《《《CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE》》》
DEVONA KINGDOM
“Wise, you say?” Devina paused, casting a glance at Lucifer. “You were wise, but only to a certain extent,” she sighed, exchanging a smile with the sorcerer by her side.
“So, you ki||ed the sorcerer because she found out about you, didn’t you?” Devona’s question hung in the air, but Lucifer remained silent.
“Hmm, this is so amusing,” Devina remarked before seizing a dagger and driving it into Lucifer’s thighs. The pain was immediate, not just for him, but also for Deva.
“And the worst part? You compelled me to marry my only daughter to you,” Devona screamed as she plunged the dagger into his ribs, relishing every moment of his torment.
“Deva can feel this pain, Devona,” Lucifer warned, but Devina’s smile only widened.
“Let her feel every inch of it. This is all your fault, and hers,” she declared before turning her attention to a hot iron.
“I despise you, Lucifer,” Devona hissed, pressing the searing metal against his skin. Though Lucifer struggled to maintain his composure, each agonizing moment weakened him further.
“You’ll regret this, Devina,” Lucifer managed to utter, but his words were met with laughter.
“How could I possibly regret this? After I’ve ki||ed you, or…” Devina trailed off, turning to the sorcerer beside her.
“She did an excellent job, didn’t she?” Devina commended the sorcerer, who returned her smile.
“She uncovered that you weren’t Filip. How did I not see it? No wonder you insisted on excluding your parents from the wedding, citing short notice.”
“A clever move,” Devina mused, halting momentarily as a loud bang echoed through the chamber.
The door swung open, revealing a wrathful Deva. Her fury was palpable, unlike anything Devina had witnessed before. It was both surprising and exhilarating. Suddenly, a handmaid rushed in, urging Devina to leave.
“Please, go,” Lucifer said but Devina’s gaze remained fixed on Lucifer. How dare she?
“Guards!” Devina screamed as Deva fled the throne room. “Seize her now!” she ordered, watching as the guards dashed out in pursuit. But why rush? Devina pondered. There was still ample time to inflict more torment upon Lucifer. It was immensely gratifying.
“The king of torture is now being tortured,” Devina remarked, chuckling as she and her sorcerers shared in the amusement.
“It’s meant to be ironic, yet it feels all too fitting,” she added before rising from her seat.
“ki||ing you would be a waste of my time, energy, and spirit,” she declared, her gaze lingering on Lucifer.
“Do you truly believe I’ll remain here for long?” Lucifer challenged, prompting another bout of laughter from Devina.
“You have no power, darling,” she taunted, caressing his cheek.
“You’re quite beautiful. No wonder my daughter adores you. But have you shown her your true nature?” Devina inquired before driving the dagger into his ribs once more.
“My queen,” a guard interrupted, bowing before Devina.
“Where is she?” Devina inquired eagerly.
“I regret to inform you, my queen, that we failed to apprehend her,” the guard confessed, sending a wave of fury coursing through Devina.
“What do you mean?” she demanded, her anger simmering.
“She escaped, but we managed to eliminate her handmaid. The princess possesses some form of power, possibly black magic,” the guard explained, prompting a frown from Devina.
“My child?” she questioned, to which the guard nodded.
“Ensure that word does not leave this chamber,” Devina commanded before dismissing the guard.
“Well, I’m not overly concerned. I have every confidence that Deva will return,” Devina remarked before turning her attention back to Lucifer.
“To reclaim her favorite playthings.”
🔥 HELL🔥
Deva paced the throne room, her body still tingling with residual pain—a testament to Lucifer’s suffering. It pained her deeply to know that he remained in captivity.
“You need to compose yourself, Deva,” Hades advised, reaching out to touch her shoulder, but she recoiled.
“Compose myself? Your king has been captured by that witch, and you tell me to remain calm. How astute of you, Hades,” she scoffed, advancing toward the throne.
“How did he lose his powers? And why?” Deva demanded, her tone laced with urgency.
“It’s not my place to disclose such matters, Deva,” Hades replied.
“But I command it, Hades,” she insisted, moving to stand directly before him.
“You cannot command me, Deva. Only the Lord possesses such authority,” Hades reminded her, but Deva held her ground.
“Not even his queen?” she challenged, revealing the red marks on her arms.
“See these? I can feel Lucifer’s pain, every bit of it. Now, what does that signify?” she pressed, her gaze unwavering.
In a moment of realization, Hades understood. Deva was now the true Queen of Hell.
“Must I repeat myself, Hades?” she prompted, causing him to bow his head in submission.
“The Higher Council orchestrated this. They sought your demise, believing it would restore the Lord’s power. But he defied their wishes,” Hades explained.
Deva traced her face in frustration, realizing the extent of her culpability. She had unwittingly set this chain of events in motion.
“Perhaps a visit to the Higher Council is in order,” she mused, a smirk playing at her lips.
ELSEWHERE
Deva tenderly kissed the sleeping infant, a pang of guilt coursing through her. Her mother had perished because of her actions.
“All your needs will be met. You’ll want for nothing,” Deva assured Paula’s husband, who appeared as drained as she felt.
“The same applies to her. She shall lack nothing for as long as I draw breath,” she added, her gaze softening.
“I’ll arrange quarters for you both within the palace, where you may reside with your daughter. Should you encounter any difficulties, do not hesitate to seek my aid.”
