The first five demons came into the throne room, representing the city of Dis. Then a group of eight, the representatives of the first four circles who looked amazed at the surroundings, and finally Lilith, surrounded by ten demons as representatives of the five deepest circles. Alexander was a bit disappointed that no Demon from the lower circles had tried to undermine his authority by staying away. He didn't know it yet, but Lilith had stopped an attempt against that because of what he had done. The fact that he made the whole of Hell tremble on its foundation made her pause and showed her that she needed to be very careful. The leader of the Lilith demons squeezed her eyes shut a bit as she saw her daughter Mazikeen sitting on the throne next to the new king. She quickly recovered, kneeling before the thrones, followed by the rest of the demons. Alexander noticed right away that Pazuzu was looking at Anna, and the higher demon was furious because she didn't stand up for Lilith, the other higher demons, and for him, which was much more important to him. The young king didn't say anything for a minute, just keeping an eye on the demons. As long as he kept quiet, they'd stay kneeling. He looked at Lilith and said calmly,
"Stand up and take your seats. We have some business to discuss."
As the demons took their seats, Anna brought Maze and Alex a glass, then immediately took her seat again without even looking at the others present, just as Alexander had asked her to do. Pazuzu was furious, which made Alexander happy. His improvised plan was going smoothly. The Demon reacted just as he had hoped. When everyone was seated, the king spoke.
"As you can see, from now on you have a new king. But also a new Princess. Things are about to change in Hell."
He took a sip of his juice and kept talking.
"We can make these changes in a way that benefits everyone, or we can do it the old-fashioned way."
He looked directly at Lilith.
"Tell me, Lilith, how many times have you tried to get Lucifer removed from the throne? How many times have you literally burned yourself in the process because you wanted to take his place when he was gone? Would you prefer to stake your claim on my throne or that of Princess Mazikeen?
The woman didn't answer right away, and Alex continued:
"Really? The first try is free, and Princess Mazikeen and I will cooperate fully. Just say the word, and I'll stand up and make room for you. Or would you prefer your daughter's throne?"
The woman looked him in the eyes and replied, trying to ignore Maze:
"My Lord, those times are long gone. I know my place in Hell by now, and it's not on the throne."
The boy's green eyes looked deeply into the woman's brown ones. After a minute, he said:
"Good, it seems you have learned the lesson, Lilith; it took you long enough. God has built a safety mechanism into the throne. Only a celestial can fully use the throne's power or even sit on it without getting burned. Well, that was true until just now. But I've decided that your daughter is the only one who can sit on the secondary throne and use its powers. You sure you don't want to try her throne? She's your daughter, after all, so you share some of the same genes. I'm not God, so I might have messed up. You could still establish a bond, maybe..."
"My Lord, as I said, I have learned what my place in Hell is."
He nodded and changed the subject:
"Okay, whatever you want. Don't come to me later and say that I didn't give you a chance."
He turned to everyone there:
"I'm the new king, and I'm a whole different ball game from my predecessor, Lucifer. I'm going to be super involved in the day-to-day stuff at Hell. I've got a clear vision for the future of Hell, what I want it to achieve, and what I expect from its denizens. I've decided that all the plotting against the throne, rebellions, and civil wars are a thing of the past in Hell. I'm not going to put up with it the way Lucifer did. Anyone who tries it will be punished. And I'm not just talking about the instigators. Anyone in the circle of the one who starts a rebellion or a civil war will be exterminated! That circle will be wiped clean, completely!"
When he said that last part, his eyes flashed with hellfire, and he looked at the others there, one by one. If they had any more doubt that they were dealing with their rightful king of Hell, it was gone now. He looked at Lilith again:
"I don't want a bloodbath, though. I just want a rule of law and peace. So, I've got a proposal for you, Lilith. You can either accept it or refuse it. You don't have time to think. Just decide right away. I'm willing to give you authority over circles five, six, seven, eight, and nine. You can call it a governorship with a lot of autonomy."
