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Archdemon Empress Luna

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"Apollyon." Luna sobbed, blood trickling down her mouth to her neck. "This is me."

Luna was back in her own body.

Trembling with excitement, Luna's eyes roamed around her legs and arms.

This wasn't a dream.

She lowered her head a little, making her hair fall on her cheek.

Luna just wanted to check if she had silver hair, reassuring her that she hadn't possessed the wrong body by accident.

She still had her silver hair, so why was Apollyon calling her Lilith?

Her wish to come back to the Vampire Realm had come true without any help from the Archdemons in Hell.

How can Luna break her bargain with Sloth now that she was back in the Vampire Realm?

She swore an oath to teach him how to create portals to the Human Realm, and in return, Sloth would help her get back to the Vampire Realm.

It was a bargain she couldn't fulfil anymore.

Anyhow, the answer shouldn't matter.

It wasn't like she would see those damned Archdemons ever again.

She didn't have to care about Sloth because Apollyon had summoned her soul back to this Realm first.

There must be a price for this, and she had this fear of knowing what it was.

Whom did Apollyon strike a bargain with so that Luna would be able to return?

Luna prayed that Apollyon would not strike a bargain with any Archdemons, but the evidence had shown her otherwise.

WIth bulging eyes, Luna gasped at what she had just witnessed.

This room had become a fountain of red, and the blood wasn't that noticeable as it pooled all over her feet.

The faeries with long and curved black horns had Archdemon runes all over their skin.

They were real, and all of them were dead.

The bright reds had already darkened into brownish hues on the iron-covered tiles.

Luna wrinkled her nose in disgust at the smell of blood that wasn't her husband.

"How many times have you tried this script, Lilith?" Apollyon's Prussian blue eyes were wild with anger. "Couldn't you be more creative than this?"

He pulled her hair backwards, forcing her to gaze at him, "I command you to give my wife back!"

"Husband." Averting her gaze, Luna stared at the horror behind him in shock. "Did you kill these faeries behind you?"

Apollyon gritted his teeth. "Now, you are acting like you have no idea what we were doing."

The sound of heartbeat thrashed in her ears. "You are no different from Archdemons if you can mass murder these faeries around us!"

"The ritual should have worked by now." Apollyon anxiously muttered as if he didn't hear her.

He dragged a frustrated hand to his raven locks Luna had yearned to comb her fingers with, but she had to address what had bothered her first.

Apollyon was determined not to have a happy reunion, constantly insisting that she was Lilith when she was clearly not!

Then his wish was her command.

"I can't believe you killed all those creatures just to get me back, Apollyon." Luna spat as she pulled at her chains. "Why are you doing this?"

"Now, you are appealing to my conscience?" Apollyon threw back his head and laughed.

There was a slight edge of madness to it which sent chills down her spine,

"You can do better, Archdemon. I had no shame and guilt when it came to rescuing my wife, and neither would I have them when I can finally destroy you for ruining other creature's lives." Apollyon smirked. "You don't fucking deserve any mercy from me."

"But—"

"Stop this act and give me back my wife."Apollyon bellowed as he paced around like a maniac.

From the wild glint in his eyes, he appeared crazy and desperate.

Pointing an accusing finger at her, Apollyon said, "An Archdemon will not have the power to point her finger at me when you have done more evil deeds."

Luna grimaced, and Apollyon didn't miss that. "Are we comparing the number of our sins now?"

He glared at her with bloodshot eyes. "Just go to Hell, Archdemon."

Clenching her fists, Luna was very much tempted to scream at her daft husband.

She just wanted her Apollyon to free her, but that wouldn't happen unless she could convince her husband that she was who she claimed she was.

Luna took a deep breath and exhaled through her mouth.

When Luna opened her eyes, she stared straight into Apollyon's deep blue ones as if she was searching for his heart, searching for his soul if he still had one.

"Bloodshed is the devil's ink, husband. Wicked and cruel is the flame that encircles and swallows up other's flames. " Luna cried out, and her lips had trembled, "I don't want any more blood to spill in your hands! Do you understand me, Apollyon?"

"You are ruining yourself, becoming a monster of your own making." Luna continued to search if there was still humanity left in that cold yet intense gaze of his.

"I don't want you to become an Archdemon!" She yelled at him, and his eyes slightly widened like he didn't expect her to do that. "Do you know how sick you are for killing these on behalf of me?"

Can he recognize her now?

"Not on behalf of you, Archdemon." He said.

'Oh, help me, goddess!' Luna thought.

