Read Online Hunting in Hell by Maria Violante - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Maria Violante
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shifting with the motion.
De la Roca snorted. "If that was true, we would know its location already. The Mademoiselle has a veritable army of contacts in the area and has resided here for longer than you have been alive." I think.
He guffawed heartily, but at which point, she didn't know. "It is fairly inaccessible, my friend. I doubt a human has ever seen that place or where it leads. They might sense it in passing, a weird vibration that raises the hackles, or an odd note to the noise of the wind that cannot quite be placed. And even if one was to know of it and to find it, it would still be impossible to pass through. You see, you need to conjure a waypoint for that."
"A waypoint … into Hell ?" Her nightmare sprang into her mind, the chilling screams and maniacal laugh roaring through her ears. For a moment, she was caught there again, pinned to the earth, entrenched in the knowledge that everything was lost. The plaintive wail of a child pierced through her mind. She felt her once-dead heart start to race, and she begged it to be calm.
"No, De la Roca, not into Hell. There are other planes than Earth, Hell, and Heaven, although I doubt you remember your brief journey through the last. There are entire worlds of strangeness, worlds of wonder, worlds of glass and worlds of light. There are countless worlds deserted, and just as many populated by creatures very much unlike any you have ever known."
She burned to ask how he knew so much—of other worlds, of her —yet even as she formed the question, it died on her lips. It was clear from the way he spoke that he would not help her, not unless she helped him first.
Already, she knew she would. "So where would we need to go?"
"This demon is a very intelligent one. It holds the stone of memory, a kevra stone more powerful than you could imagine." As he spoke, his eyes glittered and he tensed his hand into a fist. "He has created himself a world, a terrifying dream-space that is more void than matter, a pocket that should not be. This world, it vibrates over the Phoenix Well."
"Over?" She cocked her head.
"I mean that it is the easiest point of access."
"There are others, then? Other access points?"
"Perhaps. Theoretically, there could be as many as there are stars in the sky, or grains of sand on the beach. Most are weak and unstable, and will turn on you when you crossed over. Honestly, there are no guarantees, when traveling between worlds, but picking the wrong point of entry will probably kill you."
De la Roca reflected on that, remembering her journey into his mental ocean. He had sent her back, she was sure of that, because she could not have returned of her own volition. What if she was caught again? She doubted her prey would be so kind as to assist her, especially after she killed it. She shivered.
Without warning, the Mademoiselle turned and stretched and a contraction of muscles rolled through her spine. She blinked rapidly while yawning, and pivoted to face De la Roca and the newcomer. She squints at him with some considerable interest. "Well hello, Laufeyson."
"Hello, Mademoiselle." He touched the brim of his hat.
One of her eyebrows darted up. "I trust you come to me to ask a favor."
"I come to trade, a piece of information for a deed."
"I see." She held out her hand with a sigh. "I don't know how you manage to steal these things, but our contracts still hold, you old trickster."
He passed her the volume from within his coat, and she flipped through it almost absently. A few minutes passed as she stopped at individual pages, studying them and absorbing their contents.
She looked up at De la Roca with an almost sad expression. "I suppose we should get ready for our departure."
* * *
De la Roca checked Alsvior over by laying her hands on his skin. "Does it hurt anywhere?" The horse shook his head. Healing up
De la Roca snorted. "If that was true, we would know its location already. The Mademoiselle has a veritable army of contacts in the area and has resided here for longer than you have been alive." I think.
He guffawed heartily, but at which point, she didn't know. "It is fairly inaccessible, my friend. I doubt a human has ever seen that place or where it leads. They might sense it in passing, a weird vibration that raises the hackles, or an odd note to the noise of the wind that cannot quite be placed. And even if one was to know of it and to find it, it would still be impossible to pass through. You see, you need to conjure a waypoint for that."
"A waypoint … into Hell ?" Her nightmare sprang into her mind, the chilling screams and maniacal laugh roaring through her ears. For a moment, she was caught there again, pinned to the earth, entrenched in the knowledge that everything was lost. The plaintive wail of a child pierced through her mind. She felt her once-dead heart start to race, and she begged it to be calm.
"No, De la Roca, not into Hell. There are other planes than Earth, Hell, and Heaven, although I doubt you remember your brief journey through the last. There are entire worlds of strangeness, worlds of wonder, worlds of glass and worlds of light. There are countless worlds deserted, and just as many populated by creatures very much unlike any you have ever known."
She burned to ask how he knew so much—of other worlds, of her —yet even as she formed the question, it died on her lips. It was clear from the way he spoke that he would not help her, not unless she helped him first.
Already, she knew she would. "So where would we need to go?"
"This demon is a very intelligent one. It holds the stone of memory, a kevra stone more powerful than you could imagine." As he spoke, his eyes glittered and he tensed his hand into a fist. "He has created himself a world, a terrifying dream-space that is more void than matter, a pocket that should not be. This world, it vibrates over the Phoenix Well."
"Over?" She cocked her head.
"I mean that it is the easiest point of access."
"There are others, then? Other access points?"
"Perhaps. Theoretically, there could be as many as there are stars in the sky, or grains of sand on the beach. Most are weak and unstable, and will turn on you when you crossed over. Honestly, there are no guarantees, when traveling between worlds, but picking the wrong point of entry will probably kill you."
De la Roca reflected on that, remembering her journey into his mental ocean. He had sent her back, she was sure of that, because she could not have returned of her own volition. What if she was caught again? She doubted her prey would be so kind as to assist her, especially after she killed it. She shivered.
Without warning, the Mademoiselle turned and stretched and a contraction of muscles rolled through her spine. She blinked rapidly while yawning, and pivoted to face De la Roca and the newcomer. She squints at him with some considerable interest. "Well hello, Laufeyson."
"Hello, Mademoiselle." He touched the brim of his hat.
One of her eyebrows darted up. "I trust you come to me to ask a favor."
"I come to trade, a piece of information for a deed."
"I see." She held out her hand with a sigh. "I don't know how you manage to steal these things, but our contracts still hold, you old trickster."
He passed her the volume from within his coat, and she flipped through it almost absently. A few minutes passed as she stopped at individual pages, studying them and absorbing their contents.
She looked up at De la Roca with an almost sad expression. "I suppose we should get ready for our departure."
* * *
De la Roca checked Alsvior over by laying her hands on his skin. "Does it hurt anywhere?" The horse shook his head. Healing up
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