TRIALS OF THE DAMNED: YEAR ONE

AVERY SONG

CONTENTS

Blurb

Prologue: The Queen Has Fallen

1.  The Toasty Depths Of Hell

2.  Candidate Of The Underworld

3.  Trial One With A Holy Bachelor In Distress

4.  Trial Two With A Sexy Hellhound

5.  Trial Three With A Tricky Shapeshifter

You let them die

We can't allow this

6.  Nothing Will Stop Me

7.  Queen Lilith?

8.  Shattering Victory

9.  Chemistry Of Sensations

10.  Train To Be The Fallen Elite

BLURB

I lived, fought, and died in the battle between good and evil.

But not as a hero…

After falling in battle, Lilith, known as Queen Merciless to foe and friend alike, expects to wake up in the toasty halls of hell – not the depths of the Underworld as a candidate for entry into the Academy of the Fallen.

Confused, she assumes it’s either a misunderstanding or someone’s idea of a joke. Forced to prove her strength with three challenging tests, Lilith is determined to dominate, showing she has no need for more schooling.

She’s no damsel in need of protection or rescue.

Stuck with a former angel on the outs with God, a hellhound with a dangerous secret, and a trickster shapeshifter posing as the previous King of the Afterlife, Lilith thinks they should change the school’s name to Academy of Psychos.

Her opinion only strengthens when she meets the dastardly sexy headmaster. Because Academy of the Fallen has no use for the weak or pure and no use for traditional education.

There are no math classes. No one cares what books you read. And the only chemistry that matters is deadly.

Instead, its purpose is to train an elite force of the most evil, blood-driven souls to keep the Damned from escaping Satan’s grasp and unleashing hell on Earth. And now it’s time for Lilith to dust off her crown and fight alongside the irresistible dark trio determined to win her affection.

There’s a new war to wage—the battle between evil and evil – and no one is a badder bitch than Queen Merciless.

PROLOGUE: THE QUEEN HAS FALLEN

"Q ueen Merciless. We've lost our final line of defense. I believe this may be the end," my humble servant announced, bowing her head. "I will do as you ask of me."

The delicate smile that formed on my lips would be my last. These precious remaining moments of my life would either carry me to the pits of hell or to the halls of Valhalla, if I was deemed worthy to enter its sacred walls.

Queen Merciless was my title, the rank given to me long ago and what I continued to go by, even at the brink of defeat.

I knew my strength, and with the approaching army that roared beneath the high pillar I stood upon, it was only a matter of time until I, too, joined my fallen angels, both men and women.

They had stood proudly when I told them this was our final fight.

We were the villains, the evil that good did its best to consume and annihilate from the lands. They may have been winning, but I was confident in my wild card.

I was confident that the final strike would take them all with me.

To be a villain was challenging, giving even my heartless soul a bit of doubt. The decision to live or to fall tugged at my mind as I reminisced on what could have been if I'd been good.

Did I regret turning to the dark side? Never.

The people who called themselves good held secrets of their own. They were good on the surface, but what they had done to me and those whom I once called family was unforgivable. It drove my once-pure, loyal mind to the brink of destruction, and on that day filled with tears and questions, I gave in to the darkness burning me from the inside out.

The darkness that everyone claimed was evil wrapped its comforting arms around me and mourned my loss. Soft whispers encouraged me that better times would come, and that what was once lost could one day be found once my purpose had been fulfilled.

The light never did that. Those people who sang hymns to the heavens turned their backs on me and the people who served them when it ceased to work in their favor.

This ending was what they deserved.

If I had to sacrifice myself in order make them lose and feel the pain I’d experienced centuries ago, I'd do exactly that.

If not more.

"You may leave, Ana. You've fulfilled your service to your queen. Let me fall. May you live the rest of your years in the protection my connections will lay upon you," I whispered, my voice like a melody as I watched the slaughter happening down below.

I felt the spread of my white wings, extending them to their full capacity, wrapped in grace and power.

The sound of a sword being removed from its sheath caught my attention, and with little effort, I looked to see Ana take a step forward, her wings bursting from her back and spreading out with the magic she carried.

Turning her head to look at me, those innocent blue eyes met mine as her blonde hair blew in the rushing wind.

"They call you Merciless. They say you have no heart or soul. That you are driven by blood and the screams of your enemies, and yet you offered an orphan like me passage. You plucked me from the dirty streets after I was abandoned by the church for being who I am and not doing as they asked. I will not cower out of fear. If my queen is ready to end this battle with grace, it will be my honor to go with her. We will rise into those skies and we will fall when the last warrior takes their last breath. You will always have my loyalty, my queen. Whether it be in this life or the next," Ana vowed and bowed her in obedience.

"For a badass bitch, I got lucky to have you by my side," I whispered, unable to hide how her loyalty made me feel. "Whether Valhalla or the toasty pits of hell await, I will pray for your salvation, Ana. You surely have a chance at redemption."

"My queen." Ana blinked her eyes and smiled, giving me a firm nod as she lifted her sword up. "I will fight and I pledge my allegiance to my queen for all eternity."

She looked down at our remaining soldiers, her sword beginning to glow a vivid blue with hints of gold.

"We may lose today, but let us fight with every last breath! Remember those slain by the very people who call themselves holy! Let us fight until the underworld claims us! Let us FIGHT!"

Our remaining soldiers cheered, seeming to grow more and more powerful by the second as Ana's power spread across the land.

I lifted from the pillar, sharing one last look with Ana. She was more than my right-hand woman. She was the last of those I loved.

I wished she could have lived in peace without the hate she'd received that caused her entire family to be slain in cold blood.

"Farwell, Ana. If we meet again, do remember the love we shared."

"Goodbye, my queen, and farewell to my lover, Lilith. I will always remember how you changed me for the better."

I smiled and soared upward into the sky, hearing the cheers of my remaining men and women and using them to grow in power and strength.

I'd lived a life as Lilith Hela, the mother of three children and wife of not one, but two men who loved me unconditionally.

Once we were found out, they were all slaughtered, and I was left with the sadness that followed.

Now I was Queen Lilith, the Merciless, for any mercy I had for my kind had died the day they slew my loves and children. It was my duty to seek revenge, and with it I would prove how powerful love could be.

No boundaries, rules, or confrontations would stop me from delivering the final blow.

I would fall today, but my mark would be laid upon this land, and that would be enough for everyone to remember my name. Remember the woman who loved and was broken by the hate our kind had about sharing love and devotion with more than one person.

Reaching the height I needed for my last spell, I watched the final battle below. My eyes landed on Ana, watching just as a sword drove into her body.

Sensing my look, she smiled, those blue eyes beginning to dull as her blood poured free and her body collapsed to the ground.

I watched her lips, noticing her final words.

Farewell, Lilith, my queen.

Then her body glowed with blue light, seconds before all in her surrounding area were vanquished by her powerful spell.

I ignored the tears that spilled down my pale cheeks, for I would soon follow her to the depths of the underworld to face our final judgment.

"Let my mark be laid upon this land and with my blood that will touch the very soil, take all the life that carries a weapon of destruction. Awana Lo Mela No!"

A scythe of great length and power formed in my hands, and I grinned at the triumphant strength that was bestowed to me.

With one last glance at the sky, I dove down, knowing the impact would kill me instantly, along with every single living creature far and wide.

The last thought I had was of my family, the two lovers I shared and our children at our feet, laughing and singing. In my mind, Ana was there as well, and she smiled brightly as her white dress danced in the beautiful warm breeze.

We stood there together as if taking a portrait, the sunflowers in field behind us moving side-to-side like they were waving farewell to us all.

I was at peace and I knew within my soul that when my life ended, it would be with no regrets.

I'd fallen as a villain, Queen Lilith, the Merciless.

1

THE TOASTY DEPTHS OF HELL

Death.

I was never one to fear the common word. At least, I didn’t think I was. Why fear something that resulted in a new beginning? It was merely the next step in a journey, although the destination depended on how you had lived your life. Whether you walked a path of good or a path of evil. Which side of the thin line between immaculate behavior and villainy you stood on. Ah, but who determined who was good or evil? Better yet, what actions determined the common rights and wrongs of the mundane world?

The questions piled in a dark room of sheer nothingness. There were no sounds or smells, no sense of feeling. I was a part of the endless dark void, and my thoughts were what prompted me to acknowledge my existence.

Whatever I currently was.

Was this where the higher power above determined if I lived or died? To be reincarnated and given a second chance at the crazy thing called life? Or would I face the judgment laid down in front of me?

The thought of judgment brought to mind a room full of charts and reports. A place where your every action — from the day you were born — was laid all out and the beings of sinless nature appeared to determine your future.

Was this the waiting room? The place of purgatory where you remained until judgment? Or would heaven and hell fill up and leaveg the rest of us with nowhere to go, stranded in this void forever with no memories of our previous lives?

Who had I been before my death? Had my end been sad and pointless or had it been noble?

Had I wished to die? Had I been proud to take my last breaths? Was I struck by sadness and fear during my last few seconds in the living world or did I not care at all? What led to my end? And would my end start a new beginning or close that chapter for all eternity in the depths of this abyss?

Bits and pieces came and faded, leaving me to wonder what I'd been.

What sins had I committed in the land of the living? Did it even matter?

What significance could my death have made in a land I'd never see again?

Unless this was a cycle in itself, I'd never return to the world I once knew, and I would lose the precious few memories of my past life with the new spark of breath, leaving it all pointless to wish to be reborn.

WAS I worthy enough to be given the privilege to start over? Or would I remain in torturous cycle of questions for as long as I could think?

The questioned triggered a shift in my belief of this world, as a tingling started from the bottom of what could have been my feet.

If death was my portion, why would I still have a human body? Souls wouldn't sense body parts like feet, but I noticed them — and the chill that gathered beneath them.

Gradually, it began to feel as if I had a place to reside, as if time had reversed and my decaying form was returning to one of flesh and bone.

Snippets of memories told me this had to be a body. Whether it be human or something else had yet to settle within my perception, but as time passed, I felt more and more alive.

The sensation of feeling left me in a freezing discomfort, and if I could physically move, I would have done something human, like tremble.

Could this be what hell is really like?

Were the myths of toasty flames that melted your very skin or the endless levels of torture that carried through for all eternity wrong? This frozen emptiness could be the perfect way to torture souls, but it was one I truly disliked.

I hate being cold. Such an angel thing to say. Angel? Wait...was that what I'd been?

How erratic my thoughts were. The fragile shots of emotions in real time would flicker away as swiftly as they had appeared when I tried to acknowledge them. To distract myself, I tried to gather as much as I could from what continued to repeat itself in my mind.

Lilith.

Queen Lilith.

Mercy? No. Merciless. One with no fear of death or confronting the inevitable. The end had been accepted, but was filled with bloodshed and loss. I'd lost something...someone? One that brought joy and whose death left me with agonizing heartache.

Revenge was what I sought, and I persecuted the ones who wished to prove their unjustifiable actions. Payback was what I'd gained and with it a name that brought an army of loyal men and women, all in the name of justice for the unjustifiable.

I died in honor...

I died with validation...

And whatever I faced would be what I deserved.

"MERCILESS. Intriguing life she lived. One of great magnitude and strength."

It only now occurred to me that my sense of hearing had returned, the compelling voice filled with a righteous nature had me craving my sense of sight.

"King of the Underworld. What shall we do with her? She'd fit in well as a warrior, but her desire to cling to life continues to heighten. There are few options and her soul will be tugged to the surface if we don't act with haste."

Was that why my senses were coming back? Did I want to return to the land of the living?

The questions triggered my sense of touch, and with it, someone lifted my hand into theirs.

"She clings to life because her path was cut short. She was destined for life and discarded in the dark. Her yearning for revenge is what makes her perfect for what I have in store. She’ll bring the same merciless nature from above to below and whip some of those weaklings into soldiers of strife and fury. Testing her would be a delightful challenge."

The liquid, soothing voice that belonged to this male triggered my sense of smell. Hot ash with a hint of cinnamon dolce shimmered through my nostrils and had me mentally moaning at its teasing aroma.

If hell smelled like this, it wouldn't matter how cold or hot I got. This scent would be worth it.

The deep-pitched chuckle that reached my ears was just as inviting as the lavishing smell.

"I'll have fun with this one. Brother Holy up above will complain about losing this gem. A good way to get under his skin. Excellent. Carry on with the initial plan. I want her to have the same powers, skills, and traits that she had on the land above. Her soul can choose her weapons of choice. Send her to the Trials."

"Yes, your majesty."

My hand was lowered back to soft bedding. The large hand that had held mine with delicacy moments before left an unyielding warmth that clung to my palm and I wished it would remain there forever.

I fought to gain my sense of sight, struggling to open my eyes for a single chance to see who spoke with mockery, but also carried tenderness in his touch.

I was close to completing the deed, my eyes lifting ever so slightly and giving me a view of reds, blacks, and oranges. My motivation to push hard was draining by the nanosecond, but a shadow appeared above me.

My blurry vision would never give me the results I yearned for, but what gripped my attention was the glimps of of flaming, ombre irises. I suspected these eyes were perfect and longed for clearer sight with which to behold them.

"Yes," the rich voice whispered, and something brushed my lips. "That is the determination I need for the Fallen. You will fit in well at my academy, Queen Merciless."

A searing heat pressed against my lips, the scorching pressure of lips covering mine burned my internal organs and crippled me with unbearable pain.

This was nothing like the bearable freezing temperature from before, and I regretted wishing it away.For now I was engulfed in flames and I was unsure if the agony would ever end.

No screams escaped me, and my senses began to fade one by one, until the last, my hearing, caught the words of satisfaction.

"Welcome to the Underworld, Queen Merciless. The Academy For The Fallen awaits."

2

CANDIDATE OF THE UNDERWORLD

"Only Candidate Q is still unconscious."

"That's fine. His Majesty has his eyes on her. Favoritism is encouraged in this case. Once she awakens, I'm sure the rules will be explained."

Rules?

Squeezing my eyes in annoyance, I tried to recall when I'd hired servants to remain in my room and pass gossip that made no sense to me.

Someone else wakes me up. Someone...who were they? Their name is on the tip of my tongue, and yet I can't recall their identity. Needless to say, the only servants allowed in my room are female.

The two male voices overrode that rule.

My body felt a tad sore, but what bothered me was my difficulty in figuring out the last thing I'd done before falling unconscious.

Had I been fighting? Talking to my servants? Drinking? No, I would have known if I'd drunk far too much for my own sanity. At least enough to leave me with no memory and a blasting headache. Worth the agony, but this was not one of those rare cases.

"Your Maje—"

"Lucifer. Also, it would be best I take over the rest of your shifts. Unless you want to miss the meeting Headmaster just called for."

"Meeting?!"

"Fuck. We can't miss another one or our asses will be the first in line to enter the pit of hell for all eternity. I actually like this job."

"Wait for me! Uh...thank you, M...uh, Lucifer. There's only one candidate still asleep."

"I'll make sure she is aware of the Trials."

That voice, even from afar, caught my interest.My curiosity would no doubt get the better of me, and without the urge to fall back to sleep, I convinced myself that it was time to get up.

And face whoever was bold enough to be in my chambers while I was resting.

With a few attempts, my eyes finally peeled opened, gracing me with a blinding light that had me shutting them right back.

Who left the lights on?

Lifting my arm and letting my hand hover over my face, I opened my eyes once more, waiting patiently until my blurry vision cleared.

Spreading my fingers out, I saw beaming bright lights that looked nothing like my pure black chandelier. In fact, the entire ceiling looked like it belonged to a hospital room more than anything.

The sound of footsteps to my left had me up, grabbing the closest and sharpest thing available. I slid my target with a fork to his throat.

"Welcome to the Underworld," the clearly amused, 6'3" male greeted. "If we’d known you were into cannibalism, we surely would have saved one of the dead humans for you."

"Where am I?!" I demanded, lightly poking the man's flesh with the tines. "This isn't my castle, nor a medical room in my district."

"Your castle is not yours anymore, my dear."

Grimacing at his statement, I looked around the clean white room before staring down at my naked body.

Naked. I didn't even put clothes on to sleep?

With an audible huff, I lowered the fork. "Turn around."

He did as I asked, just as I followed his rotation so that I still remained behind him. Reaching for the single white sheet on the medical bed, I tugged and retrieved it, wrapping it around my chest to drape down my curvy 6'0" figure.

Narrowing my eyes, I took a long look at the back of the man.

He wore some type of uniform, similar to the one that I'd worn in my youth to attend the church school. It reminded me of those times, the days of innocence and how precious that single set of clothes was to me.

Without a family of my own, those clothes held enormous value to my little existence.

He wore a black blazer, the trimming in a solid red. The back of the blazer was emblazoned with the word 'UNDERWORLD' in red and beneath it, ‘FRESHMAN’ in metallic gold with a hint of glitter.

He wore plain black pants and black sneakers, not giving me enough information to determine where exactly I was.

Not like Underworld and Freshman didn’t provide any clues.. There wasn’t a place called Underworld anywhere near my castle or hometown. Could I have been captured by the enemy? Unlikely.Underworld is nowhere near holy-sounding.

"Turn around," I ordered, securing the sheet to tightly remain in place and twirling the fork in my fingertips. I'd be ready if this man tried to get the upper hand on me.

The man did as I asked, my attention focused on his short blond strands of hair. When I finally lowered my eyes to his face, I lost my grip on the fork, the piece of metal falling onto the white tiled floor.

"Holy fuck of all things sinful!" My eyes tried to bug out of my sockets at how stunning this man was.

HE WAS a sculpture of fine art, obviously blessed by the heavens. He had a perfectly white complexion and his short blond hair swept to the side of his face, thestrands stopping right under his eyes. Those magnificent red jewels were astonishing, andthe ruby color, which was rare where I'd come from, fit him perfectly.

He was tall and well-built, with a slim waist and muscular legs hidden beneath his black dress pants. From his stance, I could tell he was confident in his looks.

His upper half was clad in a black silk dress shirt, paired with a tie in black, gold, and red. The black blazer sported red trim and metallic gold buttons, and the letters ‘UA’ were embroidered on the front pockets in an intricate design of red that shifted to gold. He was totally wearing a uniform, though he looked nothing close to a student.

A sexy professor maybe?

Now that I'd finally taken enough time to enjoy his sexy build, I centered in on his handsome facial features. From the sharpness of his jaw to his slightly flushed cheekbones, he could be rated the top model in all the lands.

His playful smile revealed a dimple in his left cheek, making my heart skip a few beats asI got lost in his red eyes.

Licking my bottom lip, I debated whether it was worth stabbing such a perfect being with a fork. It almost felt sinful to do that, especially when astounding men like this were hard to come by.

"If this was an interrogation, Cupcake, you'd be dead with all the time you’re wasting gawking at me. We could have an exchange if you give me a glimpse of what's beneath the sheet."

I stared at him and admired his pure white teeth.

"Do you not even drink coffee?"

"You're still on your assessment, huh?" He tapped his lips. "I do. The best kind imported from Switzerland."

"Don't call me Cupcake, by the way. If it weren’t for my inability to figure out where the hell I am, you would never get a chance to speak to me in such a manner, let alone stand there with that taunting grin of yours."

"My apologies." He gave me a half bow and rose up to widen that treacherous grin. "I agree that as Queen Merciless, you wouldn't have the patience for a man like myself. Even if my looks and demeanor strike you as attractive."

"Sexiness with a bit of bite," I corrected. "You know of my title and yet you're here in a school uniform requesting to see my naked bosom,"

"No, I want you to bare your entire front side. Particularly your bountiful breasts, true, but the whole package would be worthwhile." He winked. "However, you also have a bunch of trials to undertake. It would be a shame to get a taste of your girls, or dive between your legs and get used to those sinful screams of pleasure, all for you to fail."

"Failure referring to death, correct?" I elaborated, wishing we could do exactly what he was describing.

Would waking up from whatever coma I was in and wanting to embark on acts of sexual pleasure be immoral? That's a peculiar question for someone like me, considering I enjoy all things frowned upon by holy worshippers.

"Correct, including judgment."

"Judgement?"

"As in your soul going up to face your earthly sins in front of a council and choosing your poison."

"You speak as though I'm alive and well. However, given my lapse in memory, I'm starting to question my circumstances."

"You don't recall anything?"

"Lilith is my name. My surname is not necessary, for you would not know it. You do know of my title as Queen Merciless, and that gives you a description of who I am and the bloodshed I cause. I can't recall anything but returning to my sleeping corridors to enjoy reading about killing tactics for beginning scythe users. It's a fascinating book, to be quite frank. I'd be able to pull off a reaper look with my wings. That's another question I should be asking you. Are wings allowed in this place? And is your main motive to kill me? If so, I'll spare you from my ongoing rambling and get straight to the fighting-for-my-life part of this confrontation."

"Very enticing. You'd be a worthy choice to lay upon my red satin sheets," he concluded.

"As long as I'm completely intact and breathing. In that case, a night of fun between your satin sheets sounds rather delightful. However, I'd like to know the answer to my other question."

"Regarding my motive?"

"No, regarding my wings. It gives me bouts of anxiety if I have them tucked away for too long, and since I have no knowledge of how long I've been unconscious, I'm sure I'll they’ll begin to ache soon if I don't release them."

The man chuckled darkly, the sound frightening but enticing enough to keep my interest.

"You may release them," he answered and moved to sit on the bed parallel to mine. After resting his right ankle onto his left knee, he carried on.

"My motive is not to kill you. However, the moment you leave this room, you'll be considered a candidate and must survive three Trials to qualify."

"Qualify for what?"

He lifted his hands.

"Underworld Academy. Better known as the Academy For The Fallen."

After taking an intentionally slow glance around the white medical room, I stared back at him.

"This room looks nowhere close to the Underworld I know of. You are referring to the realm featuring demons and fire? Essentially Hell's neighbor?" I suggested, putting my hands up to the side while I released my white and onyx wings.

The man cocked an eyebrow up at me, his attention shifting to my wings as they extended out to my sides. Their full length reached across two-thirds of the room. I rolled my shoulders back a bit, getting out the knots and cracking the tight areas.

"It seems I miscalculated how big those were."

That had me grinning from ear to ear. "Have I miscalculated how thick and long you are because of your height?"

That seductive look was back on his shadowed face and he eyed me mischievously.

"You can rest assured that I'll deliver upon request, your Majesty."

There has to be a trial session with this sexy beast in between the sheets.

"Before we get carried away imagining the things we could do with one another, can you elaborate on how this sterile medical room is the Underworld? Does that mean all the myths of demons, torture, fire, blood...the works...it’snot true?" I laid it all down. "And please tell me you're over eighteen."

"If I told you my age, you'd run for the hills and think my cock is made of ancient sand."

"I'm sure you are not that old...for whatever you are. I've bypassed the human aspect. You're far too perfect to be of one. If vampires are real, that’s an option. Assuming the paranormal exists."

"Says a dark angel."

"My wings were a blessed accessory. I was but a human prior to that."

"You recall that?"

"Now that you've mentioned it, yes," I replied. "One hundred and fifty-nine years old, the last time I checked. I did wish to reach one hundred and sixty. What a sad predicament that I was three days away. Wait, we haven't established whether I'm dead or alive."

"It's hard to stay on track with you," he commented.

"Perfect example of why I talk less and order more." I sweetly smiled.

"Domme or sub?"

"Again, you can choose your poison," I teased.

"We're never going to get to the point here." He rested his arms back against the firm bed and tilted his head to one side.

"How about I assume I'm alive and have to do some silly trial? And my reward for succeeding is to fuck the hot man who can make a school uniform look attractive?" I suggested. "You can give me the details after."

"In bed with a glass of wine?"

"I'll make sure I survive for that. I'll take white or red."

"Anything you wish, your Majesty."

"I could get used to you." I grinned in satisfaction. "Still want an age, though. Would make it easier to know how far I can go in the pleasure department."

"I lost count after a thousand."

I paused to think about it, and I could feel his eyes peering at me with growing intensity.

"Experience level: Expert. Perfect." I shrugged. "Now do I have to do these Trials in this sheet, or do I actually get some combat gear?"

He chuckled and rose from the bed, walking over to me until we were facing one another. The surging chemistry was strong before, but now it was pounding with force in the tiny space between us.

My eyes immediately lowered to his lips, and I could only imagine what it would be like to let my lips roam all over his sculpted body and experience his groans after I took his cock into my mouth.

If I'm dead, can we still have sex? Orgasms? Simple pleasure?

"Your thought process is rather human-like."

"I wonder if I should be thrilled or shocked by your ability to read my thoughts."

"I can guarantee you're more thrilled than anything."

"Sense of someone else's emotions as well?"

"It's a package deal for those who are in the Underworld. Get used to it."

"I'd figured you'd say something like 'bite me.' Or is that for the bedroom activities?" I grinned.

"You don't have this much fun with other individuals."

"I've never met a one-thousand-year-old man in a uniform in a sterile white room who wants to fuck me senseless. In any other case, I'd be cold as fuck and not bother interacting."

"Does that mean if I kissed you right now, you'd be down for that?"

"I'd have sex with you right now, except we agreed that would be my reward." I shrugged innocently. "Should have said if I won the trials, you could kiss me. Then we could have easily gotten on the bed here and fucked."

"You would have been the perfect Eve for Adam," he mumbled.

"Ah. Probably. I wouldn't have told him to eat the apple. Periods are a pain in the ass, and don't get me started on pregnancy."

"Fair," he replied. "Would it be weird to kiss you after the change in subject?"

"Yes, in normal circumstances, but seeing as I've yet to learn whether I'm alive or dead, I guess those conditions don't apply," I concluded and looked into his red eyes.

The pure amusement and proud expression on his face made me feel as though I'd pleased him exceptionally with my approval.

He didn't ease in slowly and explore my lips. His daring yet tender lips crashed into mine like an addict getting their next dose, and I kissed him right back to meet his harsh demand for affection.

This had to be a sin somewhere in the book of morals. I'd woken up in a completely strange place, to a man in a uniform making all my hormones go whack, and I'd yet to determine whether I was alive or dead.

Seems far more realistic than the world of bloodlust and violence in which I’d lived.

He broke the kiss but kept my face close to his. "The fallen world is just as violent, if not worse than where you came from."

"I can barely remember half my battles, so I can't confidently answer that. However, if violence and fighting for what I valued landed me in a world of bloodshed and catastrophe, then I'll use my bare hands to survive if it gives me what I whole-heartedly deserve," I declared.

I waited for his response as I held his intense gaze, standing up for my beliefs, which were surely looked down upon by many.

My life had once been one of happiness and sunshine; I’d lived in a world where ‘good’ was following every instruction and being rewarded with protection and the desire to do more for those in power.

Little did I know how naive I was. I’d actually been grateful to be taken in as an orphan with no registered family and raised like the charity case I was. Fast forward to when I discovered the truth of my existence. I’d upheld my position as the sole princess and heir of my bloodline, ready for what my destiny should have held.

I was sure I'd had a family at some point, one that I'd created and cherished, but the memories were blurry in my recollection. However, the burning need for revenge still lingered in the back of my mind.

Regardless of my circumstances, I wouldn't change the person I was. Whoever this man turned out to be — a momentary lustful distraction or a long-term companion — he would see within my eyes the truth of who I was.

I would not change for anyone merely to fit in. I'd stand my ground and be the individual my past had molded me into. Whether it was acceptable here or not, I'd never act differently and he'd be the first to know it.

The man before me suddenly looked relieved, his features shifting from devilish mystery to that of a perfect entity.

"When you smile like that, it's as if all else is forgiven," I whispered.

"To bring a smile to these lips in a place you've yet to discover is a rarity in itself, Queen Merciless, for I have walked in the valley of death and power for as long as mankind has existed. If you knew who I was, you'd fear the darkness inside me."

