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Chapter Eighteen

LILY

The massive brimlord didn’t bother waiting for me to respond. He simply turned and strutted his massive body through the crowd, forcing the others to part around him like a tide breaking against a stone. I had a feeling that he was the one I had to impress, that the opinions of the others didn’t matter near as much as this brute’s.

The rest of the hellspawn followed, though not without a few lingering glances in my direction, some wary, some curious, some hostile. Most kept their weapons drawn—an unnecessary flex, really, given that the entire camp had threatened to kill me not five minutes ago. I didn’t comment on it though. Let them play their games. I would win in the end.

Levi and I fell into step behind them, with Mephisar and Sable slithering behind us. Many of the rebellion members stiffened when my two fire-breathing, meat-eating, thirty-foot-long friends shuffled past them. I couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t that I revelled in the hellspawn’s fear, but I…well, okay, maybe I did. A little.

Not because it made me feel powerful. Not because I enjoyed being feared—I didn’t. But because, for once, the fear was justified. For once, they were right to be wary. I wasn’t some lost little celestial. And I was a whole lot more than Lucifer’s daughter.

I was powerful. Trained for war. Built for it. And after everything my father had done, after all that I’d endured, I wanted them to see me as dangerous.

Because I was.

The brimlord led us deeper into the camp, past rows of tents that smelled like wet ash and crispy flesh. Fire blazed in nearby crude pits, casting shadows across the haphazard structures. They’d built everything here from whatever they’d managed to scavenge and steal—leather stitched together from hellbeast and hellspawn hides, and walls patched with whittled bone, mined metal, and broken weapons.

It was nothing like my father’s glorious palace, but I had to give them credit. They’d created a fortress out of scraps and spite.

Of course, that didn’t mean they liked me being here. I had to imagine it was quite the opposite, seeing as how their enemy’s daughter had found their hidden haven.

The brimlord led us towards the largest tent in the encampment, guarded by two particularly mean-looking vexori. Every hellspawn we passed stopped what they were doing to stare. A nearby venerath seated near a fire pit muttered something to her companion. I couldn’t hear what she said, but judging by the way they both leered at me, fangs flashing, I was guessing it wasn’t polite.

I smiled at them.

They didn’t smile back.

Tough crowd.

The brimlord slipped into the tent, and when I moved to follow, one of the vexori threw out a hand, blocking my entry.

He bared his fangs. “Weapons.”

I blinked. Then slowly gestured at my absolute lack of weapons. “Sure. Let me just dig around in my nonexistent pockets and pull out the swords I don’t have.”

The guard was unimpressed. “We’re not stupid. You have power.”

“Oh,” I said, mock realization dawning. “You mean my blood.” I gave him a slow, flat look. “Would you like me to drain it into a cup for you?”

The second guard growled, stepping closer. “You think this is funny?”

“A bit?” I said, laughing. “I mean, what exactly are you asking me to do here? It’s not like I can just hand over my celestial powers. I know vexori aren’t the smartest bunch, but this is taking it a bit far?—”

“Lily,” Levi sighed.

The guard’s grip tightened on his sword.

Then, from inside the tent, a deep voice cut through the tension. “Let her through.”

The guards hesitated for half a second, then stepped aside.

I flashed them a smile as I walked past. “Great talk, boys. Really enjoyed this.”

At the entrance, I paused just long enough to tuck my wings in tight. Then I stepped into a space lit by smoky torches, their firelight illuminating the dark interior and the battered maps scattered across a crude stone table. Ah, a war tent then.

Bringing me here felt like a tactical misstep—hellspawn were far from brilliant, but letting someone they hadn’t even accepted as an ally into their war room? Bold choice.

For once, though, I kept my mouth shut. I did actually want them on my side, so antagonizing them further wouldn’t accomplish what we wanted.

The brimlord took position in front of the stone table. “Korrak.”

I tilted my head. “That supposed to mean something to me?”

A low, humourless chuckle. “My name,” he said. “Since you’ll be bleeding for us soon, I figured you should know it.”

