"You are not real."

That's the only thing I could utter. There's no way in hell I was in front of Prophesy, no way. But the woman in question only grinned farther.

"By denying my existence, you've denied yours too. How do you not believe in fate after all these years?"

Ivy was the one who spoke up next. "I can feel it, that entity inside you. Darkness, she's telling you the truth."

If she was telling me the truth, then what was the meaning of it? Why was she here with us? I could feel my frustration rise as I failed to connect every piece of the puzzle. Was she here for revenge? 

Was that it?

"If you are Prophesy, then you know about Zedkiel, don't you?" She was the only one who could probably help me understand. "Where's he? He is missing too."

"Oh, you mean that man who made a deal with Demos?" Wait, what? Before I could express my shock, Prophesy kept going. "He thinks he can save me. But I'm not one to be saved. I am and will forever be loyal to my King. No one else, beloved or not."

Lana let out a chuckle. "Excuse me? You and Zedkiel? What?"

I didn't want to but what choice did I had but to tell the truth. "She is telling the truth. Zed told me before. But he couldn't feel any connection, Prophesy, so I am a little concerned about your hand in this. What to say that your demon King didn't make this happen?"

For the first time, Prophesy looked at me as if I insulted her. "Fate works in many ways but matching a beloved? That's in no one's hands. And even if he did, I don't want any beloved to be tied for the rest of my life."

"Then where is he?" I croaked out. 

"I told you, Darkness." She hovered over me with a smile on her face. "He made a deal and left the Deshayes girl with Demos. Demos promised to let me go in return but I'm a piece to the end of the beginning. Demos will never let me go. Your friend is a fool."

I was never this utterly confused by her statement. There were certain annoying traits about Zed but he wasn't a betrayer. He wouldn't do that to us, to me. A chuckle left from my lips but I was sure that the harsh sound was only the result of my disbelief. This had to be a joke. Was she playing cruel games with me now?

"Zed wouldn't do that. You are lying."

"Oh, but where is your friend then?" Anywhere but here...

"Alexei?" Lana called me out, a desperate plea in her gaze. "What if-what if she's telling the-"

"No!" I refused to believe it. I would like to know where he was too just to make these people believe that he couldn't do that.

It was Zedkiel we were talking about. 

"When I showed you the future, what did you see?" Ivy suddenly asked, making me whip around to see her. She was completely calm where I was falling apart. How could they so easily turn their back on my master? 

"I saw someone's betrayal, blood, a lot of blood and darkness. I thought I was the reason for her demise. So I kept myself away from her." Even when I said those words, my eyes were on the floor, not on those fools.

"But it was someone else, wasn't it?" Ivy asked with defeat. No. Why couldn't anyone listen to me?

"But that doesn't mean it's Zedkiel." 

"Your loyalty makes me wonder if your friend would do the same for you." Just as Prophesy said that my body lurched forward in anger but due to the hex stopping me, I only managed to glare at her.

"He has already done more than that!"

Before I could say more that would remove Zed from this stupid accusation, the door was ripped open with force. A demon? "Times up! Prophesy, your highness is asking for your presence." 

She nodded, starting to walk out when the demon grabbed her arms tightly. "These people didn't sway your beliefs, did they?"

In a second, she spat on his face with mirth. "I don't sway, so, would you please remove your hands from my arm?"

The demon backed off, watching as she finally left the room. Then his gaze was on us with a dirty grin. "Now you are all coming with me."

"Make me." I gritted out. 

"We are bound. How the fuck do you think we'll get up!?" Zach yelled out. Good, he's finally awake.

The demon cursed under his breath but helped us all to stand up. Where were we going to go? I had no idea. How to get out of these hexed ropes? Still no idea. Before I could ponder over more, the demon dropped something on our palm. As soon as he did, the rope fell apart.

"What the hell is that?" Mikhail asked, scratching his hand where it touched. My own started to burn as soon as the demon dropped the vile substance. Oh hell, the pain almost led my shadows to screech out of my body. 

Even more of a reason to kill this bastard.

"Herbs. Now, move!" The demon instructed urgently, ignoring Lana's rambling behind him. He began walking out of the basement, and with no choice in our hands, we followed him.

"Are we seriously just going to listen to him?" Zach spoke lowly so that only we could hear it. Lana let out a scoff beside him. 

"I just got two rings on my finger and these idiots can't be the reason we all die young. My plan still stands. It's not too late to try cannibalism."

We had to do something.

And soon.

I couldn't leave her in here, not at the hand of the Demon King who could kill her or worse torture her for eternity.

Suddenly my gaze went to the broken mirrors in the hallway. Oh, this was going to be good. I couldn't harm the demon with my shadows but I could hit him with weapons. My whole focus went on that thing. If I somehow got close enough...I reached down and picked up a sharp glass. Just a little closer now and I'd be within reach. One more step...

