Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

A she’s hands trembled ever so slightly as she scrubbed the bloodstained wooden table in the dimly lit chamber. Despite Belial healing her body from the lashes of his whips after two days of pain, her muscles were already worn from cleaning up after his disgusting messes. Then, she’d been spared from the usual torturous tasks for the past three days, healing from the latest round of “entertainment” meted out by one of the Seven Lords of Sin.

A shudder ran down her spine at the mere thought of gluttony’s grotesque form.

The heavy dungeon door creaked open behind her, startling her into knocking the bucket of hot water, sloshing it across the already mopped floor. She froze, waiting for Belial or his guards to punish her. When the blows never came, Ashe braved turning around to see who, or what, had entered.

A petite, wiry figure stood in the doorway with a stack of filthy rags in hand. Ashe’s eyes narrowed, wary of the newcomer. The woman appeared to be somewhere near Ashe’s age, far too young to withstand the torment these demons wrought. Short, curly brown hair framed bright hazel eyes that sparked with intelligence and mischief.

“Well, well, look what the demons dragged in,” the other woman drawled. “A newbie.” She eyed Ashe up and down, “Evelyn,” she stuck her hand out. “Sad to say I’ve been stuck in this hell coming up on four years.”

Ashe barely held back her gasp of shock that anyone could withstand this level of pain for that long before giving in to the embrace of death.

Ashe straightened, trying not to appear as broken mentally as she felt, but her eyes betrayed her vulnerability, but she didn’t dare shake the girl’s hand, wary of what it could mean.

While she was grateful to finally meet another human, Evelyn's presence was a terrifyingly dangerous choice. Belial didn’t let his prisoners work together.

“I’m not a?—”

Evelyn held up a grubby hand. “I know you’ve been here a few weeks, but I’ve been … otherwise occupied.” She sat on the floor next to Ashe. “He’s kept you away from everyone because you’re beautiful.”

Ashe’s eyes went wide. “You think I’m what?” She’d never been accused of being anything more than plain before. Her long red hair had no volume or curls, her pale blue eyes were just slightly too big for her face, and her frame was thin with no curves to speak of that anyone would enjoy.

“Clearly, whoever fucked you into this position did a number on you. You’re stunning, and Belial has mostly male slaves. You’d create a commotion.”

“Oh,” she whispered, trying to take in the compliment. Her stepmother wasn’t cruel, but she’d never let Ashe go anywhere or do anything to maybe have people tell her she was pretty.

“We’re both in this rotten situation, might as well make the best of it.” Evelyn dropped the rags next to Ashe. “Here, better use these to get the water up.”

Ashe hesitated, then extended her hand. “Ashe.”

“Nice to meet you, Ashe. So, you know, there’s no victory in looking for a way out. Only death, and then you’ll belong to the demon king.”

Evelyn stood and left as quickly and quietly as she’d come in, leaving Ashe alone with her thoughts.

Ashe continued her word in silence, her mind consumed by Evelyn and what she’d said. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it than just Belial wanting to keep his “prize” safe from the other slaves. What was it about her that made her stand out? And how long would she be able to hold on to her sanity in this hellish place?

The incident with Evelyn was not the only thing weighing heavily on Ashe’s mind. The constant pain and torment inflicted upon her by the demons was taking its toll. She had no idea how much longer she could withstand it before breaking completely.

Ashe’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud thud and a sharp cry of pain coming from one of the nearby rooms. She froze, unsure of what to do. Should she continue working or go check on whoever made the noise?

A few moments later, she heard Belial storming past, shouting curses.

“You useless little worm!” he spat at whoever was on the other side of the wall. “I gave you one simple task, and you can’t even handle that!”

Ashe shrunk back as Belial’s anger radiated through the walls, and her fear for the person on the other side began to grow. Belial destroyed her body when he wasn’t mad, she did not know how dangerous he’d be infuriated.

“She refused to entertain our guests,” someone stammered out nervously.

Ashe couldn’t stop her feet if she wanted to. Jumping up, she rushed out of the dungeon cell door, following the voices. If there was a child in danger, she was going to take the beating.

She found herself in a larger cell. A tall, muscular demon with dark red skin and leathery wings loomed over a trembling girl who couldn’t have been more than ten years old.

“Foolish child,” Belial growled again, his voice dripping with venom. “You dare defy orders my men gave by way of me?”

The girl whimpered and stumbled backward as Belial raised his hand, ready to strike her.

Without thinking, Ashe stepped forward and put herself between Belial and the girl. She braced herself for the impact, but it never came.

