush was blooming on her golden cheeks while she fidgeted with her empty tankard.

“How did I look at her?” I asked.

“I don’t know.” She attempted a shrug. “As if she was worth the world to you. As if… you would guard her with your own life, I suppose. Even while she stood guard for you.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but Sveila abruptly stood from the table.

“I’m getting another drink,” she blurted as she turned away from me.

I watched the witch’s pretty red dress swish around her as she strolled to the bar, but a strange feeling seeped into my chest as I replayed her words in my mind.

Something about the way Sveila said Ashe was worth the world to me, and that I would guard her with my own life struck a strange chord in my center. It reminded me of something I couldn’t quite grasp. A distant memory from eons ago, but somehow, it felt more tangible than all my time in Hellscape did.

It was a memory from my mortal life, but there was nothing concrete about it. There were no images or words flitting through my mind. What I recalled was only this heavy sense blooming in my core, a sense that I had once done just that. I’d risked my life for a woman before, a woman with blonde hair who was worth the world to me. The same one whose kisses haunted my dreams every once in a while.

But had I died for her?

And if I did, how could I have been syphoned into the Hellscape? Only death at the hands of a demon could have dragged me into the voids.

I furrowed my brow while I tried to grab onto the memory more firmly, but it slipped away like ashes through my fingertips, and Sveila reappeared with a fresh tankard in hand.

The beautiful witch sat down and happily drank down most of her next brew in one go. From the color of the drink, I knew she had gone for another helping of the unicorn’s blood, and I wondered if she would enjoy the other brews the tavern sold, or if, like Ashe, she would stick to one drink and rarely go for another.

“I think you’ll enjoy taverns when you’re free,” I said with a grin, and I slid another few pieces over to cover the price of the drink. “You could go with Ashe on a nightly basis and have some fun with the tinsel fairies.”

“So, that is her name?” Sveila asked. “The woman you were with when we first met, with the silver-blue hair?”

“Yes, that is Ashe.” I smirked at the thought of my demon lover waiting patiently for me in the bathing tub.

“I got the impression she wanted more between the two of us, is that correct?” Sveila gave me a pointed look. “I can only assume when she said I would call you my master that… well… she expects I will be…”

“Fucking me?” I asked bluntly.

“Yes.” The Red Witch stared down at her drink.

“I’d say Ashe expects many things of me where sex is concerned,” I chuckled. “It’s one of the things I love most about her.”

“And what do you expect?” Sveila asked, and I noticed she didn’t sound nervous when she spoke. She was blushing more now, and as she finally looked me in the eye again, I smelled a hint of desire circling the table. “Do you expect to be fucking me soon?”

“That’s up to you,” I said honestly. “I’m no priest, Sveila. Right now, I wish to free you from the clutches of a holy prick who never should have gained power over you, whatever the reason. I assure you any woman I bed will come willingly, and once she chooses to give themselves to me, I will give her endless pleasure and protection. I will do everything in my power to provide them with safety and the utmost care. That is why I am Ashe’s master. She knows I am capable of keeping her well. And yes, she would love to watch me fuck that beautiful body of yours until you climaxed a dozen times.”

Sveila’s mouth hung open for a few seconds as she stared at me, but then she cleared her throat, and a sinful little smile curled on her painted lips that assured me she very much liked my answer. “What can you tell me about Ashe? She seems curious, and I can’t quite work her out. Why would a woman want her man to love another woman?”

I wasn’t sure how much of Ashe’s life I could tell the Red Witch. It wasn’t my story to share, and it wouldn’t have been right for me to expose the secrets of someone else. Because our time was running out, it meant that I didn’t have the opportunity to fully dive into Ashe’s life anyway, and for that, I was grateful.

“She is incredibly protective and feisty,” I explained briefly. “Ashe likes to take control, and she isn’t afraid of letting others know that she’s in charge.”

“But not in charge of you,” Sveila assumed. “Seeing as you’re the master in this relationship.”