This caught Lilith off guard. She asked suspiciously:
"And what do you expect in return, My Lord?"
Alexander smiled at her, but she could tell it wasn't a genuine smile. He looked more like a predator staring at her, not yet sure if he wanted to play with her a bit first or kill instantly. He said:
"What I want in exchange, Lilith, is simple. You and all the Demons in those circles, get the fuck outta here. You won't have access to the first four circles or Dis anymore. There'll be a standing order. Anyone showing up in the first four circles or Dis will be considered a rogue and dealt with accordingly. What do you think, Lilith? So, do you want to have your own little empire, or are we really going to have to do it the hard way?"
Everyone in the throne room was quiet. Lilith thought quickly and finally asked:
"What does this extensive independence look like, My Lord?"
"In the areas that will be under your rule, it's complete independence. You can do whatever you want with it and the people under your rule. See if I give a fuck. The hunting grounds and the other fields are going to be neutral territory, which means absolutely no violence under any pretext, none! Nobody can violate this neutrality. If the demons from the first four circles, or Dis, are kept out of the fields and hunting grounds, it'll be seen as declaring war. This will lead to the consequences that I described earlier. What's the big difference? Well, I'm not just going to punish the party that violates the neutrality—I'm going to destroy every Demon in the lower five circles until they're completely wiped out! I'm not going to meddle with your reign over your five circles, and you and your Demons will make sure the territories stay neutral. That neutrality is the main reason you're still alive. So it's in your best interest to make sure it stays that way."
Pazuzu interrupted, speaking brusquely:
"What about the souls from the first four circles? If we're not allowed there, we won't have access to their cells!"
Alexander shot back at him:
"Did I say you could speak, little worm?"
But he did answer the question while looking Lilith in the eye because this was an important point. It was a concession he had to make, and he wasn't a fan. But the pros definitely outweighed the cons. If you're a soul that's gone so far down into Hell, there's nothing left to save you. Not even what Alexander planned to do in the future. He said that if she accepted his proposal, all the cells in the circles under her rule would be open to her Demons at all times, and he'd let them indulge themselves as much as they liked with the souls residing there. Before Lilith could answer Alexander's proposal, things got out of hand. Pazuzu saw Anna's smile when the king called him a worm and went into the red.
"You're just a child! You come in here acting like everything here is yours, and you immediately steal my property."
The Demon pointed at Anna.
"I should challenge you! But what do you know about a real battle? Without the power of the throne, you're nothing!"
Lilith closed her eyes, more disappointed than anything. She knew what was going to happen and that she would lose a general. It was easy enough to appoint a new general in his place, but it was a tedious and exhausting process to mold them the way she wanted them to be. Alexander leaned back on his throne and smiled broadly. He spoke amusedly:
"And what makes you think you can have property here in Hell, you little bitch? This place is mine and mine alone; not even God has a say as to what I do with MY property! Everything here belongs to me, including that fat ass of yours! Lucifer, let you Demons have property. You think that makes it a right? You've got it twisted. It's a favor I can take away at any time, for any reason. But hey, look at that. And me thinking you didn't have the balls to challenge me. I mean, that you literally had no balls because you wanted to force a young girl to bond with you. No, Pazuzu, she belongs to me now. You wouldn't know what to do with a girl like that, even if your daddy stood beside you, explaining all about the birds and the bees!"
Alexander's insult about his supposed impotence and stupidity got under Pazuzu's skin. Maze understood exactly what Alexander was doing and knew how it would end. He just got the Demon all riled up, and now the idiot couldn't think straight. All he saw was a red mist before his eyes. The boy turned to Belios, shoved his balaclave back in front of his mouth, and said gruffly:
"Take her to the suite. She doesn't need to see this..."
He turned back to the assembled Demons and growled:
"Clear the way, because I'm going to enjoy this duel."
Those words made Pazuzu pause for a second. He hadn't expected that from the young king. As the boy stood up and Belios quickly left the throne room with the girl, he asked, a little worriedly:
"A duel according to the rules of Hell?"
