Miracle

Pt. 29

"This place is so drab. Let's just get this done already," Valentine drawled, his gaze sweeping across the dark, cavernous hallway that seemed to stretch endlessly before them. The air was thick with the scent of sulfur and decay. This was where the portal had opened, depositing them in a gloomy, oppressive corridor deep within Hell. Lily, still completely under Valentine's control, stood rigidly between them, her mind reeling with terror.

Terrifyingly varied demons, some cloaked in dark, stained robes, others with grotesque, exposed flesh, passed by them, their eyes glinting in the dim light, paying them little mind. At the very end of the hall, a window, tightly shut, offered a bleak view of Hell's fiery, distorted reality.

The massive, ominous back door swung open with a groan. A tall, red-skinned demon, with eyes like smoldering coals, looked between the pair, his gaze lingering on the human. "Names?" he grunted, his voice a deep rumble that smelled faintly of old fish. If Lily could have taken a step back, she would have recoiled from the stench "I'm Jinx. I have the human Alistair wanted," the purple demon said, her voice strained with impatience.

The tall red demon looked over at the handsome man behind her. Valentine offered a casual wave, his charming smile utterly unfazed by the demon's imposing presence, which made the red demon raise an eyebrow in faint surprise.

"He... um... helped me capture her. His name's Valentine," Jinx explained, a hint of annoyance in her tone. At least now Lily finally knew the names of her kidnappers: Valentine and Jinx.
The demon gave a curt nod, opening the door wider. They all passed by him, entering a much larger, darker chamber. Inside, Lily saw a big, older demon with formidable horns sprouting from his head, slumped at a grand, imposing desk, scrawling furiously on a stack of papers. "I work with a bunch of morons," he grumbled aloud, his voice echoing in the vast room, before scratching something else onto the parchment.

They stood in front of his desk, the older demon oblivious to their presence. "Sir, you have visitors," the red demon said softly, a hint of deference in his tone.
The older demon finally looked up, his gaze, sharp and piercing, falling first on Jinx, then Valentine, and finally, settling on Lily. A flicker of something unreadable crossed his ancient features.

He slowly rose, pushing away from the desk, and walked over to them, stopping a few feet away from Lily. "Leave us," he commanded, looking over at the red demon, who quickly turned and walked out, closing the heavy door behind him.
Alistair's gaze returned to Jinx. "Well done, Jinx. You did get her here in one piece, although you did need help." His eyes flickered down to Valentine, as if he were inspecting dirt on the floor.

"And from an incubus, no less... You better not have touched a hair on her head." Valentine's charming smile didn't waver, completely unfazed. "Oh, I wanted to, buuut the demon you paid wouldn't let me." Alistair's glare sharpened, a cold, dangerous fire igniting in his eyes. Jinx wanted to punch Valentine in the gut for saying something so stupid and reckless, but she held her composure, a muscle twitching in her jaw.

"You'd be wise to mind your words around me, creature," Alistair growled, his voice dropping to a low, menacing rumble. That wiped the smile off Valentine's face, making him look down, a flicker of something akin to respect, or perhaps just self-preservation, in his eyes. The old demon then fixed his gaze on Lily's face, studying her intently for a few tense minutes, as if seeing past her physical form "Um, sir, my rubies?" Jinx interjected softly, breaking the thick silence.

He quickly turned his head, his sharp eyes pinning Jinx. "Ah, yes, your payment. First, have her sit in that chair." He walked over to his desk, pulling out a heavy brown bag from one of the drawers. Valentine, sensing the command, subtly compelled Lily to sit in the ornate chair in front of the desk, her limbs moving against her will once more.

Alistair tossed the bag of rubies to Jinx, which she quickly caught in one hand, a triumphant smile spreading across her lips. It was quickly wiped away when she realized he had only handed her one of the two bags he owed her.

She glanced over at Valentine, a silent plea in her eyes, before turning her gaze back to Alistair. "Where is the other bag?" Alistair smiled mischievously, a chilling grin that revealed too many teeth, and shrugged his shoulders as he placed his hands behind his back. "Jinx, this was supposed to be a solo job. You couldn't get it done on your own; therefore, your pay was cut. There's your money now, get out."

Jinx felt her heart shatter slightly. She had so many plans with the rubies she was supposed to get. She had hoped, just this once, Valentine would understand the situation because he was witnessing it firsthand. She took one last, lingering look at Lily sitting in the chair. Lily noticed a flicker of something, a hint of regret, flash in Jinx's eyes before she turned away. Valentine, ever the opportunist, opened the door for them, his smirk back in place, slamming it closed behind them as they walked out, leaving Lily alone with the horned demon.

Lily felt the invisible, binding pull Valentine had on her snap. The compulsion lifted, and she now had full control over her body again. Her mind raced, a surge of defiant adrenaline flooding her veins. She quickly stood up, her gaze darting toward the door, about to make a desperate escape.

"There is nowhere for you to run here, Lily... that's your name, isn't it?" Alistair said, his voice calm, almost conversational, as he sat back at his desk, his hands crossing on top.
She looked at him, then back at the door, her heart hammering against her ribs.
"Don't you want to know what's happening to you, Lily?" he continued, his eyes piercing. "I know about the murders in the alleyway. A man was burned alive, right? Your power must be developing. Don't you want to know how to control that anger before you hurt someone you care about?"

Lily slammed her hands down on the desk, the sudden noise echoing in the quiet room. He didn't even flinch. "Why the hell would you care?" she demanded, her voice shaking with a mixture of fear and fury.
He grinned, a knowing, paternal gleam in his eyes, as he looked at the red, crescent-shaped mark on her neck. "Because you have the family mark... because you're my daughter. I want to teach you how to control your powers so you can rule the demon underworld alongside me."