章 13: Chapter XII — Netherworld

Ren de Lorwth, was a nine-story white building that stood tall and wide. The Beaux-Arts style and Italian Neo-Renaissance architectural design gave it a historic feel and a large garden and driveway spanned its width.

The whole group had been silent the entirety of the walk down the few blocks. There were no exchange of words; not one of them spoke, not even through the mind-link between the werewolves. Each of the them were clearly wrapped in their own thoughts from everything that had occurred.

A doorman at the entrance opened the door upon spotting their arrival, bowing slightly in greeting at the same time. The werewolves and Rosalieé shuffled as they passed him, sensing the aura he radiates that most assuredly could not belong to a mortal. Some of them exchanged wary glances but nothing was said, and all were still somewhat on guard.

The interior was just as grand as its exterior — high ceilings adorned with intricate carvings and crystal chandeliers that glistened as well as entire area decorated with ornate antiques and plush, velvet furnishings. It was akin to walking into an old European mansion. It spelled elegance and opulence.

The group save for Cassandra found themselves momentarily stunned and in awe of the breath-taking grandeur as they slowed their pace to take it in.

The lavish lobby was deserted as one would expect at an ungodly hour as the one they arrived at. A receptionist stood behind the front desk with a bellhop at the ready, standing by her side. There was also a lone man operating the concierge counter. All three bowed slightly.

"Lady Cassandra, the suite is ready."

"Latin." Lucas enlightens helpfully through the mind-link at the quizzical looks on the others' faces.

The receptionist moved, approaching them with a pleasant smile and upon receiving a nod from Cassandra, she guided them to the lift. The others noted the three staff present had similar auras to the doorman and despite the fact that it had paled significantly in comparison to what they had already experienced from earlier that night, it still had their wolves uneasy and on guard.

They rode the elevator to the seventh floor and were shown to a four-bedroom deluxe suite apartment.

The receptionist had handed Dylan whom stood closest at that point in time, the key cards to the rooms. She had asked — in English — if anything else was required before she bid them a pleasant evening and excused herself. This left the five of them to look at each other unsurely for a brief moment, looking to Cassandra when she had spoken up.

She informed them she would see them the following morning in the common space living area of their suite. To which, they acknowledged and thanked her before Dylan randomly distributed the keycards, and made to enter the suite together and split in the directions of their respective rooms. The black witch patiently waited for them to do so, making no move to leave.

"Victoria," Cassandra called softly. This caused the she-wolf whom had been distracted since they had left Raze Tower's rooftop and had retreated into herself, to snap up, the troubled expression morphing into a momentarily startled one at being called upon by the black witch.

She wasn't the only one surprised; so were her pack members and leaders.

"Will you walk with me?"

With hands still frozen on the golden door handle after swiping the keycard, Victoria studied those amethyst eyes that seemed to strip away the strong facade that she was struggling to keep up.

Victoria was currently overwhelmed with enough emotions this night to last her a lifetime. Among the many things she had learnt today, she had never felt this confused and vulnerable before in her life. She wanted nothing more than to be alone to sort of all these feelings — not to mention she was tired and drained from the lack of sleep and whirlwind of activities that occured in the past twenty-four hours, however she also knew she wouldn't be getting any sleep, not with what had just happened — hence she found herself nodding slowly to accept before she even fully registered it.

The two walked down the hallway, leaving behind the remaining four to stare after the pair and look to each other, curiosity burning.

........

Neither spoke as they descended a flight of stairs and came to a grand ballroom lined with floor-to-ceiling Palladian windows where moonlight filtered through and shined on the marble white floor. A matching magnificent, white grand piano sat on the other side of the room.

Victoria paused in her steps to take a moment to admire it in awe before catching up.

Cassandra stopped, turning to face her. They were across each other with the white grand piano between them. The white moonlight fell from the high windows, illuminating the said grand piano and both of them who stood in it. Not for the first time, Victoria found herself entranced by the witch's beauty which seemed more ethereal when bathed in the eerie moonlight.