"Your identity has nothing to do with who you are," I mumbled. "I was Merciless...and yet I somehow fell in love and was able to bestow affection upon those I trusted with my life. No matter that my memories are still foggy. A title is just that, and it's up to those who hear such to determine whether you are worthy of that assumption or if the myths behind your title are but a lie."

I looked back to my wings, retracting them so they took less space, and returned my gaze to his red eyes.

"I know nothing of your past or the assumptions made about you. My judgment is based on the individual before me, and though it may be a foolish move, I'll continue to trust until you've proven otherwise."

With a tender smile of my own, I took a step back and raised my hand in greeting, my back straight and my wings spreading out once more.

"Lilith. Queen Merciless is my common name. I'll be happy to take on your Trials to this Underworld Academy. I'll prove my strength and claim a spot here, wherever ‘here’ is. I do ask for one thing."

"What is that, Cupcake?"

"Maybe two."

"If it's to stop calling you Cupcake, that's a no."

"Hmph." I frowned. "We’ll work on that after."

He smirked. "Carry on."

"I need a set of clothes," I stated. “I’m not about to fight in a sheet.”

He chuckled and shook his head. "You'll be a fun candidate." With a snap of his fingers, the cloth that cloaked my body vanished and replaced with a school uniform like his own.

The undershirt was of red silk, tucked into my black, red, and gold plaid skirt. I wore black kneesocks and black boots with silver chains as laces. My blazer was black with red trim like his, with gold buttons in front. There must have been some type of magic barrier to the blazer because my own magic wasn’t functioning.

My long silver hair remained down, and my black tie was extremely loose around my collar, the blouse partially unbuttoned to show a bit of my cleavage.

"Not bad," I approved. "No weapons?"

"You'll be able to summon whatever weapons you normally used in your past life."

"So I'm dead."

"Semi-dead," he concluded and turned around. "We'll talk about the details later."

"If I don't actually die. Perfect after-sex talk," I reasoned with a nod.

"Four years with you will be something else," he concluded.

I walked over to stand at his side, glancing up as he looked over to me.

"Who knows. Maybe you'll fall madly in love with me and we can make those four years into all eternity." With a wink, I walked forward, heading for the door.

"Lilith."

I stopped in front of the pure white door and looked back to see the man staring at me with a hint of longing.

We shared a look, one that I knew reflected my appreciation for the opportunity to engage in a ‘normal’ conversation and for the chance to fight for my place in this Underworld.

"I'm sure I'll be completely confused the moment I walk out that door, but there's one thing I want to prove to you. I'm no damsel in need of any man's protection. I'll figure out the rules along the way, but I will survive these Trials you speak of and when I come back victorious, I'll enjoy every minute of you teasing my bosoms and eating me out. Red wine is a good victory drink."

"I’m Lucifer," he replied.

I smirked and opened the door.

"I know," I replied, closing the door behind me.

Lucifer. The reward I'd receive if I survived this approaching hell.

3

TRIAL ONE WITH A HOLY BACHELOR IN DISTRESS

The door closed and left me in a pitch-black hallway. My eyes adjusted quickly to the dark, my vision shifting to black and red, as if I were looking at an X-ray that was in black and red rather than the usual black and white.

Retracting my wings, but keeping them out for quick usage, I decided to test my magic, wondering if it was truly at my disposition like Lucifer had suggested.

With a mere thought, my scythe came to my grasp, and with a wide grin, I began to try and locate the nearest exit.

TAKING A STEP FORWARD, I cursed as the solid floor beneath me suddenly disappeared. My body dropped instantly, but my reflexes kicked in, mywings shooting out and slowingmy rapid fall.

My eyes darted around, attempting to catch on to an approaching object that could potentially kill me if I missed it. However, my environment swiftly changed, going from the black and red darkness and revealing the striking view of a city below, my body plunging through the dark sky and bloody red clouds straight toward it.

The initial shock faded, igniting a desire to explore and sightsee.

Enjoy the view when you've survived, Lilith.

With a nod to myself, I outstretched my wings to their full length and caught the wind to suspend me, the action slowing me down until I hovered in place.

Taking a quick glance above and around me, I couldn't feel anything threatening from here.

What should I do now? Do I just go down there and ask for directions or something? This makes me miss the life of a queen, but then again, this could lead to some fun.

A sniffling noise caught my attention, coming from my right. From this height it was unusual, and when it happened again, my curiosity got the better of me.

Flying in the general direction of the sound, I entered a large red cloud. Scanning around, I caught a hint of white feathers that poked out of a thick part of the condensed water droplets.

Flying above the object and landing behind it, I peered at the pure white wings that were positioned upward in their retracted position. It was a position I knew some angels placed their wings in when they were in deep prayer.

It was clear that the wings belonged to a person because their blond hair was flowing to the right where the wind was currently passing us. Though he was kneeling, he still appeared to be tall, and I wondered how he was keeping himself in that kneeling position when his wings weren't suspending him like mine.

From the deep mumbles and sniffs coming from him, I assumed he was crying and praying, and from the familiar black and red uniform, it was obvious that he was a part of whatever Trial this was.

"Are you a part of this Trial?" I asked. "If so, you'd be dead by now."

The angel's head perked up, and he glanced over his shoulder to stare at me in shock as his wings receded into his back.

My frown deepened when I realized the male angel was crying, his flushed red cheeks glistening with tears and his beautiful teal eyes pooling with the clear, salty liquid.

"And...you're crying?"

"Who are you?" he asked and glanced at my wings. "White-to-black wings?"

"Blessed trait. I'm sure they're supposed to be black." I shrugged. "Better than them dripping in blood. Anyway, I'm Lilith. I doubt I'm supposed to tell you that, but I didn't read the rules to this Trial. Do you mind telling me where I should go from here or would you like to finish your crying session first?"

He stared at me blankly and looked to my scythe.

"You look like a reaper."

"If it makes my life easier, sure. I've come to reap...um...whoever is down there." I used my scythe to point to the city far below. "But let me get this Trial out of the way. Do you know? You have no obligation to answer or be nice. I’d just rather figure this out sooner than later."

"You're going to face the Trial?"

"Yes," I confidently replied. "I think I’d rather live a little longer than face judgment. It'll give me more time to explain my reasons for killing countless people in the past."

The angel looked horrified, his jaw dropping as his eyes grew wide.

"Y-you killed innocent people?"

"Intentionally? No. But realistically, no one is innocent. The difference all depends on what side is considered good or bad. Either way, people die in war, and I was in the center of such calamity," I explained. "I don't think you have a shortcut, do you?"

"I'm taking the Trial to try and enter this Academy. Underworld Academy, for the fallen students."

"Fallen students? That's referring to us, right? Those who survive?"

"Yes." He nodded and used the sleeve of his blazer to wipe away his tears. "Why aren't you mortified by this?"

"Should I be?" I questioned. "I've gotten very little information to worry myself to tears. However, seeing as you've cried up a storm, I must be missing out on a big plot twist to all of this."

"We're dead!" he stressed.

"I'm actually more intrigued with how you're suspending yourself like that," I said, my focus still on whatever he was kneeling on.

He rose then and turned around to give me a full view of his 6'2" height.

FOR A CRYING ANGEL, I had to acknowledge his handsome features. There was a cute boyishness to him, and his long blond hair with hints of pale, creamy white strands complemented his slender oval face.

His tanned skin made his blue eyes even more, striking and his skin was smooth with not a pimple or blemish in sight. Looking down to his feet, it was only then that I noticed the rotating golden rings, the connecting lines, stars, and circles making it obvious that he was suspending himself with spinning magic circles.

"Ah. It's magic." I answered my own question with a bob of my head.

"It's more than just magic. It's Celestial energy. The stronger your faith is in the higher power above, the stronger you are, essentially," the man explained with utmost reverence.

"Right," I replied. "So why are you crying again?"

"We're dead!" he repeated.

"I understood that the first time," I acknowledged. "Still doesn't answer my question."

"You're not afraid of death?"

"We're born to die," I replied and shrugged. "I'm sure whatever my death was, and that's if we truly are dead, it was an accepted reality. We live to die, and our actions are judged by whatever standards are ranked as the truth."

"The truth is based off the scriptures we follow as humans," he argued.

"Scriptures are guidelines for those who believe in a greater power. If you follow the commandments, you are believed to have a higher chance at atonement. Being born to the world is through an act of sin and when we're conceived, we're a part of the sins our mother makes while we're in the womb. It matters not what you believe. As long as you live your life to the standards you want to reach."

"You..." He trailed off and took a good look at me from head to toe. "Are informative for a dark angel."

"I'm not an angel. My wings were blessed upon me. I'm not a born angel," I explained. "I was also raised in the church. I'm aware of the scriptures and all things holy within those tiny bound books of worship."

"Why aren't you repenting?"

"For?"

"Forsaking the higher power which we serve!" he exclaimed.

"Who said we serve the same?" I inquired. "Also, if death is written in everyone's book of life, there is nothing to apologize for. Every book has a beginning and an end. We reached our ending and it's time for us to acknowledge that end."

"My life didn't end!" the man explained.

"Then why are you here if you're alive?" I inquired.

"This is a mistake," he groaned.

"You dying? Not a bad excuse, but I thought as an angel you'd believe the whole 'everything happens for a reason' statement. Or is that selective in cases like these?"

He gave me a look and I casually shrugged. "Don't hurt the messenger. I merely want to know where the hell I'm supposed to go from here. That and how you were suspending yourself."

"How am I going to finish this Trial if I'm not supposed to be here?!" He began to tear up again, and I crossed my arms and stretched my wings out a bit further.

"You know, you're rather cute when you cry. In a sad, cynical way," I commented.

"You don't care about our circumstances!"

"I do, but what's the point crying over spilled milk?" I inquired. "I've had plenty of worse things happen to me."

"You've yet to get through these Trials! You can't confidently say that."

"Crying over being dead ain't getting you through these trials either."

"I've been rejected by my great Father! I'm here in the Underworld! That's basically Hell."

"Ah." I nodded. "I get it now. You have daddy issues, huh? I guess being rejected is difficult."

"I wasn't rejected! I don't have daddy issues," he retaliated, the waterworks starting all over again.

"Sure..." I pouted my lips and sighed. "I'm not good at this whole emotion thing. Do you want a hug or something? Or you don't do those?"

"I want to get out of here and be a devoted servant of God!"

"I sadly can't do miracles for you, buddy." I pitied this guy, but was still debating on whether to leave him behind or take him along.

He looks so lonely and sad. He must really be struggling with being rejected by Heaven. Is that how it works? He's a real angel, versus myself, who was blessed with these wings.

"Look. Why don't we figure what this Trial is all about and once we pass, we can ask about where we truly are and what this Underworld Academy is all about? I'm sure someone will know where you're supposed to be or how to get back to uh...life? If that's even possible. Hey, maybe they can direct you to the Lord Hotline? You can talk to your Savior yourself and plead to be forgiven for whatever you did to land you unexpectedly here. What do you say?"

"That...doesn't sound so bad," he admitted. "Why are you helping me? You're a dark angel."

"I'm not an angel," I repeated. "I was blessed with these."

"Blessed?"

"Long story. It would be the perfect tale to tell with a cup of hot chocolate or something," I mused. "Anyway, I'm not necessarily nice. I was known as Queen Merciless when I was alive. I'm just currently too intrigued with this new world to kill everyone in it, so...I'll be nice. Can't guarantee I may not kill you later, but I'm rather honest. At least, most of the time I am."

He looked dumbfounded with my reply, standing there for a solid ten seconds before he responded. "If you do plan to kill me, would you at least give me notice?"

"I'm in a good mood today. I'll give you five minutes to run if I do see the need to kill you."

"Deal," he replied and used his sleeve to wipe his face once again. "I'm sure this is unattractive."

"You're cute when you cry," I honestly replied. "When I cry, it usually ends up with the blood of my enemies splattered all over my face. That's a pain to wipe off when it dries."

He gawked in horror and I laughed. "You don't want to know the sins I've committed, Mr. Angel. However, unless someone pisses me off or tries to attack me, I'm generally not that bad. People like to judge a book by its cover. I'm sadly one of those books."

"It could be the hair."

"Silver hair does not make a person a killer."

"Red eyes?"

"Are they red right now?" I inquired. "They bounce between silver, red, and black. I never can tell unless I'm pissed off. They have a cool glowing red to their appearance when I'm mad."

"Good to know." He nodded. "You're not mad at me, right?"

"No," I replied. "Would be nice to know who you are. Unless you want me to call you Mr. Angel?"

"Gabriel, the Archangel of Justice," he introduced.

"Hmm. I thought Gabriel was a symbol of the Lord's strength," I commented.

"I'm not the Gabriel from the Bible, you know."

"Hmm."

"You're judging me."

"In my mind, yes. Is it because you're an angel that you were called that?"

"Somewhat," he replied.

"Intriguing." I beamed. "Queen Merciless is my title, but you can call me Lilith."

"You're actually a queen?" he asked in curiosity.

"Was." I winked. "If we are dead, that is. I'm a lot scarier when I'm defending my honor and people. I also didn't need to talk this much as a queen."

"I'm sure if you did, many wouldn't take you as seriously. Rather understandable," Gabriel confirmed.

"I'll take that as a compliment." I smirked.

He smiled and his wings outstretched. He flew over to stand before me and offered his hand.

"Gabriel. Or Gabe, if you prefer. Angels don't have last names."

"Lilith," I replied, and placed my hand in his. "Mine isn't important."

"Lilith is a beautiful name," he complimented and lifted my hand to press his soft lips against the back of it. "I'm sure knowing you were a queen is enough information for one to decide whether to acknowledge your royalty or piss you off."

"Interesting approach. If you had to decide, which side would you take?"

He stared into my eyes, a prominent friskiness reflecting his blue shards.

"A woman who is willing to check on a crying man is one I'd serve. Bonus points for giving me five minutes to run before hunting me down. A pleasure to meet you, Queen Lilith."

A smile crept onto my lips, and I wanted to aid him on whatever quest he'd undertake when it came time to figure out how he'd landed here.

For someone like myself, this was a completely new experience. I'd never given myself the opportunity to meet new individuals and attempt to make a connection or mere alliance.

It should have been scary, especially in combative cases like this.. However, this felt right, almost as though I was in the right place and moment to meet this angel.

"Shall we try and complete this Trial? Whatever it may be?"

"Yes. I'm not sure exactly what our task is, but I have a hunch that we have to try and reach the ground."

"You believe so?" I questioned and looked around the red cloud. "Are these clouds red on purpose?"

"Yes, I think so. However, I'm unsure of the reasoning behind it."

"Red normally symbolizes an act of war or represents blood. With how low these are positioned, though, do you think it's for a line of protection? Like, hide and seek?" I elaborated, my mind immediately racing ahead to think of all the reasoning behind the change of atmosphere.

"We could try it, but wouldn't the darkness hide us as well?"

"I have silver hair. You have glamorous white wings. We stand out like a sore thumb," I acknowledged.

"Fair point." He took a deep breath and became serious, his entire demeanor projecting a strong, noble man. I had to blink a few times to see if he was still the same angel who was crying up a storm just minutes earlier.

"You clean up good when you ain't crying. I'm impressed."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was meant to be one." I winked. He smirked, looking amused by my banter, and we let go of each other's hands to move out from the red cloud.

"Let's head toward the ground and..." I paused in my thought, my senses going from calm to defensive.

Without a second thought, I summoned my scythe and swiftly turned around in time to deflect a flaming meteor with every intention of burning me into a crisp.

Cursing from the impact, I stretched my wings outward, slowing down my fall, but my eyes grew wide at the coming comets, all of them aimed in my direction.

Shit.

I hovered, ready to defend myself at any moment from the approaching storm of meteorites. My body was pulled against something firm, the rich scent of rosemary and comforting warmth of power and protectiveness wrapping around me seconds before multiple golden magic circles appeared before us — creating a wall of golden spinning discs.

The meteors crashed into the magical wall, causing huge explosions that I was sure would have sounded like fireworks to anyone else.

We didn't wait to see what would happen next; Gabriel kept a hold on me while his wings wrapped around us and we death dropped swiftly toward the city below.

"Gabe?" I questioned, realizing the next set of meteors had destroyed his magic barrier and were swiftly catching up to us.

"We need to be lower for me to do what I'd like to do," he assured me.

"Do you think this is the Trial?"

"Could be. Us surviving targeting meteors could seem pretty easy, but I don't think that's the normal speed they should be going at, especially when we're all dropping like this."

"Would flying slow us down?"

"Most likely and exert our energy, but at this rate, it looks as though they're going to catch up," he grumbled.

"How strong is your magic?"

"Strong, but in the holy destructive kind."

"Holy destructive," I repeated. "Sounds a little dirty."

"Is that what you're more worried about while we try to survive this thing?"

"Do you know what I'm referring to?"

"I may be an angel, but we have primitive needs like the rest of the living races."

"Good to know."

"I don't even want to know," he sighed.

"Ask that again when I'm not sober," I reasoned. "Give me five seconds and then let go of me."

"Are you-"

"Five, four, three, two—"

He let go of me before one.

"I didn't reach one!" I exclaimed, but quickly summoned my wings and placed my hands outward.

My eyes burned to the point where they stung, clueing me in that my magic was fully charged and ready to go. Darting my gaze from left to right, I quickly picked up on the twenty- seven meteors all heading our way.

"Ishna Lo Maranda So Ve Elano!"

The words for the strong enchantment rolled into my mind, and my hands grew hot as my body began to be submerged in a bright golden light that shifted to red.

A massive red magic wall formed in front of me, and I felt Gabe's presence.

"A wall?"

"Wait for it," I encouraged, still straining to get the vision I wanted while the flaming rocks closed in on us.

"Cloudonasa!"

Initiating the second part of the spell, the red barrier morphed in shape, mimicking the red cloud we'd been in earlier. I struggled to keep its shape, my teeth gritting together as beads of sweat began to form on my forehead while we waited in anticipation.

I felt Gabe's hands on my shoulders, and his body grew warm with a soothing heat that eased its way around me. The action eased the strain of the spell, and I used that relief to push even more magic into the growing spell.

Please work.

The meteors that were right our path suddenly shifted in direction, and we watched in shock as they all passed by us, the mere heat wave from the cosmic rock of flames hitting us hard.

The passing winds were thankfully not strong enough to blow away our cover, and we continued to remain in the red cloud of protection that I worked on maintaining.

"It worked!" Gabe wrapped an arm around my waist. "Can you maintain that until we reach the ground?"

"It has to be fast," I confessed, my response strained as I attempted to talk and concentrate. "Magic isn't my strong suit."

Who was the one in my life that was better at magic?

"Trust in me to get us down there. I'll be invading your personal space for a bit," he warned.

"Does that involve an angel hug?" I teased.

"That's all you're getting," he mumbled and held me tightly, my back against his chest. "You like to flirt a lot."

"That...wasn't flirting in my language," I replied.

We began to drop rapidly once more, Gabe using his wings to quicken our fall. I wasn't sure if he was using magic to increase our speed, but we were reaching the ground at a rapid pace.

"Hang on. This is going to be a swift landing," he exclaimed and turned us over, so I could get a better view of the approaching city — particularly the field of black roses we were approaching.

"Don't land in those rosebeds!" I screamed, and he lifted us up before we got too close.

"Why?"

"They...ACHOO!" I sneezed. "Fuck...I'm allergic!"

"You're joking, right?"

"I'm dead...ACHOO!" I sneezed, and the second after that something to our left exploded.

"Shit!" Gabe cursed. "Lilith! The cloud!"

"What?" It took me a second to pinpoint the problem — the red cloud I created was now no more, thanks to my sneeze.

"I can't redo it!" I stressed.

"Hold on! We just need to get to those gates!" Gabe encouraged, and his wings began to flap really hard, jolting us forward as meteors crashed around us. He avoided the ones that were almost dead on target, twirling and evading at the very last second.

His arms held me tightly against him, and I glanced up from his chest to see the determination in his eyes that glowed with intense magic.

He'd been crying and so worried about being here, and yet he's working so hard for us to survive. Dedication in the midst of despair.

A strong shining to my left caught my attention, and my eyes grew wide at the massive meteor that wasn't falling down, but was soaring toward us from my left side.

"Gabe! Meteor to your left!" I screamed and pulled out my left hand to trigger a protection spell.

"Hold your breath and make a shield around us!" he ordered.

Doing exactly what he asked, I took a deep breath and created a pod barrier around us. Gabe began to spin us, his wings wrapping around me in protection before he lowered us right into the bed of black roses.

The shield protected us from the multiple thorns and vines, cutting through them like they were truly twigs, and I felt bad for running through the rows of black roses that were stunning, but annoying to my sinuses.

Bracing myself for some type of impact, my ears popped from the loud noise that came from my far right, and I opened my eyes and moved my head to see the meteor had gone from chasing us like a target missile to crashing into the field next to us.

I looked around in confusion, only just noticing the trail of crisp red roses and the petals that fluttered around us in a petal rainfall.

"Red?" I gasped. "How? How did you change them to re...ACHOO!" I sneezed and wiggled my nose. "If I'm dead, why the hell am I still allergic to these things?"

"You change topics rather easily."

"Common...ACHOO! Trait." I replied after sneezing. "Did you use some angel magic to change the color of the flowers?"

"I used my magic to change the flowers to their original form."

"That's kind of hot."

He actually lowered his head to look at me, our bodies flying right past the gate before he brought us to a dramatic stop with a strong flap of his wings.

Lowering us to the ground, he held for a long minute, his eyes scanning around the quiet entrance.

"This city is abandoned?" I injured quietly.

"Could be," he replied. "Or it may be a trap."

"True," I replied. "Was that the first Trial?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted, and we both looked back at the gates. My eyes caught onto three individuals falling from the sky.

Tugging on the front of his blazer, Gabe met my wide eyes and followed my gaze to the three individuals falling toward the ground, meteors racing after them and gaining speed.

They all wore the same uniform we did and looked to be attempting to avoid the meteors. Gabe and I pulled away, our attention fully on the current race before us.

Only one of the students caught my attention, one with short, blazing hair that was literally on fire. It was a mix of a light blue, gold, and orange, and he had wings sprouting not from his back, but from the sides of his running shoes.

Either it was his fire element at work or an actual ability, and out of the three, he was in the lead and closest to the ground.

I expected him to hover toward the gate, but he landed on all fours and jolted forward. My jaw went slack, and my eyes widened even larger, amazed at the seemingly human individual who was now racing on all fours through the rows and columns of rose petals.

His body didn't just go through the vineyards and rosebeds, but left a flame in its wake and caught everything in his path on fire.

An ear-shattering scream tugged my eyes away from the man, and I watched the body of the woman in last place get engulfed in flames and black fog, her remains falling to the ground while a weird shadow-looking creature took shape and screamed in agony.

We watched in horror as the vines from the ground shot out and wrapped around the shadow creature. As hard as it fought, the vines were stronger, pulling it down until it collided with the ground.

The vines just so happened to be the ones that Gabe had purified into their original form of red, and we witnessed the shift in shades until the once-vivid red turned back to the onyx of the rest of their companions.

The roses...don't tell me their black tint is due to the dead souls that fail here?

Gabe took a protective step in front of me, and I locked onto the remaining two figures that were desperate to reach beyond the gates like us.

The man who ran on all fours was closing in, still leaving a trail of fire in his wake, while the other, who looked to be an angel shifter, hovered low to the roses, the meteors beginning to smash into the ground around them.

Reaching the same gauntlet we had, a set of meteors came from their right, ready to take them out. The flaming male suddenly started to run from side to side, his trail becoming impossible to predict as he got closer to the gates.

The other male wasn't so lucky; his attempt to judge the coming meteor failed as he lifted up and avoided one, only to not see the second chunk of rock closing in. It smashed into his body, a scream escaping him. He crashed into the ground and the impact made the meteor smash into a million pieces.

Once again, the weird shadow creature shrieked in agony, and its attempt to fly upward was short-lived as the vines grabbed onto its slightly transparent body and brought it down to tint the roses around that area.

The souls could be the roses’ life source...

A loud screeching noise had me flinching and I looked to the black and red gates as they began to close.

"Wait. They're closing!" I shouted.

Gabe looked frustrated, and I was sure we were sharing the same thought — our worry now on the approaching individual on all fours. Even with how close he was, the gates would close before he had a chance.

Meeting the eyes of the approaching man, I saw the flicker of determination that morphed into a surge of shock. He knew he wouldn't make it, and yet he worked even harder to get here even at the last second.

The bravery in his actions reminded me of something that I'd witnessed in a man I'd loved once upon a time. He wasn't the best soldier in the ranks, and he was nowhere near as good as those that trained countless years to be worthy of being a royal guard.

Yet, his eyes bored through my defenses, and I knew that with a bit more time, guidance, and affection, this man would outdo every single man in the room of candidates. Not only did he do just that, but he also grew to be a leader...and one of my husbands.

My hand went up and the staff of my scythe appeared in it. My thoughts hadn't caught up to what my body was doing out of pure instinct, as I whirled the scythe toward the gates, a glowing red chain beginning to take form as it reached its target.

Before the gates could close, the end of the staff and the sharp blade crashed into the middle of them, wedging the metal open and creating a big enough space for the man to make it.

His shock was apparent in his bright blue eyes with amber rings, but he gritted his teeth and dashed the remaining feet between the rosebeds and the gate.

The moment he passed through the little space, I wrapped my wrist around the materializing chain, solidifying the spell to shift the once semi-translucent piece into raw material and tugging forward.

The scythe pulled back with a clang, and the gates closed loudly, the sound vibrating through the ground, shaking us slightly like a mini-earthquake.

When the scythe returned to my grasp, I twirled it between my fingers and slashed it down to tame the chains that circled around me.

Gabe watched me intently, while the newcomer fought for breath with his hands on his knees. There was a loud boom, and the three of us looked back past the gate and watched the field of roses beginning to return back to its peaceful state.

With another bang, a firework shot up into the air, and when it burst outward, a number one in a circle formed, and the words ‘TRIAL COMPLETE’ took shape and slowly fluttered down until they were nothing but tiny cinders of dust.

Trial one led me to an angel bachelor in distress. What would Trial two have in store with this new arrival with blue eyes of valor with amber rings of fire?

4

TRIAL TWO WITH A SEXY HELLHOUND

The eerie silence that followed the closure of the gates left the three of us completely still. I even held my breath, worried that something would immediately happen next.

A minute passed, then another, and I looked at Gabe as he gave me a sight nod. We both relaxed, our tense shoulders dropping while we retracted our wings. I kept mine against my back, but Gabe's white ones disappeared entirely.

Peering over to the new arrival, I watched as he continued to catch his breath, finally standing to his full height of 6’3”. Sweat still dripped down the sides of his face, and his flaming hair began to extinguish, revealing light blue strands with a mixture of gold, orange, red, and dark blue.

I took in his slim build. He looked extremely athletic and though the run for his life must have surely exhausted him, I was confident on first glance that he had plenty of stamina to go on another expedition.

Taking a step forward, I scanned to make sure nothing was aiming toward us, and with a relieved sigh, I decided it was best to get introductions out of the way with this new individual.

He must have read my mind, walking over to us.

"Are you all right?" I at least wanted to make sure he was okay, especially after he barely hit the ground and went into racing mode on all fours.

He had to be some type of shifter in his past life because no human would have been able to achieve that.

"I've been better alive, but that was exciting. Similar to when you place a bet and pray your horse wins at the track." He stretched his arms out. "I must thank you for the quick thinking you did there. I'm sure you gain nothing from saving my life, but I can at least share my gratitude."

Taking a step back, he bowed diligently, and I looked to Gabe, who smiled.

"At least she saved someone with some level of respect."

"My mother taught me basic manners, but that depends on multiple factors. Not everyone in the world where I lived was friendly. Let alone, willing to risk their time or weapons to save a stranger like myself. Seeing as you two both wear the same uniform, I can assume we're all doing these 'Trials' to try and enter this Underworld Academy we know nothing about, correct?"

