Chapter 58

Lillian

"No!" I heard the twins shout.

Don't do this, princess.

What's the alternative? Kill her? I won't do it.

He went silent, and I fought the urge to look back at him.

The king looked amused, no doubt happy to accept me in exchange for Ida.

"If that's how you want to play, then so be it." He turned around, talking to his guards and a selected few councilmen who had been gifted a VIP box for this game.

The crowd was losing their shit, pointing and booing, disappointed they weren't going to see me kill someone for their king.

"Lilly," I heard Ida's raspy voice behind me, making me turn.

She had always been the strongest, most incredible woman I'd ever met, but right now? She looked so small, so beaten down. Purple splotches covered her face, and there was dried blood beneath her nose. Her arms were tied tightly behind her. I was horrified to see such a powerful woman on her knees.

I rushed to kneel in front of her, wincing when my knees collided with the unforgiving ground. Tears were running down her face as I revealed a small dagger hidden on my thigh, careful to keep it between us.

The crowd shouted and pointed, and I expected to see the king watching me, seeing what I'd done, but he had his back turned.

I cut the ropes binding her hands and held her when she collapsed into my arms.

"You have to do it, hun. You have to do it."

She tried to pull away, probably to look at me to emphasize her words, but I shook my head, holding her tightly, refusing to let her go.

"I won't. I can't." I began to sob onto her shoulder.

"You are her ." She grabbed my arms, prying them open so she could look me in the eye.

I was still shaking my head.

Her eyes were soft, nothing like I imagined they'd look when they were facing death—and at the hand of someone they considered a friend. She held my face in her hands, wiping my tears away.

"You are her, Lilly. You are the woman who is going to save Hell. One day, you are going to replace that vile man as Satan, and you will bring peace to this place." She paused, tears falling down her cheeks. "The only way to do that is to finish your trials. If you let him kill you now, all of this will have been in vain. Do you want that?"

I shook my head. "But… I can't. Please don't, Ida. Don't make me do this."

I didn't understand how she could be smiling at a time like this, but she was. She looked like a proud mom, and it crushed my heart. No one had ever looked at me that way, but at the same time, she was asking me to take her life.

Her face said everything.

"Please, Ida," I begged, my vision blurring from the tears. "I can't lose you. Please don't leave me."

She pulled me in. "I'm not going anywhere, hun. I will always be with you." She stroked my back. "I am so proud of you, my dear."

"What's going on here?"

His cold voice made me freeze.

Ida let me go.

"Do it now." She placed her hand on the dagger that still sat between us. "Hurry."

"You already made your choice, pet ." He was speaking into the microphone, trying to humiliate me in front of everyone. "Step away from the prisoner. She'll die right after you anyway, seeing as she's a traitor."

The crowd booed some more.

Ida looked down. "Someone outed me. His guards found me before I could warn you." She took a breath. "I love you, Lilly."

She grabbed my hand and lifted it, making me hold the dagger at her chest. My eyes widened as I tried to pull away. She was strong for having the crap beaten out of her in the last twelve hours.

"Stop at once!" the king's voice boomed.

The tip of the dagger hovered over her chest, both of us fighting to keep our hold over the other. I just had to hold on long enough for the king to get here. He'd put an end to this, and then I could figure out where to go from there. Maybe I could defend against him long enough for the princes to get Ida out of here.

"Ida, please," I pleaded, feeling my hand starting to slip.

"Tell Mavis I love her."

I screamed as the blade tore through her skin. It broke through so easily, and blood began to drip immediately. I wanted to gag, feeling the resistance of her flesh vibrating the handle held firmly in my palm.

I heard screams. Screams of joy and enjoyment, but I also heard a scream of sheer horror.

Was that Mavis?

Stop this, Lillian. Keir's voice was loud and stern in my head.

I'm trying. She won't let me.

Tears were spilling down my face.

I had no idea if Ida was in pain. She had to be, right? I couldn't look at her to confirm; I was too busy staring at the crazy thing I was watching myself do. I was still trying to pull my hand back, fighting her.

"I'm a dead woman, Lilly," she gasped.

I felt her hand start to loosen on mine, giving me some control.

"Stop. We can get help," I told her as calmly as I could as I watched blood spill from her chest, pouring over my hands as I tried to cover her wound.

I heard feet hitting the ground from behind me, and I could practically feel the ground shake as the king stomped toward us.

"It's too late." I looked up to see a single tear falling from her eye as blood began to spill from her lips. "You saved the princes. Now, go save Hell. Make him pay."

She fell forward, all her weight coming at me. I screamed as I held her, looking around for help.

My body started to tingle, like a numbing effect was working its way up from my toes. I felt like I was about to have a panic attack. My chest burned like it was on fire, and my bones ached like someone was trying to bend them.

I had to let Ida fall to the ground as I flung myself back, excruciating pain radiating through my body. This was not a panic attack. This was something different.

The third trial was over.

It was happening.

"Lillian!" Keir was rushing at us, the twins behind him.

Their eyes weren't on me, though. They were focused on something behind me.

Their father.