The silence stretched.

When they looked to each other, Victoria saw the silent invitation to begin whenever she was ready. There was an internal debate, as Victoria was uncertain on how much she wanted to share.

"I grew up....envious of what my parents have — my mother left her pack for my father, even giving up her beta position. I was ready to do the same when I turned sixteen and realised my mate was very likely not in the same pack as me after the last few years passed and I still didn't find him. So I had always been prepared to leave Lilium in the event that my mate was unable to or even didn't want to join my pack for whatever the reasons he might have."

She began sharing and didn't stop. Cassandra simply listened.

"I have always looked forward — dreamed of even some would say — to meeting my mate. But now that I did, he runs off. Is it possible to feel happy, excited, hurt, lost and confused all at the same time? I...I don't even know what to think. Is it because of our species? I know he doesn't hate werewolves from the way he acted just now, or at least doesn't hate us openly, but he's still a noble vampire, is that why he can't accept it? The eternal feud of our species, I have considered that he would not want a werewolf as a beloved, especially when vampires have the freedom to choose. But it doesn't hurt any less you know..."

Victoria trailed off, shaking her head.

Cassandra could hear it in her voice, that was coloured with melancholy and tinged with forlornness. Yet, there was no bitterness nor self-pity, only a genuine yearning to understand her situation accompanied by some acceptance of it.

The fact that the she-wolf whom was only a few years younger than her, held herself together well — being able to not only consider the bigger picture and approach the situation from a logical perspective, but accept it honestly, without wallowing in denial as well as self-depreciation nor flair in anger — made Cassandra have a new-found respect for her. After all, few werewolves could remain as levelheaded and rational when it came to the matebond that they so often lose all reasoning and restraint to.

Not to mention, this was not the first time Cassandra was impressed by the she-wolf before her. While Victoria possessed a tracking prowess she got from her father and the beta blood inherited from her mother running in her, it was her sharpness and flexibility to adapt to any given situation that she had gained through years of training, hard work and experience that combined with her practical skill set, made her a formidable enemy in the field that Cassandra would even admit she would have a hard time facing. The she-wolf whom had not only been able to track them down since they had left the pack in such a short span of time but also simultaneously evade them by masking her scent flawlessly from her Alpha and Beta while tailing them. In addition, it was somewhat remarkable for her to be able to watch the rooftop scene before her unfold without making a sound nor giving away her presence, even when her Alpha was threatened. If Lucifer had not hinted at it when the both of them re-appeared on the roof, Cassandra would have missed her as well.

Cassandra studied her as another stretch of silence enveloped them.

There was an almost inaudible intake of quivering breath which Victoria was sure she would have missed if not for the pin drop silence and her heightened werewolf hearing, causing her to look to the black witch whose turn it was to look away as she began speaking.

"...He yearns to find his beloved whom he will share his everything and spend his eternity with. And at some point, once thought he had almost found her,...he harboured feelings for her that he spent years buried deep — afraid of her finding out about it and not wanting to lose nor for it to impact their current relationship-"

She turned back to her — amethyst clashing with ocean blue.

"-as he knew she could never return it, not in the way he hoped for because her heart had already belonged to another..."

When she had paused again, Victoria could only stare into the pair of amethyst that shone with so much emotion that made her breath hitch. It held a kind of sorrow and love that ran deep and raw. It was then it all dawned on Victoria and everything became clear.

"And because she only saw and loved him as a younger brother whom was one in everything but in blood."

........

The door clicked shut softly behind Claudius as he exited the apartment room, leaving behind a sound asleep nineteen year-old mortal girl dressed in her thin night gown lying on her queen sized bed. She was exceptionally pale from the huge amount of blood drawn from her. When she awoke, she would possess no memories of the night before, only two faded punctured holes on her neck that would be brushed off as mosquito bites due to the memory wipe and the Veil.

