Chapter 29 The Wicked Queen
Chapter twenty-nine
The Wicked Queen
Lilith
In the land between the living and the dead, a castle of obsidian and shadow stood tall.
It was a place of darkness and misery where the laws of nature did not apply and the creatures roamed freely.
The castle was surrounded by a wasteland of cracked earth and charred trees, the mist in the sky casting an ominous, red haze across the land as the souls departing the Lands of the Living flew across.
The Intermundum was a cruel, foul place, and the woman who sat on a throne made of bones inside the castle was the wickedest of all.
Her ethereal beauty was a mask, a disguise to hide her true evil.
Her golden hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall with the points of her ears poking between the tresses.
Her pearlescent pale skin seemed to glow in the dim hall, with her red eyes gleaming with an otherworldly light.
She was a powerful queen, a ruthless ruler, a sinful snake.
The dark crown upon her head was a reminder of her true powerful nature, its points sharp as knives with a golden engraving of a serpent coiled at the front, its fangs bared in a silent threat.
She wore her crown with pride, and sat upon her throne with satisfaction.
She was not to be underestimated by anyone.
Lilith drummed her fingers on the arm of her throne.
Her pointed black nails tapped against one of the skulls that forged the chair, the sound echoing across the castle.
She was waiting for Caligo to return and report back to her, and was quickly growing bored of the creatures in front of her as they feasted upon the souls that they caught from the sky.
These creatures had no honour, had no purpose; they were made for her entertainment alone.
Lilith saw them as her failed creations, abominations of the magical beings she wanted them to resemble from the lands above, and she was becoming disinterested in them.
She wanted to know what was happening up top, if they were any closer to granting her access to walk Superus Vita’s favourite Land of the Living freely.
Finally, the large doors opened and Caligo stepped inside the gloomy hall. The creatures parted as the Prince of the Intermundum walked through.
“Mother,” he said, bowing before her. “I have returned.”
She looked him up and down, her eyes doing nothing to hold back her judgement. “I can see that,” her voice sang out. “Tell me, what have you learned?”
“The mortal has taken control of their country and forced the Courts out of power. It is only a matter of time before they are found. The Terrai Lamia is gone, killed by Alexander, and the Igni fled, but he shall not get far.”
Lilith smiled, her red lips parting to show her sharp fangs. “Good, keep the mortal close, for now. Use his armies to fuel your chaos and find my traitorous children, and then dispose of him however you see fit.”
Caligo nodded. “What of the girl? Have you any plans to enter her mind again?”
Lilith raised her head, her hands gripping the arms of her throne as she grew frustrated.
She did not ever admit defeat. But the chilling truth was that she had been bested by the lightbringer, by the Lamia Incantrix who had acquired such control over her own mind that even the Mother of Daemons could not dare get a look in anymore.
The woman who wielded light in one hand and darkness in the other was not an ordinary Daemon, that much was clear.
“I am unable to,” she said through gritted teeth. “It seems our dear Adriana is much more powerful than we anticipated. I won’t be able to access her mind, not whilst I am stuck here, thanks to the damned Superi.”
Lilith resumed tapping her nails against her throne, her lips pursing as she thought about what to do.
She would never be able to unleash her full powers on any of them whilst they were in different worlds, and she was unable to visit as she had before.
Ever since the Superi had discovered her Daemon creations on earth, they had strengthened the barrier between the Living and the Intermundum. But she had another option.
She had one place where her claw marks ran so deep, they left scars that refused to heal. A mind that could not overcome the trauma she had placed there, could not forgive himself for what she had made him do, leaving a ghost of her controlling power inside of him that she could reignite.
Her mouth split into a wide grin. “Perhaps I don’t need her mind, after all. I already have a leash around my darling Alexander’s neck… I think it's time I pulled on it again.”