Princess of Hell

I walked through the Academy corridors, feeling oddly disconnected after two weeks away. The familiar obsidian walls and crystal-lit passages hadn't changed, but everything felt different somehow. Maybe it was me who had changed.

Conversations drifted around me as I passed groups of students. A cluster of second-years giggled about their latest conquest at the Crimson Chalice, while another group debated the merits of different binding techniques they'd learned in advanced seduction class. Normal Academy chatter—sex, magic, and more sex.

"Did you see Professor Caldris's demonstration yesterday?" one succubus whispered to her friend. "I thought Sera was going to climax right there in the lecture hall."

"That's nothing. In my elemental manipulation class, we practiced temperature control on each other. I'm still recovering."

I smiled despite myself. At least some things never changed.

"Lily!"

I turned to see Nyx Shadowveil hurrying toward me, her midnight-blue hair streaming behind her. She looked flustered, which was unusual for someone usually so composed.

"Oh, hello Nyx," I said as she approached.

"I can't stop to chat—sorry!" She rushed past me, clutching a stack of books to her chest. "Professor Merian's expecting my research proposal in ten minutes and I'm—"

She stumbled slightly, and a folded letter slipped from between her books, fluttering to the floor. By the time I bent to retrieve it, she had already rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

I examined the letter briefly. It was sealed with unfamiliar wax, addressed simply to "N.S." in elegant script. Nothing particularly interesting about it, but it was clearly important enough for Nyx to be rushing around. I slipped it into my spatial ring, making a mental note to find her later.

The familiar warmth of our dormitory enveloped me as I pushed open the door. Aria bounced up from where she'd been lounging on her bed, her purple eyes bright with excitement.

"Lily! Finally!" She practically launched herself at me in a hug that would have knocked over a normal person. "I missed you so much! Classes have been absolutely dreadful without you there to make sarcastic comments under your breath."

I laughed, returning her embrace. "I missed you too. How bad could it be?"

"Professor Vox came back," she said with theatrical despair. "Do you know how boring actual mathematics is when it's just… mathematics? No creative demonstrations, no anatomical applications, just numbers and formulas. I nearly died of tedium."

"Poor you," I said dryly. "How did you survive?"

"Barely. And Bellas missed you terribly too." She gave me a meaningful look accompanied by an exaggerated wink. "Especially your… special touch."

I rolled my eyes. "I bet you gave him plenty of your touch instead."

"Aww." Aria's grin turned wicked. "I miss those days when you were still pretending to be shy. The way you'd flush, looking absolutely mortified whenever anyone mentioned anything remotely intimate. You'd shift around like you were sitting on thorns."

"I wasn't pretending," I protested. "And you know it."

Aria waved dismissively. "Details, details. The point is you're much more fun now that you've embraced your inner succubus."

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't deny she had a point. Those early days at the Academy felt like a lifetime ago.

"But there's something we need to talk about," Aria continued, her expression growing more serious.

"What is it?"

"Valentina has been looking for you every single day since last week." Aria's tone suggested this had been about as pleasant as expected. "She keeps demanding to see you, getting increasingly agitated when I tell her you're not here."

I frowned. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

"You already had plenty on your plate with the Faith situation," Aria said with a shrug. "Besides, it's not like it was anything major. Just annoying when she shows up at our door every day demanding an audience with you like she's some kind of royal envoy."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I'll go talk to her later."

"Thank the abyss," Aria said with visible relief. "I was already running out of creative methods to tell her to fuck off. Yesterday I told her you'd been captured by a tentacle beast in the 3rd circle. She didn't believe me."

"Can't imagine why," I said dryly.

Aria's expression shifted back to curiosity. "So how's Faith doing? Really doing, I mean."

"She's… acclimating," I said carefully. "The tutors my parents arranged are helping her understand demonic society and magical theory. She might even join us next term."

"Really?" Aria's eyes widened. "She's staying that long?"

"Her stay would be indefinite, actually."

Aria clapped her hands together with delight. "That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you, Lily. And I'm certain we'll all have plenty of fun together once she settles in."

Her grin turned mischievous again. "I can't wait to take her to the Pleasure Dome with all of us. That'll be quite the introduction to Academy life."

"Speaking of Pleasure Domes, did you tell Faith about it?" Aria asked, practically bouncing with anticipation.

"I mentioned it," I admitted.

"What did she say?"