“I’m the master in every relationship.” I winked. “Both Ashe and I have lived interesting lives, and we’ve grown to understand what we really want in our current ones. I will always be in charge, but outside of the bedroom, Ashe enjoys making sure others fear her powers as much as they fear mine. And they should fear her. Ashe is a vicious force to come up against, and she absolutely fiends for bloodshed.”

“Oh, I like that.” Sveila smirked.

“Good,” I responded. “That is why she wants you to be mine. I prefer the women who surround me to embrace their powers without reserve, and together, we will grow stronger.”

“I see,” the Red Witch murmured, and her sultry tone sent a warm hunger through my veins.

Sveila drank back the last of her unicorn’s blood, and I noticed that her eyes winced slightly as the effect of the drink rang through her body. I hoped that the priest wouldn’t notice she had had a drink or two, but I assumed he’d either be too engrossed in his sackful of blackmail money to notice, or that Sveila could hide the fact quite easily.

“I better go,” Sveila sighed once the tankard was empty. “I need to collect some payments before the carriage arrives to return me to the priest. Do you have another mission for me?”

“I do.” I nodded. “Again, you’ll be paid accordingly if you’re able to complete it for me. But what I need to know is the best time and place for everything to go down with the priest. Somewhere he’ll be expected to frequent without fail, and a definite time I can catch him there without others noticing his holy ass is being mauled by the damned.”

“I can do my best,” Sveila agreed. “That could be difficult, though, because I can’t track the priest once he’s left the estate and I’m stuck in my hovel. I could ask him more questions, or perhaps enchant some of the beings I collect payments from, or--”

“Ashe will help you with this,” I decided. “Between the two of you, I’m sure we can gain an answer swiftly. You can expect to see her lurking in the shadows around the estate sometime soon.”

“Sometime soon?” Sveila repeated as she raised her eyebrows.

“Yes, possibly tomorrow evening.” I nodded. “The two of you can work together, and as long as you can provide decent starting points for her so she’s not blindly wandering all over Rengfri, Ashe can complete the missions outside the gates whenever you’re unable to work out what he’s up to.”

“I will help her as much as I can,” the witch agreed.

“Excellent, then Ashe will be there tomorrow evening.” I smiled.

We stood from the table and wandered through the maze of beings who had been steadily filling the tavern. The building was more crowded with residents from all over the Shadow Quarters now that darkness was falling, but I’d been so wrapped up in Sveila’s amber eyes that I’d hardly noticed the increase in volume. I supposed it worked to our advantage and helped keep our conversation to ourselves.

As soon as we were out of the tavern, I led Sveila down the first alleyway I could find, and then I stopped once we’d entered the shadows. Sveila opened her satchel she always carried with her through Pixie Lane, and I emptied all the pieces I had in my pockets for her. I wasn’t sure how many payments she’d have the time to collect before the carriage arrived, but hopefully my donation was enough to make up the difference.

It was nothing compared to how much I had back at the estate, anyway.

“You’ll be okay within the priest’s estate for a few more days, right?” I asked again just in case, and another swell of anger returned to my veins at the thought of the priest being within a yard of the beautiful witch.

“Yes, I’ll be absolutely fine, I promise.” She smiled. “I’m no stranger to the dangers of my own life.”

I nodded, but it was strange to me that Sveila seemed so used to her slavery. Surely she wasn’t born into this deal. I wasn’t sure of her age, or how long she had been with the priest, but the fact that she was accustomed to the arrangement meant that she had to have been there for a decent amount of time.

“How did you end up with him?” I asked again, and Sveila’s smile immediately vanished.

“Oh.” Sveila scratched the back of her neck. “It’s… a long story.”

“Right,” I said, but I wasn’t paying attention to her words. I was focused on the distinct shift in her scent.

The moment I asked, the Red Witch burned with fury, but then sadness overwhelmed the scent so heavily, I could hardly smell anything else in the area. I had a feeling Sveila wasn’t going to be comfortable answering this question any time soon, but the strange shift in her energy made me determined to find out one day.

“Well, I’ll let you get back to your work,” I muttered. “And I’ll make sure to return again soon. To check on you.”

