Chapter 2

“I am Hecate, witch of ancient lore,

“I lift this plea to the creator of Earth’s dusty floor.

“Deliver this imperiled soul to Earth’s clandestine dust,

“By way of liquid Venus, and powdered grains of musk.

“Hark unto my words from moon to moon and sun to sun,

“And by the law of three times three—let it be done!”

The two of them watched until the metal melted in the heat. When it was finished, the old witch poured it into the cold water where it took shape and hardened. As soon as it was ready, she reached in, brought it out, and studied the shape.

“Danger follows you into the new world,” she whispered. “Beware of an enemy whose kisses are sweeter than wine. His sting is deadly.” She laid the bit of Venus metal in his hand and closed his fingers over it. “Take it, and when you get to the Styx River—”

“Why the Styx?”

“It winds around Hell nine times. Your spell was three times three, which is nine. Now, throw it in, and do not leave until you see a snake of winding smoke lift from its surface. From that moment on, you will have as much protection as I can give you.”

“What do you mean? You sound as if you’re limited.”

“You have to remember that Satan’s power is stronger than mine. One other thing. Beware of Cerberus, the Hound of Hell. He will sniff out your scent and pursue you, but when the spell begins to work, he will lie down and whimper like a baby. Now, go swiftly. Let nothing stop you.”

Adamas clasped his fist tight, the witch’s homemade charm in his hand. “If this is successful, may you be rewarded for helping me.”

“Go! Quickly! Take my chariot. It will get you there much quicker.”

He turned and ran out, jumped into the chariot, and sped into the murky darkness on his way to his destination.

* * * *

“Adamas is gone?” Duke Alloces shouted from lounging in his hot tub. “What do you mean, gone?”

“I mean he’s escaped.”

The Duke lunged forward, and glared at the assassin. “My God, X-Tilla, you have to get him back! Do you hear? You have to get him back!”

“But, sire, we’ve searched everywhere.”

“Then search again. I don’t care what it takes,” the Duke said, jumping out of his steaming bath and wrapping a towel around his waist. “X-Tilla, if you fail at this, you’ll have undone all the good you’ve accomplished so far. Be sure that when you find him, slay him on the spot! And keep this in mind. If you’re successful at this, it will be your greatest feat yet. Satan will have a banquet in your honor. He will lead a parade down the streets of Hell with the body of Adamas gored through by a spear for everyone to see. Imagine! The Black Knight dead! It will be the death that will make you the most feared assassin in Hell.”

“But, sire, he’s—”

“I don’t want to hear it!” the Duke shouted. “He’s got to be somewhere. Uncover that rebel angel’s lair and kill him!”

“I can only think of one place he could be.”

The Duke whirled around and looked at X-Tilla. “Where?”

“He may be heading for the vortex. To find it, he would need the services of the old witch, Hecate. It makes perfect sense. He needs a place to hide, and the vortex could provide that for him.”

“Remind me again of the depth of his sin.”

“He’s been saying that on the day of the revolt in heaven that Satan lied to the angels and they were tricked into taking the wrong path. Since then, he has been going about gathering an army and preaching his message to the masses. To shut him up, he was accosted and jailed for rebellion, but the jail couldn’t hold him. I don’t know where he went from there, but if he has the vortex in mind, he would need the old witch’s help to free him from this realm so he could escape to another dimension.”

“Another dimension?”

“Yes. If he’s successful, it’s my guess that he will be entering the Earth’s third dimension, and live in the New City.”

“How do you know so much about it?”

“Because it is my job to know.”

“You mentioned the New City. What is that?”

“It is one of the largest and most sin-ridden cities on the planet. It is a place he can get lost in, making our job of finding him almost impossible.”

“He shouldn’t be too hard to spot.”

“That is true as long as he has his wings, but when he enters into Earth’s dimension, his image will be altered, and he will become a sexual creature like all other men that live there.”

“Adamas among humans? Impossible.”

“It would seem so, but remember, sire, Adamas is no fool. He must know that a change in his looks would be beneficial at this point. Disguised as a mortal man he could live there indefinitely with no one ever knowing who he really is. There are many life-threatening escape routes out of Hell, and believe me, Adamas has probably considered them all. I’m sure he knows that the vortex is the best way to go, so I implore you to give me leave to find him and cut him down, because if he goes through the life-altering vortex, he is lost to us.”

Alloces looked angry. “Be gone, then, but he will not get far. Living in the outside world, where he must intermingle with humans goes against all the rules of Hell.”

“Rules don’t mean a thing to him, sire. Like all angels, he was created with a free will, and if he chooses to go to Earth, or anywhere else, there’s no rule that can stop him.”

“Adamas living on Earth? The mere thought is utterly ridiculous! How long has he been gone?”

“I came to you as soon as I learned of it, sire. He has only just left.”

“Go, X-Tilla! Ride as fast as the wind, and find him!”

* * * *

The four winds swirled with fury as Adamas traveled in the witch’s chariot as fast as the huffing horses would carry him. His eyes bore into the murky mists until he at last was riding the edge of the River Styx. Even here at the edge of Hell, he could hear the tormented cries of those who were trapped in the Lake of Fire. Trying to ignore the horrible sounds, he reined in his horse, took the charm from his pocket, and while standing on a tall rock, he pulled his arm backward, and then with a mighty heave, he threw the charm forward into the black water. Just then Cerberus, the hellhound that guarded the river, began running toward him to attack, but the moment the charm hit the water, and a snake of magical smoke rose into the air, the hound suddenly stopped, and his growl turned to a whimper.