"Yeah, but I don't think a coward like you will."
The Demon felt brave again now that he thought he had an absolute advantage over a boy of thirteen. He said:
"I'm going to completely bleed you out, you little cunt!"
Alexander took a step toward the Demon.
"We'll see, Pazuzu. You know what? I'll give you a chance. I'm not even going to draw my sword, let alone use it on you. It's a gift from my dad that's worth a thousand of you. I'd hate for your carcass to stain it. But I'm also going to make sure you can't cheat by suddenly having your demonic powers called into play!"
He snapped his fingers, and right away, the Demon felt like all his demonic powers were blocked. He felt a bit insecure, but he thought he was still in the upper hand because he was a seasoned warrior with thousands of years of experience. No one had ever come close to defeating him. He grabbed his sword and tried to slash Alexander. Maze experienced a sudden chill as she realized she was powerless to intervene. The young Antichrist had said that this would be a duel according to the rules of Hell, so he was on his own. Her adrenaline kicked in, and she felt a rush of energy surge through her. She was determined to protect Lucifer's son and put an end to Pazuzu. But she couldn't do anything. But then the young king did this incredible move where he avoided Pazuzu's sword and hit the demon right in the kidneys with an incredible punch. That's when she could breathe again. The ritual kept repeating, but it soon became clear that Pazuzu was getting slower and slower. The boy, who was a lot smaller, easily avoided the Demon's attacks and hit back hard. The Antichrist's hits to Pazuzu's weak and painful spots on his body found their mark again and again. The Demon finally fell to his knees when the king hit him in the kidneys one last time. He looked at Alexander with frightened eyes. His bloodied face told them all they needed to know. This fight was over, and the once great warrior was no more. He had a broken nose, a half-closed eye, a few battered or broken ribs, a swollen knee, and was missing a few teeth. There was a bloody mess of ripped skin and flesh where his mouth was. Alexander said:
"You had your chance, Pazuzu. This was just a warm-up. Now it's time for some fun, okay?"
He kicked the demon in the stomach, and Pazuzu crumpled to the ground. The Antichrist moved calmly behind the Demon and said:
"You know Pazuzu. I love history, and I'm a bit of an autodidact. Don't worry if you don't know what that word means; I'm about to explain it by demonstration. My big sister, Laia, the Archangel of Knowledge, always wanted to satisfy my craving for knowledge. She once gave me a booklet. She told me that when God created Angels, Humans, and Demons, their basic bodies looked pretty much the same. Some of you here in Hell have changed over time, looking the way you do now, and it seems to get worse every few generations. We can attribute this to inbreeding. Michael saw me reading the booklet one day on the training fields and taught me an important lesson. It's possible to combine wisdom gained from books with a more practical real-life need. But I seem to be going off topic a bit here."
He grabbed the Demon by the hair and pulled him back to his knees.
"What I really wanted to say is that you have a little over 200 bones in that body of yours. You'll be amazed at how many of those I can break before you give out. I'd say enjoy the ride, but I'm pretty sure you won't..."
For the next few minutes, it was just Pazuzu's screams and the sound of bones breaking. When the demon finally gave in to the injuries, Alexander grabbed his head and broke his neck in one quick move. It made a sickening sound. The demon's body fell to the ground with a thud. There were large spots of blood on the boy's battle gear, and a few drops of the demon's blood could also be found on his face and in his blonde curls. The Antichrist looked at Maze and asked sweetly:
"Would you mind terribly much lending me your sword for a second? I told him he was not worth it, that I soiled the sword I got for my father on him, and I'm not planning on doing so."
Maze gave the Young Antichrist her sword, and with it, he cut off the head in one quick move. He bent down and grabbed the Demon's head by the hair. With the bloodied sword in one hand and the head held by the hair in the other, he turned to Lilith and asked:
"What do you think, Lilith? Wanna play some more? But this time, I'll be at full strength. Or have you seen enough to make a decision?"