“Thank you,” she replied softly.

“You’re welcome.” I grinned.

Then I turned on my foot and went to leave the shadows of the alleyway, but before I could take a step, a hand wrapped around my arm, and I was pushed up against the brick wall beside me.

Sveila was pressed against me now, and her golden breasts swelled deliciously against my chest. She stared up into my eyes for a second while I tried to process the strange mixture of scents coming from her, but then her fingers suddenly clutched in my hair and her lips met mine.

It took another second or two for me to register what was happening, but before I could react properly to Sveila’s passionate kiss, she had already stepped back. A blush coated her cheeks in the dusky light, and she was a little breathless, but then she hurried out of the alleyway before any words could be said.

“Hmmm,” I muttered to the shadows.

Sveila’s kiss was short and sweet, but it packed a spicy punch. It was clear to me that she knew exactly what she was doing with those supple lips, and I instantly decided I would be tasting a hell of a lot more of the beautiful witch very, very soon.

From the end of the alley, I could see Sveila knock on the main door of a house across the street, and I waited and watched as the owner of the house opened the door, handed over the payment, and then Sveila walked away again with a cryptic expression on her beautiful face.

I stood there for an additional five minutes, but only because I felt inclined to make sure she was safe. Part of me knew she would be, on account of how frequently she strolled through these lanes, and how powerful she was, but I couldn’t help it.

Her words about the priest making her nervous, and then the way she’d blushed when I spoke about me owning Ashe kept cycling through my mind. There was such a distinct difference in her countenance between the two conversations, and after witnessing this, every fiber of my being was determined to guard this woman as much as I did Ashe.

There was no doubt in my mind that Sveila would soon be calling me master while she climaxed around my cock.

And after that kiss, there was no doubt in my mind that she was more and more eager to become mine.

Once Sveila had finished on this street and went around a corner to another, I decided this was my sign to move onward. It wouldn’t have been wise to get caught by the carriage that collected her, and the driver could have pulled up at any moment.

I ran through the street in the direction of the north exit of Pixie Lane, and then I travelled through the alley that led to Medusa’s Palace. I wasn’t aware of the time, but I imagined it had to have been nearing the seventh hour at this point. The sun had completely settled for the night, but the glow from my violet eyes lit the streets ahead of me.

A few excited sounds drifted over from the streets in the center of the village, and it made me think that some of the residents were having a party somewhere. Usually the Shadow Quarters were quieter than the Grimmway in the evening, but that didn’t mean a few creatures didn’t enjoy an eventful night every once in a while. The tinsel fairies frequented the taverns more than others, but they didn’t create a lot of noise, only mischief.

As long as I could get back to the manor without one of them spotting me, then I knew I’d be free from their constant begging to join them for a drink. I still hadn’t taken them up on the offer even once since I’d moved into the area, but it was amusing to see their manic and too-large eyes light up whenever they tried to lure me into a tavern. I knew the tinsel faires just wanted to get me to cause some fantastic trouble around Rengfri that they could get in on, but I wasn’t interested in stirring up trouble for others at the moment.

I had my feisty huntress waiting for me in my bathing tub back home, and nothing was going to keep me from her.

I arrived at the entrance to the Grimmway without any issues, and the fiery beacons welcomed me as I jogged down the grassy hill and entered the village that I now called home.

Several thoughts raced through my mind as I made my way toward the manor. It all started when I thought about where we’d live once Sveila had been freed. I wasn’t sure if we’d be safe where we were, or if her angry enemies would see the need to track her down. I was sure that we’d be okay one way or another, but it was something I had to consider.

I also had to think about the Blessed, though, and whether they’d come searching once the witch had been freed, and the priest was dead. The Blessed acted as headhunters for the Church, and anyone who fucked with those holy bastards would be sure to receive a knock at the door from the Blessed.

Well, if they caught, that is.

