CHAPTER 134: OLD WELL

Even when Lilith smiled at her, the maid did not smile back immediately. Everything about the woman gave off a strange, unsettling energy.

Lilith quickly finished with her laundry, hung the clothes to dry on the line, and hurried back to her room. After taking a long, refreshing bath, she changed into something more comfortable for the evening. The sky had grown heavy with grey clouds, a sign that rain would soon follow.

Dressed in a soft peach-colored gown, Lilith sat before her mirror, brushing her hair when she heard the door open. Light footsteps echoed softly on the wooden floor.

She froze, setting the brush down. Rising slowly to her feet, she approached the door with cautious steps.

Her heart nearly leapt from her chest when she saw Hades standing there, arms crossed over his chest.

"You startled me," she said, placing a hand over her heart. "You aren’t supposed to be here, Your Highness," she whispered as he stepped closer.

"And yet, I find myself coming to you," Hades replied, his gaze sweeping the room. "Tell me, how is your new room?"

"It is wonderful. It also has a lovely view of the landscape," Lilith replied, her pulse quickening under his stare.

"I’m glad you like it," he said softly after a long pause.

He stepped closer, close enough that she could catch his scent, feel the warmth radiating from his body.

"What are you doing here? We both know you shouldn’t be here," Lilith reminded him, voice low.

"You don’t have to remind me," he said, cupping her cheeks and tipping her face upward. "One last time, Lilith. Give me one more moment with you."

He leaned in, brushing his lips lightly over hers. "I only meant to see how you’d settled in, but here I am, aching to touch you again."

Lilith swallowed hard, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "You should leave, Your Highness," she whispered, eyes fluttering closed, fists tightening around the fabric of her dress to stop herself from reaching for him.

"I should leave."

He kissed her lips again, the contact fleeting. "Yet you make it so hard for me to go. Your scent... your eyes... the way you look at me, they keep pulling me toward you."

His lips trailed along her jaw, grazing the corner of her mouth, then her neck. "I hate how weak you make me feel."

Lowering himself slightly, he brushed his lips across her shoulder blade, pushing the sleeve of her dress down to reveal more of her skin.

"You have to stop, Hades. We can’t keep doing this," Lilith whispered, her body trembling with the effort to resist him as shivers cascaded down her skin.

But he only drew her closer, one arm wrapping firmly around her waist, pulling her flush against the hardness of his body. His palms rested on her hips, rubbing gentle circles over the fabric of her dress in a soothing rhythm.

He lifted his head to look into her eyes, and Lilith swallowed hard at the sight, his gaze darkened with raw desire.

She could feel her core tighten at the intensity between them. Without thinking, she took his hand and brought it to her mouth, wrapping her lips and tongue around one of his fingers.

Hades’ jaw clenched, his eyes burning with deepening lust.

His gaze flicked to her lips before he pulled his finger free and lowered his head, claiming her mouth in a rough, breath-stealing kiss.

The kiss was dominating, possessive, addictive.

His hand slid forward, cupping her breast and making her gasp into his mouth. He massaged it slowly, his thumb brushing over her clothed nipple. Lilith moaned, her eyes fluttering open just as he pulled back to look at her.

His throat rumbled, his gaze lingering on her swollen lips before he abruptly stepped away.

Matching her labored breaths, he whispered, "Good night, Lilith," and was gone, slipping out the door before she could even process what had happened.

Lilith gripped the bedpost to steady herself, her knees trembling.

She swallowed hard and sat on the edge of the bed, closing her eyes in an attempt to calm her nerves. Her body was burning, her mind fogged with desire.

A loud clap of thunder jolted her from her trance. She rose quickly and moved to the window. The sky was now cloaked in heavy and dark clouds. Lightning flashed across the heavens.

Realizing the approaching storm, Lilith rushed downstairs and out to the back to gather her drying clothes.

The yard was empty, the maids had long since disappeared indoors. The drizzle had already begun to fall lightly.

She folded her clothes hastily into the basket and carried them to a shaded area for shelter. As she returned to the line for one final scarf, she heard her name.

"Lilith."

She froze, eyes scanning her surroundings, but saw no one.

She tugged the scarf free, only to hear it again, louder this time, cutting through the rising wind.

"Lilith!"

As the first drops of a true downpour began to fall, she narrowed her eyes and moved cautiously toward the direction of the voice.

The storm intensified. Her footsteps slowed as she approached the old well, her breath catching in her throat.

It was uncovered.

Her eyes widened in shock. How is that possible? She had seen it sealed. Charlotte had told her it hadn’t been opened since the tragic accident.

But now the heavy iron cover was set aside, as though someone or something had deliberately moved it.

Lilith looked around again, heart hammering in her chest. The yard still remained empty. No one was in sight. Lilith ventured forward, pushing through the overgrown grasses until she reached the well. The heavy iron lid lay discarded on the ground.

She swallowed hard and stepped closer, peeking into the well’s gaping mouth, a deep, endless pit of darkness stared back at her.

A cold shiver ran down her spine, both from the storm and an unnamed dread coiling in her stomach.

Gritting her teeth, Lilith bent to lift the iron lid. It was heavier than she expected, her arms trembled as she strained to raise it. After several moments of struggle, she managed to hoist it off the ground.

Just as she began to lower it back over the well, a sharp crack of a snapping stick echoed behind her. Her breath caught. Dread crawled up her throat. She turned, her heart pounding, but before her eyes could focus, something struck her head with brutal force.

Pain exploded in her skull.

The lid slipped from her weakening grip, crashing to the ground with a loud metallic clang.

Lilith staggered, clutching her head, vision blurring. Hands grabbed her roughly, tugging at her dress, unbalancing her further. Then came the sensation of falling, her body plummeted into the darkness. The impact was jarring, bones cracked, pain screamed through her body, and blood blurred her vision.

Barely conscious, Lilith managed to pry one eye open, her gaze drifting upward. At the mouth of the well, a figure loomed. It belonged to a woman.

Lilith couldn’t make out her face through the haze, but one detail stood out,the familiar green dress the woman wore.

The figure gripped the iron lid and began dragging it back over the opening. Darkness swallowed Lilith before she could take another breath.