"Perfect summary of it," I replied. "From the light display, I can assume we completed the first Trial."

"Indeed." Gabe looked our left. "We shouldn't linger here. I sense a shift in the air."

"Right." I nodded and looked to the newcomer.

"We've made an alliance currently. You have no obligation to join, but I believe that situations like these are better when working together. Just so you know, I have a five-minute warning policy for if I need to kill you."

"Five-minute policy?" His lips quirked up and those eyes with golden-orange rims widened in amusement. "You'll warn your enemy before killing them?"

"People love to underestimate me when I'm in killer mode. Five minutes is more than enough when I can reach them in less than a minute. It makes the chase more fun when they think they've gotten a head start."

"I like you." He nodded in approval. "I also approve of head starts, but it wouldn't take you a minute to reach me."

"If you run on all fours, I'd add thirty seconds."

"Only thirty seconds? What shifter being were you in the land of the living?"

"That's complicated." I winked. "I do have wings. They're pretty useful."

"You do, but are not an angel like him," he said and pointed to Gabe.

"Gabriel," Gabe introduced.

"Cerberus,"

"Cerberus? Like in the mythology?" I inquired.

"I'm not him, but yes. Call me Ceru. Easier," he suggested. "If you can't guess what I am, I'm a sexy hellhound."

"Hellhound," I muttered. "Never seen any in my lifetime."

"We live in territorial areas and try not to get involved unless our packs our threatened in acts of war. From the men in white coats, I'm assuming we're all dead. As in, we died and landed here and now are taking these Trials?"

"That's the general understanding I got," Gabe replied.

"Essentially. Not too sure. I had a sexy male in my room."

"As sexy as me, or another level?" Ceru questioned.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I thought about it long and hard.

"You're sizzling sex. Like when you light up a match and watch it burn. Gabe is more graceful. He...was a combination of both. Does that help?"

"At least you know what you want," he reasoned. "May I be honored to know the name to my saviour?"

"Lilith. Queen Merciless was my title when I was living."

"That feel like it contradicts your personality." Ceru grimaced.

Gabe chuckled and put his hands on his hips. "I agree with your observation. She's apparently not in the mood for killing and ruthlessness."

"You're clearly teasing me," I muttered under my breath.

"I am, but that could bring out the dangerous beast in you."

"At least the two of you are tolerable." Ceru sighed and looked back at the gates. "Those two were panicking and arguing the entire time. I tried to team up with them, but their mentality was 'every man or woman for themselves.’ They didn't see the need to work together when we were all dead anyway. I wonder if their souls are now stuck in those fields forever?"

"When their bodies perished, their souls were caught by the vines and sucked into the petals of the roses," I explained. Pointing to the section that was still affected by Gabe's spell, I continued, "That whole line over there, where the red roses are? They were once black. Gabe used a spell to revert them back to their original form. That small path in the middle is where the girl perished. See how it's black? It's only a theory, but if it’s true, we can confidently suggest that all these black rose fields are for those who didn't make it."

"Heartbreaking," Gabe whispered and put his hands together. "May their souls rest in peace."

Ceru and I kept quiet, giving the respect Gabe needed for the prayer. Once he nodded and made the sign of the cross, he turned his full attention to me.

"Let's head into the city. I'm sure the next Trial will be somewhere there."

"Sure." I stared into his eyes and then over to Ceru. "Um..."

"What?" Ceru asked. "Something troubling you?"

"Why are you both looking at me as though I'm the leader of this?"

"You are," they said in unison.

"I'm not a leader."

"You said your title was Queen," Ceru emphasized. "If so, why wouldn't you want to lead once again? It's rather prominent in your personality, and the aura around you gives off that vibe as well."

"It's not like I don't want to. I'm asking if you both are okay with that," I replied. "Leadership is difficult among strangers or new acquaintances. I wouldn't want to step on anyone's toes."

"Hellhounds are born leaders, but when one shows an equal or stronger affinity for leadership, we step down and allow them to. Seeing as you were a Queen, I think you should keep on ruling, your Majesty."

"That makes life easier." I smiled. "Thank you for showing me respect upon meeting me."

"Thank you for giving me a chance in this world. I'm unsure how long I'll last, but hopefully it’s long enough to find out what this place is all about. Underworld Academy. Hmm. Seems very grim and dark. I assumed if this was hell, we'd be a little toasty."

"I think we're neighbors," I voiced.

"Neighbors?" Gabe stroked his chin. "That would be pretty cool. I mean, we could go visit, but I'm not sure if we'd come back."

"You're an angel. Aren't you afraid of hell?" Ceru asked.

"That I am, and I've already had my crying moment of being forsaken," Gabe replied.

"Essentially, he has daddy issues." I grinned.

"I do not," he huffed, and crossed his arms. From the way he blinked his eyes, I was worried he'd break down and cry again.

"I was teasing. Don't cry."

"Tough life, man." Ceru moved to stand at his side, patting his shoulder in support. "We don't believe in the higher power like God, but it's rough when you still end up in the dark world."

"Is this really a dark world, though?" I pondered, turning to look at the city. "Right now, I feel like we've landed in a simulation lab and are currently being tested in a manipulative environment. If this is really the Underworld, there sure are a lot of...um..."

"Misconceptions," Ceru finished.

"Yes." I nodded. "That,

"Let's walk and talk. Something is here." Gabe's voice grew stern, and I exchanged a look with him, noticing his worry.

With a nod and a look to Ceru, we set off to dark city.

The lights that illuminated the grey, grim streets alternated between gold and red. The building seemed to be built with black cement blocks and the little bits of nature that were around also fit that black, red, and gold theme.

The atmosphere overall had a heaviness to it, reminding me of haunted castles or villages. It was clear that something must have transpired here, because some parts of the structure had blood stains, and on others lay broken weapons, particularly swords and arrows.

We walked in a line, Gabe taking the lead and Ceru the rear, leaving me right in the middle.

I was impressed by how they'd taken their roles with no arguments and were upholding a professionalism when it was needed. That was a rare thing to find, and I wished our future unions with anyone else would be just as convenient.

"Stop," Ceru ordered, and I paused mid-stride to look over my shoulder at him. He was sniffing the air, his eyes looking up at the sky.

"Something is here," he announced. "It doesn't smell anything like us and that worries me."

"You think they're from our world of the living?"

"No." Gabe spoke up, and we looked over to him as he summoned his sword. "There's a darkness to whatever is in the air."

"We're going to have to fight," Ceru announced. He clapped his hands and spinning rings of fire manifested into view, their flaming circles creating a set of guns that were dark blue with glowing symbols along the metal.

He wrapped his hands around them, taking the safetys off and stnding in a defensive position.

"It's been a while since I've had to use these."

"You sound like a little boy, ready to have some fun." Gabe shook his head. "We're not as driven for violence."

"Yes, but angels don't play around with protecting their lives or what they believe in. I have a feeling you're more dangerous than I. At least on first inspection, I look like a pain in the ass."

"You have a valid point." Gabe shrugged. "Lilith?"

I was listening to their conversation, but my eyes were focused on the fountain in front of us.

"Lilith?" Ceru called me this time.

Walking toward the foundation, my eyes took in the fine details of the curving masterpiece. The liquid that was sitting inside was as thick as slug, and the pipes where water would have flown out were dry and old-looking.

It wasn't the age of the fountain that fought to tug at my memories. It was the very shape, the carvings and fine details, that told me I'd been in this very place.

"LILITH."

"If you want a coin for me to throw into another fountain, it is a clear no. We have little time to be spent sightseeing," I grumbled, completely in a bad mood.

"Is she still mad about the man who lost her valuables in the river?"

"Yes. They were of great value and will be a pain to get new ones. I've called a seamstress to come down to the castle upon our arrival to get her a new wardrobe tailored. We should have hired a flight carrier service when we realized their boats were not equipped for our luggage."

"You two do not understand. They were Victorian! Do you know how hard those clothes are to find?! I not only would have looked gorgeous and presentable in front of the crowds, but the skirts detached, and would have allowed me to fight as I please. Yet that wretched man destroyed them and now you expect me to throw a coin into the well of wishes and be happy." I crossed my arms and wished to stomp my foot in frustration. "Good riddance to his head, for I wouldn't be able to handle seeing his stupid face again."

"To be fair, you did give him two other chances after he lost one of your precious bags and destroyed the carriage by running into a ditch."

"She was rather nice about it."

"You two compliment me because you love me."

"We say nice things because they are fact and we love you. Since we're not on duty right now, we can say that without you giving us death glares."

There was a laugh which followed up with, "She's adorable when she's upset."

"You think so now. Wait till I have a whip in my hand and the leather breaks through your flesh," I muttered.

"Would you really punish me, darling?"

"Hmph."

"That means you wouldn't. Not in that way."

"You'd love her to whip you in the bedroom. You were begging last time."

"As were you,"

"I'm going ahead," I voiced.

"Lilith," the deeper voice of the two whispered. "Don't be stubborn like that."

"I want my clothes."

"You have us." He hugged me.

"They're two different things," I muttered.

"Not really. We both deliver comfort, warmth, and protection when you let us," the other male emphasized.

"He has a point." He kissed my cheek, and the other man kissed the opposite cheek.

"You two are my pet peeves," I announced.

"Good!" They both laughed.

"That's not a compliment!"

"No, but it means you may not get rid of us," the deeper voice laughed.

"Pet peeves usually last a lifetime. Can't say how often that gives us to bug you, but we ain't going anywhere. We can be the thorns in your side," the other man concluded.

"Ugh, fine. Here." I reached into my purse and retrieved two coins, offering one to each of the men. "You can throw it into the fountain and leave me alone."

"Perfect!" they said in unison.

They threw the coins into the flowing fountain and they each took one of my hands.

"There. We made our wishes," the deep voice exclaimed.

"What were they?" I asked.

"He can't say," the other man replied. "It won't come true if he tells you."

"That's bullshit."

"It's the truth." The deeper-voiced male bobbed his head in reason. "It's in the Bible."

"I know the Bible inside and out and it's NOT in there." I rolled my eyes.

"It's probably in a jumble of prophetic words that are hard to understand. He's giving you the simple form."

"It's in English. If wishes came true by us throwing coins into the water, we'd all have them granted," I concluded.

"Jumble of prophetic words did not imply another language, your Majesty." The other man chuckled and hugged my arm.

The deeper-voiced man hugged my other arm and kissed my right temple. "We wished for you to get a new wardrobe."

"New wardrobe? You guys are already working on that."

"Yes, but they're all actually ready and are in that shop. The one located in front of this fountain and the reason we needed to find out our way here."

"Life is best when our queen is happy," the other man whispered.

"You two..." I trailed off, feeling my cheeks grow red.

"You're welcome." The deeper-voiced man kissed my cheek.

"Now our queen shall give us more coins for the fountain, and a bit of loving when we return home.

"You say that with such confidence," I whispered, with the intention of hiding how emotional they made me feel. "You don't know if I'll do anything as a reward."

"Correct, but deep down, you always reward those who commit to you," the other male acknowledged. "Especially with your loyal, first- and second-in-command whom you secretly adore."

"I'm not answering that."

"Don't have to." The deep voice laughed. "We'll know after she sees the ton of clothes we had made for her whether she'll let us sleep in her room tonight."

"You're so loud," I hissed and they both laughed.

"Let us head inside, Queen Lilith."

"If you need anything else, your Majesty, simply say the word."

"LILITH?" A hand gently rested on my shoulder and I glanced to my left to see Gabe's concerned eyes. Looking to my right, I was surprised that Ceru was standing on my other side, looking just as worried.

"Are you all right?"

"Sorry," I immediately apologized. "This fountain. I've seen it before. What's bothering me is that our surroundings don't have any familiarity to them."

"It may be a hunch, but I think this is a part of our next Trial," Ceru muttered. "I wasn't planning to say anything, but this town is a replica of the one I grew up in."

"A replica?" Surveying the buildings around us, I looked back at him. "Do they have black buildings like this?"

"Yes. However, they're only pure black during the day. As hellhounds, we can handle a tremendous amount of heat, but the one problem with too many hellhound shifters in one area is the entire district becomes sticky hot. The buildings are created with special black bricks that convert the heat into cooling energy. They do that by absorbing all the heat and light from the sun or the natural heat emitted from us, and at night, the buildings will light up, like a nightlight of colorful embers. This releases the energy accumulating throughout the day, while lighting up our district and providing energy through a wired system that powers up the AC and other electronics to aid in keeping the temperatures at a comfortable level."

"That's amazing," I answered in awe. "Does that mean these buildings are supposed to be glowing?"

"Yes. It should feel as though the buildings are alive almost. However, these are cold and eerie, not a bit of life in them. That's the only thing that seems familiar to me."

We turned to look at Gabe, and he nodded. "The gates at the beginning. I've seen them before. They're specifically used to guard criminal angels who forsake our Lord and commit bad deeds with their magic and gifts. Due to our immediate entry, I hadn't been focusing on the similarities, but now that we're on the subject, that specific part was familiar to me."

"This town could have been created from bits and pieces of our lives when we were alive. That may not be a bad thing, but it looks like so far, we're the only three who've made it to this point," Ceru acknowledged.

"If that's so, what will be the challenge?" I muttered. "What I just saw was like a flashback, but it wasn't a sad one. I couldn't recall the people there or see their faces, but their voices were clear."

"I think we're about to find out." Gabe moved to stand behind me, his back facing mine while he summoned his sword. Ceru's body tensed up, and a growl left his lips as he stood even closer to me.

I'd yet to feel the approaching presence, but my eyes went wide the second the ground began to shake like a stampede was coming.

Ten seconds passed and a charging crowd of shadow people shot out of the alleyways of the buildings.

I cringed at their murky appearance, like a mixture of black sludge and human flesh. Debating on whether to fly or not, Gabe was the first to make a move, rising into the sky and pointing his sword at the crowd.

They stopped in their tracks at his deliberate move, looking hungry for what I could only guess was us.

"Are they zombies?" I inquired.

"Looks like that, but it’s as though the darkness of this lands has eaten half their bodies or something. My senses are telling me that we're their lunch."

"That wouldn't be very pleasant ending," I concluded. "This is going to get messy."

"Not really." Ceru smirked and took a step forward.

"You have a plan?" Gabe questioned from above.

"A burning one," he replied.

"What if those things are like souls?" I questioned, the thought popping into my mind.

The two of them looked my way, and I continued. "What if they're similar to how those vines took those candidates’ souls and absorbed them? We wouldn't recognize who these things once were in that form, but what if?"

"Lilith." Gabe gave me a sympathetic look.

"I'm not saying we shouldn't kill them if their aim is to kill us. That would be foolish. However, I don't see it as necessary if they're just standing there and staring at us."

"You’d rather us get out of here and figure out how to complete the Trial than kill these things that may potentially be souls that were lost taking the same quest," Ceru summarized.

"I guess." My shoulders lifted up and down. "I'm really doing opposite of what I should be, but I'm not getting a killer vibe from these things."

Taking a step forward, followed by another, I continued to walk toward the group of weird, muck beings. Their figures were so oddly shaped, it actually made me a little afraid of getting closer, but at the same time, my instincts told me that this could simply be what the people of this city looked like.

Being a queen had sometimes meant going into town and talking with the people who served us exceptionally. This felt like something along those lines, but I wasn't the leader of this town.

I'm not queen of this land or realm, but why am I feeling this way? Do I feel pity for them because of their appearance? No, that's not it.

"Lilith," Ceru said in a warning.

He must have not liked how close I was to the intriguing group that stared at me cautiously. I was sure one wrong move would set them off and put me in danger, but I was confident in my skills of evasion that I'd get out of whatever happened if this plan went south.

"What if...this Trial is to see how we react?" I questioned. "When I was near that fountain, the flashback recalled a time I'd lost a bunch of my clothes from a delivery servant. I was upset about the ordeal and it had cost that man his life. My companions had comforted me, but the old me was furious that my items were destroyed. It ended on a happy note, but these creatures...people?...are well off. They're weird looking and nothing close to acceptable individuals of perfection from our standards, especially in the land of the living. What if they're waiting for us to attack? For us to hurt them?"

"You're saying they're used to being attacked due to their appearance and way of movement," Ceru said, scrunching his face in deep thought.

Gabe lowered his sword, catching many of the creatures’ attention. He slowly lowered to the ground, his wings retracting into his back completely. I did the same, tucking my wings back into the secure place beneath my skin and Ceru put his hands in his pockets.

"When you think about it, that could be a possibility, right? The first Trial tested our speed and thinking skills. What if this is to test our emotions and if we're savage beasts?" I suggested.

"It's the Underworld," Gabe countered. "These could be the dead or demons or something."

"Yes, but this is a Trial. If this world has no sense of life force, this could be a world created by whoever is running this test. They know damn well what the word ‘Underworld’ would trigger in our thoughts. Look at our current situation." I used my hand to gesture to the dark crowd that was still standing there patiently. "They could have attacked us while we're bickering about this."

"Then what exactly are we supposed to do to get through this?" Gabe pondered.

"Lilith." Ceru drew my attention to him. "When you were queen, would you come down to the towns and acknowledge the townspeople?"

"Yes. It was a duty I did try and do often. Even with my title, our kingdom was smaller and secluded. The people themselves knew the truth of my personality, but kept it hidden well," I explained.

"Do you think you can do something like that? What if they're waiting for you to acknowledge them?" Ceru presented.

"What if they absorb her, though?" Gabe countered protectively. "We won't get there fast enough."

"I'm not going to be far," I assured Gabe. "It's right there. Ceru is fast, right? I'm sure he could just run and grab me."

"I could and would. I know this is a risky chance, but let's try it. If it comes to it, I can set them all on fire," Ceru encouraged.

"And if that fire reaches Lilith?" Gabe questioned.

"It won't burn her," Ceru grinned. "My flames won't harm those I'm intrigued by. She did save me, after all."

Gabe was quiet and looked back at the group of creatures.

"Fine," he replied. "Worth a shot. Just be careful."

"All right," I replied and looked back at the group of mucky creatures. Taking a cautious step forward, I raised my hand up to grab their attention.

Some of them tilted what appeared to be their heads, while others stared in wonder as if attempting to figure out my intentions.

Slowly, I took more steps forward, and they moved apart like a scene from the Bible. Leaving Ceru and Gabe, I headed down the path, getting a better look at these individuals.

If you ignored their appearance, it wasn't as scary to be around them. They gave off a cold energy from their bodies, but my heart was slowing down from my initial worry.

I stood in the middle and I took a long look around them. Their collective attention reminded me of my rule.

There I would stand, in the middle of the circle of my people. No matter what the enemy and people outside of our walls said, they knew the truth about their queen — the secret I held to keep my kingdom safe.

I'd kill anyone that tried to make us victims of their chaotic ways of justice, even if it meant looking like the merciless bitch I'd turned out to be. I'd witness their smiles and wishful glances, all of them staring at me for guidance and protection.

They would give their lives to keep me on the throne, and I remembered how difficult it was to see such a kingdom fall.

Revenge had led me down this path, one where I hid the good part of me in the shadows and aimed to be as ruthless as the men in power who wanted nothing but to see me fall.

"This is your land, is it not?" I asked no one in particular. I glanced to the sky, noticing the red clouds that continued to drift by.

"To us, it's peculiar. We've never seen a world like this before, and I'm sure that's why many individuals get confused when you arrive, correct?"

Lowering my head, I let my guard down and allowed the kind part of me to come out to play. The smile that grew upon my lips was pure, and I noticed a small creature take a step forward hesitantly.

I remained in place, my smile wide and my eyes softened with admiration as the little creature waddled to my feet. I knelt to the ground, my movement eyed carefully by the rest of the creatures, and I looked at the little one standing before me.

Even with me on my knees, it only reached the top part of my waist, and looked more like a blob than an actual child.

However, I had a good feeling that was exactly what this creature was: a child of their kind. It stared at me for a long moment, with what I believed were its hands behind its back.

After looking over to its left, it looked back at me and quickly nodded its head.

"Ah." I slowly nodded. "They attack you all, don't they?"

It nodded again.

"You don't like that, do you?"

It shook its head and hopped to one side and then the other.

"I understand," I replied. "We're not here to hurt any of you. You've done nothing wrong to us. We're on a Trial, a test that requires us to go through your city. I'm sorry that we're intruding, but we come in peace and will not harm any of you. Please allow us to carry on and leave you to live in this world."

The child looked back at the ground, one of the creatures stepping forward and nodding its head. The child looked back and moved one of its hands to reveal a bright red rose.

Its beauty was like a pop of color in this dark world, and in the hand of the creature child, it seemed to shine brightly. There was no magic around it, and it looked even better than the ones Gabe had purified.

Reaching for it, I accepted the gift and decided to risk sneezing up a storm by taking a deep inhale. Letting the air out slowly, I fought the urge to sneeze by smiling even wider.

"Is this for me? Thank you so much. I will cherish it." My sweet reply made the child jump up and down and hug me with its mini blob arms. I patted its head and did my best to hug them back with my free arm.

Watching it waddle back to the group, the creature that had stepped forward gave me a half bow. In astonishment, the others followed its lead, all of them bowing to me, leaving me completely speechless.

Gabe and Ceru were just as quiet as the creatures began walking away as a group. They went back into the alleyways, disappearing into the dark shadows and leaving what must have been the elder and the little creature child.

The creature child jumped up and down and reached to hold the older creature’s hand. When they joined hands, a small red light began to glow at the center of their connection, and my eyes went wide to see the muck around their skin begin to fall to the ground, revealing their true forms.

Gabe and Ceru both gasped, and I wished to see their expressions, but I was just as stunned as they were.

"It has been a while since anyone has figured this part out."

"They did it, Daddy!" A little girl with bright blue eyes and blonde hair bounced up and down in her simple white nightgown.

The older man, who wore a black dress shirt and pants, nodded in approval, looking down at the ecstatic girl.

"They did."

"Are you actually souls?" I whispered, finally standing.

The man looked back to me, a sad smirk forming on his dry lips.

"That we are, your Majesty," he replied and bowed his head slightly. "It has been said that only ones of royal background are able to figure this stage out. Have you proved such a saying true?"

"Yes," I replied. "I was of royal heritage when I was alive."

"What made you believe we were not harmful?"

Gabe and Ceru reached my side, having shaken off their initial shock. I looked at both of them first before I answered.

"A Queen should never judge her people by their appearance. One can look through a crowded room and feel the intentions of every single individual by their body energy and magic. A facial expression does not display the true intentions of every single being, whether it be a human or shifter. None of you gave off the vibe of wanting to hurt me and my companions. You did indeed look scary, but none of you attacked us, even with all the opportunities presented to you."

"Does that mean you've all been trapped in those forms this entire time?" Ceru asked in horror.

The man chuckled, nodding his head in response.

"Appearances can be deceiving. It's expected for the Underworld. To many, this place of darkness is looked upon as nothing but evil, but there is good, even if it’s hidden by the darkness of this world. This Trial is aimed to prove just that, and we've waited 240 centuries for one to figure this out."

"Two. Four. Zero?!" Ceru articulated. "Everyone who has done this stage previously has failed?"

"Correct," he replied. "These Trials are random, but anyone who has attempted this stage has perished."

I noticed Gabe's silence and I reached to wrap my hand around his. He didn't say anything, but he did squeeze my hand back — the action enough for me to hold back in confronting him about it until later.

"What happens now?" I inquired. "Do...you remain here?"

His facial expression softened, and tears formed in his eyes as he shook his head. "No."

"We get to go home! We finally get to go home," the girl cheered and giggled. "Thank you, your Majesty."

"Home?" I whispered in question.

"We've been trapped here by the beings chained to this part of this world."

"By the devil?" I inquired.

"No. By the very candidates that once stood in your place."

We were all quiet, confused by his words, and he sighed.

"If you use the same wise mentality to get through the third Trial, you'll see the truth of the Underworld and why the Academy For The Fallen came to be. Many love to judge based on myths created by the very individuals who want nothing but destruction and chaos down here, just as it has become in the land of the living. We were but victims of that catastrophe, but we can finally go home, thanks to you and your companions."

"Home!" the girl cheered.

The man leaned down to scoop the girl up, and he looked to us before his eyes lowered to my hand that still held the rose.

"I'm grateful to you for freeing us from this eternal world of slumber. As a token of our appreciation, we have given you that rose. Keep it safe, even in battle, and it will aid you with the final challenge to enter the coming curriculum. Do not waste time, for time goes a lot faster down here than you may expect."

"Thank you." I hoped my polite expression would stay with them as they journeyed on to wherever their next home would be.

The man nodded, and my gaze moved to the glowing lights that began to float from the alleyways — gold orbs that I knew were the souls of those creatures.

"Farwell, your Majesty, and loyal companions. You are an intriguing bunch, and I feel you will aid one of our own in the near future. Look past the darkness and let yourselves see the truth that evil is desperately trying to hide. May your time in the Underworld serve your purpose and save those like us who are nothing but pawns."

"Bye-bye!" The little girl waved and hugged the man, their bodies beginning to fade until they were nothing but two glowing gold balls. They began their journey upward, floating to follow the rest of the souls that were drifting away.

My eyes were glued to their ascent until the sky was as black as night, and the red clouds continued to drift by like normal. Not a second later, a light shot out into the darkened sky — a firework bursting into raining lights and creating the sign, ‘TRIAL COMPLETE.’

That eerie silence had returned, but I had nothing to say to make this situation less sad.

I clenched my chest and continued to stare at the sky, hoping my moment of silence was worthy enough to honor that group of souls with the respect and admiration they surely deserved.

Rest peaceful, souls of the Underworld. Whatever your past holds, I hope it will be forgiven at the time of judgment.

5

TRIAL THREE WITH A TRICKY SHAPESHIFTER

We walked through the remainder of the city in silence, keeping careful watch along the darkened alleyways.

I kept my hand in Gabe's, feeling the need to rely on his physical touch. I was sure his mind was buzzing like mine; the thought of the last Trial was taunting my consciousness.

All this time, and no one else figured that out. Those people...their souls were stuck in this endless Trial until now.

I wanted to be angry, but at the same time, I couldn't be. A world without suffering was an existence that would never become a reality. Where there was good, there was evil, and sadly, these individuals’ souls had had to face the centuries of their afterlife within these walls until someone could free them.

Lifting my hand that held the delicate rose, I stared at its red petals.

Dark creatures with scary, unapproachable appearances were able to protect a single rose all this while. The hope that they must have had and lost every time a Trial failed...it's not something you'd think of as an act of torture, but the rise and fall of hope can be just as bad as physical pain. This is the Underworld, or at least, that's the premise of all of this. Are we here due to our failures and sins? Or is there something we aren't seeing?

"Queen Lilith." Ceru was the one to tug me out of my thoughts. He was standing in front of me, his hands at his sides as he eyed me carefully.

"Yes?" I replied, lowering my hand that held the rose.

"There is nothing else you could have done for those souls. Is that what you're thinking about?" His question tugged a smile to my lips.

"I'm well aware that there is nothing I could have done. Do I pity the circumstances that were laid upon them? Yes. However, I'm in no position to determine whether I could have done more for them or not. I know nothing of their past lives or how their souls ended up trapped like that, but it left me wondering. Are we missing something? Is the Underworld as evil as it’s deemed to be, or have we been lied to from the scriptures and tales of the living world?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if those very scriptures held deceit in them. We weren't alive when they created the scriptures. Who knows if they truly wrote the words that were meant to be written in stone," Ceru replied. "We can't change anything implemented in the world of the living now. It's a little sad when you think about it, but our real shot of figuring out the truth from the lie is in this world, or at least, that's what I believe."

"How can you two accept such change so easily?"

We both looked at Gabe, who was staring up at the sky. His hand squeezed mine, seeking the emotional support that came with hand-holding. Though his eyes seemed far away, I'was sure he’d respond to my question.