I remembered Faith's expression when I'd brought it up—equal parts curiosity and apprehension. "She asked what it was. I told her she didn't want to know yet, and that she should give herself time to adjust to being a demon before you drag her into that particular experience."

Aria pouted. "You're no fun. I bet she'd love it once she tried it."

"Maybe," I said. "But let her get used to having horns and fangs before you start planning group activities involving naked pleasure slaves."

"Fine, fine," Aria conceded. "I suppose we should let her settle in first. But mark my words—once she's ready, it's going to be amazing."

* * *

After spending another hour catching up with Aria about everything from Professor Scarlet's latest creative punishments to the ongoing tensions between the circles, I finally decided I couldn't put off the inevitable any longer.

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"I should go find Valentina," I said, standing up from where I'd been lounging on my bed.

"Good luck," Aria called out. "Try not to murder her."

I made my way through the Academy's familiar corridors, noting how some things had changed in my absence. New scorch marks decorated one wall—probably from Professor Morrigan's latest demonstration gone awry. The marble floors gleamed with fresh polish, and several tapestries had been replaced with new ones depicting various circles of Hell in intricate detail.

Finding Valentina wouldn't be difficult. She had predictable habits, and her favourite haunt remained the Academy's private gardens where she could hold court with her collection of sycophants and admirers.

Brings back memories, I thought wryly as I approached the garden entrance. The last time I'd sought her out here, I'd ended up pinning her against a tree. Her reaction to that encounter had been… unexpected, to say the least.

Still, I felt reasonably certain she wouldn't try drugging me again. That particular strategy had backfired spectacularly, and Valentina wasn't stupid enough to repeat failed tactics.

The garden's crystalline pathways crunched softly under my feet as I made my way toward the sound of familiar laughter. Sure enough, there she was—platinum hair gleaming in the artificial light, holding court near the hellfire fountain while a small group of demons hung on her every word.

"Lily!" Valentina's voice carried across the garden the moment she spotted me. "How delightful. I was beginning to think you'd simply vanished into the abyss."

Her entourage turned to look at me with varying degrees of curiosity and disdain. I recognized a few faces—mostly purebloods from wealthy families who enjoyed basking in Valentina's reflected status.

"Valentina," I replied evenly, walking closer. "I heard you were looking for me. Is this some plan for payback?"

Something shifted in her expression—a flash of something that might have been satisfaction or vindication. "You have nothing to worry about, Nightstar." She paused deliberately, her crimson eyes glittering with amusement. "If that is even your real name."

My blood went cold. "What do you mean?"

Valentina waved her hand dismissively at her gathered followers. "Leave us. I want to have a private chat with our mysterious friend here."

The demons scattered with murmured complaints, clearly disappointed to miss whatever drama was about to unfold. Valentina waited until they were well out of earshot before approaching me with predatory grace.

She pressed a perfectly manicured finger against my chest, her voice dropping to a low, satisfied purr. "Don't play me for a fool. I saw you flying with wings spread wide like some majestic creature of legend."

Shit.

"You're a pureblood," she continued, her finger tracing a small circle against the fabric of my uniform. "The white hair should have been my first clue. Such distinctive colouring rarely appears in transformed demons."

My mind raced, trying to calculate damage control options. How much had she actually seen? How much had she pieced together?

"Why are you bothering to live with the rabble?" Valentina demanded, stepping even closer. "Why hide among common succubi when you could claim your rightful place among the nobility? It makes absolutely no sense."

Her confusion seemed genuine, as if the very concept of someone voluntarily concealing their status violated her fundamental understanding of the world. To Valentina, social barriers were like physical walls—immutable structures that defined reality itself.

"Those commoners who follow me around? They're useful, but they're not my equals. They're barely above imps in the hierarchy. Yet you treat that Nova girl like she's your friend instead of your subordinate."

"I mean, I suppose I understand wanting to experience how the other half lives," she continued, her voice taking on a strange breathless quality. "But surely you've satisfied that curiosity by now? Surely you're ready to embrace your true station?"

There was something unsettling about her intensity, the way her pupils had dilated slightly as she spoke. Her finger remained pressed against my chest, and I could feel the heat radiating from her skin through the thin fabric.

"You're making assumptions," I said carefully, not confirming or denying anything.

"Am I?" She laughed, a sound like silver bells with an edge of hysteria. "The evidence is overwhelming once you know what to look for. Your magical aptitude, your natural authority, the way Isabella defers to you without question."

