Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Epilogue
Another Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Sarah Hegger
Praise for Sarah Hegger
Preface
If you’re anything like me, dear reader, by the time you get to the next book in the series, you’ve forgotten some of the previous book. Never fear! I got you. Here’s a brief recap of what has happened to get you up to speed. Happy reading.
- Sarah
The Story So Far…
Resident stage manager to a community theatre company, Edme Ward, fails to prevent a production of Macbeth from being staged by the Paradise Players. The witch’s curse in Macbeth starts the paranormal ball rolling, and Edme is soon knee deep in more trouble than a normal woman can handle. Because unbeknownst to just about everyone else in the world, the Paradise Theatre is a hell gate guarded by the women in Edme’s family for generations, and the witch’s curse in Macbeth has opened a portal to hell.
With the hell gate open, all kinds of dangerous creatures leak onto the earth plane. Not the least of which is the hell prince for lust, Asmodeus—or as he likes to be called, Shade. Initially infuriated that Edme (Eddie) has summoned him, Shade quickly finds himself needing her help. Hell is in an uproar and the normal balance is disturbed. Shade is a hell prince and fucking and fighting come with the territory. But this time, his nearest neighbor, hell prince Wrath, is not only warring against him, but trying to end him. There must always be seven hell princes and seven corresponding archangels. The loss of one will end in the destruction of creation, but Wrath is trying to end Shade, and Shade needs to get to safety so he can figure out why.
With Shade on the earth plane, his opposite and equal archangel, Uriel, arrives to keep the balance. Together they discover that Eddie is not entirely human and is, in fact, Nephilim. Long abhorred by both archangels and hell princes, Nephilim have always been hunted to extinction. Eddie’s grandmother has been hiding her for all these years from both archangels and hell princes, and also from the third group who keeps creation balanced, the human guardians.
The human guardians are not playing nice. They find Shade at the theatre and shove him back to hell.
Encouraged by her grandmother and Uriel, Eddie stages a rescue attempt and discovers that she might be able to repair the seals.
Shade and Wrath finally stop fighting for long enough to figure out that the problems in hell go so much deeper. The seals to the deadly sins are breaking, and if they collapse, it will trigger the end of days.
The imbalance in hell is being helped along by a demon rebellion. All seven hell princes are reporting losses to their demon hordes and growing unrest and anarchy within their demesnes. Their corresponding archangels are worried because an end to one is an end to all of them.
In hell, Eddie makes a couple of key discoveries. Firstly, Nephilim are the product of a hell prince and a human, and her father is none other than Wrath. And secondly, because she holds the power of both hell and earth, she may be able to repair the seals.
Her attempt to repair Wrath’s seal meets with partial success. The third element to complete the healing is heaven, and she has no access to that.
On the romance front, Eddie is falling for Shade, and Shade has fallen hard for Eddie. She’s not sure she can trust him, as he is the hell prince for lust. She’s also not sure that what she’s feeling for him is real or whether it’s a result of him being lust.
Shade is sure that Eddie is who he wants, and he decides an old-fashioned wooing is in order.
On their way from Wrath’s seal to Shade’s, Eddie is kidnapped by an army of rebel demons.
Sure that Wrath’s brother Lucifer is behind Eddie’s disappearance, Shade and Wrath return to the earth plane determined to find her.
Meanwhile, the impact of the failing seals is being felt on earth…
The story continues as Wrath hunts for Lucifer and his daughter, and the supernaturals and guardians scramble to prevent the end of days.
Dramatis Personae
Apassionata: Lust Demon. Second to Asmodeus.
Ashe: Pride Demon. Second to Lucifer
Asmodeus aka Shade: Hell Prince for Lust. Counterbalances Uriel
Beelzebub aka Zeb: Hell Prince for Gluttony. Counterbalances Cassiel
Belphegor aka Belle: Hell Prince for Sloth. Counterbalances Gabriel
Bianca Fiore: Member Paradise Players. Human witch
Blot: Avarice Demon. Imp
Calix: Envy Demon. Higher order.
Chris Fellows: Head of the Guardians. Human
Covet: Avarice Demon. Mid order
Daniel Lee: Hell gate guardian.Human
Deandra Ward: Eddie’s grandmother and hell gate guardian. Human
Edme Ward aka Eddie: Resident stage manager for the Paradise Players. Nephilim
Gabriel: Archangel for Diligence.Counterbalances Belphegor
Haziel: Second to Ramiel. Seraph
Indolex: Demon Lord. Evolving being
Isabelle Henshawe aka Issy: Sick child. Human
Leafrot: Avarice Demon. Woodland gnome
Leviathan aka Levi: Hell Prince for Envy. Counterbalances Azriel
Lillian Hampstead: Lead Actor Valley Players. Human
Lucifer: Hell Prince for Pride. Counterbalances Raphael
Mammon aka Ava: Hell Prince for Avarice. Counterbalances Michael
