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Chapter twenty-five

“ I ndoor or outdoor?” asked Frankie.

“Outdoor,” I answered. “The snow is kind of our thing.”

“You two are weird.”

“We’re weird? Are you kidding me? You and Levi fight more than cats and dogs.”

“Yes, but the sex after is worth it. You should try it.”

I smiled, still feeling the aching sensation between my legs from our shower escapade. “Don’t worry cousin, sex is the least of our worries.”

“Oh, right, Prince of Lust and all,” she said, making a face.

“Is that envy I sense? Levi must be wearing off on you.”

“Oh, shut up. Now, back to the dress—”

“Red. Tight. Lace. Dramatic. Long sleeves. Plunging neckline.”

“Sure, with only a few days’ notice that shouldn’t be a problem at all.” We both started laughing, sitting in the middle of her bed, surrounded by sweets and champagne.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I said, taking her hand in mine.

“Well, after your long resume of engagements and weddings, I was thinking of starting my own event planning business.”

I smacked her in the arm. “This is the last one, I promise. ”

Her face softened. “I have no doubt about that. Now, about your bridal party. I, of course, hold the reigning position of maid of honor, then next in line is G, and then … Lilith?” she asked with uncertainty, dragging out the letters of my new demon protector’s name.

“Sure, why the hell not? Speaking of, have you seen her around today?”

“No, not that I’ve been paying much attention.”

An uneasy feeling turned in the pit of my stomach. She had guarded me relentlessly since I discovered her true identity, but today, she was noticeably absent. I slid off the bed, putting my shoes back on before heading to the door.

“Hunting for a demon, are we?” Frankie asked, following me.

“What’s new?” I replied, heading into the hall.

The castle was packed. Witches and warlocks from all the covens had come to learn from the demon princes. Even Elder Torrian Astra had dared to show his face, only after Nonna made him grovel for her forgiveness. God, I loved that woman and her resilience. Torrian’s betrayal and attempt to throw my family out of our home would never be forgotten.

I turned the corner of the residence hall where Lilith was staying and opened her door without bothering to knock. Lillith leaned against the frame of a window overlooking Triora. She turned quickly with a startled expression.

“What do you two want?” she snapped, moving towards us. She peered over her shoulder in a suspicious manner.

“I can’t wait to see her face.” Frankie laughed, nudging me with her elbow.

I furrowed my brow, assessing her body language. “Are you expecting someone?” I asked.

“I do have a life, you know,” she replied. “Now, what do you need?”

Frankie clapped, smiling from ear to ear. “I’m thinking tulle,” she said sarcastically. “What do you think, Seren?”

Lilith checked over her shoulder again. “Actually,” she said, ushering us towards the door. “This really isn’t the best time for me. I have an appointment I need to keep, but I will come find you after.”

Lilith shoved us back towards the door aggressively. I pushed her arm away.

“Lilith, what are you—” I began to say, just as dark, purple smoke filled the area next to the window. The fog dissipated, revealing a massive form with red hair as radiant as fire and a face that promised death. Satan.

Before I could act, Frankie’s starlight blasted from behind me, slamming him into the wall across the room. I sent a message down the bridge to Deus. Within seconds, he and Levi appeared.

“What in the hell is he doing here in your room?” I asked Lilith, approaching her with caution. She rolled her eyes, placing a hand on her hip before exhaling.

“He’s not our enemy,” she replied.

Levi laughed. “And where have you been these past few millennia?”

Lilith shook her head and offered Satan her hand. He accepted it, standing to his feet. He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling as he stretched.

“You Salvo women really know how to pack a punch.”

“And you’re just now realizing this?” asked Frankie.

“What in the fuck is going on, Lilith?” asked Deus, his voice carrying a violent edge.

She took a moment, looking to Satan as if asking permission to speak. I took another step forward .

“Lilith,” I said. “Does the pledge you made to me only a few days ago mean nothing?”

