It's late morning, and the girls all talk from the heated pool room, crowding together in a spa, while their Lycan mates are nowhere to be seen. However, it's clear to me they had a very sleepless night.

"Does anyone know where Silvia is?" Wynter asks, "Cleo? Carmen?"

"Let me tell you something, honey, Onyx and her... they're definitely fucking in hell, or in some graveyard," Carmen grins, "Don't worry about her. No one has seen Onyx either, so he is with his bitch."

Thanks, Carmen.

You're not totally wrong.

"Okay..." Wynter trails off, "Well, aside from this hiccup, I want to ask you all... did you break?"

"Oh, those fuckers, asking what we were planning?" Juny smirks, "No way, we knew what they were up to. We didn't say a word."

"Anubis was more interested in fucking me, gagged, bonus points," Cleo gives herself a thumbs up.

"Lucky you," Carmen also adds in her two cents, "I didn't spill. Neither did you, Wynter, well done. We really are queens."

"And Sardonix is scarily manipulative, so extra bonus points to us for keeping them distracted," Juny puts her arm around Gerry and they all happily relax, knowing that none of them snitched.

Ehehe... and then there was me... fuck.

"Okay, well, now that you've all had time to consider my suggestion, I need to know if you've come up with any extra ideas to help me create this new world in 5 days time," Wynter looks hopefully to Cleo first, who slightly shakes her head, so she looks past Carmen, to the three Luna Witches.

They all share knowing, proud looks.

"We've been talking on our walk this morning into the township, and we came up with some pretty cool ideas," Selene tells Wynter.

"We asked ourselves. Where do we get the all-sustaining source of magic from, for the spell to never break – or at least, how to make is near impossible to break?" Juny asks.

"Demon bones will ignite the spell, the blood moon itself is the source for that night, after the eclipse, that moon will reflect celestial light back as demonic, it flips it from holy to unholy... but where does the trap come from, for the infinite power source, so we had an idea..." Selene looks to Gerry.

"A loop," Gerry finishes, "A never ending day. Or a never ending night. Or... both. And they keep feeding each other energy."

"I can weave a looping curse," Cleo inputs, mischievously, "That gives me another idea. My Fae Kind, we travel into all kinds of worlds... Wynter, you don't have to create a new dimension, just go to an abandoned one. Put your new Lycans there."

"....thank god... I love you girls..." Wynter almost tears up with relief, "You just worked out the most crucial factors. I was going to take on the whole load. And create something much bigger. But what you're saying, makes so much more sense. The looping spell simplifies it."

"You've talked about creating Lycans," Selene interrupts, "How exactly are you going to create the light for this new world?"

Wynter pales a bit, "Oh... about that. On that night, the Lycans we create will choose their light source. It is the only way to stop them from killing us and hunting our demons down to start a dick measuring contest. Because they are more powerful, they will want to prove themselves. I have to convince them... they will have all their doom, in their world, and only a marginal proportion of it, on Earth. So, I'll have to negotiate."

"And then let them run out and kidnap a bunch of unsuspecting victims?" Juny asks, "Oh, geez... ah... that's a little risky."

"I'll take the risk out of it," Cleo slyly blushes and smiles, "Love arrows. Flipping their energy, they'll choose the woman who is exactly the opposite, and abracadabra, looooove will bloom.... Anubis has some very ancient curses, I'll steal some cupid arrows, easy, pagan magic is pretty forbidden, by Anubis, since he killed a lot of those gods, but I can convince him to give me a few arrows to play with," Cleo flutters her wings in excitement.

"It's settled, grab those arrows, find those Lycan bones, get your spells in order, I'll stash them all in the Under, in Dark Academy's library. Somewhere infrequently visited by the demons who reside there... and no stress. Carmen, and... wherever Silvia is... practicing I guess... distractions... that's all you are... it's very simple... easy... and we will all live happily ever after. We just need to hold our truce for five more days. Don't tell them. Darc, for one, will not approve of this. And there are no Lycans in existence that will approve the creation of much more 'alpha' ancient breeds that can wipe them out, only to cause untold doom to unfurl in our world..."

"All this, to out play Lucifer," Selene chuckles, "I'm so fucking down to outwit that angel... Demon Queens... we really are boss bitches."

"By the end of this week, we really will be, and the respect we gain off our demons will be eternal worthy, like, we can literally rub it in their faces..." Wynter adds.

I watch all this.

From the Vault.

I'm chained up, naked and spread eagled.

Onyx is the reason I woke up like this, although he generously asked a resident witch to spell me a one way mirror to Earth, to be able to see their plan unfold... and soon fold.

They were all cursed, and didn't even know it.

Onyx had a lot of dark, demonic joy, locking me in here. He was a dark soul, but even I could feel the coming moon was influencing him to lean toward his father's side. The total Lycan asshole side. Another word? Evil. It was already starting.

So, being as smart as I could, I didn't prod him, I just submitted.