He still didn't. "Don't be delusional."

When Luna had expressed her anger, Apollyon became angry too.

Letting go of her silver locks, Apollyon threw his hands up in the air as if saying he had given up. "What magic words do you need?"

"Should I spill more blood—one that was innocent—and not these demonic faeries around us?" Baring his teeth, Apollyon swore a string of curses as his hands shook with the force of his wrath. "Do you want me to kill more unicorns? Tell me what you want so that you would get out of my wife's body, and I'll do it."

Prince Aspen abruptly cleared his throat as 'dead' silence fell in the room.

It was true.

Most of the creatures in this room were 'dead' for a blood sacrifice initiated by his husband.

"I apologize, cousin, but I wouldn't let you kill any more unicorns. " Prince Aspen said. "These demonic faeries are enough for a blood sacrifice to make Luna return."

"Why is Lilith still here then? I don't have any more patience left in me." Turning his head, Apollyon addressed Prince Aspen Luna felt like she wasn't even there in the first place. "Perhaps, killing the conjurer was the last part of this damned ritual!"

"Don't be rash to kill the High Priestess, Apollyon." Prince Aspen replied calmly as he gave the High Priestess across Luna a sideways glance.

The High Priestess they talked about had long green hair, reaching her waist, and a body that was as thin as a reed.

Luna realized it was a Faerie High Priestess if the gossamer wings were an indication.

Unfortunately, the lady was unconscious, chained to the ceiling like her.

Not dead.

Yet.

"Let's wait for a little bit."

This lady must have been the one who summoned her from Hell back to this Realm as per Apollyon's request.

Nevertheless, Luna tried again. "I am Luna, Apollyon."

"I have told you many times that you weren't a good actress." Clenching and unclenching her fists, Apollyon stepped away from her to regain his composure.

He appeared like he was close to punching her in the face for claiming that she was Luna.

"It was a mistake that I might not have noticed at first, but Cederic did. " Apollyon's lips curled as he stared at her with disgust. "I'm not your fool anymore."

What had Lilith done to Apollyon?

"You can't manipulate me with your tears." A shake in the head. "My Luna will never leak a dam of tears just like what you do every time you don't get what you want, or I don't give you attention."

"Apollyon. I am your wife." Luna said slowly, as if explaining to a daft child. "Listen and get it in that stubborn head of yours."

"We are getting rid of you, Lilith. Why are you still here?" Scowling, Apollyon fiddled with the chains of his necklace. He wasn't listening to her. "I told you to get the Hell out of Luna's body and return to whatever the Hell you came from."

"You can't lie to me anymore." He didn't cry, yet his voice was choked with emotions. "I am tired of your lies."

"Return my wife to me. Is that difficult to ask?" Apollyon whispered pleadingly. "I have done everything I could."

Argh.

This conversation was getting old!

With her jaws clenched and her eyebrows knitted together in a scowl, Luna could only sigh in ire.

Why can't her husband believe in her?

"I wouldn't be shocked that you became an Archdemon yourself in exchange for summoning the Archdemon of Gluttony to possess me."

There was a tightness in his expression when he stepped closer to intimidate her.

"You should have been so damn proud of yourself. You can't blame Cederic and me anymore for your misfortunes." Leaning closer, he whispered, "Stop acting like a victim when you are not one."

If he would keep denying her, Luna swore she would cry again.

She was trying to be strong for both of them, but her tear ducts had a mind of their own.

"Apollyon. I am the real Luna." Luna couldn't help her tears from falling any longer as she thrashed about, attempting to kick Apollyon with her legs.

"I don't know why you are talking like I am that ancient High Priestess Lilith who was obsessed with you." She screamed her heart out, sobbing like a baby.

"I am not the Archdemon of Envy." She insisted between angry hiccups. "I am not Lilith."

Apollyon did a slow clap.

"So, you finally spilt your secret after all these years." He snapped a finger in her face as if he had caught her proverbial hand in the cookie jar.

Apollyon gave her a smug grin. "Our speculations were true that you have become an Archdemon."

Luna stopped crying because all her precious tears would be a waste to a vampire husband who refused to listen while his friends sat back and watched the commotion as if this was some form of sick entertainment.

She couldn't wipe the tears from her cheeks, so she continued to sniff in regret.

"Apollyon." Despite her burning anger, Luna had to speak slowly and calmly, enunciate every single word so that his bull-headed lover would understand. "What do I need to do to prove that the ritual you did with all these dead bodies was successful and that I am your wife, Luna?"