Chapter 402: How Do I Get Back?

"I don’t care," Victoria said. "I need to try. I need to bring her back."

"Even if it means one of the Alphas dies permanently?" Thalia challenged.

"They’ll choose it themselves," Victoria said. "I won’t force anyone. But I’ll give them the option. And I know they’ll take it. Because they love her more than they fear death."

Thalia was quiet for a long moment. Then she nodded.

"Very well," Thalia said. "Then here’s what needs to happen. You need to return to the mortal realm. You need to tell the Alphas what resurrection requires. You need one of them to volunteer. And then on the night of the resurrection, you bring that Alpha back here. To the Underworld. To the deep Veil where the entity dwells."

"What happens then?" Victoria asked.

"I perform the ritual that sends the Alpha’s soul into the Veil to find Lilith," Thalia said. "You stay with Lilith’s body and channel life magic to keep it viable. Elena helps stabilize everything. And when the Alpha anchors Lilith and makes the sacrifice, we pull her soul back and merge it with her body using combined death magic and life magic."

"And if it works..."

"If it works, Lilith lives," Thalia said. "Changed. Marked by death. Bound to the Veil in ways that will affect her for the rest of her life. But alive."

"And the Alpha?" Victoria asked.

"Gone," Thalia said quietly. "Completely. No body to bury. No soul to mourn. Just....gone. Consumed by the entity as payment for the covenant debt."

Victoria felt grief wash over her.

One of the Alphas would die. Would cease to exist. Would sacrifice everything so Lilith could live.

And Victoria would be responsible for asking them to make that choice.

"How much time do I have?" Victoria asked.

Thalia glanced at the mark on Victoria’s wrist....the hourglass tracking the resurrection deadline.

"You’ve been in the Underworld for approximately six hours," Thalia said. "Which means about twelve hours have passed in the mortal realm. You have roughly ninety-six hours remaining. Four days."

Four days to return to the estate. Four days to explain everything to the Alphas. Four days to watch one of them volunteer to die. Four days to prepare for the resurrection ritual.

Not enough time.

But it would have to be.

"I need to go," Victoria said. "I need to get back. I need to...."

"Not yet," Thalia interrupted. "There’s one more thing you need to understand before you leave."

"What?" Victoria asked.

Thalia walked to another shelf and pulled down a small box. She opened it carefully and removed a crystal that glowed with faint red light.

"This is a soul anchor," Thalia said. "A tool I created specifically for this kind of resurrection. The Alpha who volunteers will carry this into the Veil. It will help them find Lilith’s soul. Help them hold onto her while we perform the ritual. Without it, they would be lost in the Veil searching forever while Lilith’s soul is consumed."

Victoria took the crystal carefully. It was warm to the touch. Pulsing with power that felt ancient and wrong and absolutely necessary.

"Thank you," Victoria said.

"Don’t thank me yet," Thalia said. "Remember.....I will name my price after resurrection succeeds. And you will not like what I demand. But you will pay it anyway because the alternative is worse."

"What could be worse than this?" Victoria asked.

Thalia’s smile was terrible. "You’ll find out soon enough, cousin. Now go. Return to the mortal realm. Explain what needs to happen. Choose your sacrifice. And prepare for the resurrection."

"How do I get back?" Victoria asked. "The guardian said the exit price was higher than entrance."

"It is," Thalia said. "But I’ll cover the cost this time. Consider it an investment in our deal."

She pulled out a small knife and cut her palm. Black blood welled up.....corrupted, wrong, demon-tainted.

Thalia used the blood to draw a portal circle on the floor.

"This will take you directly back to the swamp territories near the Blackwood estate," Thalia said. "From there you can portal to the estate itself. Go. Time is wasting."

Victoria looked at the portal. Then at Thalia. Then at the grimoire still lying open showing the truth about their family.

"I will pay your price," Victoria said quietly. "Whatever it is. When Lilith is alive again, I’ll give you what you demand."

"I know you will," Thalia said. "That’s why I’m helping you. Because Victoria.....we’re the same, you and I. We both love our family enough to become monsters. We both sacrifice pieces of ourselves to protect what matters. And we both know that in the end, the price is always worth it."

Victoria stepped toward the portal.

"Victoria," Thalia called.

Victoria looked back.

"When you tell the Alphas what resurrection requires," Thalia said, "make sure they understand there’s no coming back for whoever volunteers. No loopholes. No second chances. The entity does not make mistakes and does not offer refunds. Once an Alpha goes into the Veil, they are gone forever."

"I understand," Victoria said.

"Good," Thalia said. "Then may the gods have mercy on whichever one of them chooses to die for her. Because the entity certainly won’t."

Victoria stepped through the portal.

The Underworld dissolved.

And she found herself standing in the humid darkness of the southern swamp with the soul anchor crystal clutched in her hand and the weight of terrible knowledge pressing down on her chest.

She had four days to save Lilith.

Four days to convince an Alpha to sacrifice themselves.

Four days to prepare for resurrection that might fail despite everything they sacrificed.

Victoria looked at the mark on her wrist.

Ninety-four hours remaining.

She needed to move.

Needed to get back to the estate.

Needed to explain everything and watch the Alphas break all over again when they learned what survival would cost.

Victoria drew a portal circle with shaking hands.

And stepped through toward the Blackwood estate.

Toward the truth that would destroy everything.

Toward the choice that would save Lilith or doom them all.