"Pucker them. Hurry up. We don't have all day!"

Nyx quickly complied with the make-up artists' request and stared at herself in the mirror. Somehow all the layers they had applied and set didn't make her look like a clown. Instead, it only enhanced her best features.

"Alright, come now, girl. Time to put on the dress."

Selene sat at the dining table, watching the process with a mixture of awe and frustration marring her face. When Nyx was finally dressed, her friend's jaw hung slack.

"God, Nyx. You look incredible."

"Thank you," Nyx replied with a light blush.

"Seriously, you are so gorgeous. That demon won't know what hit him."

The hair and make-up artists glanced at each other uncertainly as Nyx scoffed. "Stop it, Se. Who knows, there might be angels there too."

Selene rolled her eyes and laughed as more wide-eyed glances shot across the room.

"We should be going," The lead make-up artist remarked, scooping her equipment into a large multi-purpose case.

"Thank you for this," Nyx said with a genuine smile. They did a great job.

She received half-smiles and grimaces as the group shuffled out, and a bombshell in red replaced them.

"Maeze! Holy shit, you look incredible!"

Maeze's lips curled over her sharpened incisors. The scarlet gown she wore hugged tightly to her sinewy frame and accentuated every muscle. A deep slit down her chest and up her thigh revealed her deep brown skin as she stood under the apartment lights. Her matching lip colour contrasted brilliantly with her white teeth.

"You don't look too bad yourself. Now hurry up. We have to go." She flicked one sinful glance at Selene, pursing her lips suggestively. "Nice to see you again, moonlight."

Selene blushed and turned away as Nyx looked between them confusedly. What the hell was that?

She followed and shut the door, ignoring the stunned looks of everyone they passed on the way to the car.

"Why are they all staring?" Nyx grumbled, crossing her arms across her chest. A light tugging on the diamonds made her immediately drop her guarded posture, and Maeze grunted.

"Get used to it."

The drive felt like forever, and when they reached ten-foot security guarded electric gates, Nyx started to squirm. Maeze noticed immediately. "Would you stop? You'll break your dress if you keep fidgeting like that."

Nyx flushed. "I- I, sorry. What's gonna happen tonight?"

Maeze laughed humourlessly. "Who knows. These usually end in one of two ways. Snobbish and sober, or bloody and drunk. I, for one, am hoping for the latter."

Nyx swallowed against her cotton mouth and peered out the window. Still no building in sight...

"Listen, I'll escort you in. We will meet Aidoneus, and you will be announced. You walk down some stairs and mingle. Just stay close to him, and you should be fine. It's a ball, but it's also a conference. Aidoneus has some serious business to iron out before solidifying his position."

"Aidoneus? That's Neo, right?"

Maeze's face scrunched. "Obviously. Anyway, stay close, understand? There are some guests with whom you don't want to end up alone."

Nyx stilled, her mind immediately leaping back to her attack in the alleyway. Her heart fluttered in her throat as she tried to think of other things, but the feeling of grimy fingers touching her flesh persisted. Her breathing hitched when the car suddenly stopped in front of a giant, illuminated, concrete mansion. Twisted gargoyles stood mounted on each point of the structure, and shadowy windows adorned its face in perfect symmetry.

"This is so creepy looking," Nyx tried to see through the glass panes, but only darkness peered back. "Is anyone else here?"

Maeze handed her keys to a chalet and climbed out, opening the door for Nyx. "They'll be around back. Try not to look nervous. You're representing us in there."

"Oh," Nyx straightened and took a calming breath. It did little to ease the nerves, but it would have to do.

Maeze pulled on two red gloves, matching her dress and gripped Nyx's wrist. "Come."

They walked up a set of concrete stairs to an old open door, held ajar by another gargoyle. Nyx shuddered, looking at its twisted face in a permanent expression of agony. Why the hell am I here. I feel like I'm about to get murdered.

At the entrance, a hunched man stood with a clipboard. The strange contrast between ancient and modern almost made Nyx smile. The anxiety quickly smothered it, though.

"Names?" a nasal voice questioned.

"Mazikeen Ajme, Nyx Ime." The man looked over the board and nodded as Nyx stared confusedly at her chaperon. Maeze dragged her through the doorway and towards the lullaby of an orchestra, quietly lilting down a twisting hall.

"What is Ime? My last name is Knight."

"It means human. You are human, are you not?" Maeze rolled her eyes and continued on her mission. Another wide-open archway was straight ahead and surrounded by well-dressed men while Nyx started searching for Neo and came up empty. Where is he? They stopped a few feet from the crowd, and Maeze stiffened, gripping Nyx's wrist tighter.

"Ow-"

"He is on his way. Don't move."

Nyx could hardly stir, pinned down by the leering gaze of a dozen men. Some handsome, some downright lecherous. Selene's voice popped into her head, E.V.I.L. Demon's baby, they're demons. Nyx imagined her ending the decree with a singsong voice and took a deep breath. While she believed Selene to an extent, the whole Demon situation felt so- Unbelievable? Far-fetched, impossible, ridiculous? I mean, I can see souls, but I'm still human... Right? Oh jeez, I'm losing it...

