By the ti Lilith opened her eyes, night had already settled over the palace. She yawned softly, feeling Hades’ arms tighten around her waist. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow and steady which indicated that he was fast asleep. Not wanting to wake him, she carefully wriggled free from his embrace and slipped out of the bed. Standing fully naked, she quickly gathered her scattered clothes, dressing as quietly as she could.
Once she was fully dressed, she headed for the door. Lilith had no destination in mind, she simply wanted to clear her head and wander until sothing caught her interest. The mont she stepped outside, a sharp gust of wind washed over her, prickling her skin with cold and making her wrap her arms tightly around herself.
She should have taken a jacket. She hadn’t expected the night to be this cold, Still, she refused to go back and risk waking the prince, so she kept moving.
Lilith walked toward the garden and stopped beneath the open sky. The stars glittered brightly, and the full moon bathed the land in a soft silver glow. It was breathtaking.
"What are you doing out this late?" a voice called from behind her.
Startled, Lilith turned sharply and found Viktor leaning lazily against a tree, a small smile tugging at his lips. He wore loose black trousers and a white shirt with the top buttons undone.
"Viktor, were you following ?" she teased, smiling.
Viktor chuckled as he pushed off the tree and approached her. "No, I wasn’t. Lucy and I went for a walk. I just dropped her at her chambers when I saw you. Although..." he gave her a playful look, "I admit l’ve been watching you for a while." He stopped beside her. "How are you doing? Are you feeling alright?"
She smiled warmly. "I’m feeling amazing, Viktor. There’s nothing to worry about. Everything is better than I hoped for, the war is finally over."
"Uhmm." He nodded slowly, though his eyes didn’t fully match his agreent. "Tell , Lilith... what did you do for the goddess to break the curse? I want to know everything."
Lilith exhaled, turning her eyes back to the sky. "I just helped her with sothing. It’s nothing serious." She glanced at him. "You don’t have to worry about it, Viktor. Hades is free and well, that’s what matters."
Viktor narrowed his gaze at her. "I don’t believe you, Lilith. I think this is much bigger than you’re pretending it is. At first, I thought you might have sacrificed your life for him but that can’t be the case, because you’re still standing here." He stepped closer, his voice low. "Tell , Lilith. Please. What did you offer the goddess?"
The lump in her throat tightened, making it difficult for her to look away. Suddenly, the air was no longer cold. She felt hot and overwheld, her eyes burning with tears that she struggled to hold in. "I already told you, it’s nothing serious. Besides, Hades is free, that’s all that..."
"Not to , Lilith. I am truly glad that he is free from the curse, but I’m not foolish enough to ignore the fact that making a deal with the gods cos with a costly price." He grabbed her shoulders, his face filled with emotion. "I care about you a lot, Lilith, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you."
Unable to stand so close to him, Lilith pulled away from his hold, taking a few steps back. "Your main priority should be the betternt of the prince. You should have no concern about . I..."
"That’s where you’re wrong, Lilith." He swallowed. "I know I should have told you a long ti ago but..." he swallowed again, "I couldn’t bring myself to do so. But now, I’m not going to wait any longer."
Lilith narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Viktor drew in a deep breath. "We are related, Lilith. I am your older brother."
Her eyes narrowed even more as confusion etched her features. "What nonsense! That’s impossible. You cannot..."
"I’m afraid l’m speaking only facts. I understand how you feel for I couldn’t believe it myself when your... Vanessa told . But the more she spoke, the more it began to make sense. Everything was coming together. I..."
Lilith felt her heart drop to her stomach, her palms suddenly growing sweaty. "No... no... no, you’re lying. It can’t..."
Viktor placed his hands back on her shoulders. "I’m not lying, Lilith. I’m speaking nothing but the truth. Co, let’s sit." He held her by the arm, guiding her to the lone bench not too far from them, and they both lowered onto it.
A few seconds of silence passed, with Lilith deep in thought and Viktor watching her carefully.
"Start from the beginning. Tell everything," she murmured.
"Rember when I told you she was acting very suspicious around , and that I saw her in my chambers?"
Lilith nodded.
"I confronted her, and that’s when she told the truth, how she got separated from her husband, who had taken their son far away. She told about the necklace he made for her, which coincidentally I had the exact replica of when I arrived at Lucy’s household. She told about the scars no one knew the origins of." He let out a sigh, leaning back against the wooden bench.
"Then the more I looked at her, the more I couldn’t deny the uncanny resemblance between us. She wanted to tell you herself, but I stopped her because I wanted you to hear it from ." Another mont of silence passed before Viktor reached out, placing his hand over hers. "Are you alright? I know this is a lot and.."
Lilith threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug as she cried out. After recovering from the shock of her sudden embrace, Viktor returned her hug, rubbing her back and gently stroking her hair.
Reviews
All reviews (0)