(The following takes place in Hell after Chris is killed and the demon is driven from his body, and before Lilith visits Queen Maab.)

The Ninth Circle of Hell was a vast wasteland of fire and brimstone, lakes of hissing lava spitting fire and smoke. The screams of the Damned could not reach them here. This particular circle was reserved only for those who had committed the most hideous of sins or those the demons had taken a personal interest in. At the moment, the place was being prepared for a very special guest — someone they had long awaited. It didn't matter who he was or what he'd done in life. The only thing that mattered was the blood that flowed in his veins and the wings he bore upon his back — wings he was not even aware of, wings of a divine nature. He had not yet fallen, but if the demons had their way, they would capture his soul, and he would belong to them for all eternity.

There were four of them in consultation. All demons of high rank, all joined together in a common cause — that of freeing the Master and setting chaos loose upon the Earth, declaring war on Heaven and wreaking havoc and vengeance upon those who'd cast them from their rightful place so many centuries before.

With the Master in chains, Lilith was the highest ranking demon in all the Circles of Hell. It was up to her to free him, and she would stop at nothing to fulfill her goal. It was she who led the others, who made the decisions, and who would reap the reward of years of loyalty to the Master once he was set free. It was she who addressed the other three, who listened to their Mistress with rapt and nervous attention.

"Agrath, have you found them yet?" she hissed through clenched and razor-sharp teeth as she paced back and forth, arms crossed against her chest, clawed fingertips tapping an forearm impatiently.

"No, Mistress," the other demoness replied, as she stared into the fiery pool of lava that filled the pit before them. "It's as if they've disappeared into nothingness."

"Both of them?" the other snapped back, impatient displeasure reflected in her voice. She was not one to trifle with and she did not like being thwarted.

Agrath nodded, fearfully. She knew the Mistress was not pleased, and there was no telling what she might do or who she might punish in her growing rage. She did not want to be one who would pay for someone else's failure, and so, she felt obliged to point out that it was not her fault the two had gone missing.

"It's Abaddon's fault," she reminded the Mistress, not daring to look at the demon in question while she made her accusation. "He had the girl, and he let her get away. Now, she's with him." She emphasized the word him, so there was no mistaking who she was referring to — the one they had so long desired. "They are together."

"Someone must be helping them," the Mistress mused, turning her attention to the solitary male among them. "I am disappointed in you, Abaddon. I gave you a simple task and you failed. Perhaps I should send you back to the Seventh Circle. I'm told they miss you there."

"Mistress," the demon bowed his head subserviently, "give me another chance, and I shall not fail you."

Lilith rolled her unearthly black eyes and waved a dismissive hand at him. "Don't grovel, Abaddon. It's unbecoming."

A fourth demon broke in, this one also female. Her name was Namaah, and she was second only to Lilith. She had long been awaiting her chance at freedom, to once again walk among mortals — to taunt and torment them — and her patience was growing short. She had a special interest in their quarry. She was, after all, the Mistress of Seduction. She knew if anyone could capture him, given the chance, she could. "He's had his chance, Lilith. It's my turn now. You promised," she pouted.

"Namaah, please," the Mistress replied, as if speaking to an errant child. "This isn't a game. It needs to be done right."

"And that is why you should send me," the other demoness argued. "I know men's hearts, Mistress. I know how to accomplish the task. Was it not I who defeated Samson' Was it not I who corrupted David" Abaddon failed. He wasted time. He should have killed the girl while he had the chance. Instead, he chose to toy with her. Now, we have to separate them, and that could prove difficult, but I know a way."

"Not now, Namaah," Lilith replied, dismissively. "I have an idea."

"What is it, Mistress?" Abaddon interjected, hoping for another chance. He hadn't been to the Seventh Circle in five hundred years, and he was hoping to stay away for at least another five hundred. "I am your loyal servant. I will not fail you again." He bowed his head once again, but to no avail.

Lilith waved him to silence. He had failed her once. He would not get another chance. "Perhaps it's time we visit some old friends," she said thoughtfully.

"What friends?" Namaah asked sarcastically. The Fallen Ones had no friends and very few allies, though there had been rare times in the past when they'd joined forces with other like-minded beings who had similar goals — that of chaos and destruction.

