Read Online Holidays Are Hell Esther Egg Hunt by Sam Cheever - Free Book Online

that you’ve run. They’ll need to make an example of you, honey.”
    She bit her lip, watching as, one after another, the assembly judges stepped from the roiling clouds and strode toward her. Her stomach twisted in fear. The judges looked pissed. She was pretty sure they’d never been forced to come to the Earthly plane to fetch a soul before.
    She glanced at the angel, wondering if she could stand living an eternity without being with Luc. The celestial creature stared back, a spark in one eye as if they shared a secret. Esther blinked, a thought occurring. She suddenly knew what they would do. Allowing a small smile to lift the corners of her lips, she shook her head. “I don’t need to go with Bri. I have an idea, Luc.”
    “Esther!” Luc glared at her, obviously frustrated by her refusal to do as he asked.
    Tension twisted between them. Esther put her hands on her hips and glared back.
    The wind picked up, and a hunk of metal slammed into Esther. She exclaimed in pain and rubbed her thigh. Luc took a step closer. “They’re almost here, Esther. You’re running out of time.”
    She held his gaze. “Do you trust me, Luc?”
    He closed his eyes, no doubt remembering when he’d asked her the very same thing. Finally, he sucked in a breath and nodded.
    “Good. Just go along with what we say.” She looked at Briathos and he nodded. Esther stepped closer to the guardian and turned to face the approaching devils.
    The five devils moved with an arduous, nearly shuffling gait, their heavy, clawed feet seemingly unaccustomed to walking over distance. Their long, arrow-shaped tails trailed behind them, snapping with anger. The devils’ white horns glowed against the charcoal gray bank of clouds that followed, seeming to spark as lightning speared the air. The chief judge was in the center, literally, of the storm. Larger than the others by a head and using his pitchfork as a walking stick, the chief was like the lead goose in a wedge, pointed directly at Esther.
    As they grew closer, Esther realized the rumbling noise she’d thought was the storm was coming from the angry judges. It grew louder with every foot of space they closed between them and their prey. The black cloud in the distance erupted in several spots, and a dozen winged creatures shot from the bank.
    Esther sucked in a horrified breath as she recognized them.
    “Demons.” Luc stepped closer to Esther, grabbing her hand in silent support.
    Bringing a Hell-like heat with them, the judges moved to a spot about ten yards from the defiant trio and stopped, their craggy, red countenances lifting to look at Briathos. The chief’s tail snapped and his pitchfork groaned under his clawed grip. “You have no business here, light one. Leave.”
    Silvery light flared around Esther but the angel didn’t say anything. She knew that was her cue. “It is up to me whether he has business here or not.”
    The chief turned his gaze slowly to her, clearly showing his disdain. His wide mouth twisted. “Shut up, supplicant. You’ve caused enough trouble. You and your disloyal lover will die a million horrible deaths for this.”
    The air around them grew hotter by the moment. Esther resisted the urge to rub sweat off her face and breathed shallowly to avoid pulling the super-heated air into her lungs. “Sorry, I don’t think you have control anymore. This is Briathos. He’s my guardian angel. You see, I’ve signed a contract with him to go to Heaven.”
    The chief judge threw back his head and roared. His pitchfork shot fire in a thick stream into the sky, and the demons hanging in the air above them gave off a screeching sound that made Esther’s knees weaken. Her legs buckled out from under her but Luc grabbed her arm, holding her up.
    Luc lifted an eyebrow at the judge. “Sir, this is your fault. If you hadn’t tortured her, Esther would have never run. She didn’t do anything to deserve the treatment you’ve subjected her to.”
    Smoke still billowing