The Vault is a room back inside the Crypt. Some random place in an angelic curse that Wynter created. It's ridiculous how inescapable it was. But at the same time, the demons had a key to this place.

The Crypt was a club in the real world, and it was literally duplicated into the side of a damn mountain in the Under. Some of the items in here were upside down, and I had a feeling the whole damn sky scraper the Crypt was a part of, was lodged into the Under, all upside down, skewered into the earth. Except this level was the accessible one.

I'm alone in here, in this damn dungeon, with a fire burning in front of me for warmth.

Another little human thing Onyx left for me.

After watching my friends speak of their ingenious idea, knowing I fucked it up, I also know I can't just stay in here, chained up and useless.

I need to warn them that the Lycans and Lucifer knew.

Onyx would tell them, and they'd craftly ruin the entire plan.

But I have a counter plan.

I watch the flames flicker, and I remember what Cleo did. I'm no fairy, but I try it.

"Anubis," I call into the flames, the one that wouldn't be affected by this moon, a neutral element "Anubis. Help me."

This was either going to be the worst idea in history.

Or the smartest.

That grumpy old Lycan would either alert Onyx and I'd get spanked, bad.

Or he'd take great pleasure in helping us achieve this end.

I guess I was about to find out.

Calling a demon's name is more than enough. Especially since I was willing to pay for his assistance and he could feel it. I see two red eyes, on a black wolf's head.

"Anubis," I say his name again, "Will you help?"

"It'll come at a cost," Anubis says, his head starting to tilt.

"Anubis... I'll do anything you want," I whisper it, and he reaches out of the fire.

Anubis pulls me out of my chains, into his world.

From there we walk through his Temple, into his spell room.

"I can see what you're all planning," Anubis speaks first as he reaches a molten pot, grabbing a pair of iron tongs, he stirs the metallic liquid, "You don't have much time, or many chances..."

"Why are you telling me this?" He looks sideward and almost stops breathing. I follow his gaze to a crushed bird cage. It takes me a moment to realise... that's his story with Cleo. When she was a tiny fairy, he trapped her in that cage. She told me about it. So he is thinking of her. He was protecting her life.

"I will help you," Anubis turns to me, "You know I don't belong in your realms. And I seldom interfere while I protect this land. But I have everything you need. I just need you to be capable of this... and I have noticed, this week... you complain of being mortal..." he reaches into his pot, and takes out a bunch of thorns, twisted around, solidifying with the metallic liquid, "When you wear this, you will be able to hold the moon. And anyone who tries to stop you, you can call in a storm. It's a crown that controls the sky."

"So... um... like weather powers? What's the catch?"

"Only half-gods can wear this," Anubis frowns, then immediately admits, "So I will make you immortal. Now."

"How? Through fire?" I ask, slightly panicked.

"No, through older magic," Anubis smirks, "Drink this," he turns and walks into his shelves of spells and potions. He carefully picks up a vile and brings it to me.

Inside is a clear liquid.

"The tears of Zeus himself," Anubis casually gives me the vial, "I only have one dose."

"Will I go insane?" I ask, barely able to believe what I'm holding.

"Most likely, in time. You can sleep, like me," Anubis suggests, "I am immortal too."

"What about Cleo?" I ask, randomly, having a suspicion that...

"She already is," Anubis says, "When she was Fae, the tiny version, she would have miniature baths in my tea cups, I always told her to stop being so ridiculous, but eventually, one time when she wasn't looking, I added a drop into the cup... she doesn't even know she's mine forever in that way."

"This is a big deal," I whisper over the vial, "I..."

"Will die without it," Anubis tells me, "Or you won't. If you want to be a Demon Queen, you should be a little harder to bleed, shouldn't you?"

"Anubis... this is the power of true love..." I tell him, raising a brow, smirking, "All this for Cleo's assured protection?" Then I'm thinking of what Lucifer said. There's nothing more powerful in the universe than a soulmate. And mine was Onyx. He was demonically infernal, and eternal... but dying because of my mortality, "Will I restore Onyx's longevity, if I take this?" I ask Anubis.

"He will become more powerful but that is just an unfortunate consequence," Anubis bares his teeth in an annoyed scowl.

"How much more powerful?"

"You could say he will be equivalent to an Angel Killer, once you become like a second sun, your soul duplicates, it feeds off itself. Gods power themselves. With themselves. Which is what will happen when you drink that."

"None of that makes any sense to me," I interrupt, smiling, "Uh. I'm curious. What's an Angel Killer?"

"The kind of Lycans who were banished from hell for being too powerful," Anubis says, "...like me..." I raise a brow, "I am the only one," Anubis says, "When you drink that, Onyx will be more like me, although not entirely the same. He will just be feeding off your energy."

"Oh... cool... but Anubis... there were more Angel Killers?" I ask.

"A whole pack, they're dead," Anubis explains, "It was a long, long time ago, they were the pack before Obsidian and his purely-demonic pack were born, but Obsidian slaughtered his brothers for the jealousy he held for his mate, then Onyx, his son, replaced him. Lycans are very violent when they take over from the previous generation," I can't help thinking of Sardonix, but I know he is different.