“Of course it does,” she replied. “I am bound to you. To protect you from any threat. That is why I am currently not pulverizing his smug face in. Even though he deserves nothing short of a slow, miserable death, after what he said about you being better suited for him.”

“And what about yesterday?” asked Deus. “You attacked him then.”

“He bit another female,” she roared, glaring at Wrath. “Of course I wasn’t going to let him get away with that.”

In a waft of multicolor fog, Mammon, Belz, Gor, and G all appeared in Lilith’s room. Lilith crossed her arms, her stare at Deus full of disappointment.

“Really?” she asked him. “After all these centuries, all I’ve done and proven to you, you really trust me that little?”

“I don’t know what to believe right now,” Deus answered.

“It’s fine,” Satan interrupted, putting a comforting hand on Lilith’s back.

“Start talking,” insisted Belz.

Satan took a step forward, facing his brothers. “As always, I am in this for myself. As sweet Lilith pointed out yesterday, I no longer find Lucifer worthy of his crown. So, if there is a chance for me to earn my rightful place as king, I will stop at nothing to achieve it. Even if that means working with the lot of you. There is a lot you don’t know about me.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Mammon interrupted him.

“Do you want answers, or are you not finished listening to your arrogant, small-minded, narcissistic selves?”

A simmer of rage rippled down the bond. “Go on,” Deus said.

“As I was saying,” Satan continued, “there is a lot you all have missed since … well, the beginning of time. As soon as we landed in the earthly realm, Deus broke from Lucifer, giving the lot of you the courage to do the same. But in doing so, you left the most powerful celestial being unchecked. I couldn’t let that happen. Not knowing what he was planning, what resources he had up his sleeve, left all of us vulnerable. In the past, his antics have worked in my favor, but recently, his actions have become reckless.”

“So, you made a deal with Lilith?” I asked, turning to my so-called friend. “And you betrayed us.”

“I have never betrayed you,” Lilith replying, rubbing her temples. “It is far more complicated than what you know.”

“Then explain it to us,” said Deus.

Lilith looked at Satan before replying. “I was human once, remember? If Lucifer is the being I hate the most, and the rest of your beloved demon princes knew nothing of my true identity, didn’t you ever wonder how I became a demon?”

“She was the first I ever created,” admitted Satan. Pride flickered through his tone. “Nailed it on the first try.” He looked at Lilith with more endearment than I thought the demon of wrath could possess. He winked at her, and I could have sworn she blushed.

“Satan found me after Lucifer had ruined my mortal life,” explained Lilith. “I had foolishly fallen in love with the prince of lies and deceptions, turning my back on Adam and God. I chose Lucifer over all else, blinded by my stupid, useless heart. Little did I know, I was just a tool in Lucifer’s pissing contest with his Father. As soon as I chose the life Lucifer promised me, the gates to Eden were shut to me … forever.

“Lucifer had succeeded in taking away one of his Father’s most beloved creations. I was no longer any use to him. He left me stranded in the desert, alone and starving, to die.”

“I had been watching Lilith for some time,” continued Satan, looking at her with adoration. “She was fearless and truly a woman of her own mind. I knew my brother’s affections were a farce, but playing the role I had committed to, I didn’t interfere. Lucy was still running around without a soul. Any promise of love or admiration towards Lilith was all a part of his plan to stick it to Father.

“Then, when he left her in the desert to die, I made my move. I had been watching Lucifer dabble with the creation of his own brand of demons. The rest of you had begun creating creatures and figures of horror by using your darkness and life force while compressing it into physical beings. I wondered what would happen if I intertwined my life force with that of a living thing … a human.”

“Long story short,” Lilith took over. “Satan found me knocking on death’s door. He offered me a deal; one I accepted without hesitation. Then I experienced the most painful and torturous transition to date. When I woke after passing out, I was stronger, more powerful … immortal. A demon made of wrath and rage. Exactly what I required to seek my revenge.”

