The Unknown // Colby Brock

~~ Chapter Nine ~~

"Ari! Ari!" A voice was yelling through my door. I was sleeping and the voice had made me jump awake, which I wasn't particularly happy about, but Devyn sounded particularly worried so I quickly got up.

She stood on the other side of the door carrying a short but thick dagger. "God's coming, and we don't know if he's going to be friendly or not. Get ready quickly and meet us in the throne room." She flashed away before I could even react.

I ran back inside, finding the most basic clothes I could and changing into them before rushing out of my room. Only when I got to the end of the hallway could I see almost everybody else in the throne room already.

"Arianna, over here," Xepher called, motioning me to the balcony with her. She handed me a dagger - of which appeared right in front of my eyes - and lifted a finger to her lips.

I peered down at everyone nervously awaiting God's arrival with Colby sitting on his throne. He looked like he didn't give a damn, but I knew that wasn't true. Deep down, he was terrified.

All of a sudden, Elton flashed into the room. "He's here," he said intensely, running to his place beside the front door.

We waited in dead silence for something to walk through that door; for God, who was ironically our worst nightmare, to enter the palace that was Colby's home. It took a moment, but eventually, the front doors swung open to reveal two angels - neither of which had their faces on show under a thick metal helmet - walking inside. Behind them was God himself, but he wasn't alone. On one side was Sam holding Katrina's hand, and on the other was a tall woman wearing a gorgeous white dress covered in golden accents. She had a set of wings just like everybody else. And then, finally, there were two more angel guards.

"I must say" - God's voice boomed throughout the entire house - "you didn't put up much of an entrance for us."

"Short notice," Colby grumbled back.

The woman's eyes flicked to him and softened like I never thought possible. I noticed the way she tugged on God's hand as if to tell him not to be rude, but of course he didn't listen.

"No excuse, I'm afraid. However, we will look passed it just this once. We're here to discuss... well, the running of hell."

"That's none of your concern," Jake spoke, stepping forward from his place beside the throne.

God raised an eyebrow and motioned towards Sam with one hand.

"He is the king of heaven, really, not me. I am higher than him, therefore, I am higher than you." God spoke specifically to Colby. "That means I'm in charge of you also, though I would rather not be. Regardless, there cannot be a King of hell without a Queen."

I wasn't sure why but my heart dropped.

"I've been managing just fine on my own," Colby grumbled back, his eyes narrowed in annoyance. Something told me this wasn't the first time they had talked about something like this.

The woman sympathetically whispered, "Dear, it is not about you specifically. It is about hell itself. There needs to be two strong forces-"

"Yeah, I've heard this lecture before," Colby cut her off.

God suddenly looked furious. "You're hearing it again because you haven't fixed the problem, Colby. And I suggest that you begin looking because there is no way you'll be able to rule hell on your own for much longer."

"You don't know me."

"Boy, don't get me started on how well I know you." He surpassed the guards and walked almost all the way up to the bottom step of the throne. "You have a matter of months at this point to find a queen otherwise I'll have to decide that you aren't fit enough to run hell at all. And that's that."