She looked at him and swallowed audibly. Whatever she had expected from Lucifer's son, this wasn't it. This kid was nothing like the former King of Hell. She had seen enough to know he could wipe everything and everyone, including her, out of existence and that he would do it without hesitation. In a dry voice, she said:
"I accept your proposal, My Lord."
He nodded and said:
"Good choice, Lilith. Gather your demons and go to your realm, never to return. I'll have Morax pick someone to be my messenger. If you need to talk to me for any reason, that Demon will be your point of contact. Pick one of your demons to do the same. Those two will be the only ones allowed to move freely between the two sections of Hell, yours and mine. Anyone not gone by this afternoon won't have to worry about moving. Heck, they won't have to worry by ever thinking again; it's a bit hard if you no longer a head on your shoulders. And don't forget your trash. I hate messy spaces!"
With these words, he threw the demon's head at her feet.
"The rest of the representatives, go back to your territory, tell your people what happened here, and tell them what you heard and saw. They've got a new King. And they have a new Princess of Hell. Let anybody try not to show her the royal respect she deserves. No, I mean it. Let somebody please try it and see what it does to my temper! See you all back here at nine tomorrow morning, sharp!"
He turned on his heels and spoke without looking back:
"Bearus, Morax, Princess Mazikeen, follow me!"
He hurried to the top floor, with the three following closely behind. Alex hurried into the suite. Anna looked at the blood that was visible on him with large, horrified eyes. Alex ignored her. He went into his bedroom, threw the sword away, and hurried straight into the bathroom. The others in the living room could hear everything that was happening in the bathroom thanks to the doors that had stayed open due to the hurry he was in. There, he started puking. Maze had quietly followed him and placed a soothing hand on his back. Also something new to her, to really try and comfort someone else in a loving manner. After he stopped throwing up, he got rid of his battle gear and got into the shower. He hit the wall with his right fist, then suddenly hit it very hard, cracking the wall, and screamed:
"FUCK!!!"
He stood with his back against the wall and slowly slid down to his butt. He held his head in his hands and wept softly. Maze spoke to him.
"Are you okay, Alexander?"
He snarled back:
"What do you think yourself? Do I look okay? No, I'm not fucking okay; I just killed someone!"
A few seconds later, they heard him say in a much softer voice,
"I'm sorry, Mazi. I shouldn't have spoken to you that way. That was unacceptable. Please forgive me?"
"Don't worry about that kid; I understand,"
She said. They went quiet for about a minute, and then he said something else:
"I couldn't help myself, Maze. I couldn't stop myself. I scanned him and knew every fiber in his disgusting body. Every time I looked into his eyes, I saw what a cowardly, cruel monster he was. He enjoyed it, making the weak suffer just for his own pleasure. I thought about what he could've done to Anna. It made me so furious. I just wanted to hurt him so badly and make him feel what he had done to others. I wanted to hurt him and make him suffer for what he did to other people. I knew I'd have to set an example to assert my authority when I took on the throne. Dad had made that clear to me some time ago when I started talking to him about the possibility that I might have to intervene here. But I never imagined I'd end up doing this. I do not want to do this kind of stuff, using violence in such a way. All I want is peace and a better future for all."
The three demons and Anna in the living room could hear the conversation happening inside. What they heard confirmed their suspicions. Their new young king was good, but he could also unleash the fury of God's own thunder if necessary on anyone to protect the innocent.
Mazikeen let out a deep sigh and squatted down to look him in the face.