“What was the deal you made?” I asked.

Lilith looked up at Satan and smiled, taking his hand in hers. “That I would stop at nothing until Lucifer had suffered,” she answered. “I vowed to wreak havoc on him, taking away anything and everything he holds dear. To destroy any hope he had of ever becoming a god. But to do this, Satan and I had to keep our relationship a secret from the world.”

Satan turned to Deus. “I knew you were strong, and that to defeat our brother, we would eventually be left with no choice but to join forces.”

“So, we concocted a plan,” explained Lilith. “I would become your trusted right hand, making sure you remained safe and out of Lucifer’s grasp.”

“You’ve been spying on me,” growled Deus, “this entire time?”

“No, I became your friend,” Lilith countered aggressively. “I aided you while you built your forces and found your true self.” Deus was fuming. “Satan and I agreed that we would only meet once a century, in private, so our bargain would not be discovered. Until … until the key to our plan was discovered.” She turned her eyes to me. “Until we found you.”

“Hold on just a minute,” barked Mammon, taking a step forward. “You mean to tell me you … and my brother are … together?”

Lilith smiled and so did Satan. “We’re mated,” she admitted.

“For fuck’s sake,” Belz blurted.

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” said Gor.

“This just keeps getting better,” added Levi.

“How long?” asked Deus. “How long have you two known you were mated?”

“A few months after I made her into a demon,” answered Satan.

“But,” Mammon said, looking very confused. “Lilith, Belz, and I—” he stopped, realizing he was approaching a very dangerous subject.

Wrath’s eyes lit with flashes of red and blue, swirling into a brilliant shade of purple. His jaw clenched. “I am aware of what you and Beelzebub did to my mate,” he growled.

Belz put his hands up in a defensive manner. “We had no knowledge of who or what she was to you, brother,” Belz said. “If we would have, even hating you as we do, we would have never crossed that line. Some things are sacred, no matter the circumstances.”

Lilith slid a comforting hand down Satan’s arm. “We all had to play a part,” she said, her tone full of regret. “No matter how much it killed me, I did what I had to do so we could all get to this point.” She looked at the other princes. “We didn’t know which of you we could trust. If my identity was revealed, any of you could have turned that information over to Lucy to further your own agendas, not knowing what it would have cost us all.”

“How does Lucifer not recognize you?” asked Frankie.

“When I was made,” answered Lilith, “Satan altered my appearance.”

“Red hair, like mine,” he said, twirling a finger through a curl. “White complexion to represent the innocence that he stole from her. But I kept the eyes the same. I couldn’t bear to part with such beauty.”

“I’m going to be sick,” Mammon said, moving to the back of the group.

“So, you knew about Talia the entire time?” I asked.

Satan turned to me, his face now stern. “I know of Talia, but not enough to be of any use. That is one individual Lucy has gone to great lengths to erase from the world … even from me.”

I turned to Lilith. “So, scrying for the bones, suggesting we use Satan to retrieve the remains, it was all a plan to get us to work together?”

“To be clear,” said Satan, “I have not decided what side I am on.” Lilith elbowed him in the side.

“Then what are you doing here?” asked Deus.

“My mate asked me for a favor,” he answered.

“Always the lapdog,” Belz mumbled.

“Did you bring the bones?” I asked.

Satan nodded, snapping his fingers. A brown leather bag appeared in front of me. I bent down, opening the top, needing to see them for myself. I smiled, a sense of relief filling me as I looked upon the remains of the first vessel.

“Perfectly preserved,” I whispered. “G, go get my mother … it’s time.” She left without a word.

“Seren,” Satan said, stepping in front of me. Deus went stiff in a defensive manner. Satan looked down at me and then the bag I now held in a death grip. “I don’t know much about this witch you are trying to rescue, but I do remember the time from which she lived. A time that marked the beginning of an era of darkness and the magic you and your covens now fight. This can’t be a coincidence, especially if Lucifer has gone to the lengths he has to keep her a secret.”

