CHAPTER 150: SOMETHING’S CHANGED

Special Thanks To Jany_Calypse For The Gift {≥=≤}

Lilith’s eyes flew open as she gasped for air, her hand flying to her throat. Sweat drenched her face, and strands of hair clung to her forehead. She clambered down from the rock but collapsed the moment her feet touched the ground, her body curling inward as she lay there, struggling to catch her breath, which took longer than she expected.

"Lilith! Are you alright?" Salistra dropped to her knees beside her, placing her hands gently on Lilith’s shoulders, trying to soothe her.

"Dear gods... what was that?" Lilith rasped through gritted teeth, pulling away from the witch as she tried to push herself up. Her limbs trembled, her knees buckling slightly before she managed to steady herself. With shaky hands, she brushed the damp strands of hair away from her face.

"I’m sorry," Salistra said, rising to her feet and dusting her hands. "I did warn you it would be excruciating."

Lilith shot her a glare. "The person I saw... she said I wasn’t ready. What did she mean by that? How much more ready do I have to be?"

Salistra pressed her lips into a thin line. "I don’t know, Lilith. There must be something we’re missing." She paused. "Go and rest for now. I’ll meditate on this and search for answers."

Lilith swallowed, her throat dry as bone. "I’ll return tomorrow."

"Very well." The witch nodded.

Lilith held her gaze for a heartbeat longer, then turned and made her way back toward the crypt. Her legs wobbled with each step, and her vision blurred slightly from exhaustion. At one point, she had to rest her weight against a stone wall, closing her eyes and breathing deeply before continuing her slow walk back to her chambers.

When she finally arrived, she found the room empty, Hades was gone, likely attending to his royal duties.

She sank onto the edge of the bed, only to notice a tray placed neatly on her bedside table. Curiously, she leaned over and pulled it onto the bed. On it were warm baked cookies, a slice of chocolate cake, and a tall glass of orange juice.

A tired smile tugged at her lips. It had to be the prince, no one else would think to do something like this for her.

Settling into the soft sheets, she began to eat, the rich sweetness of the cake and the refreshing tang of the juice washing away the ache in her limbs.

~~~

Lucian walked into the library, joining Viktor, who had just left the courtroom where Hades had nearly torn Kathryn apart.

"Is she gone?" Viktor asked, placing the book he was reading on the table and crossing his arms over his chest.

"She is," Lucian replied quietly. "She was taken to the clinic before being sent back home."

Viktor tilted his head slightly, eyes fixed on Lucian. "I doubt she’ll ever recover from this."

Lucian nodded. "She won’t. Hades stripped her of her dignity, her respect, her pride. That kind of humiliation leaves permanent scars."

Viktor exhaled slowly, his eyes narrowing. "Do you think it’s the demon inside him?"

Lucian raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

Viktor paused, then said, "He almost blinded her. He would have, if you hadn’t intervened. That wasn’t Hades. Did you see his eyes? He was enjoying it."

Lucian’s gaze turned distant. "He’s never shown mercy to traitors."

"I’ve known Hades for over a century," Viktor said, his voice low. "I know his punishments, his thresholds. Today was different. I couldn’t recognize him. It was like something darker had taken hold."

They fell silent as Viktor rested a hand on the marble pillar beside him.

"I’ve stood by him all my life," he murmured. "He’s my brother in everything but blood. But I’ve never seen that look in his eyes. I fear the worst is approaching."

Lucian stepped closer and placed a hand on Viktor’s shoulder. "The prince is stronger than whatever darkness is clawing at him. The demon won’t win, I’ll make sure of it."

Viktor gave a small nod, though the shadows beneath his eyes deepened. "That sounds reassuring."

Lucian nodded briefly. "I’m glad. I must be on my way," he said, turning to leave. The library door clicked softly shut behind him.

Viktor remained still for a moment, the silence pressing in around him. He knew Lucian was trying to downplay the truth, to ease the fear clawing in both their chests. But Viktor could see it in the man’s eyes, he didn’t believe his own words.

With a heavy sigh, Viktor turned and walked slowly toward his chambers.

~~~

The door to his chambers creaked open, and Viktor stepped inside, expecting quiet solace. Instead, he found someone sitting by the hearth.

Charlotte.

She was perched on the edge of his couch, hands resting in her lap, a soft shawl draped over her shoulders.

"Lucy?" he asked, taken aback. "Dear gods! What are you doing in my chambers?"

She stood slowly, pressing her lips into a thin line, her expression unreadable. "I needed to speak with you."

Viktor closed the door behind him, his tone cooling. "This isn’t exactly proper, you know."

"I’m aware," she replied quickly. "But I couldn’t wait, and I didn’t want to search for you. So I decided to wait here."

He stepped closer, arms folding across his chest. "What is it you wanted to speak about?"

She hesitated, biting her lower lip. "I need to know what happened to the maid. The one who pushed Lilith."

Viktor’s jaw tightened. "That’s not something you need to worry about, Lucy. It’s been dealt with."

"But I am worried," she said sharply, her voice cracking slightly. "I care about Lilith. And seeing her broken like that..." She trailed off. "I just need to understand what’s going on. Please."

Viktor sighed, moving toward the table to pour himself a glass of water from the silver carafe. "The maid was paid by Kathryn to hurt Lilith. She pushed Lilith into the well and lied about it until the prince forced her to speak."

Charlotte’s eyes widened. "She’s dead, then."

"Yes." He didn’t elaborate.

She looked away, visibly shaken. "That’s... horrible. I can’t believe Kathryn hated her enough to try and kill her."

Silence stretched between them.

"What happened to Kathryn? Did the prince kill her too?" Charlotte asked, breaking the quiet.

"No," he said, taking another drink. "She’s on her way home."

Charlotte turned toward him. "Home? The prince let her go?"

"Yes. He did."

Her brows furrowed. "That’s not possible. He must’ve punished her."

"He did. But he didn’t kill her," Viktor replied.

"What did he do?" she asked softly.

"You don’t need to know, Lucy. Just forget about it. She won’t be a problem anymore, I promise you," he said firmly, clearly intending to end the conversation.

Charlotte noticed the shift and pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. "Very well then. I must take my leave."

But Viktor’s voice stopped her.

"Why did you really come, Lucy?"

She turned slowly. "I told you, I needed to know about the maid who pushed Lilith."

"Is that all?"

Her expression softened, her eyes flickering. "No, actually... there’s something more."

He frowned. "What is it?"

Charlotte swallowed, clearly nervous. "I wanted to ask about your family. You’ve never mentioned anything about your mother."

Her words knocked the air from his lungs. He looked away, jaw clenching.

"There’s nothing to mention about her."