Lucifer's Daughter

By Robert Wright, Jr

In the enchanted realms of Heaven and Hell, a prophecy unfolds, predicting the arrival of a child destined to bring the forces of light and dark together. Picture this: our extraordinary teen now on a wild journey, chased by minions from both Heaven and Hell!

As ancient prophecies mess with the concept of good and evil, our young heroine has to tiptoe through a world hanging on the edge. The fate of all is hanging by a thread.

Angel discovers hidden powers, tapping into their celestial heritage. But beware! Danger is lurking everywhere. Heaven's crew wants to bottle up their purity, while Hell's squad is all about unleashing the chaos within.

Get ready for a saga of destiny and choices where friends might just be enemies, and the true meaning of unity is up for the ultimate test. Will Angel rock the prophecy, bringing in a new era of celestial harmony? Or will the power-hungry minions mess things up and throw the realms into chaos forever?

Join us on a journey where celestial powers collide, and the fate of worlds is basically in the hands of a teen caught between Heaven and Hell. 'Lucifer’s Daughter' is a paranormal adventure that dives deep into courage, flirts with darkness, and sees the transformative power of destiny.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Wright, Jr
• Release date: Mar 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463533291

Robert Wright, Jr

Robert is the author of multiple young adult fantasy and sci-fi stories populated with strong female heroes and intriguing creatures pulled from his imagination. His characters are based on drawings and doodles that he has worked on since he could pick up a pencil.Robert has traveled the world and met many interesting people but now lives in Bellingham, Washington with his wife and youngest child. Bellingham and the surrounding areas are often the settings for his many novels. For more information on these enjoyable books please visit witchwaybooks.com or stop by the Witch Way Books page on Facebook.

Book preview

The setting sun filtered through half-opened shades filling the hospital room with subdued light. The only sounds were the whispers of the machines around the bed. The machines tasked with keeping track of the vitals of the wasted figure that lay there.

Thick red hair fanned out around a young girl’s pale face. Hair that had been carefully and lovingly washed and brushed by the nurses for the last two years she had laid unmoving in her bed.

The quiet squeak of shoes sounded out in the hall announcing another round of checks. Good evening, dear. How are we feeling tonight? the night nurse asked as she entered the room, checking the various charts and machines surrounding the pale girl. I heard from the other shift that you had a good day.

No answer came from the still body in the bed as the nurse changed various vials and filled out her notes, but she kept up her chatter as she had done every night she was on shift. After fifteen minutes of moving around the room, she stopped before the side of the bed and brushed a loose strand of hair from the girl’s cheek. You poor thing. I’ll be back later, on my lunch break, to read to you. Would you like that? the nurse whispered, waiting for a second for an answer she knew would probably never come. She walked out of the room to visit the next patient on her floor.

Inside the still body, the girl’s mind was churning as she screamed, ‘I’m here. Please help me." Angel stopped as the sound of the nurse’s footsteps receded into the distance. One last please whimpered in her mind before she went quiet. Inside her room, the only sound was the soft whisper of her machines. The whispers that she had heard for what felt like a hundred years ever since she had awakened in her head after that terrible day.

Angel cried deep within her living hell. Every time she heard a noise in her room, other than the machines that monitored her, she tried with all her power to make her still body do something. Anything that would let the people know that she was still alive in this dark void that she lived in, but so far, she had failed in every attempt. Finally, exhaustion crept through her tired mind and as sleep started to overtake her once again, she fell into a dream of the night that had brought her to this terrible spot.

As the dream unfolded, her sixteen-year-old self saw her mother’s face as she walked into the house. The frightened, worried look told Angel that once again something was wrong. Angel threw her backpack down on the floor by the backdoor and rushed to her mother who was sitting at the kitchen table and snarled, What did the bastard do now, Mother?

Her mother’s tears ran down her cheeks as she cried, You shouldn’t call your father that, Angel. You know how angry he gets. Besides its disrespectful to do that. Especially today.

Angel thought of all the losers that her mother had hooked up with and knew that her current ‘father’ was about the worst of the lot. Yeah, well, he’s not my father. I don’t give a frig if it’s disrespectful or not, Mother.