How charming.

It was a struggle, but I kept my expression even. I could push him—see how far I could press before he snapped, but I was trying to be smart today.

Instead, I met his gaze and said, “You mentioned a trial. I assume you already have something in mind.”

Korrak’s grin sharpened. “That I do.” He leaned forward, his massive arms braced against the table. “There’s an outpost about half a day from here. One that reports directly to your father.”

I didn’t even hesitate. “You want it gone.”

Korrak nodded. “Burn it. Kill them. Turn them against their master. Free the prisoners. We don’t care how you do it. Only that it’s done.”

“Prisoners,” I repeated, voice cooling as I entered strategy mode. “Your people?”

A single nod, his horns glinting in the firelight.

“Why haven’t you done it already then?”

“Was gonna,” he grunted. “But then you fell into my lap. A good leader uses every resource at their disposal. Consider this your initiation.”

I grinned. “Oh, Korrak. I think I like you.” I let the smile linger just long enough before I let it drop. “But let’s be clear. I’m not joining the rebellion. I’m taking it over. If I succeed, if I prove my loyalty, you and your people fall in line under my command. Understood?”

A charged silence settled over the war tent. The torches flickered, their light dancing across Korrak’s molten skin as his expression darkened.

For a long moment, he said nothing.

Then, his massive hands curled into fists, and the entire table groaned as his weight pressed into it.

“You?” His voice was low, almost amused with a hint of murder. “You think you can just walk in here and take command?”

I shrugged.

A few of the other hellspawn in the tent tensed, their hands drifting toward weapons. The two vexori guards from outside now stepped inside, as though sensing their current leader’s change in mood. Their movements predatory and their taloned feet clicking against the ground in an eerie, deliberate rhythm.

“You’ve got some real celestial arrogance, I’ll give you that,” Korrak snarled.

“She’s not wrong, though.”

The words came from Levi, cutting through the rising tension before it could explode.

Korrak’s gaze snapped to him. “Speak, serpent.”

So…did everyone know Levi could shift into snake-form? Was I the last to know?

Levi’s lips curved upward, but his voice remained even. “Lily is the best chance you’ve got. You’ve been fighting this war for how long now? And yet your numbers dwindle, your resources run thin, and your victories are few.” He gestured toward me. “She’s trained for this. She knows Lucifer’s strategies inside and out. If you’re serious about taking Hell back, you need her.”

“She needs us more,” Korrak rumbled.

Levi inclined his head. “You haven’t had any significant victories. I would argue it’s time for new leadership. Someone more…capable.”

A few of the hellspawn shifted uncomfortably, exchanging glances.

I took the opening. “You can fight me on this, Korrak, but I’ll still win. Because I’m stronger. Smarter.” I tilted my head, my voice cooling. “But if you’d rather waste time challenging me instead of focusing on the real enemy, then by all means—take your shot.”

Korrak’s molten gaze burned into mine. For a moment, I thought he might take a swing at me, that he might accept my challenge right here and now.

But then he did something unexpected.

He laughed. A deep, grating sound, like rock breaking apart.

“Fine,” he said at last, straightening to his full height. “You want to lead the rebellion? Then prove yourself. And if you survive”—his fanged grin was unforgiving—“then we’ll see.”

I didn’t miss the subtle shift in wording. Not if I succeeded. If I survived.

Cute.

I’d survived everything my father had thrown at me—his training, his punishments, his expectations. A hellspawn outpost wasn’t exactly what I’d call a challenge.

“You leave before dawn,” Korrak said, his gaze flicking toward me. “I’ll give you three hellspawn. And you can take your wyrms.”

“How generous,” I drawled.

“Take what you need from the armory,” Korrak said. “But if you die, you’ll prove me right. And we’ll know you weren’t worth the effort.”

I snorted. “Oh, Korrak . ” I stepped toward the exit, tossing him a glance over my shoulder. “You should start getting used to disappointment.”