She leaned closer, her breath warm against my ear. "I always knew there was something special about you. Something that drew me in despite my better judgment. Now it all makes perfect sense."

Something that drew her in? I filed that information away for later consideration while trying to figure out how to handle this situation without making it worse.

"What do you want, Valentina?" I asked bluntly.

Her smile widened, revealing perfectly white teeth. "I want the truth. And I want to know why someone of your obvious breeding chooses to associate with…" She gestured vaguely in the direction her entourage had departed. "Lesser company."

* * *

Something inside me snapped.

The careful restraint I'd maintained, the diplomatic patience I'd been cultivating—all of it shattered like glass hitting stone. The weeks of stress, of manipulation by angels, of watching Faith suffer, of keeping secrets and playing games—it all came crashing down at once.

"You really want the truth?" I asked, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You want to know who I really am?"

I didn't wait for her to respond. The words poured out of me like molten steel.

"Be careful what you wish for, Valentina. Some knowledge comes with a price."

Her crimson eyes widened slightly, but I was already past the point of stopping.

"I'm Lily Morningstar," I said, letting each syllable fall like a hammer blow. "The Morningstar. You know, the name your household matriarch shamelessly appropriated when she founded your little family?"

The colour drained from Valentina's face as the implications hit her. I watched the realization dawn in her eyes—the understanding of exactly who my parents were, what that made me.

"Yes," I continued relentlessly, "I'm the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Congratulations, you found me."

But I wasn't finished. Not even close.

"And you know what else? You have absolutely no right to tell me who I can or cannot associate with. To me, you're just as much of a commoner as Aria is. Actually, less than that, considering she's never tried to drug me or spread rumours about me."

Valentina's mouth opened and closed soundlessly, like a fish gasping for air.

"So you better be grateful," I pressed on, taking a step closer, "that I don't mind associating with people you describe as 'lowly.' Because right now, you're at the very bottom of that hierarchy."

Without conscious thought, my hand shot out and closed around her throat. Not hard enough to truly hurt her—yet—but firm enough to make my point crystal clear.

"Now here's what's going to happen," I said, my voice deadly calm. "You're going to keep your mouth shut about my identity. If even a tiny rumor appears that I'm a princess, or even just a pureblood, then you—no, your precious Morgenstern household—will pay the price."

Her eyes went wide with terror, pupils dilating as she stared up at me.

"My mother has very creative ways of dealing with people who threaten her family. Would you like me to tell you what she did to the last demon who crossed us? Actually, no—there wasn't enough left of him to make for an interesting story."

I leaned closer, my grip tightening just slightly.

"Nod if you understand."

Valentina squirmed in my grasp, her hands clawing weakly at my wrist, but she managed a frantic nod.

"Good," I said, releasing her abruptly.

As soon as my hand left her throat, a strange calm washed over me. The rage that had been building for weeks simply… evaporated. It was like a pressure valve had been released, leaving behind an almost serene emptiness.

I looked down and noticed Valentina had collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. Her chest rose and fell in rapid, shallow gasps.

Shit. I might have overdone it a bit.

But then I noticed something else. Her breathing wasn't just heavy—it was ragged in a very specific way. Her face was flushed, her skin slightly damp with perspiration. And there was a scent in the air, unmistakably familiar to any succubus.

Arousal.

Seriously? I stared down at her in disbelief. Does Valentina actually have some kind of masochistic kink?

The first time I'd pinned her against a tree, I'd thought her reaction was just a fluke—maybe adrenaline or shock manifesting in unexpected ways. But now? With the evidence literally right in front of me?

Valentina Morgenstern, heiress to a noble house, arrogant pureblood supremacist, and general pain in my ass, apparently got off on being dominated.

The irony was almost too much to process. Here was someone who spent her days looking down on others, demanding deference and respect based purely on bloodline, and she responded to genuine authority with… this.

I watched her struggle to regain her composure, still breathing hard as she tried to push herself up from the crystalline pathway. Her hair had come loose from its perfect styling, platinum strands falling across her flushed face.

"Valentina," I said quietly.

She looked up at me with wide, uncertain eyes—fear and something else warring in her expression.

"Remember what I said."

She nodded again, more slowly this time, and I turned to walk away. Behind me, I heard her finally manage to stand, the soft rustle of fabric as she attempted to straighten her uniform.

Well, I thought as I headed back toward the Academy proper, that was unexpected in about six different ways.

But at least now I knew where I stood with Valentina Morgenstern. And more importantly, she knew where she stood with me.