Her mother’s face puckered into more pain as she whispered, Fine, he’s your step-father, but you still shouldn’t disrespect him like that.

Angel wiped the anger from her face as she wiped the tears from her mother’s. Alright, I won’t call him any more names, Mother. Now just stop crying and tell me what he did this time. Did he hurt you again?

Her mother shook her head then buried her face into her daughter’s shoulder where more sobs of anguish soaked the girl’s top. Angel threw one arm around her mother and with the other she rubbed her hair until the sobbing started to dissipate.

A quick flash of annoyance hit the girl. Once again, the roles were reversed. As long as she could remember she had been the one who had been taking care of her mother instead of the other way around. Especially since this current step-father had come into their lives. Her frustration came through as she lifted her mother’s head and roughly brushed the last tears away. She growled, Now stop with the waterworks and tell me what the problem is, Mother.

Her mother sniffed as the tears stopped and a conniving look flittered behind her eyes. Angel sighed knowing that her mother wasn’t as innocent as she let on or as helpless. Please don’t be angry with me, Angel. I’ve had a bad day. I mean not as bad as Jimmy’s, but …

Fine, Mother. Just tell me what happened without all the drama, please.

Jimmy is dead.

Jimmy. Dead? Angel asked not believing that anything could kill that pond scum, then it hit her. Jimmy, her step-father. Jimmy ‘The Rat’ who took care of gambling and loan sharking from the Canadian border to just north of Seattle. That scum was dead. This could be a good thing. A way to get her mother out of this house and out of trouble. That is until she hooked up with the next loser.

She thought of all the times she had laid in bed at night and wished for this very thing. About fricking time, she thought as she shook her head at her mother and asked, And you’re crying why, Mother? We should be celebrating that that scum is finally out of our lives.

Her mother looked at her again before she sobbed, Oh, you just don’t understand, Angel. Money was missing and since Jimmy didn’t tell them where it was, they’ll be coming after us next.

Then we should get out of here, Angel said as she started to get up off the floor. She stopped and stared at her mother as she asked, Mother, how do you know that Jimmy didn’t know where the missing money was? Her mother didn’t answer, but that conniving look returned behind her eyes. Oh, damn, Mother. What did you do? Angel whispered as she felt a slight chill run up her spine.

I was just trying to build up a little nest egg, dear. You know I’m not getting any younger and you kept harping about how I should leave Jimmy …

Angel lunged to her feet and away from her mother as her mind went into overdrive. Listen, Mother, I need to put up a ward around the house. Something to protect us until we can get packed.

Oh, please, Angel, you sound as deranged as your grandmother when you talk about that witch crap. I told you I didn’t want to hear anything about that. It’s garbage that will ruin your life. I heard enough of it when I was growing up, and ever since that night …

Angel only half heard her mother. She had heard this all before. Her mother’s rage against her grandmother before and whatever had happened the night she had been conceived … well, her mother never talked about that. But whatever had happened had been bad since her mother always turned sheet white when Angel brought up the subject of her real father. Mother, we don’t have time for this argument right now. I have to set up some protection for us … Angel hissed as she headed to the back door.

She reached it just as two dark shadows obscured the glass. Before she could raise a hand to set a binding spell, the door burst open catching her in the middle of the chest and throwing her against the kitchen counter. Her head bounced against the hard edge causing her to blackout.

II

Joselin marched along the stone bridge. Her mind was overwhelmed by the notes she held in her hands. Notes for a meeting that she was already late for. The cracked heels of her worn-down boots clacked against the rock, sending echoes against the walls of the cavern. The smell of brimstone and burnt flesh wafted up from the pits below her. She was so absorbed in her upcoming consultation that even the souls of the damned that languished on each side of the bridge didn’t register. The demon first class had more to worry about than those who had earned their way down into the molten pools of Hell.

The only sound that pinged against her subconscious was the incessant chatter of the large black cat, her familiar, that was underfoot. He was the holder of her soul. Her only real friend here in Hell, and at times her sounding board. It was just another day in Hell for the female demon. Or as she liked to call it, when in one of her more sarcastic moods, just another day in paradise. A day that would soon take on … well, a whole new level of hell for her.

