CHAPTER 91: FROZEN LAKE

Special Thanks To Jennifer_Goliah For The Gift

...

"Could it be the king?" Viktor asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "He is a high demon..."

"No, Viktor. It’s not my father." Hades’ tone was firm, unwavering. "It has to be someone else. When Azazel was banished from Hell, the Devil stripped him of most of his powers. He no longer has the strength to open a vortex between realms, so, he can’t summon demons to this place. Whoever is behind this... it’s someone else entirely."

Lucian tilted his head thoughtfully. "Do you think the king might at least know who this person is? Given it’s—well—demon and underworld related?"

Hades shook his head. "I can’t say. He hasn’t set foot in the underworld in over five hundred years."

"Still," Lucian pressed, "that hardly matters. Most demons, high or low, are older than that. And you said it yourself, this reeks of a high demon’s touch. Could Lucifer have created new high demons to replace the ones he disposed of?"

Viktor jumped in, nodding slightly. "High demons must be difficult to create. Is it even possible?"

"It is," Hades replied, "but Lucifer didn’t. It takes centuries—immense power, blood sacrifices, and the will of Hell itself—to forge a high demon. He wouldn’t waste his strength on such a task when he can churn out lowly demons with far less effort."

"But even low demons have limits," Viktor said, brows furrowed. "They can’t create vortexes, right?"

"Exactly," Hades said, leaning forward, his hands pressing against the table. "But Lucifer wouldn’t need them to. He could open a vortex with a flick of his wrist, but he won’t. The oath he swore with the gods forbids it. His demons are banned from setting foot on this realm. Breaking that vow would have consequences, even for him."

"How do you even know all of this?" Viktor asked, narrowing his eyes.

A slow, proud smirk curled on Hades’ lips. "You forget, I have a demon inside me. And he likes to talk. A lot."

Lucian straightened, his expression tense. "So what now, Your Highness? Having demons on our land is a dangerous thing. One already destroyed crops without being seen. Gods know what else it could do."

Hades’ eyes darkened. "We wait. If it strikes again, then we act. Hunting it now would be like chasing a shadow in the fog. Demons are masters of deception. They can possess animals, inanimate objects... even people. If it’s still here, it could take months to find, if we’re lucky."

A heavy silence settled between them.

"I will station guards around the farm," Viktor said at last. "If it comes back, we’ll be ready."

"That would be wonderful, Lucian." Hades turned his eyes to him. "I need you to prepare a necklace or something similar that the guards can carry to protect themselves from possession or harm by the demon."

"Very well, Your Highness. I will begin working on it immediately." Lucian bowed and exited the study.

Viktor stepped forward. "Would you like to come with me to Walvin? See the farm yourself, maybe there’s something we missed?"

Hades smirked as he shuffled the stack of papers before him. "As much as I know you would love for my presence to brighten your day, I’m afraid not. Perhaps another time. I’m taking the witch with me—we’re going skating on the ice."

Viktor blinked. "Ice skating?" he repeated, his voice rising in disbelief.

"Yes, ice skating," Hades replied evenly, still not looking up.

"You never invited me to skate with you," Viktor muttered, narrowing his eyes. "I didn’t even know you could skate."

"You know I don’t go around flaunting my many, many talents." Hades finally looked up at him, a teasing smirk spreading across his lips. "And why would I invite you to skate with me? What exactly would we do there? Hold hands and have a heartfelt conversation?"

Viktor pressed his lips together to stifle a laugh. "I mean, yes. That doesn’t sound so bad. I do have a few things I have been meaning to get off my chest." He placed a dramatic hand over his heart.

Hades gave him a look of mock pity. "You can pour your heart out to Lucy. Or Kathryn. Or even Lucian. As for me, I have no interest in listening to your emotional breakdowns." He moved around the table and strode toward the door.

