Insatiable (Inferno Games #3)

30. Facing The Hellbeast

30

FACING THE HELLBEAST

ROWENA

I instinctively clutch my growing stomach with one hand while Juliette’s hand tightens around my other. It’s only when the lights go back on that I realize that our time in the Earthery is over.

“Oy. I told you I had another booking!”

We must look a funny sight to the demon Earthery receptionist as we turn as a whole to face him. The three of us holding hands with Dade covered in white behind us. He doesn’t seem in the slightest bit interested. I guess he sees it all down here.

“Sorry,” mutters Tate, pulling the material from Dade and shoving it into her bag.

We leave the Earthery with a sense of determination I’ve not felt before. I told myself that Felix was gone and it was probably for the best, but the truth is, now that there’s a chance of seeing him again, has my heart catching in my throat.

This time, as we enter the elevator, I’m going to one of the most dangerous places in all of Hell. On the floor below us, the demons don’t have to pretend to like us. They don’t have to keep us safe. Down below us, we are no longer guests, we are prey. I swallow back a lump in my throat as Dade inserts the marble into the hole next to the elevator buttons. All the stories Quinn has told us about what she had gone through down there rush through my mind. The time when she saw Dade having his skin peeled back, the time they were chased by demons and let’s not forget the time she was almost literally reduced to ash. Then she had Hades to save her, but we don’t even have that. Hades isn’t here in this circle anymore. He’s even lower in the depths of Hell – a place we’re actively trying to get to. As the doors to the elevator open, panic sets in. This is all too fast. I’m not ready. Can I put my unborn child into such a dangerous position? What kind of mother does that make me?

The others step out of the elevator, but I freeze. All I have to do is press the button, and I’ll be taken back up to relative safety. Sure, I’ll never taste food or drink again, but at least I won’t be eaten by a demon.

“Ro?” Juliette's voice pulls me back, but I shake my head, unable to move.

“I can’t do it. You go on without me,” I whisper, my chest tight with fear.

The elevator doors begin to close, but Juliette jams her foot between them, holding them open. “I’m not going without you, Ro. You can do this!” She reaches out her hand toward me, her eyes pleading.

“I can’t,” I say, my voice trembling. “It’s not just about me anymore.”

Juliette’s gaze drops to my stomach, then back to my eyes. “Don’t let this baby grow up without her aunty Jules.”

My body trembles uncontrollably, the weight of everything pressing down on me. I want to move, to take that step forward, but my legs won’t listen. I stare at her hand, wanting to reach out, wanting to be strong, but the fear... the fear is suffocating. “Rowena Bagshott. You are the bravest person I’ve ever met. I know you can do this. Just step out of the elevator.”

I stare at Juliette's outstretched hand, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. The fear is overwhelming, threatening to paralyze me completely. But then I think of my unborn child - the life growing inside me that depends on me to make the right choices. Can I really condemn her to an existence trapped in this hellish place, never knowing the taste of food or drink, always living in fear?

Everything I love is on the other side of those elevator doors. Juliette, Quinn… Felix?

Taking a deep, shaky breath, I reach out and grasp Juliette's hand tightly. Her fingers close around mine, warm and reassuring. With a determined nod, I step out of the elevator and onto the treacherous ground of the lower level.

The air down here is thick and oppressive, heavy with the stench of sulfur and decay.

Dade gives me a reassuring smile. “I’ll do everything in my power to protect you. Come up here with me.”

I release Juliette’s hand and step closer to Dade’s side. I won’t lie; he used to scare me at one point. But now, as he wraps a wing around me, I feel an overwhelming sense of comfort. I silently apologize to Quinn for all the times I called her boyfriend an asshole. He takes my hand in his. “We’re going to stick together. Thanks to Quinn’s idea, we know what to do now. Okay?”

He makes it sound so simple. The difference is that the monster in the Earthery was just lurking there. Down here, we have to traverse miles of winding corridors to reach it. What are the odds we won’t encounter a demon along the way?

I push the thought aside and let Dade lead me, with Juliette and Tate trailing behind. We’ve barely walked ten feet when a voice calls out from behind us.

“What are you doing down here?”

I don’t need to turn around; I already recognize the voice—George.

“Lost?” Juliette tries to explain, but I can hear the tremor in her voice.

“There’s no way to get down here unless you’re with a demon. Who do you have helping you?” George demands.