"I was born in this place, Alexander. Duels like the one before are nothing new. I took some of the worst souls here to task, making them suffer as part of their punishment. Sometimes it was worse, bloodier, and much slower than what you just did. For me and many others here in Hell, it was a daily thing. This is Hell, we're Demons, this is just how it is; we didn't know any better. It wasn't until I came to LA with Lucifer, or actually, not until I became friends with Linda, that I saw that humans are different. I was just talking to Lucifer about this yesterday. I told him I don't understand what's going on with me. I told him about how I suddenly started feeling things for humans like Linda, Trixie, and Ella. I used to hate humanity and thought they were weak and fragile. I told him I wasn't sure if I belonged in Hell anymore. That I have felt so fucked up for years. That's why we probably had such a hard relationship from time to time. I just did not understand. Then, this morning, when you bonded with the throne, I suddenly realized that this place is rotten. You grew up with the Angels, you know humanity from their Earth, and you know their Hell. How many times have you been to their Hell? I know from Rae Rae that that Hell must look very different from this one. They're thousands of years ahead of us because they've been able to grow and evolve under your Dad. They're away from all that darkness and violence. This Hell has a long way to go before it reaches that point. But it can. I'm living proof that a Demon can evolve. Morax, Belios, and Bearus are pretty much the only family I've got here in Hell, since family ties are seen as something weak. They're pretty much like me. We took that first step in our evolution together by allowing ourselves to be family. Despite being a dysfunctional family, we remain a cohesive unit. The demons can evolve on their own—Belios showed that. Anna is more than just his daughter. She's the living proof of that next step in our evolution. And if Anna exists, then others exist as well in Dis. You grew up in a universe where the first answer to a question is never violence, even in their Hell. You've seen humanity's worst, and yet you believe in their potential. You've seen violence up close in your Hell and didn't back down. What this duel showed was that you, Alexander, are capable of violence, something the King of Hell must be. Your reaction right now shows that you'd never resort to violence for the sake of violence. Pazuzu was a nasty piece of shit, and I'm amazed he lasted as long as he did just using brute force. He was definitely not a smart guy. I'm sure Lilith was there to support and guide him. That woman sure knows how to pick them. She may be my mother, but if she ever steps out of line with you like she used to do with Lucifer, in a plot to take over all power, then I'm gonna kill her. I'll do it without a second thought. The only thing that stopped that from happening was a twisted sense of connection Lucifer had with her. Trust me, it was not mutual. You showed that you, Alexander Morningstar, can use violence when it's necessary and to prevent even worse violence. You enjoyed it? Good! That jerk should've gotten the literal axe a long time ago for his despicable behavior towards the weaker and innocent. The rest of the group, who are now heading down into the lower circles, will think twice before attacking an innocent person. We'll never know who you saved, but it wasn't just Anna. By taking Pazuzu out in such a violent way, you also saved the lives of countless others. From now on, there'll be no more mindless attempts at revolts or civil wars just for the sake of war. You've only just arrived, and you've already made a difference, improving the lives of the Demons in Dis and the first four circles. Now that they're not dealing with Pazuzu or Lilith and her minions, and they know their King has their back against those half-savages, they can shift their focus. They can start looking forward. They can start moving forward. But, Alex, let's be real—they can't do it without you, and you can't achieve your goals without them. I've come to realize that Hell, Earth, and Heaven absolutely need you because you're the perfect blend of the three. You're half human, so you've got the unbridled potential of humanity in you. You're a Nephilim and the son of the Lightbringer, so you've got that light and warmth for everyone. You brought that light to Hell, quite literally, now that they've got a sun in Hell. But you also got a piece of the other half from the Demiurge, Michael's half. Creation and destruction, light and darkness are represented in you. It's this blend that Angel, Human, and Demon need to take the next step in our evolution. To be saved, nothing less than our survival depends on it, on you."
Alexander looked at Mazikeen intensely and finally said:
"I hate that side of myself, that I'm capable of such a thing, Mazi..."
The Demon stood up from her squatting position, smiled, and said:
"Good! As long as you hate it, it means you're still you. It's only when you wouldn't hate it that I'd start to worry."
She had a playful gleam in her eyes.
"C'mon, get out of the water. You've got guests waiting for you. Hup, get dressed, kid. You have to look a little posh because there's a young girl in the living room. Or do you want to be like your dad and make a grand entrance with the crown jewels on full display?"