He nodded solemnly, cradling the slumbering child in his arms before departing.
~~~
“Who dares to step into the sacred chambers?” Deva scoffed before striding purposefully toward the higher council.
“Witches are forbidden here,” declared one of the council members.
“But the Queen of Hell is exempt,” Deva retorted.
“There is nothing like the Queen of Hell,” the sole woman among the council remarked.
“I can be the first,” Deva asserted, causing the council to fall silent.
“Are you all rejoicing at the prospect of Lucifer’s demise? Without him, what is Hell?” Deva challenged.
“We can find another king,” one council member suggested.
“Oh, how pleased God will be with you,” Deva countered, rendering the higher council speechless once more.
“When I was a child, tales of the higher council painted you as benevolent wish-granters. Yet now, you resemble those confined to the pit of Hell.”
“Don’t you disrespect the council,” one of the higher members admonished, rising from his seat to confront Deva.
“You speak of disrespect while the Lord himself is being disrespected by my mother. He is the King of Hell, he has powers over the underworld. Do you even have the right to strip him of his powers at all?” Deva countered, her voice laced with defiance.”All you do is sit here and make foolish and ill-conceived decisions,” she continued, her frustration boiling over.
“That is enough,” the higher council member interjected, stepping forward to address Deva directly.
“You speak as if you are more than just a creation,” he stated, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
“What do you mean?” Deva inquired, her curiosity piqued.
“It seems your beloved has neglected to inform you,” the council member remarked cryptically. Deva’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“Your creation was one of our endeavors, a project we undertook in secrecy. While God created everyone else, we took it upon ourselves to craft you,” he explained, drawing closer to Deva.
“Ending your existence would be a simple matter,” he added casually.
“I don’t understand,” Deva replied, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her.
“Heh, your mother was desperate for a child and sought Lucifer’s aid. They agreed that she would bring you back to the sacred chambers to serve at the age of five,” he revealed, a sense of satisfaction evident in his demeanor.
“We kept this from God,” he admitted, his gaze never wavering from Deva’s.
“Perhaps that is why all of this is happening to your beloved,” he suggested ominously. Deva’s mind reeled with the revelation, struggling to comprehend the truth of her origins.
“Lucifer was present when we devised the plan for your creation. He desired you to be powerful, but it is worth noting that you were fashioned as a witch, with your mother’s blood coursing through your veins,” the council member continued, his words piercing through the haze of Deva’s thoughts.
“When you turned five, your mother made a sacrifice to extend your time with her for another decade. And I’m certain you wouldn’t want to know the nature of that sacrifice,” he teased, his tone dripping with malice.
“What was it?” Deva demanded, her voice trembling with a mixture of dread and morbid curiosity.
“Hmm, let’s just say it was the heads of your father and grandfather,” he revealed with a smirk. Deva recoiled in horror, aghast at her mother’s cruelty.
“In short, you and Lucifer were never destined to be,” he concluded, his tone dismissive.
“You don’t get to decide that. We know what is meant to be,” Deva retorted defiantly, her resolve unyielding.
“How amusing that you believe you had a lifetime with him. You are nothing more than a mere child,” the council member scoffed, his laughter echoing through the chamber.
Anger coursed through Deva like wildfire as she faced the higher council, their disdainful gazes fueling her fury. With a fierce determination, she tapped into the depths of her being, summoning the full extent of her latent power.
A crackling energy surrounded Diva, swirling and pulsating with an otherworldly intensity. The air grew heavy with anticipation as the council members exchanged uneasy glances, sensing the imminent eruption of raw power. Without warning, Deva unleashed her pent-up energy in a dazzling display of force.
A blinding burst of light illuminated the chamber as waves of power surged outward, engulfing the unsuspecting council members in its wake.
One of the council members, caught off guard by the sheer force of Deva’s power, was sent hurtling backward, his body propelled by an unseen force. With a sickening thud, he collided with an iron fixture, the impact sending shockwaves of pain reverberating through his body.
Blood welled in the council member’s throat as he struggled to catch his breath, his body wracked with agony. His fellow council members watched in horror, their expressions a mixture of disbelief and fear as they witnessed the extent of Deva’s formidable abilities. Never before had they witnessed such raw power, such unbridled potential.
They had underestimated Deva, dismissed her as a mere mortal, unaware of the true depths of her strength. As the chamber fell into stunned silence, Deva stood amidst the aftermath of her unleashed power, her eyes ablaze with determination.
She had made her point clear – she was a force to be reckoned with, and she would not be underestimated.
Deva, her eyes blazing with a potent mixture of fury and authority, approached the wounded council member with purposeful strides. She stood before him, a formidable presence radiating power and command.
“Mere child you say, Now, who is the little boy?” Deva’s voice dripped with disdain as she surveyed the council member, his weakened state a testament to her unleashed wrath.
With a steely resolve, she delivered her ultimatum, her words ringing with an unspoken thr_@t.
“If you know what’s good for you, go and give Lucifer back his power. Or else, this council chamber, or wh@ťěver you call it, will not be the same the next time I come here.”The council members, still reeling from the shock of Deva’s display of power, could only nod in silent agreement, their expressions a mixture of fear and deference.
With a final, imperious glance at the council, Deva turned on her heel and strode away, her posture regal and unyielding. She left them in her wake, a palpable aura of authority lingering in the air long after she had departed.
Tbc