The apartment building complex was eerily silent — as one would expect for it to be at nearly four in the morning. He scanned the empty, dimly lit corridors, and his senses picked up nothing in the vicinity before he proceeded to pivot on his heels, preparing to head to the end of corridor where the staircase was.

Before he could take a step in that direction however, a shift in air raised his alert levels by several notches and an ominous presence materialised behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know who it belonged to.

The other party leaned with his back against the wall where he materialised, arms folded.

There was a beat of silence before one of them broke it.

"You are as foolish and reckless as ever, Alderidge."

Claudius ignores Lucifer, not flinching in the slightest at the scathing words thrown out so casually by the latter.

"When will you grow up, Alderidge? Running away because you were too afraid to face the possibility of it being real? You may have those wolves fooled into believing that the reason you ran away was due to the fear of the reality and consequence of a vampire and werewolf being soulmates...But we both know that's not the only reason, isn't it, Alderidge?"

He could feel those cold, steel grey eyes burning into his back.

"It's has to do with Cassandra, does it not?"

It was a rhetorical question.

Claudius had always suspected Lucifer knew but having it confirmed didn't make him feel better. The former also knew that if the latter had known all along, the reason why he was breathing and not suffering from some excruciating pain or death was because they both knew Cassandra would never have forgiven Lucifer had he laid a finger on Claudius even if out of somewhat justified jealousy. It was astounding too, because had it been anyone else, Lucifer would not have hesitated in dishing out maximum punishment, sparing no cruelty after finding out they harboured romantic feelings for Cassandra, even if it meant waging war against an entire supernatural species; with demons and vampires pitted against each other.

Still, he gave no answer, and Lucifer continued.

"With the effect of the lycan's mate bond in place, there was no way it would have turned out like the rest of your past relationships, could it? There was a high chance you would end up falling for the young she-wolf but at the same time it was not like you thought you could easily forget about Cassandra and the feelings you have for her, could you? You were afraid that if you do accept the bond — much less acknowledge it, there was a possibility that one day the feelings you have for her — the ones that has left you conflicted for years — will eventually resurface or come to light. Nevermind about the she-wolf whom will be hurt after finding out the mate whom was supposed to love her loves another. No, what you fear most Alderidge is Morgâne finding out what you have painstakingly kept hidden for years in order to protect the current relationship between the two of you. You are afraid of how she will react once she knows." Lucifer drawling tone turned darker, the intensity of his stare growing, stripping Claudius of the truth. The former paused allowing the weight of his words to sink in for the vampire before delivering the final blow.

"Unfortunately, I am not the only one who knows."

Claudius froze, as he turned to face Lucifer whom had pushed off the wall and now stood straight facing him.

"You are a fool if you think she has never noticed — for thinking she does not already know."

This time, Claudius paled, he felt his stomach drop.

"Morgâne never wanted you to know."

Steel grey eyes hardened, holding almost a lethal glint sharper than any blade as they watched the blood red ones widen in disbelief.

"She worries each time she watches you throw yourself into relationship after relationship while your heart was never fully into it, and then only to break it off abruptly the moment you realised it was never going to work out. She hurts every time knowing the little boy she grew to see as a younger brother in everything but blood mope in despair at never being able to find the beloved he would spend his eternity with while struggling to hide his feelings for her. She hated she could do nothing about it. Have you not realised why she has never criticised you on your relationships? Nor offered any advice? Nor confronted you about it? She knew that she could do nothing and blames herself for having a part to play in it. She sees herself as the cause of it — although she knows it isn't her fault — the cause of your suffering."

Lucifer's voice albeit controlled, had taken on a much more harsher and colder tone. To say it possessed a tinge of displeasure, was a severe understatement. The unforgiving, icy-glare directed at Claudius was enough to have the surrounding temperature drop several degrees — it caused the latter to look away, head hanging in guilt.

"When?" His voice came out in a hoarse whisper.

"When have I known or when has she known?" Lucifer asked looking straight at him. "I do not know when Cassandra has known...I have known since the day she introduced us."

Claudius flinched, the memories of the said day flashing through his mind.

