I carefully checked the lock and bars. They were sturdy, not giving me much hope of forcing them. I was feeling strange – the parasite in me weakened, taking my extraordinary abilities with it. No more super strength or extra sharp senses. There was a silver lining to it though – I felt I had much more control over my visions. I haven't felt this good since I came to the first lab.

I threw myself on the bed with a loud sigh. I turned on my back and closed my eyes, letting my mind wander. It would be nice if I was Ada from the legend. I didn't care much for the memories, but the skills would sure come in handy. Most probably I really was this mythical warrior, but I had no idea how to unlock the power. What the hell was I thinking when I locked it in the first place?

The legend mentioned Ada was a talented human. They must have meant being the seeing one. So it was important for some reason. I searched my mind for any premonitions. Strangely enough I was mostly getting a feeling of peace and confidence, as if everything was falling into place. There was nothing specific, no pointers on what do, just this unjustified calm.

Anael tried barging into my vision but I pushed him out with ease. I wasn't in a mood to talk with the demon in my thoughts. Instead I concentrated on Francesco – from what I could tell he wasn't in any imminent danger, and that felt good too.

I was dozing off when I heard the door to my cell open. Without looking I knew it was Anael. I didn't bother to move. I felt his surprise.

"Hello Ada. Have you reconsidered joining me yet?" demon asked.

"I don't see the point of joining you," I answered, not opening my eyes.

"Do you know who you're talking to?" I heard indignation in his voice.

"Well, I don't actually remember you. From what I read, you're a puny demon that some five millennia ago was making a mess, so he had to be put in his place. Which reminds me – why aren't you in your prison behind the veil?" I teased.

I must have hit the sweet spot, because the earth shook beneath me. I guess the puny demon did it.

"You know I could kill you right now?" Anael growled.

"You could or you couldn't. For some reason you still haven't tried," I retorted, not changing my relaxed position.

I really enjoyed annoying him, even if it meant the air being sucked from around me, making it a bit hard to breath.

"Do you have something to say, or you intend to bore me to death?" I asked dismissively.

The earth shook again.

"I assume you'd be less bored if you could see your mate," Anael said, waiting for my reaction.

I felt my heart jump at the thought, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't mind that," I answered lazily, forcing myself to stay calm.

It worked cause the earth shook for the third time.

"Then come with me," the demon was exasperated.

I slowly got up and trotted after Anael, straight to Francesco's room.

He got up anxiously when we came in. He checked us out, looking for any indication on what was going on. I smiled at him soothingly. I saw Anael frown.

"Get yourselves ready for the love ritual," the demon said, pointing at a small pile of clothes on the dresser. I wondered when they brought them here, as Francesco looked rather surprised.

"You mean you want us to fuck for your acolytes to watch?," I confirmed, picking up a white, flowing dress and looking at a red, gold embroidered cloak. "You couldn't get any more cliché than that," I mocked.

This time earth didn't tremble, but the temperature in the room fell by several degrees. For a moment I thought Anael would jump at me, but he only gritted his teeth.

"Humans tend to enjoy a spectacle more if the costumes are right," he said finally. I had to admire his composure.

"You have fifteen minutes," Anael said and walked out of the room, locking the door behind him.

"You're not afraid of him," Francesco rather stated than asked.

"No, not really. It's nothing specific, but I know he'll go down. We just have to go with the flow," I said thoughtfully.

Francesco didn't look convinced, but he didn't say anything.

"This ritual he was speaking about... You want to perform it? I think he wants it to gain more power for himself," my mate sounded anxious.

"As I said, I feel we have to go with the flow for now. It's only sex after all. It's not something we haven't done before." I replied, in accordance with my hunch.

"And if I didn't want to do it? Would you make me?" Francesco looked me straight in the eyes.

"Yes," I answered gravely, holding his gaze.

He bit his lip. This wasn't a reply he was hoping for.

I don't know if what I felt for him was love. He certainly made me feel good and safe. I loathed hurting him, be it physically or emotionally. But there was too much at stake. I knew the events had to take place for Anael to be brought down. This was my purpose right from the start, from the moment I entered the First Lab and volunteered for the experiments. I wasn't going to jeopardize that, even for Francesco.

"Then I won't oppose you," he said sadly and I felt a pang of sorrow in my heart.

We changed into the ritual clothes in silence. I felt awkward in the romantic, white gown straight from a Victorian horror movie. Knowing that Francesco was naked under his hooded cloak made me shudder in anticipation. As bad as it sounded I might actually enjoy the ritual.

