18. Minos

Minos knew it wasn't a good idea. He knew it, and yet it didn't matter. He needed to get to Adam now.

He stalked through the rooms of Limbo, close on Pandora's heels. He was seething with rage and thoughts of revenge, his insides beating in a staccato rhythm, the word, "Adam, Adam, Adam," seeming to pulsate in his very core.

Demons raced around at his feet and legs, pleading with him, yelling at him, but he paid them no mind. One flung itself in front of Minos, but he merely stepped over it. His demons were loyal, and in some deep recess of his mind, he appreciated how much they wanted to save and protect him. He felt what he now recognized as love, thanks to Adam, for his demons.

Nevertheless, he would not be forestalled. They came to a clearing in a wood, and Minos saw the glowing white doorway ahead of him. Pandora fell to her knees in the grass, tears openly streaking her cheeks. She was muttering, and he thought he heard the words, "Please don't," over and over, but he paid them no mind.

A multitude of demons flung themselves in front of the doorway, blocking the way. Minos had no patience for such things. The taste of panic had receded from his tongue, but there was an acrid, bitter flavor there now. His Adam was not hurt, but he was not happy.

Minos would see that rectified.

"You will not stop me," he pointed out to his legions. "I will enter that doorway, even if it ends in the destruction of the afterlife. No one can keep me from my Adam. He is my mate, my mortal soul, and I will not leave him with them. If it is my destruction, then I will have been destroyed of my own choice, seeking all that has brought me joy and pleasure.

"You are my demons. You have been loyal and loved. But your sire commands you to clear the way. You must obey."

With much weeping and wailing, they moved from the doorway. Despite the direness of the situation and Minos' anger, he almost rolled his eyes at their theatrics. Adam would have found it endlessly amusing to see them carrying on in such a way, and that thought brought a smirk to his face followed quickly by a flash of pain, because Adam wasn't here to laugh and comment over their antics.

Upstairs would pay for that.

He stalked forward, ready to open the door, when a figure stepped in front of him. As tall as him, pitch black, with wings that sometimes looked made of feathers and sometimes of steel, the demon blocked the door, casually leaning on a battle axe larger than the lesser demons who were continuing to wail in the corner of the clearing. His eyes were lighter than his skin, but only barely, and a luscious black mane of hair covered his head, along with a full beard. Minos had the thought again that Adam would have quite a bit to say about this "sexy" demon, and his wrath surged forward once again at the fact that ADAM WAS GONE.

"Minos, fellow king of hell, looks like you've caused quite the stir. That's usually more my thing, isn't it?" the demon asked jovially.

"Arioch, Infernal King of the Underworld, Demon of Vengeance and Chaos," Minos greeted him. "Move out of my way," he then ground out.

Minos felt his anger calm the slightest. He felt some of the rage and urgency drain from him, and he growled in response.

"You may syphon off as much of my need for revenge and chaos as you like. It will not change my mind in the matter. I will go through that door, Ari," he stated firmly. He was calmer, however, and perhaps that was not a bad thing. His resolve was stronger than ever, but blindly charging in might not have been the wisest course of action.

"Bruh, rest assured I have no desire to put a stop to what the future will bring." Arioch stopped, looking off into the distance, his eyes swirling. "Cracking, stone, blood, and a new age," he said in a dreamy voice before snapping back and looking at Minos.

"It's gonna be some good shit," he smirked, his gaze clear again. "Although your legions are out trying to find some asshole who will stop you, so I don't expect you'll have too long. No, I've come for the shitstorm. Chaos and revenge are, after all, totally my speciality." He winked at that.

Minos almost rolled his eyes at Arioch—Chaos always had to combine the surreal with the gritty, and it usually amused Minos, but his anger was too great for such entertainment.

"Little problem, though, asshole," Ari added. "Have you figured out how you'll get the door open?"

Minos had not. His demons could not open it, there was not an angel to be found, and he also noticed that Pandora had disappeared from the field. Perhaps she had realized the dilemma that Arioch had brought up and had left to avoid being commanded to do it. He thought she might have been able to open the door, but it was useless to try to find her now. He had no doubt she had hidden herself, and possibly anyone else who could open the door, deep within the rooms of Limbo.

Minos frowned at Ari. "I did not," he admitted.

Ari chuckled. "Revenge is an art, bruh. You gotta plan these things, not just blunder in all half-assed."

"It is not revenge I seek. I seek Adam, and there is no time for planning when they have taken him from me."

"Yes, but revenge shall come nonetheless. You shall all fulfill the roles needed of you, and I will dine on the chaos and vengeance," Ari breathed out reverently. Minos nodded his head once. Because of course he would. They had dared to take what was his.

"Then I'm totally down to help you," he added matter-of-factly. "In the spirit of vengeance and chaos, of course." He winked, drawing his axe up above his shoulders and stalking toward the closed door.

He stopped at the doorway and turned toward Minos. "Bruh, I wish I could see their fucking faces up there when you get there. I, however, have no desire to turn into billions of quarks to be spread into the universe, so I'll be hanging right here. I'm sure I'll hear the stories, though. Angels are the most ferocious gossipers."

With a dreamy smile, probably at what he considered Minos' impending destruction, he brought the axe down heavily and methodically against the glowing, white door, the entire valley shaking and echoing with the force of his blows.