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LAUDON'S POV

Hell no longer feels like the home that Laudon once knew.

Still reeling from the bomb that Myrlande dropped on him several days ago, Laudon has been stuck on the defensive. Who is left for him to trust?

His father has been exposed for being a liar. One of his closest companions, Myrlande, betrayed him by purposely keeping life changing information from him. And Zul, guardian and part-time parent, wholeheartedly believes that Laudon has lost his mind. Has he? Some days it certainly feels like it.

Laudon has been completely knocked off balance. All that he knew about himself had been a lie. He is no demon, only half. His mother never abandoned him; she is alive, Laudon believes, and Lucifer knows where she is. Then there is Maggie Brumfield, the girl responsible for setting all this into motion.

Nothing happens by accident. Laudon was meant to cross paths with Maggie for a reason. They were meant to be in each other's lives for a reason. If it is the last thing he ever does, Laudon will find out what that reason is.

"What now?" Laudon calls out after someone knocks at his office door. He looks up from a book of spells and frowns upon seeing Zul enter. "I could have gone a few more days without seeing your face," Laudon mutters. He slams the book shut before meeting Zul's remorseful gaze. "What do you want from me, Zul? It'd better be important."

Zul bows before speaking. "I thought it would be best to give you time to cool off before apologizing for the way that I spoke to you when we were last together. Please forgive me for my insolence."

Laudon rolls his eyes, leaning back in his seat. "I hope you've been productive since then, because a little birdy told me you left Hell the other day, disappeared for hours. You rarely do business outside of this shithole, so what were you up to?"

"I know you have been searching desperately for your father," Zul says. "So I took it upon myself to speak with the demons that have been doing his bidding on Edreial."

"I've already done that."

"I am aware, but I thought a new lead might appear since it had been a while when you had initially asked around. Unfortunately, I had no luck in acquiring any new news."

"My father will not be found unless he is ready to be found," Laudon says. "I'm done wasting time chasing after his ghost. I don't need him when his office is just done the hall."

Zul furrows his brows. "Are you suggesting...?"

"Yes. I'm going to break into my father's office." Laudon grins, the idea having come to him abruptly. He stands, straightens out his clothes, and then heads for the door. "I'm going to go through his belongings and find out what other secrets he's been hiding. I can't imagine anything else being more disturbing than my being a halfling."

"Please try to keep your voice down, my prince." Zul follows after Laudon. "You never know who may be listening. It is not safe for you to be so casual when speaking about your—"

"I don't fucking care who hears," Laudon snaps, his patience waning. "I never asked to be put in this position. I never wanted to be the prince of anything. And with the blood that flows through my veins, demonic and angelic, I never should have been gifted the throne of Hell. If my father had any sense, he would have left you in charge before he left."

Zul only remains silent because he is in agreement.

"Goddamn bastard!" Laudon snarls after being repeatedly blocked by the powerful spell that surrounds his father's office. A thick, dark grey barrier becomes visible each time Laudon reaches out to grab the doorknob. "Well?" He looks back at Zul, scowling hard. "Are you just going to stand there and look stupid, or are you going to be useful and help me get through this barrier?"

"Forgive me, my prince." Zul takes a step back, an apprehensive expression on his pale face. "But I must say this is a terrible idea."

"Then leave if you don't support me! Your negativity does nothing but piss me off." Laudon takes a breath and then steps back, carefully examining the barrier. "I haven't been here since I was a child. Never had a reason to come to his office until now. Of course he put up a barrier before he left. I should have expected this. Still, there must be another way for me to get inside..."

"What exactly are you expecting to find in there?" Zul asks, sticking around anyway. "As you stated earlier, no secret can be more shocking than you being a halfling. Between your father, you, me, and Myrlande, no one else knows your truth. I will personally take it to my grave, so if you are worried about it being exposed, or some other information being leaked—"

"I'm not worried about any of that," Laudon interjects. "My father has made many questionable decisions over the last few years, but I doubt he was foolish enough to have kept such things written down about me. Whatever he has in there, I want it. That's all there is to it."

Laudon raises his hands and pushes them forward, using his demonic energy to try and blast through the barrier. After twenty minutes pass, Laudon sinks to the floor. He's covered in a light sweat and his hands are numb. The barrier remains intact.

"This is fucking pointless, isn't it?"

Zul places a hand on Laudon's shoulder, pitying him. "You are forgetting something."

"What?"

"Your angelic powers."

"Oh. You're right." Laudon stands, feeling a brand new surge of hope run throughout his body. He briefly stares at his hands as if he had never seen them before. "It's a known fact that angels are slightly more powerful than demons. But, with me being a halfling... I'm not sure how much power I possess. Could it be a little? Could it be a lot? My father purposely kept me in the dark, so I don't even know how to tap into that part of myself."

"As far as I know, there are no written texts that discuss halflings. At least not here in Hell," Zul says. "After all, it is against the law for races to mate. Though, I doubt that you are the first of your kind. Who knows what else is out there hiding in the shadows? What is most important is that you learn to master both sides of yourself. Practice makes perfect, so practice."

"You are beginning to give me whiplash."

"How so?"

"Although you may never say it out loud, I know you are repulsed by me," Laudon says, meeting Zul's eyes. "Angels are our enemy. From birth, we are taught to hate them. Hate God. Now, suddenly, your prince has the blood of angels running through his veins. One minute, you tell me not to speak too loudly about that part of myself; the next minute, you're encouraging me to use my angelic powers. I'm starting to have trouble understanding where your head is."

"All I want is to help make things easier for you, my prince. Do I think it is a horrible idea to break into your father's office like this? Yes. But if it will help to bring you inner peace, then so be it. As far as your angelic powers are concerned, I would rather you get them under control now than to later face an issue that not only exposes what it is you truly are, but also puts others in harm's way. Am I making sense?"

"Yes." Laudon turns back around to face his father's office. "But I can't do this alone."

"I am here with you."

"No. Your powers are as useless as mine."

"Then what else do you suggest?"

"I need Maggie," Laudon says. "She's different like me. I don't know how I know it, but if I bring her here, if I have her close... I'm certain that I'll be able to hone in on my angelic side. And I'm aware that her powers are sporadic, but I'm sure we can figure out a way to work together successfully."

Zul struggles to hide his disapproval. "That girl is nothing but trouble. Chaos follows her wherever she goes. What will you do if you bring her here and this plan of yours backfires?"

"Then we'll try something else," Laudon sharply replies. He glances at Zul, his eyes flashing red. "I know how badly you dislike her. You let it be known every chance you get, but do try to remember the promise that I made you."

"I have not forgotten, my prince. And I do not wish to come between you and the girl," Zul mutters, visibly exasperated. "I am simply trying to prevent another disaster from happening."

"Disasters occur every day, Zul. And still, life goes on. I am bringing her here and that is final."

"What if she puts up a fight and refuses to come? Then what?"

"She won't put up a fight." Laudon smirks. "I get the feeling that she's beginning to like me."

. . .

a/n: but when the prince finds out what Zul did to his bae's best friend... 👀

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