"Where are we even going?"

Shit! 

I looked at Zach in shock. He couldn't pick another time to ask!? The demon whipped around angrily. "Just shut-" The door near him flew open and he got slammed against the wall, cutting off his words.

Suddenly the demon screamed like he was being ripped apart. In front of our eyes, he turned to ashes. He was dead. Fast and quick. But I couldn't keep my eyes away from the person who saved us. It had to be a nightmare. It had to be...

No way it was true.

"Hello, I guess we have something important to discuss." She smiled at all of us before her eyes finally met mine, the shock in them even shattering mine.

It's Rosaline.

My dead mother.

***

"Don't you have any questions?" She asked the rest of us when we were still looking at her like we saw a ghost. I knew the rest of them didn't know who she really was. And for me, I could tell that she was not a demon.

Then what was she?

"Oh, where're my manners. I'm Rosaline DeLuca. Jonathan called for help and here I am." She spoke, making Ivy look at me with that look.

She knew it was my mother.

Dead, dead mother...

"Dear old father is alive somewhere as well then? Hmm?" I snarled, breaking the silence. 

She didn't get to do this. 

Playing with demons so easily where we mourned her every day.

"You know her?" Lana asked with confusion on her face. 

I gritted my teeth in anger. "Of course I know her. Who would forget their DEAD mother?"

Everyone except Ivy gaped at the woman. They looked at her and then me, trying to see the familiar features. Hell, it was probably the first reason why my father didn't want anything to do with me. I reminded him of her. She had the same features I had when I was alive. The only difference between us was my dark eyes which I got after the awakening. 

"I know you are angry but we don't have time. We all have to get to the exit door of the Limbo right now." Rosaline spoke, gesturing to her right. Zach was the first one who opened the door she came from and more darkness followed. At least this time, there were no hellhounds around. My neck still hurt from where one of them bit me.

Nasty creatures.

After walking for a while, she turned to me. "Alexei, I know you hate me but know that I always looked after you."

"Really? By living a comfortable demonish life where I was left behind by your husband and killed by a lunatic?" Bitterness filled my soul but along with that came the guilt that I had to ask again. "What happened anyway?"

"Careful!" She warned Lana who stumbled upon a staircase. 

"The Seekers were closing the gates of Hell making half of them get stuck in the earth forever. The Demon King was one of them. He was pestering me to make him a Limbo but I always refused. When I died giving birth to you, I thought this is it. But I found myself in Demos's father's house. He saved me." She paused, suddenly starting to chant something. I could feel my powers rushing in. 

"Careful. This place is full of demons and hellhounds. Eating them won't help you." She stared at Lana especially. So she heard her crazy plan. "As I was saying, he saved me but he had a deal. If I make him a Limbo and a safe place to transport between Hell and earth, he won't make me a demon. It's not like the Limbo I made for Sage. Unlike him, the demon king could walk into earth anytime he wanted. His request was, I can live like a witch but not on earth. So I made him this limbo and I made myself another one to permanently stay there. After the King died, between all of his children, Demos was the one who took over the throne. He was a fine King until Condessa's fall."

"Condessa?" Lana raised her eyebrow in question.

My mother shook her head, laughing. "Yes, his half-sister. There were rumors that Condessa was going to be the reason the witches would fall so she stole Death's scythe to make a deal with him. Death didn't agree. He told the Coven everything about Condessa but his scythe. He also told them that she would reconnect all Hell if she was still alive. The Coven of course didn't want that and took her down. That's why Demos needed the three pieces. Allegra, Emeline, and Prophesy. Only those three can bring Condessa back."

It was nauseous to think someone could go that far for someone. But I did that, didn't I? So how could I hate that King? Cursing, I shook that thought away. No, I was better than that man. Suddenly Rosaline stopped, making us all stop too.

"What is it?"

She wrinkled her nose, staring at the huge stone there. "I can smell those creatures. After we cross this hall, we will be attacked. But before that, we need them to know. Everyone would fight this war, my child. Heaven and Hell will have to come together today. There's no way this is ending otherwise."

So be it.

"What do we have to do then?"

"You have demon blood in you. Hell chose you as his Seeker. Only you can call for them." She guided Mikhail to touch the stone and the moment he did, we could heard millions of cries from all corners of the earth, Hell and Heaven. It was almost unbearing just how much noise they could make. The ground shook at the promise of war when I noticed the hellhounds running toward us. If possible, their eyes got darker at the promise of flesh. I took a deep breath and let the anger run through me like a fire. It was what I needed right now-the anger, the violence, the cruel darkness. I could feel my shadows lurking, begging to be out.

It was time to become who I really was.

I smirked, letting the chaos run its course.

***

Emie isn't here. But Alexei's mother is! Let me know if you liked her or not! Vote, comment & Enjoy! Also got done with Opening Credits :)