CHAPTER 212: BY DAWN

After Charlotte left her chambers, Lilith sat in deep thought, turning over her friend’s suggestion about the demon and the magical pearl. The idea of seducing him filled her with sadness, yet she couldn’t deny its merit, she could think of no better plan, not now, not when time was running out.

By the time the sun began to set, she had made her decision and she would go through with it. The first step was finding the demon. By dawn, she would begin her mission to seek him out and end this once and for all.

She also resolved to keep the details of her plan from the men. Explaining it was far too embarrassing.

Rising from the bed, Lilith walked to the window. Beyond it, the palace gates stood tall, and in just a few hours, they would open to the people of Valyron.

After lingering there for a while, she decided to speak with Salistra, to hear the woman’s thoughts on her new plan. Wrapping a scarf around her shoulders, she stepped out of the room. The hallways were alive with activity as preparations for the dawn began.

When she entered the cave, silence greeted her but only briefly. Her eyes soon found Salistra standing at the edge of the lake, its waters lapping at her feet as she stared ahead, seemingly lost in thought.

Descending the stone steps, Lilith approached and stopped by her side. "Is everything alright?" she asked gently.

Only the sound of rippling water answered her.

"Have you found a way to get the pearl to the prince?" Salistra’s voice broke the stillness ignoring Lilith’s question entirely.

Lilith exhaled a slow breath. "I have. It might not be the best plan, but I believe it will work." She waited, expecting the witch to press for details but Salistra said nothing.

"Good. And when do you plan on carrying it out?" she asked instead.

"By dawn. I’ll go and find the demon," Lilith replied.

"Very well. There is something else you must know." Salistra turned and began walking deeper into the cave. "Follow me."

Lilith obeyed without hesitation, trailing closely behind.

"Simply placing the pearl on him will not be enough to bring back the prince..."

Lilith froze. "What!? How is that even possible?" she cried.

Salistra turned, one brow arched in disapproval. "I was not finished speaking. Learn to let people conclude their words before you start panicking."

Lilith swallowed, cheeks warming with embarrassment. "You’re right. Forgive me for interrupting," she murmured quickly.

Salistra continued walking. "The pearl will only separate the demon from its claim on the prince’s soul and mind. We still need to reestablish the prince’s connection to both."

"And how are we going to do that?" Lilith asked.

Salistra shot her a glare, and Lilith quickly muttered an apology.

"As I was saying," the woman resumed, "once the demon touches the pearl, it will lose control over the prince’s body. That’s when you’ll need to reach into the prince’s mind and restore his connection to his body. I know this sounds like a huge task and it is. Hades has spent a long time trapped in darkness and pain. Pulling him out of it will not be easy, but we must try."

Lilith processed everything Salistra had just said, feeling the weight of it all. "Since I’ve never done this before, why can’t you do it? It would be easier for you."

Salistra chuckled, crossing her arms. "Why would I? This is your mess to clean up. Besides, this process requires a deep connection one that I do not share with the prince. You are the best person for this."

"You know, sometimes I feel like you don’t like me very much," Lilith muttered. The older woman rolled her eyes, though a faint smile lingered.

"You flatter yourself too much, Lilith," Salistra replied. "As I told you before, I’m only here because Celeste was a good friend of mine. I owe it to her to save her son in any way I can. That is the only reason I’m doing this."

She paused briefly, then continued. "Once you’ve successfully used the pearl on the demon, the prince’s body must be brought to the cave. Here, we will complete the ritual. I shall have everything prepared and waiting for your arrival. Good luck, Lilith."

Before Lilith could say another word, the woman vanished, leaving her alone in the cave. Lilith sighed, running her fingers through her hair before making her way back to her chambers.

~~~

Callum and Leonard sat opposite each other at their post, speaking in hushed voices to avoid being overheard.

"What do you think is wrong with Raphael? He hasn’t been himself lately," Callum whispered.

"You’re right," Leonard replied. "The Lord even told me to keep an eye on him and report any concerning behavior. I never thought I would see the day people became suspicious of Raphael."

"I wonder what happened to him." Callum leaned in closer. "Do you think it has something to do with... what happened to him?" he asked cautiously.

"You mean about his sister? No! I don’t think so. Raphael’s a strong man. That happened almost six months ago. If it didn’t affect him then, why would it now?" Leonard reasoned.

Callum nodded slowly. "I guess you’re right. It probably has nothing to do with that."

"Well..."

"Evening, boys. What are you whispering about?" came Raphael’s voice from the hallway as he approached, a wooden stick in hand.

Callum and Leonard exchanged a quick glance before rising to their feet.

"Just talking about today’s work and getting the people settled into the palace," Leonard replied with a forced chuckle.

"Oh, alright," Raphael replied.

Callum cleared his throat. "Well... actually, we’re worried about you, Raphael."

The man’s brows arched, his eyes narrowing slightly at the two in front of him. "What? Why? Is something going on?"

"Yes... I mean, you’ve been acting strangely for a while. Everyone’s worried about you including Lord Viktor and Lucian," Callum said cautiously.

Raphael’s frown deepened as if he were lost in thought. He muttered a curse under his breath and rubbed his stubble jaw. "Forgive me for getting you all worked up, but there’s nothing wrong with me at least, nothing that I know of."

"But you are aware that you’ve been acting differently, right?" Leonard asked.

"Not entirely," Raphael admitted. "But... I have a feeling something isn’t completely right." His gaze caught the flicker of suspicion in their eyes, though it softened into concern before he could comment. "Still, I’ll be fine. It’s probably just the chaos of everything going on. It’s weighing on me."

"Are you sure? Do you want to go home and rest for a few days?" Callum offered.

"Nonsense. I’m fine, I swear." He stepped closer, giving them both a firm pat on the shoulders. "It’s time for my watch to begin. You two can take the next few hours off." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and headed back into the room.

Leonard waited until Raphael was out of earshot before speaking. "Can we really leave him here on his own?"

"I think so," Callum said after a moment. "He seemed alright to me just now. Maybe we were overreacting. I think we’ll be fine."

"I hope so," Leonard muttered, still unconvinced. He tugged his coat tighter against the chill. "Come on. Let’s grab some beer. It’s getting fucking cold."

The two men walked away from their post.