Lilith turned to the Seeress, black eyes flashing with malice, an evil grin curling her hideous lips. "Agrath, I wish an audience with the Unseelie Queen."

The lesser demoness nodded her head obediently. "Yes, Mistress." She wasn't sure what the Mistress could possibly want with the Queen, but she was not one to question, only to obey. It had kept her from the Seventh Circle for two millennia. The same could not be said for the other two.

"The Unseelie Queen?" Namaah asked, curiously. "What could you possibly want with her?"

Lilith smiled evilly. "A favor. Nothing more."

"There will be a price," Abaddon pointed out, not liking the sound of his Mistress' plan. He was already concocting one of his own, as was Namaah.

"Of course, and I am prepared to pay it." She looked over at her companions who looked back at her aghast. "Don't worry, my darlings. If I have my way, we'll have all three of Heaven's agents in our clutches before long and then, it's only a matter of time before the Master is set free."

The three demons exchanged looks with each other, unsure what exactly the Mistress had in mind, though they dared not argue. Once her mind was set, there would be no changing it. She would meet with the Unseelie Queen and set her plan in motion, and no one dared stop her.

I will have you, yes, I will have you I will find a way and I will have you Like a butterfly, a wild butterfly I will collect you and capture you You are an obsession, you're my obsession Who do you want me to be to make you sleep with me

