Two hours later

Flames flicker up the trees all around me. I stand alone in a field just outside the gang-bang going on in a ritualistic fuck-fest just behind me. Lycans and bitches. The only reason I've out-manoeuvred Onyx is he's assumed I've returned to use their hell house to sleep.

I had begged him for sleep, thinking he would only deny me such a luxury, and he had instead generously released me from the party.

And so I wandered off – just in the wrong direction.

I'm a bit confused on where to search. Exhaustion has indeed settled in. But it could also be the fact I'm losing my mind right now, as Obsidian had warned me in the vision.

But I don't have much time to ponder it. Afterall, I needed to get the crown, to become the real Lycan Queen and maybe even earn Obsidian's respect.

As I close my eyes, I see another vision.

The birthing pit. The crown. The skeleton.

I get a feel for it and decide I can probably navigate to it through Hell on instinct alone. It feels rather close...

I open my dreary eyes – and I'm already in the Birthing Pit.

The fuck? I teleported here.

I stand very, very still, to take in the thorns all around. The old Lycan Queen seems to have given birth in a thicket of rose bushes, which now grow through her. No flesh remains. The bones look a little too polished though, like they've been licked clean too many times. The area feels beyond cursed. It radiates with evil.

It is then that I see a red rose on fire at my feet. It's been rolled in like a dark omen.

I want to look where it came from but I'm too scared.

This time... I think I fucked up wanting to come here.

I didn't know I could teleport like that, for one.

For two – Obsidian was right behind me.

The hairs on my nape are standing on their ends, and I could smell rotten breath crawling along my spine, wafting in front of my face and under the back of my silver dress.

"A dog has more brain cells than you," Obsidian mocks me, "With the courage of a Queen. Take your crown," wait – w-what? "...bend over and take your crown, slut...."

I don't want to hesitate twice. I also don't want to look at his smug smirk.

I step forward to reach over and grab the crown without bending over.

It's heavy, and a little stuck, I have to spin it around the skull, before I break off an extra thorn and –

Obsidian takes a bite of my ass cheek anyway.

I feel a sharp piercing pain, he broke the fucking skin, and I squeal, turning around and falling onto my bitten ass, to see Obsidian backing up slowly into the shadows.

Now that I'm done, Obsidian has dropped to his front paws, and he's walking over me, trapping me in as I end up below his sharp fangs. Drool is pouring by the sides of my head – and I don't have the crown, but he waits for his saliva in my blood to activate.

A scorching heat spreads through his bite that scraped my skin.

I want to spread my legs and my eyes want to roll back into my head.

I arc my neck back on impulse, and my spine, but then I see the crown has dropped just in the reach of my fingers. I just have to reach back.

"What will do you now, fool you are to find me –" Obsidian tempts me, his demonic voice shattering through my head and igniting a different heat in my hands.

As I hold my fingers under the crest of the crown, my other hand is covered, burning in reddish hell flames – but that's not all.

The roots of the ground are curling around Obsidian's legs – jerking him back off from me.

I sit up abruptly, my hand still covered in flames pointed at him as I watch the soil turn to liquid like a melted pool of swirling ash and quick sand. Obsidian's arrogant snarling screwed up face suddenly relaxes into a dying panic.

"No," he calls out, a lesser growl, no longer a snarl, "NO WAIT!"

I keep pulling on that power inside my hand, like a red hot lightning rod connected to the crown in my other hand.

"Fucking die already," I snarl now back at the evil Lycan, watching as the ground sucks him in like a whirlpool, and his Lycan head is swallowed under, his claws reach out and try to grab a hold of anything. He scrambles uselessly then disappears underground, "Fuck you," I stare at the ground, solidifying to a solid patch again.

The sudden quiet of this birthing pit, overwhelms my ears, as I hear the blood rushing through my head, and my breaths are too loud.

I sit where I am, still clasping the crown in one hand, while I wait for the flames to subside. I try to turn it off, you know, by thinking about it – but my hand isn't just burning up brighter... the flames are going down my arm slowly.

It doesn't hurt but I feel like it's changing me.

"It's nice to see a new mother of a pup around here."

I hear a pleasant voice, speak not too loudly but out of sight.

Just as I feel stickiness running out of my ears, I touch my face with my fingers and see that it's quite a bit of blood. I also feel it running down my face, out of my eyes and nose – including my mouth.

I want to ask who is there, but I'm too focused on those flames slowly reaching my elbow, traveling further up, and the fact my face seems to be bleeding everywhere.

I sit very still just where I am, and look up to where I heard the voice.

It didn't sound anything like a Lycan, more like the pretty voice of an angel.

Just around the large base of a tree in front of me, where Obsidian had drowned in the dirt – I see a shadow hovering around the tree, but no face. It's too dark to see.

