Chapter 6
As I opened my eyes in the bright morning light, I saw Cassie sitting in my bay window reading a book. I sat up and smiled when I saw Coal lying at my feet. I petted his head and looked to Cassie.
"What'cha reading?" I asked, and she looked at me and smiled, holding up the cover. I laughed.
"Seriously? You're reading Twilight…wow. I thought you'd be into Dante's Inferno." I joked, pushing Coal off of the bed and pulling my blankets off. I raised my eyebrows at the fact that I was still dressed.
"It's a good book…" Cassie said, marking her place with a bookmark and setting it beside her. She motioned towards my clothes from last night,
"When we got home last night you fell asleep on your bed, and I didn't feel like waking you up so you could change…" she said, and I nodded.
"Thanks. So what do you think of them?" I asked nervously. Cassie pondered an answer for a moment.
"They seem nice…different, but nice." she said. I smiled and stood up, stretching.
"Let's go eat…I have something to discuss with you and Luc…" she said, a dark look on her face. I nodded hesitantly and followed her downstairs to the kitchen, where Luc was already putting scrambled eggs and bacon on plates.
"Smells delicious!" I said, opening the fridge for the carton of orange juice. Luc turned around and smiled.
"I see Cass finally got you to wake up." He said, finishing putting breakfast on the plates and grabbing three glasses for the orange juice.
I shot him a playful glare and shut the fridge, walking over to the table with the carton of orange juice in hand. As Cass and Luc sat down, I poured all of us orange juice. After putting the carton back in the fridge, I sat down next to Luc.
"So what is it you wanted to talk to us about?" Luc asked as I took a huge mouthful of scrambled eggs.
"I got a message from Gabriel. He said that your father requests you both to visit for a few days…and they won't take no for an answer." She said, frowning. I coughed, almost choking on my scrambled eggs. We were being summoned to go back to Hell. I swallowed my food and looked to Luc, seeing the hatred on his features. Luc hated our father, I didn't know why but he just did. And I knew the last thing Luc wanted to do was bring me back to Hell, now that I was all grown up… now that I was no longer a little child.
"When did he request we go?" Luc asked in a stern voice, his hands clenched into fists. Cassie met his eyes.
"Tonight, because there will be a welcoming banquet. I, along with several other guardians will accompany you everywhere. To keep you both safe during your stay." she said. I grimaced and bowed my head.
"Luc…you knew we'd have to go back sometime. You knew that they'd never let us stay on earth unless we visited…" I said, finishing my breakfast and hugging him.
"I'll start packing." I said, but was stopped by Cassie.
"You will not need your human clothes, Ivy. They are already prepared for you both." she said. I nodded and looked to her empty plate, she must have eaten quickly. Luc finished his breakfast and got up.
"Ivy, can you wash the dishes for me? I have to go take care of some things before we leave tonight…" he said.
"No problem. I got it." I said, gathering the dishes and walking over to the sink. I saw Luc smile before he walked out the door and chuckled. As I washed the dishes, I thought about what I would tell Slater and the guys, because I wouldn't be here for a few days.
"You might want to talk to them soon…" Cassie said, voice sounding different…sounding like she was hiding something. I nodded and started drying the freshly washed, deciding not to ask. Putting the dishes and the glasses away, I walked upstairs to my room and took a shower. When I was done with my shower, I dressed in a dark purple tank top and jean shorts put on my flip-flops. I straightened my hair and grabbed my phone, walking downstairs. I listened for Cassie and when I heard nothing, slipped silently out the back door. Quickly walking behind the houses, including Slater's house, I made my way to the CVS. As I walked through the aisles, I sent a text to Cal.
'Tell the rest of the guys that I'm not gonna be around for the next couple of days. Luc's taking me on a sudden road trip.' I said via text, stopping in the candy aisle and observing the many different kinds. I reached for a box of 'Sour Gummy Worms' as my phone beeped. I opened the text and read it. "Ok. Have fun. " he replied. I sighed frustrate. ; If only he knew where this 'road trip' was going. Taking the box of gummy worms, I walked up to the counter and paid for them. As I walked out of the store, towards my house, I saw Cassie running towards me.
"Ivy! Gabriel just contacted me again. He said we need to go sooner than expected…we have to leave within the hour. I called Luc and he's on his way back to the house." she said when she reached me. I stuffed my phone in my back pocket as she grabbed my arm and started running towards the house.
When we reached the front of the house, Luc was already pulling in the driveway.
"Why the sudden request to go now?" he said as he got out, it was clear that he was outraged. I shrugged my shoulders and looked to Cassie for an answer. She looked to me and shook her head, walking into the house. Luc and I followed and shut the door as Cassie led us to the basement. As I looked around the basement, I gasped. It was covered in strange symbols drawn in black sand and blood. It was a portal to Hell.