"And what was different about the Angel Killer Lycans, why did they get banished from hell?"

"Lucifer realised his mistake," Anubis tries not to laugh, "He made them powerful enough to fool with God, to smell, hunt and kill Celestial beings, only to realise his own vulnerability too late after they slaughtered many angels, with a taste for heavenly celestials. So Lucifer eventually banished them from his realm. Religious mortals hunted them down on Earth. They could never retreat into Hell, back to safety. They were picked off until they were all dead. Lycans with a nose for angels will never be created again. So I fooled with the spells I collected and gave myself a similar power. The main difference is that you have to be an immortal Lycan by celestial magic, not just 'eternal' by hellfire."

"Immortal is... better?" I wonder.

"Immortality is Lucifer's weakness because it is also his power," Anubis looks me over, "He'll be scared of you when you drink that vial, you will gain a rare advantage."

"But hold up... isn't Cleo immortal?" I ask, "You just said you made her so, and she doesn't even realise."

"There is still a chance of death. Think of it like this, Silvia. Eternals die slow. Immortals don't die at all, but are still vulnerable, just in very, very, small ways. You will not know your greatest weakness until you drink it –"

We both here a commotion in the corridor outside his spell room, and through the temple, Anubis and I both see Cleo being chased by the pack after she's picked up a pile of small arrows, "Let me play with them!" Cleo scolds them, laughing manically.

Anubis immediately doesn't care that I exist.

He strolls past me, to chase her down.

I'm left standing with the vial of immortality and the dainty pretty crown out of the pot.

Anubis forgot the most important detail.

This was the cost of saving me from that vault. Do as he requested; which was become an actual Demon Queen.

Anubis was so casually loaded with power.

I wonder if Cleo even realised how utterly God like he was.

At least she was my way out of here, straight back to the other 'Queens'.

I open the vial, and I close my eyes as I think of why this is necessary.

One, I owed Anubis a debt.

Two? The only way to fight Lucifer's hellfire creations of chaos, was with some much darker, older, more ancient magic.

Lucifer was terrifying.

But so was Zeus, even though he was dead. I held a part of him in this vial, and it would soon be inside of me.

Thank you, Anubis.

It was time to even up the odds. While Under the Under, I swig the vial back – and I swallow it all.

When I open my eyes, I immediately feel the difference. Like every part of me is now set in stone, a constant life source.

Including which part of me will be my vulnerable point.

It's obvious, as Anubis said it would be.

I sense that every part of me is utterly invincible.

Except for one little part.

Oh, fuck my life.

I look down at my chest.

It's warm and squishy and remains human.

My heart.

I try not to roll my eyes.

Because even though I was immortal, I was still a fucking 'useless whore', wasn't I? Well, I guess it could have been worse, it could have been my pussy –

"Oh, hey," I hear Cleo's voice, and I turn to see her being carried into the room, Anubis holds her by her pinched wings, like a caught butterfly. Her arms are full of arrows and a bow.

He drops her onto the floor, walks around her, picking up a book and turning back to me.

"Take the crown and take this book too," Anubis says, "Give it to Wynter. Only an angel can say the words to give this edge to the purebred Lycans she'll create."

I open it and read the first page, out of curiosity.

Uhuh. 'Angel Killer Recipe'. How to make Lycans hunt light instead of rot.

Well.

That would be handy.

"Thank you, very much, Anubis," I hold the book in one hand, and the crown in the other.

Cleo has dropped some of the arrows, being a clutz, and Anubis watches as she scrambles to pick them all up again.

The look in his eyes is completely spell bound.

He says nothing as he just melts on the spot.

"O-okay, I'm good, I'm not going to drop them again," Cleo slowly stands back up, "We need a portal, beast," Cleo smiles up at Anubis, his eyes, I see his soul, he fucking burns – by the power of love – and so he draws the portal with his claws.

When it opens, I see the snowy Wilder Mountains through the other side.

"Talk soon, my handsome, cleverist beast!" Cleo flys up to his cheek and gives him a kiss next to his nose.

Anubis is too reserved to kiss her back with a lick or anything while I'm staring at him so hard.

Cleo flys through the portal.

I'm still staring at Anubis with a smug smile.

"Leave, whore," Anubis narrows his eyes at me.

"I don't feel any different," I tell him.

"It's for the crown, but you will be faster and stronger," Anubis adds, "Good luck, demi-gods rarely end their lives well," he smirks at his little jab my way, "Goodbye, bitch."

He turns and walks out of the room.

I look down at the book in one hand and the 'sky crown' in the other.

Would I die badly one day? Oh, well, I didn't have plans on taking over the world anyway.

I just wanted to live. To fuck my Lycan.

Yup.

No shame.

I climb through the portal. The week had barely begun and there was still so much to do. Namely – run and hide before our demons or Lucifer sabotaged our ingenious plan.