The star crossed lovers

II

Davina's mind was spinning with escape plans, but all of them hit dead ends, just like the hallways she kept turning into. Every turn led to more left-right nonsense and empty rooms that felt like they'd been abandoned for centuries. It was like trying to escape a maze designed by a very bored god.

"The windows are fake, Davina. What kind of nightmare are we stuck in?" Daeliah, her wolf, chimed in, her sarcasm almost comforting.

"Are we even considered living souls in here?" Daeliah added, clearly unimpressed with their situation.

Three hours had passed, and Davina was still wandering the palace, searching for a way out. No doors, no exits, just endless halls and silent rooms.

"Are you sure we aren't dead? Is this the afterlife? Because this is way too boring for Hell, and it's far too empty for Heaven," Daeliah asked again, her tone both irritated and curious.

"I don't know," Davina muttered, trying not to scream in frustration. There had to be something, some oddity in this place, a single clue that could get her out.

"But it can't be the afterlife," Davina added, thinking aloud. "There's no fire, no pitchforks. And if this were Heaven, where are all the harp-playing angels? No, this is... something else."

"Let's hope it's not worse than Hell," Daeliah quipped, earning a mental sigh from Davina.

But Davina's thoughts kept drifting back to Alex. Was he okay? What if—no, she couldn't afford to think like that. She needed to focus on escaping before that god-like figure with the drop-dead gorgeous face caught on to her little wanderings.

"What if Mr. Fancy-Wings was telling the truth about the Moon Goddess giving him a second chance with his mate? What do we do then?" Daeliah asked, her voice suddenly serious.

Davina's heart sank with every word her wolf said. She stopped, leaning against the wall, trying to ignore Daeliah's question, trying to focus on anything but that.

"I mean, are you even sure? Weren't you supposed to assassinate him? You know, the whole kill-the-big-bad-demon plan? How's that going, by the way?" Daeliah's voice was relentless.

"I think we've found a way out," Daeliah said suddenly, cutting through Davina's mental block.

"Wait, what?" Davina blinked in shock, her mind scrambling to catch up. How had Daeliah broken the mental barrier she'd put up? That was... not good.

Davina could feel herself weakening, her usual power slipping away. Even if Daeliah hadn't said it out loud, she could tell her wolf sensed it too.

Taking a deep breath, Davina looked up and found herself standing in front of a massive red gate. One side of the gate was broken, like something or someone had forced their way through it ages ago. The red of the gate clashed violently with the pristine white walls, and the air around it thrummed with a sinister, dark aura.

"This... this doesn't look like an exit," Davina muttered, taking a hesitant step forward, her eyes glued to the eerie carvings on the walls. They were... beautiful, in a disturbing way, depicting scenes of people suffering for their sins. Classic Hell decor.

Before she could get any closer, a huge hand grabbed her wrist, yanking her back with a force that left her breathless.

She looked up, straight into those familiar black eyes—eyes so cold they made her want to shrink into the floor and disappear. The man in front of her exuded raw power, dominance, and darkness like he wore them as a second skin.

It was the first time she'd seen him like this, and honestly, it scared the hell out of her. She tried to pull her wrist free, but his grip only tightened.