“This discussion isn’t over.”
She nods, standing as well. Toth looks at Lilith, and his expression falls. “Lilith, you may want to stay here.”
Her eyebrows furrow, and I shake my head. “It’s fine, where?”
“The main hall,” Toth says, looking at Lilith one more time before portalling out of the room. With my hand around her wrist, we portal there too.
The sight in front of us is a brutal one. White feathers scatter the floor, and there’s some laughter and shock coming from other demons in the room.
“My lord, it’s taken care of. She was attempting to get into Hell,” Beelzebub laughs. His issue with the angels is getting out of hand. When I look down at the body he gestures to with a nudge of his foot, I notice that the golden spun hair matches Lilith’s and is splayed on the floor with red streaks staining the blonde. The spear of Samuel protruding from her back, is one of the few ways an angel can be killed for good.
Lilith crumples to the floor in the next moment, flipping her sister’s body over. Her wings lay limp as Lilith cups her face. Her twin blinks, still holding on to life as Lilith moves the bloody hair out of her face.
“Diana?” she says softly. Her twin whispers something so softly that I can’t hear, only Lilith can, and we all watch as the life leaves her eyes. It’s grim in more ways than I’d like to admit. Diana looks just like Lilith, it’s selfish when I know that Lilith is suffering right now, but my only thoughts are of how it could’ve easily been Lilith, lifeless on the floor, and not her sister. I can’t let that happen.
“You said any angel that attempts to come to our realm,” Beelzebub says, trying to save face. He isn’t wrong. But I want to rip his soul out. I look around the room, seeing that most of the demons here are smiling at the dead angel or Lilith’s anguish, I’m not sure.
What I do know is Beelzebub technically was acting on my behest, and even though I know killing him would make Lilith feel better, I can’t do that. If everyone in this room sees my favoritism toward her, if they know how much I care for her, she will become a bigger target. She could be the next one lying on the floor in place of her twin. I scrub my beard and put a hand on Lilith’s shoulder. She shakes me off quickly as she touches her sister's face.
“Diana, who? Why, Diana!” she asks, and I can’t help but wonder the same thing. Was she coming here to warn her sister about something? Why would she be so stupid?
“Sir,” Beelzebub says, and I hold up a hand to silence him.
Lilith doesn’t cry over her sister’s body. I watch as she transforms, rage taking over every inch of her body. Her eyes grow glassy, but her jaw stays firm as she slowly stands and turns to face Beelzebub.
“You did this?” she accuses, her voice starkly calm compared to her demeanor.
“I was following orders. Any angels in Hell are to be taken care of.”
Lilith moves fast, pinning Beelzebub underneath her as she whips out her dagger. She holds it under his chin, his grip firm on her forearm. It’s a battle of strength as Lilith tries to slice his throat and Beelzebub attempts to protect his life.
“My lord,” he begs, and I stand there trying to think, trying to protect Lilith’s heart while also protecting her life.
“You nasty fucking rat, you killed her,” Lilith spits into his face, her hand shaking as the dagger glints with bloodlust. “You took her. She… she’s gone!” she shouts in his face. Demons are watching on with a sick fascination as they watch Lilith scream at Beelzebub while her sister bleeds out not even five feet away from her.
I take a deep breath. I can take care of Beelzebub later, but with this public display happening, I need to protect Lilith. If she kills another demon, retribution will need to be paid, and the rest of Hell won’t stand for her hurting another demon over an angel’s death.
“Lilith, enough,” I command her. She doesn’t move, the dagger still shaking wildly in her grip. “Lilith!”
“No! He needs to pay.”
“Lilith,” I repeat, but she shakes her head. The tears are streaming down her face now, almost as heavily as the rage that flows from her. The blade is only a few centimeters from his neck when I make the decision. Looking to my left, I spot him, looking like he’s rooting on Lilith as badly as I wish I could.
“Elvor. Take her to the pit,” I say. Some demons laugh and snicker as Elvor grabs Lilith’s hand, squeezing so tight that the dagger falls out of her grip. I retrieve the dagger, putting it in my suit jacket as Elvor attempts to pick up Lilith.
When he flings her over his shoulder, she points to me and glares. “I fucking hate you,” she sneers.
I don’t taste a lie, and I know I’ve ruined the best thing that could have been mine before it even really started.
Chapter seventeen
“Sorry,”thedeepvoicesays from the corner. I have my arms wrapped around my legs and my face on my knees. Diana is gone… she was coming here to warn me. Her last words play on repeat, a clipped and short‘Don’t trust’. I should be thinking about those words and what they mean or whom exactly she was warning me of, but all I can think of is complete sadness taking over every molecule in my body.
I doubted her.
I doubted her love for me, what she thought of me. She lost her life coming down to protect me, and I have no clue why. I try to push down the despair, at least for now, because if I let myself fully feel the weight of what just happened, I think I may just fall apart. There’s no time to fall apart right now; I need to act, I need… I don’t even know what I need.
I sigh and look up at Elvor.