They were having their usual practice in the forest clearing that was just outside of the von Steins' main mansion. It has been the new norm whenever she had visited, since Claudius had beseeched her of the request that year he discovered the nature of his special abilities.

He had grown and trained much since then. While he was nowhere near a master's level just yet, at least things were not all of a sudden set on fire whenever his emotions were triggered.

The forest ground was charred with burn marks from their duel.

Claudius felt a shift in the air. His senses heightened as an ominous yet oppressive aura filled the entire forest clearing surrounding them.

"So this is the vamprye you have been training with, Cassandra?"

Fire conjured up in both hands, he had whipped around with vampire speed towards the source of the casual voice that spoke. It was rich and deep but at the same time vibrating with authority as well.

It belonged to a boy that looked albeit older than he was, making his mannerism and aura not suit his age.

He spoke the old tongue; as evident in the ancient archaic term for vampires rolling off his tongue with ease.

Who even used the dead language anymore? But, Claudius already knew the answer; not many and even among those, only few could evoke a dangerous and unnerving vibe in such abundance. And it was the same uneasy feeling that over the years, Claudius had found himself becoming numb to at some point.

"A noble descent of the ruling pureblood von Steins' Dukedom with pyrokinesis abilities no less."

The swift deduction of his identity caused Claudius to jolt, red eyes widening before narrowing at the new arrival whose sudden appearance and unnerving aura had already raised multiple red flags in Claudius, making his insides squirm.

The cold stare that analysed him seemed to pierce right through him.

"Who are you?"

The only response to Claudius's demand was a smirk that sent chills running down his spine.

The newcomer turned to Cassandra as he continued his advance towards them his own eyes narrowing playfully and his head had tilted almost inquisitively.

"He doesn't know who I am? I'm hurt, Cassandra. Have you never mentioned me?"

His tongue had switched but the tone was one of faux hurt and dark humour, teasing. The comment had naturally provoked an eye roll from the enchantress. Claudius's eyes flitted back and forth between them, watching it play out before him. It was needless to say, he was tense, alert and above all, burning with curiosity.

The three of them now stood in a triangle formation, across from each other.

"Lucifer, is it time already...oh...I see I must have lost track of time..." Cassandra trailed off, murmuring the last part to herself, all the while frowning before addressing Lucifer in the same language again, "I apologise for missing our meeting time. Have you..."

"Waited long? And come to get you?" Lucifer merely shot her a dashing smirk as he completed her question, causing her to blush.

Claudius found his own frown deepening at Cassandra's use of the same foreign language the newcomer had spoken in. And even more astonished at the red tinge colouring her pale cheeks — he had not known she could make such an expression — in fact if the ice-cold princess could look sheepish, Claudius would say it was right then and there, a reaction elicited by what the newcomer had said to her.

But not once throughout did Claudius let his guard down, his fist still ablaze with fire and stance, poised to attack anytime.

"Cass...?"

Claudius trailed off unsurely which prompted Cassandra to clear her throat and formally introduce the two to each other.

"Lucifer, Claudius. Claudius, Lucifer."

In that moment, Claudius pieced it together. The one before him was without a shadow of doubt, the infamous Prince of Hell, Lucifer. And hence, along with that, it ascertained that the whispered rumours circulating around them for the past few years — the ones Claudius had written off as mere gossip and never had the courage to bring up with her — held far more weight and truth than ever before he had started to realise. Furthermore, while in the back of his mind, Claudius has long since guessed his identity — the nagging suspicion he felt since the beginning was something hard to shrug off, he supposed himself was simply unwilling to easily acknowledge despite the obvious signs pointing to it. Even after it being directly declared, he still found it hard to fathom the actuality of it.

As it all sunk in, he was sure he made an expression on his face that did not befit an eleven year old. He had many questions — mostly for Cassandra — that he feared the answer to.