I expected our escort to be the vamps or cultists, but it was Anael himself that came for us. He was no longer wearing the black suit, now sporting a gold and red monstrosity of a costume, complete with an oversized, intricate crown. I laughed.

"You look ridiculous," I said with a giggle. I was surprised he didn't kill me outright. He really was bent on having this ritual.

"Have you taken any drugs?" the demon asked and judging by Francesco's face my mate was having similar thoughts.

"None that I know of," I answered sincerely and smiled like an idiot.

Something was happening to me. It was all well that I didn't want to give the demon the upper hand, but there was no reason for me to be that cheerful. Anael might finally lose his patience after all.

Without another word the demon opened a glowing portal in midair and motioned for us to go in. I took hesitant Francesco by the hand and merrily walked into the luminous circle. We came out in what I think was a repurposed, gothic church. Multiple torches and candles were lighting a big, open space, where numerous cloaked cultists were gathering in small groups.

Behind them I spotted an altar, covered in a red and gold cloth. When we entered everyone went silent, bowing deep in reverence to their lord. I'll never understand what makes people enjoy such sects. For me it all looked just silly.

The cultists formed half circles facing the altar and began chanting in a language I didn't recognize. Maybe it was some gibberish that sounded fancy. Anael positioned himself on the opposite side of the altar and floated about two meters above the floor, emanating a fiery aura.

In horrors this usually goes smoother, with the camera cutting in when the unholy couple has already started making out. As it was, we needed to scramble onto the altar by ourselves. To makes things easier I pushed away Francesco's cloak, revealing his muscular body. He shivered, his eyes darting in bewilderment around us. I cupped his face in my hands and made him look me deep in the eyes.

"It's all right," I mouthed and kissed him gently.

By the time we got on the table I managed to get his full attention. I was on top of him, my flowing dress covering most of both of us.

"It's all right," I soothed him again, remembering him on our first night. He would calm me like that then.

I bent over him, planting a fervent kiss on his open lips. The chanting seemed distant, I no longer registered the cultists, focusing only on my mate.

Our bodies joined in the love dance, the chant's rhythm seemingly following ours. The pleasure was building up, light flooding me from the inside. There was no more sign of the parasite in me, no more coiling and hissing darkness. There was only bliss.

When we came together with a cry the world exploded. My power was locked no more, the full force of it burning through my veins like molten lava. There was suddenly so much light around us that the cultists fell to the floor covering their faces with their hoods.

I stood up and faced Anael. His wide eyes told me this wasn't the outcome he expected. He sobered up fast, darkness rising around him, dimming the light. I called a hurricane. It threw the demon onto the wall, making the bricks crumble at the impact.

He jumped back to his feet fast, his burning eyes fixed on me.

Without a warning an ethereal dagger appeared at the throat of every cultist.

"Stand down or you'll have blood of all those humans on your hands," Anael threatened.

"Why would I care, they are yours. You've never understood what nature is about. There is no compassion, just the survival of the fittest," I said calmly.

At my sign sharp branches shot from the floor, impaling every acolyte in sight. Huge, crimson flowers blossomed on top of every terrifying plant.

Not waiting for the demon to get his bearings I summoned poisonous veins that immediately wound themselves around him. He burned them with a dark flame, that consumed most of his costume as well, revealing his athletic torso. Once freed he wasted no time in attacking me with condensed energy that hit me hard on the chest, pushing me down from the altar.

"Is that so? I doubt your mate is the fittest," the demon snorted and I saw Francesco getting pierced by a bolt of power.

My shriek made the church tremble. As the blood flowed abundantly from my beloved, drenching the cloth and dripping onto the marble floor I felt the rage in me rise. My vision blurred for a moment, only to sharpen again with a red tint. This time it was me that made the ground quiver. Parts of the ceiling rained down on our heads.

In my peripheral vision I saw Milena come in with her vampires and Lily, but I only wanted Anael. What happened next was like a blur. I was no longer human, the sheer force of nature flowing through me freely in a crashing wave of destruction. I let it out straight into my opponent. Wind and water intertwined in a deadly maelstrom.

The assault of elements made the demon back off. I advanced on him, my fury propelling one attack after another. Soon he had nowhere to retreat to, driven straight into the wall. I pinned him there with a block of ice, large enough to be a part of a glacier. The light in his eyes dimmed.

Igot to the altar. Francesco was lying in a pool of blood, paler than snow, butstill breathing. I touched his wound and sent all the power of life right intoit. My head spun, but I kept my focus. The crimson fluid stopped flowing, thecut was healing. I felt the fabric of reality tearing around us. The veil hasbeen damaged, because I defied death itself.