"I am going to get my clip-on skates and join you, ruin your romantic time with Lilith," Viktor said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, please do. I’ve always wanted to drown someone in ice-cold water," Hades replied without missing a beat.

"That’s a very disturbing confession, Hades."

"Disturbing?" Hades chuckled as he walked toward the door. "I’ve made far more unsettling confessions than that one. Surely, this doesn’t even make the list."

He stepped out, the sound of Viktor muttering under his breath trailing behind him just before the door closed.

~~~

Lilith had just finished styling her hair when the door opened and footsteps followed. She quickly got to her feet, smoothing down her dress as she waited for the prince to approach.

She noticed the way his eyes softened when they landed on her. "Good afternoon, Your Highness," she greeted with a polite smile, her heart pounding hard in her chest.

"Are you ready?" Hades asked.

"Yes, I am," she replied.

"Good. Come with me," he said, turning around and leading the way.

They made their way out of the room, through the castle, and toward the frozen lake. They walked in comfortable silence, Hades deliberately slowing his pace so Lilith could keep up, allowing them to walk side by side.

Eventually, they arrived at the lake—a breathtaking sight. From a distance, a cherry blossom tree stood gracefully, its blossoms adding a touch of vibrant color to the snowy scenery.

"Sit," Hades said, motioning toward a wooden bench half-covered in snow. A leather satchel rested beside it.

"I had these made for you," he added, unfastening the flap to reveal two pairs of clip-on ice skates. Hers were white with silver blades, adorned with delicate frost-like patterns. His were black, polished to a gleam.

"You had skates made for me?" she asked, touched by the gesture.

"Yes, I did."

Lilith’s cheeks flushed, and it had nothing to do with the cold.

He crouched beside her, gently lifting one of her feet and placing it on his knee as he fastened the skate. She watched him, her heart thundering. His gloved fingers brushed lightly against her ankle, sending a shiver up her spine.

Once both skates were on, he put on his own and stood, extending his hand to her.

"Come on, give me your hand."

She swallowed hard before extending her hand and placing it in his.

They stepped onto the ice, and Lilith immediately let out a surprised yelp as her feet slipped out from under her. She clung to his arm, heart racing, but he caught her with ease—both arms wrapping around her to steady her.

"Careful," he murmured near her ear. "Lean into it."

Lilith could barely hear him over the thunder of her heartbeat. A dozen terrifying scenarios flashed through her mind—most ending in her drowning beneath the ice. She swallowed thickly, her grip on the prince tightening.

While she panicked, Hades moved with practiced ease, his movements fluid and controlled, like he had done this a thousand times before.

As they slid forward, Lilith stumbled again. "Dear gods, I’m going to fall and die. I don’t want to die," she muttered in a panic.

Hades chuckled, clearly amused by her dramatics. "You’re not going to fall or die. I’m right here with you. I won’t let either happen."

Her stomach fluttered.

"You better keep to your word, Your Highness," she muttered, eyeing the ice warily.

Hades tugged her arm gently, drawing her closer to him as he looked down at her. "I always do."

Lilith swallowed again and looked away, cheeks warm.

She let him guide her across the ice, their skates gliding slowly over the frozen surface. Her grip remained tight on his coat as he skated backward, pulling her gently along. He never once glanced at his feet, his eyes were fixed entirely on her, watching her every movement with quiet interest.

"You’re doing quite well," Hades said. "You haven’t tripped in the last five minutes."

"If you weren’t holding me up, I’d have fallen too many times to count," Lilith replied, though her tone had softened. She was beginning to enjoy it—just a little.

"How did you learn to skate?" she asked, glancing up at him.

"My mother taught me when I was little," he said, eyes drifting toward the horizon. "She loved the snow. Like me, the cold hardly affected her. She enjoyed standing in the snow, letting the flakes fall on her face and palms."

A sharp ache pierced Lilith’s chest. It hurt to hear him speak of his mother, the distant emotions in his voice made her own heart ache in response.