“Anthura!” I lie, turning to face him. Cerby is panting next to him. “She let us down here before heading to Avarice.”

George takes a step closer, his presence even more revolting in this dimly lit space. His teeth are stained yellow and brown, and his mottled skin looks worse than I remembered. He narrows his eyes at me, skepticism etched across his face. “Anthura left hours ago.”

“We’ve been down here for hours,” I manage, forcing the words out. “We were hoping to find some food.”

George laughs, a harsh sound that echoes off the walls. “Any food you might find down here is definitely not meant for your stomachs.”

“Okay then. Sorry! We’ll head back upstairs!” I say, attempting to sidestep him, but he grips my wrist tightly. The sensation of his clammy skin against mine sends a jolt of revulsion through me, and I let out a yelp.

“Demons!” George shouts, his voice booming in the corridor. We wait with bated breath, but no one comes to his call.

“Very well. Everyone is upstairs, but they will relish this tasty meal when they get back.”

He drags me down the dark corridor, his grip so tight it feels like he’s trying to peel my skin off. The heat from his hand burns like acid, and I can almost smell my flesh sizzling.

Juliette lunges at him, but just like me, her fingers recoil from his touch. “You leave her alone!” she demands, anger lacing her voice.

“No. You will all come with me. If any of you try anything, I’ll kill her in the most painful way possible.”

Dade unfurls his wings again, a magnificent display meant to intimidate, but Tate jumps in front of him and reaches for me. Unfortunately, that gives George the chance to snatch her too, and almost immediately, I see her face contort in pain as her wrist begins to burn.

“You bastard!” Juliette seethes, but it’s too late. We’re already dragged into a dimly lit room.

“You two get yourselves into the manacles.” He nods toward the heavy iron shackles bolted to the wall. “And don’t try anything unless you want your friends burnt to a crisp. I missed out on a lot of deaths in the labyrinth, but I could have my fun with you four.”

With a resigned sigh, Dade and Juliette comply as George clamps Tate and me into a pair of manacles each, the cold metal biting into my skin. When he’s satisfied we’re all chained to the wall, he claps his hands together, a sinister smile stretching across his face. “I don’t know what will be more fun: torturing you alone or letting my demons feast on you for supper. I don’t usually let them dine on the residents of Gluttony, but for you four, I think I can make an exception.”

He strides over to Juliette, who glares at him with a fierce intensity. “Ah, you’re the one who demanded I serve you food on your first day here. I should have guessed you’d be trouble.” He steeples his fingers, a look of mock contemplation crossing his face. “But I don’t want to be too cruel. Here, have all the food you want.”

With a flick of his wrist, the room transforms, bursting with every kind of food imaginable.

“I have to go attend to some business, but just in case any of you think about escaping, I’ll leave Cerby here to keep you company.” He smirks, glancing at the colossal creature lurking in the shadows. “Enjoy looking at all this food, because when I return with my demons, you’ll be served up alongside it.”

With that, George strides out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

“Oh my god, I’m so hungry!” Juliette whimpers, her eyes darting to the endless spread of food. “I really fucking hate this place. Anyone have any ideas on how we might get out of here? Oh, is that cheesecake?”

I shake my head, fighting the temptation myself.

“This is the demon lounge,” Dade informs us, his voice steady yet laced with urgency. “This is where Quinn and I were nearly killed in the last circle.”

Just effing great!

Tate leans closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I might have an idea. Cerby! Here, boy!”

Juliette shakes her head, disbelief evident. “You don’t seriously expect that ugly beast to help us? It might have three heads, but it doesn’t have opposable thumbs… or keys to use them, for that matter.”

“There were keys on the wall over there last time.” Dade nods to the far side of the room, where a massive keyring hangs from a hook.

“Already ahead of you,” Tate says, determination glinting in her eyes. “Cerberus! Come here!”

“I thought it was called Cerby?” Juliette interjects.

“That’s his nickname,” Tate replies, undeterred. “Quinn said he prefers his full name.”

“How in all Hell does she know that?” Juliette scoffs.

Tate shrugs. “I don’t know. She told me about him in the Labyrinth.”

“Is there anything she didn’t tell you?” Juliette quips.

“She didn’t mention how to get the keys from the wall, but Cerberus looks like a clever dog.” Tate's eyes are fixed on the creature.