"Nyx!"

"Hmm?" She turned to Maeze and winced at her glower.

"He's here."

Before Nyx had the chance to ask the identity of the elusive 'he', Neo appeared at her side with a neutral expression. Her face split with a relieved smile, and she went to grip his hand when Maeze snatched her back. The whiplash of the action only gave Nyx a split second to right herself and see Maeze's quick head shake at Neo. Is she protecting him from me?

"Let her go, Maezikeen."

She looked like she wanted to argue but quieted, seeing a white lump of satin fabric in his hand.

"What is that?" Nyx asked, peering between the two.

With a sigh, Neo twisted his grip, so he held the edge of the fabric, and the two gloves hung between them offensively. If it weren't for the distance they would cause, Nyx would have revelled in the delicate beauty of the silky fabric. But, instead, she took them and pulled them on with a frown. I thought he had gotten past the germ thing with me.

He sighed and offered the crook of his elbow, which she begrudgingly gripped and peered up at his solemn face. "What's wrong?" she asked with a small voice. "Why do I have to wear these?"

"Not here." His reply was curt, and the scowl he offered the ogling men ahead of them was enough to send shivers down her spine.

He pulled her past the men, and Maeze stayed close behind.

They reached the top of a grand spiral staircase with dozens of peering faces standing beneath in a large ballroom. Oh god, I'm gonna throw up.

Neo's mouth dropped to her ear and sent a thrill through her. "No matter what you hear, you are with me as my guest. Do you understand?"

Guest, not date. Noted.

Nyx nodded and tried to meet his eyes, but they were locked ahead again. She sighed sadly and went to detach herself from his arm when his opposite fingers intertwined with hers.

"You look divine, Miss Knight," he muttered quietly enough for just her to hear.

"Then why won't you look at me?" Her responding voice had his eyes snapping to hers. 

There was no chance for him to respond when a booming voice sounded from below. "We welcome our guest of honour, Aidoneus Mephisto and his Ime pet, Nyx. Please offer a round of applause for our Prince of Penance and hope we forge the next generation of peace treaties and laws that strengthen the Balance for centuries."

The crowd appeared divided. Some applauded vigorously as the pair descended, while others offered half-hearted claps. Some stood eyeing the pair with pinched expressions and twisted frowns. Amongst the latter, Nyx thought she saw a familiar face before she was spun toward her companion, still holding her fingers between his. "Stay close to me; some guests here cannot be trusted."

Nyx nodded and swallowed a lump down her throat. "Just promise you won't leave me alone."

A small smile crept into Neo's expression, and his free hand tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Never."

"Neo! How delightful. We thought you would never lower yourself to such an event!" The rowdy voice and accompanying laughter were daggers in Nyx's ears. Neo seemed irritated by the sound as he turned to face the woman. Her features were similar to Neo's with their darkness, but that was where the similarities ended. A lacy black dress hugged her curvy body as she sneered down at Nyx.

"Pretty little thing you've got there. Or perhaps it's the small fortune you've got her in. I thought Pandora wasn't helping our kind anymore."

"Your kind, Tunrida. I have done nothing but protect her from your hostile attempts on her life." Nyx snuggled closer into Neo's frame, and he softened. Tunrida seemed to notice and turned her nose up.

"I see you are in possession of your soul again. So the little mutiny under your nose failed then?"

A sinking pit appeared in Nyx's stomach, and she wanted to sink into it. Half of Tunrida's words were gibberish, but the implication of Neo's soul returning wasn't lost on her. So he didn't have his soul this whole time? Why? Does he know about me? Who is he? His firm grip and Tunrida's malicious laughter halted her attempts to pull away.

"Did I say too much in front of your skanky Ime? Good luck maintaining your throne with that on your arm. No one will take you seriously if they think you lust after a human." Her face twisted in disgust as if the word human tasted bitter on her tongue.

Nyx shrank further from the woman, even when she spun and marched away through the crowd.

Bile threatened to rise in her throat, so she grabbed a passing champagne glass from a server past and took a long swig. The fruity tang eased her nerves, and she peered around the room as Neo spoke with another person. This time much quieter and less hostile.

Many curious eyes regarded her on Neo's arm and didn't look away when she met with them. Even from her distance, she could feel a mix of vile darkness and pure light radiating from different people. Their shadows under the sparkling chandeliers smudged and bled into one another. Nyx saw Selene again, the black slug spilling over her lips. 

Haloes and Hellfire... Angels and Demons. 

For the first time, the gravity of the situation sank in, and the puzzle pieces slipped into place. Nyx's heart hammered in her chest, and she tentatively pulled her arm free from Neo. The announcer said, Prince. Prince of Hell? Shit... She turned in a small circle and searched for that familiar face again. Then, across the room, through the mingling bodies, she saw the moss-green eyes and swallowed.

"Micah." 

A/N

It's all sinking in now... Surely she should have realised the truth before this... Ignorance is bliss I suppose 🤷‍♀️

Until next time...
K ❤️