"What are you referring to? Change happens every day. It can occur at any moment. All you can do it accept it. Even if it isn't in your favor."

"Angels do not accept change to that degree," he whispered. “Change is destined to happen but is created by our Savior. He informs us of those changes prior to their beginning and their end." He lowered his gaze to look at the two of us.

"Meaning you're warned about changes," Ceru concluded.

With a nod, he looked to the floor.

"It's the way it has always been. Whether it was a warning before a battle or heads-up when our assigned duties were changed. Always...it was our way of life."

"Is that why when you arrived here, you didn't understand what you had done to forsake your Savior?" I recalled when I'd first met him and how distraught he was.

If his kind functioned on routine and warnings, it must have been a shock and a burden to adapt in an environment that was always shifting.

"Somewhat," he replied. "I freak out when things dramatically change. It's not like I can't handle a change in environment or scenery, but going from living and serving your Lord to waking up in a medical room and being told you’re dead and must complete some Trials is a little overboard."

He looked upset about it still, and I knew it would take him time to truly accept his fate. Squeezing his hand, I smiled when he lifted his head to look up at me once more.

"We'll figure things out once we've survived this Trial thing. Call the Lord Hotline." I winked.

He nodded and replicated my smile with his own.

"For complete strangers, we really do get along. Intriguing as we're all different."

"I agree." Ceru shrugged and put his hands behind his head to look at the sky. "Everything that happens has a purpose. If us coming together is the start of something, I'm fascinated to see where it leads."

"I'm curious as well. Shouldn't we have had one more Trial by now?" Gabe pondered.

"I wonder how much time has passed?" I questioned. "Even though we're dead, I feel as if a significant amount of time has gone by in the real world."

"We don't have a sense of time here. We could have been here a day or a week. Heck, a month could have passed, for all we know. The living world and the land of the dead run on different clocks. Just as angels in heaven and demons in hell do," Ceru explained.

"If we get through this, I assume we'll figure out the mechanics of this world," Gabe concluded. "Hey. I think we're in the last sector of the city."

Gabe's announcement drew our attention as we looked forward and noticed the sign up ahead: SECTOR Z.

"We never saw other signs that said Sector," I mumbled, and a yawn escaped me. I used my free hand to rub at my eyes, feeling a little tired all of a sudden.

Can't sleep now. This may be troublesome.

Ceru focused on me for a long second, taking a step forward and reaching to press his hand onto my cheek.

"You look tired," he noted.

"I'm fine." I tried to reassure him. "I'm not used to all this activity, that's all."

"As a Queen, I'm assuming you didn't need to be," he replied.

I shrugged. "If our kingdom was under attack, all bets were off, but even as villains, we weren’t normally the type to go and hunt for trouble."

"The good guys came to find you," Gabe muttered.

"Essentially." I smirked and squeezed his hand again before offering my free one to Ceru.

He accepted my gesture immediately, wrapping his larger hand around mine and squeezing it gently.

"Let's see what this last Trial has to offer," Ceru encouraged.

Gabe and I nodded, and the three of us began to walk forward into Sector Z. It looked just as abandoned as the rest of the place, but we kept our guard up, even as we held hands.

We reached the square, noticing three different paths ahead. Exchanging looks, we let go of one another. Gabe's wings shot out from his back as he summoned his sword and Ceru clapped his hands and ignited an array of markings on his skin, while his hair began to float from his flaming energy. My scythe returned to my hand, the slightly transparent chain around my feet.

"I love how enthusiastic we are to go separate ways," Ceru sarcastically stated.

Gabe chuckled. "Enthusiastic. Hah."

"I'm sure there has to be a trap in one — if not all three — of these paths. I can confidently say we'll each have no problem handling our own, correct?"

"No problem at all." Ceru looked over at me and winked.

"We'll meet on the other side," Gabe replied. "And if there isn't one, we'll meet back here. Simple enough."

"Good." I smirked with pride, loving that I didn't need to tell them what to look out for. They had the skills to fight on their own and protect themselves. In a world like this, that was exactly what I needed in my team — and in my bed.

With one last look to my left and right, I nodded and we headed off to our designated paths.

All I had to do was walk forward and I kept my wings inside my back. The path looked narrow and I wasn't one who liked being in cramped spaces.

Real angels like Gabe could make their wings as big or as small as they wanted, and they were a lot more flexible.

Mine, on the other hand, didn't like being smaller than what I was blessed with. They could increase in size with magic, and the opposite could also be done, but that always exhausted me, leaving me both vulnerable and at risk of passing out entirely.

While my eyes scanned the dusty brick walls of the dark town, I pondered on my past life. There were so many bits and pieces that I was missing, and though it didn't necessarily bother me, the memories nagged at the back of my mind.

Was it because I used to love more than one man? Is it due to Gabe's and Ceru's dramatic entrance into my life? What could be making me want to know more about what I've forgotten? I can't get that life back. It's something I must accept.

Yet I continued to dwell on that very thought.

Noticing the dead-end before me, I looked to my left to see the narrow alley path.

"I hate closed spaces," I grumbled, yawning. "Ugh. I'm going to need to nap...but that may be a hindrance in a situation like this."

I let my scythe vanish, the large weapon in no way useful in an alley that could barely fit my curvy frame. Making my way forward, I didn't even reach the halfway point before I felt wobbly.

Fuck.

Pressing my hand against the left side of the wall and my other to my temple, I closed my eyes for a moment and focused on taking a few deep breaths.

Inhale. Exhale.

Someone taught me that. To take nice deep breaths and let them out just as slowly at times like this. Who would have thought a queen of all things merciless would be claustrophobic? Another weakness placed upon me for sure.

Turning and pressing my back to the wall, I let my head rest against the stable surface and continued to take deep inhales and exhales. My eyes were closed, and I let myself relax, knowing nothing else could fit in this tight space.

Well, maybe another person with my type of frame could, but if the guys had paths like this there would be no way they would fit with their bulky frames.

"AH!"

I flinched at the sound that resembled Gabe's voice, and I wanted to run down the remaining alleyway on my left and find him, but then a scream came from my right.

"ARGH!"

The agonizing sound definitely belonged to Ceru, and I bit my lip in frustration, unsure which way to go.

Who do I help?

My world was still spinning, and I once again pressed my back against the wall for support. Gabe's renewed cries of pain soared into the air from my left, and I glanced in that direction, wondering if he truly needed my help.

Not five seconds went by before Ceru's pleas shot through the air on my right.

Which way do I go?

The sounds grew louder, and my heart thrashed against my chest in fear of being too late to help either of them.

"Gabe?! Ceru?!" I screamed as loud as I could, hoping one of them would return the call with my name. Their answers were screams of pain and I picked up on noises like someone was chewing on something.

Crunching on something that sounded like snapping bones.

I had to make a decision. That was obvious, but I couldn't choose between them. Even if I'd met Gabe first, a part of me couldn't abandon Ceru either.

"No...I can't choose," I whispered to myself and placed my hands on top of my ears to try and block out their screams. My hands merely lowered the volume of their shouts for help, leaving me to try and steady my breathing and ignore the spinning sensation that overtook me.

Not yet. I have to finish this Trial before I rest. Before I allow myself to be in such a vulnerable state of mind and body. I am a queen, but I can't help them. This could be a trap, and I can't fall for it.

I continued to repeat that to myself until the sounds finally stopped. Lowering my hands, I looked to my left and then to my right. I wasn't sure if I should feel relieved or devastated. The cessation of their screams either meant they were dead or that it was truly an illusion.

The problem was I couldn't figure that out. There was no way of telling.

Standing here in the middle of the alley wouldn't solve anything either. It was like I was trapped and had no way out of this. My exhaustion and dizziness were only making things worse.

Dammit!

It left me frustrated and I knew I'd felt this level of anger before. Not in this world of the dead, but in the land of the living. Where I wanted to do far more but couldn't. Where I was truly trapped by my circumstances.

Who helped me back then? Who guided me on the right path to become the leader, fighter, and lover I was? How I wish they were here to help me once again. To give me the proper guidance so I could return to the confident individual I once was.

My confidence waxed and waned. When I was tired, it was normal for me to fail at self-motivation. It was pathetic, but it was a reality I had accepted many years ago.

YOU LET THEM DIE

I opened my eyes slightly, noticing how dark the alleyway was. It was hard to even see my trembling hands, let alone my quavering body. I hadn't felt fear like this for a long time, and that voice only escalated it.

"I did not," I replied, trying to calm myself and think clearly.

In and out. Deep inhales and exhales. Think straight, Lilith. You are a warrior. One that deserves to see the truth through the lies. Focus...

You chose neither of them. You allowed them to die. It is your fault...

Staring down at the floor, I narrowed my eyes and allowed my body to completely relax.

Fuck this bullshit.

Outstretching my left hand, I called for a weapon and a long silver staff with a sun-shaped disc on top formed in my hands. A sphere of red floated within the middle of the circle, and I began to charge my magic through my hands and into the weapon with ease.

With a deep inhale, I raised the staff up, and in one smooth movement, I tapped it to the ground. Just like that, the dark alley brightened up, the remnants of black fog scurrying away from my magic.

I tsked and groaned when I felt dizzy again, my weapon fading from my hand once more.

I've never wanted to nap so badly.

Though I was dealing with some complications on my part, I was happy that I hadn’t fallen for that trick. My suspicions had grown when neither of them had called out my name, a good sign that the voices were fake.

It didn't vanquish every bit of doubt and worry regarding the two men, but I had to bury that until I figured out which way to go. There really was only left or right, but I'd keep an open mind as I waited for the right time to move.

The alleyway darkened once more until the entire thing was pitch black. It let myself remain calm, and even with my exhausted vision, I let my eyes dart from side to side while I kept alert.

This is getting annoying...

Biting my lip, I debated whether it would be worth summoning my staff once again. Magic wasn't my strong suit and the staff expended far more energy than my scythe.

Use magic and risk myself or wait this out and see where it leads? I hate decisions. I had someone help me with those when I was living, didn't I?

Letting out a sigh, I rested my head against the wall once more.

"How long do I have to wait?" I grumbled to myself. I wasn't sure if I'd dozed off or not, but the slight brush of hot breath against my neck made me freeze while my body grew rigid.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Someone was facing me, because I felt their lower body against mine. From their warm touch, I could only assume they were indeed a "living" individual like myself, versus a creature of darkness.

Their hot breath continued to brush the side of my neck, and my heart skipped a beat when I felt something wet lick the right side. Doing my best to keep my breathing steady, I opened my eyes at the same time the person seemed to lean back.

Stunning pink eyes locked onto mine, filled with bits of purple and teal blue. The color alone was shocking — the blend of colors meshing well with one another — but the level of longing and lust in the individual's eyes was what really caught me off guard.

I began to scan their overall appearance, trying my best to even see in this level of darkness. The pink eyes had a feminine touch to them, leaving me to wonder who this woman was and what she wanted with me. They also had a tinge of illumination, explaining why I could see them more clearly than the rest of her body, which hid in the shadows.

Keeping my eyes open, I maintained her gaze. If this woman was going to kill me, she would have done so by now. Instead, we stayed as we were and I tried not to react.

React in a sexual way.

If we survived this Trial stuff, I'd love to ask if the heightened sex drive was one of those perks of being dead. Have sex whenever, never get pregnant, live your best dead-life.

The silence between us lingered and it got harder to stay still. We were both females, so I shouldn't have had a reaction to how her lower body pressed against mine, and yet I was wishing to grind myself against her.

To find her lips in the dark and lay mine on those delicate ones.

Having an attraction to the same sex had never bothered me, but I was intrigued as to why I was responding to someone I could barely see. Appearance didn't matter much, but I wondered if this truly was a connection or a fabricated response.

This woman is my enemy, isn't she?

The eyes seemed to move closer, telling me that her face was centimeters from mine, our low gusts of breath the only thing humming between us in the quivering silence.

"Who are you?"

I finally found the motivation to question this woman, although it could have just been a distraction. To ignore how the mixture of floral perfume tickled my nose and enticed me to take another deep inhale. Or the rushing blood that flooded through my veins and contributed to the burning heat of my cheeks.

Those alluring eyes danced with playfulness, only spiking the lust inside me, to the point I genuinely wished to kiss her.

Kissing strangers when dead must be a sign of insanity, right?

Not like I wasn't already down that path with Gabe, Ceru, and that sexy hot man I'd met at the beginning of the Trial mayhem.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" That rich, seductive voice sent my hormones into overdrive, and I moved before my mushy mind could catch up, my lips somehow finding hers.

Whoever this person was, she had to be some type of shifter. A member of a paranormal race of seduction or one that had enough confidence to seduce any man or woman in the line of what I'd rank as a battle.

Was she my enemy? A foe sent to lure me after that failed attempt at confusing me? Whoever she was, I couldn’t care less in this very second, because this kiss was sending thrills through me.

I expected to be the one making the moves, enjoying the simple but intimate touch that I desperately needed. Maybe this was the perfect coping mechanism, like the calm before the storm, but I was thrown off when she kissed me back with force and pressed my body with hers.

I didn't bother fighting the moan that left me and bounced off the walls of her mouth, my arms lifting up to wrap around this woman's neck. Her hands rested on my hips, and I slowly noticed she was taller than me.

Did it matter? Nope. Either we'd kiss and kill one another, or I'll finally get to put a face to these delightful lips and seductive eyes.

I'm already dead. What more do I have to lose?

The kiss was lengthy and oh-so-sweet. Her arms were around my waist now, pressing me against her like I was everything, while my hands ran through her long strands.

I wondered what color they could be. Especially when mixed with pink-purple-teal eyes. There was something about making out in the darkness that made things even more exciting — the possibilities, the intense feelings.

Like in this brief second, the world as we know it is shut off and all we have left is each other.

I was breathless when we finally broke the kiss, the stranger just as out of breath. Her eyes were glowing with elation, and I couldn't help yearning to see her face.

To truly see her reaction.

My fingers snapped once, and a small ball of golden light hovered just above us. It wouldn't illuminate the entire alley, but it did enough to reveal this mysterious woman.

Fuck...she's hot.

That wasn't even an exaggeration. This woman was absolutely gorgeous. Her pale skin didn't have a hint of imperfection and the slight flush of her cheeks and pink, heart-shaped lips made my heart skip a beat.

Or a few beats.

Her hair was a magenta mix with bits of silver, turquoise, and purple, and was long enough to reach her waist. She reminded me of a cartoon girl, though I wasn't sure if I'd watched those when I was alive in my orphan years. Though she was hot as fuck, I felt the aura that wrapped around her was enough to portray just how deadly she could be.

I couldn't ignore how she’d easily crept into this small space without me noticing at all. That took skill, especially when I'd trained for centuries to ensure I never got jumped.

She lifted her hand, and I didn't show a sign of fear as her thumb grazed along my bottom lip. I watched her tongue glide along her own lip, and we shared a look before she closed the distance and kissed me again.

This woman is going to kill me. Is that what guys say when they meet a woman they die-hard like? This isn't love at first sight. I've never met this woman before. It doesn't feel like she's from my past, but damn. This connection. Fuck...

Releasing myself from her sweet captivity, I took one deep inhale of her rich aroma, before I sighed and decided to confront her.

"I don't know you. At least, I don't remember knowing you," I voiced.

"You're correct." She flirtatiously smiled at me. "I have no clue who you are and I’m personally not the type to fall for the same sex in this form, but that aura of yours. You hide power. Immense power. One that even death couldn't take from you. Why is that? What do you hide beneath this innocent mask of yours? What is it about you that makes someone like me drop my guard and pushes me to please you in any way possible?"

I tried to remain neutral and not show how shocked her questions left me. She could sense my aura. Sense what I hid so carefully. Her words jogged my memories, and I knew that only a few knew about that part of my power.

Knew the depths of the energy coursing through my veins and why I carried the crown of all things merciless.

Gabe and Ceru hadn't noticed, which told me this woman was special.

Power with measure.

Something about what she said stuck with me, and I couldn't help but ask. "What do you mean by ‘form?’" I questioned.

Her eyes seemed to brighten at my inquiry, as if me asking meant I was interested in whatever she was secretly implying.

"I mean exactly that. Form."

"This isn't your true form? Are you a shifter?"

"Close." she winked. "I have a question for you."

"What?" I pressed.

"If I were a man, would you have kissed me like you did?"

My cheeks grew hot, and I took a second to look away and compose myself."Yes."

"You're honest."

"Honesty is what creates bonds and builds trust," I whispered and turned my attention back to her. "If I wasn't intrigued, I wouldn't have kissed you. Your gender doesn't matter to me. Male or female, we all still carry a soul. Our bodies are just vessels. I feel that's being proved now that we're apparently dead and taking these Trials." I mumbled the last part, only now noticing this sexy new arrival was wearing the same uniform as I.

Oh. She's a student? Or a potential student? Is she taking the Trials too?

"You intrigue me," she whispered earnestly, her gaze following mine. An amused smile graced her lips and she looked back down as I did, the two of us staring into each other's eyes once again.

"You're taking the Trial," I mumbled.

"No," she replied.

"Then you're a part of the Trial?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Also no," she answered.

I frowned, which made her giggle, the sound sending tingles through me.

"You're really adorable when you frown. I've been watching you since you started your Trial. A very interesting side of you."

"So...you’re a stalker," I concluded.

"No." She smirked and lifted her arms and wrapped them around my neck.

She pressed back against the wall behind her, allowing me to rest against her.

Did she know how exhausted I was? She couldn't, right?

"It's my role to be here," she whispered into my ear, while her hand ran up and down my back.

"Role?" I mumbled against her, my eyes closing as I enjoyed the comfort her arms suddenly brought me.

"Yes," she confirmed. "I was just like you a few years ago. It's hard to keep track of time down here, especially when you convert it to human years."

"What happened?" I pondered.

"Well, I did the Trials with three others and reached this very point. We split up at the paths, two of us going down this very route until we stood in the middle of the alleyway."

She kept rubbing my back in a soothing motion, the action making it hard for me to stay awake. The woman’s story was interesting, and I wanted to find out why she was here.

Yearned to figure out her secret and true intentions of being right here.

"To my left, I heard the sound of one of my teammates. The poor girl was a dragon shifter in her world. The top of the top, a leader among the rows of men who had no choice but to bow at her feet. Dying and realizing she'd lost in battle to such a simple tactic hit her hard. It was as though she lost all motivation and it was a shame to witness her lack of drive to continue living. In the end, she died."

She paused, giving this dragon-shifter a moment of silence in respect.

"To my right was a man. A strong bear shifter who ruled the forest. He was a peaceful creature. One who helped many shifters to find homes and safe havens from the fire outbreaks happening around the world. Though he was kind, there were people who hated his attempt to maintain peace. The world is fueled by hate and war. There is never a chance at eternal peace. Not with living humans and shifters. Beings of power wouldn't allow such outcomes to prosper. The only time there was peace was when animals alone roamed the earth. They respected the laws of hierarchy and the rules of the world. Living means sacrifice, but they understood that killing another creature meant that their impact on the world would flick off. That the friends and family they were destined to meet or raise would lose out on this person and the contributions they would give."

She paused again, and I wondered if this bear shifter had also lost the battle, but she carried on.

"On his last day on earth, nature warned him of the approaching betrayal. Even though he was warned, he worked on secretly protecting those he'd leave behind. He alerted his family that consisted of his wife, son, and daughter. His warriors were strong men and women who were told to protect the peace within the very forest he'd been guarding for years. He knew who would be the one to end his life, and he told his guard and wife. Instead of stopping the action, he informed them to act like they knew nothing. To make it seem like he got away with the very deed he committed. The bear shifter didn't need justice. He'd lived a glorious life and saved many along the way. He not only thanked nature for the forewarning and privilege of warning those he loved, but he also used the remaining magic he held to cloak the forest. The spell acted like a barrier, one that would shield the land from any catastrophe, whether it be fire, flood, tornados, or man. The forest would remain as it was until the world itself ended."

"Selfless," I concluded, feeling pity for this bear shifter.

I remembered bits of that life that were similar. How my very warriors wouldn't think twice to lay down their lives to keep me safe. So many sacrifices, and it was sad to know that such bloodshed could be avoided if those in power were willing to talk with one another

To lay down their differences and remain in one room with the intentions of peace.

"Very," she replied. "That night, he stood there in front of the sacred tree of their forest. He said his farewells and asked that his son or daughter one day be given the chance to take his spot and protect the very land he died upon. He had a pinch of magic left and used it to seal his request into the universe. That was when his second-in-command arrived."

"The one who betrayed him," I whispered, and let my mind concentrate while my body rested.

"Indeed. Jealousy is a powerful demon. One that destroys and makes people the opposite of what they should be. It's a sad reality to accept, but again, it’s the cycle of life."

She paused again and I didn't comment. This was her story and it looked like neither of us was in a hurry to move from our spot.

"When he was killed, the forest mourned his loss, but his wife and guard never revealed who the killer was. They left it for the world to deliver his punishment."

I couldn't help but interrupt. "Did he survive the Trials? If he didn't, that would be a depressing story."

"He's at Underworld Academy. He's one of the senior students," the woman replied.

"That's reassuring," I mumbled.

"It is. Nature had heard his plea and sent him here because he was valuable and powerful. Most importantly, he had a kind heart." Her tone had a hint of admiration in it, implying that she truly respected this bear shifter.

"Then...what happened to you and the other person?"

"Ah. That one..." She sounded sad now.

"See. When one enters this path, they hear the cries of their loved ones and have to make the decision to go left or right. If they don't, only two options are given to them."

"Two options?"

"Yes," she replied. "The first is of confrontation. If one can't decide and remains here, they'll feel weak and vulnerable. A certain amount of time has to pass and then the dark shadows of this sector appear. With two people, it's a bit easier to deal with since the monsterw come from both ends. However, with one individual, it's only a matter of time before you run out of fuel and perish."

"So I'm doomed?" I inquired, feeling a little deflated by the news. There was another reason why I was exhausted, but adding the draining environment justified her words.

"Not necessarily," she replied. "There's a second option, remember."

"Mhm."

"I don't think you'd like it."

"Why not?"

"You seem to have a good heart. Even with the power and personality you projected to the world," she reasoned.

"You like to analyze a lot."

"When you have all the time in the world, it’s fun to try and learn everything about a person in one glance," she whispered.

We were both silent, and I almost dozed off, but when she stopped massaging my back, I fought the darkness and opened my eyes slightly. "The rubbing was nice."

The woman giggled. "I know."

"What's the second option?" I asked.

"Well..." She began rubbing my back once again, sounding like she needed a moment to think about it.

"If you have two people, one can jump to the top of these two buildings and race to the exit of the sector while the other distracts the shadow monsters."

"Oh," I replied cluelessly. "They go and get reinforcements and they come back to get you, right?"

"No," she answered. "They reach the end and whoever is there completes the Trial and gets entrance into Underworld Academy."

That didn't sit well with me.

I moved back slightly, lifting my head to see her calm gaze. "Then what happened to you? Or the other person who is left behind?"

"They have to fight." Her voice may have been calm, but the level of anguish that reflected in her eyes proved that she had been left in that very predicament.

"And?" I pressed.

"They fight until...well, you know." she shrugged. "I kinda got lucky."

"Why?"

"Well, I guess the shadows like me. I have a unique power to control puppets. It was rather dangerous when I was living. I'm sure that was why I was killed, but that part is still fuzzy in my mind. I fought and fought, switching forms to try and save energy, but...as I said, everyone eventually runs out of fuel. Even me." She stared into my eyes for a minute.

When I didn't say anything, she seemed to shrug and carry on.

"Instead of killing me, they spared me, and I live within this sector. I patrol around and try to pass the time by working out or doing my nails. I save up my magic just to make nail kits with my imagination and do that to pass the time. The shadows aren't truly evil. It's just that every sector is different. Some are left with souls who have passed and are unable to move on, others are of potential students who tried to survive the Trials and couldn't. From what I hear from those who survive and wait for the portal of entry, they blame Lucifer for this predicament. It's the punishment for the weak — only the strong and worthy are allowed to enter his academy. It makes sense if you think of him as the Lucifer from the Bible or scriptures. He's evil and I'm sure he laughs every time a soul is lost in this world."

"Why do you sound as though you don't believe that assumption?"

"Because it's stupid," she casually answered. "Lucifer was created just like any other angel. He has a role to play in this world, and though he’s perceived as evil by some, he is simply following the orders his Creator gave him. We judge a book by its cover, and love to jump on the bandwagon of someone's opinion, whether it be vocalized or written in the very scriptures we work hard in learning and applying to our lives. Until I meet him myself, I won't judge."

"We went off-topic," I mumbled, feeling sluggish again.

She smirked and pulled me into her arms once again. "Wanna see my other form while you rest?"

"Decisions," I mumbled. "Will it fit in this narrow space?"

"Are you referring to this alleyway or..." She trailed off, but I actually giggled.

"Why is it that everyone I met assumes my questions are flirtatious or sex-related?"

"That's the vibe they give me," she replied, equally amused. "Maybe you're just secretly implying we should all have sex."

"All as in a foursome, or that I should give in to having sex?" I pondered.

"Both." She laughed. "That tells me there are two others in your team, huh?"

"An angel and a hellhound. They're both pretty hot...hmm, I feel like we went off-topic again," I acknowledged.

"We did."

I frowned at the sudden deep voice. I lifted my head and leaned it slightly back to look into those eyes, which were now purple with bits of blue and pink. My jaw went slack as I stared at the glorious hunk in front of me.

"Holy shit," I whispered, my eyes greedily sucking up every bit of this handsome snack. He had short magenta hair with tiny silver streaks. It was different from his female form that had an array of turquoise and purple added to the mix.

From his harsh jawline to his clean-shaven face, he looked as perfect as his female form. I licked my bottom lip automatically and seeing the glint of hunger in his eyes made my body heat up in immense desire.

"Easy there, Kitten." His seductive voice only added to the taunting, and with a loving smirk, he laid his lips against mine. I kissed him back without a second thought, my tongue slipping between his lips and exploring the sweet walls of his mouth.

He even tasted different, which made me want more of him. He groaned when I pressed my lower body against his groin. In a flash, I was slammed against the wall and our bodies seemed to mold into another as we continued our deep kiss.

You'd think being dead meant we wouldn't need to breathe, and yet that was exactly what pulled the two of us apart, the sound of our breathless exhales dancing between us.

I was sure my lips were swollen from all the kissing we'd been doing, and my cheeks were flushed.

What is with all these men...err...and woman...knowing how to kiss? There has to be a reason for this. When you die, do you suddenly become a kissing god...or goddess? Hmm, what about the sex? I'm so tempted. No, Lilith. You can't have sex during your Trial with looming shadow demons...right? No! I mean, Yes! You can't! I can't believe I'm debating about this in my head.

His hand gently brushed my cheek, drawing my attention as I returned my gaze to his eyes.

"Since I haven't introduced myself, my name is Harlie in this form. Harley in my female form. A pleasure to meet you."

"I thought shapeshifters were nothing but a legend. Or that's what they say in literature. Also, my name is Lilith. Hello."

"Lilith. Beautiful name," he commented. "And yes. They like to deem us as legends because we're a little dangerous and never follow rules."

"I think we'd get along." I smirked.

He chuckled. "Definitely with this intense chemistry," he replied, but I noticed the flicker of disappointment in his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't go with you," he announced.

"Why not?" I asked in horror.

"You forgot what we discussed with just a kiss, huh?" His playful grin made me pout and he chuckled and kissed my forehead. Untangling himself from me, he leaned back against the opposite wall and gave me a sad smile. "I can't come, Lilith."

"Why?" I asked again.

"You have to go to the entrance." He tried to smile, but it didn't reach those dazzling eyes. "I have to stay here."

I blinked and looked to the floor for a moment, his previous explanation finally sinking in.

"You're going to remain here and fight off the shadows until we win the Trial," I concluded.

He slowly nodded his head. "Yes."