“I’ve seen dogs do more impressive things than just get keys from a wall. Do you really think it’ll work?” I say.

Tate’s resolve hardens. “Only one way to find out.”

With that, she calls Cerberus’s name again. This time, the creature pads over, all three heads swaying in unison, leaving a trail of drool that glistens on the floor.

“Hey baby. Can you get the keys?” She shakes her head toward the bunch of keys.

Cerberus sits, looking up at her, its tail wagging

“Keys. Can you fetch the keys? I’ll get you a bone!”

Juliette lets out a groan.

“Keys Cerby. Can you fetch the keys?” Tate motions to the keyring again.

The three-headed dog cocks its heads, as if pondering the request. Then, with a sudden burst of energy, it bounds across the room, its massive paws thudding against the stone floor. It reaches the wall where the keys hang and rears up on its hind legs, its front paws scrabbling at the rough surface.

"Come on, Cerby! You can do it!" Tate cheers, her voice echoing in the cavernous space.

Juliette rolls her eyes. "This is ridiculous. There's no way that creature is going to-"

Her words are cut off by a triumphant bark as Cerberus manages to snag the keyring with one of its mouths. The keys jangle as the beast drops back down to all fours and trots back to Tate, its tail wagging furiously.

"Good boy!" Tate exclaims, easing the keyring from the dog’s mouth with her foot. Deftly, she raises her leg and slips the keys into her fingers. We’re all on tenterhooks as she tries key after key in the manacles, but eventually she gets the right one.

“Told you he could do it,” Tate grins smugly as she unlocks Juliette’s manacles.

“Fine,” Juliette concedes, but it’s still a mangy mutt.”

“Don’t listen to her, baby.” Tate drops down and kisses all three heads of Cerberus.

While Tate unlocks Dade and I, Juliette stuffs her bra and face with cupcakes. I give her a scathing look.

“What? I’ve not eaten since yesterday, and who knows. We might have to throw cupcakes at that beast.”

The thought sobers me instantly. We managed to get out of George’s traps quickly enough, but we still have a long way to go.

“Come on.”

Dade takes the lead, opening the door back to the corridor. He ushers us all outside. Cerberus follows wagging his tail.

“That thing is not coming!” Juliette warns, but Tate reaches down the front of Juliette’s bra, pulls out three cup cakes and throws them to each of Cerberus’s heads, rendering Juliette speechless for the first time in her life and death.

When she sees that her indignation is not going to be heeded, she follows us down the long corridor.

After about two hours of relentless walking or limping in Tate’s case, Dade suddenly stops. “I’m going to have to take my shirt off.”

I glance down at my swollen ankles, feeling the heat radiate off my skin. I’m exhausted and uncomfortable, but I don’t have the luxury of being able to discard my shirt whenever I feel like it.

“Such a turn-on,” Juliette jokes, a playful grin spreading across her face.

Dade shakes his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. With a swift motion, he pulls his shirt over his head. He shuffles it around, carefully guiding his wings through the fabric.

Despite my irritation, I can’t help but draw in a breath when Dade turns his back to us. I’m not alone; beside me, Juliette and Tate gasp in unison.

“It’s London,” I say, gaping at the massive tattoo that sprawls across his back.

Juliette leans in closer to inspect it. “It’s a map.”

“A map of these corridors,” Dade clarifies. “Quinn marked the beast’s room with a red dot.”

“Quinn did this?” I ask, stepping up beside Juliette, my curiosity piqued. “I never knew.”

“I asked her to keep it a secret,” Dade replies, reaching over his left shoulder to prod a specific area of the map. “I think we’re around here somewhere. We just passed a fork and a T-junction.”

I shake my head in awe as Juliette follows the path along Dade’s back with her finger, tracing the intricate lines.

“It’s right here!” Tate snaps, jabbing her finger down just below Dade’s left shoulder blade. “And the red dot is down by his right kidney. We need to take the next right, then a left, then another left.”

Juliette raises her nose in the air, a hint of disdain evident on her face. When Dade, Tate, and Cerberus start moving, she pulls me back.

“Why is Tate even here?” she sniffs, crossing her arms.

“Uh, because she was the one who took us to the Earthery. She figured out how to get past the beast…”

“That was Quinn,” Juliette reminds me, her tone sharp.

“Okay, fine. She was the one who got us all out of the manacles in the demon’s lounge.”

