Lucifer's Bride [Complete]

62

    Kerion and I continue to make our way down the empty hall. My mind is racing, trying to formulate a plan that will fix this mess. Lilith's abandoned us because she hates me, but we do have Belphagor and the other fallen angels on our team, so we're not completely alone. But we still don't have a game plan for how we're going to take Leyna down. For now, we're just going to have to think as we go.

"You think Lilith will change her mind?" I ask softly, already knowing the answer.

Kerion shakes his head. "I doubt it. The threat of Lucifer's wrath is enormous, but I guarantee the Lilith's pride and selfishness will win out in the end."

I sigh softly and hang my head an inch. "Sad, isn't it? She's willing to be killed by Lucifer just to see me miserable."

Kerion strokes my back with one of his legs. "Lilith's nothing more than a woman's body with a child's mind. Lucifer will never kill her -- she's far too high in the ranks for him to punish her that harshly. But I promise you, he will make her life far, farworse once he finds out about her betrayal."

I shoot him a confused look. "Betrayal? All she did was laugh at me. I don't think that counts as stabbing someone in the back."

Kerion shakes his head. "Don't take this the wrong way, you majesty, but the betrayal is not towards you. It's towards Lucifer and the kingdom of Hell itself."

"How so?" Not towards me? Now I'm curious.

"Human though you may be, you are queen here. It's the duty of every demon and fallen angel to protect you and Lucifer at any cost. Lilith turning her back on us is going against the highest rules we have. She's not only slighting you, but Lucifer, the fallen angels and every demon that resides here. She's disregarding, even sacrificing, every life here to further her own ambition. According to our laws, that's treason."

Oh. Shit.

I stare dumbfounded at Kerion. I know Lilith is selfish and nasty, but I never imagined that she'd go that far. Practically turning her back on Lucifer just to see me suffer! She's not just cruel, she's psychotic.

Even mom's not that bad.

I sigh again and stare down the hallway. So my greatest enemy is willing to risk her own life, and everyone else's apparently, just to spite me. Well, at least Belphagor and the others are loyal. I shake off my surprise and brush the dirt from my shoulder. If Lilith wants to leave us out in the cold, fine. I'll be sure to tell Lucifer how much 'help' she gave us.

"Alright," I start slowly. "What now? Lilith's given us the middle finger and Leyna's got my husband. But Belphagor and the other fallen angels are on our side. Do you think we have a shot at winning this?"

Kerion's silent for a moment. "We might. If the angels do their job well, Leyna won't be able to send out an execution order. That gives us the upper hand in this fight, but it won't guarantee victory."

"You're right," My mood suddenly turns sour. "Lilith might side with Leyna jut to fuck with me."

"Unfortunately, yes. That kind of subversion is not below her."

"Fine, then," I spit the words at the ground. "We'll do it alone."

I pick up my speed, so infuriated with Lilith that I'm ready to kill Leyna now just to see the look on her face. I storm down the hallway, my mind set on tearing Leyna limb from limb and then playing soccer with her head. A thin strand of sticky silk wraps around my wrist, jerking me to a halt. I stare at it, confused, as Kerion crawls up alongside me.

"I appreciate your passion for this, Amelia, but storming into that room will not help us here. Lucifer may think that you, as Leyna, are simply trying to take on his queen. He must understand what's happening first. Going in without explaining your situation is suicide."

I groan in annoyance, but I see his point. Without knowing that Leyna and I have switched, he'll mistake me for being Leyna and try to kill me off.

"So how do we convince him of that?" I scowl at Kerion.

The old spider thinks for a moment. ""We'll have to get him alone and explain the situation without Leyna being present."

I scoff angrily. "How? Leyna knows we're after her, so I don't think she'll just let him go off on his own. She'll do anything to stay by him to dispute everything we say."

Kerion shakes his head, a soft glint in his eyes. "Not if Leyna makes a mistake. She knows nothing of how you and Lucifer are together, so she'll have to improvise. And even then, she won't be able to keep up the charade for long. Lucifer will eventually notice something's out of hand and leave."

"But she'll try to stop him!" I counter.

I'm honestly starting to panic. I have the will and the anger necessary to take Leyna down and get my body back, but parading around as me means she's got unlimited power and resources to take me out. She could win this if I don't move fast enough, and there's always the threat of Lilith showing her disgusting head and fucking it up for me even more.

"Once Lucifer is frustrated, it's best to stay out of his way. Even Leyna knows that. Even you know that. If she were to try to stop him, that would just be another red flag."

"OH!" I throw my hands up into the air and slam them against my head. "This is ridiculous! I know she hates me, but she doesn't have to take everything! It's like fighting a fucking child!"