I pushed past the vexori guards without another word, and Levi fell into step beside me as we emerged back into the camp.

The moment we were out of earshot, Levi let out a long-suffering sigh. “You’d think after all my years watching you, I’d be used to it.”

I shot him a glance. “Used to what?”

“To you ,” he muttered, clearly flustered. “Are you physically incapable of being polite?”

I grinned. “Ah, well. It’s a gift.”

“Hmm.” Levi shook his head. “Would you like me to accompany you to the outpost?”

I considered his offer, then shook my head. “If things go south, they’ll need you here. And it wouldn’t be a good move tactically to reveal your presence to Lucifer. Not after all this time.”

“Very well. Try not to kill Korrak’s hellspawn.”

“You mean my hellspawn,” I corrected, winking at the visibly flustered angel. “Don’t fret, Levi. I’ll be back before you know it.”

* * *

I landed first, wings kicking up a gust of hot wind as I touched down on the ground. Behind me, Mephisar and Sable circled once before folding their wings and dropping onto the cracked ground with heavy, bone-rattling force. A moment later, my three new companions dismounted, all with varying degrees of grace, or lack thereof.

I ignored them for the moment, focusing on the outpost. It sat like a blackened wound against the scorched landscape, nestled within a ridge of broken stone. The walls were thick and fused from layers of warped metal and charred rock, its only entrance a heavily fortified gate flanked by two watchtowers. Firelight danced along the ramparts, and even from here, I could make out the dark silhouettes of hellspawn patrolling the perimeter. And if I wasn’t mistaken, while flying, I’d spotted a row of cells near the back—the prisoners, most likely.

Not impossible. But not exactly easy, either.

A sigh from behind pulled my attention back to my companions, and as I turned, I finally took a proper look at them.

I’d been in too much of a hurry back at the camp to pay them much mind beyond a quick assessment of their species, but now that I had them standing in front of me, I was starting to notice the details.

Varzok—or Varz, as he’d grunted when I’d called him by his full name earlier—stood stiffly, his arms crossed, his slitted golden eyes narrowed slightly as he surveyed the outpost. He looked like every netheron I’d ever met—built like a predator, sleek, lethal, all honed muscle and precision. But something was…off. Not in his appearance, but in his demeanor. Where most netherons carried themselves with the easy confidence of natural killers, Varz seemed tense.

Then there was Calder, who had already made himself comfortable by leaning against a protruding rock, arms folded loosely over his chest, a slow, amused smirk curling his lips. I hadn’t known many vampires, other than Rathiel and Deidre, but Calder looked the part with his coiffed hair and handsome smile. He exuded the air of someone who didn’t particularly care if this mission succeeded.

Super.

And then there was Gorr.

I’d fought my share of ravagers over the years. Battled them throughout all my training. They weren’t the strongest hellspawn, but they weren’t weak either. They were bestial monsters, intent on ripping your head off in a single bite, which tended to make fighting them rather challenging. But this one…

He was big, sure. Thickly muscled, his dark hide broken by deep scars and patches of bony plating. His horns were slightly smaller than most ravagers I’d seen, curving back from his skull in thick, ridged arcs. His claws looked lethal enough to tear through steel, and his fangs gleamed in the dim light.

But he was weirdly expressive. Almost…cute.

Ravagers prowled with single-minded focus, and Gorr shifted his weight, his head tilting slightly as he studied the outpost. His furry tail slowly swished behind him. When I caught his eye, he blinked at me like he was waiting for a command.

Something about him seemed… I didn’t want to say eager, but he was definitely engaged. And not in a ravager’s usual bloodthirsty way.

I narrowed my eyes.

Something wasn’t adding up.

I turned my gaze back to Varz and Calder.

Korrak had given me a netheron who looked like he hadn’t seen real battle in ages, a vampire who clearly had no personal investment in this mission, and a ravager who was weirdly attentive and maybe even, dare I say it, friendly.

I groaned.

Oh, that bastard.