My thoughts came to a halt as I entered the marketplace and witnessed the entertainment going on in the square. Just like the Shadow Quarters, a few of the residents of the Grimmway were also having a party. More of the twinkling lights were displayed over the stone buildings, and a large fire had been created beside the well. I noticed some of the wood from the broken wagons was stuck in the middle of the flames, so at least my destruction had come in handy to some of the residents.

A banshee stopped dancing as she saw me walk past, and she gave me a small nod with a smile on her spooky face. The banshees weren’t known for having discussions with many beings outside of their own kind, and I only tended to hear them talk when they were in the middle of a chant, but this banshee’s thoughts echoed through the expression on her face.

She was impressed by the fight I’d taken on with the blazing demon, and even a little eager to see another round take place again soon. Then another banshee came to join her, and they both smiled a little cryptically at me before they continued to dance around the ever growing fire.

I left the ladies to return to their fun and games, and I spotted a few elves who had entered the marketplace to join in with the celebrations. One elven man was dressed in a fine, black silk jacket and had a pipe angled neatly in the corner of his mouth. The elf held the thin pipe between two fingers, and when he blew the smoke from his mouth, the smoke changed color and formed into various shapes. It started off white and then turned green, blue, and red, in that order. What began as a circle quickly turned into a spiral, and then a bird. The final puff of smoke blew the bird away, and the magic behind it all made it appear as if the bird was flapping its wings.

No one else around me appeared as amazed as I was by the sight, but they probably were used to the surface world life, unlike myself. I constantly came across something new and obscure up here, or something that amazed me as much as that pipe had done.

I couldn’t fight against the smile on my face as I continued through the lanes in the direction of the forest. It had been a successful day, especially considering the rocky events of the evening before. Ashe and I had managed to clear things up with the Grimmway residents, and the mess in the marketplace was sorted out. I’d had an interesting evening with Sveila at the tavern, and she’d informed me about everything I needed to know and made it seem like my hunt for the priest could go ahead without trouble.

But what made it all better, apart from the surprise kiss with the Red Witch, was the idea of Ashe waiting for me as I stepped through the doors of the manor. I knew she’d be naked and drenched in bathing water just waiting for me to pleasure her for the rest of the night.

But everything came to a stand still as I entered the denser trees near my manor house.

The smile left my face in an instant, and fury surged through my bones.

A recognizable scent carried through the air but it wasn’t the scent of a demon this time. This smell was icy and carnal in a way that made me want to slaughter the next being I came across, and I was already prepared to do so.

It was the scent of a vampire.

I sprinted through the trees toward the manor, and the scent became stronger the further I traveled. I still had the onyx blade in my blade, and as soon as I reached my grounds, I tore it free of my belt and held the weapon firmly in my hand.

Then I hid against the side of the manor as I considered how strong the scent was now. There were definitely vampires in the immediate vicinity, but their exact whereabouts were unknown to me. They could have been anywhere, and although they could smell my own scent if they knew what to look for, I was determined to catch them off guard.

I peeked my head around the side of the wall but couldn’t get a clear visual on the entrance, and once I was sure the yard was clear, I crept closer while excitement built in my sinews with every step. If the vampires were still around, I wanted to see them suffer for even daring to set foot on my property, and I couldn’t wait to witness the sight of my blade being soaked in their icy blood, and their brains exploding all over the forest floor.

Then I froze.

A pool of blood coated the front step of the manor house, and the main door was wide open.

The fact that the blood smelled distinctly like a vampire’s eased my concern only a little bit, and I took it as a good sign that one of them was bleeding so profusely. But the blood continued through the entryway, into the lavish sitting room, and all the way to the kitchen. That was where I noticed that it was no longer vampire blood strewn around my house.

Demon blood was spilled here, too.

Rage seared in my core at the thought of Ashe losing even a drop of blood over the bloodsucking vampires, and I kept my onyx blade in my right fist and forced my Infernal Blaze to ignite from my left hand. My fingertips sparked and the hellish heat ran through my palm and up my arm, and as I listened to the darkness around me, I heard not a sign of life.

The manor was completely empty.

If those motherfucking bloodsuckers weren’t dead yet, they soon would be.