But right now, all she was concerned about was her job. She had schedules to set. Yearly reviews were looming, and, of course, there was this whole business of keeping and feeding her charges – Lucifer’s two younger brothers and a sister. The ‘big three’ as they were known by all that called Hell home.

No, there was no rest for the wicked. Not that she had been especially wicked back on Earth. The thought brought a quick chuckle at her own wit as she flipped to another page of the report she was studying. She had done what she needed to survive when she was alive, and really Hell wasn’t much different than her life on Earth. The thing was she was here and was going to make the most of her situation. She was a survivor no matter where she was.

Skeletal hands reached out from the pools of misery as silent and not so silent mouths opened in screams for mercy as Joselin stopped in the middle of the bridge as the first strands of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ filled the air.

Your phone is ringing, Joselin, the black cat purred, the cat’s red eyes taking in his demon. His brow wrinkled in worry as he planted his wide rear end in the middle of the bridge as his long thick tail wrapped around his body. His demon had been pushing herself too hard lately. He understood why she thought she needed to, but he knew that sooner or later it would all come crashing down on her in a very bad way. He had tried to talk to her about this, but … he sighed dashing these thoughts from his mind knowing that all he could do was be there when she hit bottom.

The demon shot a dirty look at her best, and only, friend snarling, Gee, thanks, Merlin. What would I do without you? She stopped and reached inside her old leather bomber jacket. Juggling papers and her phone for a second before the demon finally managed to answer. Joselin here. This had better be important I’m already la . . .

BOSS! THEY’VE ESCAPED! a high squeaky voice yelled over the phone.

Joselin held her phone away and sighed heavily before she brought it back to her ear and growled, Jedidiah, don’t shout. Hang up and come see me.

The demon heard a click as she disconnected her own phone and slid it back into her pocket. Oh, someone’s going to be in sooooo much troublllllle, her cat snickered.

Shut up, Merlin, Joselin hissed. Her foot tapped on the hard rock. Merlin huffed at her as the end of his tail twitched. Well, the cat thought, this ought to be fun. He hadn’t seen his demon roast anybody in months. Maybe this would release some of the pent-up strain that she seemed to be under. Yeah, that was probably exactly what she needed. May not turn out good for Jedidiah, but what the hell. He didn’t give a dog’s fart about any other demon.

A second later a grey cloud appeared five feet in front of them. A whiff of brimstone drifted along the bridge causing Merlin to sneeze. As the smoke cleared, a mousey man coughed and waved his hand as he tried to clear the air. Spying his boss, the lower demon started forward his shrill voice bouncing around the cavern. BOSS! THE . . .

Joselin held up a hand stopping the demon’s bellow along with his body. She straightened her jacket and brushed a few specks of ash from her shoulder. Taking a deep breath, she looked Jedidiah, one of the lower demons that worked for her, up and down. She took in his rumpled suit and wild hair sticking up in all directions before softly admonishing him, You know we talked about this on last year’s review didn’t we, Jedidiah?

Jedidiah’s eyes narrowed as his lips compressed. Like most demons that had been in Hell for so long, he wasn’t thrilled at having to take orders from this newcomer, and a female to boot. His voice started to rise ignoring the young demon. BUT BOSS, THEY . . . Joselin’s hard stare caused him to stop as his eyes dropped and he grunted. Sorry, Joselin.

These lower demons never learn, Merlin chuckled. Joselin’s eyes flashed at her familiar before she turned her full attention back to the demon in front of her.

Very good, Jedidiah. Now, why don’t you take a second and straighten yourself out? Jedidiah did his best, smoothing out his suit and patting his untidy hair into some semblance of order before giving up on the job. Joselin sighed looking at her underling before asking, Now, what did we talk about on your last review?

The demon almost protested the question, but the narrowed eyes gazing back told Jedidiah that the boss expected one answer and one answer only. Anger flared inside but died as he knew that now wasn’t the time to fight this battle. We talked about how I should be calm in an emergency. That there wasn’t anything in Hell that should cause a demon to panic. Panic leads to mistakes, but, Boss, really . . .

