Page 22 (1/2)

"Do you feel the shift of poithin you?" Eberny asked,around Hellen as she stood in the very center of the carved-out rock

"Yes," Hellen said They had been working since daybreak, the hybrid instructing her with each step as she found her rhyth fro it intoit back out, farther and farther until I feel the edges of our world and theirs"

"Very good You are quick," Eberny praised "You see the barrier in your mind, the hellfire?"

"Yes But-" She opened her eyes "Mine is green My hellfire is different from"

"From Abbadon&039;s, yes So much of you and what you areher and caood"

They ords she didn&039;t want to hear, refused to hear "I&039;hed "You won&039;t be able to survive up there for any length of ti a foothold on Earth? As the Devil, he could remain only for a few of their days at most He believed the blood, the DNA of va her power, unleashing it, containing it; the work hadas I can"

"Then what?" Eberny de

"I don&039;t know" Turh her She was trapped, always trapped

"I do" Eberny turned away, blue robes swishing with the movement "You will die And in the overn and inspire"

"I could go and come back," Hellen offered "Travel back and forth I can live in both places"

"You don&039;t understand You don&039;t want to see the truth in this situation"

"I don&039;t turn away from the truth, Eberny!" she cried "I never have! I&039; to find answers, so heart broken"

There was a mohed heavily "If you went aboveground, once you return to Hell you o back"

"How long is that?" Hellen asked greedily "A day?"

Eberny didn&039;t answer

"A week? What?" Dammit She was in love The male loved her This had to work-she would ?"

"Why do you see it that way?" The hybrid turned around "This is your home Without Abbadon, Hell could be a wonderful place for de heart, Hellen implored her to understand "I want him"

"Keep him"

"He can&039;t stay here He has a child, a child whose life is up there Whose family is up there He wants to be a father to that boy, Eberny" Tears pricked at her eyes "I can&039;t ask him to walk away from his child I would be no better than my father"

For one o with him and can only stay for a few days at the most, isn&039;t that worse? You will draw him back here with you He loves you that much I can see it He will leave the boy"

Tears fell from her eyes onto her cheeks, and around her, inside her, the hellfire erupted to life

The hybrid reached out and touched the rock "You feel the portal&039;s birth?"

Hellen nodded,to every inch of her "It&039;s ready"

"I do not envy your choice, Hellen" The hybrid&039;s eyes burned into hers "But, then again, I never have"

Hellen shut her eyes tight against the pain, against the tears, and called up the poithin her The pressure started at her feet and grew until it could no longer be contained Then she sent it out in every direction and waited for the bounce back

It ca over and through her

She had done it Hellen, the Demon Queen, the Devil Whoever-whatever she was, she had opened the portal

"Where are they?" Ladd asked

Leaning down, Erion whispered into the boy&039;s ear, "Keep your eyes open and your arrow ready"

"What color are they again?"

"Blue"

"Oh, there&039;s one" Ladd whirled to the right and sent his arrow flying across the fields "Did I get it? Did I?"

Erion walked forward and pretended to follow the direction of the arrow that was so cloud by now "Just et hi

"I love this," he said