Horned demon sentinels patrolled the occupied streets, ignoring rape and other violence on the blocks, especially when it was other demons committing the atrocious acts.
Humans were oppressed, enslaved, and treated like trash and meat. No one was on their side. My heart went out to them. Rage beat in my veins.
“We should make a stop,” I hissed.
“You can’t help them,” Loki said, his face a blank mask. “And if you’re late for your first class, you’ll be severely punished. They’ll find every excuse to break you. Don’t give them any. As for humans, not all of them can be saved. They treat each other worse than the demons treat them. Even the victims you see will turn to human monsters in a heartbeat if given the chance.”
I swallowed. I knew many humans fought for the devil as well.
We passed through a few more regions—miles of shade and dark fire and desolation, abandoned towns, rampant gangs preying on their fellow humans while trying to avoid the bigger predators, the demons.
I vowed that no matter how many bad humans occupied the Earth, one day, I’d change this. I would bring down the Great Merge, even if it was just for a handful of good humans and their children.
Smoky neighed and shot toward a fortified military compound at the end of the landscape by a black sea.
“That’s Hell’s Academy,” Loki said. “Survive, cousin, until I come for you.”
CHAPTER 13
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Black waves crashedonto the black beach. Behind the dark sea, a mountain spewed red lava. A sheet of the lava splashed into the edge of the glass-like ocean, sizzling, vanishing, or flowing with the dark water.
It was a spectacular view, fitting my mood.
“Hell isn’t all bad,” Loki said fondly. “I like it here more than on the surface.”
“If you prefer Halloween all year long,” I said.
He laughed. “When all this is over, I hope you’ll settle here with me.”
“No, thanks.”
The prince wanted to replace my demigods and have us rule this realm together. He wouldn’t demand it, though, knowing it’d cause a war between us.
“I don’t give a fuck what Hell needs,” I said.
The horse raised his head and neighed again, puffing out a long stream of smoke with sparks of fire in it. His front hooves kicked hard in the air.
“I hope Smoky stops doing that,” I said, irritated. “I’m not a fan of second-hand smoke. Does he know it will cause lung cancer? Maybe you should train him to be environmentally conscious?”
“Picasso doesn’t give a rat’s ass about lung cancer,” Loki said. “Now he wants you to shut up and jump.”