At that moment, Alexander realized he was naked in the shower and that Maze had mentioned Lucifer's sometimes over-the-top behavior. He blushed and yelped:
"MAZE!!! Eewww!!"
The demon burst out laughing and left the bathroom, leaving the young antichrist with a head as red as a tomato. After a few minutes, Alexander showed up in the living room. He looked pretty casual, but the look suited Hell a little better. He was wearing black cowboy boots, a black Levi's 501, a gray t-shirt, and a black shirt with the top buttons undone. His blond curls were still a little wet and seemed to curl even more than usual. Maze, Anna, and the three men jumped up from their seats in the comfortable and stylish living room he had made. The whole place was decorated more neutrally than the loft he'd set up in the beach house. It was clear that this place was meant to be more businesslike for him and that the loft would be his real place where he could feel at home. When he saw the five of them jump up in front of him, he asked, a little irritated:
"Can we please agree that when we're here, we'll keep it down? I'd like to have a corner in hell where I can be myself. Where I don't need to be the king or act like the king."
Maze said with a slight smile:
"We'll do our best, Alex. If you can do your best to keep your annoyance in check when we go back to the protocols every now and then. This change is a huge adjustment for us here in Hell. It's going to take some getting used to, seeing as we've got a new king who's not into the whole protocol thing and just wants to be Alexander and be treated like Alexander."
He thought about her words for a few seconds and answered:
"You're right, Mazi. If I'm going to ask you to change something you've been used to for thousands of years, it's only fair that I make some concessions and not get upset so easily."
He made a hand gesture to the seating area and said:
"Please sit down."
He plopped down on the sofa, and the others, except for Anna, took their seats. The girl brought him a glass of tomato juice, and he immediately said:
"That's really not necessary, Anna."
He quickly took his glass, pulled her beside him on the couch, and said:
"Maze told me that your dad, Bearus, and Morax are her family. That makes you Maze's little niece. That makes us like family too, cousins. I like that idea a lot. I have a lot of brothers and sisters. There's a nephew and niece of mine in heaven, David and Sara. I haven't met them yet, though. Family doesn't serve family, Anna. I think we're all grown up and independent enough to take care of ourselves without needing someone to serve us at our beck and call. How old are you?"
The girl looked at him, mouth open, and said quietly, almost as if she was questioning whether he was serious.
"I was born eleven season ago. Family. You think I'm your niece. That I'm your, the king's niece..."
"Absolutely Anna, I think so, yes. I know Lucifer thinks of Mazikeen as family. If your dad, Bearus, and Morax see her as a little sister and my dad also sees her as family, then Mazi is like my aunt, which makes you my cousin. I'm sure we'll get along great and have a blast. I'm excited to introduce you to my twin sister."
He got a doubtful look in his eyes for a moment and said half to himself:
"But... If Casiel finds out that you've never been to Earth to shop, she'll go nuts."
He squeezed his eyes shut for a second as a shiver ran down his spine. He caught a glimpse of the future and looked hard into Maze's eyes. He held out a finger and said:
"This is all your fault! If I have to spend a whole rotten day chasing after Casiel, Anna, and Bee and listening to the chirping of Rae Rae and Ella, you'll be there! I'm not going to go through that torture alone, believe me!"
Maze thought it was funny and asked:
"What makes you think this is all my fault?"
"You know damn well, Mazikeen! You should have smacked that Devil of yours around a bit a long time ago. The moment you saw that his relationship with Bee and her mom was different from any other relationship he had on Earth before, you should have knocked some sense into his coconut. If he'd been honest with her a couple of years back, I wouldn't be in this tight spot, waiting for the axe to fall. And that knife is definitely going to drop the moment Casiel catches even a single rumor that she can go wild on a shopping trip, drive two other young girls as crazy as she is, and as the icing on the cake, have a bubbly Angel and an over-enthusiastic little Latina in tow! Oh my God, I can totally picture it; I'm so, so screwed!"
