Hellhole Inferno Read Online Free PDF

desired was his birthright. The Diadem refused to understand that.
    In a gracious gesture, Michella had recently transferred the title on a large central-city apartment to him, even though she had already given him a different house not long before. This was a furnished unit on an upper floor with a partial view of Heart Square and the government buildings, including Council Hall. She expected that these perks, and perhaps a pat on the head, were all that was necessary to ensure his loyalty.
    Even though she knew exactly what Ishop was capable of, Michella did not seem to realize that she had made a dangerous enemy. He had already attempted to kill her once, but that was just practice. Ishop vowed to keep trying until he succeeded.
    Fuming, he used an ID transmitter to unlock the door to the new apartment. Like throwing a dog a bone! Despite his large frame, Ishop moved smoothly and gracefully, remaining wary, always vigilant against anyone trying to harm him. His pale-green eyes spotted no threat. He wiped a sheen of sweat from his shaved scalp.
    He had been to this apartment only once before and knew it would never feel like the home he deserved. He should have been the lord of a nobleman’s palace, ruler of a planet. Now as Ishop stepped into the foyer, he smelled fresh paint. He saw his red-haired assistant Laderna Nell arranging paintings and sculptures in the parlor, government-commissioned works by various local artists. He saw the expensive masterpieces as nothing more than trappings. Consolation prizes.
    Laderna came out and greeted him with a kiss. His assistant was thin, even gangly, with brown, almond-shaped eyes and a steady, intelligent gaze. She was his confidante as well as his lover, and they celebrated with sex whenever they accomplished some part of their overall schemes. Ishop knew she fancied more of a close personal relationship than the physical one they already had, but even so, she recognized the requirement that he take a noble wife, since he was of noble blood himself—regardless of whether the Diadem recognized his claim. Laderna wanted him to succeed, and she would bask in his glory.
    Yes, she truly was a perfect partner, with shared goals and the desire to help him achieve the glory he deserved. They both agreed that it was essential for Ishop to advance as far as possible in the hierarchy of the Constellation, and Laderna would let no one stand in his way—not even herself. At times, it bothered him that by not accepting her as a person equal to his station, he was in effect treating Laderna just as Michella had treated him. But at least he recognized Laderna’s value; he would never forget that, and he often told her how much he appreciated her.
    It was the rest of the Constellation that frustrated him so.
    In the parlor of his cold, uncomfortable new apartment, Ishop studied a glass sculpture, a hodgepodge that included a cornucopia, a flower, and some impossible sea creature. “I don’t like this one.” With a wave to emphasize his artistic judgment, he knocked the piece over, shattering it on the hard tile floor.
    Scowling, taking out his deep-seated anger at how he had been treated by his supposed peers, he wandered around the apartment, breaking other pieces, even slashing a painting with a knife.
    Laderna did not scold him as he released his frustrations. “We can say that vandals ransacked the place before we arrived, and that we want a new security system.”
    â€œThey’ll just replace these pieces with artwork that’s just as bad,” he replied, then smiled. “And if necessary, we’ll keep getting our security system redone.”
    They shared a gourmet meal and wine in the dining chamber, delivered by an in-house catering service that the landlord provided for the tenants. It was a convenience, but not the same as having a personal serving staff.
    As she finished her rare filet with butter-drenched mushroom caps, Laderna said,