30

Nicholas walked through the large castle halls admiring paintings that kept reminding him of where he belonged and where he came from. The castle walls had an ominous feeling to it, the black paint was blacker and looked like there was something lurking in the shadows, the red paint on every painting depicted fire and then the white paint were the souls his father misled into following him, it's not like it bothered him though but one thing always got him thinking, the particular painting of his father with a genuine smile, playing a golden harp to the hearing of the one called God. How could someone as happy as that toward praising another now despise that person's name even when mentioned?

Then there was the painting of the great battle where his father became the devil and some principalities and powers followed in his steps. No one could be like the God whom his father served but his greed taught him his lessons the hard way and his pride wouldn't let him accept defeat no matter what. Then there was his beautiful mother, Lilith, the queen of darkness and the woman who loved his father despite his many flaws and wouldn't leave him for a care in the world.

"Welcome home son," a thick and smooth voice brought him out from his admiration and reminiscence of the painting and his parents. He stood still not bothering to face the person who had spoken. "Now I wonder why…my favorite son is here,"

"I hope I have your assurance that my family is safe…incase Acheron hears that…father," Nicholas said and finally turned to the man he called father.

"Acheron isn't stupid to go after you,"

"I'm glad you think so highly of him," Nicholas said staring into his father's steely grey eyes. They stayed silent staring into each other's eyes as though speaking a certain language only they understood through their eyes. Nicholas closed his eyes and turned back to the painting.

"You're here for something, what is it?" his father asked.

"You really think your son will never visit unless he wants something?"

"Spare me the drama Nick, I know you, you left this life and this place right from the minute you ran off with Regina…you made it clear you wanted nothing to do with my legacy…"

"How's mother?" Nicholas asked interrupting him.

"She's perfectly fine," his father replied as though he hadn't been interrupted. "So…what is it exactly that brings my favorite son to the Undeworld?"

"Explain to me exactly father…how I am your favorite son? I left you, mother…I left everything behind,"

"I still see the little demon spawn who loved to deceive, manipulate and lie to people…and I guess because you're your mother's child, let's not forget, you've given me a wonderful great-granddaughter,"

"If you're talking about Scarlett, then she won't help you," Nicholas said bluntly.

"I'll try my luck, the same way I tried with you, Nathan and Zevan, there's a lot of bloodline in this family,"

"The devil doesn't give up does he?" a small but bright voice called their attention.

"Mother," Nicholas bowed as a beautiful woman with silky black hair and eyes stood beside his father.

"It's great to see you again son," the woman hugged him.

"What're you doing here Lilith?"

"I came to get you but I didn't think I'd find my son as well," she said. "You really do look like your father," she said after a brief pause.

"What do you mean?" the two men asked.

"A few of my vampire friends said they've seen the devil roaming the streets of Devaria as a business man,"

"Father's grey eyes are more emotionless,"

"And yours have more emotion in them?" Lothaire, his father asked sarcastically. "What is it Nicholas? Why did you come here?"

"Why did you give the shades throne?" Nicholas asked. This question had been nagging at him right from the day he found out his father had taken his throne and given it to the creatures he created, he tried to reason it, tried to justify his father's reason for treating him this way but then his father was the devil, he shouldn't expect anything less.

"Now I remember the other reason why you left…I betrayed you,"

"You remember that now Lothaire?"

"Forgive me Nick, I'm the devil, betrayal is part of me…I apologize,"

"Where's the seal?" Nicholas asked ignoring his pathetic apology.

"You'll have to find that yourself, I may have given them the throne but I know nothing concerning it,"

"Leave it to the devil to ruin things…I'm sending Scarlett to find that seal and if she gets hurt…"

"You can't do anything to me Nick…and let's not forget you betrayed your own father when I asked you to join me,"

"You've been letting him think this way mother?"

"Your father has a mindset that is very difficult to change son,"

"Look me in the eyes Nicholas and tell me what you see…manipulation, deceit, betrayal, I don't take any of these things likely when I'm on the receiving end, friend or foe, family or stranger, I will punish,"

"Just promise me father…don't try to stop us from getting that throne back and please, don't drag Scarlett or any of my grandchildren into this,"

"I need someone to rule my…"

"Acheron and his family are ready and more than willing to join you father, please let my family be…I promise I won't keep you from them anymore, just please father…if they want to join you, let them come willing,"

"Listen to him Lothaire… Nicholas is begging you for the first time in over millennia," Lilith said. Lothaire's steely gaze softened as he stared into his son's pleading eyes and finally, he sighed defeated.

