Shackled (The Lord Series) by Carlos
234. Olivia - The Gurdian IV

The cemetery is dark, silent, and creepy as hell. I point to an old crypt. "There's a secret tunnel inside. Which leads...."

"To Hell," Ansel grumbles.

I press my lips in a thin line. "I thought Lords were not afraid of Hell. Don't you make a pact with Lucifer when you receive your demon?"

Ansel squeezes my hand. "The pact is with Cain."

We head inside the cemetery. Ansel wraps an arm around me while putting the other one on his holster.

The wind rustles some branches and Ansel swears under his breath.

"Boo," I whisper in his ear.

"Come on, let's get this over with. I just keep having this feeling that something is wrong."

"You really are scared," I grin.

Ansel tenses up. "Not for me, but for you. The demons in the Catacombs might not like me, and I might not come out alive. But I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe."

We enter the crypt. "What is that supposed to mean? That the ones in the Catacombs won't like you?"

"My demon is...different."

"Oh, I knew that," I say. "Your eyes are not the same shade of red as those of your blood-brothers. Do you want to wait for me here?" I joke because I know Ansel won't leave me alone. Ansel's hold on me tightens. "Hell no. I would gladly let those demons tear me apart if that means I'll keep you safe."

I roll my eyes. He's so dramatic. "I don't think that will be necessary."

Luckily, no surprises await us in the crypt and I show Ansel where the secret traps are. Camila and I had quite a hard time trying to figure them out. It takes around half an hour of carefully walking to reach an old metal door that guards the entrance to the Catacombs. I press my palms to it and it opens. We enter. The door closes behind us. Shit.

I forgot how awful this place is.

The Catacombs are completely dark, no light filtering in. There's one theory that the Catacombs are endless and guard the entrance to Hell. The Blood Lodges and other places were built above them to prevent people from finding a way to get inside. Because once inside, it's almost impossible to get out. The demons living here have to let you out. Good luck with that. There's a reason why this place is called the Catacombs. Old bones snap beneath my feet.

It's so cold in here that I wrap my arms around me. The only feelings I have are those of misery and absolute despair. My instincts are screaming at me to run. I swallow hard and take a step forward. Something brushes against me. "Mortals, you made a huge mistake by coming here," an evil voice tells me.

Ansel starts to scream.

"Stop! Don't hurt him," I say to whatever demon is hurting Ansel. I reach out my hands and try to find Ansel in the dark, but all I can touch is the air. "He is my bonded."

A pair of red eyes appear before me. "You're back."

Ansel keeps screaming.

I recognize the voice of the demon speaking to me. "I came to retrieve the box I left here years ago. And I would appreciate it if you left my bonded alone."

Ansel screams a few more times before he finally stops.

"You left something, yes, but you also stole something from us-something that didn't belong to you. It was our duty to guard it. And for that, you will die. Unless you bring it back." "No!" Ansel roars.

I keep trying to find Ansel. Where is he? "It was my friend who took it, and for that, I'm truly sorry. As for returning it, I'm afraid it's impossible. The seal was broken, as I assume you already know." "You have doomed us all. And for that, you'll pay the ultimate price," the demon tells me.

"No, no," Ansel says.

"Silence the Fallen," another demon says.

The what? "I'll gladly die, but I need you to hold onto that thought until I send my father and brother to hell or whatever place the Dukes go when they die," I try to explain.

"You can't kill her! She's a hellstar!" Ansel reveals one of my well-guarded secrets.

I feel more demons gathering around me. Why did Ansel have to speak?

"Indeed she is. But she still has to pay the price for taking the Dybbux box from us."

Great. Now all the demons in the Catacombs know.

"It was my friend, Camila, who took it. I wanted to return it, but...all hell broke loose, and she...died," I say. "Look, I only need the daggers I left here so I can make some things right. When I return with them, you can do whatever you want with me. Azael is stirring up something bad and he needs to be stopped."

The demons are silent as they are thinking, but not Ansel. Oh no, he has to open his mouth and speak some more.

"You can't kill Olivia since she is a Pandora hellstar." I'm a what? What's a Pandora hellstar? "You can't kill me either since I'm her Guardian, but you can punish me for whatever Olivia and Camila did to wrong you." The air leaves my lungs.

Ansel is my what?

What's a Guardian?

"Fallens are never Guardians," a demon says. "They are "

Ansel cuts the demon short. "My...demon was specially put inside me for Olivia. You can take from my blood so you can see my past and know that I'm telling the truth."

I grip Ansel's hands hard. He has a lot of explaining to do when we get out of here.

A few moments of silence follow, and then, "Very well." Ansel is yanked away from me. "The Fallen will pay the price instead of his mate. He will lose his wings. Maybe his *demon*, too."

"No," I whisper. They can't take away Ansel's demon.

Ansel starts screaming again.

Blood roars in my ears.

"No!" I say louder.

The sound of bones snapping and breaking is louder than Ansel's screams.

Tears run down my face.

"No," I whimper.

"One wing down. Three more to go, Fallen. We are going to have a feast tonight."

I start to vomit.

How many wings does Ansel have?

When my stomach is empty, I search for Ansel. "Where are you?" I ask.

"Stay where you are," Ansel screams as demons laugh.

I should have never brought him with me. He warned me, and I mocked him.

"Two wings down, two more left. Look at how much blood you are losing. You might not make it, Fallen."

"Leave him alone." Ansel's screams turn into grunts. "Stop!" I sob when I finally find Ansel lying on his stomach and I cover him with my body. My clothes get soaked with his blood. Demons try to take Ansel away from me and I hold on tight to him because I know that he will die if I let go. "Stop." I breathe hard. Anger rises inside me. Ansel might have been shitty with me, but he doesn't deserve to die like this because of me. "Stop!" I yell as hard as I can.

Light erupts around me. Black figures retreat in the shadows.

"She's not just a Pandora hellstar. She is the one destined to lead her sisters into battle when Armageddon starts."