“Yeah. And now I’m three cupcakes lighter because of that slobbering mutt.”

“You’d be a whole lot lighter than that if the demons had eaten you. Face it—we wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for Tate… or Cerberus. Now come on. We don’t want to lose them.”

It takes another four hours to reach the crystal room. Four hours of Juliette complaining about the dog and Tate.

I’d seen the beast before in the Earthery, but now, standing before the real thing, my fear creeps back in, settling like a heavy weight in my chest. Cerberus whines slightly, with one of its heads giving a timid bark. He slips behind Tate’s legs and cowers. For a type of hellhound with three heads, he’s an awful coward.

The hellbeast looks different—bigger, for starters. Its teeth gleam menacingly, longer and sharper than I remember.

It unleashes an almighty howl that reverberates off the walls, sending a chilling roar down the corridor. The force of it rustles our hair and sends shivers racing down my spine.

"Alright, Dade. You know the drill," Tate says, dropping her bag and pulling out the familiar white fabric we used before. She tosses the dress aside, quickly unraveling the material to drape over Dade’s wings.

This was easier in the Earthery. There, the chance of being mauled to death was significantly lower. Now, the stakes feel terrifyingly real. The beast’s breath reeks of sulfur, its jaws snapping with unnerving force. Yet, somehow, the three of us work together, dressing Dade in his angelic disguise.

When we’re done, he looks like the most bedraggled angel ever—but he fooled the fake hellbeast. Maybe it'll work again.

I hold my breath as we step back, watching for any sign that the disguise will hold. If it doesn’t, our only option is to retrace our steps all the way back to George and beg for mercy. Mercy that he has never shown.

The beast stares at Dade, its teeth bared. Dade is made of stronger stuff than I am. He’s an inch from the snarling jaw of the beast—close enough for it to ruffle his hair and yet he holds steadfast. He’s magnificent, his wings outstretched. The pressure he must be under, but he’s like a rock, staring into the red eyes of the beast, willing it to submit.

Finally, the beast lowers its gaze, and I let out a slow, shaky breath. I make a move forward, but Tate’s hand grips my arm, holding me back in warning.

Dade hangs there for a heartbeat, motionless, then steps toward the beast. It's as if a spell has been broken. The beast snaps out of its trance, lunging forward and striking at Dade. His quick reflexes save him, but not fast enough. The creature's jaws clamp down, tearing into his chest with a vicious bite.

I know I’m screaming. After hours of near silence, the sound of my voice echoes off the walls, sharp and piercing. Every instinct in me screams to help him, to pull him back, but I’m frozen, paralyzed. My mind fixates on the life growing inside me. Fear locks me in place.

Suddenly, a flash of white cuts through the chaos. In my frantic state, it takes a moment to register what I’m seeing. Tate. She’s somehow managed to slip into the white dress we had discarded earlier, her body now between Dade and the beast. She’s tall—standing on her tiptoes, she nearly reaches Dade’s height.

The beast pauses, confused. I follow its gaze, trying to understand. Tate, with her flowing white-blonde hair, the ethereal dress, and Dade’s white wings draped around them both, looks like something otherworldly—like an angel descending from the heavens.

And the beast seems to believe it.

It stops growling, its ferocity melting into submission as it lowers its massive head to the ground, like a work of art unfolding before my eyes.

"Wow," Juliette whispers, her voice filled with awe.

I snap back to reality, grabbing her hand and pulling her forward. But my heart pounds in dread as I glance at Dade—he’s losing too much blood.

Between Juliette, Tate and I, we manage to hold Dade up, almost carrying him around the beast and finally bolting through the door at the opposite end of the room, slamming it behind us before the beast comes to its senses.

“Dade!” I whimper as he crashes to the ground.

He looks up at me and smiles. “Everything is healed between circles remember,” He huffs out. I’m momentarily confused until he nods to another set of doors. Elevator doors. The words ‘Third Circle’ are printed in gold above the double doors.

Tate rushes over to the elevator and slams her hand on the call button. We’re here. We’ve done it!

We’ve managed something I never thought possible. Disbelief turns to excitement as the doors open. It takes us a couple of minutes to haul Dade to his feet and get him in the elevator, but between the three of us, we manage it. Cerby trots in behind us and I mentally add ‘stealing a hell dog’ to our list of crimes.