I swallowed the lump in my throat before another question popped into my mind.

"This isn't the first time you've done this." I wasn't stating this as an inquiry, but with affirmation.

He genuinely smiled then, and with a slow nod of his head, he replied, "Yes. My other teammate and the bear shifter passed the Trial and moved on. I was left behind. When the next team came, I felt pity for those that came down this path. It's an automatic dead end, and no matter which side you pick, the shadows will flood in and block your way out."

He lifted his head up and I followed, viewing the dark sky and red clouds above.

"I help them lift them up and they escape, and I stay here. The shadows don't fight much with me nowadays. I think they like fighting me because I have stamina with my switching technique. Needless to say, that's all that can be done. There's no other option. I don't mind too much. I mean...it's a little lonely at times, and there's no one else to enjoy some fun with when I get horny, but I'm able to magically make food and water, and I've even made a little bed to sleep on. I’ve lost track of how long I've been dead. Last time I tracked it it was five years, but who knows. Time works differently down here."

"Five years," I repeated, and my hands clenched into fists. "You can't just stay here forever. This wasn't a role given to you."

"I agree with you." He shrugged. "However, this is the only option. Maybe it's a punishment. I'm not sure. Shapeshifters are known tricksters. We have fun tricking people. I guess all the times I did just that when I was living is now back to haunt me in the land of the dead. Nothing I can do about it but accept it."

"That's—"

"Stupid? Silly? Unfair?" he interrupted. "We can argue about this all you want, Kitten. Nothing can change my predicament. We can't both leave here. The shadows will follow and fight us until we're completely exhausted. I wish I could say there was a way out, but there isn't."

"My name isn't Kitten," I grumbled and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Kitten suits you." He winked. "You're feisty but are super sweet when pampered."

I blushed at his praise and he sighed. "Goodness...I'm gonna fucking fall for you if you continue to stand here."

Lowering to one knee, he offered me his cupped hands. "Place your foot here. I'll give you a boost and you can grab onto the ledge and get out. The shadows are already here."

I looked left and right, noticing that he was correct. The darkness was on both ends of the alleyway, and creatures similar to those we'd seen in our last Trial waited patiently to strike.

My devastated eyes returned to Harlie's and he sighed and rose back up.

"Fuck," he whispered and pressed his hands against my cheeks. "Why does my heart feel like it’s shattering when you give me such a look?"

He didn't let me answer as he claimed my lips, the sizzling kiss only reminding me of his circumstances and that I'd never see him again. Tears pooled in my eyes and I kissed him back.

If this was truly our last meeting, I wanted this very kiss engraved in his memory. That he'd know that in this lonely, dark world, there was someone who would remember him and the sacrifice he continued to make over and over again.

He had to force us apart, and I stared into his eyes as they began to water. "You have to go, Kitten. Enjoy the academy for me, al lright?" He winked, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

Letting go of me once again, he moved back to his spot, before he knelt down on one knee and offered his cupped hands.

I looked down at him in defeat, and with a long sigh, I placed foot into his cupped hands and my hands on his shoulders to keep myself steady as I prepared for the swift lift up.

"Ready?" he questioned.

I slowly nodded, my eyes never leaving his. A tear fell from my eyes and dropped onto my cheek.

He smiled and whispered, "I'm not one to wish, but I hope that you not only survive this last Trial but enjoy this new world and everything it entails. I truly wish to discover all the secrets you hold within that powerful body of yours, but I guess that can be a dream. Maybe...one day after we're all judged, I'll meet you again, Lilith." He took a laboredbreath and with a nod, he smiled proudly at me. "Farewell, Kitten."

WE CAN'T ALLOW THIS

The power that thrummed in my head made me clench Harlie's shoulders, and I closed my eyes for a split second as my power fought to escape.

I agree. We can't.

"Lilith?" Harlie asked. "Are you not feeling well again?"

"No," I mumbled.

"You must go, Kitten. Any longer and we'll both be sitting ducks."

"No," I repeated and shook my head once again.

"No?" Harlie sounded confused. "I'm not following."

I opened my eyes, and I noticed how wide his eyes grew in shock.

"You're not staying here," I declared with power, my eyes surely glowing red as my magic began to run through me until it reached my fingertips. "You're mine, and no one will stop me from taking you from this place."

His puzzled expression would have been amusing in other circumstances, but this was different. I had to do this. I wouldn't let him remain here for another five, ten, or fifty years. We had a connection, just like I did with Gabe and Ceru. He would fight by my side like the others would, and I had every intention of beating these unrealistic odds.

He opened his mouth to speak, but my wings shot outward, stretching to their full length. Without much difficulty, I flapped them once and tightened my grip on Harlie's shoulders, the force enough to shoot the booth of us upward between the walls and right above the two buildings.

My eyes immediately noticed how large the two masses of shadows were, but it was too late now. I would have to deal with the consequences of my actions and I was ready to fight to have Harlie join our team.

With another flap of my wings, we were soaring through the air. Harlie was completely quiet, and I was sure it was due to his shock, but it made it easier to concentrate as I locked onto the EXIT sign that was closing in.

Glancing back over my shoulder, I noticed the two waves of monsters that soon coalesced into one large mass. Cursing under my breath, I increased my speed, the wave of adrenaline kicking in.

We closed in on the exit, and my eyes caught onto Ceru and Gabe, the two of them waving to get my attention.

"Prepare for battle!" I commanded, using magic to amplify the volume of my voice.

The two of them looked shocked, but in seconds, Gabe had his wings out and sword in hand, while Ceru had clapped his hands and summoned the flames that wrapped around him in preparation.

Flying past them, I circled around and lowered Harlie to the ground first before landing in front of him.

Gabe and Ceru looked back at me, and I went right to the point.

"The path I took was a dead end. Whoever walks through it is destined to die. This guy has been helping potential students for five years by taking their place and fighting the shadows long enough for the other person to escape and finish the Trial. I won't continue to watch him be a victim of circumstance. I've decided he will be a part of our team and if either of you has a problem with it, feel free to walk toward the exit and wait for the Trial to end. I will stand and fight for him, even if it kills me. The choice is yours."

I was being rather blunt with my decision, and I wouldn't hate them if they decided to walk away and save themselves. Though we had bonded quickly during this experience, I could only give them the choice to stand by my side to protect a man - or woman - they knew nothing about.

I may not have known much about Harlie, especially when we'd just met and he could very well be tricking me with his sob story, but I'd play the fool and stand here and fight for what I believed was best.

If he had tricked me, I'd kick his ass later.

Gabe and Ceru looked at me first as I summoned my scythe and spread my stance further out to better my defense and then moved their gazes behind me.

The shadows were already beginning to flood from the paths and gather before us, leaving a short distance between us.

Ceru shrugged, his hands extinguishing their flames to give him a chance to put his hands behind his head while the remaining flames danced around his feet.

"He looks interesting. Nice hair," Ceru complimented and turned back around. "I still have a debt to pay, Queen Lilith. Do not worry about my loyalty. I was getting bored with this Trial, anyway. This seems like more fun."

I smirked and rolled my eyes. "Why am I not surprised by your response?"

"Because you know I like a challenge with a hint of fun. Make sure I get a reward later, ‘kay," he responded with a chuckle.

"Sure," I replied and looked to Gabe. His eyes were still on Harlie.

"I don't trust him," he muttered.

"Trust is earned, Gabe." Ceru laughed. "I'm sure you don't trust any of us, but I do get why you're stating the obvious."

"You trust too easily," Gabe mumbled to Ceru, who lowered his hands and shrugged.

"You have a point, but unless it gets me killed, it's not a disadvantage. Besides, if Queen Lilith is cool with it, I don't see the problem. If we survive and find out he's deceived her, we'll just kill him," Ceru said calmly.

I looked back at Harlie, who was now standing up. He met my eyes, and even with Gabe's blunt comment, he didn't give off any impression that he was lying.

I'll deal with it later.

Turning my attention back to Gabe, I watched as he stared at Harlie for five more seconds before he turned back around.

"Hmph. If he's lying and this fight is a waste of our Queen's time, I get to cut his cock off," Gabe declared.

"You're intriguing when you're mad," Ceru commented. "And are you sure you're not gay?"

"I'm not," Gabe groaned.

"Hmm? Gabe's gay?" I questioned.

Ceru looked over his shoulder at me with a wide grin. "I learned about his secret. He's totally ga—"

"I'm not!" Gabe huffed, his sword was an inch away from Ceru's neck.

"Ah. So short-tempered. Queen Lilith. Gabe's poking his sword to my neck. Look! Look!" Ceru whined.

"It's an inch from your neck," Harlie piped up.

"It's the same thing. Whether it’s an inch or directly touching my radiant skin, I'm seconds away from being murdered by my gay angel comrade. What kind of irony is this? I survive the closing gates of death only to be murdered by a man who serves the higher power of Go—"

"You talk too much," Gabe huffed and removed his sword. "Shut up and help me fight, dammit."

Ceru chuckled and clapped his hands, his flames igniting once more. "I've lived another ten seconds and hopefully I'll live long enough for us to get out of here. I call dibs on sleeping with Lilith."

"What?" Gabe and Harlie spoke up.

"You can't call dibs," Gabe argued.

"Yeah." Harlie walked past me to stand between them before looking at Ceru. "Why do you get first dibs?"

"Who are you?" Ceru asked.

"Oh." Harlie paused. "My name is Harlie."

"Nice to meet you, Harlie. I'm Cerberus, but just call me Ceru."

"Cerberus? Like the mythological creature?" Harlie clarified.

"Yeah...it's complicated," Ceru replied. "I'm his son."

There was a long pause.

"Wait?! WHAT?!" we all exclaimed.

"Oh." Ceru looked confused. "Did I leave that out during the first round of introductions? My bad."

"How is Cerberus's son dead?" I questioned.

"Long story, my queen." Ceru grinned. "Anyway, I call dibs. We could battle by seeing who kills the most shadow demons, but I warn you, I'm very competitive."

"I have so many questions." Gabe sighed.

"I accept your challenge, but I'll warn you. That's a hard crowd of shadows to kill. It can take us a few hours for the first round," Harlie warned.

"Sounds fun." Ceru had a cocky grin on his lips.

"You're weird," Harlie said but snapped his fingers, a set of pink metallic daggers forming in his hands with a silver glow. "I think we'll be good friends. Even if the angel hates me."

"I never said I hated you," Gabe mumbled, prepared for combat. "I'll fight alongside this newcomer merely because Queen Lilith is willing to protect him. However, if he dies in battle, that's not my fault. Nor will I feel a speck of sympathy."

"Sounds like he'll warm up to me in a few years," Harlie beamed.

"If that's what you got from his blunt words, I wish you all the best in your chance at survival." Ceru laughed.

The three of them looked over their shoulders, waiting for my command.

These men...

A smile formed on my lips and I readied my scythe that began to glow red with power.

"Let us fight for our place in this land and our entrance into Underworld Academy! Charge!" I declared.

Time to fight for our dead lives.

6

NOTHING WILL STOP ME

"ARGH!" I grunted, my scythe slicing through the last group of shadows that tried to overtake me. I lowered the weapon to the ground, using the end of the staff as leverage while I fought for breath.

My body was cloaked in sweat and a few cuts that were trying to heal at a snail's pace. My exhaustion was evident, and my legs shook from my weight.

I'd passed my limit at least an hour ago, or what seemed to be an hour — or two. We'd been fighting the crowd of shadows, and even with the four of us, we'd almost lost the battle.

Team-wise, the Dark Trio seemed to be the best combo of fighters I'd ever witnessed. Even with my lack of memories, I knew without a doubt that they surpassed my expectations and would have been considered Elite Warriors in my time of living.

From Gabe’s strikes of holy thunder to the flaming cyclones and fire-blazing dogs that were summoned by Ceru, the two of them alone worked well together.

As for Harlie, he was exceptionally good at types of combat. He was right about being a puppeteer. He summoned soldiers of different elements and could create various weapons with a simple thought. That had to be an inherited gift for him to use it so effortlessly.

Having them by my side as we fought long and hard was like winning an intense war that gave you the feeling of victory. The racing adrenaline, the excitement from each kill, the aching muscles, and the taste of blood were some of the many joys of defending what you believed in.

I must have died just like this, and though that very sacrifice landed me here, I knew deep within myself I'd do it again and again.

All the same, I was tired and ready to nap at any second. I heard footsteps approaching me, and I wanted to lift my head to see who it was, but that simply contributed to my recurring dizziness.

The footsteps moved faster now, and before my knees could buckle, my body was wrapped in strong arms, someone else taking my weight.

"Kitten? You doing okay?"

That's definitely Harlie.

"I've...had better days," I breathed, still fighting for air. That must have been the reason the spinning was getting worse, but I couldn't help myself.

I'm so tired.

"Is she okay?" Gabe's worried voice called out to us, but I struggled to lift my head.

"Kitten, easy," Harlie whispered.

My arm was lifted to rest across what felt like broad shoulders while an arm wrapped around my waist, the action allowing me to rest as Harlie took most of my weight.

"There's no more shadows, Kitten. Just relax and sleep," he comforted. "I think she used too much energy. She's not a shifter like us."

"She stated she was blessed with her wings," Gabe noted.

"Is she human then?" Ceru pondered. "She has great stamina and magic. She was also able to summon more than just her scythe during that fight. You saw the multiple knives she sent out?"

"I noticed," Gabe replied. "I can see why she was a queen. She's powerful and I'm going to assume she has a royal heritage to wield that much power. How is one blessed with wings, though..."

"If one is of royalty or from a powerful family line, they are sometimes blessed with a physical or magical attribute of their choice. She may have asked for wings," Harlie explained.

"How do you know that?" Gabe questioned.

"When you're stuck down here for five years with a bunch of dusty books, all you can do is read or watch the sky. Some of the buildings down here are still intact. That included one of the libraries. Lots to learn."

There was a long silence before I heard a sigh.

"Can you carry her?" Gabe asked.

"Easy," Harlie replied.

"Hmph," Gabe huffed.

"That means he trusts in you to make sure our queen is safe,"

“WAS she really a queen when she was alive?” Harlie asked.

"Queen Merciless," Ceru revealed. "That was the title she carried in the human world.”

"She's very kind for such a title." Harlie sounded conflicted. "Merciless and yet she risked her life to save me? The only one who has ever done so."

“She mentioned you’ve been doing this for five years. Saving potential students, right?" Ceru commented.

"Yes," Harlie replied. "Should we walk and talk? I sense something."

"Me too," Ceru growled. "Quickly to the exit. I'll help you."

My other arm was raised and placed on a different set of shoulders, and my remaining weight seemed to be lifted up.

I felt like I was dangling, and the motion that followed was making it easy for my mind to drift. I was on the verge of sleep was when I heard a low curse.

"Shit."

The single word was from Gabe, which was intriguing enough to pique my interest.

"Stand your guard," Gabe declared.

"Hey...isn't that..." Ceru questioned but trailed off.

"Wow. That guy doesn't age, huh?" Harlie commented. "Not like we really can age when we're already dead."

It took a few seconds, but my ears finally picked up on the approaching footsteps. They were evenly paced, giving me the impression that this person wasn't in any hurry to reach us, and from the sound of it, this individual was about to block our exit.

I tried to open my eyes, but it was no use. My body was officially out of fuel, and my weakened mind wasn't going to help me either. I was a sitting duck and the guys would have to try and handle whatever was coming our way.

When the footsteps stopped, a slow clapping sound followed.

"Now, this is a first."

"You," Gabe commented. "You're the guy who told us we had to go through these Trials."

"Indeed, I am," said the familiar, seductive voice. "Lucifer is my name."

"Lucifer, as in the devil, or Lucifer, as in you’re named after the devil? Like Ceru is named after his dad, Cerberus?" Harlie inquired.

"You’re just going to tell the world like that, huh?" Ceru sighed.

"Oops. Was it supposed to remain a secret?" Harlie questioned.

"I thought that was common sense," Gabe grumbled.

"Just don't tell anyone else please," Ceru groaned.

"If you're here..." Harlie seemed to move back to the point. "Does that mean we passed?"

"Not quite," Lucifer replied. "Looks like you've spent too long chatting."

"What?" Gabe questioned.

My senses were already tingling, and eerie screeches came from behind us.

"Fuck," Ceru cursed.

"Round two." Harlie sounded annoyed. "This is going to be tricky with Kitten out."

Gabe tsked. "Ceru and I will take them on."

"Shouldn't one of you take Kitten?"

"Why do you call her Kitten?" Ceru questioned.

"She's feisty," Harlie replied.

"True," Ceru replied. "And I think Gabe wants the strongest of us keeping watch over Lilith. If the two of us fall, head to the exit as quickly as possible."

"But..." Harlie trailed off.

"Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to be victorious. Even if it means you're not the one chosen to enjoy the satisfaction that winning delivers," Gabe nobly stated.

"One does not need to sacrifice themselves senselessly in the line of battle when there are other options available," Harlie countered.

"We don't have time to argue," Gabe complained.

"I'm aware, but I can guarantee that Kitten is going to be devastated to wake up and find out that two of her comrades died on our behalf. I'm sure neither of you wants to upset your queen."

"We have no other options," Gabe argued.

"You haven't given a second thought," Harlie fought back.

"You two sure like to argue," Ceru commented. "Must be love."

"It's not!" Gabe and Harlie snapped back.

"Ah. Don't hate the messenger. I'm just announcing what I see. Why is my queen asleep? She'd protect me."

"You three are a weird bunch," Lucifer chipped in.

"That sounds like an insult," Gabe whined.

"It is, but let's assume I'm kind and it was a compliment," Lucifer said. "I do suggest you listen to what the shapeshifter has to say. You two don't stand a chance. Maybe if the roles were reversed and he and Queen Lilith were on the battlefield, the odds would be in your favor, but as of now, it would be a pity to witness your deaths in your first year."

"You don't know that," Gabe argued.

"And first year? Of what?" Ceru questioned.

"Ah. You all haven't caught on yet." Lucifer sighed. "Well, I may enlighten you if you all survive, but I don't see that probability being likely."

"We'd have a chance if someone would let me fight," Harlie mumbled.

"We're sticking to the plan," Gabe huffed.

"Hey, wait a minute," Ceru gasped. "You're a shapeshifter?!"

"Le gasp," Harlie teased. "Shocking, is it not?"

"I thought your kind was a legend," Ceru exclaimed.

"Kitten said the same thing." Harlie chuckled.

"Guess that nickname is staying," Ceru mentioned. "That means you are a badass."

"Pretty much. My other form is a little stronger. Wanna keep our Kitten safe while I have fun?"

"Ceru. Don't fall for his games," Gabe ordered.

"Why? I want to see him in real action. It was obvious he wasn't even trying earlier. Also, if you haven't noticed, the only reason those shadow things are standing there watching us debate on who gets to sacrifice themselves is because of whatever barrier he's placed."

"Barrier?" Gabe questioned.

"Didn't notice?" Ceru sounded a little shocked. "Been up since he caught Kitten."

"Strong technique to uphold," Lucifer commented.

Gabe didn't comment any further, and I felt my consciousness drift in and out. We were going to lose this battle. I knew it, but I didn't want them to die. They didn't deserve to. We'd fought long and hard. We'd given this everything we could and yet, I was becoming a burden.

I hate being a burden. Hate being protected. I absolutely hate it!

This feeling was far too familiar — the helplessness and desire to do more. To be stronger and better than any man or woman who opposed my power.

My consciousness drifted and I saw my human self.

I was on my knees, my body shivering from the sheer cold of the harsh rain that beat down on me. I wore nothing but a white cloth dress, the material drenched and clinging to my pale skin, revealing every curve of my body.

It didn't matter.

I was a reject. An orphan who sought a home but could never meet anyone's expectations.

There I was, discarded by the church that I thought would be my forever after. They used me for my gifts. The talents I possessed with weapons and the magic that coursed through my veins.

I did every task they asked of me, even the ones that didn't follow their holy practices. I followed their every desire, and what did I get?

Abandoned.

Ridiculed.

Punished.

They had taken everything I loved. Shattered my dreams of raising my family and being with the men I loved. They were the reason my heart was hollow, and I shed tears of desolation.

I had nothing left.

No husbands, no children, no home...nothing.

All because I was weak. Because I arrived far too late to change anything. Would I let these men die too? Let their souls fade away permanently and be left alone?

These individuals who somehow lit a fire inside me? Will I truly let them die?

Seconds passed as I stared at my dreaded-self sitting in the harsh rain, and with a blink, I was in that very position, my eyes staring down at the ground beneath me.

Lifting my trembling hands slightly, I turned them over to stare at my palms, watching the slight flicker of black magic with hints of red dance around my hands and wrists.

All this power and I couldn't even protect those I loved. What was it good for?

I felt a presence before me, and I was tempted to ignore it like the rest of this cruel world, but the sudden flow of power leaking toward me was enough to push me to lift my head.

There stood a person in a pure silver cloak. Their hood was up, covering their head and shadowing their face. All I could see were the silver strands of hair that peeked out from the silky hood and reached their chest.

I should have been more worried about the large scythe being pointed at my forehead, but it was the beautiful black wings that perched on this individual's back that drew me in.

A black angel...

"Power. Something you have, and yet you have no mentor to teach you about your potential. What a pity."

My eyes widened at the declaration and I clenched my fists in rage.

"Then help me!" I barked back at the individual, who was without a doubt was female. "They took the world from me! My home...my family...my children! My sweet lovers. All I have left is this very power I can't use! You can sense it! You see its potential. Teach me how to use it. Teach me to have no mercy on the wicked scoundrels who wear crosses around their necks and preach the holy scriptures as though they have never committed a single sin."

I rose to my feet, my legs shaking from my weight. I didn't care about the pain from my bruises and wounds. All I cared for was revenge. To make those who stole my bundle of happiness suffer endlessly.

"You won't be able to handle it."

"You don't know what I'm capable of," I vowed, patting my chest with emphasis. "I've read every book and biblical scripture in that building. I've bowed down to their every command and followed them like a loyal servant. They betrayed me. Ruined all my dreams in a single day. If you feel my power, you surely must sense my burning ambition to be stronger than all of them! I want to make them regret. Make every single one of them wish they hadn't forsaken me. I'll let them beg for mercy and I'll never deliver it to them. Instead, I'll let them feel the same suffering I'm experiencing. I'll learn every technique possible. Every trick in the book to be one step ahead. If you can give me that...I'll bless you in return! An exchange."

The woman lifted her free hand, lowering the hood that hid her face and revealing the full extent of her beauty.

Gorgeous strands of hair that shifted from black to silver glimmered even with the dim light of the single lamp that hovered above us. Her skin was pale and unblemished, and her lips were dark red like blood.

She truly looked like an angel that descended from the heavens and was here to answer my call.

The rain didn't dare touch her, as if it would be a sin to lay a single droplet of water onto her, and her scythe held more power than I'd ever felt from a piece of metal.

She watched me carefully, her black eyes locking onto mine.

I knew she was my only chance. She was the key to everything.

"Help me," I whispered from my trembling lips, tears rolling down my wet cheeks. "You're my only hope."

The woman stared back at me, and her guard cracked slightly as a flicker of understanding swept across her face. It was gone in a flash, but a slight smirk formed on her lips.

"An exchange," she whispered. "Very well. You will bless me with something, and I will teach you everything I know. Centuries of knowledge in the arts of fighting, magic, and vengeance. If you accept this bargain, you will no longer be the woman standing here. You will be powerful and respected. You will have loyal men and women by your side. They will bow to your name, and you will have armies and conquer cities. Just remember, I am not on the side you pray to. We are the darkness. The villains that heroes fight long and hard to defeat. We are destined to fall, but we fight to rid the world of the deceitful beings who corrupt the good and wear a mask to fool the blind. You can never return to the grounds of the church or kneel and praise the one you serve. This is what I ask until death do us part. If there is an afterlife, such rules may change, but if you are deemed worthy to be my pupil, I'll stay by your side. The choice is now yours."

I lowered my gaze to her hand as it reached out in offering. If I took it, there would be no way back.

No more prayers to the holy being in the sky. No more asking for mercy and forgiveness. I would avenge the people I loved. I'd conquer all those who tried to hide their sins and unjust motives. They would all know my name and tremble at my feet, seconds before I ended their existence.

"Say your last prayer now, and let the universe know your name. Accepting me means you will be crowned a queen and you will rule an empire that will one day fall."

I slowly nodded my head, and glancing upward to the dark sky, I let my eyes close and allowed my holy power to course through every part of me.

"Lord, my Savior, I pray to you one last time. I have heeded to your every command and followed every word of the scripture you dictated to us mortals and divine shifters. I've tried...I've tried so hard to be perfect. To avoid sinful actions that go against thy holy name, but alas, I've been forsaken, just like your son, who died for our sins on the cross. He rose on the third day, proving wrong all those who chanted for his crucifixion, and they all received their punishment in time for wishing the death of an innocent man."

I opened my eyes and lowered my head to look at the woman, my eyes filling with fearlessness.

"But you have failed me. The men who preach your book of word and testify your need for holy servants hide behind the dark curtains of the church, conducting deeds that go against the very commandments you created. The bloodshed, the torture, the endless acts of adultery — the list is endless, and it will only continue down this path until you come down and judge for yourself. I cannot stop what has been going for years, if not centuries, but I've been given an offer I will not refuse. I will accept this crown and bring justice to those who hide in the shadows. I will get vengeance for those who have been abandoned to the harsh streets of poverty and murder. I will seek those who scam the system and bathe in the riches of the government, and I will avenge my fallen family that died by the blade of this very church. They may sit on their thrones and laugh, but when I've reached the level of attribution I intend to achieve, they will tremble in constant fear. When I return to this very place, they will recognize who I am. Recognize me, Lilith R. Annabeth, but I will no longer go by that name."

A smile gleamed on my lips and my eyes darkened with conviction.

"They will know me as Queen Lilith...yes. Queen Lilith the Merciless. I will wear the mask of a villain as I secretly bring justice to all those in the holy places who defy the Savior I once served. Forgive me, Father, for I will sin, murder, seduce, and be the host of deception. All while enjoying their screams and cries for mercy. It will be the music I need to help me move on, and when judgment knocks on my door and my kingdom falls to ashes...may you remember the me who served you wholeheartedly. Remember the me who sold herself to save those with no voice. Farwell, my Lord, and may I one day be worthy of clemency. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...Amen."

My hand went in hers, and we shared a smile as our powers began to mold into one. I watched her body disappear, her essence entering my body as my screams of agony filled the air.

I knew no one would come to save me from this pain. From the shocks of torment that tried to overcome me.

But I was stronger.

I'd been through worse. In fact, this entire day made the misery pulsing through me seem like a walk in the park. Nothing would stop me from protecting what was mine.

7

QUEEN LILITH?

"Shit," a voice huffed. "I don't...think I have much stamina left for another round. Ceru! Get Lilith to the gate."

"Are you serious, Harlie? We can make it!"

"There's too many," Harlie fought back.

"Ceru, do what Harlie says. Queen Lilith is completely vulnerable. All of this will be in vain if she dies with us due to a miscalculation," a voice barked back.

"No way, Gabe. This is suicidal. You two will die."

"I stressed that from the very beginning and you accepted that as a reality before Mr. Showoff took your place."

"This showoff has the highest number of kills," Harlie mumbled. "Ah. If I was in my other form, you wouldn't be talking this way."

"Why don't you switch to that form you keep boasting about?!" Gabe snapped.

"Don't feel like it. Not fun unless Kitten is watching. Take a rain check?"

"We're about to die!" Gabe exclaimed.

"Do angels always have temper tantrums when they're losing?" Harlie pondered.

"Focus, showoff!" Gabe exclaimed.

"It's Mr. Showoff. If you're going to give me a title, make sure you're using it properly."

"Would you two pay attention!" Ceru exclaimed. "Behind you!"

"What?" Gabe and Harlie said in unison.

