CHAPTER 80: ANGEL

Her knees buckled beneath her as Hades pulled her fully inside, steadying her before she could collapse. Gently, he guided her to sit on the bed before moving to close the window behind her. She sat there, still shaken by what had just happened, the vividness of the dream lingering.

It was then that a sharp pain shot up her shoulder as she tried to move. A low moan escaped her lips, catching Hades’ attention. He turned from the now-secured window and made his way back to her.

"What’s going on? Are you hurt?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

"My shoulder," Lilith whispered, wincing as she cradled it with her hand. "I hurt it. The bone—it’s broken, but it’ll take time to heal."

Hades’ gaze moved from her shoulder to her face, studying her expression. "What happened to you? Why did I find you standing on the ledge, ready to throw yourself off the building?"

Lilith looked down, swallowing. "I had a dream. I saw the same Hae witch I met before." Her voice trembled slightly, remembering the venom in the woman’s eyes. "She was sent to warn me—again—not to break your curse."

"That still doesn’t explain why you were on the ledge," Hades said, arms crossing over his chest.

"We fought. She attacked me. One of her spells slammed me into the ground—that’s how I injured my shoulder." Lilith paused, inhaling deeply. "She was too powerful. I had no chance, so I ran. I reached a cliff and decided to jump to escape her magic. That’s when you caught me."

Silence followed her words as they both stared, lost in thought.

"It seems the dream crossed into reality," Hades said after a moment. "They couldn’t kill you themselves, so they tried to make you do it—trick you into ending your own life."

Lilith’s stomach churned at the horrifying implication. She clenched her hands together.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" he asked quietly.

"No," she murmured, "just my shoulder."

"I’ll have Lucian give you an enchanted necklace," Hades said. "It’ll block them from entering your dreams again." He turned toward the door. "It’s late. Get some rest."

He had only taken a step when Lilith rose quickly from the bed, clasping her hands in front of her. "Wait!"

Hades turned back, brows slightly raised. "Yes?"

"Can I come with you to your chambers?" Lilith asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep here alone."

A slow, almost mischievous smile curved across Hades’ face. "Yes, of course you can, little witch."

Lilith followed him in silence, the weight of the night still heavy in her chest. In his chambers, he told her to lie beside him, and the moment her head touched the pillow, sleep claimed her.

When she opened her eyes again, it was morning—and Hades was gone.

She freshened up quickly, brushing her hair and scrubbing the remnants of the restless night from her face. Then, she headed down to the kitchens, where she joined Fiona and the other servants for breakfast. The chatter and clinking cutlery felt oddly distant, but she smiled and made small talk. An hour later, on her way back to her room, she caught sight of Kathryn descending the grand staircase.

Lilith’s first instinct was to turn and vanish into the nearest corridor, but it was too late. Kathryn was already walking toward her, steps graceful. Lilith forced a smile to her lips, bracing herself.

"Oh dear Lilith," Kathryn drawled, her voice sweet, though her eyes sparkled with something far colder. "I haven’t seen you in a while."

It’s only been a few days, Lilith thought dryly.

"How have you been, Kathryn?" she asked aloud, her tone polite.

"I’ve been wonderful," Kathryn said, her smile never reaching her eyes. "I’ve been expecting you to get back to me. But it seems you’ve decided not to help after all."

There was no mistaking the venom behind the smile now.

"I’d love to help, truly," Lilith replied carefully. "But I can’t speak to the prince about it at the moment."

"I understand, Lilith." Kathryn’s tone was clipped, falsely sweet. "Do have a lovely day."

She brushed past Lilith, her shoulder colliding harshly with hers as she descended the rest of the staircase like a queen dismissing a servant.

Lilith watched her go until the front doors shut behind her. Only then did she release the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She turned and made her way back to her room.

When she opened the door, she paused.

Grim sat on her bed, licking its leg casually, as if it belonged there.

