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corporeal being with an intact and
non-damned soul—into Hell,” I told her. “The only way anyone will
believe I am doing this without suspicion is if you travel as
someone of consequence to me—specifically, my concubine.”
    “ Look, Laish, I don’t care what kind of bargain we made—I
am not going to be your sex
slave the whole time we’re here.”
    Her eyes were wide
and angry which didn’t surprise me. I had known she wouldn’t like
this little detail—which is why I had purposefully left it out
before.
    “ You will be my concubine in name only,” I said. “But
you will agree to this ruse or I
will not take you a step further.”
    “ I…you…this is blackmail!” she burst out, obviously
furious.
    “ Call it what you like,” I told her evenly. “But from the time
we pass the Great Barrier until we reach the final circle of
Hell—the Abyss—you will belong to me and obey my orders. And you
will start by wearing this.”
    I reached into
the air and pulled out the outfit I had chosen for her. I didn’t
intend to argue with her anymore. I enjoyed her sharp wit and her
stubborn nature but in this, I would not be refused.
    “ Put it on,” I said, pressing the garment forcefully into her
arms. “And let’s hear no more about it.”
     
    * * * * *
    Gwendolyn
     
    I
stared at the clingy red gown he’d shoved into my hands with shock and
incomprehension. The fabric was incredibly thin and filmy and it
had spaghetti straps, meaning I couldn’t wear a bra under it. It
was going to show damn near everything.
    “ You’re joking,” I said, looking up at Laish, who was scowling
down at me. “You can’t expect me to wear this thing. I might as
well prance into Hell naked.”
    “ I
assure you, Gwendolyn, that can be arranged.” His deep voice was
steely and I could see he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
Not that it stopped me from trying.
    “ I’m not wearing this,” I said, trying to shove it back at him.
“No way in Hell—literally.”
    “ Then there is no way in Hell that you are getting past the
Great Barrier.” He nodded to the burning stone wall which encircled
the realm of the damned. It rose hundreds of feet into the sky but
it was still dwarfed by the gates. Glowing gold and red, their
enormous wrought iron wings towered like a monolith over the Shadow
Lands.
    I put a hand on my
hip. “What—you won’t take me in if I don’t meet your personal dress
code?”
    He frowned. “No, I
refuse to take you in and risk someone knowing who and what you are
because you are dressed like a second rate tourist.”
    “ There’s nothing wrong with my clothes,” I said
defensively.
    “ No, if you are going on a tour of the Vatican or the Great
Pyramid of Giza or some other Earthly landmark,” he snapped. “Here
they single you out as an easy mark.”
    I
could feel my re solve wavering but I tried not to show it. “What—people don’t
wear jeans in Hell?” I asked.
    Laish gave my
comfortable jeans a scathing look. “They do not. Those ridiculous
trousers mark you for what you are—a living human in the lands of
the dead and damned.”
    “ Is that really so
dangerous?” I asked.
    “ In a word—yes.” Laish gave a short, sharp nod.
“ Even dressed in
the clothing I have provided, you will be at considerable risk,
Gwendolyn. Though I myself have no interest in your soul, there are
many who think otherwise. Demons with quotas to fulfill who will be
skinned or maimed by their superiors if they fail. Soul scalpers
who make a living selling the unwary to the unprincipled. And
simple thieves who steal whatever is unattended. Remember, Hell is
the realm of sin and corruption. You cannot trust anyone here.”
    “ What about you?” I asked, my voice cracking a little as I
remembered my earlier fears that he would take what he wanted and
then abandon me. “ Can I trust you while we’re here? Can I really,
Laish?”
    “ Did you not hear the pledge I gave to your grandmother?”