Korrak hadn’t provided me any three hellspawn. He’d given me his problem children.

I stretched out my neck and let the realization slide off my shoulders. Whatever Korrak’s game was, it didn’t matter. I wasn’t about to fail just because he’d saddled me with the camp’s misfits.

“All right,” I said. “Let’s get one thing straight. I don’t care why Korrak sent you with me. I don’t care if you’re the best or the worst. But you’re here, which means you’re mine now. And we are taking that outpost.”

Varz’s lips curled slightly, just short of a sneer. “That’s an ambitious statement, celestial.”

I smiled. “Well, I’m ambitious. Achieve the unachievable, I always say.” I’d never in my life said that.

Calder chuckled, shaking his head. “This should be entertaining.”

Gorr just let out a low huff and thumped his tail against the ground.

Great.

I turned back toward the outpost, ignoring Calder’s smug amusement and Varz’s thinly veiled disdain. Let them think what they wanted. I wasn’t here to impress them—I was here to get the job done.

And preferably not die in the process.

My hellwyrms shifted restlessly behind me, their long, sinewy bodies curling slightly. Mephisar let out a guttural growl and Sable flicked her forked tongue in anticipation.

I sighed. “Yes, I know you’re hungry. No, you can’t eat anyone—yet.”

Calder chuckled under his breath. “Your pets and I have that in common,” he mused. “Always hungry.”

I didn’t correct his “pets” comment. Instead, I levelled him with a glare. “You bite me, and I’m setting you on fire.”

His grin widened, as though my threat only intrigued him. “Noted.”

“Are we going to stand around all night, or do you actually have a plan?” Varz demanded, his tone stark with annoyance.

I arched a brow. “Oh, I have a plan.”

Varz crossed his arms. “Which is?”

I studied the outpost again, taking in every detail. The layout. The guards. The vantage points. Then I looked at my so-called team.

Yup, it would be a miracle if we pulled it off. Thankfully, as a celestial, I believed in miracles.

“We’ll do what’s expected of us,” I told them.

Varz narrowed his eyes. “And that is?”

A grin came freely to my lips. “We’ll fight.”

“Straight to the point,” Calder said, laughing. “I like it.”

“Then you’re going to love me,” I told him.

Varz’s narrowed gaze flicked between me and Calder, as though wondering what he’d done to get himself saddled with the two of us. Admittedly, I wondered the same thing.

“That’s not a plan,” Varz finally said.

He wanted the finer details, did he? Fine. I gestured toward the outpost. “We take out the sentries. We breach the walls. We cut down anyone who gets in our way.” I shrugged. “Simple. Efficient.”

Varz let out a harsh breath, rubbing his temples. “I assumed you’d want to be subtle about this.”

“Not particularly,” I said. “Why bother when they’re expecting us?”

That caught Varz’s attention. His eyes narrowed slightly. “What makes you think they’re expecting us?”

I gave a low, quiet laugh. “Come on, Varz. Think it through. I’m currently flanked by two giant hellwyrms. If the outpost’s sentry is any good, they’ve already spotted us. Not to mention, they’ve got your people, don’t they? When you take prisoners, you don’t just sit back and hope no one comes looking. You prepare for the possibility that someone will come looking for them.”

His mouth twitched to the side, like he wanted to argue but couldn’t.

“So, why bother trying to catch them off guard? They’re already preparing for our attack.”

Calder pushed off the rock, stretching like a cat just waking from a nap. “Well, if we’re going in loud, I might as well enjoy myself.” He grinned, his fangs catching the hellish light. “Mind if I take the first kill? I wasn’t kidding when I said I was hungry.”

“No.”

He blinked, clearly not used to being denied. “No?”

I tipped my head toward the gate and watchtowers. “We take those out first. Won’t do us much good to carve our way in if we can’t get back out.”

Then I reached up, running a hand along Mephisar’s thick scales before giving Sable an affectionate pat. “What do you say? Ready to raise a little hell?” My lips curled. “Eat whoever you want—just leave the prisoners intact.”

