Miracle

Pt. 36

"Go to your room. We'll try again later," Lily's father said, his voice flat, dismissive, as if she were a troublesome pet. He turned and walked into the house without a backward glance.
She continued to pant softly, her chest heaving, looking up at the perpetually dark sky of Hell. Her body felt too heavy to move, each muscle screaming in protest. It felt like she'd been practicing for hours, her arms aching from the constant, repetitive movements of fire manipulation. She pushed herself up slowly, rubbing a bruise already blossoming on her arm.

That yellow demon had finally managed to land a hit, and it hurt like hell. Her father had shown no remorse, merely claiming she should have been faster, that she wouldn't have been hit if she were.

She made her way back inside, her gaze falling on her shirt. It still bore jagged claw marks and streaks of dry blood across the front. She walked into the guest room she was currently inhabiting, closing the door softly behind her. With a huff of anger, she ripped off the ruined shirt and flung it at the closed door. Pacing for a moment, she walked over to the closet, opening it with a frustrated yank. It was already fully stocked with clothes, a variety of sizes and styles for every conceivable event, mostly in shades of black. Reaching in, she pulled out a basic black T-shirt and slipped it over her head before sinking onto the side of the bed.

She pulled the necklace from over her head, holding it tightly in her hand. Her gaze fell on the bright emerald, a small comfort. At least it could still protect her from demons physically touching and grabbing onto her, so she still decided to wear it. But when her father had grabbed her earlier, he had shown no signs of discomfort. She wondered why he didn't act like it was burning him, but perhaps he was just hiding the pain he felt.

Suddenly, her father threw open her door without knocking, startling her. She quickly slipped the necklace back on, turning on the bed to face him. "You're going to need to start getting ready. We have an event to go to later."
She raised an eyebrow. This was the first time since she'd been here that he'd mentioned anything about an event. She slowly stood up as he walked further into the room, already Browse through her closet. "An event... for what?"

Her father let out a light, almost amused laugh, as if forgetting she wouldn't know the customs of Hell. "We are having a ball tonight, for your return, for you unlocking your powers. Tonight, I'm also going to announce you being my right hand. The whole underworld will soon know your name... We are going to rule over Hell together." He said, his voice thick with ambition, before turning back to the closet and pulling out a long, black full-length dress with a dark blue corset-style top.

She glared at his back, defiance simmering. "I don't want to go," she stated strongly. He sighed, turning fully to her. "You will go, Lily. That's final. Everyone in the underworld will be there... even Satan himself will be there to see my beautiful daughter. You will not humiliate me by not going, and you'll wear this." He tossed the dress onto the bed with a rustle of fabric before walking to her, stopping directly in front of her. He reached out a hand, surprisingly quick, and ripped the necklace right off her neck.

She let out a small gasp of surprise and pain. "And you won't be needing this anymore. It may work on weaker demons, but definitely not me. If you fuck this up for me tonight, you'll regret it." she rubbed her neck instinctively as he made his way to the door, throwing it open with a thud. "I'll send some maids in to help you with your makeup and hair. When the moon is at its highest point in the sky is when the ball begins. You will be ready by then." He slammed the door closed behind him, the sound echoing ominously.

Now, she was without her necklace, without her only physical protection. The demons here could do whatever they wanted with her. She picked up the dress, holding it up to her body as she looked at herself in the full-length mirror. Just a year ago, she had no idea about this whole world. Now, she was about to get ready for a ball, ostensibly celebrated in her honor. Throwing the dress onto the bed, she walked to the stained glass windows, rubbing the place on her neck where the necklace had once sat.

She watched as different demons scurried around, decorating the outside of the house for the ball, banners unfurling and strange lights illuminating the bleak landscape. "Please hurry, Alex," she whispered, her voice a desperate plea.

*****

"This place is huge inside! How are we going to find what room she's in?" Max whispered, his voice hushed as they walked down one of the many opulent, yet eerie, hallways.
"The demons in this place seem too busy to notice us, so we have time," Alex replied, as a demon rushed by them, holding a tray laden with strange, steaming foods. Their presence seemed completely unnoticed by the demons around them. They walked past various servants and workers, all absorbed in decorating and moving things around.

They seemed far too busy preparing for what Alex assumed was some kind of grand party or big event.
Suddenly, two female demons walked past them, carrying trays of different makeup and hair products, deeply engrossed in gossiping and chatting.
"I heard Alistair asked to have a beautiful gown made for her. He's really pulling out all the stops for her coronation," the yellow-skinned demon said, her voice light.

The shorter, red demon beside her, Ivy, scoffed. "It's an honor for us to be chosen to do her hair and makeup for the ball, honestly. She should be more grateful to be here; her father is rich and literally Satan's right hand. Lily would live well here." the yellow demon rolled her eyes, laughing at her coworker's mercenary comment. "Not everyone cares about climbing the social ladder... she was literally kidnapped from her home, Ivy. Have some pity."

Alex grabbed Max's arm, his eyes wide. They followed the two maids at a careful distance, blending into the background as best they could. "They're going to Lily. We follow them, we find her."
Max nodded, a grim determination setting on his face. Alex realized with a jolt that the party was probably for Lily's coronation. He had to get them all out of here before she was officially known to all the underworld as Alistair's daughter. The stakes had just risen exponentially.