The exit to hell is in our reach and it takes everything I have not to press the button for the lowest circle. We only got out of here because of Quinn. We can’t leave her in Hell on her own. Besides, getting to the inner circle of Hell puts us face to face with Lucifer himself and none of us have prepared for that.

There’s a palpable charge in the air as the elevator descends, an electric tension that makes my heart race. The red velvet wallpaper and the strange painted walls depicting the nine circles are oppressive, but there’s a feeling of joy too. When Dade shifts his shirt aside, revealing the once vicious gash from the Hellbeast miraculously healed, I can’t contain myself. A burst of joy propels me forward, and I fling my arms around Tate, pulling her into a tight hug. The relief, the sheer victory of it all, washes over me.

I turn to Dade next, hugging him fiercely despite the sticky mess of blood still on his chest that smears across my dress. But I don’t care. "I knew we'd get that baby of yours to safety," he whispers in my ear, and I smile up at him, warmth flooding my chest. Who would’ve thought the brooding, mysterious Dade had a heart underneath all that darkness?

I spin around, ready to embrace Juliette in my elation, only to freeze in place. My eyes widen as I take in the sight before me—Juliette’s lips are locked with Tate’s. Or maybe Tate’s lips are on hers. I’m not even sure who initiated it.

My mouth hangs open in shock, the adrenaline in my veins now twisting into something completely unexpected. The soft ping of the elevator doors opening snaps me out of it, but Tate and Juliette remain entirely oblivious, lost in their moment.

“Ahem,” I clear my throat, feeling the heat of embarrassment creeping up my neck.

Tate pulls away slowly, her face smug, like the cat that got the cream. Juliette, on the other hand, looks stunned, her eyes wide with shock.

“Maybe we should get out before the elevator decides to take us back up?" I suggest, trying to restore some sense of normalcy to the situation.

Tate struts out confidently, her long white dress trailing behind her, now smeared with Dade’s blood across the front, looking like the goddess she is. Just like Dade, she has healed completely, the scars on her legs vanished.

“Are you coming?” I smirk at Juliette, who still seems too stunned to move.

“She kissed me,” Juliette hisses as we trail behind Dade and Tate.

I glance up at the pair, striding ahead like royalty, their presence larger than life. They move with the kind of grace that feels otherworldly. Dade had shrugged off the white cloth he’d worn in the elevator, but Tate is still rocking the bloodstained white dress like some kind of warrior goddess.

“I hugged Dade. So what?” I shrug, still feeling the adrenaline. “Emotions were high. I probably would've kissed Tate too. I mean, she did save us.”

Juliette suddenly stops, grabbing my arm and spinning me around to face her, her expression intense. “I didn’t kiss Tate. She kissed me.”

I try to keep my expression neutral, but amusement flickers in my eyes. “Maybe she was just happy we escaped.”

“You’re not getting this, Ro. She had her fricking tongue in my mouth!” Juliette’s voice rises, flustered in a way I’ve never seen before.

A smirk pulls at my lips. I’ve never seen Juliette so rattled, and honestly, it’s kind of hilarious.

“I wouldn’t read much into it,” I say calmly. I’ve noticed Tate’s lingering looks at Juliette and the half smiles in the past day, but I didn’t think much of it until now. Not that I’m going to tell Jules that. She stares at me as though I’ve gone crazy.

“Come on, or we’ll lose them. We walked for hours to get from the tower and it’s probably the same distance back to the Avarice tower.”

I take a few steps, hurrying along to catch up with Dade and Tate, but I soon have to stop to see if Juliette is following.

“Do you want to lose them?” I ask, as she stands still, disbelief still covering her features. “May I remind you that our only map of this place is tattooed on Dade’s back?”

“But she kissed me. What does it mean?”

I sigh. “Jules. You’ve fucked every man you’ve ever met. Maybe this is the universe’s way of telling you that you should try something new?”

“You just told me I shouldn’t read anything into it and now you want me to fuck her? I’m not even a lesbian!”

I sigh, not in the mood for a lengthy conversation about Juliettes’ love life. “I don’t want you to do anything other than get a move on. My feet are killing me. I’ve suddenly developed hunger that feels like my stomach is revolting against me and who knows what we’ll come across down here. I doubt the hellbeast in Gluttony was the only one. Maybe stop thinking of Tate as someone who kissed you and start reminding yourself that she was the one who got us away from the hellbeast in the first place.”