※ Eliana's POV ※

"Great! Now open your fist and push forward!" Dante said from behind me with a strong, determined voice.

I had my fist clenched tightly close to my body and I summoned every strong positive emotion, extending my hand quickly and opening my palm.

My concentrated face fell into one of disappointment when nothing happened. I watched the scarecrow in front of me, swinging slightly as the wind blew through the fields.

I huffed and dropping my hands, I turned around to face Dante. I looked at him with a grim expression and he grinned at me.

"Eli-"

"I told you! I can't do it! I'm worthless!" I interrupted him and threw my hands up in frustration.

We have been in the exact same position for the last couple of hours, doing exactly the same thing, over and over again. And I failed every single time.

What I was trying to achieve was to conjure fire in my palm and shoot it towards that damn scarecrow in the middle of the field. Dante said that in order to achieve that I need to think of positive feelings that I have felt in the past; happiness, satisfaction, cheerful thoughts, and blissful memories.

"You're not worthless! Stop saying that. It took me months to learn how to properly conjure fire on my palm. Everything is new for you, Eliana. Give yourself time to process." Dante said and patted me on the head, looking with empathy down at me.

"You're right" I sighed and cracked my knuckles, glancing back at the scarecrow that remained untouched.

"Now, take a break, rest for a while and when I return we'll start again," Dante said and started walking away. I sat down on the soft grass and sighed tiredly appreciating the break and the silence.

The silence reminded me of a certain someone though, who was being... too silent.

Hey Kara

Hey Eli

What's up with you lately? Why are you so quiet?

I just don't have anything to say...

What? I don't believe you. You always have something to say. You know, snarky remarks, rude comebacks..., I snorted and pulled some grass with my fingers.

I'm just- She sighed, stopping mid-sentence. I'm just tired, Eli.

Oh... What can I do about it?

She remained speechless for a little while as I tried to think of ways to help her.

Mate, she said abruptly and I froze.

What?

Eliana, I'm tired of being here, inside your mind. I know that I'm here to protect you, but I'm clearly useless now. You have your mate to protect you and now you know that you are a phoenix and you have unlocked your powers so what am I doing here?

She paused for a while and I could almost feel her rapid breaths on my face.

Oh yeah, that's right. You don't know if you want your mate yet, so you won't complete the bond and I'm fucking stuck inside of you until you decide. HE IS YOUR MATE ELIANA! He won't leave you, he won't hurt you, he won't break your heart. SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

While Kara threw a tantrum inside my head, I was glaring viciously at the stupid scarecrow, swinging and mocking me. I felt my anger boil inside me as she kept talking and talking.

Kara, you know that this is a very sensitive subject! You knew I wanted to try and we had agreed to try but as you can see, things happened! Terrible things. Things that I couldn't control nor change. So give me a fucking break!

I was basically seething and I felt my blood boil inside my veins as I talked with Kara. Why couldn't she understand that I just couldn't commit to such a relationship? It's not a simple thing to be mated to the damn Devil!

Do you think you have it hard? Come on, Eli! I'm a sex demon trapped inside a phoenix's body and I can feel my powers faint every single day. You were being harassed and I couldn't do anything about it, Eli! Absolutely nothing! I couldn't protect you, I couldn't save you! What if they have killed you before you unlocked your powers?

She paused and tried to calm her erratic breathing before continuing.

So what am I doing here? If I can't protect you, what the hell am I still doing here?

It was only after her angry voice turned into one of clear disappointment that I understood why she was being so aggressive.

Kara... You know that I wouldn't be here without you, right? I would be dead in a ditch or rotting in Hell. You have helped me numerous times and I feel safe knowing that you are constantly here to save my ass.

But I understand if you are bored and tired of me. You had to put your life on hold for almost 22 years in order to keep me safe and make sure I find the right path. So tell me what's exactly holding you from being done with your... assignment, what's keeping you from being released?

Several minutes passed and Kara remained silent. I kept pulling at the soft grass as I gave her time to calm down.

Well... There are a lot of things that I haven't told you about this... assignment. But I wasn't allowed to say anything until you found out on your own. You have to understand that... I'm just the messenger here.

Yes, sure Kara. But no more secrets, okay? If you know something I don't, please tell me and I swear I won't rat you out.

Okay... Where should I start?

From the beginning, I said firmly. She sighed anxiously and took a deep breath.

When you were born, word spread all over Hell that the daughter of Queen Madison had come into this world. Every succubus and incubus wanted to meet you, meet the next Queen. During the first week, your mother visited Hell to tell us the bad news; The spawn of the Queen of all succubi wasn't a demon, never mind a succubus.

Well, you can imagine what happened in Hell. Everyone questioned the Queen and her power. Your mother fought many other powerful succubi in order to maintain her place on the throne. And simultaneously she had to take care of you and raise you.

My heart clenched tightly every time Kara mentioned my mother and my mind drifted back to when she was still "alive". My body was burning up from within at this point.

But Madison won every fight and defeated every arrogant bitch that thought was strong enough to outpower such a mighty Queen. I was always the one closest to her and was one of the few ones that remained by her side while she fought for her throne. So that's why she chose me to protect you. She knew I was powerful and strong enough to handle such an important assignment.