I felt a wave of heat hit my face and I pouted my lips, trying to mute out all the noise.

"JEEZ. Can you just admit you like each other so I'm not saving your asses from dying? At this rate, we'll wake up our queen."

"We don't like each other," Gabe yelled. "He's an asshole!"

"Yeah, I am an asshole. Though, I would totally take dibs on you, Ceru, if Queen Lilith likes some threesome fun," Harlie taunted.

"Ugh," Ceru sighed. "Direct the love to someone else. I'm too tired to deal with your flirtatious ways."

"I've been rejected," Harlie dramatically sobbed.

"Hmm..." A new voice entered the conversation. "Why do I always get thepotential students who are borderline crazy?"

"Hey!" the three of them commented.

"We are not crazy," Gabe huffed.

"Definitely not. I'm the most sane one here," Ceru argued.

"I'm crazy, but that's the other me. I'm on a higher sanity level than Gabe, though."

"I'm an angel! We're one of the highest races in all of the universe," Gabe protested.

"And that's where y'all fuck up." Harlie sounded disappointed. "You holy beings love to be self-centered and think of yourselves as the best race in the universe. If that were the case, you'd be up in the heavens after your judgment and wouldn't be down here killing shad—"

"Say that to my face, jackass," Gabe seethed.

"Hey, Gabe. Can you put the daddy issues on the back burner until we're out of here?" Ceru questioned.

"I don't have daddy issues!"

"Sure," Ceru and Harlie said together.

"It's okay," the foreign voice declared. "I know the feeling far too well."

"I don't want your sympathy, either," Gabe whined.

So...noisy!

"Ceru," Harlie called out. "Please. Take Lilith to the gate."

"It's Queen Lilith. Just because you nicknamed her after a tiny being of cuteness, it doesn't mean you're worthy enough to use her name," Gabe grumbled.

"Aww, I'm sorry, angelic leader. I didn't know you were second in command when our Kitten is unconscious. Is the act of me ordering Ceru around bothering you? There, there. Go deal with that ball of shadows coming your way."

"Son of a—" Gabe began, but Ceru interrupted.

"He's serious! Pay attention!"

Another wave of immense heat hit me, and now I was getting annoyed.

"This is destined to fail," the foreign voice complained. “I'll head over to the gate. The Trial will end soon and I'm not getting stuck down here. You two can surely keep arguing, but if you want to save your Queen Lilith the Merciless Kitten, I suggest you all grow some balls and make your decision."

Silence echoed around us, and I almost thought I'd be able to return to my slumber, but Ceru spoke. "I'm heading to the gate."

"Cer—" Gabe began but he was interrupted by Ceru again.

"I'm not letting Queen Lilith die. She saved me when I was nothing but a stranger to her. The least I can do is return the favor."

The arm that hooked around my waist tightened, and I felt my right side lift. My body began to move but then stopped short.

"And just as a reminder, we've only known Lilith for a short period of time. Don't nitpick one shifter race for using her name without the royal title and be perfectly fine with you or me doing just that. I'm fine with you, Gabe, but Harlie's right about your kind. You love to belittle those who don't bear the blessings of your gods, and I've had my fair share of sour encounters. Would be a shame to strike you off that list of comrades, but I will if you push me there," Ceru warned.

Gabe said nothing and neither did Harlie, as my body began to move once again. The temptation to fall asleep was fierce, but the emotion that tugged at me from Ceru’s words was stronger.

Those who looked down at me when I was nothing but a human, versus those who despised me for the wings I carried upon my back. If only they knew the truth.

When we stopped, the sounds of clashing blades and eerie screams hit the air, and I knew the battle had carried on. My weight was shifted and I felt a different set of arms hold me.

"Changed your mind?" the deep voice inquired.

"No," Ceru replied. "They would die in two minutes if I left them behind. I think Queen Lilith would hate me for abandoning them."

"You barely know her."

"That is true." Ceru quietly chuckled, and I felt something stroke my cheek. "An angel everyone knew as Merciless threw her scythe between those gates to spare my life. I've lived a long life above the surface, and only one person gave me the time of day. That was the master who took me from solitude and delivered me into the free world."

There was a long pause.

"You know who I am, or at least, I'm assuming you do. With that knowledge, you're aware of the curse placed on me and why I'm in this predicament. That curse won't end with my death. It'll carry on into the depths of hell. I accepted my fate long ago, but one thing our kind never does is let one die alone. With life, one thing that is always promised is death. We all know that; however, no one is prepared for it. Dying is dreadful enough, but maybe death won't be as hard to accept if you’re not alone."

"You're a lot wiser than you project yourself to be," the male responded.

"I get that a lot," Ceru replied. "Don't show all your cards. Better to be perceived as one that lacks versus one who is far too superior."

"If you live, you would be a good addition to the academy."

"I agree." Ceru sighed. "But can't leave those two to die. Jeez, never thought angels were so stubborn when it came to their feelings. Anyhow, I better go and help before it’s too late. Tell Queen Lilith that it's been an honor to be by her side. Even if it was for a short period of time. She's beautiful, strong, and loyal. She'll do well at this Underworld Academy. She's a leader. Hopefully, she can bring change and reach a high rank. I also hope she makes a friend or two. Again, I don't know her past to a full extent, but her eyes seem lonely. Makes me wonder just how hard her life was in the past."

"I'll pass along the message," the man replied.

"Thanks. Good luck, Lilith...our queen."

The sound of footsteps fading away left me in an icky state of mind. I didn't feel pity for them, but allowing them to die was bothering a part of my mind.

That nagging part was making it hard to go back to sleep, leaving me even more irritated.

"Are you going to let them die?" the male voice whispered, the sound low enough to remain between us.

"Hmph." It was the first noise I'd made to acknowledge that I was awake.

"You're really are merciless." The man chuckled. "You'll let them die when they are willing to protect you."

"Protect Lilith," I corrected, finally giving up in my attempt to sleep. Opening my eyes slowly, I allowed my vision to clear and with effort, lifted my head to see the man in question.

I frowned immediately; the confident smirk that graced his lips was taunting enough to make me want to slice his throat.

Not to mention how fucking hot he was. Perfect skin, flawlessly combed black hair, and a body thatmade the uniform we all wore look as though it was from a luxury designer.

And he had a stupid dimple. Dangerous motherfucker.

His smirk widened into a full smile and he chuckled. "I can read your thoughts."

"Typical," I huffed. "Let go of me."

"I believe I was doing you a favor." He sounded far too happy for my liking.

"Hmph," I grumbled, my body still catching up to my thoughts.

It was one of the problems with being a human. Your mind could be the most powerful attribute, but your body would be the one to fail you.

I looked away to stare at the battlefield. With one glance, I could tell the angel and shapeshifter were running out of fuel. Their movements were slowing down, almost to a sluggish state.

The fire user, who I assumed was Ceru, was the one picking up the slack, his flames burning diligently as they cut the shadow enemies down.

Fire was always a powerful element to control, but it was one of the quickest to burn out. Flames were difficult to tame, and thus, required more energy from the user. If this round didn't end soon, he'd be in the same predicament as the others.

You need to help them.

The soft voice in my head reminded me as to why I was awake. I rolled my eyes.

Hmph. They're weak.

Was I not the same? Have I not proven myself to you countless times? I was nothing to the world. Yet, you saw the power inside me. Saw my potential. Don't lie and tell me you see nothing in that Dark Trio.

I was getting annoyed with her already, but I returned my gaze to the three men, analyzing each of them.

Tell me what you see?

I had to hold my tongue to keep from insulting her. Doing something as childish as analyzing these dead weights was a waste of effort. However, I did owe her.

Centering my attention on the angel, I stared at his overall appearance before studying the aura that cloaked him.

He's powerful. Dangerous if he knew what the fuck he was doing. Daddy issues. Abandonment problems. Low self-esteem. Cry baby, hates being in teams, always wants to play leader, even when there's someone better. Jeez, this guy has a lot of issues.

When she didn't answer, I rolled my eyes and continued.

Regardless of his 99 problems, he genuinely has a good heart. He isn't tainted by those who only care about power and rank. He's stubborn but is willing to correct his mistakes if they are pointed out. He's loyal and loves easily, even when he himself doesn't realize it. Yes, he has great potential.

I could feel the pleasure my words brought, tingles of approval running through my body. I groaned and moved on to the next guy, deciding to hurry this up.

I chose the shapeshifter and got right to the point.

Daring. A true trickster. The female side is far more dangerous than his male side. She's cunning and isn't afraid to take risks, even if they could lead to her death. The male is calmer, wiser. He thinks with his brain, versus with his emotions and gut like his counterpart. They're both easy to please, and once you've proven yourself, you're deemed worthy in their eyes and have their absolute loyalty. Magic is strong and the ability to use different weapons is a bonus. Out of the three, on appearance, they are the most dangerous.

Well done.

I stopped myself from smirking, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of pleasing me with her simple praise. Moving on to the last one, I watched as Ceru continued to burn shadows left and right.

Readying myself to read him, I noticed he paused and his head swiftly looked in Gabe's direction. I was impressed with his speed, his body going from where he’d stood to Gabe’s side in a blink. He hooked his arm and yanked him out of the way of a teamed attack, a wall of flames disintegrating them and all those who were trying to get the upper hand in the situation.

Ceru pushed off the ground, taking Gabe with him as they jumped backward and landed a few feet from the shadows. The enemy tried to close in, but it seemed like an invisible wall was blocking them.

The two men looked over to their left, and I followed their gaze to see a panting shapeshifter. He was the clear source of the barrier, but with how weak he was looking, I wasn't sure it would last long.

Ceru approached the shapeshifter, resting the shifter’s arm across his shoulder to ease the man’s strain. The man didn't reject his help and Ceru led him to where the angel sat and fought for breath.

It was clear the three of them hadn't noticed I was awake and watching their movements. The man next to me didn't bother addressing it as he watched with me.

"I think I need a break," the shapeshifter admitted when Ceru lowered him to sit on the ground next to the angel.

"You did good, Harlie," Ceru praised.

"Thanks," he huffed, his face dripping with sweat. "I'm in the lead."

Even though they were clearly losing, he was still able to smile.

"Not for long." Ceru winked and looked over to Gabe. "Need a break?"

Gabe nodded. I was sure admitting that with just a bob of his head was hard enough. I could tell he didn't like admitting his flaws and weaknesses.

"Then it's my turn. I think I can handle the remainder while you guys rest. However, if I go along with what I'm thinking, one of you has to catch me."

Gabe looked like he was going to ask something, but Harlie interrupted. "Sure. I'll catch ya if you fall."

"Thanks," Ceru replied and looked to Gabe. "I'll explain later. We don't have time now.” He rose up and he seemed to be when he finally noticed me.

Our eyes locked onto one another’s, the world fading away from us as we shared the intense but brief look. His lips curled up and his eyes flickered with understanding.

He knows?

He knows.

The confirmation from the voice within made me realize I was slacking in my observations. I wanted to look into the depths of this man’s soul and unlock the mysteries he was clearly hiding from all of us, but with a blink, he turned around and began to walk toward the crowd of shadows that continued to claw at the invisible barrier that caged them.

Looking at his back would still give me enough information, and the longer I stared at him, the more I related to his essence. Felt the familiar power and circumstance he was in.

Just like me...

Do you understand now? What is it you see that makes him like you?

IN ANY OTHER CASE, I would have made a snarky comment back to the voice, but I remained quiet, my attention locked on this man who held power over the flames.

Loneliness. Pain. Ongoing regret. He hides behind a smile. A mask that cloaks the pain and heartache he's experienced in the land of the living. He's walked many miles...journeyed to many places. He's helped a lot of people but has never been given the same helping hand in return. His loyalty is unquestionable, and he trusts a little too easily. When someone he loves or cares for betrays him, it creates a wound that lasts forever. A reminder of his flaws and how kindness never repays anyone.

I paused, watching the flames begin to dance at Ceru's feet as his he began to chant. He outstretched his arms to his sides, his palms facing upward as flames began to manifest and circle around his fingers.

He hides strength and magic that few have ever witnessed. Wisdom that people around the universe would dream to carry. Whatever team has him on their side would always be led to victory, and he's selfless. Extremely selfless and would not hesitate to lay down his life for someone else. To many, he would look like the weakest link, but in fact, he's the strongest out of the three...maybe at the same level as me.

Good. What's your verdict then? Are they worthy of being saved?

I WASN'T ready to answer yet; my body and mind were more intrigued by the flames as they grew stronger in size and temperature.

When his magic kicked in, the wave of energy that entered the atmosphere and reached us made goosebumps crawl up my arms and legs. I looked over to the nameless man at my side, noticing his wide eyes and disbelief.

To see him surprised told me that he’d underestimated this man as I had, leaving me to wonder if he was truly the person I thought he was.

"What is your name?" I wasn't asking out of curiosity. I wanted confirmation.

He looked over to me with a hint of struggle, clearly drawn to the fire show happening before us.

"Lucifer."

"Like the devil himself," I commented.

He merely nodded, but that was enough to make me grin tauntingly back at him.

"Your confidence is laughable when I can see right through you."

"You are just as transparent as I," he countered.

"To the flaming man, yes. To the others, no. You only know my potential for what you've been told. However, He who is above you knows far more than you think and hasn't told you the extent of my power."

His eyes wavered; the speck of hesitation made my smile widen.

"I'm not here to reveal your secrets. I'm here because my human counterpart is resting. Be grateful to be in my presence."

"Cocky," he mumbled.

"I'm a potential student. You have no control over me yet. Until then, I'll enjoy making your blood boil. Maybe you'll give me a nice flaming room of punishment one day when I truly die."

"You could die right now," he reminded. "Your team is on the verge of death."

"True." I shrugged. "I haven't decided if I'll save them or not."

Lilith.

My eyes rolled again.

Cool it. Let me have my fun while I'm awake.

"Looks like you're not as in control as you portray." His slight grin annoyed me.

"Seems we're in similar circumstances," I fought back with a smirk.

"Annoying," he huffed.

"Shouldn't be saying that to your potential student. Daddy may get mad."

He glared at me, but I winked and returned my eyes back to the Ceru.

The flames were now dancing at a scorching height, and a magic circle was under his feet. The shadows climbed onto one another desperately trying to reach the top of the barrier that kept them in place.

"Ceru," Harlie warned, and I glanced over to him. He was pale and out of breath, and even Gabe looked worried.

"Thirty seconds," Ceru pressed.

Harlie closed his eyes, struggling to maintain the wall. Gabe sighed and crawled over to him. Placing his hand on his shoulder, he closed his eyes. A small golden light engulfed Gabe’s hand and began to wrap around Harlie, who sighed in relief.

He opened his tired eyes and gave Gabe a sweet smile.

"Thanks."

Gabe didn't reply but gave him a slight nod.

Definitely stubborn.

The voice in my head giggled.

He'll come around eventually.

Why do you have so much confidence in them? They're still strangers.

You had confidence in me and I was an orphan sitting in the rain in front of the very church that forsaken me. Are we in a position to judge?

I once again remained silent, already knowing the answer to that question.

A loud cracking sound caught all of our attention, and I noticed the bolts of lightning that mixed with the flames.

"Wait...two elements?" I gasped, and my eyes grew wide in understanding.

He's...he's.

It's like looking into a mirror, right? The only difference is he's a male and we're female. Just goes to show you that everything happens for a reason. All that remains is for the truth to come to light. Not now, though. In time.

SHE WAS RIGHT — I hated that she was always right — and we weren't in the proper position to reveal what he was. However, this new development made me want to learn more about him. To connect and discuss the struggles from our past lives.

He chanted the final words to the spell and lightning came down from the sky to his feet, directly hitting him. I stepped forward, but Lucifer caught onto my arm.

My burning gaze met his calm one, and he shook his head at me and whispered, "Watch."

With a pout of my lips, I returned to staring at Ceru and noticed he was still standing after the lightning bolt. He seemed to be like a charged battery, sparks and jolts of electricity coursing along his body while the cyclone of flames readied for their master’s command.

I could only imagine the facial expression he wore, and my body thrummed with excitement to see what he was about to do.

His arms came together, hands clapping and sounding like booming thunder. He said a single word, one I couldn't catch over the noise of the thunder, crackling flames, and the swift wind that was beating us.

A bright light came out of nowhere, and I flinched at a sound that made my ears ring. The wind was so strong, I felt Lucifer’s arms hook around my waist to keep me from being swept away.

He pressed me into his hold, the two of us bracing ourselves as the raging winds doubled in intensity.

When it went on for more than a minute, I began to worry, wondering if I'd have to use my magic to keep us steady, but after twenty more seconds of chaos, the winds finally began to calm.

We pulled back and looked to Gabe, who was the one to hold Harlie in place. Harlie looked at Gabe and gave him an appreciative grin. Gabe's cheeks flushed red, and he looked away and let go of Harlie to cross his arms over his chest.

Definitely something going on there.

We all seemed to turn our gaze back to Ceru, and my jaw dropped when I noticed that every single shadow was gone. The entire place was empty, the remnants of flames and black liquid cloaking the ground.

Ceru stood tall, his body still glowing with power. His arms shone with magic, the glowing symbols peeking from his hands. His hair was floating, and the magic circle beneath his feet began to dim.

He turned around to look in our direction, and his playful smile returned before he spoke. "All gone. Guess that means I win the competition for Queen Lilith."

We were all speechless, and he ruffled his sweat-drenched locks.

"Seeing as the job is now done, I'm just...going...to...na..." He didn't finish, his eyes fluttering to a close as he leaned forward.

Harlie was the first to snap out of his shock and he was up and catching Ceru in one second flat. My heart skipped a beat for the first time, but it was out of sheer worry for Ceru.

"He's okay," Lucifer declared.

Peering to my right again, I noticed his calm expression as his eyes locked onto mine. "That was a powerful spell. He'll be fine with some rest. You all will get examined and receive rejuvenation shots once you complete the Trial."

"Reassuring," I muttered. I wanted to leave it to that, but I sighed. "Thanks."

"Does that mean I have a chance against the hellhound?" he questioned.

That made me smirk. "You're weak."

"That's mean."

"But I'd take you into consideration over the angel and shapeshifter."

"Pleasurable reply," he said in amusement.

We looked back to see that Gabe was attending to Ceru, his glowing hand on his free shoulder as the golden light began to wrap around Ceru’s body.

I sighed and let my tense shoulders settle, but it only lasted a brief second before a strong sense of dread hit me, and every goosebump crept up in warning.

Shit. Shit. Shit!

Seems like someone decided we should be tested.

MY GLARE RETURNED TO LUCIFER, but he looked just as angry as me.

"There shouldn't be a third round. I didn't schedule it this way," he declared.

"Well, looks like there is and they're triple the strength. Guess you can't rule all of the Underworld, huh?" I commented. His bitter expression made me grin. "You'll grow on me. Have to prove yourself to Lilith first. She's clearly into you."

"Really?" He looked taken back. "It's hard to tell."

"She flirts with who she likes."

"And you?"

"If you last long enough to have a conversation with me, I take you into consideration," I replied.

That was when a loud screeching sound shot through the chilled air.

We all turned our attention back to the broken buildings that were once clear of the shadows. In a second, waves of shadows flooded through the windows and alleyways of desolate structures, racing to attack the three men.

Harlie cursed and his hand shot out in time to create another invisible wall, but I knew from the rash clashing of shadows that it would be lucky to last a solid minute.

It's time for you to decide.

Do I have to? I really hate decisions.

I really was gambling right now, especially with our current circumstances. I looked to Lucifer, who met my gaze and he gave me a slight nod of encouragement.

Looking over to Ceru's unconscious body, I mentally sighed.

Fine. I better get matcha ice cream for this. Hmm...I wonder if they have that here.

The bubbling feelings of delight and relief ran through me, which deep down made me want to vomit. I’d prefer that to experiencing the happiness coming from Lilith.

You have my gratitude. As for the matcha ice cream, I'll see what can be done.

GLAD WE COULD COME to an agreement.

You were the one making things complicated.

Yeah, yeah. Let me go save your troubled angel and shapeshifter. Then you can make love and live happily ever after.

When she didn't reply immediately, I wondered about the lingering silence. I was going to ask, but she finally continued.

Who said I only wanted two of them?

OH...

Her giggling followed, but it wasn't a pleasant sound of laughter. It was sinister and dangerous, and I bit my lip out of worry.

Sometimes you forget where you stand. It's kind of cute. Don't worry, I'll share, but remember this well. If you successfully take on that crowd of dark waste, the four of them are mine. However, I'll be gracious enough to let you have your way with the Hellhound and the Imposter. I personally like damaged and tricky. They'll be fun to play with.

LILITH.

Her commentary worried me.

Remember your place and do what you've promised. The wall is about to break.

THAT WAS all I was going to get, her presence within my mind disappearing entirely.

Sometimes, you really are a merciless bitch.

I said it to myself, but her bright giggling entered my head and I fought hard to not roll my eyes yet again.

The loud crack caught my attention, and I watched the invisible barrier come into view, like a wall of glass. There was one large crack surrounded by rapidly spreading hairline fractures.

Looking to Harlie, I could see him struggling to breathe. Gabe was doing his best to give energy to him and Ceru, but it was no use.

"Better show whoever is watching what you can do," Lucifer declared.

"As long as you explain what the hell is going on," I replied.

"You of all people know I can't tell you all."

"I never said all," I whispered and walked over to him until we were face to face.

Reaching up to hook my arm around his neck, I pulled him down until our lips slammed against one another, initiating a sizzling kiss.

His eyes were still on mine, but they slowly closed, just as mine did. I could hear the loud cracking sounds, but I let myself live in this moment. Releasing him, I took a step back and looked into his red eyes.

"You and me."

"I thought you hated me."

"I've changed my mind."

"You're going to use me too?"

"Nope." I smirked. "You and I both know we're merely pawns in this entire game."

Turning around, I readied myself to make a dramatic rescue, but he whispered.

"She said she'd claim all four."

I quietly giggled and looked over my shoulder to meet his vulnerable eyes. I knew he'd been listening in, but this made it much easier.

"She wasn't referring to you," I declared, noticing the hint of sadness in his eyes. "However, that makes you mine."

"You'll give me up."

"Nope." I shook my head. "And you know that. Just like those men are loyal to their queen, I am loyal to those I'm intrigued by. You interest me. Now, let's see if you can keep playing to the Boss's tune."

Looking away, I whispered, "And I'll keep following orders."

With that, I began to walk forward, hoping my declaration was strong enough. Whether Lilith knew or not was beyond me, but my odds at being with him instead of Ceru were higher, and I never wanted to put my hopes on a fifty percent gamble.

Seventy-five percent with Lucifer, fifty percent with Ceru. Let's see how this plays out.

8

SHATTERING VICTORY

The glass was seconds away from splintering, but I knew the shadows weren't going to be the ones to shatter the thick wall of protection.

The mere thought made me smirk, and my magic pulsed in impatience, ready to deliver justice and protect these men. It always felt empowering when a woman like myself could step up to the plate and demonstrate how dangerous our gender could be.

When I was alive, women were treated as weak, living sex dolls who were better off staying in the kitchen and pumping babies out.

Funny how that was one of the many reasons why Lilith and I got along. She grew up in the church, where women were brainwashed to cloak their bodies from head to toe and remain celibate.

Of course, it was all a front to hide the deceit and actions lurking in the shadows by the very men who preached the words of the scripture and condemned those who loved the same gender.

The hidden secrets of male superiority undermined women for what they could do, be, or become. Alas, it made sense as to why we didn't fit in.We were part of the small percentage who opposed the systems we were born into. That was when it began: the act of revolution and change.

Maybe we were feminists. I wasn't yet sure, but our views were formed not from what we had witnessed, but what we had experienced firsthand. Thankfully, it was all in the past, and it seemed as though these dead men respected us like we were one of them.Our gender didn't matter, nor did the color of our skin. All that mattered was survival, and I was about to deliver us a second chance at it.

I walked passed Gabe, noticing how his eyes locked on me. Even when I passed, I sensed his intense gaze from behind, but this wasn't the time to explain my presence or story.

Not until they proved themselves worthy. At least, to my standards.

Walking right up to the wall, I analyzed it carefully, my smile still on my plump lips.

"Not bad," I muttered and took three steps backward.

The shadows all stared at me, not bothering with the wall anymore as all of their attention landed on me.

I love being the center of attention.

Allowing my wings to spread out from my back, I closed my eyes and imagined them doubling in size. Then I summoned my chains instead of a scythe, and I felt the metal wrap around my arms until it rested in the palm of my hands.

I didn't open my eyes until I felt the weight of the weapons attached: my right chain held an ax pendulum and the left was capped with a spiked ball.

My hair began to glow, strands of black beginning to seep through my natural silver locks. I widened my stance, knowing I'd need to push off to start this dance of bloodshed, and I began to giggle menacingly.

"It feels like eons since I've gotten to go on a killing spree."

The shadows had already begun to creep away from the wall, looking frightened as I let my power leak out. It wasn't even a quarter of what I could do, but it was enough to leave the enemy trembling in fear.

Just the way I like it.

With a deep inhale through my nose, I let out the captured air from my mouth, the action creating a gust of crisp ice that spread throughout the cracked wall until it was a wall of ice.

Without wasting time, I pushed off the ground and landed on the top of the wall, my wings outstretching to their full capacity as my hair began to float and I worked on spinning the chains around and around, readying myself.

The shadows were trying to run away, but they soon realized what I'd done while they were distracted. They didn't reach the protective broken walls of the buildings before they crashed into the invisible wall I'd created. They began to topple onto one another, clearly stacking upon themselves in an attempt to reach the top.

If only they understood the reality I'd made, the wall going up so far into the sky that it probably reached the red clouds at this point. They must have realized when their tower surpassed the height of the ice wall I stood upon because they looked my way and those that remained on the ground scurried toward my wall.

Fools. Time to get this over with.

With one flap, I was in the air, and in three seconds, I collided into the tower of shadows. Their screeches fueled my malicious laughter, all while my ax pendulum and spike ball sliced and knocked into shadows of various shapes and sizes.

Slice. Hit. Spin. Magic ice shards. I let my magic dance with me as I slayed the enemy like pesky mosquitoes. It was so easy, I could do it with my eyes closed.

I ended up doing just that too, adding to the fun of bloodshed and death. I was certain thatthese shadows were actual bouts of darkness, and death would mean little to nothing to them, but to let my body and magic have its way added to my empowerment.

Fewer than two minutes passed before my ax pendulum sliced through the last shadow. With a push off the ground, I soared through the air and landed back onto the ice wall.

My impact was forceful enough that the entire wall shattered into tiny ice particles, almost like little glitter. I descended with ease, my wings helping me hover at the last second and land on the ground like it was a pillow.

Both weapons disappeared, and the chains began to fade until they were gone. Instead of wasting time, I headed toward the exit, noticing where Lucifer now stood.

I felt Gabe's eyes on me once again, as well as a second energy that must have belonged to Harlie. I did sneak a glance at Ceru, noticing how he rested against Harlie's shoulder. His peaceful sleeping expression made it hard not to smile.

When I reached the Trio, I merely paused.

"Unless you want to waste time and see what else wants to test us, I suggest you get moving." I had no emotion in my voice and I didn't wait for their response as I went right on walking.

My duty was done, but I did want to make sure it wasn't a waste of my time and magic.

Or be scolded. No one likes a lecture.

Stopping in front of Lucifer, I looked into his eyes and saw the approval there. He kept a guarded expression, which was because of my approaching teammates.

It didn't matter. His eyes told me all I needed to know. I'd proved myself to him, and that only increased the likelikhood of him becoming mine.

The sound of something shooting into the air caught my attention. I peered up at the sky with Lucifer, who turned around and followed my gaze.

The bright firework entered the sky, and the big sparkling letters of TRIAL COMPLETE left a tiny smile on my lips.

