There are moments in life when I wish the infamous 'If looks could kill, you'd be six feet under the ground' phrase was true.

Because at this very moment, standing in front of devil incarnate himself, I wanted nothing more than to bury his immortal body underneath the filthy mud.

Apparently, Mellisa took Valerian's advice of looking into Queen Annabeth's archives first. The problem here is that her archives are at her castle in Helvon. Which means we had to go to the underworld to look through them.

Considering Dulcamara's words, Mellisa wants me and Zander to find the key to capture Thanatos Skia. She believes herself or anyone else won't find it even if they try their best. Because technically, me and devil incarnate are the only ones who can find it.

Which leaves me with no option than to go along with Zander to his kingdom. Although Mellisa, given our 'rift' with one another, took pity and told me I could take my second-in-command along with me for company.

Now let me be very honest here, I wholly trust only one person in my kingdom and that is Ursula, my second-in-command. If I take her with me and hand Seagill in someone else's hands in my absence, my kingdom will be in threat. And so I can't ask her to accompany me.

Although, no fear my friends, I came up with a great idea and asked Valerian to let me take his second in command, Avyanna, along. It took my utmost self-control to stop myself from murdering the High King because the brute just wouldn't let me take his head guard.

I still remember how much I'd pestered him . . .

--------FLASHBACK---------

"But why can't she, annoying crow?! It's not like I'm asking you to come along!" My voice booms in the entirety of Valerian's study.

The raven king himself remains lazily sprawled on the couch adjacent to mine, with his head on Kaitlyn's lap and his hands playing with her hair.

Cheesy couple vibes anyone?

"I said no." He retorts in a single blank tone.

"Please!" It sounds nothing like a request but it'll do.

"Take your second in command with you, Marilla. Leave mine alone. Avyanna wouldn't leave her duty either way." Valerian's voice is uncaring.

"Ugh! It'll be like a vacation for Avyanna! If you give her permission, she'll come! Besides, I can't take Ursula with me!" I let out a groan.

"Even I think Avyanna should rest for a while, Val. Maybe getting away from here and work will help her move on from the pain of Julian's death? It's been seven years, she's still mourning him. I know it's hard but she deserves to be happy too. She's an amazing person at heart. We know that." Kaitlyn juts in, her hands running through Valerian's hair.

At his wife's words, Valerian's eyes soften and he asks me in a curious tone, "Why can't you take Ursula again?"

"Because she's the only one I trust in my entire court. If she accompanies me, Seagill might be in threat. I'm not risking my kingdom's safety." That's the most reasonable words I'd spoken.

"Millions of merfolks and you trust only one of them? That's gold."

"Says the king who doesn't trust even a single one of his own folks."

"That's where you're wrong. I trust Kate." He winks up at his wife from where he's laying his head on her lap.

"Kate's not even your folk. She's your queen." I roll my eyes.

Valerian twirls a lock of Kaitlyn's hair around his finger as she stares down at him amusedly, "But she's mine. And I trust her."

"First of all, that doesn't even relate. Second of all, Oh my God, I might puke because of all the cheesiness! My single dog eyes." I make a gagging expression and all he does is ignore me.

"I'm still here." I remind my brute of a friend when he raises his face closer to his wife's. Kaitlyn laughs at his antics, inching closer.

Valerian doesn't bother to even look as he angles his mate's face, "Suit yourself out of here then."

I roll my eyes yet again, "The amount of respect I receive from you makes me want to murder you in your sleep."

"Thank you for letting me know in advance. I'll be prepared." And then he quite literally pulls Kaitlyn's lips to his while I'm still here.

Well hello? Rain check? Who this?

Knowing that staring at them making out isn't going to get me anywhere, I get off the couch with a 'hymph'.

Just as I'm about to walk out the door, I hear Valerian's voice from behind, "Take Avyanna along. But if something happens to my second-in-command, I'm taking yours. Also, take care of yourself on your journey. Don't go dying somewhere."