So she brought me to your bedroom and she showed me the small baby sleeping peacefully inside the cradle. She picked you up and showed me the back of your head. I was so mesmerized by the sight of the mark, yet so terrified by it. The assignment suddenly became too much for me and I wanted to back out.

But your mother sat me down and told me exactly what I had to do and what I had to know before I started. Your mother was so sweet and strong back then...

Two stray tears escaped the corners of my eyes and hit my arms that were resting on my lap. The sadness that emerged from within was unbearable. I looked down and was taken aback when I saw my veins glow softly; a light orange color was running inside my veins making them light up and shine. I gasped and raised my hands, looking mesmerized by the sight. I heard Kara gasp too as she ceased her talking.

Keep talking Kara, please.

But you did it!

Keep. Talking.

Okay...Well, you're not going to like it but you asked for the truth. Madison told me that she knew from the second you were born that you weren't a demon neither a human. When she saw the mark she understood that you had to be protected at all costs and that you were too important to have anything happen to you. Madison used to be a true supporter of Lucifer and how he ruled Hell. She thought of him as her one and only King. And she was gifted with the greatest gift of all; birthing his future mate. Lucifer's unique mate.

She also knew that you were a phoenix..., I gasped out loud when she said that. The betrayal was beyond heartbreaking at this point. And I knew too...

You...knew?

Yes... I'm so sorry Eli! I really couldn't tell you. I'm sorry.

Although the fact that she knew what I was and hid it from the very start was hurtful, I understood that she couldn't tell me and I think it's better that I found out on my own.

I... I understand Kara. I'm not mad. Please, continue.

It took her a few seconds to continue but eventually, she composed herself and started talking again.

So, she told me that you were a phoenix and you were to become Lucifer's mate. She then proceeded to inform me about what had to happen in order to complete the mate bond and what I had to take care of before I was able to leave you.

Eliana, in order to mate with Lucifer you have to... die.

My blood froze and my breathing ceased immediately, my fingers digging inside the dirt.

Wha-...But how? What?

I was baffled. Confused. Scared of what she meant.

I... I'm sorry that I don't have a worthy explanation. But this is exactly what your mother had told me. In order to mate with Lucifer, you have to die a natural death. She didn't explain why or how or when... She just insisted that it was a necessity for the mate bond to be complete.

But...But, I'm not immortal! Dante said that we are immortal in the sense that we can live forever if no one kills us! If I die... I stay dead!

I don't know, really. I have no idea how that works. What I know is that no other angel had to die in order to mate. They just completed the process by uniting their marks. So this is a question that I can't answer for you.

I was left speechless as Kara ceased talking, her anxiety passing through me like electrical currents. I wanted to feel numb but all I could feel was rage. Pure, unfiltered rage. The kind that makes you want to lash out, break everything in your way and scream at the top of your lungs.

I was so furious at my "mother" who kept all this information a secret. How could she do that to me? Why didn't she say anything? If I was introduced to this life sooner, if I had known that demons and angels and God existed, if she had told me that I was to become Lucifer's mate then maybe it would all be easier.

Instead, here I am once again, thinking about how my life has turned upside down for the past year as I was violently thrown into a world I don't know anything about and utterly terrifies me. For every new little detail that I learn, two more questions pop up and it constantly overwhelms me. I have been through so many difficult situations and I have almost lost my life numerous times, and for what? Only to find out that y mother, the woman who gave birth to me and raised me, decided to hide everything from me and keep me in the dark. She abandoned me and let me think that I had lost her, that my mother was dead, all the while she is enjoying her throne in Hell.

How can some people be so mean and selfish? How could the sweet creature that I thought my mom was, be so goddamn cruel to me? What did I ever do to her to deserve this? What did I do to deserve being left alone in such a terrible world, with no support whatsoever and without even a hint at what might be expecting me?

I seethed and grunted in anger as the self-destructive thoughts continued making me dizzier and dizzier. My fingers were fisting the dirt and the grass, digging inside the ground. The smell of something being burned reached my nostrils and I quickly realized that it was coming from the ground below me. Smoke rose up in the air, coming directly from my hands and I let out a scream, bringing my hands in front of me and stretching them.

As the terrible thoughts about my mother and her secrets consumed my brain and the pain, the anger, the rage, the sadness, and the betrayal that I have felt during this last year all resurfaced at once, I opened my now dirty palms as I watched my veins light up with the darkest shade of orange, almost turning red.

My hands were burning up as strongly as my insides and the distinct smell that I would have never thought I could smell anywhere else, filled my nose and triggered my senses. Lucifer's aroma of pure fire was surrounding me as I screamed and stretched my arms towards the scarecrow in the middle of the field. Flames engulfed my hands and fire shot out of my palms. A string of continuous fire starting from my fingers and ending at the scarecrow now filled the grassy field.

My hands shook and I felt as if my head would burst as I concentrated on painful memories that seemed to fuel my power. As I watched the line of fire reach the scarecrow and ignite it, I felt as if my veins were cut open, fire oozing out of them and slowly deflating.

