HELLION'S WARNING

  Hellion walked the dimly lit halls toward his mother’s chambers the next morning. Around his neck hung Andell’s jagged horn, suspended by a golden chain. He hadn’t bothered to clean it—small droplets of blood still dripped from its sharp edges, staining his chest. The faint metallic scent lingered in the air as he moved.

  He stopped in front of the ornate wooden door, his hand hovering over the handle. For a moment, he hesitated. Instead of barging in as he usually would, he knocked.

  “Hellion, come in,” Lilith’s cool, commanding voice called from inside.

  He pushed the door open and stepped into the room. Lilith stood by her wardrobe, methodically packing a small bag. She looked up briefly, her expression composed but curious.

  “Going somewhere, Mother?” Hellion asked, his deep, gravelly voice reverberating through the chamber.

  “Yes, son,” she replied, not pausing her task. “Now, what can I do for you?”

  Hellion smirked, his lips curling in that familiar, unsettling way. “It’s not about what you can do for me, Mother—it’s about what I can do for you.”

  Lilith arched a sharp brow, her hands momentarily stilling as she turned to face him. She waited, her eyes narrowing in expectation. Hellion’s smirk faltered for a split second under her piercing gaze.

  The woman before him was the only person in the world he both feared and loved with equal intensity. Swallowing the lump that suddenly formed in his throat, he shifted uncomfortably.

  “It’s a warning,” he said finally, his voice steady but carrying an edge of reluctance. His hand brushed against the jagged horn hanging from his neck. “Andell has a grudge against Isabella. The kind of grudge that makes a demon desperate—desperate enough to do anything to get rid of her.”

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  Lilith’s eyes flicked to the horn dangling from his neck. “Is that why you’re wearing Andell’s horn? Still bloodied?”

  “Yes,” Hellion answered, his tone dark and deliberate. “I earned it. A trophy for my troubles, wouldn’t you say?”

  Lilith sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly. At times, she wondered if her children would ever truly find peace with one another. “Why are you really here, Hellion?”

  “I’m here,” he began, his voice dropping to a growl, “because Andell willingly gave up his horn—in exchange for five of my men to kill Isabella.”

  “What?” Lilith’s head snapped up, her gaze sharp.

  “You heard me, Mother,” Hellion replied, his tone laced with grim satisfaction. “I suggest you warn her. Not that she needs it—Isabella’s a great warrior, after all.”

  Lilith’s lips curved into a faint smile, catching him off guard.

  “Why are you smiling?” Hellion asked, narrowing his eyes.

  “I’ve always known you and Isabella share a… complicated bond, Hellion. But I didn’t realize you cared for her this much.”

  Hellion snorted, though a flicker of something softer crossed his face. “I don’t care,” he said quickly. “I just don’t want to see you weeping over her corpse. That’s all.”

  “So, you do care about me after all,” Lilith teased, a knowing glint in her eye.

  Hellion’s expression softened—a rare moment of vulnerability. A faint, genuine smile tugged at his lips, one that Lilith hadn’t seen in years. Her heart swelled at the sight, her stern facade momentarily dropping.

  Rising onto her toes, she cupped his cheek, her fingers cool against his skin. Hellion leaned down instinctively, his towering frame bending to meet her. Lilith pressed a light kiss to his forehead, feeling the subtle embarrassment that radiated from him.

  “Thank you, Hellion,” she said softly, her voice laced with warmth.

  Hellion straightened, clearing his throat as he stepped back, the moment quickly dissolving into the usual tension between them. But Lilith held onto it, knowing how rare it was to see her son’s guarded walls crack, even for a fleeting second.

  Hellion turned toward the door, pausing with his hand on the handle. “Be careful, Mother,” he said, his voice low but earnest. “And… don’t let your guard down around Isabella. Even the best warriors fall.”

  Without waiting for a response, he opened the door and stepped out into the hall, his heavy footsteps echoing down the corridor.

  Lilith stood in silence for a moment, her hand resting lightly on her chest. Her son’s rare, unguarded moments were fleeting, but they meant more to her than he would ever know. As she turned back to her bag, plans swirled in her mind but first, she needed to visit Isabella's other mother.