Purply black scythe met silvery blue sword.

And it was safe to say the result wasn't good.

Lukaris was faster, and far more cunning than the white-haired woman – a fact she realised in an instant.

He was just humouring her.

Playing with her.

And she knew it.

That was why she skidded back, one arm locking around Juniper's waist, pulling her back with her. "There's another exit." She hissed in her ear. "It's a bit more dangerous, but we'll be OK."

"OK...?"

"You ready?"

"No."

A wall of purple flames erupted between them and the Devil, a hand locking around her own, yanking her in the other direction.

It was a futile struggle, though.

They were in Hell - Lukaris's home turf, so he had the home field advantage.

Not that he needed it.

He was a God after all, and the two of them were just two immortal werewolves in way over their heads.

The Fourth Horseman had known there was a gap between their abilities when she'd come down to rescue Juniper... but she hadn't thought it'd be this big. She thought she'd at least be able to distract him.

But reality was cruel.

"You didn't think it'd be that easy, did you?" Lukaris was in front of them in a second. "Silly little Horseman... at the rate this is going, I might as well start a collection. I could bring Lyra and that other guy down, and then I'd have the full set."

"Go." Juniper moved in between them. "I'm the one he wants."

"Actually, I'd prefer to nab both of you, so you can't ride with the others..." He tilted his head. "But I suppose the Second Horseman is slightly higher on my priority list... after all, if she manages to ride, then the Seven Signs will come next... and we all know who'll be released if all Seven Trumpets are sounded."

"That's why you need to go back to the mortal world..." The Fourth said, grabbing her shoulder. "The world needs to start anew."

"I'm curious, though." Lukaris examined Juniper from head to toe. "How did he manage to get his blood into you...?" He froze, and that was when Juniper made her move, slamming her fist into his face, watching as the Fourth Horseman sprinted past him, her purple eyes meeting Juniper's blue ones.

"Go!" Juniper yelled, trying to run after her, only to be thrown back across the room.

"Unless..." Lukaris stared intently at Juniper, completely ignoring the Fourth Horseman who was still running. "You're King Justin's daughter, aren't you?"

"You're only just realising this?" She glanced at him. "Aren't you supposed to be a God?"

"I thought we checked you for the purple magic at birth..." He strode towards her. "But it seems it was hiding inside you... I really should've kept an eye on your family... just like we've been keeping an eye on Albion's twin..."

"So my parents did have another child..."

"Yep." He sighed, glancing over in the direction the Fourth Horseman had fled, glancing at all the dark angels scattered around the hall. "Capture them both." Lukaris ordered, folding his arms. "You can't kill them, so don't even try. They've got his protection."

Most of the dark angels went after the Fourth, which was lucky.

For them.

Purple fire whipped out from Juniper, throwing any of the black-winged fiends who approached her to the walls, knocking them out cold, leaving just her and the Devil standing.

"Of course his protection would choose now to activate..." He muttered. "Typical. Looks like I'll have to take care of things myself..." He shrugged. "But I suppose that's to be expected... seeing as you're no ordinary werewolf..."

Juniper gritted her teeth, blinking as the purple fire in her flared, her consciousness pushed to the side as another presence made itself known. "Of course she's not." The male voice falling from Juniper's lips made the Devil freeze. Purple wings unfolded, feathers shimmering in the lilac flames that sprung up around her feet. "So be a good little pet, and let them loose on the world."

"You..." Blue reptilian eyes burnt into Juniper's purple matching ones.

"Me." A smile twitched at her lips. A smile that wasn't hers.

"You shouldn't be able to leave the host we sealed you in... let alone have the strength to possess someone."

"She's one of my Horsemen, Lukey." The smile turned into a smirk. "There's an unbreakable bond formed between me and this vessel."

"Typical." He spat.

"Let her go."

"Never." Flaming blue fingertips slammed into her stomach.

"Her powers have fully awakened, Lukaris." Glowing purple reptilian eyes met the Devil's blue matching ones. "You can't keep my Second Horseman in Hell... You might've been able to chain her horse down, but the rider is a completely different ballgame..."

"I can try."

"Just by possessing her body, I've awakened the Blood of the Apocalypse that's been sleeping in her veins for all these years..." Juniper's mouth twisted up into a grin. "Her power is completely different to the First Horseman that you've been keeping an eye on all these years..."

"Nighty night." Lukaris hissed, shoving her to the ground, smirking as purple feathers littered the ground around them.

Juniper blinked, staring up into the Devil's blue reptilian eyes as he sat on top of her, keeping her pinned to the ground.

"It's over, little Rider." He mumbled, snatching the silvery chain that appeared out of thin air. "You're going to be keeping me company in Hell from now on."

Juniper scowled, thrashing wildly beneath him as the loops of silver were wrapped around her chest. Her arms were pinned to her side, her legs locked together before she could even blink. "Get off!" She snarled.

He flicked her forehead. "No." He said, continuing to sit on her for a few more minutes before he eventually rose to his feet, grabbing a hold of the chains wrapped around her.

"And what fate do you have awaiting me this time?" Juniper drawled, masking the growing tide of fear she could feel rising inside her.

"My bedroom."

Juniper blinked. "I'm sorry..." She mumbled. "I think I misheard you..."

"No, you didn't."

"For some reason, I thought I heard you say, 'my bedroom'..."

"That's correct."

Juniper blinked.

She blinked again.

"WHAT?!"

"I'm going to humiliate that God..." Lukaris muttered. "And since I can't humiliate him in his physical form, I'll have to get to him via you."

"Dude, I have a mate."

"You're dead, Juniper." He sighed, slicking back his black hair. "You've fallen down the rabbit hole into my world..." Lukaris grinned, leaning in close to her. "And in my world, mates don't exist."

"I'm not dead yet." Her eyes fell on the white archway. "Well, not entirely."

"Oh, stop looking so terrified, Junebug." He sighed, rolling his eyes. "Being my lover really isn't as scary as it sounds."

"I refuse."

"You can't." He said, his reptilian eyes burning. "You won't."

"I can, and I will."

"You'll be trapped down here for all eternity with me." Lukaris smirked. "I think that's enough time to collect those scattered pieces of your heart."

"Black's already collected them."

"And yet, he's alive, and you're dead." His breath brushed against her ear, his hand capturing her own, sliding something circular and oddly ring-shaped onto her finger.

Her promise ring finger.

That was the last straw for Juniper.

Purple flames crackled from every inch of her skin, melting away the chains wrapped around her. Her eyes burnt, the irises turning a glowing purple, her breathing ragged as her gigantic broadsword broke free from the chains holding it to the wall, flying across the room and into her grasp. Flames surrounded the sword, a gaping wound appearing across Lukaris's chest as she leapt back.

"Slaughter." The Devil's expression was grim as his skin knitted back together. "Of course... I just had to come face to face with the only Horseman that could hurt a God..."

"Wanna let me through, then?"

"Nope."

"Too bad." Juniper mumbled, knowing inside that what she was about to do would only work once.

A surprise attack.

Her only shot at making it past a certain blue-eyed fiend and back into the mortal world.

Her feet cracked the ground, blue reptilian eyes widening as he realised what she was about to do, but it was already too late.

Juniper disappeared in a blur of purple light, her sword slicing through Lukaris's side as she sprinted by at a speed even he was surprised by.

"See ya."

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