Another chapter is here. I'm getting back on track with this one :)

Had writer's block in the middle of this chapter, but my inspiration seems to be coming back. Thank God (no pun intended!) because Friday I was getting worried I wouldn't be able to write something worth it..

Anyways, have fun reading!

Chapter 10: Like, what the Hell?

The fight with the guards was quick, mostly because they were more than 50 against them. Within a few minutes, they were all tied up and being transported back to the elevator that first brought them there. Only this time, the elevator was sent farther down.

-Oh Lord…

Damon looked at Haily, his brows furrowed.

-What?

-They are taking us to Him.

This time, Jeremy was the one to look at her.

-Who's Him?

She sighed.

-Lucifer…

The guard who was keeping her in place pushed her a little. Saying Lucifer's name in Hell was like swearing. You had to call him "The King" or "Prince of Hell". Even a fallen angel wasn't right to disobey this rule.

The elevator ride took a long moment. They were all sweating by the time the doors finally opened to reveal a black cavern. The walls were made of sparkling diamonds covering the real cavern walls, all made of carbon. Below the lean bridge they were now walking on, they could see the magma raging. They were getting dangerously close to the center of the Earth. Haily let out a shaky breath, knowing that if any of them fell in there – including herself – they would not come back.

Lucifer was sitting in a chair made of marble. Haily felt a smile color her lips. Apparently, even the Prince of Hell needed a little cool down from this magma and fire environment.

As soon as he saw them, the famous fallen angel straightened himself in his throne. He looked at Damon, then Jeremy, then Haily's mother – making a disgusted face while he did so – and finally at Haily herself. While he looked her over, his features changed to reveal a mask of happiness. With a smile, he jumped off his throne and went to kneel in front of her. With his 8 feet-tall, kneeling in front of Haily brought him face to face with her. When he opened his mouth to speak, his voice sounded like a melody to her ears.

-Beautiful angel, what are you doing here?

The tone of his voice wasn't one you'd expect to come from one to rule Hell. It was delicate and sounded innocent. Like the voice of a child, with the tone of a full-grown man.

Haily had to take a breath before answering his question. Despite his clear joy to see her and the delicate sound of his voice, she was frightened.

-I am here to rescue my mother. There has been a mistake when she died. She wasn't supposed to come here. I please you to let us go without further discussion.

Lucifer looked at her, clearly pained by her decision.

-Little angel, don't you see? This is not your mother. Your fallen angel disguise is blinding you. You need to see through it. You are not mean, nor bad. See through the evil, Haeilian.

She stepped back, surprised he knew her name. But was it really surprising coming from Lucifer himself? So she braced herself to face her mother, not quite sure why he asked her to do that. But you couldn't really fight Lucifer when he asked you something.

-Look inside yourself, Haeilian. An angel knows how to recognize the evil.

She closed her eyes, trying to find the part of pure angel still inside her. She remembered the face of her mother, the kindness in her eyes. A kindness she hadn't seen since she met her mother's eyes in Hell. She opened her eyes again to watch her mom closely. What she saw made her scream.

While she had been searching the pure part of her remaining in her heart, the stranger hiding under her mother's features had transformed back into its initial appearance. Haily's breath caught in her throat as she scanned over the person who had taken her mother's appearance.

-Anael?

The archangel looked at her, her eyes two burning flames. Haily stepped back as Anael tried to take her by the throat. The archangel then looked at Lucifer.

-You ruined everything! You are too evil to stay in charge of Hell. There is no good reason for Hell to exist in the First place! You cause the world to be full of hate and people to kill each other. It is not right!

Lucifer's face changed to reveal an angry look. He took one step forward, gently pushing Haily out of his way. The fallen angel gladly stepped back, not being able to do anything but look stupidly at the archangel who had taken her mother's features before.

As both Lucifer and Anael started an angry starring contest, Damon took Haily's arm to get her closer to Jeremy and him. He didn't have any confidence in those two.

-I don't think Father would appreciate your attempt to close one of his dimensions. How about we ask him?

Anael's face fell into a mask of terror. Lucifer took her by the arm and started to walk to a white fog behind his throne. Jeremy tried to go with them, but Haily took him by the arm.

-We can't go. Nobody is entitled to see His face. I don't even think Anael will survive it.

The new vampire turned around to look at her.

-Why did she even take your mother's face?

-I have no idea. But it must be a big plan of hers, because she had to show me this little scene a few times and that takes a lot of energy.

Haily stopped talking, falling in her thoughts. If it wasn't really her mother, it also meant that the story might not be true. Elijah had probably really killed her mother, just like she'd always thought. But the jade earrings were still a mystery. How did Anael find them? What did she want with them in the first place?

-Haily, I think now would be a good moment to get all "rawr" and do your fallen angel thing.

She turned around to Damon's voice and saw Lucifer's guards walk toward them. In the absence of their master, they must found the idea of killing the guests thrilling. Haily opened her wings wide, trying to scare them off, but they had seen other fallen angels because they simply kept walking.

-I think we will have to fight. Jeremy, stay behind us.

-Why? I'm a vampire now. I can fight!

-Because I don't want to have to bring your ashes to your sister.

-And because I really don't feel like seeing you die again in front of me.

With a pout, Jeremy got behind them. Haily searched deeply inside herself to find the power to fight the demons away. Damon tried to find weapons for them to use. He came up with very pointy stalagmites. Giving one to Jeremy, he kept the other for himself.

-Anyone has a plan?

-I take the 50 on the right side and you guys take the 50 on the left side…

-Sure…

Damon didn't say anything else as the guards got to them. Instead, he plunged his diamond stake inside the nearest demon. Said demon started to laugh, until the diamond stake split its heart in 2, killing him instantly. It fell to the ground, blood running out of his eyes, nose, mouth and ears. Damon took out his stake and turned around to see how Jeremy was doing. Seeing the newly turned vampire was in a dangerous position, he started to go and try to help him, but a few new demons walked to him. He chose to scream directions to help the teen.

-Jeremy, stake them through the heart or cut their head off. It always works! Throwing them down in the magma should work too.

Jeremy took the older vampire's advice and cut 2 demons' head at the same time before plunging his own diamond stake in the heart of another. He then proceeded to take the homemade axe from the hands of one dead demon to kill another one.

Haily was flying over the crowd of guards, sometimes taking one up in the air with her before dropping it over the magma. It was quite easy the first few times, but she quickly got tired due to the weight of the demons and to the heat of the cavern. As she tried to take a new demon in the air, it took a hold of her left wing – burning its hand in the process – and threw her on the ground. Haily struggled to get up as its other hand took her by the throat. It lifted her and walked to the edge of the cliff. Haily could see the magma boiling far under her feet. She struggled, knowing she wouldn't be strong enough to fly up when it would throw her down.

Just as the demon was about to let her fall to her inevitable death, its hold faltered and it fell on the ground, dead. Jeremy was behind it, his fangs bared and his eyes red with bloodlust. Haily felt herself fall and gripped the first thing she could. It was one diamond on the edge of the cliff. He gripped it as much as she could, but her hands were sweaty and the diamond was smooth. Her right hand fell from it. She was about to lose her grip when another hand took her forearm and lifted her back on the cliff. She looked at the one who had saved her and her "thank you" got stuck in her throat.

In front of her, Gabriel had his enormous wings opened and he glowed into the dim lit cavern.

Okay, who knew Haily's mom wasn't really Haily's mom?

I want to read your ideas about how you think this fanfiction should end (will probably happen in 3 or 4 chapters). Maybe you'll get your wish ;)