Princess of Hell

"So what are we doing?" Aria asked, breaking the silence that had settled over our booth.

I stared at the spot where Kyriakos's projection had been, my mind racing through possibilities. "I don't have a choice. I need to go there."

Isabella leaned forward, her ice-blue eyes flashing with concern. "You can't be serious, Lily. This is obviously a trap. Everything about this screams manipulation."

"Isabella, relax," I said, holding up a hand. "I'm not planning to rush there without any help. I'm going to ask my parents for support."

Aria raised an eyebrow. "Your parents? As in, bring the full might of Hell down on this lich?"

"Not exactly." I shook my head, thinking through the approach. "I'll ask them to let me handle it personally. I don't want Kyriakos to panic and do something even more desperate. But if this really is a trap, I'll need their backing."

Isabella considered this, her fingers drumming against the obsidian table. "That could work, assuming your parents actually listen to your request instead of just incinerating everything within a fifty-mile radius of the threat."

"The alternative is going there without any help at all," I pointed out.

"No, no, no," Aria said firmly, waving her hands. "We are absolutely not letting you walk into an obvious trap, princess or not."

I felt a warmth spread through my chest at their loyalty, even as worry gnawed at me. "Let's go then. There's no time to waste—we need to get to the palace."

We left our booth, the soundproofing enchantments lifting as we stepped back into the main area of The Crimson Alcove. The ambient murmur of other patrons' conversations washed over us as we made our way to the exit.

The streets of Ardorkeep buzzed with their usual evening activity as we walked toward the transport gate plaza. Demons of various types moved through the crimson-lit thoroughfares, some heading to entertainment districts, others conducting late business.

"Do you really think your parents will let you handle this yourself?" Aria asked as we navigated around a group of imp merchants haggling over soul coins.

"They'll have to," I replied, though I wasn't entirely certain. "It's my responsibility."

Aria stopped walking and grabbed my arm, forcing me to face her. "Lily, it's not your responsibility. I know you're especially attached to that mortal, but you already saved her life once. You don't owe Faith anything—if anything, it's Faith who should owe you."

Heat flared in my chest, and I felt my eyes begin to glow. For a moment, I wanted to snap at Aria. But I caught myself, cooling down immediately as I realized how strange my attachment must seem from their perspective. To them, Faith was just another mortal—someone I'd known during my time on Earth.

"I need to close this chapter of my life completely," I said finally, my voice steady. "For the peace of my own mind."

It was partially true, at least. I did need a proper closure, though not in the way I was implying.

Aria studied my face for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. I still think you're being overly sentimental about a mortal, but I can accept that explanation."

Isabella nodded slowly. "Sometimes even the tiniest things can gnaw at you for a long time if they're not resolved properly. Better to deal with it now than let it fester."

Yeah, tiniest things, I thought wryly. Like being in love with someone I could never have, watching her suffer because of magic I didn't understand, and knowing that my very nature made any relationship between us impossible.

We reached the transport gate plaza, where the familiar obsidian arch hummed with latent magical energy. I was relieved to see that whatever mess we'd left earlier with the tentacle pieces had been thoroughly cleaned up—the plaza looked pristine once again, with no evidence of our dramatic escape.

I approached the gate operator, a stocky demon with curved horns who sat behind a desk covered in ledgers and fee schedules. "One transport for three," I said, producing the necessary soul coins from my spatial ring.

The operator's accepted the payment without any comment. The beauty of the transport system was its discretion—operators were paid to facilitate travel, not to ask questions about passengers' business.

"Gate will be ready in thirty seconds," he informed us, making a note in his ledger.

I input the coordinates for the Infernal Palace, watching as the gate's runes shifted and realigned to match the destination.

"Ready?" I asked my friends, though I was really asking myself.

Aria cracked her knuckles. "Let's go meet your parents."

Isabella straightened her shoulders, adopting the formal posture appropriate for visiting royalty. "After you."

Together, we stepped through the transport gate.

* * *

The familiar warmth of the palace gardens enveloped us as we stepped through the transport gate. Isabella's eyes widened slightly as she took in her surroundings, though she maintained her composure admirably. The crystalline pathways wound between carefully tended infernal flora, their bioluminescent blooms casting dancing shadows in the afternoon light filtering through Hell's crimson sky.

"Princess Lily," Vex's measured voice reached us before I spotted his tall form approaching through the garden paths. His butler's uniform was immaculate as always, and he offered a respectful bow. "Welcome home. I trust your journey was pleasant?"

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"Vex, I need to speak with my parents immediately," I said, dispensing with pleasantries. "Is that possible?"

"Of course, Princess. They are currently in the sitting room." He straightened and gestured toward the palace proper. "If you would follow me."

We walked along the marble corridors, passing through areas that were elegant but subdued compared to the grand public spaces. The walls here were adorned with tasteful artwork rather than ostentatious displays of wealth.

Anastasia's familiar form appeared at a junction ahead, her yellow eyes bright with curiosity. "Princess! I thought you were bringing a mortal guest today?" Her gaze flicked between Aria and Isabella with confusion.

"There were complications," I replied simply, not wanting to explain the full situation in the hallway.

Her expression shifted to concern. "Is everything alright?"

"That's what I need to discuss with my parents."

Anastasia nodded, falling into step beside us as we continued deeper into the family wing. The corridors here were comfortable rather than imposing, designed for daily life rather than diplomatic functions.

"Here we are," Vex announced, stopping before a familiar door. "Shall I announce you?"

"Please."

He knocked gently. "Your Majesties, Princess Lily has arrived with her companions."

My father's voice carried through the door. "Send them in."