Mephisar eagerly nudged my shoulder.

“Once they’ve taken out the towers and the gate, we go in and cut down as many as we can.”

“That’s seriously your plan?” Varz questioned. “Smash it all and kill as many as we can.”

“Yup,” I said brightly. “Sometimes the simplest plans are the best.”

He gave me a long, withering stare. “I expected more from Lucifer’s daughter.”

I clapped him on the back with a grin. “If you don’t like it, feel free to walk away. I just wouldn’t count on making it far.” I gestured toward Sable, who watched us keenly. “She does look a little peaky. And if I recall, netheron is one of her favourite snacks.”

Sable rumbled low in her throat, pleased.

Varz tensed, but Calder laughed. “Now I know I like you.”

“Aw,” I said, flashing him a grin. “You’re warming up to me already.”

Varz muttered something under his breath, but he didn’t argue further. He only cast a wary glance at Sable before turning his attention back to the outpost.

I ignored his attitude. Let him sulk. It wouldn’t change the fact that this was happening, regardless of his personal feelings on the matter.

“All right,” I said, cracking my knuckles. “Mephisar, Sable—tear down the towers and breach the gate. Varz, Calder, and I will deal with whoever survives the first wave.”

Gorr let out an eager chuff, and I glanced down at him, one brow arched. “And you—just stick by my side, all right? Take out anyone who gets too close to me.”

He thumped his tail once against the ground, which I took as either agreement or mild offense. Hard to say.

With a flick of my wrist, I sent Mephisar and Sable forward. The hellwyrms needed no further encouragement. With a bone-rattling screech, they took off, wings snapping open as they surged toward the outpost like a living storm.

The second they entered range, the watchtowers erupted in shouts. Hellspawn scrambled, weapons drawn as their superiors barked out orders—too little, too late.

Mephisar hit first, slamming his bulk into the left watchtower. The entire structure groaned under the impact before crumbling, sending its occupants plummeting into the abyss below. Sable, not to be outdone, wrapped her tail around the right tower and yanked, tearing it from its foundation.

The outpost exploded into chaos.

And that was our cue.

I snapped my wings open, drawing the twin swords I’d taken from the rebellion’s armory. Although I couldn’t infuse them with my hellfire—unfortunate, really—they would get the job done.

“Let’s do this,” I said, and without waiting, I took to the air.

Below, Gorr surged forward, his massive form a blur of muscle and speed, easily keeping pace. His claws tore into the ground, sending chunks of stone flying with each bound.

The outpost loomed ahead, the gates hanging in ruins thanks to Sable’s enthusiastic demolition. Hellspawn poured from the opening, scrambling to form a defensive line, but my wyrms had turned the outpost into pure chaos. The generals barked orders, shouting at their soldiers, while all around them rose screams from the injured and dying.

I scanned the battlefield, spotting my next target. A cluster of hellspawn, some brimlords among them, were trying to regroup near the smoldering remains of the watchtowers.

“Gorr, break their line!” I called, angling my flight toward them.

The ravager let out an eager bark and shot ahead. He hit the first hellspawn like a wrecking ball, his powerful bulk sending bodies flying. Claws slashed, fangs snapped, and the defensive formation crumbled before it could even take shape.

I followed right behind him, swooping low. My swords caught the nearest hellspawn in the chest before he’d even had a chance to raise his weapon. I twisted, ripping free, then spun toward the next.

Varz appeared beside me a second later, his twin daggers flashing. He moved like liquid shadow, slipping between enemies, striking fast and hard.

Calder, of course, took his sweet time. He strolled through the carnage, a lazy smile on his lips, plucking enemies off one by one with almost theatrical finesse.

“You’re not taking this seriously,” Varz snapped at him between parries.

Calder caught a blade with his bare hand, yanked the attacker in, and tore his throat out with his fangs. He let the body drop, then turned to Varz with a satisfied grin.

“Sure I am,” he said smoothly. “I just happen to enjoy my work.”