"Oh, Lilith. I didn’t see you there," Grim said smoothly, straightening its posture with feline elegance and rising to stand on the bed.

Lilith sighed and climbed onto the mattress, collapsing flat on her back with her eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Why are you here? I thought you were gone."

"Gone?" Grim scoffed, offended. "You’re funny. I can’t be gone—not while Master Hades is here."

Lilith tilted her head to glance at the moggly. "Where have you even been?"

"I’ve been running errands for the prince," Grim said, with exaggerated importance. "I went to the Underworld."

That made Lilith sit up, brows furrowed. "The Underworld? What does that even mean?"

Grim rolled its glowing eyes dramatically. "Hell," it said flatly. "I visited Hell."

Lilith’s eyes widened. "Hell? Tell me about it! I’ve always wanted to know what it looked like. Is it really all fire like people say?"

Grim rolled its eyes. "People love to exaggerate. Yes, there’s fire—but there’s much more than that. Servants, demons, Lucifer’s castle... and a few other things I’m not allowed to speak about. It’s beautiful in a terrifying, soul-crushing kind of way."

"Oh, that’s quite interesting." Lilith leaned in slightly. "So what did you go down there to do?"

Grim let out a smug chuckle and hopped down from the bed. "Now, now, young lady. That’s top-secret, completely confidential."

Lilith huffed playfully. "Fine, keep your secrets. Did you know the prince’s parents? What about the king—where is he?"

Grim immediately froze mid-step. Its tone dropped. "You’re truly block-headed sometimes, Lilith. Never speak about the king—not unless you want trouble. I don’t even talk about him, and I’ve been alive for centuries. But the queen..." Its voice softened. "The queen I could speak about all day. She was ethereal. Truly, an angel sent from the heavens."

"I heard she was," Lilith said, though her mind wandered. Why was the king such a forbidden topic? Was he that terrifying?

Grim climbed back onto the bed and sat still, as if caught in a memory. "I still remember the day she and Hades planted that cherry blossom tree. Hades had seen some petals in a neighboring village and told her he loved them. She planted one the next week. She always gave him what made his heart smile." Grim’s voice trembled faintly. "It was a tragedy when she returned to the heavens. Hades has never been the same after that. He’s strong, yes, but... he never truly grieved her. Not the way he should have."

Lilith sat quietly, watching the creature with renewed understanding.

"The prince deserves more than this cursed life," Grim whispered, finally turning to look at her. "Promise me, Lilith—promise me you’ll break this curse and give him the happiness he was denied."

Lilith was stunned. She had always known Grim cared for Hades, but she hadn’t realized how deep their bond ran.

"Promise me," Grim repeated. "You’re the only one I trust to do this."

Lilith smiled gently and placed her hand over her heart. "I promise, Grim. I’ll do everything I can to break the curse."

Grim stretched its limbs and gave a small nod. "Very well. Oh, by the way, I saw you speaking with Kathryn on the sitars earlier and she was grinning like you were long-lost friends." Grim narrowed its eyes. "Which is odd... because I know she doesn’t like you."

"She’s trying to become friends with me," Lilith said.

Grim arched a brow. "And do you believe her?"

Lilith hesitated. "Well... I don’t know."

Grim let out a low sigh. "Well, I don’t believe her, and I don’t think you should either. Kathryn is manipulative and ruthless to the core. You have no idea what she is capable of doing. She will literally do anything to get what she wants. Anything, Lilith. Even if it means committing a crime."

Lilith’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Did you know she and the prince had an affair?"

"I would hardly call it an affair," Grim replied dryly. "It was brief. Fleeting."

"But she loves him," Lilith said quietly. "And she wants to get back with him."

The moment the words left her mouth, Grim burst into a fit of uncontrollable, mocking laughter. It laughed so hard it rolled across the floor, clutching its sides.

"Love?" it wheezed between laughs. "Oh, Lilith! If that was love, then I’m the Queen of the Heavens!"