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MAGGIE'S POV

"Kalleste..."

I stare at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, wondering if I was meant to look like this, or if I'm merely a poor genetic knockoff of Queen Teleste and the daughter she never got to meet.

"Damn, my head is killing me."

I open the medicine cabinet and pop some Tylenol to kill the migraine that I feel coming. This happens whenever I try to pull more memories from the past, memories that Laudon's mother transferred to me. I can sense that I don't have the full story of what really happened to the fallen deities back then, only bits and pieces. Laudon's mother and I were connected for a short time, she was weak and could only give me so much information.

The little bit that I received helped me tremendously, though. I finally know what I am now. It finally makes sense why my blood reads the way that it does. The blocking spell, according to my new memories, is a kind of protection spell. Maaket had powers that not even the deities could match. The reason he was never bothered is because he never left Limbo. Excluding Teleste, the rest of the gods were too afraid to go there because they knew Maaket outmatched them in power.

The blocking spell essentially hid Kalleste in plain sight. Throughout her many lives, she was only able to make it this far because of that spell. Now that I'm her vessel, I've inherited the benefits of that same spell. In the presence of demons, my blood reads as inconclusive. The only color that humans can see is red. As I continue to change, I realize only I can see the true color of my blood, red mixed with silver. The next time I see Laudon's mother, I'll have to ask her what my blood looks like from her perspective since she's an angel. 

It's been hours since we met for the first time. I haven't had the chance to reach out to Laudon about my experience because... well, I'm honestly terrified of how he might react. Not only is he apparently not a full demon, but his mother isn't dead after all. She's alive and imprisoned in a place that he'll never be able to reach. Demons can't get past the gates of Heaven, so how the fuck can I look Laudon in his eyes and kill his spirit twice?

By the way, your mother is alive! And here's the funny part—you can never, ever, see her because she's locked away in Heaven's prison. You can't go there because you're a demon, remember? Well, half-demon. Anyway, good luck with the rest of your life!

I wouldn't blame him if he ripped my head right off after I was finished talking.

Maybe Lucifer knew about this all along. Maybe this is why he never told Laudon the truth. He knew his son would go to war against God, essentially getting himself killed, all to free his mother. I don't know how to tell Laudon what I've uncovered. I just know that I don't want him to get hurt, and I definitely don't want him to get himself killed.

It's unnerving to admit, but I think I might be catching feelings for the devil's son.

Whether they're authentic feelings or are a twisted side effect from all this supernatural shit that's been happening to me as of late, I'll never know. Hopefully, I'll get more answers soon. Not only are my friends and family's lives on the line, but so is Laudon's.  

"Are you taking a shit in there or what?" Gregg bangs on the bathroom door, shouting at me. "Hurry up! Other people need to piss and shit, too."

"Fuck off! I'll be out in a minute."

I check my wrists again and see they've mostly healed. Now that I know what I know, I find myself to be way less cool than I thought. The powers inside me aren't mine; they belong to Kalleste. I'm walking on eggshells and am expecting her to completely take over at any second. From the moment I did that stupid dare, nothing has been going as planned. I suspect this whole reincarnation bit is going to come with more twists than I can mentally handle.

"It's all yours." I open the bathroom door and push past Gregg, running to my bedroom.

For too many reasons, I cry for a good hour and a half, then I hit up Johnny and Krista to see if they want to hang out this morning. There's way too much on my mind right now. I want to forget it all and pretend to be normal again. With any luck, Laudon won't make a special appearance this time. When I envision his face, my heart aches and my stomach twists in knots. I can no longer tell if it's due to desire or fear.

Pull it together, Maggie. You've made it this far without dying. Be grateful.

I try to look at the bright side of things while getting dressed to head out. I'm hungry and there's a Waffle House within walking distance of my place, so I text Krista and Johnny to meet me there.

"What can I get for you, darling?" The Waffle House waitress takes my order not long after I claim a table.

I keep it light and order a single waffle with chocolate chips. About fifteen minutes later, Krista and Johnny arrive.

"Nothing like consuming a few thousand calories to help jumpstart the day," Krista jokes while sliding into the booth. "What's up with you, Mags? Your eyes are all red."

"Don't tell me you've finally joined the dark side," Johnny teases.

"It's just allergies." I force a smile, lying again. "So what are you guy's plans for the rest of the summer?"

"I only have one goal in mind," Krista says. "I want to have fun and not fall in love."

"Is that one goal or two?" Johnny snickers. Krista shoves him, laughing. "As for me, I'm just taking it day by day. I don't know what the future holds and I'm not going to stress over it."

"I wish I could relate," I mutter, then sigh. The waitress returns with my order and then she takes Krista and Johnny's. It's about twenty minutes later when I almost choke on my orange juice after seeing a familiar face walk into the restaurant.

"You good over there?" Johnny asks. I shake my head and he follows my eyes. "Oh. Your boy Sam is here. Want me to call him over?"

"No!" I kick Johnny in the shin before he can stand up and embarrass the hell out of me. I've been ghosting Sam since our last date. Not because I want to, but because it's for his own safety. At least that's what I keep telling myself. "Text me when he leaves."

I get up and creep to the ladies' room, locking myself inside one of the stalls. My friends must think I've lost it. It definitely feels like I have. It feels like I'm—

"You should be going after your target, not running away from him."

I know that voice.

Zul.

I whip open the stall to face the smug bastard. He stands before me with a smirk on his face, his arms crossed over his broad chest. Why is he here and not Laudon?

"Where's Laudon? Is he okay?" I ask, scowling at the demon. "Has something else happened in Hell?"

"It matters not and is none of your concern," Zul responds. He takes a step forward, looking down on me. "I cannot see, nor do I understand why he has become so infatuated with you. It infuriates me to no end. The problems that you have caused remain unsettled, and time is steadily ticking. I believe you are not taking things as seriously as you should..." 

Zul snaps his fingers, then I hear Krista screaming.

"This is me being nice," Zul says. "I suggest you hurry and finish the task you were given before your family and friends time runs out."

He disappears and I dart out of the restroom with tears streaming down my face, thinking the worst. When I arrive at my table, and of course Sam had to be there, I see Krista sitting on the ground with her hands examining her left ankle. I drop to my knees and hug her, relieved that she's still alive.

"I'm okay, Mags. It's just a sprained ankle... I think." Krista reaches for Johnny, making grabby hands. "Don't just stand there, dumbass. Help me up!"

We both help her up, and then I ask, "How did this happen? You've never been a klutz."

"She was going to check on you when she somehow slipped and twisted her ankle," Johnny answers instead. "We're gonna head to the car. Can you take care of the bill, Mags?"

"Sure, sure. I'll be out in a sec." I pay for our meal, completely ignoring Samuel's existence until he grabs me by the hand as I'm turning to leave the restaurant.

"I thought things were going well between us," he says, looking concerned. "If I fucked up somewhere along the way, then just tell me that. Don't ghost me with no explanation."

"It's not you, Samuel. It's me. It's literally... me. We're not going to work out how I thought. I'm so sorry for wasting your time."

Feeling utterly pathetic, I rush out of the restaurant with fresh tears falling down my face.

. . .

a/n: I just wanna say, again, that this is my first fantasy novel lol I know how reincarnation is SUPPOSED to work, but I am putting my own spin on things so please play along and be patient. it'll all make sense soon (but maybe not right away because this will be a 3 book series). also! this story is the first draft, so if you notice any plot bunnies or see something that doesn't quite make sense pls let me know!

& if you made it this far, thanks so much for reading!