"You put a portal to Hell in our freaking basement!" I said, looking at Luc. Luc glared at me and motioned to Cassie.
"She did, not me. Believe me it was not one of my choices." he said, as Cassie let her wings out and shook them out.
"Luc, have your wings out. Ivy, keep your wings in and keep your head down, don't speak until spoken too, okay?" Cassie instructed, and started chanting something. Luc did as he was told and his wings tore through the back of his shirt. I frowned, why did they get to stretch their wings but not me? Luc's wings were a light gray and Cassie's wings were a fawn color, and I ached to stretch my own but complied to Cass's instructions and did not. I flinched as a white hot light filled the room and a wrought iron gate emerged from it.
"Get ready. Remember what I said, and stay close." Cassie said as the gate opened. I looked to Luc and he took my hand protectively, knowing that this would be the first time that I would be in Hell in 10 years.
"Let's go…" Cassie said, and we all stepped through the gates that led to Hell.
As we landed safely on the black grass of Hell, I felt Luc stiffen. I was keeping my head down like Cassie had instructed me, but wanted so desperately to look up at Luc. I heard people approaching and as the air buzzed with tension, I knew it was the guards. They were stationed every couple hundred feet in Hell and when something, or someone strange came to Hell, they reacted with force.
"Ah, Guardian Cassandra…You have returned with guests?" I heard a rough male voice say, addressing Cassie with her full name.
"Yes, Steven. I am back, and I have indeed brought guests. Lucifer Winchester and his younger sister Ivy." She replied back, and I caught a flash of her hand as she gestured to us. Without thinking, I looked up against Cassie's orders and saw the guard. He was an older man of about 35-40, with short curly blonde hair and grey eyes. The man gave me a big smile.
"Hello there, Miss Ivy." He said, and Cassie flashed me a look of warning.
"Hello, Sir." I said quietly, putting my head back down and looking at the black grass surrounding my feet.
"If you don't mind, Steven. I would like to move things along. We are on a very busy schedule." Cassie said, looking towards Luc and I.
"Of course. Let them be on their way." the man, Steven, said and motioned to the other guard behind him. I heard the other men step back and form a line on either side of us, making a clear path for us to go. Luc squeezed my hand, and we followed Cassie to our parents' house.
"Luc." I said as we stood in front of our parents' mansion. Our father worked for Morning Star (the devil) and we were a very wealthy family here…in Hell. Luc looked to me.
"It'll be okay…I promise." he said, and Cassie knocked on the door.
"How may I help you?" said a friendly voice as they opened the door. It was a woman dressed in servants' clothes, a very kind looking woman with auburn hair and warm brown eyes. Her eyes widened when she saw us and she kneeled before us.
"Master Luc…Miss Ivy. Forgive me for not recognizing you." The woman said and I was taken aback by memories of this woman. Memories of her playing with me, feeding me as an infant, and singing me to sleep.
"Skye….please don't be so formal. Call me Ivy, please… I've missed you." I said, kneeling in front of her and hugging her. She smiled and hugged me back.
"I'm sorry dear. And I've missed you too." she said and we stood up. Cassie smiled and looked to Luc,
"Miss Skye, I am sorry to take you away from your time with Ivy, but we are on a tight schedule and Lord Winchester wishes to see these too as soon as possible." Cass said, and we were ushered inside.
"He is in his office, Guardian Cassandra. But I do believe that he is meeting with some young gentlemen, sent by His Majesty, at the moment. I can show you to the waiting room outside of his office if you'd like?" Skye said. Cassie smiled and nodded in appreciation and followed Skye as she took my hand and led us all to the 'waiting room'. Walking through the hallways of my old house, I remembered small childhood memories. Skye and I playing hide and seek when I was 3, helping her bring food to my mother when my mother was sick, and many others.
"Here we are." Skye said, and we saw five plush chairs lining the wall beside double doors.
"Thank you Skye." Cassie said, dismissing her and sitting in one of the chairs. I sat next to her and Luc sat next to me, his features poised in concentration. He pulled his wings in and so did Cassie, as the doors opened. I kept my head down as instructed earlier and watched as the feet of six people walked past. All of them wearing the combat boots worn by The King's elite group of warriors. I knew The King's group of warriors well, because my father was very friendly with them when I was younger.
"You may come in now…" said a familiar voice. I looked at Luc and saw an angered look on his features as he stared past me to where the six people had disappeared. Cassie tapped Luc's arm and we all stood up, walking into my fathers' office.