Closing my eyes, I finally let all of the tension go, and that triggered the exhaustion that I'd been fighting against. I cared not about passing out. The Trial was done, and from what I’d grasped from Lucifer's comment, we'd be getting medical cocktails and resting from this chaos.

I was positive that I wouldn't be back for a while, but at least I’d gotten the chance to play around and expel some energy. We were victorious and had survived the Trials that would admit us into Underworld Academy.Now I had something to look forward to.

As my mind drifted, I felt a set of arms support me in their stronghold. Their familiarity told me it was Lucifer, and as my mind drifted and my sense of feeling faded, my ears picked up his praise.

"You did well, Queen Lilith. Your vow will be fulfilled and your secret is safe with me. Congrats on completing the Trials. You'll be rewarded very shortly. That includes a bowl of matcha ice cream."

If my soul was drifting to its rightful place, I would have grinned in my sleep. Instead, all I could do was allow myself to be lost in the blissful joy of victory, all while waiting in excitement for the future.

Yes, there's plenty to look forward to. Including a sexy devil's advocate...and a bowl of matcha ice-cream.

9

CHEMISTRY OF SENSATIONS

~Q UEEN LILITH~

"SHE'LL BE STAYING with me for the remainder of the night. Make sure no one intrudes, or I'll send them to the pits of hell to have their cock sliced off."

"Yes, sir. Uh...isn't that an easy punishment?"

"Hmm?"

"I-I mean, if their cock is cut off, that's it. The pain will dull eventually, right?"

"Ah." There was a pause. "No. The cock will regenerate every minute and will be cut right off, again and again, for all eternity. This is all while their back is whipped with scorching leather as they kneel on hot tar that will burn their flesh — which also regenerates. The entire room will be burning hot like fifty saunas and they'll never get an ounce of water to touch their parched lips."

The silence that followed had me grinning in my half-conscious state and I rolled over to my side, clinging to the satin sheets that cloaked me.

"Best be going. Make sure the others on the team are given the rejuvenating serums via IV and give them a sedative so they sleep well through the night. Ah, double the sedative for the angel. I’ve heard they have issues sleeping for long periods of time. Something about them always on the go to bring peace to the world."

"Yes, sir!"

"One last thing. Make sure we get the most luxurious matcha ice cream from the surface. I believe it's in Kyoto. Have them make various types and store them in the freezer room. We need enough to last the night."

"Yes, sir. I'm on it."

This man is a keeper.

Waking up after falling unconscious was a little surprising. In fact, I was thrown off by it. I expected Lilith's presence in my mind at least, but it was completely quiet, which only ever happened when Lilith was in deep REM sleep.

Lilith was a light sleeper most of the time. We were trained to be ready to spring out of bed and go right into the battlefield, even if I was butt naked.

Lilith, on the other hand, wore pajamas to bed. Something about being naked on the battlefield freaked her out.

I saw no problem with it. Unless one was wearing armor, a piece of fabric wasn't going to make a difference when pierced by a sharp weapon.

Needless to say, a chance at complete silence was a real bonus for me. Especially in the presence of Lucifer. Though my racing heart was making it difficult for me to fall back to sleep, I at least wanted to rest my eyes a little longer before confronting what I was praying would be just sex and not a history lesson.

I wasn’t sure if I truly drifted back to sleep, but when I registered the soft hint of cologne and warmth of a body, I snuggled closer and took a deep inhale.

Someone was definitely stroking a hand through my long locks, and I smiled at the soft skin. A soft chuckle made the surface on which I rested my head vibrate.

"Is my queen awake?"

"I was before," I mumbled. "Chopped penis. That would be an intriguing dish on the Underworld menu."

My voice was thick with sleep, confirming the fact I truly had drifted back to unconsciousness, but the fact that I was back made me happy.

No Lilith. No interruptions. Just me...and Lucifer.

His chuckle made me feel alive, like I was truly a soul among the living. I was one to fall in love a little too fast, on the theory that we only lived once, but since I was currently dead, all bets were off.

"Then you took all the sheets and curled up in a ball. It was cute."

"Hmm. Your idea of cute is weird."

"You think I'm cute."

"No," I mumbled and grinned against his skin. "I think you're sexy as fuck."

"Wow," he replied. "You're pleasantly blunt. I haven't even given you wine."

I giggled, and with effort, opened my tired eyes. Glancing up, I noticed I was spooning Lucifer — a very naked Lucifer — and his scorching expression was aimed at me.

No wonder Lucifer is a power-drunk narcissist. He’s hot, I'll give him that, and a bit funny. Hmm. Yup. I'm falling in love way too fast.

"You keep forgetting I can hear your thoughts," he reminded.

"Maybe I want you to hear them," I replied. "Not like I get much privacy anyway."

"Your predicament is interesting."

"My predicament is the only reason I continue to live and breathe," I whispered.

"I know." His eyes continued to stare down into mine; their now-black appearance seemed to make him more human.

"Do you have a preference for your eyes?"

He arched an eyebrow at me, thrown off by my absolutely random question, but he answered. "Black. Makes me more approachable, but during times of leadership, red because the dead actually fear me when my eyes are that way."

"My eyes are black," I commented.

"They were red when you were fighting."

"They do that a lot," I voiced. "But that's Lilith's eye color. Mine are genuinely black."

He grinned and reached down to stroke my cheek. "Are they? Just like this."

I gave him a slight nod, my body growing hot from the simple stroke. Amazing how his touch suddenly sparked me up, lighting up places I thought I'd never experience pleasure in again.

His eyes searched mine and then lowered to my lips.

"What would my queen like to do first?" That deep voice made me think of strawberries being coated by the richest chocolate.

"I wanna fuck."

A gleaming smile lit the rest of his face, while those black stunning eyes flickered with lust. "I love a direct woman." His thumb reached out to trail my bottom lip. "Any special requests?"

He continued to let his thumb slide along my lower lip until I decided to part my lips further, inviting that teasing digit into my mouth. The hunger that glazed his eyes made me ache, but I remained patient as he put his thumb into my mouth.

I sucked it slowly and seductively, making sure my eyes showed my intent — as if his thumb were truly his cock. I let my tongue lap around his thumb while it remained in my mouth, before moving slightly up and down its small length to make a point of what I could do if he let me have my way.

He took a short inhale and smiled before breaking my latch on his thumb.

"I want to suck on your cock and have you cum in my mouth. Every drop of you running down my throat, and then, I want you to kiss me. Not just an ordinary basic kiss. I want you to kiss me like I'm truly the last woman in all of the underworld."

"A simple request." His hooded voice was really having an impact on my sex drive. I hoped I'd last long enough to give him the best blow job.

"Anything else?"

"Then fuck me afterward."

"That was a guarantee," he mused. "Can't walk away after an amazing blow job."

"And kiss," I reminded, pouting my lips.

I'm so silly. Getting all needy over a kiss. As if I haven’t been kissed before. Not like I have — from someone I love. I was nothing but a slave back then. Died as a tool. They never kissed me with love. Does it even make a difference? I bet it's all the same.

My true past was a shitstorm waiting to happen. An explosion with the finest dynamite. Just thinking about it was beginning to kill the mood.

"You're not silly."

I looked back at Lucifer, noticing the darkened expression on his face. I was confused as to what he was referring to, and I wasn't given any time to think about what I'd thought when he shifted our positions, pinning me against the fine sheets of his four-poster bed.

My clueless self merely looked up at him, really unsure why he almost looked angry.

"What?" I questioned.

He sighed. "Sometimes you act exactly like Lilith."

"What do you me—"

His head descended until his lips were on mine. My eyes grew wide in pure shock, but as I stared up into his serious ones, beginning to relax. He still looked angry, and I'd yet to figure out why that was, but the kiss he delivered already felt different.

A kiss that actually held a hint of true emotion.

His lips moved against mine, and I let my eyes close and kissed him right back. His hands went to work, moving my arms over my headuntil my wrists were crossed.He used one hand to hold me down.

The other hand began to explore the curve of my right side, all while his lips occupied me with fervent intent. His taste was magnificent, like I was diving into my favorite hot dessert, and that only escalated in intensity when his tongue slipped into my mouth.

When his hand slid between my legs, I moaned in encouragement, mentally begging him to tease me with those fingers of his, all while he continued to kiss me like his life truly did depend on it.

"You want more than just a kiss, hmm?" His taunt had me opening my eyes and looking deep into his onyx ones. His palpable hunger made me want to say yes to everything. As long as it brought both of us pleasure, I wanted it.

"Yes," I panted. "Please?"

God, I'd never begged for what I wanted before. Sex had always been for show. I was the perfect actor in the bedroom, but this...this craving to be pleased and pampered like a true queen was new.

Will he think I'm desperate for affection? Maybe I am...no one has ever given me such freedom. To even be intrigued about my wants and desires. Fuck...I can't fall hard for him. That has to be against the rules. Why couldn't I have met someone like him while I was alive? Someone who gave a flying hoot about me. Why?

His eyes darkened again, a slight glow taking over his pupils as they dilated. His lips brushed against mine, while his forehead pressed against my own.

"What kind of life did you live for one to not ask what you desire in sex?"

Shit...mind-reading powers. Ugh. Why do I keep forgetting...wait, he can hear this too?

Nervously looking back at him again, I groaned when he gave me a knowledgeable smirk. "Damn benefits," I huffed and rolled my eyes.

"Lilith."

My eyes darted back to him, and I whispered, "I don't want to talk about it."

"Why?"

God...he pries a lot...

He moved his hand from my entrance, and I frowned in disappointment.

"Why?" he pressed again.

"Hmph." I looked away. "If you aren't going to please me unless I answer twenty-one questions, you might as well let go of me and I'll be on my way back to that not-so-cozy medical bed with the others." Looking back at him, I kept my gaze stern as he guarded his.

"Who said we weren't fucking?"

"You moved your hand."

"Maybe I wanted to stretch it before I finger fuck the life out of you," he muttered without a hint of remorse.

I blushed and mumbled, "Can't finger fuck the life out of me when I'm technically dead."

"You love to get the last say in arguments."

"I do and I'm not ashamed of it."

"I never said you should be," he pointed out.

He'd let go of me at some point, and now he sat back on his knees. I rose up to sit, not caring that I was naked and the silk sheet was resting between us at my waist. His gaze gravitated to my breasts, and I rolled my eyes but didn't comment about it.

He looked back at me and whispered, "Why do you always assume the worst of people?"

"Because that's the life I lived," I responded, letting a bit of vulnerability show in my eyes. "The world is dark and cruel. Promises are always broken and all you’re left with is sheer disappointment. Why get your hopes up when they'll fall like a shattering glass? Why bother expecting the best when I've always received the worst?. I'm in this circumstance because of the trust I gave in the cruel world I was born into. If I'd stood my ground, I never would have been fooled."

Seeing as I'd already answered one of his questions, I figured I might as well answer the main one.

"I was a slave when I was alive. My parents sold me the day I was born for a high sum of money. I was raised in the poorest parts of my city and tossed between masters and pastors who sought sexual relief. As a slave, I had no worth. If I’d dropped dead, no one would have cared. No missing posters would have been plastered on the walls and my own family didn't want me. Made me the perfect victim in a system that catered to those of power and rank. If they couldn't get laid by the woman they loved or wanted, they used services to obtain slaves and fed their dark desires that way. We didn’t get a choice. Nor did anyone ask what we wanted. Our purpose was to deliver what they needed in the allotted time.That was it. Our owner was paid a hefty reward and we were given a place to sleep and food to keep us attractive, all based on our clients’ desires. If they wanted us plump, we were forced to eat more. If they wanted us to be stick thin, we were starved for days. It was as simple as that, and thus, the reason I'm absolutely shocked that there's a man who actually cares about what I want."

He was rendered speechless by my words, and I shrugged.

"Shocked? You're the devil, aren't you? The man who plagues the world with evil and misfortune. Something like this shouldn't faze you." I knew what and who he was, but I wouldn't reveal all my cards. He'd asked to know a part of me I hadn't shared with anyone but Lilith, and I wasn't in the least surprised that it turned the conversation into a dark corner.

He wouldn't want to have sex with an ex-slave. I should have kept my mouth shut.

"Hey. Why don't we opt out on the sex and just drink some wine? I don't need the matcha ice cream anymore. Actually, never mind. I'll just get dressed and head back to the medical room. It won't be long before Lilith wakes up and I’d rather she not find me having some fun with the de..." My eyes wandered back to him as I tried to make the perfect excuse to get out of this, but I trailed off and blinked a few times.

Holy shit...is this real? Wait...can I say that down here? Err...it's not necessarily hell, right? Maybe...no wait. Not the main point here. Fuck...is he crying? Can the devil cry?

I must have been hallucinating, because there were actual tears running down Lucifer's face, and I immediately panicked.

A-ah! I didn't mean to make him cry. O.M.G! Can I be condemned for making the devil cry? No, right? Maybe...hmmm. See, if Lilith was awake, she'd help me out of this. Lilith? Hello? Anyone home?

He gave me a hopeless look, all while he blinked a few times, which prompted more tears to roll down his cheeks. I wasn't sure how to comfort him; I'd never been in the situation to comfort anyone.

Not in an emotional way with physical touch. It was always out of pleasure. Never because they exhibited emotions like sadness or elation.

"Luci—EEP!" I shrieked when he pulled me into a hug, his arms squeezing me tightly against him. "I'm gonna die from being hugged. Though...when I say it out loud, it doesn't sound as bad."

"You're not going to die," he mumbled into my shoulder. "Your poor soul."

"I know I'm poor."

"That's not what I meant."

"But you said I'm poor."

"No."

"Yes."

"Lilith," he groaned. "Just shut up for a second."

"That's rude."

He sighed. "Can’t you enjoy this emotional moment, or do you not know how to?"

"Oh..." I trailed off. "Is this one of those? Like...sentimental moments?"

"Yes, and what I meant by ‘poor’ soul wasn’t in regard to your wealth. I was referring to the struggles you've gone through and I'm trying to empathize with you."

"Oh..."

"Yes," he confirmed.

"I'm a little slow at times," I admitted.

"Unless you're arguing with me," he mumbled but went back to hugging me. "You smell nice."

"So do you," I earnestly replied. It took an extra minute, but I finally hugged him back as I rested my head onto his shoulder.

Is this what a hug is? When was the last time I experienced a hug? I'm sure Lilith has experienced one before...but I haven't. He's so warm...it's nice.

He held me a little tighter, but it didn't hurt. It did the opposite. My heart felt like it was opening up a little, and my guarded walls seemed to tremble at the simple action.

Was this what it felt like to be loved? To be a part of someone's life and matter to them?

"Yes," Lucifer whispered. "This is what it's like when someone truly cares about your existence. You matter, Lilith."

He leaned back to look into my eyes, and one of his hands moved to press against my cheek. He wasn't ashamed that tears streaked his cheeks or that his eyes were red from the salt of his tears.

I'd never witnessed a man cry before, especially on my behalf, and that alone seemed to make my view of the universe a little less cruel. This man that I barely knew and decided would be mine had shown more love and interest in me than anyone during my entire existence as a human.

I respected that. Accepted that even the devil could harbor such emotions and be willing to share them with me. To validate that I was worthy of love and kindness.

"Is it weird...for me to want to kiss you?" I whispered.

"Not weird at all, my queen." He smiled then. "Kiss away."

I did exactly that, not wasting another second to get what my heart and body currently desired. My lips laid upon his, but it was a light touch, almost as if I needed to make sure he wasn't lying to me.

Pulling back slightly, I scanned his eyes as they opened to stare into mine. He didn't show any signs that he didn't like it, and when he didn't push me away, I took a chance again and kissed him a second time.

This kiss was a lot deeper, enough to make my body shiver in anticipation. I was impressed that he remained still, letting me take the lead role in kissing him. If he didn't like it, he surely would have pulled away by now, but the thought made me break the kiss early to look into his eyes once again.

When those black orbs met mine, they were filled with adoration. It amazed me how this man, whom I'd just met, could give me such love.

"Am I really worthy of love?" I whispered.

He slowly nodded. "You are. It's scary to let your walls fall down, but I swear that if you let me love you, I'd give you every bit of affection I carry in my dark heart."

My eyes widened at his words, and he leaned in and kissed me lightly on my lips. "I'd bathe you with my love and remind you every day of how much you mean to me."

"But..." I trailed off, not ready to share my circumstances with him. I decided to make an excuse. "Lilith wouldn't allow it."

"Who said Lilith would have to know?" he inquired.

"She knows everything. We share a body."

"Yes, but your minds have limits. You haven't shared all of your past with her, and I'm sure she hasn't shared everything with you. Your connection is a co-existence you've agreed upon, but that didn't include sharing everything you know."

"But...what if she wakes up?"

"She won't."

"Why is that?"

"She took the same sedative the others did."

"Really?" I didn't remember that at all. I surely would have remembered something so recent. She wouldn't have blocked me from seeing such when it came to her physical health.

"You were unconscious, as was she. It didn't seem reasonable to wake her up to administer something that would put her right back to sleep. Rather counterproductive, in my opinion. She was given the same serums and treatment as the others. All I did was make sure you'd be able to wake up if you decided to. That was my only involvement in this."

"You...did that for me?"

"You, yourself, said we were in similar circumstances. That is still valid. I know how it feels to be isolated. For people to assume that you’re something you aren’t. I get it, Lilith. I understand your predicament, and I want you to have the chance to have a life of your own here. I'm working on it...just need more time."

"You...know," I whispered.

He nodded once again, as if his words didn't register in regard to what he was hinting about. He was helping me based on what he knew. Whether it was from personal experience or from whatever information he had about us, the fact that he was trying to figure out a way to help me left me in awe.

"You lived a rough life. I know what slaves had to do during your time. I understand the greed and corruption that occurs in those holy places. I'm aware of all of it, and I'm amazed that you still have a hint of kindness. To many, death is where one comes to rest or be judged for the mistakes they made in the world. Underworld Academy is different. Think of it as a second chance at life. I won't explain the extent of that, but I will give you that much. Once you've all fully recovered from the Trials, I'll reveal why you are all here and the purpose of this academy. I just want you to know that I want to help you. Not for some favor or hidden intention. I may be the devil, but I do take care of the dead who enter my world. To a certain extent, of course."

I soaked up his words and lowered my gaze for a long moment. When I’d thought about it, I looked back up to ask my question.

"So...what we do tonight...Lilith won't know?"

"Not if you don’t want her to. If you want, I have something that can block it. I can get one of my servants to bring a capsule and you can take it later with your wine and matcha ice cream."

I smiled, the wide grin clearly throwing him off as he blinked a few times.

"When you smile like that...it makes you even more beautiful than you are," he whispered.

"Thank you," I whispered. I wasn't just referring to his comment, but to him working so hard behind the scenes to help me.

I didn't want to give the impression that I was ungrateful to be with Lilith. It was thanks to her that we'd claimed vengeance on all those who’d forsaken us. We got our revenge, and I was able to enjoy this new world with her, but if I truly had a chance to live on my own terms like I once had, that would be life-changing.

Or death-changing? Man, being dead is hard when you want to use proper living terms. I wonder how this academy is going to work. Will they have shops and restaurants like the living world did? Man...I've never gone on a date before. I wish I could. Or get really sexy lingerie. I've always wanted to try it, but it's not like I ever needed it. I just like sleeping naked because that was what I was told to do. Hmm. I wonder if he'd like to walk around, though. He's the devil, after all. Wouldn't that be more of an inconvenience to him?

"You can just ask me, my queen." Lucifer sighed.

"Damn," I huffed under my breath and shyly looked away.

"You're cute when you're shy, as well," he mumbled.

"I'm not used to compliments."

"Me neither," he replied.

"You do get them a lot, right?"

"Me?" he questioned.

"Yes, you," I confirmed and even pointed to him. "You," I emphasized.

"Not really." He smiled and lightly shrugged. "You know why."

"Well...you should," I mumbled. "You're hot."

"Thanks." He chuckled.

"And you are kind," I whispered. "Very kind, even when you try to put on your evil devil persona."

He slowly nodded, completely moved by my words.

"It feels nice to be complimented." A tiny smile formed on his lips. "Thanks, Queen Lilith," he whispered.

"Between us...can I be called just Lilith?" I asked.

He had a questioning expression, but it faded as he smiled and nodded. "Lilith," he declared. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I replied.

We smiled, and I licked my bottom lip as my eyes scanned his chest.

"So..." I whispered. "Can we fuck now?"

He blushed in response and I giggled. "I like how my bluntness gets the most interesting expressions out of you." He pouted his lip and looked away, which made me giggle harder. "So cute."

"You're going to make me want to be complimented more often if you keep doing that."

"If you get to do whatever you're thinking for me, I'd be happy to give you as many words of praise as you want for all eternity," I vowed.

"You'd stay by my side for eternity?" he whispered.

"Yes," I replied. "I would."

It was his turn to genuinely smile. "I don't know what good I could have done to deserve a chance to claim your soul, but I'm happy I did."

"Ah." I smirked. "You're the one who did it, huh?"

His cheeks reddened again, and he shrugged. "I guess. I wasn't busy."

"Wasn't busy, huh? I guess no one pissed you off to the point of cock-chopping. Gotcha."

"Now you're teasing me," he grumbled.

"Don't like it?"

"No..." he trailed off. "I've never been teased before."

"Does that include in the bedroom?" I asked.

He tilted his head in confusion. "What?"

"Like in the bedroom. Teasing. You know." I tried to think of words to explain what I meant.

I'd never had to explain to a man before. It was always the other way around, where the man told me what his fetishes were and what his expected of me during his allotted slot.

"Teasing is like when you hype things up before sex," I voiced.

When he still didn't catch on to what I was referring to, I elaborated. "You know. Like how a female gives a blow job to a guy and strokes his cock to make him cum. Or how you were about to finger me. That's hyping it up. Teasing one another before the big climax? Surely they teach this in those high-class sex-ed courses, right?"

"I didn't go to high-class sex-ed," he mumbled.

"Aren't you rich?"

"Yes, but I like to spend my money on investments and charities."

"The devil donates money to people?" I gasped in shock. "Shut up!" When he closed his mouth to stare at me, I shook my head. "No, don’t actually shut up!"

"Oh," he replied. "Why can't I donate money?"

"You're the DEVIL!"

He arched an eyebrow at me, and I got what he meant. I rolled my eyes and groaned.

"Okay, the ‘devil.’ You're evil! Well...not really, from how I see it, but you're not supposed to be the giving kind! Wait...that contradicts itself, doesn't it? I mean...you did give us a place to stay and medical aid, and I even get expensive, high-class matcha ice cream from Kyoto," I emphasized. "Well, maybe you're not what the Bible and scriptures say, but still! How much do you donate?"

"Ninety percent," he replied.

I gawked at him. "NINETY? Nine. Zero? What?!"

"Why is that shocking?"

"B-because, you have this fancy room and y-you can afford to get ice cream from Kyoto!"

"Yes, because ten percent of my income is more than enough to cure world hunger if Jehovah wanted me too. Why have so much money when it can be given to non-profit organizations around the world?"

"When you donate, what name do you put down?"

"Lucifer." He gave me a cocky grin.

Now I had to roll my eyes. "Smooth."

"What? It's not a lie." He winked.

"Why do you donate to non-profits?" I asked.

"Because I don't want to feed money to those corporations where one percent goes to the actual charity and the rest feeds the mouths of the CEO and his family, who live a life of luxury. Non-profit charities make sure that money goes to those who need it. It's totally transparent, even to me, the devil."

"Ah." I nodded in understanding. "If only you were aroung during my time."

"I was." He gave me a sad smile. "But we never crossed paths. If we had, I'd never have let you struggle. You would have been clothed, fed, and given anything your heart desired. I have to take a human form when I go up to the surface, and in that era, I was a king. You would have never lacked."

"How about if I wasn't humble as I am now?" I inquired. "I'm not perfect, obviously, but my poor lifestyle was what made me who I am."

"Your personality was woven when the Lord created you. He knows your beginning, middle, and end. It's only when you have died that you have the freedom to become who you truly wish to be. Most of the time, people remain who they were on the surface, with a slight change here and there to the flaws and imperfections they hated as a human. You would have been the same, Lilith. The humble, kind heart you hide in the depths of your soul wouldn't have changed, and I would have loved you."

"Such a romantic." I blushed at his words. "I wish we had met."

"It's in the past," he whispered. "However, we can make up for lost time now."

"Including lost sex!" I exclaimed.

"Is it that great?" he pondered to himself.

I blinked and tilted my head to my left. "What do you mean 'is it that great?’ Sex is nice when you enjoy it. It's a pain in the pussy if you don't, but it's a pleasurable experience."

He shrugged. "Wouldn't know. I've only read about it in books."

"Come again?" I questioned.

He smirked and raised an eyebrow at me. "Cum or Come?" he teased.

I huffed and slapped his chest.

"Ow!" he whined. "Abuse."

"No teasing."

"You said it hypes the mood up before sex!"

"You haven't even shoved a finger into me!"

"Was I supposed to?"

"Earlier, yes!"

"But you were thinking!"

"People think before sex!"

"Ugh," he groaned. "Humans are complicated."

"Get back to the point!" I ordered. "You've never had sex?!"

His entire face went red, and he looked away completely. I stared and stared, waiting for him to laugh or say he was teasing me again, but the longer I waited, the redder his face became.

NO. FUCKING. WAY!

"You've never done it? Y-y-you know?!" I used my hands to demonstrate, my left index finger and thumb forming into a circle before I used my right index finger to poke the hole. "THIS!"

He side-glanced to see what I was referring to before he looked away once more. "No."

"That's impossible," I declared, letting my hands fall to my lap.

"Why?"

"You're the DEVIL!" I exclaimed. Another annoyed look from him and I put my hands up and made invisible quotes in the air. "The ‘devil’."

"I still don't see how that relates to the fact that I've never done it."

"You're supposed to have sex slaves?! Women who fulfill your every need and desire. You know, satin sheets. Naked women serving you fruit like grapes and strawberries before you drip chocolate all over their bodies and lick it all off before fucking them senseless until your bed is covered with exhausted naked women!" I said in one breath.

He looked horrified. "Why...would I do that?"

"Because you're the—"

"All right, all right. I'm the devil, I know that," he interrupted. "Aside from that minor detail, we don't do that."

He pinched his nose and muttered, "What the fuck are they teaching mortals these days? I really have to talk about this to Jesus the next time I see him. Can't he ask Father to change the curriculum or something? Sex slaves? Hah. Even Brother doesn't get turned on like that. This is so embarrassing. I'm going to complain at the next meeting."

"Brother?" I questioned. "Jesus is your brother? That...doesn't make sense."

He looked at me and sighed again. "I said too much, ignore me."

"No. Now I'm curious."

"Can we have sex and talk about it like...next time?" he whined.

I took a moment to consider it.

"No."

"Please?" he begged.

"Hmmm."

"We'll talk about it with wine and as much matcha ice cream as you want," he offered.

"Deal." I nodded with affirmation.

He frowned.

"What?" I asked.

"I genuinely thought you were going to put up a fight," he admitted.

"No." I smiled. "That means I get to spend another night with you and we get to talk. I'm satisfied with that."

"You've truly never gone on a date before? Not even a night together where you relax and enjoy one another’s company?"

"No..." I trailed off and nervously laughed. "Weird, right?"

"No," he replied and leaned in to kiss me. "Not weird at all."

Closing my eyes, I kissed him this time, and the two of us pressed our foreheads together.

"We have a lot more in common than we expected."

"I agree," he replied.

"We should sleep soon," I whispered. “If I stay up too long, it messes up Lilith."

"I understand," he replied. "Do you still want to fuck?"

"Do you know how?"

"Kinda. It's in the memory bank, if you know what I mean."

"I do," I replied. "Still intriguing that you've never done it." He looked sad for a second, and I kissed him. "I'm just teasing you."

"Oh," he replied. "It's hard to tell."

"We'll work on it." I giggled.