"Alright Nick, I won't force them, if they want to then they'll find the way,"

"Thank you father," Nicholas said. "Mother?" he hugged Lilith who kissed his cheek.

"Come back some other time son and please bring Regina…bring the entire family, it'll be a family get together," Lilith suggested.

"I'll see what I can do about that mother," Nicholas smiled at his mother then turned to his father with a firm resolve in his eyes and in a second, he was gone. 

*** 

He had her back pinned to the trunk of the tree the third time that night and his dagger was yet again plunged into her chest. Her pants were heavy and her breathing ragged as she stared into his ice blue eyes that mocked her silently. She tried to shove him off her but he pressed the dagger deeper into her chest and she couldn't breathe properly. He'd started his lessons with one dagger for the both of them and she was finding it hard to at least point a dagger at his heart or chest talk less of actually attacking him. He raised his fingers to her face and her heart picked up the pace as his warm fingers tucked loose strands of hair behind her ear.  

Scarlett wondered why her heart suddenly began to beat so fast, the adrenaline coursing through her veins was making her head spin. An unknown yet familiar feeling flashed through Seth's ice cold eyes as he stared down at the girl who had his dagger in her chest, he could hear heart pounding viciously against her chest. He almost felt her breathing hitch when he pressed himself closer to her, so close their faces almost touched and then that mocking look returned to his eyes.

"Before we started, you said you were a fast learner…what happened to that?" he asked mockingly. His voice sounded incredibly low. She stared at him, annoyance clear in her gaze, she knew he was teasing her, that dimple appeared on his left cheek again as he smirked and it made her fluster.

"I am," Scarlett said in a low voice as well.

"Then get the fuck out of my hold and fight back," he urged. Scarlett closed her eyes and heaved a sigh. Everything he'd been telling her to do, all the instructions replayed in her head and echoed as loud as they could. Her eyes flew open and they were steely grey, an intense flame burned in her eyes as she pried herself free from Seth's grasp and pulled the dagger out of her chest. Finally she was able to turn the tables around, she grabbed the arm he had his dagger in and turned it to his throat while her own dagger was inches away from his heart. A small triumphant smile formed on her lips as he tried to escape her hold but with no luck.

"I am a fast learner," she said. Seth smiled faintly and then he had her on the ground with another dagger entirely in her side. Scarlett groaned with the forceful intrusion and the pain that coursed through her body. "Was that…necessary?" she choked.

"That's enough for today," he was already a few feet away from her when he said that.

"What no? It's not dawn yet, that can't be enough," she quickly said as she grabbed the dagger and pulled it out of her body. He turned to her amused.

"Look around you Reckless, it's already an hour past dawn," Scarlett looked up and truth be told, the sun was almost completely up, did time really fly that fast? "Focus reckless, you're frustrated when you fight, you let your blind spots become too obvious and it's very reckless of you,"

"Why do you call me that?" she asked and then from where he stood, he was in front of her immediately.

"Because…you are very reckless," he whispered into her ear and then he was gone.

Seth materialized in Gallus' mansion where he knew he would find his forgotten brothers. He remembered everything and he needed to tell them so they could begin their plan to bring their mother and sister back. As he walked into the living room, Gallus and David sat opposite each other each with a glass of alcohol in their hands. Gallus turned to him and their eyes met, Gallus' brows furrowed as he stared into his brother's eyes surprised.

"Is it really you brother?" Gallus asked. David turned to Seth and then to Gallus confused.

"What do you mean brother?" David asked

"Our brother's back David, he's finally returned," David turned to Seth shocked and then lunged at him in a tight brotherly hug. The three brothers hugged each other, only they knew what it meant to be a family so close but still be separated. They sat down to three decanters of prosecco after their brief brotherly reunion discussing everything that had occurred after their crystals shattered.

"What about mother and Lia?"

"We're yet to find the gate to the abyss,"

"Silva gave me the key before her death, it was in a pendant around my neck," Gallus vanished and materialized a second later with a black jewel box in his hands. He handed Seth the box and Seth took it and opened it, inside was a gold key that had intricate patterns of silver flames engraved on it. He closed the box with the key in it and looked into his brothers eyes with a flaming determination to keep the promise he made to his sister.

"That girl from the party you threw Gallus…the one who got hospitalized, how is she?" David asked.

"Elizabeth Swan? She's getting better but the doctors haven't given any updates about her," Gallus replied.

"Get Kieran to do a background check on her," Seth said after a while. There was something about the girl that made his demon restless with just her name.