He shook himself out of his thoughts before they could delve any further and overwhelm him. The fire extinguished and this time he lowered his hands, forcing his posture to relax. His eyes met the pair of steel grey eyes that seemed to bore into him. He didn't allow himself to shy away, despite the intimidation he felt and attempted to maintain as blank an expression as he could all the while he openly studied the older boy.

But, nothing — there was nothing Claudius could glean from the Prince of Hell other than what he had heard from the rumours. On the other hand, Claudius felt — no, knew that the Prince of Hell could read him like an open book; every little thought and every single secret he was hiding.

And even a decade later, nothing had changed.

However, this time, Lucifer had not only unraveled every single one of those dark secrets but had thrown in right straight in his face. And this caused a torrent of negative emotions coursed through Claudius at that, causing him to scowl. The anger, the jealousy, the frustration — at everything — that he had kept buried deep within him for years, sometimes refusing to even acknowledge it himself. He never had the courage to face it much less decipher it. He felt a fool that his efforts had been all for naught, a fool for the way he had acted to cover it up when all along, they both — no, most importantly she — had known about it, a fool for even thinking she would not have known about it. And as if that wasn't enough, the world had to hate him, by damning him to court a nemesis of his kind and making him believe that he could ever spend the eternity, happy with her as his beloved.

"Is this why- Is this how you manipulated her- how you manipulate everyone? The ability to see through almost anything and everything, stripping one down to their naked truths, using their weakness against them, and making them bare their vulnerable side to you before exploiting them?"

Claudius's face had contorted into a sneer as he practically spat the venom-filled words at the Prince of Hell.

Anger flashed in those cold grey eyes and those thin lips curled into a wrathful snarl, "Watch what you are insinuating, von Steins."

The intensity of Claudius's glare didn't lessen but he bit his tongue, knowing and hating how right the other party was.

Cassandra wasn't one to allow herself to be manipulated.

Lucifer continued, the response that followed was deliberately calm in contrast, but the underlying deadly tone in its warning was not to be taken lightly in the least. The fury in it to match.

"And do not patronise me. Realise, there are some things even I cannot do — things only you alone can do for her."

Claudius almost scoffed in disbelief at the words that he thought he would never hear come out of Lucifer's mouth. Because his admittance, went against the very sin he embodies. But at the same time, he also knew for a fact that where Cassandra is concerned, the most conventional of rules did not apply, it could even be said the latter defied every possible law of nature known if it was for her. Hence, making him the most unpredictable and dangerous creature in their entire supernatural world whenever Cassandra was in the equation.

This was why Claudius's brow could only furrow at Lucifer's words in complete befuddlement as the latter's drilling stare continued to bore into him.

And without waiting for a reply nor expecting one, Lucifer vanished, his exit as silent as his arrival, leaving no trace of his presence having ever been there in that eerie corridor. But, the pure-blooded vampire left behind continued to stew and brood in silence over what had just transpired.

........

Brushing away her braided hair slightly, his lips pressed against the crook of her tilted neck. Undistracted, she refrained from reacting even as his warm breath tickled the sensitive skin on her neck when he murmured.

"The two events are held on the same day, at the same time. Whether that is a coincidence is yet to be seen. However, it is highly likely that they are unaware she is one of yours — her powers have not awakened."

Cassandra purses her lips. She doesn't question his intel nor does she seek to reconfirm — it has never been wrong. All that is left is for her to decide.

Her eyes fell to an elegant black and white masquerade mask and the invitation letter to the closed-door product launch event that lay next to it on the table. The dinner banquet for the launch overlaps with the auction and they were both held at the same venue. It was easy enough to slip out from the former to the latter and blend in without raising any suspicions.

The groundwork has been laid and the stage is set. The beginning where the curtains lifted is fast approaching, hence even with a crucial role absent, the show must go on.

She sighed, her gaze now going to the phone on the right corner of the dark mahogany desk. She shifted from where she sat on him to reach towards it and his hands on her waist loosened as she did.

Picking it up, she dialled a number that's been well-prepared beforehand.

After all, duty came before personal vengeance.