"Ah –" I watch in a panic as the flames suddenly travel across my shoulders and then disperse along my body. The arm that was finished first, I look at it – and my nails look a little longer and pointier – like claws. My skin is more glossy and shiny. My arm feels stronger. I feel the leaking out of my head stop, and instead of the warmth of blood along my face, I feel as if my senses have become substantially clearer and more attuned. Everything has more detail, the smells, my hearing, "I'm changing," I whisper, "Why. Who's there?"

But the shadow has disappeared.

Who will be my new dog?!

I hear an echo of an evil voice in my head, not meant for me – but coming from... from Onyx's mind? He's in trouble!

I place the crown over my head, and I imagine the gang-bang happening in hell.

I blink and teleport to the edges of it, from high up in a tree.

I didn't mean to end up in here! But at least I seem to be in a safe distance of the sudden chase happening below.

All of the Lycans are jumping and running out of the way of the tall hellishly good-looking man with black hair and red eyes, holding a large collar and a chain.

"Who will it be?" he asks again, the same voice as before. A strange newcomer? "I need a new Messenger – Obsidian met his Fate."

"Silvia?" I hear a roar for my name, Onyx has called me from the other side of the party. He doesn't know where I am, and he's scared for me.

I'm close, I try to project the thought toward him, having no idea if he can hear me or not.

"Don't be shy, come offer yourselves to me, you pathetic dogs," the man looks so innocent compared to the Lycans, until I see what's happening along the ground. Roots are shooting out, trying to stop the Lycans jumping and running away, staying close but keeping their distance. A couple get their ankles shackled up in the roots – and those that whimper get their legs snapped by the tightening roots, "I need strength of bone and purest evil in the blood," now the man commands it, "Who's fearsome enough to replace him," he has no sympathy for the ones that have their legs broken. I'm watching frantically, looking for Onyx, as one by one each member of the pack gets captured by a crawling root along the ground. I finally see what the pack are doing – hiding Onyx behind their jumping and running forms, trying to protect him from this man. Why was Onyx scared of him, but unable to leave his presence? "...I already know who she is... and who you are..." the angelic voice taunts them now, "I have the Queen. We need a pet Lycan to play with – how about the dog with the biggest balls? Come and serve me."

"Hey," I hear a husky whisper around the trunk, and I turn to see Carmen has scrambled up the tree to be with me, "Are you okay?" she whispers very loudly, "That's the Devil Silvia, we have to stay quiet. Don't say anything. Shhhh."

Apparently her whispers are heard very loudly, because Onyx suddenly sees me and runs across the clearing – pouncing up into the tree, he lands on the trunk above, snarling at me, "That's the Devil's Crown – it's not for a Lycan Queen!" Onyx snatches that crown off my head, then he tosses it as far as he can.

My body changes a bit too abruptly and I fall out of the tree from disorientation, suddenly losing all my balance.

Before I hit the ground – it opens up, and swallows me whole.

The last thing I see is Onyx's face, staring down at me from the tree – terrified as I'm taken somewhere else entirely.

Before I hit the ground in a space of nothing but pure darkness, my body floats and I turn to land softly on my feet. The ground feels like nothing, but I'm able to stand regardless. This area? Kind of feels like being in a dream or something.

I come face to face with the Devil, dropping the collar and chain for a Lycan at my feet, he has caught the crown in his left hand and offers it to me politely. As if he caught it just to bring it back to me.

"Don't you want that power again? Take it," he holds it out and waits.

"What happens if I don't take it?" I ask, terrified.

"You already let it change you," he says, "So you'll always be damned for eternity, to be a part of me, whether you take it or not."

"Um, okay... and what happens if I take it back?" I don't want to think about the implications of what he just said.

The Devil just smiles and offers it a bit higher.

He cocks a brow as I don't move toward it.

"What's the matter?" He asks, seemingly concerned for my indecision, his red eyes seem to swirl, almost drawing me forward against my will.

I swivel my foot around nervously, focusing on curling my toes instead, "Listen, I'm mated to Onyx – so that is enough for me..."

"When the apocalypse starts you'll want to be on the winning side, I can give you favours if you want to help the enemy – but it'll all be a price you won't like. Everything will be free if you take the crown," the Devil swings the crown around his finger, "I know you're confused about everything... why are you in love with a monster? Why are you pregnant with demon pups... because... you were marked by the Devil when you were a child, don't you remember me? Or one of my other two?"

I shake my head. No idea what he's talking about.

"Silvia," the Devil doesn't care less, he keeps confusing me, "I'm poisoning your mind."

"No," I look at the crown, "I don't need it."

The Devil walks forward and hovers the crown above my head, holding it in his two hands, pretending to see what I'd look like with it on.

"Fine," he takes the crown away from the top of my head, "Don't be afraid of the darkness, it all has a purpose... you're not meant for the light."

"I'm a good person. So go fuck yourself," I state this proudly and true, "And I'm not yours."

