"Syn," Xavier called as I left my mother's room and walked down the hall. I turned to face him and he rubbed his palms together. "Your mother is really excited about this. She's always wanted a better relationship with you."

I nodded slowly at him and crossed my arms. "Just don't be...an ass. Okay?"

I clicked my tongue and turned on my heel to go to my room. Before I opened my door I heard footsteps and a person humming some sort of melody as they occasionally spoke to themselves. I listened again closely and immediately recognized the same voice from the one cussing in Queen's room days ago, and I burst through the door. I ran my hand through my hair as I looked at the empty room and shook my head.

"Shit," I muttered. Missed her again.

"Relax." My eyes snapped to the direction of the voice and I saw a woman sitting at the table.

"Why shouldn't I kill you right now?" I snapped as I took in the woman that had been taunting Queen. She had long black hair that hung in waves down her shoulders and shiny chocolate skin covered in a black mini dress. The room was dark though, not allowing me to view her entire face.

"You couldn't kill me," she said as she ran her finger over the table. "Turn the light on Syn, don't you want to see me?"
I sighed as I walked toward the light and flipped it on. I turned to the woman again and recognition instantly passed through my eyes.

"Lilith?" I said through gritted teeth.

"Hello love, it's been a while."

I scrunched up my face in pure disgust as I looked at the woman standing in front of me. I hadn't seen her in over fifteen years and I had hoped I would never see her again, but life never works the way you want it to.

"Why are you so angry with me?" she pouted.

"Why the fuck are you here? I thought-"

"You thought I died, right? Everyone does because of the lies that Lucifer spews," she spat, "but unfortunately for you all, I'm very much alive and well."

From the stories I was told Lilith was Lucifer's soulmate and they were together for centuries before I was born. Wreaking havoc and destroying the world hand in hand until she left him. The night that she left was the same night that I was conceived. The tremendous amount of emotion needed to create me was brought out by the pain she caused my father.

A while after that night they got back together, but a few years later she cheated on him and left him for another man. I didn't know who it was, but apparently, he was worth giving up my father and me.

"But why are you here? You left us!" I spat. She caused my father tons of heartbreak and gave me fucked up abandonment issues because of her games.

She rolled her eyes and moved her hair behind her shoulders. "I left for a reason." She said.

I scoffed and shook my head. "What reason?"

"I will reveal that at my party. It's the only leverage I have."

"Lilith..." I began, but I was at a loss for words. "Why. Are. You. Here?"

"Because it's my turn to talk. All these years I've been in the shadows listening to everyone tell lies and false narratives about me. After my party there will be no more secrets in this palace full of liars," she spat. "Not even Queen will be safe." She smiled.

"What do you know about Queen? Better yet why are you bothering her? You don't even know her," I said as I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. I knew the person stalking her was strong, but I didn't think it was someone as powerful as Lilith. She was the true first woman, handcrafted for my father yet she almost destroyed him.

"Oh, I know her very well. A lot better than you may think." She admitted.

I furrowed my brows and shook my head. "She doesn't know you," I said.

"Correction. She doesn't remember me. This will all be revealed at the party, Syn." She laughed.

I wracked my brain as I tried to think about the connection between Lilith and Queen, but I couldn't find one. They lived on two different planes. Queen was a human from Heaven while Lilith was a beast from the deepest depths of Hell.

"I cannot wait," she said as she clapped her hands together. "Also, you and Queen. I'm not liking it. At all," she said with disdain evident in her voice. "But no worries..." she grinned. "I have something for that."

My fist clenched but before I could say anything she disappeared from my view. The door to my room opened and Queen slightly jumped when she saw me.

"Hey," she said softly as she walked toward me.

I thought about keeping what just happened to myself but I decided against it. How could I talk about her lying to me and do the same to her?

"I just spoke to the woman who has been stalking you," I admitted.

She looked at me with wide eyes and halted her steps towards me. "Spoke to her?"

I nodded as I ran my hand through my hair. "Her name is Lilith."

She still looked at me in confusion and put her hands on her hips. "I don't-..."

"She's someone from my past, but I believe her connection to you is the true reason she's here."

Her eyes became worried as she laid a hand on her head. "What did she look like?"

"Well, she's black, long black hair, brown eyes..." I trailed off with a shrug.

"Well, I know a lot of people that fit that description. Did she say why she's following me?" She asked.

"She said she will tell us at the party. Apparently, there are a lot of secrets in the palace she plans to air out."

Queen sighed into her hands and shook her head. "Okay."

"Are there any secrets of yours that I should know before then?"

She shrugged and shook her head. "I don't know. What about you?"

I squinted and tilted my head as I thought about the plan Lucifer and I had. I didn't know if Lilith knew about it, but did I really want Queen to find out from someone else?
I didn't know how she would react...As a matter of fact, I did, she would try to leave me and warn her parents. And I couldn't have that, so that would be a secret I would have to keep to myself.

"Not that I can think of," I lied. She nodded and crossed her arms as she looked around worriedly. I reached out to her and pulled her against me as she relaxed in my hold. "We'll think about the secrets and talk about them when I get back?"

"Okay," she said softly.

I pulled away from her and tilted her face up to look into her eyes. Her brown eyes were watery as she looked back into mine. "Whatever the secret is that you're keeping from me...I promise I won't leave or judge you?"

A tear fell down her cheek as she nodded quickly. I wiped the escaped tear and she took a deep breath. "You promise?" She asked, her quiet voice almost a whisper. I looked at her for a moment to think about it. There was truly nothing that I could think of that she could be hiding that would make me want to leave her.

"I promise, Princess."

She gave me a small smile and I pressed my lips against hers. "Okay, I need to go. Xavier will be taking you shopping I think."

"Yes, he told me," she said with a nod as she removed her arms from around me.

"Have fun. Okay?" I said as I grabbed my keys and walked towards the door.

She looked over her shoulder and nodded as she gave me a sad smile. If I could capture her in a picture at this moment it would be my most prized possession. I didn't like making her sad, but I had to admit that she was beautiful when she cried.

I forced myself out of the room and went back to my mother's door. Before I could knock she opened the door and grinned up at me.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Yes," she said as she moved her purse onto her shoulder and walked out of her room.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"There is a mall in a city nearby that I've never been to. Let's go there," she said in excitement.

"Okay." We walked together through the palace in silence and when we reached the doors of the palace I recognized a guard that I saw when I first came. When he met my eyes he immediately dropped his weapon and ran.

"You should fire him," I muttered.

"He has a reason to be afraid, no?" My mother asked as she glanced at me with a raised brow.

"Possibly."

We strode out of the palace and to my car but before I could open my door my mother came to my side.

"I want to drive." She said. "Please, besides you wouldn't need to keep asking me for directions."

I sighed and finally gave in as I passed her the keys. I didn't want her to drive, but I more so didn't want to hear her whining.

I got into the passenger seat and she started the car and expertly pulled out of the driveway. I leaned my head against the seat as I crossed my arms and remained silent.
I felt my mother glance at me several times but she remained quiet still.

"So you and Queen..." she said as we got into traffic and slowed down.

"What about us?" I asked as I glanced at her.

"You guys are cute."

Oh no.