("Obsession" — Animotion)

~~~

(The following conversation takes place in a strip joint, during the time that Namaah is trying to capture Rhys.)

The nightclub was ironically called Diablo's. The place was just what he expected it to be — swarming with people, men and women alike, all of them wanting one thing and one thing only. It smelled of lust and sweat and alcohol, the thrum of the music almost giving it a heartbeat and life of its own. It reminded him of Sodom and Gomorrah. He'd always hated that place. There was only one thing that interested him. He hadn't found it there, and he knew he wasn't going to find it here either. But he had managed to find something else.

"I thought I might find you here," he said as he settled his tall, handsome frame onto a chair beside a willowy blond. He glanced up to find another equally-handsome devil clad in barely anything at all, dancing on stage and thrusting his more than ample pelvis at her, grinning seductively. He sighed of boredom. He'd seen it all and done it all before. Earth hadn't really changed all that much since his last venture there. "Why don't you just screw him and get it over with already?"

The blond smiled, her blue eyes twinkling with something far more dangerous than mere good humor. "It's all about the chase, Abaddon. Don't you know that by now?" She lifted her margarita in a carefully manicured hand and gestured at their surroundings. "Look at them. All they care about is lust, and once they've satisfied it, what?s left' Nothing. They hurry through life, never once remembering to savor the moment, and then it's over. Pathetic fools."

He watched as she beckoned the dancer closer. The man bent his oiled and sweating body toward her, and she pressed her lips against his, moaning with pleasure, her hands sliding up against his thighs. She tucked a twenty into his g-string, giving him a little squeeze for good measure. He kissed her again, as if to thank her, and she sighed softly. He wasn't her true objective, but he'd do for a few hours' distraction.

"He's never going to surrender himself to you," Abaddon remarked, interrupting her thoughts and reminding her that she'd been sent topside by Lilith to capture Rhys, and that was all. "You're fighting a losing battle, Namaah."

"Oh, ye of little faith," she countered. "They always surrender in the end, Abaddon. I've never failed once yet."

"What about David?" he scoffed, referring to the Biblical David. "Your crowning achievement."

Her smiled faded, and she turned to him, blue eyes turning completely black. "He was mine, until they got in the way." She emphasized the word in such a way that he knew exactly who she was referring to — angels. God's chosen ones. The bane of their existence.

"And you don't think that will happen again?" he pointed out. "It's different this time. The stakes are higher, and we both know they aren't going to let you have him, free will or no free will. I'm surprised they haven't interceded yet. They're plotting something. I can almost feel it."

"If anyone would know, it would be you, Abaddon, seeing as you once walked among them. Tell me, what was heaven like that you were in such a hurry to leave" Was it too boring for you? I'll bet that was it. All that singing and praising and groveling. It must have been horrible for you. It's no wonder you don't want to go back there."

"I have other plans," he snapped back.

That got her attention, and she turned to face him, eyes bleeding back to blue. "Is that what you came here to tell me" Your plans?"

Abaddon smiled, and she realized with a sinking heart what a waste of time it would be to try and seduce him, no matter how attractive the body was that he'd chosen to clothe himself in. He was beyond her reckoning and beyond her grasp. Still, he might yet prove himself useful.

"I have a proposition," he told her.

"Oh, really' And what might that be?" she asked doubtfully, tapping her fingernails impatiently against the glass.

"I can give you what you want."

"And what is that?"

"Freedom."

She rolled her eyes and turned away, growing bored with the conversation. Lilith had already given her a little taste of freedom, and she had no intentions of relinquishing it. "Is that all?"

"No, that's not all. That's only the beginning. I will let you have the object of your desire for all eternity. That's what you want, isn't it' To own him body and soul?"

She searched his face, looking for any sign of deception, but he had mastered that art long ago, and she had no way of knowing for sure if he was being truthful. "And what?s in it for you?"

He smiled, looking almost amused at the question. "I'm going to take my rightful place in hell."

Namaah arched a perfectly plucked blond brow at his answer and chuckled derisively. She knew he lusted for power, but she had never realized until just then how far he was willing to go to achieve his own objectives. "She'll never let you," she retorted. They both knew without naming her that she was referring to Lilith.

"She wants me to find the Sword of Light," he continued, ignoring her remark.

She gasped audibly. "Michael's sword?"

He nodded once. "I'm going to find it, and when I do, no one will be able to stop me. Not even her."

"That's treason!" she exclaimed, looking horrified at the very thought.

"Treason is my specialty, Namaah," he smiled sweetly. "Are you with me or are you going to follow orders, like a good little demon?"

She frowned, considering a moment and weighing her options. She didn't trust either Lilith or Abaddon, but at the moment, Abaddon was dangling the bigger carrot. It was a temptation she found herself unable to resist. "You promise you'll let me keep him?"

He chuckled. He had read her right. She hadn't changed one whit in a thousand years or more. She was so predictable and so pliable, it was almost pathetic. "You can keep him for as long as you wish and do whatever you want with him. Create demon spawn with him, for all I care."

It sounded almost too good to be true. She had lost her hold on David. God had forgiven him, and he'd gone to heaven, but she wouldn't let that happen again. This one was special. There hadn't been anyone like him in a very long time, and she wanted him for herself. He would be her own special pet. No one would touch him, but her. Not the Lycan bitch, not Lilith, not even the Master himself. He would be hers for all eternity — body, mind, and soul. It was a tempting offer, but she knew it wouldn't come without a price.

"What is it you want in return?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, as if he wanted only a trifle. "Nothing too difficult. Lilith is distracted. She's obsessed with killing the Lycan bitch. She wants your pet for herself, and once she has him, she isn't going to give him back, so I suggest you stop playing games and get serious."

Namaah scowled, her eyes turning black again. She lifted her head and looked askance, her sight going out of focus for a moment as she searched for her quarry. "I see him. Poor lad." She sighed, frowning. "He's tired. If he'd only let me help him, I could ease his pain and suffering."

Abaddon chuckled, mirthlessly. "You almost sound like you care."

"I care enough not to let Lilith get her claws into him. There's no telling what she'd do."

"I can tell you what she'd do," he replied, reminding her why the place they'd been banished to was called hell. "She'll break him, she'll use him, and then she'll destroy him. You don't want that, do you?"

Namaah frowned, almost sadly, and shook her head. "No."

"Then find him and put him some place safe. Some place no one will find him. Not even Lilith. And when the time is right, I will let you have him."

She nodded, a plan forming in her mind. There was a place that she knew of. It was dark and desolate, and not even Lilith liked going there. All she had to do was get him there, and he'd belong to her.

She turned back to Abaddon, eyes narrowing and flashing dangerously. "Very well. But if you betray me, I'll make sure Lilith finds out, and you'll burn in hell for all eternity."

He smiled smugly. "Are we in agreement then?"

She leaned toward him and pressed her lips against his, lingering a moment to savor the sweetness of the flesh he was wearing.

He had his answer. Now all he had to do was find the sword.