The sounds I hear after that is something I don't wish to mention. My ears are traumatized for life. Seven years of being married and having twin children, they still can't keep their hands off each other.

But I know despite all my outward gagging, I actually think they're a really cute couple. They truly deserve to be together after the things they both had gone through. I'm happy for them. I did ship them from the start afterall. And my ship did sail.

As I saunter out into the hallways, I find my lips tugging into a warm smile at my brother from another mother and father's last words. Idiot of a friend, love you too.

-------END OF FLASHBACK------

And that's how I passed the walk-of-shame worthy moment. It happened yesterday after the court meeting ended, by the way.

Coming back to the present, Zander is here in Raveria to 'teleport' me and Avyanna to Helvon. All the other royalties have departed to their own kingdoms, even Mellisa is gone. And I'm supposed to be gone to Helvon by now too.

The head guard is already in the Underworld after devil incarnate did his woodoo disappearing stuff and dropped Avyanna off in Helvon and now it's my turn.

Which brings us to my current state of burrowing holes into devil incarnate's eyes since he demands to hold my hand to be able to winnow us to the Underworld.

"I don't have the whole day's time. Give me your hand, fish." The reason for my agony speaks.

He seems just as annoyed as I am. Probably because he doesn't want to hold my hand either or maybe because I hadn't placed my hands on his since the last fifteen minutes and am making him wait so long. Whatever the reason, he looks pissed. Not that care.

"I'm not holding your hand." I retort adamantly.

Don't get me wrong. We're mates and if his skin makes contact with mine, the eye-roll worthy fictional sparks are supposed to ignite. And I don't like the idea of it at all.

Zander rolls his eyes, "You act as if I'm asking for your wedding vows."

"As if I'd ever give my wedding vows to you." I snort.

Zander tilts his head to the side as a smirk flits across his lips, "If you're so confident that I don't have any effect on you, then what's the problem in holding my hand? Or are you bluffing?"

"Why would I?" My eyes narrowed into slits as he took a step then another and then another towards me, that infuriating smirk still etched to his face.

I stay my ground despite how edgy him growing closer makes me feel.

Once he's close to me enough that one more step and we'd be sharing the same breath, he leans in towards my face,

"Is it that my presence makes you feel all butterflies-in-your-tummy giddy and that's why you don't want to touch me, because you'd feel the whole damn zoo then?"

I don't know whether it's my 'in the gutter' mind or whether it really did sound all things wrong.

His face is so close that I can see the flecks of black among the grey in his irises and smell his mixed scent of cologne and wild flowers. To say the scent wasn't intoxicating would be a lie but I would never on my grave admit it to him.

Instead my glare is hard and sarcastic, "You're so full of yourself."

I attempt to push him away but before I can do so, he grabs my hand making those sparks come to life.

The next moment I know, we're surrounded by smoky black clouds. It's like being surrounded by utter darkness. Despite my annoyance, I find my grip tightening on Zander's hand as I look up at the inky black pools his eyes had turned into.

After what felt like eternity but was only a few seconds later, the dark clouds subside.

The smoke lessens horrendously. When I look around, I see we're in a dark isolated throne room. The flooring and the walls here are a grayish silver with a black hue from the edges that blended well with the moonlit copper paint. They seemed to shine luminously as the lights from the tremendously huge crystal chandelier overhead cast its glow.

The cushiony throne atop the raised podium was adorned with black crystals, a gemstone we only find in the underworld. But none of it was a comparison to the ceiling.

Infinite stars and asteroids loomed on the top walls. They seemed to be moving and twinkling as if enchanted.

I couldn't stop the awe that passed my face. I never thought demons could carve things like this.

And then I hear devil incarnate's voice whisper in my ears, "Welcome to Helvon, fish."

(^a very rough depiction of the throne room in my head. Just imagine the throne to be adorned with black crystals)