Nyx blinked. Once. Twice. The filtered light from the privacy curtains revealed dancing dust particles around her head from her position on the floor. A scream pierced her ears, and she jumped up, turning towards her terrified mother, clutching her chest.

"Good grief, Nyx! Are you trying to give me a heart attack? What are you doing on the floor? And what the Hell are you wearing? You look like some new and improved version of Lara Croft."

Nyx sprinted the eight feet to her mother and wrapped her in a warm embrace, hiding the burning tears rolling down her cheeks. Her mother's panting slowed along with her heart rate.

"Are you okay, Hunny? Aren't you supposed to be starting work soon?"

Nyx sniffled and pulled back, wiping her splotched cheeks. "Sorry. It's been a rough month. I missed you."

"I saw you just last week, baby. Are you okay? Did you- did you lose another patient?"

Nyx beamed, remembering Iris working contentedly in Tartarus, but quickly wiped the smile when she noticed her mother staring like she'd grown two heads.

"No, no, nothing like that. I just love you so much," she said, dropping her hand to squeeze hers. "Where's dad?"

"He popped into work early. Come by next weekend, and we can have dinner, yeah?"

"Sure, I'd love that. Thanks, mum. It's a date."

Kathryn looked at her watch and frowned. "You really are going to be late for work, baby."

Nyx sighed and nodded before looking at her old room. "Do you still have my stuff in there?"

"Of course, bub."

Nyx brushed past her mother with a smile and pushed her old bedroom door open. As promised, everything looked the same, even the old cellphone on her bedside table.

"Yes," she whispered, scooping it up and pressing the power button. Half battery. Good. She pocketed the phone, threw on a less conspicuous oversized hoodie to cover her superspy-looking outfit, and left the room.

"I'll see you next week! Bye," she called as she headed out the door.

"Bye, Hunny!"

With a groan, she called Agatha at the hospital and asked for the day off, claiming food poisoning hit her hard overnight. Agatha's grandmotherly voice sounded understanding, but Nyx was sure she held some suspicions. Nyx couldn't remember how long she had actually been away from the hospital; her time in Hell muddled her brain.

She called an uber and rode home, watching the people walking to work, oblivious to the destinies that awaited them after death.

"Thank you," she said to the driver as she hopped out and jogged to her house's front door. Unlocking it, she called out, "Selene? Are you here?"

A muffled cursing and shuffling responded, and Nyx froze, staring at her closest friend's closed bedroom door.

Her heart thumped in her throat as the knob turned and the door creaked open. Nyx watched as Selene slunk out, hair mussed and clothes inside out.

"Hi... You okay? I heard what happened on Friday..."

"Yeah, it's been the longest three days of my life, that's for sure," Nyx said, padding closer to Selene.

A subtle whoosh from the bedroom made Nyx pause again. "Who the hell is that?"

"No one." Selene's innocent smile and stepping foot to foot only increased Nyx's intrigue.

"Why aren't you at work?" Nyx asked, taking another step to the open door. Selene stepped in her way with a tight smile and crossed her arms.

"I got the day off."

The sudden whiff of rotten eggs curled up Nyx's nose, and her mouth dropped open. Selene shrank in on herself, smelling the scent too.

"You're fooling around with a Demon? Selene!"

"It's not just any Demon, jeez. Besides, after what you told me about them, they aren't as bad as I thought."

Nyx rolled her eyes, and a chuckle escaped as she turned towards the kitchen.

"Well, do I know them?"

Selene followed and sat at the table while Nyx grabbed herself some leftovers to heat up.

"Um. Yep."

The microwave hummed as the pasta cooked, and Nyx turned to face her friend, arms crossed. Her brow raised, and she waited, letting the semi-silence stretch between them.

"It's- it's um. Uh."

"It's me, goblin," Maeze answered, appearing in the door frame with a disinterested look. "Neo is pissed, by the way. He's been hiding in his office, slamming shit since you disappeared with Micah."

Nyx swallowed her guilt and shook her head. "I'm not letting you distract me from what I just walked in on, Maezikeen. What are you doing hooking up with Selene? I thought we were friends! This feels like we're violating girl code or something."