“Thanks for the advice,” I said sarcastically. “But as you just reminded everyone in the room, you are out only for yourself—which means, I think it’s time for you to go.”

“I am not trying to change your mind, goddess,” Satan replied. “All I am suggesting is that you go into this with your eyes open.”

“Message received,” I replied.

“You got the bones,” I heard Nonna say with excitement from the door. She, my aunt, and mother froze at the sight of Satan. Nonna’s back went straight in a defensive stance. “What in Aradia’s name are you doing standing in my home?”

“Wait for this story,” Frankie mumbled. “More hidden secrets we’ve just uncovered. Turns out Satan here created the first human-demon hybrid, Lilith, who just happened to be his mate, and now we’re all just one big happy family.”

“What?” asked Aunt Thora, confusion stretched across her face.

“Now you know how I feel,” Frankie added.

“Time to go, brother,” Belz said, approaching Satan. Wrath turned to his mate one final time. He stroked her long, red hair before shifting out of sight.

I threw my hands up towards an empty part of the room, solidifying my magic into the new gate I had strained to create. Out of the black and gray fog, the bridge materialized brick by brick into a beautiful archway with ribbons of red and purple intertwining through the structure.

I took a deep breath, my hands falling to my sides in exhaustion. I looked back. “Gor,” I said. He came to my side. “What do I do with the bones?”

“You need to compress them. Break them down. Pull the magic out of them and then infuse that into the existing bridge. It should, in theory, act as the anchor to get you to Talia.”

I looked to my other side at Deus. He smiled. “What do you need, my love?” he asked.

“A little magical boost wouldn’t hurt,” I replied.

“Anything,” he said, kissing me on the head. “Promise you’ll come back to me in one piece.”

“I promise,” I replied, leaning into his body. “I wish you could come with me.”

“As do I,” he replied. I still didn’t understand why the princes couldn’t set foot in purgatory—another question I would likely never get an answer to.

I turned back to Annalise. “Mom, you ready?” I asked.

“Ready,” she answered, coming to stand next to me.

Deus wrapped his arms around my waist, our shared power heightening. As I pressed my back into him, I focused on the bones. I hovered my hands over the bag, steadying myself as I began. The bones drifted up into the air until I contained them between my hands, concentrating my power and will. I closed my eyes, searching for the link that connected Talia and me. The power of the goddess.

A darkness flashed behind my eyes. Pain, suffering, and fear all rushed in, consuming me with an overwhelming sense of panic and despair. I could hear cries of people, of children in the background. Fire cracked and the earth split, consuming villages, farms, and innocents along with it. Darkness devoured me. Power consumed me: a desire, a need for divine sovereignty.

A low, descending hum slammed through the room, silencing everything and everyone around us. A massive explosion of power and light ruptured through me, shattering the bone fragments into dust. My power latched onto hers instantly, pulling and drawing me in, but it wasn’t the goddess I felt … no, this power, this darkness, was demonic .

I moved my hands, forcing down the need to consume her essence, before thrusting my hands towards the gate, infusing her to the structure. A brilliant white light radiated through the arch, energizing the stones, stirring them to life. A blast erupted from the bridge, flinging the door to Purgatory wide open with a powerful gust of wind.

We all flew back, landing on our asses. Wind and light tore through the room. I felt Deus’s hands on me, pulling me to my feet. I looked into my mate’s eyes, feeling the love we shared. He caressed the side of my face before pressing a desperate kiss to my mouth.

“Promise me,” he whispered, while the wind and fury of another plane whipped around us.

“I’m coming back,” I replied, placing a hand to his heart. “I’m coming home.”

I turned towards my mother. She took my hand and gave me a small, reassuring nod. We both faced the women we loved. Nonna nodded, Aunt Thora smiled, and Frankie blew a kiss. Annalise and I looked at each other one more time. Her grip around my hand tightened as we took a running leaping into the unknown.