Bound by blood and flame

Chapter Six

– Council, Claws, and Chaos

Ethan's POV

The council room smelled like incense, blood, and something sour—probably the politics.

Twelve seats. Twelve leaders. All with power, prejudice, and eyes that gleamed in the dark.

I took my place beside my father, King Lucas, who nodded at me but said nothing. As usual. The other elders didn't look too thrilled that the Lycan Prince had shown up uninvited.

The Vampire Lord, Raegon, sneered. "Martinez, why is your pup here? This meeting isn't a school debate."

Lucas didn't blink. "Because my son may be the only one capable of keeping the flame from consuming us all."

Murmurs exploded.

"She's real?"

"The prophecy girl—alive?"

"Lucifer's spawn, walking among us?"

I stayed silent, letting the chaos swirl.

Then Queen Selene of the witches stood, her silver eyes piercing. "Ethan. You've seen her?"

I met her gaze. "I've spoken to her."

"And what is your assessment?" Raegon snapped.

"She's stronger than any of you think. Smart. Fierce. Untamed."

"Dangerous," Lord Morin the Fae whispered.

"Or necessary," I said.

That shut them up.

Selene sat. "So... the prophecy has begun."

---

Stephanie's POV

Day two of being Lucifer's daughter and things weren't exactly chill. I hated all this it was too much for me to handle. Fuck I wasn't even 18 yet.

I had started my demon training with Lucien and he isn't the best teacher or brother.

Lucien tossed a dagger at me, which I barely caught by the hilt. "You're slow," he said. "Again."

I groaned. "I haven't even had breakfast yet!"

He pointed at a pile of stone dummies. "You want your family back? Then wake up the monster inside."

"Monster," I muttered, turning to the dummies. "Right. That's all I am."

"Wrong," he snapped. "You're a weapon. And you've been asleep for seventeen years."

I closed my eyes. Felt the pulse in my chest. The flicker of something deep, ancient, angry.

Hellfire bloomed from my fingers.

I threw the dagger—imbued with flame—and it melted through the stone.

Lucien raised a brow. "Better."

Leon clapped from the trees. "Remind me never to piss you off."

Carmen added, "Too late for that."

I laughed. For a moment, the darkness didn't feel so heavy.

It felt kinda light.

---

Elsewhere

– Azazel's Fortress

"Why haven't you brought her to me?" Azazel growled, smashing a goblet against the obsidian wall.

A cloaked sorcerer kneeled. "My lord, Lucien guards her fiercely. And the boy—the prince—is sniffing too close."

Azazel's violet eyes blazed. "Then distract them. Burn a town. Frame the girl. Make the council turn on her."

"But—"

Azazel lifted the sorcerer by the throat. "Do it. Or bleed."

"Yes master." The sorcerer replied and wriggled out of Azazel's grasp then disappeared.

---

Stephanie's POV

– Later That Night

The sky over Raventon was darker than usual. Carmen, Leon, and I sat on the rooftop of the Witches' Cabin.

"Weird how I don't miss normal life," I said softly.

Carmen nudged me. "You were never normal. You just didn't know."

Leon added, "Also, you still suck at Uno. So."

I smiled, then frowned. "What happens if I lose control? If the demon in me becomes too much?"

Carmen leaned back. "Then we'll kick your possessed butt until you're back."

Leon smirked. "That's what friends are for."

My heart squeezed. "You guys are amazing."

"We know."

Suddenly, the air thickened. A flash of red and black appeared—energy cracking like lightning.

Lucien appeared out of shadow, flanked by two new figures.

One was a tall girl with dark locs and golden tattoos along her arms. The other, a silver-haired boy with eerie, violet eyes and a sly smirk.

"This is Zara," Lucien said. "And that's Kael. They'll be joining you for your first mission."

I stood. "Mission?"

Lucien tossed a scroll at my feet. "The first relic of balance. Hidden in the Daggercliff Caves. Guarded by riddles, trials... and something worse."

Kael bowed mockingly. "Pleasure, Princess of Hell."

Zara said nothing but gave me a respectful nod.

I frowned. "Why now?"

Lucien's expression turned grim. "Because your brother just set fire to South Raventon."

My stomach dropped.

"The humans—" I began. I started and felt my breath hitch.

"Are alive. For now. But the council is in panic. And soon... they'll turn on you."

I closed my fist. Heat licked at my skin. "Then let's give them a reason to fear me."

"This brother of mine must really want the throne to go this far to set me up. I don't even want the stupid throne. He can have it I don't care cause I really don't understand why he's going this far."

Everyone was looking at me now. Probably because i don't stick to saying one thing but I couldn't care less I needed to understand something and fast.

"Who needs hell when I have Earth and all these beautiful things. Bottomline is I don't want this throne so he can just have it I really don't care."

"Well it doesn't work that way sweetheart. You have to die for him to inherit the throne cause of your blood. Look it's a long story." Lucien explained.

"Then what about dad? Why isn't he stopping him?" That sounded really weird. Calling the actual Effing devil dad.

"Well, he doesn't know yet. He's trapped down in hell as you know but if he knew he'd try everything to come up here and he'll destroy everything for you cause he loved your mom. He'd kill our brother, lay waste to half the Earth, and Kill the entire Supernatural council." Lucien explained.

Oh shit looks like I have an old man with quite the temper. Well that means it's going to have to be the hard way.