It was a creepy-looking building, all black spires and almost pulsating with dark energy. It was located on an impassable cliff too, with very painful-looking thorns surrounding the perimeter, no doubt to keep flightless demons away.

The dragon stopped to hover in the air near a small balcony - it was also covered by thorns, but those parted as they got close - and Rajek helped Vine, Kat and Shaye inside before following. "This way," he nodded down the corridor.

For a building this size, the corridors were strangely empty. And Vine knew for a fact that his followers had been numerous, closer to one third of all the angels in heaven. But considering what kind of creatures inhabited hell and how long it had been...

"How many are still alive?" he asked.

"Only six. Joal, Meriel, Grehar, Erain, me and..."

Vine froze as he spotted a woman that looked remarkably like Rajek in the corridor ahead of them.

"...and her," the other demon finished his sentence.

The woman's features showed stunned surprise for a split second before she strode over to them. Vine found himself slammed to the wall. It had looked hard, but on closer contact it was soft like flesh and something like branches of a tree wrapped around his body, keeping him in place half a foot off the floor. He could swear he heard whispers he couldn't quite make out from within the wall, but those were instantly forgotten as the curved blade of a huge scythe was pressed against his chest. At least it was only the flat side, but looking at the enraged visage of the woman holding it, he was certain that could change at any moment.

Vivid emerald eyes watched him intently. In any other circumstances he might have said that they were nicely complemented by the dark green tattoos on her cheekbones, but right now she just looked scary. Beautiful, yes, with voluminous raven hair and a form-fitting spiky armor of black and green, but without a doubt scary.

Vine was careful not to move an inch with the sharp blade so close to his throat. Angels - fallen and otherwise - could die. Not as easily as humans, but they could still die. "Razia...Still as spirited as ever, I see." He slowly pushed on the blade, making sure not to touch the razor-sharp edge. "Now that we've gone through the required greetings, would you move this away?"

She pulled her scythe away and placed it in the strap at her back. She could have just made it disappear, but carrying it everywhere had sort of been part of her image even in heaven. And then she slapped him. "I believed in you! How dare you show your face here after what you did?!"

"I'd rather not be here either. I wanted nothing-"

She slapped him again before storming off.

Vine shook his head a little to clear it. Razia had always been a little too much on the violent side.

"You know, she always had hots for you," Rajek said as he watched her fleeing form. "None of us were very happy over your sudden disappearance, but she was downright heartbroken."

Vine willed the bindings to disappear with his own power, ignoring the disappointed whispers, and dropped back to his feet. "I didn't ask for your sister's feelings. And right now I only want back to earth."

"You and me both." Rajek grinned and wrapped one arm around Vine's shoulders. "But once we're out of here," he warned in a tone that was clearly threatening, "you'd do better to watch your back. She's not the only one who has not forgiven you."

Then he abruptly let go. "Follow me, I'll show you a room you can stay in. Keep an eye on your human friends that they don't...get eaten by anything."

Vine took both Kat's and Shaye's hands. "Stay close to me. I really mean it this time. These walls are made of bitter souls, and they'll capture and devour you if they can." The same was true for the floor. The smooth surface was frequently forming into bumps and tendrils like misshapen fingers reaching for his feet, but one look was enough to make them retreat. He was, after all, still a fallen angel.

The room Rajek showed them into was spacious, but the only furniture in it was a large bed. It had a large window of darkened glass - or rather something that looked like darkened glass - with a view to a lake of fire. Of course it was not real glass. Everything here was made of souls or demons' power. He checked the bed before guiding Kat and Shaye on it. "Here should be as safe as it gets."

"I'll let you know when we find something," Rajek said and left.

Vine opened the door and looked to both directions along the corridor to make sure it was empty, then closed it again and returned to the bed. "I'm sorry about all this. I really didn't think we'd also be pulled to hell."

Kat shook her head. "It's not your fault."

Vine took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Thank you. I promise I'll do my utmost best to return you home. For now, just don't go anywhere without me."

She blushed suddenly. "What if...what if I have to go to bathroom?"

"Then I'd also have to accompany you." The demon chuckled as she turned even redder. "You don't need to, though. Neither do you need to eat - and I doubt there is anything for a human to eat here anyway -, although you most likely will feel hunger and thirst."

To feel constant hunger and thirst without having anything to eat or drink...Was that why those dream-eaters were so vicious? She didn't really understand how they'd "feed on human dreams", but she had seen first-hand what they did to human flesh the moment they had gotten out of hell.