"That's true." He chuckled.

"I have one more request before we fuck."

"Yes?"

"Can you make sure there's vanilla ice cream on hand, too?"

"Why? It won't arrive until the morning, so we can't use it...uh...for your fantasies."

My cheeks flushed, and I quickly stuttered. "No! N-not that!"

"Then?" He was blushing too.

"For Lilith. She's obsessed with vanilla ice cream. Just like how I love matcha ice cream."

"Ah," he replied. "All right. Vanilla ice cream it is."

"And strawberry," I voiced.

"Why?"

"Just in case," I stressed.

"Sure," he sighed. "Any other flavors? I'm kind of horny now."

I giggled and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "And you."

Leaning slightly back, we shared a heated look, and in seconds, his lips were on mine and my body was pressed back into the satin sheets.

For the first time ever, I let my hands roam along a man’s body as his lips dominated mine.

Our moans echoed in the walls of our mouths as our naked bodies ground against one another in impatient desire. Running my hands through his silky locks excited me, and I moaned and broke the kiss when he squeezed my breast with one of his free hands.

He worked on spreading my legs wide after he was done fondling my breasts, and I felt the head of his cock tease my entrance, gathering up my juices.

"Are you ready for me?" he whispered against my lips.

"More than ready," I whispered, and grinned. "Know which hole to put it in?"

"Uh..."

I snickered and reached down to wrap my hand around his length. He visibly shivered at my touch, and I kissed him deeply for a solid minute before I let those swollen lips go.

"Remember for next time," I whispered and guided his cock into me. We both gasped as his cock stretched my tight pussy. He kissed me long and hard, allowing us to ride the pleasure our unity had created.

He released me and we both caught our breath as we looked into each other's eyes. This was his first time having sex and it was my first time making love with a man who wanted more than just my body.

I was ready for an intimate moment. To experience what it was like to be loved in all ways. To enjoy the pleasurable act of sex and to cum from his large cock that was growing harder every second it was inside me.

"Ready," I said again, but my eyes softened.

"Ready," he repeated, and with a tender kiss, we began to move.

The connection was new. So foreign and fervent that I couldn't help but moan. He may have been new to all of this, but damn, he knew how to work that cock of his and fuck me right.

The deep thrusts, the kisses and bites to my neck, the way he held my hips and followed my movements when I wanted to go faster. He could read me like an open book, and I loved every bit of it. I love how we molded together like he was truly my soulmate.

If there was even such a thing as soulmates, I wondered if he truly would have been mine. We may not have crossed paths in the land of the living, but in this new world of darkness, the stars had aligned. Maybe someday, I'd be able to love him fully with my body and soul — with a vessel of my own.

"Fuck," I groaned as he ground against me, pumping hard and fast as we both began to get closer to our climaxes.

It felt as though I could feel every bit of him. Feel the loneliness he'd endured and the struggle of carrying the weight on his shoulders. He brought me close to him, our bodies pressed together, but it didn't slow his thrusts at all.

He fucked me with all his heart, and I could feel every bit of his feelings until it truly seemed as though I knew what he was thinking and feeling. He honestly did care about me. I had somehow made an impact on him at our first meeting.

Not when I landed here — no — it was when he saw me during the Trials. When he walked through whatever portal he came from and watched us fight together as a team.

Even though the exam’s focus was to assess each member of the team and our combined tactics, his eyes had been solely on me. They were mesmerized by my movement, determination, drive, and desire to save the men I barely knew. My power and looks were on the back burner as he seemed to peer into my very being. To see past my circumstances and read my soul like the front page of the daily newspaper.

This man truly had feelings for me, and my declaration had only escalated them. Our unity wasn't a fling. It was a bond that would connect the two of us for the rest of eternity.

How I got all that information from our short moments of pleasure was beyond me, but the relief that washed over me made tears form in my eyes.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my head into his shoulder as he continued to fuck me. My moans and screams were loud, and I hope they covered the whimpers that escaped in between as tears rolled down my cheeks.

Never had I expected to feel so connected to someone. To truly feel like I belonged in his arms and was worthy of passionate sex.

"Yes. Yes! Ah!" I gasped, feeling myself so close to my orgasm that my whole body was beginning to shudder for the finale.

"A little more," he begged, his breathless voice thick with power. It made it even harder to fight the need to cum, and I moaned into his feverish, sweat-dripping skin.

However, I knew without a doubt I'd hold it until we came together. This all could have been a dream and I'd wake up to my old reality. If this was only a figment of my imagination, I'd make this count and carry it with me for the rest of my burning existence.

His thrusting cock seemed so big, adding to the coil of pleasure that was ready to burst.

"Cum, my queen." His hot breath whispered into my ear as his cock sank deep into my fluttering pussy.

That was all I needed to finally let go, my release shooting through me and rocking me down to my core. Our combined screams filled the room, and I bet the entire Underworld heard our cries of pleasure.

I couldn't care who heard. The universe could be our audience and it wouldn't make me regret any of this.

This moment was ours, and I'd savor it like a cherished gift.

His hot cum continued to shoot into me until the two of us collapsed onto the sheets, both of us breathless. When I caught my breath, I hugged him tightly, and after all the talking and amazing fucking, I let my walls down and cried.

I cried...and he cried with me, the two of us shedding tears of happiness.

Whatever he'd gone through, I hoped to one day unveil it, but until then, all I could do was support him when I was in control of my shared body.

When my tears finally stopped, I felt the extent of my exhaustion, and I knew for sure that I'd slumber for a while.

"I'll find a way," he whispered into my ear, and I smiled as my conscious began to fade.

Yes. He'll find a way. That's all I can hope for...hope.

10

TRAIN TO BE THE FALLEN ELITE

~LILITH~

“LILITH! I missed you so much! I thought we’d never see each other again.” Harley actually sobbed, tears rolling down her cheeks as she cried in my lap.

I absentmindedly patted her head, unsure how to feel in this situation.

She’s so emotional. I guess that’s how women react, right? Hmm. She’s also a he, though. Maybe she and he are separate entities? Like Lilith versus Queen Lilith. Referring to myself in third person is weird. Hmph.

“So...does anyone want to tell me who she is?” Gabe questioned.

I looked over to him, noticing his arms were crossed over his chest and his expression was scornful.

Jeez. What side of the bed did he wake up on? At least he’s tolerable, but good luck fixing that.

“Are you that slow?” Ceru asked before he yawned. “Man, I want another nap.”

“We let you nap,” Gabe huffed.

“I want another one,” Ceru defended.

“LILITH!” Harley sobbed.

“There, there.” I carried on with stroking her head. I didn’t even remember her name until the sexy hot dude introduced her as a recap. It was obvious that Gabe hadn’t clued in to the fact that Harlie and Harley were the same individual, but I was sure it would only be a matter of time before it finally clicked.

If only I could go back to sleep. That would be nice.

“Anyone? Explanation?” Gabe pressed.

“You really have to look outside the box, Gabriel. Or you’re going to struggle in school,” Ceru noted, putting his hands behind his back and leaning from one side to the other. “I wonder if they have yoga as extra-curricular activity. I love being flexible.”

There are so many double entendres just sitting there. Sadly, this isn’t the time. Boo. Boring.

“I’ll deal with that when I get there. For now, I want to know who she”—he purposely paused to point at Harley—“is. How are you all calm about some random stranger sobbing in Queen Lilith’s lap like they’re acquainted?”

“Says the angel who only met Lilith a few hours before,” Harley whined. “Lilith! The rude angel is bullying me. Kill him.”

That actually entertained me.

“You can’t kill me when I’m already dead,” he huffed. “And I’m not rude!”

“You kind of are,” Ceru commented. “Oh, Harley. Your nickname is Ms. Showoff now.”

“I’m a showoff?” she questioned innocently.

“Apparently,” Ceru added. “Right, Lilith?”

“Sure,” I replied, but realized I’d have to add a little more emotion into it. With a smile, I patted Harley’s head to get her attention.

When she looked my way, I sweetly smiled. “You were so powerful that you made Gabe jealous. That’s how you got the nickname.”

“Really?!” she squealed. “Eep! That makes me so happy.”

She literally moved from my lap and jumped up and down. “This is why Harlie’s the best. He does all the hard work for me and in return, I look cool! Lilith, do I make your heart skip a beat when you see me now?” She flicked her long locks before hugging my throat with her loving arms.

I really wanted to groan and roll my eyes at the intimacy, but I kept the smile on my face and fake giggled. “Most definitely,” I replied. “You’re far too attractive to ignore. You know I love a strong woman.”

Harley’s entire face burned red, and she turned my head to face hers before she kissed me. I blinked, totally not expecting that, but I played along and kissed her lightly back.

Gabe was gawking in shock, and once Harley released me, she skipped over to Ceru and practically tackled him. He surely would have fallen if he hadn’t had a wide stance.

“Ceru! Did you hear that? I’m attractive and make Lilith’s heart skip beats!”

“I swear that’s called a heart murmur,” Ceru sighed, but reached out and patted her head. “Good work in seducing Lilith. I’m proud of you,” he said with a smile.

“Yeah!” Harley squealed excitedly.

I stared at the two of them, my smile falling for a few seconds.

Jeez. She’s so hyper. Is this what they call girly girls? I never acted this way when I was a child. Even when I grew up in the royal court. Hmph. How childish...though she’s cute. How can a little praise lighten her spirit like that? At least the hellhound is being nice. I wonder if he ever had any siblings. Something’s off about him. I wonder why. I’ll look into that in due time.

Glancing to the angel, I noticed his eyes harsh eyes were on me. We shared a look, but I didn’t bother smiling back.

I really hated him. He was annoying and that glowing aura around him was like staring at a blunt highlighter. His short temper was such a disadvantage. How he got on this team would always baffle my mind.

If I had chosen, he would have been left at the very beginning. The shapeshifter and hellhound weren’t bad, at least. Those were individuals I could mold to my own liking.

Not this guy. Stubborn as fuck. It would be such a time suck to mold him into what I needed for an army.

His eyes narrowed at me, like he was trying to unravel my secrets.

Pathetic. He, out of all people, thinks he can read my like an open book? Pathetic. Did he truly not recognize royalty when he saw it? A queen like me with the rank I carried in the land of the living. Hah, he truly thinks he has the advantage here. Funny. Laughable. Even the hellhound has a better chance at figuring shit out than him. Whatever. I shouldn’t waste my time.

“Lilith?”

I blinked and slowly looked back at Ceru and Harley, the two of them staring at me with worry.

“Hmm?” I let my lips curl up in a sweet smile once again. “Yes?”

“Are you not feeling well?” Harley looked worried.

“Why would you say that?” I asked innocently.

“She called your name three times,” Ceru noted. “I know you’re staring at Gabe, which by the way, stop glaring at Lilith like she’s the reason you can’t figure shit out,” Ceru commented.

Gabe rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath, but Ceru arched an eyebrow in return, which prompt a response from the angel.

“Sorry,” he voiced.

That’s what I thought.

“Anyway,” Ceru carried on. “You looked like you were staring into space.”

“Ah…” I replied innocently and blinked my eyes. “I do that when...I’m hungry. Yes. I’m a little hungry.”

“You are?!” Harley gasped and skipped over to my side once again, her hips pushing against Gabeto the point that he almost fell right over.

“Damn. What kind of hip power is that?”

“It’s the power of love!” Harley sang before she turned her attention to me. She picked my hands up and looked at me with admiration. “What can I get you, Kitten? You want ribs, with mashed potatoes and vegetables? How about a four course meal? In fact, I can make you a buffet! Anything you ask!”

I smirked with pride at her level of concern.

This is how a queen should be treated. Not like that rude angel. Hmph. If we were in my kingdom, I would have had his head cut off. Maybe hang it up for disp—

“Lilith.”

I looked over to the sexy male standing near the doorway. His arms were crossed over his chest and he’d been leaning against the wall since his brief explanation.

His black eyes were locked onto me and he had a disapproving expression on his face. I kept up my sweet smile, waiting for him to carry on, but he didn’t.

“What’s wrong, Uncle Lucifer?” Harley inquired.

“Uncle?” we all questioned, including me.

“Harley, he’s not your uncle,” Ceru corrected.

“Isn’t that what you call people? I used to call my guardian, Angelo, uncle. That’s what you say when you want to respect someone, right?”

My smile fell as I looked at her hopeful expression, reading through the previous encounter I had with her.

How many years has it been...five. Five human years? That can’t be. She would know what uncle or aunt meant. It has to be further out. Ten years? No. More. Hmm.

“They changed that way of greeting, Harley. It’s sir or miss,” Ceru explained with a smile.

“Oh.” She looked surprised and thought about it. “So...Sir Lucifer?” she confirmed, almost like a child who was just learning this for the first time.

“Yes. Excellent work,” Ceru praised.

“Yes!” She let go of my hand to clap for her good work.

I looked to Gabe, noticing the obvious sympathy in his eyes. Clearly he was good at something, because he’d picked up on what I was trying to figure out.

He noticed my gaze, and his guarded expression was back. I rolled my eyes and returned to looking at Lucifer. He glared at me and I let myself smile again.

His ongoing gaze was getting on my nerves. He was pretty useless, as well. Trying to act like he ran this place. All these actors trying to play up to roles they could never reach. Yet we’d had sex with him. The irony.

“Lilith!” Harley poked her head into my line of vision. “Do you want a bunny?! I can make you a bunny!”

“Uh, hold on…” I trailed off when she clapped her hands, and the room began to rain bunnies.

Literally.

My mouth fell open as bunnies of all colors rained down and began to stack up on one another. I was sure my expression was horrified and I glanced at Lucifer, who looked just as shocked as I.

Cocking an eyebrow up at him, I expected him to stop the spell, but for the first time he lacked confidence.

You can’t stop this, can you?

He looked even more shocked that I knew that he’d been prying into my thoughts the entire time, but I couldn’t care less about that. I was more concerned about the damn bunnies, raining down like the world was coming to a fucking end.

Damn cuteness overload!

“Uh. Harley? I don’t think Lilith wants bunnies,” Ceru said. “Gah. I’m...ACHOO!”

Oh, fuck. Don’t tell me he’s allergic.

“Ceru? Are you allergic to bunnies?” Gabe bluntly asked.

“Really?” I looked at him like he was the dumbest person in this Underworld place. “That’s common sense.”

“How is it common sense?” Gabe huffed.

“He just sneezed,” I argued back.

“One sneeze isn’t going to confirm anything!” Gabe yelled.

“It’s fucking obvious!” I barked back.

“Gabe,” Ceru warned.

“Sorry, but she’s getting on my nerves.”

“Bunnies!” Harley squealed and began hopping around and picking up so many bunnies that they were falling out of her arms.

“Harley! Don’t let them fall and don’t go hopping around like that! You’ll squish—ACHOO!” Ceru sneezed, and this time the ground shook.

“Uh…” I looked over to Ceru. “Do your sneezes cause earthquakes?”

“Sometimes,” he sniffed. “My allergies make my magic react.”

Great...just great.

I looked back at Gabe. “Told you.” I gave him a cocky smile and I swore he looked like one of those black and white cartoon characters where smoke would shoot out from their ears and nostrils.

“You little-” Gabe began.

“Gabriel,” Ceru warned again. “I won’t warn you a third time.”

“Hmph,” Gabe huffed and returned to his silent moping.

I sweetly smiled at Ceru. “Thank you.”

He nodded, but didn’t necessarily looked pleased with my thanks. I personally didn’t care, but I wouldn't refuse to show my gratitude when it was due. I’d been taught better by the royal court.

“Bunnies!” Harley screamed, drawing all our attention. The bunnies were literally at the height of the bed rails. I nervously looked between Ceru and Lucifer, noticing their worry.

When Harley hopped again, Ceru groaned. “Harley? What did I say? You’re going to squish them!”

“Oh, right.” She paused on one leg. “I know!”

We gawked as pink wings burst from her back and she flapped them once to hover above the growing flood of bunnies. “There!”

She looked at us all, and then grinned. “Bunnies!”

Now she was flying around in happiness, bunnies still filling the room.

“Harley! Make it stop!” Ceru ordered. “A...A…”

“Oh, no,” I groaned.

“ACHOO!”

The sound of an explosion down the hall rocked the entire medical room. In fact, it probably rocked the whole building. We all braced ourselves, and not a second later, the fire alarm went on.

“Lucifer?! Do something,” Gabe ordered.

I looked at the man in question and he didn’t hide his frustration. I frowned once again, but I wasn’t going to drown in a sea of bunnies.

You owe me.

He glared at me once again, but I leaned back into the soft pillows and crossed my arms over my chest. I knew his secret. It was his choice to suffer the consequences if he didn’t play by my rules.

He rolled his eyes and huffed. “Fine,” he declared. Gabe nodded as if the response was to his demand, but it was to my internal thought.

He raised his hand, and I uncrossed my arms and hid my hand under the light blanket that rested on my lap. Meeting his eyes, I slightly nodded.

3..2...1...now.

We snapped our fingers simultaneously, and, a powerful nullifying spell activitated at that very moment. With a poof, the bunnies vanished, the alarm stopped, and everything seemed to return to normal.

Even Harley’s pink wings poofed away, right as she was hovering over my bed. She dropped to my lap and I looked down at her, a little annoyed by the pain in my legs — which had clearly cushioned her fall.

Jeez. Was she always this ditzy? I swear she was far sexier when we met. I’m going to be babysitting if Lilith doesn’t wake the fuck up.

“There.” Lucifer sighed in relief.

You’re welcome.

He looked at me again, and I gave him a wide smile.

You. Owe. Me.

He slightly nodded, and looked away. “What did you want to eat, Lilith? I can get you something light until dinner.”

“That was what we were supposed to do!” Harley clapped her hands and looked at me. “Don’t worry, Kitten! I’ll help you!”

“Oh no, no, no,” Ceru tried to stop her, but she clapped her hands, and poof — she was a bunny.

I audibly groaned as I slapped my forehead in pure annoyance.

“Really? Again?”

Ceru sighed. “At least it’s just one,”

“This is getting weird,” Gabe mumbled.

The four of us stared at the pink bunny on my lap that looked up at me with adorable black eyes. She hopped once, then twice. I immediately reached out to hold onto her before she tried to hop away.

“She’s not Harley,” I officially declared.

“What?” the three men questioned.

“This isn’t the Harley I remember. Nope. Her thinking process is completely off. Childish even. As if she lived in an era before black and white television was invented.” I huffed.

“How do you know about black and white TV?” Gabe questioned accusingly.

Shit.

I looked to Lucifer and he sighed. “The church definitely had television back in the day. Not like how we’re privileged to have one in each room, but they had a common room where everyone could watch. On holidays they let orphans watch the Christmas cartoons of the day. I remember it well,” he defended.

Gabe gave him a questioning look, but nodded silently.

Thank you. Guess the angel is quicker than I gave him credit for.

“Exactly,” I replied and shrugged. “Sorry, I’m still struggling with gathering all my memories. Hard when you’ve lived for as long as I have.”

“Nomnomnom.”

I looked down at the bunny, who was now nomming on my pajama shirt.

When did I put pajamas on, anyway? I hate pajamas. Don’t they have lingerie or something? We used to have that back in the day. What’s with this place? This bed is uncomfortable too. Even with all the pillows. Ah...my life is such a struggle.

“Lilith?” Ceru tugged me out of thoughts. “You’re zoning out again.”

“Oh…” I tried to play it off with a nerovus giggle. “Sorry. I’m just really hungry now. I don’t think my stomach can handle anything heavy, though. Maybe dessert?”

“That’s a good idea.” Ceru smiled and looked to Lucifer. “Do you have anything down here? I know it’s the Underworld, but I hope you guys have some type of dessert.”

“Yes,” Lucifer replied. “I got an order of matcha ice cream this morning. I’ll get some.”

I frowned in disappointment, and of course, Gabe had to be the one to point it out.

“Not to your liking, ‘Queen’ Lilith?” he questioned.

I glared at him then, and I was ready to snap my fingers once again as I slipped my left hand under the blanket. Before I could, Harley jumped right onto the spot where my hand was.

I looked at her cute eyes, and took a deep inhale and let it out slowly.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” I muttered to her, and used my free hand to stroke her little head. She niblbled happily in response, and I noticed Ceru’s death glare was on Gabe.

Interesting. This is going to be an intriguing team if I get my way.

“Why don’t we change Harley back first?” I questioned and looked at Lucifer, who hadn’t left the room yet. He knew what I was implying and he slowly nodded. Harley hopped off my hand and I gave her another long look.

For a child, she’s smart. Jeez. Lilith can figure this shit out. All it’s doing is giving me a headache. I want ice cream.

Snapping my fingers once again in unison with Lucifer, Harley was back in human form just like that.

Or should I say Harlie?

I blinked at the man who was now sitting on sideways on my lap. I had to give him credit for being fit as fuck. I licked my lips and smirked.

Deliciously hot. I could get used to this view.

He ruffled his hair and sighed. “That was a disaster,” he announced, and looked over to me. “Sorry, Kitten. That must have been troublesome.”

I licked my lips, my eyes scanning him up and down like he was going to be the dessert I’d requested. “No trouble at all, sexy,” I flirted.

He blushed and looked over to Ceru. “What did I do to get Kitten in the mood?”

Ceru chuckled and Gabe groaned.

“I think anyone would be in the mood if they saw you completely naked with your cock sticking up like a damn flagpole,” Gabe declared.

I giggled seductively, and Harlie blushed and looked at his very naked body. “Oops. Forgot that happens,” he nervously admitted. “Sorry. One sec.” He clapped his hands once and just like that, he had clothes on.

I frowned then, already missing his naked beauty.

Farewell, cock flagpole. We’ll meet again.

Lucifer cleared his throat and we all looked at him. “Dessert?” he reminded. “I’d like to get that going so we can discuss the Trials.”

“Right,” I muttered, already dreading the need for dessert.

But I’m so hungry too.

“Lilith?” Ceru caught my attention. Once I looked over to him, he smiled. “Do want to make a choice?”

“There aren’t any choices,” I noted.

“There are,” Lucifer spoke up. “There’s vanilla and strawberry. They just arrived.”

“Really?!” I shrieked. “I’ll have strawberry, please! It’s my absolute favorite of all time.”

Lucifer arched an eyebrow at me, but I maintained my beaming gaze.

“Sure. Strawberry ice cream coming right up,” he replied and made his way outside.

That left us in a calm silence as we waited for Lucifer to return. Ceru looked at Harlie, who scooted off my lap and the bed to stretch.

“So, what did I miss?” he asked.

“Raining bunnies,” we said in unison.

He frowned, and tilted his head. “Raining bunnies?” he said nervously.

“Yup. Then you changed into a pink one,” I added.

He sighed and ruffled his hair. “My bad. Harlee must have been in control.”

I knew it!

“Harlie? As in you?” Gabe questioned.

“No. H-A-R-L-E-E,” Harlie declared. “That’s...uh...think of her as Harley’s split personality...but younger...like the child version of her.”

We stared at him in confusion. Even I was lost.

“Uh. I’ll explain it later. Looks like Lucifer is back.”

Not a second later, the door opened, and Lucifer walked in. He closed the door with his foot, holding three mini bowls of ice cream. He walked over to the bed and offered me the bowl of strawberry ice cream.

I didn’t even take a second to analyze it, the fruity scent hitting my nostrils.

Of all things holy! Thank you, Heavenly Father, for this delicious delight!

I took the bowl and said a quick prayer in my head before putting the cool spoonful into my mouth. I ate it as fast as possible, a habit of mine since my childhood. I remembered how the maids squirmed to get me all the strawberry pints of ice cream in the city and village just so I wouldn’t cry and tell the king and queen on them.

I missed those days.

Finishing the bowl, I sighed in relief.

“Perfect,” I said. I looked over to Lucifer and grinned. “Thanks…” I trailed off, my eyes narrowing on his red eyes.

Red eyes.

He smiled back at me. “You’re very welcome, Queen Lilith,” he replied.

My eyes grew heavy suddenly, and I mentally cursed, noticing how his smile widened.

Motherfucker!

The others hadn’t caught on, and I heard Gabe start to make conversation. “Now that Lilith is full, I wonder how the first day of classes are going to go?”

I shifted my glare to him, and he smiled sweetly at me. “What do you think, Queen Lilith?”

“I…” I trailed off and yawned again. “Give me a minute to think about it.”

“Sure. Take all the time you need,” he sweetly declared.

I swear the next time I get a chance, I’m kicking his ass. No. Scratch kicking. I’ll kill him. Easy.

I looked back at Lucifer, and he continued to smile sweetly at me.

You. I’ll reveal your secret. Just you wait...I’m...not afraid of...you…

My head began to bob, until my eyes finally lost their battle in staying open.

Yes. Strawberry ice cream is a curse.

“LILITH?”

I opened my eyes and yawned. Looking to my left, I noticed Lucifer. He smiled and lifted two bowls of ice cream. “You still up for more ice cream?”

“Uh...sure,” I hesitantly replied.

Lilith must have wanted ice cream. Hmm.

“What’s left?” I asked.

“Vanilla and matcha,” he replied.

“Vanilla please!” I beamed. “I love vanilla!” I cheered.

“I thought you said you liked strawberry?” Ceru asked.

“Huh? Did I?” I blinked.

“Yes. You ate it so fast, I thought you’d choke,” he confessed.

“Ah….yeah. I like it too.” I giggled. “I just like vanilla a little more.”

“All right.” Ceru beamed and nodded.

“Better eat up before it melts,” Gabe encouraged with a loving smile.

“Yes!” I cheered. “Thanks, Gabe.” I grinned, my cheeks blushing slightly.

He’s so sweet.

Lucifer gave me the bowl and moved to stand at the end of the bed. He waited for me to start eating before he spoke.

“Congrats on surviving your first year at Underworld Academy.”

I let the scoop of ice cream fall from the spoon, my jaw going slack as I stared at him with wide eyes. Seeing as everyone else was completely silent, I surely wasn’t the only one thrown off by what he’d just said.

“What?” I finally choked out.

“I said, congratulations on completing your first year Underworld Academy.”

“I think I’m misunderstanding,” I whispered and looked at the others, who were just as lost as I. Lucifer frowned before he took a moment to think. “Ah. I get it. Guess the actual memo wasn’t delivered properly.” He sighed.

“The Trials you took weren’t entrance Trials. They were your three exams. You’ve been a part of Underworld Academy since the day you all died, a year ago.”

Now my spoon fell, the clatter of it the only sound in the room. When none of us spoke, he groaned again.

“Really,” he muttered to himself.

“A year?” I whispered.

“Yes. The Trials take a solid twelve months to complete.”

When we didn’t utter a word, he ruffled his hair in discomfort. “I guess you missed that part of the memo, too. All right.” He carried on, “You’ve completed your first year at Underworld Academy. Any other questions?”

“Any more surprises?” I questioned and picked up my spoon with shaking hands. “A year is a little long.”

“Oh,” Lucifer muttered.

“If there’s one more surprise, please tell us,” I pleaded.

“A year in Underworld time.”

“Meaning?”

He gave me a sympathetic look, but decided to tell us what I sensed was bad news.

“A year in the Underworld is completely different from a human year. You’ve all been dead for much longer than that. One hundred human years, to be exact.”

My spoon dropped again, and I didn’t attempt to lift it up.

“Well, seeing as today is the first day of Year Two...I guess I have more explaining to do. Let’s start orientation, shall we?

TO BE CONTINUED.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Contents

Blurb

Prologue: The Queen Has Fallen

1. The Toasty Depths Of Hell

2. Candidate Of The Underworld

3. Trial One With A Holy Bachelor In Distress

4. Trial Two With A Sexy Hellhound

5. Trial Three With A Tricky Shapeshifter

You let them die

We can't allow this

6. Nothing Will Stop Me

7. Queen Lilith?

8. Shattering Victory

9. Chemistry Of Sensations

10. Train To Be The Fallen Elite