Tirade (Heven and Hell #3)(86)
Author: Cambria Hebert

There was a torch hanging on the wall and I grabbed it, setting it on fire with a lighter I pulled out of my pocket. The foyer around me illuminated and for once, I got to see what this place looked like. The walls were black unpolished granite and sconces filled with oil lined them. I lit those too, and the room actually looked bright.

I turned and looked back at the massive front door. It was black iron. Embedded in silver on the back was a large skull and crossbones. The door was flanked with black urns. Probably filled with dead people.

There was a black wooden console table against the wall coated in thick dust. It sat atop a floor made up of granite tiles in alternating colors of black and white.

I was a little disappointed there weren’t bodies everywhere. “You’d think a guy would be greeted at the door,” I muttered.

As if on cue, a demon shorter than Heven stepped into the room. He was wearing a little suit with a black bowtie and carried an empty silver tray. He seemed startled to see me standing in the foyer.

“The master is not at home,” he said, looking pointedly at the door. He was bald, his skin was unnaturally white and his ears were too large for his head.

I pounced and threw the demon up against the wall, sending the silver tray clattering to the floor. “The master is standing right here.” I growled.

“W-what happened to the old master?”

“I disposed of him,” I said, getting into the demon’s face, clutching at his shirt and pinning him against the wall.

“He can’t die,” the demon retorted. I held the flaming torch right up to the demon’s face and its white skin seemed to melt away. The demon struggled, trying to get away, but I held him firm.

“I put him somewhere and he isn’t coming back. Maybe you can hear the witch’s screams in the basement?” I dropped the torch and ignored the flames as they licked up the demon’s leg.

“Any more questions?”

“No, sir,” the demon murmured, watching the flames reach out and burn up my leg. It didn’t hurt and my skin was not melting as his was. When he looked up, there was real fear in his eyes.

I smiled. “Good, now go clean something. This place looks like shit.” I shoved him away from me and picked up the tray to throw it at him. The demon cowered and scurried away, only for me to yank him back.

I got down into his face, let my eyes flash silver and growled.

“And spread the word there’s a new ruler in town.”