Belial’s hand froze in midair as he stared at Ashe in shock. He had expected her to cower or run away like all his other slaves would have done.

“You dare to protect this insignificant creature?” he sneered at Ashe.

Ashe stood her ground, defiantly meeting Belial’s gaze. “She is just a child,” she said firmly. “I didn’t think you could get more disgusting than using her for entertainment.”

Belial’s expression turned from surprised to amused as he chuckled darkly. “You have quite the spirit in you,” he said, circling around Ashe like a predator stalking its prey.

Fear crept up her spine as Belial towered over her, but she refused to back down.

“I like that,” Belial continued, his voice low and dangerous. “I think I’ll keep you around for entertainment another time.”

Ashe’s heart pounded in panic at his words, but she knew better than to show any sign of weakness or fear in front of him.

Belial narrowed his eyes at her before turning his attention back to the trembling girl behind Ashe. With one swift movement, he grabbed the small child by the hair and dragged her away from Ashe. Ashe lunged, but was caught by the red-skinned demon, forcing her to flail unsuccessfully as Belial did god-only-knew what to that poor child.

“Hey, Ashe!”

Ashe looked up from her bowl of gray slosh to see Evelyn watching her with a smirk. “Keep ignoring this delicious slop and you’ll pass out while he’s working you. Trust me, you don’t want that.”

“Sorry,” Ashe mumbled and straightened.

“Relax, I’m just messing with you,” Evelyn said, throwing her a bottle. “You’re too tense. You have to loosen up if you want to survive here.”

Ashe caught the bottle and sipped the liquid, her parched throat contracting from the burn of alcohol. “Thanks.”

“No problem. Listen, we don’t have much time, but I’ve been around here for years. Let me help you so you at least earn a little free time. Belial likes to live up to the area and be the envy of every other high demon lord. We help with that and we get a little peace.”

Ashe hesitated, but knowledge could help her escape. It didn’t matter what Evelyn said a few days ago, she was getting out. “Okay.”

Evelyn grinned. “‘Atta girl. Follow me.”

Ashe trailed Evelyn through the halls, her heart racing with every step. She knew this was a bad idea, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself from following the other woman. They passed cells filled with moaning souls, the stench of death and rot churning Ashe’s stomach.

“First rule. Don’t look,” Evelyn hissed, tugging Ashe’s arm. “Makes it easier that way.”

Ashe forced herself to keep her gaze ahead, focusing on Evelyn’s back.

“Here’s the deal,” Evelyn began, her voice low and urgent. The demons here are as awful as they come. They’re always on the hunt for sins—lust, greed, pride, all that jazz. That’s how they feed.”

“What are their weaknesses?”

“Ah, one step at a time. First, we have to survive. And to do that, we have to fly under the radar. We don’t escape, we just live without punishment as often as we can.”

Evelyn led her through a passageway concealed behind a painting of Belial in his human guise, the wall closing in behind them with a sinister hiss.

“This is one of the many secret passages in this dump. Useful for avoiding the guards. Remember it.”

They emerged in a dank, dimly lit chamber lined with bunks.

“This is my quarters,” Evelyn said, flopping onto a thin mattress. “Not much, but it’s home for now. Feel free to find your way in here when you need to, just don’t let them catch you or it’s my ass on the line, too.”

Ashe lay down beside her newfound friend, exhaustion overtaking her soul.

“You’ll do fine, Ashe. You got grit, I can tell.” Evelyn yawned, closing her eyes. “Tomorrow, we’ll start your lessons properly. You can sleep here for a bit, but it’s off with you after that.”

Ashe stared at the ceiling, her mind whirling. She had a purpose. She was going to do more than survive. She was going to use these tips to get out.

Laying on the second makeshift bed, Ashe tried to calm her breaths and slow the rapid fear in her heart. The events of the day replayed themselves over and over in her mind. She couldn’t ignore the fear anymore - fear of the demons, the never-ending servitude, and most of all, the darkness that seemed to be creeping into her very soul. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared at the ceiling.

“It’s all right, you’re allowed to cry,” Evelyn said softly, sensing her distress. “We all break sometimes. But remember, tomorrow you have to get up and keep fighting, all right?”

Ashe nodded, wiping her tears away. “I. . . I’ll try.”

“That’s all I can ask for.” Evelyn’s voice was gentle, almost motherly. “Sleep now, Ashe. Tomorrow, we start your training, and you’ll need all your strength.”

Ashe closed her eyes, and for the first time since her arrival, she dreamed, her subconscious flooded with visions of a man with emerald eyes, a glimmer of hope in the darkness that threatened to consume her.