“You are destined for so much, my darling girl. You’ve been so brave and come so far. And you survived him. Very few can make such a claim.” Another smile that shredded my heart.
But behind her, the crown still beckoned. Her light dulled its song, but I still felt the pull.
Sofiel touched my cheek. “Don’t,” was all she whispered.
“But it’s mine. It belongs to me now.”
“Itbelongsto the darkness. Where there is good, there is evil, my darling girl. And there is so much good in the universe. The darkness is here to balance that. But it’s not needed for one to rule this realm.”
“I don’t understand,” I whispered again.
“Your father was full of love,” she said, tears filling her eyes. “Do you know why his people fell alongside him?” She gesturedwith a sweeping arm to Rathiel and Calyx, who, without the barrier blocking them, now stood beside the dais, awe blanking their faces.
“Your father was so beautiful. He was the morning star because he drew others to him—because heshone. Like youshine. He would have moved Heaven itself to protect those who belonged to him.” Her gaze drifted for a moment, far away. “I fell in love with him because how could onenotfall for one like him? But there’s a reason it’s called ‘falling.’ When we lost our grace, when we entered this realm, we quickly learned we weren’t alone. The darkness existed here. And it saw its chance to grow. It offered your father a crown and promised him all his desires. He took it. And it changed him. Like it’s changing you right now.”
The light around her thinned, dimmed, drained away as she lost herself in her memories. After a moment, she blinked and returned to me. “It stripped him of himself, warped him into the creature you destroyed.”
My father’s words slithered through my head.Don’t let the darkness win.
“You mustn’t let it take you,” Sofiel said. “I am here to help you through this. To help you fight this battle. The one within you.”
Cael’s words came back to me. You must prepare yourself, Lilith. For the darkest battle of all awaits you. Not with your father, but within yourself.
Panic quickened my breath. “It’s already inside me. It’s too late.”
“It’s not too late. It’s never too late.” She brushed her knuckles against my cheek. “You can do this. I believe in you.”
I shut my eyes, and for a heartbeat I was back on the battlefield, and Lucifer’s shadows were pouring into me with cold and terrible clarity. The power stacked and stacked until Ithought my bones would split. Part of me wanted to sink into that again. It would be so easy to stop fighting. To give in. To take the throne and end the ache.
“That is the easy way out,” Sofiel murmured, as though she could read my thoughts. Her palm cupped my cheek, like she couldn’t get enough of touching me. “Look at me.”
I did. My eyes opened, and I saw her. Only her. My mother.
“You can fix what he destroyed. You can save yourself where he failed. You are stronger than him. You have both lightness and darkness within you. My light will help you do what needs doing. This realm is yours by birthright, by the power in your blood. You are the perfect balance this realm needs. And you can do this without a crown. Without that voice in your head telling you what to do.”
You will fail without power, the darkness whispered, even as it cowered from my mother’s light.
My mother’s mouth tilted in a knowing, almost amused smile. And when she spoke—not to me, but to the thing hiding within me—her voice came out clear and strong. “I know what you are. You were born of hunger and fear and old promises. But you are a tool. One that can be discarded when it becomes useless.”
The pressure in my chest shifted, uneasy.
She turned her focus back to me. “This must be your choice, Lilith. But remember, sometimes the hardest thing to do is to stop. To resist when every part of you wants to give in. To choose faith when you have none left.” Her hand slipped from my cheek, and she laced our fingers together. “This realm doesn’t need another tyrant. It needs a ruler who can set things right. Who can provide the souls here the chance at redemption they deserve.”
I swallowed hard. “If I let it go—if I letthisgo—I’ll be…,” my voice thinned, “…weak.”
Her smile broke me. “Then be weak, my love. You lived among the humans long enough to know that strength doesn’t always come from power. Be human enough to save your people.”
Panic struck within me, but it wasn’tmine. It came from the darkness.
I offer you this power freely. Do not turn away from me.
My heartbeat thundered in my ears. I stared at my mother, committing her to memory: the slope of her cheek, the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled, the sound of her breath, so steady and calm. She’d done nothing but speak, yet her strength filled me. Throughout my whole life, I’d imagined her a thousand different ways, but she was nothing like I’d pictured. She wasmore. Better.
“I don’t know how to do this,” I said, barely above a whisper.
“Yes, you do.” She leaned in until our foreheads touched, light brushing my skin like a blessing. “You’ve been doing it, preparing for this, your whole life.”
Something inside me eased. As though her confidence empowered me.