He said with a horror expression on his face and Maze added with her sly little smile:
"You might be right about that, Alex. But then again, if that had happened, there would be no reason for you to be here. You wouldn't have met your new niece, let alone Trixie..."
He tried to switch topics quickly, but Anna and Maze had noticed his ears turning a bit red.
"Hey, Kinley. I lost track of him in all the excitement..."
She nodded and said:
"Don't worry. Bearus is keeping him in another room, and two of his warriors are guarding him. He couldn't do anything here anyway or escape. It's more about protecting him. If another Demon were to stumble upon the body of a living human without guards or strict orders, well... If that happened, you wouldn't be able to punish Kinley the way you wanted to. Speaking of punishment, what are you going to do with that priest?"
Alexander let out a growl and said:
"This one gets triple punishment because I have three very good reasons to punish him for his idiotic plan and the possible consequences that would have had. The first part is just to get him nicely on temperature. Since he's guilty of three murders, conspiring to kill my father, and would have condemned an innocent soul in the form of Bee's mom to hell, I've decided to bring him to hell alive! Nobody gets to kill that idiot Devil of ours but me! I'm pretty sure I'll get the chance to strangle him slowly at some point in the future. I promise to do it with love and respect, of course, but I will strangle him."
The words he used and the look in his eyes showed he didn't really intend to literally kill Lucifer. But Maze could tell that Alexander was the one who'd make Lucifer tremble in his boots in the future. Ella's words were on her mind: Trixie and the young Antichrist seemed to see Lucifer as a target they could attack at the same time with their natural sense of mischief. She found that promising. Lucifer's awkwardness when Trixie played him was a sight to behold; now it would be double the fun with Alexander in play. He said:
"I get that you're like a superhero here in Dis, Maze. The best torturer. If you're up for it, and only if you're up for it! I suggest you give a demonstration of your skills in the arena tonight. By this afternoon, all of Lilith's Demons should have left Dis. I want to see the city and the Demons to see me. We can use this opportunity to spread the word. But like I said, it's totally up to you. If you'd rather not take on that role again, I'll respect your decision, Mazi."
She got a mean twitch around her mouth and said:
"Don't worry about me, Alex. I'll be happy to handle this one."
Meanwhile, Belios from the other sofa chimed in.
"It would indeed be a good opportunity, My Lord..."
Alexander interrupted the general in a friendly but brisk manner:
"Please, Belios, and that goes for both of you, Bearus and Morax, and it goes definitely for you, Anna. There are no titles here in the suite. I'm just Alexander, or Alex, whatever you find most comfortable."
The general nodded in agreement.
"Okay... Alexander. Let the residents have a closer look at you this afternoon. But tonight in the arena, along with the Demons from the Circles who want to come, let them get to know you a little better. They'll be able to see Maze in action, and they'll take that as a gift from their king."
Bearus growled in agreement. Next to him, he heard Anna's soft voice:
"Should I be there, My.... Alex?"
He looked at her with a warm expression in his eyes.
"Nah, Anna. You'll stay here at home in the palace. That reminds me. Belios, for Anna's safety, it'd be better if she stayed in the palace close to me from now on. I'll have a suite ready for the two of you so Anna's always protected. Bearus and Morax, I've got the same offer for you two."
Belios nodded and replied:
"Thank you, Alex. Anna and I would be very happy to take advantage of this. She'd never be completely safe outside the palace. Living here and having the king around is the safest thing for her!"
The young Antichrist was thrilled.
"Well, that's settled then. Later, on the way out, I'll take a seat on the throne and turn the other half of this floor into a suite for you two. Bearus and Morax?"
Bearus just growled his agreement, but Morax said:
"The offer is very tempting, Alexander, but if you don't mind, I'd like to stay where I live now. It's pleasant, quiet, and right next to the archives."
"Whatever you think is best for you, Morax. I won't oblige. Bearus and Belios, I heard you two are kind of Siamese twins, where one is you can find the other. Any problem I make it a suite big enough for the both of you plus Anna's private space?"
