Page 54 of Hell Bound

It was a treacherous route, one made more difficult by the absence of my wings. I glanced down at the blood-filled lake far below, a little amazed that she had dared to climb down herself.

Most mortals would shit themselves at the sight of this drop.

I prowled over the edge of the balcony, slipping into the dark velvety shadows out of sight of the doors, and settled in.

Soon enough, the muffled sounds of their return came to me: the door opening and closing, the faint sound of Hana snapping out orders, and finally the gush of running water.

Within half an hour, the only sound that mattered echoed quietly into the night. Hana tapped her nails on the glass panes of the balcony doors, a quick, gentle melody we’d devised decades ago.

I stood up, rolling my shoulders and stretching. The packets hidden in my shirt crinkled, and then I tested the balcony door.

It swung open gently, granting me entrance to the opulent rooms Lilith occupied.

Just like before. Back when she’d be waiting for me with open arms, sheer silk skimming her body, long hair unbound…

Now the room was silent and cold, except for the faint drip of water.

I took another step, sure that Hana had ensured our privacy, but not so sure that this fiery new Lilith wouldn’t be waiting around a corner with a hairpin to stab into my chest.

Another step, and my foot hit something on the floor: a shoe had been left behind. It clattered across the marble and hit her dresser.

Water sloshed in the bathroom, and I heard her weary voice ring out. “If you’ve come to kill me, do me a favor and make it quick.”

The exhaustion in her voice made me wince. That was like old times too, before I’d started flying to her balcony in the middle of the night.

“I’m not here to kill you.” I stepped into the bathroom, my heart speeding up at a memory of long ago. Lilith had waited in her bath for me, her skin slick with oil, and we’d made a whole fucking mess of the place.

Her face had flamed with embarrassment when Hana spent an entire afternoon cleaning it up.

She sat straight up in the bath, crossing her arms and scowling at me furiously when I walked in. My heart almost stopped before she covered herself. “What the hell are you doing in here? Get out! It’s bad enough that I was humiliated at dinner, let alone having you barge in while I’m naked—”

“I…” I was frozen, a feeling quite foreign to me. She was so damn beautiful, despite the red marks on her cheeks.

“Actually, scratch that.” Her eyes were blazing with fury now. “Not only do you just walk in like you own the place, but youstillhaven’t apologized for dragging me here in the first place. You see these?” She jabbed a finger angrily at the red marks on her face. “Ifyouhadn’t brought me here, this would never have happened!Thesewould never have happened!”

Lilith flashed a hand at me, showing me the still-healing scrapes from her escape out the window, and then flipped her middle finger up at me.

“Whatever you want from me, I’m not interested.” Her voice was rising, climbing into a shout. “I’ve experienced nothing but humiliation and pain since I came here, all because ofyou!”

She was right. But I wasn’t leaving without saying my piece.

“I brought you Pop-Tarts.”

I dug in my shirt and held out one of the foil packets like a peace offering.

The water dripped in the silence.

Lilith’s scowl didn’t relax, but she eyed the Pop-Tarts with an unholy combination of distrust and hunger.

I knew I’d won when her stomach grumbled, audible even from underwater.

“Well… fine. But if you peek, you’re gone,” she grumbled. “I’ll shove you off the damn balcony myself.”

I stepped closer slowly, like I was trying to tame a wild animal. She shifted in the bath, curling her legs so I couldn’t see anything below her shoulders, and leaned forward to pluck it from my hand.

The movement was so delicate, it was almost impossible to reconcile that with the way she tore it open and fell on the Pop-Tarts like a beast.

“I’m sorry, they’re not your favorite flavor,” I finally said. “And they’re crumbled… I had to climb the tower.”

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