Maeze rolled her eyes and said nothing as the microwave beeped and Nyx fetched her food, taking it to the centre island to eat.

"You don't want to sit?" Selene suggested as shame was sweating from her face.

"I think I'll stand."

Nyx shovelled scalding pasta into her mouth as Maeze groaned. "Don't act surprised. She's hot."

Pasta sprayed back into her bowl as Nyx choked.

Selene flushed pink and offered a sheepish smile. "Look, I was drunk, okay? And she got me home safe after you went missing, and I don't know, it was sexy. I didn't mean for it to happen." She winced but nodded her head. "But it did happen. Multiple times. And I'll be honest and say I hope to shit it happens again."

Nyx tried to keep a severe expression, but she couldn't stop the peals of laughter from bursting from her body. She looked at the two women— one woman, one demon, and the volume increased until she feared choking to death on her first proper meal in ages.

"Sorry, but I'm happy for you. This is literally insane, but you do look good together. Seriously." Based on her giggles, Selene looked dubious about her seriousness but nodded and smiled.

"Thanks, babe. Now, what's happening with your demon infatuation situation?"

The giggles subsided, and she sighed. "No idea, but I'm guessing he won't want to see me."

Maeze clicked her tongue. "Unfortunately, you're the only person he wants to see. I know you just got here, and I have no clue how, but I need to take you back to Tartarus. Now."

Nyx didn't have to think too hard. "No."

Maeze's expression didn't shift. Instead, her resting bitch face appeared in full force. "It wasn't a question."

"Yet I gave you an answer. Don't forget what I am, Maeze. You can't order me around anymore." Truthfully, fatigue and hunger fueled her irate response, and she did want to see him again, especially after mentally dropping the L-bomb.

Selene peered between them, her bottom lip squashed between her teeth as she fretted. "Um, I can totally cover for you at work if you need. Whatever you're needed for seems pretty important..."

"Deathly important, Ajovo. Aidoneus plans to attack Tunrida's kingdom, but the loyalties in his hellscape are weak. She could overthrow him because of you."

"Because of me? What are you talking about? I'm here. I'm fine." Nyx let her fork drop into the empty bowl before returning for seconds.

"He doesn't know that. You've been cloaked. Even I couldn't sense you near the house earlier."

Nyx sighed as she served herself another helping of pasta, deciding to eat it cold last second.

"Well, can't you just tell him?"

Maeze's hands white-knuckled her knives atop her hip. "Did you not just hear me say he won't see anyone? He's ignoring me."

"Fine," Nyx said, hands raised to appease the demon. "Can I just have a day? I need a shower."

Selene touched Maeze's arm lightly. "Surely that would be okay, right? He's not going to start a war in the next day, is he?"

Nyx knew even before Maeze spoke she would bring up the difference in time. "Give me five minutes," she interrupted, shovelling the last pasta in her mouth. "And try contacting him again. However that works," she finished, excusing herself and running to her bedroom, grabbing a comfortable outfit and dashing into the bathroom. She showered faster than she believed possible and redressed before returning to her room. Before she was forced back to Hell, she wanted to try at least to summon him.

Quickly kicking her dirty laundry out of sight, she closed her eyes and steadied her breathing.

"Neo?" she whispered. Come find me.

Memories of their night together swirled around her mind. His touch. Her pleasure. Neo. I'm here. His glowing eyes and dark hair flashed in her vision. She reached out to him, cupping his cheek. She could almost feel his warmth against her palms.

"Please, Neo. I'm right here."

She trailed her fingertips lightly across her thighs, letting her hands travel up and caress along her arms to her neck. The ghost of his lips on her throat made her sigh. "Come find me."

The violent slam of the front door jolted her from her thoughts, and she opened her eyes.

"Where?" A guttural voice roared from the opposite side of her bedroom door. She backed up until her calves hit the bed and fell back on her ass.

Heavy footsteps thumped outside her door, and her heart pounded in her throat.

Blood whooshed through her ears, and she was uncertain if anyone had responded to the furious question. She didn't dare hope. When the door opened, she closed her eyes against the gentle breeze.

One step. Two.

"Nyx."