Joselin sighed. Oh, the trials and tribulations of her position. It was never easy being one of the higher demons. It was made doubly hard being in this position for only two years – right after reaching Hell and being a woman to boot. She closed the distance between them, slapping one hand on the lower demon’s shoulder. Now, now, Jedidiah, we can’t just pay lip service to our goals because you think some tiny problem is the end of the world, can we?

Yes, Boss. I mean, no Boss, but the escape . . .

You had better listen to him, Joselin, Merlin said as he sat up and stretched. I have a bad feeling about this.

Joselin shot her familiar a quick look. Merlin may be a pain in the ass most times but in the two years they had been together he had never given her bad advice. Fine. Fine, my man, since you seem so frazzled. What is this problem that is so important to you? Did the old guy himself run out of toilet paper? Joselin and her cat chuckled at her joke while Jedidiah only grimaced. Yes, she thought, she had one great wit even if her underlings couldn’t appreciate it.

Like I’ve been trying to tell you, Boss – they’ve escaped.

Joselin grimaced. They’ve escaped? Who exactly are we talking about, Jedidiah? I mean there are millions of . . .

The ‘big three’, Boss. Oh, and their familiars too but everyone knows they really don’t count. So, yeah, those are the three that escaped. I mean it was more like a bunch of them, but . . . Jedidiah whispered.

Oh, damn, now someone really is in trouble, the cat whispered.

Joselin’s fingers dug into the demon’s shoulder as the damned souls below them suddenly disappeared into the molten pools. Her voice dropped low, all humor leaving her as she asked, What do you mean that they escaped? They were there when I checked on them this morning.

Jedidiah winced as Joselin’s trimmed nails turned into talons and ripped through his suit coat and into the tender flesh of his shoulder. He could feel sweat start to bead across his forehead and felt a river of it run down his chest – along with the blood from his shoulder. I . . . I mean . . . they . . . weren’t . . . in their . . . cage when . . . I checked . . . about half an hour ago … Maybe … maybe if … you hadn’t been …

If I hadn’t been what exactly, Jedidiah?

The demon glared up at his boss and snarled, Well, a real demon in this job wouldn’t have worried about how loud or excited I was …

You mean a male demon don’t you, Jedidiah? Joselin hissed.

Merlin shook his head as he looked up at Jedidiah. Don’t say it.

Yes. That’s exactly what I mean. A little girl like you isn’t fit to be a boss down here in Hell.

He said it, Merlin whispered as he palmed his face. Joselin, remember your temp … Merlin stopped talking as Joselin’s red eyes turned to glare at him, and a wave of heat flowed off her. I didn’t say a word. He’s all yours, the cat whispered as he sunk down on the rock bridge.

The demon glared in defiance as he felt the pain from his shoulder turn into a white-hot fire. His eyes bulged from his red face before an intense heat spread throughout his body. I’m tired of having to spend all my time trying to prove myself to you and your friends. If you had done a better job of telling me about the big three in the first place, we wouldn’t be here, Jedidiah.

But … but I … her underling started to stammer then the sound stopped. His mouth was still moving, but no sound was coming from it. Joselin watched through slitted eyes as the demon stared back at her. His mouth opening and closing, breath coming in gasps. A shrill scream started to hiss as Jedidiah was consumed by hellfire. In a flash of white-hot flames, the demon was turned into a pile of ash.

Oh, I think someone skipped their anger management class, Merlin chuckled.

Bending down, Joselin ignored Merlin as she sifted through the ash until she came up with a round wisp of smoke that had a pulsing red glow in the center. Standing, she leered down at the ball. See, Jedidiah, this is what happens when you don’t stay calm. I’m sorry to say that you have been demoted.

Tossing the orb over her shoulder, Joselin spun on her heels and marched down the bridge back the way she had come while digging her phone out of her jacket pocket. Merlin watched as Jedidiah’s soul floated down into one of the pits of molten liquid where it joined the rest of the damned before he bounded after his demon.

III

Slowly Angel fought back from the darkness. Back to reality. Back to the nightmare that her mother had landed them in. As consciousness seeped back, Angel could feel the ties that bound her to the chair across from her mother. She fought against the restraints for a second before dizziness made her head start to swirl. Settling down, she gazed over at her mother as a rough voice sounded behind her. Now that the child is awake, I think we can start.

A man that