After what seemed like hours to me but in reality, was a few seconds, I grunted in defeat as I let my shaking hands fall down on my lap and I leaned forward, my head touching the ground. The smell of smoke had taken over the sweet aroma of nature around me and it now reminded me of destruction.

I tried lifting my head up and opening my eyes but I couldn't even move a single finger. I breathed heavily as the grass was tickling my red, warm cheeks. I moved my fingers against the ground, feeling the grass and the dirt, hoping it would give me the strength to rise up.

I am so tired... I feel drained. What if I just rest...my eyes... right he-

As I felt my eyes slide shut, a loud, reassuring voice shouted my name in the distance.

"Eliana!" Dante's voice boomed, filling the emptiness and the depressing sound of the burned grass crackling, as the fire died down. His comforting voice kept me from slipping into unconsciousness and gave me the power to turn my head in his direction.

I smiled faintly at the gentle giant as he run towards me with a concerned and curious facial expression. His naked chest glistened underneath the sunlight and his marvelous ginger hair flowed gracefully in the air. Dante was a piece of art, a true masterpiece.

He ran over to me and fell on his knees as quickly as he could. He placed his hot palm on the small of my back and leaned down looking at me. I sensed his worry flow inside me when he touched me and his furrowed eyebrows gave it away as well. I smiled proudly at him as I felt this incredible sense of power.

"What happened? Are you okay?" He sighed and hooked his arm around my waist, slowly bringing me back up on a sitting position.

"I did it, Dante" I whispered faintly at him, coughing a couple of times as he lifted me up. "I did that! Look!" I said proudly and weakly pointed towards the line of burnt grass. The scarecrow was now swinging slightly, smoke emitting from every part of the hay human-like statue.

Dante glanced behind him, looking at the results of my firey outburst with curiosity. His strong hands never left my waist as he supported me to stay upright. He looked back at me, and I expected to see him proud and excited about my achievement but his expression showed neither.

My weak, proud smile fell immediately when I saw his angry features turning to me.

"Didn't I tell you to take a break? Why did you continue practicing without me?" He said and slowly stood up, taking me with him. He set me on my feet and although I tried hard to stand on my own, I felt like my legs didn't work anymore. I left out a small gasp as I started trembling like a fish out of water when Dante attempted to let me go. I grabbed his arms tightly and leaned towards him as my feet failed me once again.

"Woah Woah! Here, let me" Dante exclaimed in surprise at how weak I was. His velvety smooth arm wrapped around my small waist, picking me up completely off the ground. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine" I whined at his angry response to my accomplishment. "Why are you upset? I did it! I did that! Aren't you proud of me?" I blurted out with a tinge of sadness laced in my voice.

"You mean if I am proud that my friend and apprentice just tried something so dangerous, without even knowing the consequences of her action and without having someone beside her to help her if something goes wrong? No, Eliana, I'm certainly not proud." Dante said harshly and worriedly as he started walking down the long green field, heading towards the lake.

I could see the logic behind his words but I was so done with everyone keeping secrets and not telling me anything or even going into the trouble of explaining something to me. It was about time someone understood how I felt being kept in the dark for so long. So I snapped.

"Well, how the fuck am I supposed to know that it is dangerous when no one informs me that it is? I'm so done with everyone worrying about me and watching out for me and what I will do next. I just want someone to explain everything to me!" I huffed and raised my voice as I started struggling against his tight hold. I didn't expect him to actually let me go, because Lucifer never did. But Dante, sensing my anger and frustration, relaxed his grip and set me down on my feet, releasing me.

I concentrated on finding balance, but I failed miserably, falling to the ground. I hadn't even realized that the field was declined and turned into a deep slope, ending to the lake until at that exact moment. I started rolling down the slope like a barrel, grunting and trying to stop, using my hands.

But as expected I failed at that as well.

A few seconds later I was half-drenched from the lake's sweet water as I ended up rolling down the whole slope and landing on the lake's shore. The cold water hit me like electricity and refreshing shivers run down up and down my whole body, giving me strength.

My ear caught Dante's sigh as he started walking towards me from the top of the slope. I tried standing up and I actually managed to get into a sitting position this time. I brought my hands up to my hair, pushing it back and then splashing cold water on my face, washing away the dirt.

I sensed Dante's presence behind me and I saw his shadow fall on the calm lake waters; Small ripples formed around my body as I disturbed the calmness of the lake with my fall. I didn't look up at Dante although I could feel the holes being burned on my back.

I heard him sigh again and then shuffling sounds as his shadow disappeared from the lake. I furrowed my eyebrows and refused to turn around and watch what he is doing.

Did he leave? Did he just let me at my own sake, even though he clearly knows that I can walk for the life of me?

"You're right, Eliana." I heard after a few seconds of silence, indicating that he was still here. "We should have started with answering all your questions and by explaining the basics first. I just saw and felt your excitement oozing out of every pore of your body, and I thought that by starting with some basic training you would be more curious about the theoretical stuff." He said, never stuttering once.