* * *

Vex opened the door and we entered the familiar sitting room. My parents looked up from their conversation, my mother's crimson eyes immediately sharpening as she took in our expressions.

"What's wrong?" Lilith asked, rising from her chair with fluid grace.

I took a breath and launched into the full account. The kidnapping of Faith, our search through Kyriakos's abandoned laboratory, the horrific experiments we'd witnessed, the angel's imprisonment, and finally the lich's demand that I come alone to save Faith's life.

As I spoke, the temperature in the room began to rise. Not the comfortable warmth of the palace's atmosphere, but something altogether more dangerous. My mother's power leaked from her control, reality itself seeming to bend around her growing fury. The air shimmered with heat distortions, and I could smell the sharp scent of brimstone intensifying.

"That corpse," she hissed, her voice carrying undertones that made the crystal glasses on the side table crack. "How dare he threaten our daughter."

My father's reaction was far more subtle but infinitely more terrifying. His golden eyes went completely cold, and the shadows in the room deepened despite no change in lighting. When he spoke, his voice carried the weight of absolute authority.

"We will retrieve your mortal and remind this lich of his place in the natural order."

Aria and Isabella, who had been standing respectfully near the door, instinctively stepped backward. Even I felt the urge to retreat from the combined presence of my parents' rage.

"No," I said firmly, drawing their attention back to me. "I need to handle this alone."

Lucifer paused, his cold fury shifting to focus on me. "At this point, daughter, this is no longer simply about you. This creature has threatened what is ours, sent abominations to attack you. His existence has become an insult we cannot ignore."

My mother's power still crackled around her, but she studied my face with calculating eyes. "Lily has a point, beloved," she said slowly, the heat in the room beginning to subside slightly. "Our daughter must learn to handle threats independently. And you cannot simply leave Hell whenever you please."

"The heavens wouldn't turn a blind eye on your departure," she added, her tone becoming more diplomatic. "The balance we maintain requires delicate consideration."

My father's shadows writhed for a moment as he considered this. The back-and-forth between them was swift but intense, conducted more through meaningful looks than words. I could see him weighing his paternal instincts against political necessity.

Finally, he nodded curtly. "Very well. You may handle this however you want, Lily. But understand this clearly—the moment anything goes even slightly awry, we will intervene. Consequences be damned."

"I wouldn't think otherwise," I replied, feeling a surge of gratitude for their trust.

My mother's power finally settled back into her controlled state, though her eyes still blazed with protective anger. "That lich will learn what it means to threaten our family. Whether through you or through us makes no difference to his ultimate fate."

The promise in her voice sent a chill through the room that had nothing to do with temperature.

* * *

Several reassurances and magical items later, my parents finally deemed me adequately prepared. The conversation had been thorough, with my father outlining every possible contingency while my mother provided increasingly creative suggestions for what she would do to Kyriakos if he harmed me.

"Remember," Lucifer said, pressing a small vial of what looked like liquid starlight into my palm, "the communication rune will pierce through most enchantments. Use it the moment anything feels wrong."

I slipped the rune into my spatial ring alongside the other items they'd provided—a vial of liquid hellfire that could burn through virtually anything, a healing draught potent enough to stabilize even fatal injuries, and several defensive talismans. Nothing obvious, nothing that would immediately scream 'parental intervention' to the lich, but enough to give me options.

"The healing draught works on any species," my mother added, her voice still carrying traces of barely contained fury. "Human, demon, even angels."

I nodded, checking that everything was secure in my ring. "I understand."

My father's golden eyes met mine one final time. "You are stronger than you know, Lily. Trust your instincts, and remember—you are our daughter. That alone makes you more dangerous than most beings in existence."

The weight of that statement settled over me as we made our final preparations. Aria and Isabella had waited patiently through the entire discussion, though I could see the tension in their postures.

"Ready?" I asked them as we approached the transport gate chamber.

"As ready as one can be for visiting a mad lich's laboratory," Isabella replied dryly.

I input the coordinates Zophiel had provided, watching as the gate shimmered to life with an unusual dark energy that made my skin crawl. The portal felt wrong somehow, tainted by whatever magic Kyriakos had been working with.

"Together," I said, and the three of us stepped through.

The sensation of dimensional travel was particularly unpleasant this time, as if we were passing through something thick and viscous rather than the usual brief disorientation. When we emerged on the other side, I immediately understood why.

This laboratory was nothing like the abandoned one we'd explored earlier. Where that had been a monument to ancient madness and decay, this was a testament to active, modern insanity. The walls gleamed with pristine metal and crystal, but everything was in complete disarray. Lights flashed in irregular patterns, casting strobing shadows across overturned equipment and scattered papers. Alarms blared from multiple directions, creating a cacophony that made my teeth ache.

The air itself felt electric, charged with so much magical energy that it made my supernatural senses recoil. Whatever experiments Kyriakos had been conducting, they were clearly spiralling out of control.

"Well," Aria muttered, surveying the chaos, "this looks promising."

Before I could respond, the air in front of us shimmered and Kyriakos materialized. The ancient lich looked even more skeletal than usual, his bone structure showing stress fractures that glowed with eerie light. His ethereal flames flickered erratically in his eye sockets.

"Princess," he said, his voice carrying relief mixed with desperation. "You came."

I stepped forward, letting every ounce of venom I felt seep into my voice. "Where is Faith, you corpse? And she'd better be alive, or you'll discover exactly why crossing me was the last mistake you'll ever make."

The lights continued their manic flashing around us, and somewhere in the distance, something that sounded distinctly like screaming echoed through the corridors.