The two shook their heads, and with that, the plan was settled.
Maze had been keeping an eye on Belios. She noticed that he was relieved that there was a solution for Anna's safety, but also that there was still something he seemed to be afraid to ask. She said:
"What's on your mind, Belios? Just tell us what's bothering you. Now that we're solving some problems anyway, it's better to talk about everything at once."
She saw the strong general blush a little, and she could not remember ever seeing him turning red or pale. When he seemed hesitant to say anything, Alex said quietly:
"Belios?"
"My Lord..."
Alexander was about to object, but the general quickly raised his hand:
"Please, My Lord. After everything you've done today in such a short time to keep Anna safe. You saved her from that swine, Pazuzu, and now you see her as a niece. You even want to introduce her to what I believe are members of your family. The Devine family, no less. To ask for anything more would be so incredibly inappropriate. It'd just sound so ungrateful."
Before Alex could say anything, Maze cut him off, saying gruffly:
"Bullshit! Let's get it out in the open! Is this about Anna?"
The general nodded and said quietly:
"The best thing would be to get my little girl out of hell, but I can't possibly ask my king to personally take care of my daughter."
Next to Alex, Anna spoke up, saying:
"But Daddy, I don't want to leave you, Daddy."
The blond boy took Anna's hand and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. Less than a minute later, he gave a little smirk. That mischievous smile that Mazikeen was getting to know so well. He looked at Ana and said:
"Trust me, Anna..."
He looked deep into the general's eyes and said:
"I think we can solve this perfectly. Anna can come and live with us on Earth. I was planning to spend part of my time on Earth and part here in Hell anyway. The time difference between Hell and Earth makes this totally doable. I'll spend a few hours here in Hell pretty much every day on Earth. That is, I'll spend a full day and night in Hell before heading back to Earth. To Anna, it'll feel like you're seeing her every day, Belios. She won't have to miss you a single day, at least not for the first few weeks, until she gets used to life on Earth. With the exception of the first day or so, that will be to settle in on Earth. If you two can make it work, Anna's more than welcome to stay with us on Earth."
He looked at Anna and asked with a smile:
"What do you think, Anna? You won't have to miss your dad since you can see him every day, spend the night here in Hell in your new suite at the palace on the regular, and at the same time, you'll be on an awesome adventure. You'll have a whole new life on earth where you'll be completely safe from all the negativity here in hell. It's a new home, and it's new to me too, where we can just be who we are, kids."
Her eyes lit up when she heard Alex's words. The idea of a new life away from Hell was pretty tempting to her. Still, she needed a little more reassurance. She asked:
"I'll really be able to see my dad every day?"
He nodded and said:
"Yeah, you'll be able to see him every day, as long as you want."
The young girl gave Alexander a hug and said quietly,
"I'm so happy. I would like that very much. Thank you, Alexander."
"You're welcome, little niece."
The adults let the girl, who had found comfort in the Antichrist's arms, have a moment. Maze felt it was time for a little payback for what Alexander had said earlier in the evening about plans to have a tribal night with Rae Rae:
"Hmmm, yeah, because what could possibly go wrong? Let's see, we've got the Antichrist, the former King of Hell who can still be an idiot at his best moments, an unfettered Latina, the Angel of Death who seems to have swallowed a truckload of happy pills in one sitting, a young demon who's never been to Earth, a twin sister who might be a small version of that Angel of Death, not to mention a chicken and six dodos in one house. I don't see anything that could go wrong and blow up in the face of the aforementioned young Antichrist..."
Alex looked at her with wide, horrified eyes. He was so shocked that he couldn't say a word. Maze let out a clear laugh, saying:
"Oh, this is going to be fun! I can't wait to see this disaster unfold for myself. I'm definitely going to stock up on popcorn and booze when we get back to Earth, because this is going to be way more fun than what I'm about to do to Kinley..."