I rolled my eyes. “Less talking, more killing.”

A thunderous roar split the air—Mephisar barreling past, his massive wings kicking up a shockwave as he dove toward the outpost’s inner buildings. He crashed into a structure, sending debris and hellspawn scattering.

Sable followed, her serpentine body weaving through the battlefield like a living nightmare, her fangs snapping up unlucky stragglers in quick, brutal motions.

The outpost was falling apart. Fast. They might have expected a rescue attempt, but they certainly hadn’t prepared themselves for my hellwyrms. It almost made this too easy.

The next hellspawn barely had time to react before my blade was at his throat. I sliced clean through, then pivoted toward the next.

Varz moved in tandem, cutting down a soldier before they could even lift their weapon. His strikes were swift, deliberate and efficient. Maybe I’d misjudged him.

Calder, on the other hand, made a spectacle of it. He caught an incoming attacker by the throat, smiling as the hellspawn struggled, then sank his fangs in. The body spasmed as Calder drained it, then went slack, and Calder let it drop with a satisfied sigh.

“You know,” he mused, wiping his mouth, “I think I needed this.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re welcome.”

Gorr barrelled past me, slamming into a cluster of hellspawn like an avalanche of muscle and claws. One of them managed to get a blade up, but it barely scratched Gorr before he pounced, tearing through the poor bastard like a chew toy.

“Well, at least he’s enthusiastic,” I muttered. “Varz, stay with me. Calder, clear the left flank. And someone tell Gorr not to eat everyone before we’re done.”

No one argued.

Sable coiled through the wreckage, her immense body crushing anything in her path, while Mephisar perched atop the shattered remains of the main barracks, his chest expanding with a deep inhale. Then, with a shriek, he unleashed a jet of hellfire and engulfed what remained of their resistance.

The remaining hellspawn broke. Some ran for the gates, others dropped their weapons, cringing under the weight of our assault.

“Cowards,” Varz muttered, disgust lacing his tone as he drove his blade through a brimlord’s chest.

I let out a breath, surveying the wreckage. Mephisar and Sable had decimated the walls and reduced the watchtowers to smoldering ruins. Most of the hellspawn lay in twisted heaps, and the few who still lived and could move fled into the wasteland beyond.

The outpost was ours.

Gorr let out an eager chuff, tail swishing as he nudged at the corpse of a fallen netheron. His head lifted, bright-eyed, like he was waiting for approval.

“Yeah, yeah,” I said, patting his head. “You did good.”

His ears perked, and he wagged his tail like an overgrown demonic hound.

Calder wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, looking disgustingly pleased with himself. “That was fun. You know, I wasn’t sure what to make of you, but I rather enjoyed myself here. Lead me into more battles like this, and I’m yours.”

Yay?

“Sounds great,” I said dryly.

Varz approached, flicking the blood from his blades. “More efficient than I expected.”

It wouldn’t be next time. This was the first strike—the easiest. Lucifer’s forces wouldn’t let themselves be caught off guard again. They’d adapt. They’d spread word that I had two hellwyrms at my command. Next time, the fight wouldn’t be this simple.

But that was a problem for later.

I slid my swords back into their sheaths with a grin. “Told you simple was best.”

Varz muttered something under his breath but didn’t argue.

I turned toward the prison cells, the only structure still standing in one piece. Unlike the rest of the outpost, which lay in smoldering ruin, the cells were eerily untouched—thick iron bars reinforced with stone, designed to contain the strongest of hellspawn.

As we approached, the prisoners pressed themselves against the farthest walls of their cells, their glowing eyes flicking between us and the smoking wreckage of what had once been their captors. A few of them clutched makeshift weapons—broken bits of chain, scraps of metal—ready to defend themselves if needed.

I glanced over my shoulder at my hellwyrms, the hellspawn, and all the destruction surrounding us.

Yeah. I couldn’t really blame the prisoners for being afraid. We sure did make an impression.

“All right,” I said. “Let’s free them and get the hell out of here.”