"I don't need to mark demons," the Devil scolds me, "...and I know you're a good person..."

"But you just said 'I'm not meant for the light?'"

"You can still be in love with the dark," the Devil corrects himself, "You are. You're welcome anytime to visit, Silvia, I like the smell of your soul," he turns and tosses the crown into the darkness, but then spins back to me and grabs my chin, "Actually. One more thing. Send a message to my other two."

"What's your name?" I ask, "And who are the 'other two'?"

"Tell them I said I'm coming up soon to play," he sees how confused I am, and so he answers, "My name is Phantasy, you might meet my other two, Ash and Darc."

"Are you the Devil?" I ask, confused.

"Not alone – I separated into three a long time ago."

"...but why..."

"Never you mind," he furrows his brows, "Go with my message."

"I don't know who they are."

Phantasy sighs and smiles, "Research the Crypt and you'll find them. Take your pet with you."

"Why?"

"Because they might disembowel you if you're on your own," Phantasy steps back away from me, shrugging, "They are vampires of all origin; fallen angel, demon, fae, demi-born and heathen..."

"So there is more than two?"

"The other ones are just Generals for my army to massacre the Earth. Not literally," Phantasy laughs when he sees how freaked out that makes me, "We just want to make it bleed a little."

I suck in a breath, "A...h-huh..." I can barely make a noise at this point.

"Don't be so scared of the dark," Phantasy says again, "We won't kill everyone, please relax," in a blink he's gone, and I'm being sucked back up, as roots grab around my arms and start to pull me to the surface of hell.

I come up choking, with worms and soil in my mouth as I spit it all out, even throwing up dirt – like I was buried in the soil that whole time.

I'm crawling along the floor, toward a set of pacing Lycan feet.

Onyx is here alone with Carmen who's crying, as Sloan grabs the back of my hair and helps me get up. The rest of the pack has run off.

I stand properly and swipe the dirt off my face and mouth, spitting out anything else that got inside my mouth.

"Fucking hell, yuck," I laugh hysterically, "That was a fucking trip and a half."

"Silly mortal," Sloan laughs with me, "Don't ever accept that crown – only an angel can wear it and survive," Sloan explains to me, helping by patting the dirt off my shoulders. I shrink away from him, aware what his hands can do if they get too close to a neck.

Carmen runs forward to hug me, and we clasp each other tight, while I look over her head toward Onyx, who has relaxed now that I've returned without the crown.

"What did he say to you?" Onyx asks.

"We need to send a message to Darc and Ash – I have to look up something called... the Crypt?"

Onyx closes his eyes dramatically while Sloan seems to growl his approval.

"What is it?" I ask Onyx, who is silent as he suddenly exhales – and inhales – sharp.

Onyx lets out a snarl of fury to hell itself, screaming his thoughts, "I hate those fucking vampires!"

"They're immortal enemies," Sloan whispers in my ear, creeping up on me again, so I take multiple steps to the side away from him

"What's the fucking message?" Onyx snarls at me now.

"Phantasy is coming to play with them?" I raise a brow, "And he wants to massacre the Earth."

Onyx rolls his eyes and now turns from me, trying to contain his rage.

"This happens every few thousand years or so," Sloan pries off Carmen from me, and holds her hand, kissing the back of it, before looking over at me, "It's nothing to worry about, Silvia."

"Every time a demon says that, it means I have a thousand new things to worry about," I hiss, "And Onyx, fucking relax, I'm still your Lycan Queen."

Onyx suddenly turns back around toward me.

His fur shimmers from black, back to silver.

I see in his red demonic eyes – something glittering.

L-like water or something.

Tears?!

Onyx pounces at me and scoops me up, squeezing me to death in a tight Lycan hug, my feet way too far off the ground.

"Bitch whore slut," Onyx growls in my ear, "I'll fucking kill you."

"Thanks, you stinky whore-hound," I'm crying-laughing.

Onyx drops me, to glare at me in shock.

I open my mouth.

What?

Onyx's demon tone vibrates the ground at my feet as he warns me, "Don't ever insult me again, you dumb bitch – you're still my useless fuck pup. "

Oh, shit, okay, I hold up my hands in surrender, "Sorrrry," I whisper, my eyes bulging a lil' with my insincere apology.

"Let's get the fuck out of here," Onyx starts to pace around in circles, before stalking toward the staircase, "Silvia, not another fucking word out of your throat."

I look to Carmen, who looks like she wants to stab Onyx in the eye, and I want to kick him in the balls.

Sloan just thinks it's all hilarious.

"Is the world ending, Silvia?" Carmen asks me, ignoring Onyx's warning.

"Mmm?" I shrug, too scared to talk.

Only the Devil would know.

I'll be crossing this over with DARK ACADEMY, check it out on this account! You'll meet Darc and Ash in it.