After twenty minutes and a lot of insistence from Kilian, I find my teeth sinking into an otherworldly delicious powdered pastry. I can feel the sugar cover my lips as I let out a sound of delight; the warmth from the guava pastry warming my stomach. Who knew that demon cafe's could be so— human?

I'd half expected the treat to be covered in eyeballs or worms as someone did voodoo behind the counter, but I was wrong. We decided to stop in for something to eat, to recoup. Kilian claimed to know of news that would help us a ton, from a trustworthy source. I believe him.

I glance up to find Kilian staring at me with a small smile on his face, his eyes crinkling a little in the corners very friendly-like. I was tempted to ask if there was something crude on my face, but I knew he'd just make an equally dirty remark; if not more crude. Instead, I wipe the sugar off of my face with a napkin and take a sip from the coffee he'd gotten me.

"So," I take another bite from the pastry, not really caring for etiquette. "How'd you find me?" I ask with a mouth full of crumbs.

Attractive.

I watch as he takes a bite out of his own cake, tongue flickering slightly over his fangs and the corners of his lips. I Quiver. Oh stop it you perv.

"I'm a demon of many deals." He says, pulling the flaps of his black jacket down to expose his collarbone. A new intricately swirled serpent now stood at attention, carved directly on top of his collarbone and disappearing down to his bicep. I narrow my eyes at him and pause my chewing momentarily.

"I wasn't aware royalty had to make deals to get into their own realms." I observe in caution as he winks slightly at me.

"Neither was I, but my dearly beloved father has everyone thinking I'm dead; including the gatekeeper Raksha. That's why we're going to surprise him tonight." He flashes me a slanted grin as I resume my eating.

"Well that's lovely and all— but what happens tonight?" I ask, latching into every bit of information he could provide. To this, Kilian's eyes grow a bit serious.

"You're going to be my beautiful date to a ball." He says simply, after a slight pause.

My heart stutters, but I continue on as if I had no reaction to his words.

"A ball?" I drawl out. "Kilian—" I glance around the cafe littered with witches and demon couples of the like chattering amongst themselves. I lean forward.

"In case you haven't realized, we have a prophecy to prevent, and a father to find." I say in a hushed whisper as his fork stills, hovering over his slice of coffee cake.

He considers his next choice words, tapping a finger along the gold spine of the fork.

"Yes. The ball is at my fathers castle. I have reason to believe that your dad is being held against his will there." He glances at me for a second, and then picks up his drink. He didn't tell me what he'd gotten, but I had a suspicion that it could've been blood.

"Why would my dad be there?" I whisper, chewing my lip slightly as Kilian watches my movements carefully.

Then, very delicately, he speaks again.

"Vi... my father wanted you dead— he wanted this war to rage on. If he was aware of your fathers presence in the underworld, I'm sure he's—" he bites his lip, struggling for a way to give it to me softly, but I decide that tipping the bandaid off is far better.

"My dad is probably in some dungeon, dangling chained to a wall— bloody." I state, my appetite ceasing to exist as Kilian winces.

"If you put it that way—" he says, but I swiftly interrupt him.

"There is no other way to put it." I say sharply. "The truth is better than a soft fucking lie." I hiss as his face grows calm, probably becoming aware of the raging emotions in me.

I can feel my insides glazing over with raw ice— begging to be freed. At this point, I was just a time ticking bomb waiting to explode ice shards in some poor fuckers cafe.

My hostility was growing worse the more and more my anxiety grew, and instead of being happy at knowing where to look first— it felt like I was approaching doom more likely.

He could be dead. My dad could be dead, and I could've come all this way just to encounter his dead body.

I release a shiver involuntarily as my lips turn blue, my breaths coming out in frosty puffs.

Kilian glances around the cafe quickly, taking my hand in his and pulling me out of my chair, onto his lap.

"Darling, you have some sugar on your face." He says loudly with a faux smile, his eyes growing rapidly concerned as he cradles my face.

"Hey, calm down icicle. You're gonna cause our cover to be blown if you make it snow here." He whispers softly, staring into my eyes.

I can feel my heart hurting at the thought of my dad being hurt in any way, but I place my hands over Kilian's with a shaky breath.

"I'm trying." I say, focusing on my breaths like I was taught.

"I know." His thumb rubs over my bottom lip as I close my eyes.

Then, as I feel my ice slowly start to thaw from my lungs, I speak.

"This source— is it a reliable one?" I ask, hesitantly as Kilian loosens his hold on my face.

"The best source there is." He says with confidence.

"She's been trapped at the castle for so long— but sometimes I get shadows, whispers from her. Small information but small information is sometimes all I need to know." He finishes as I scan his face, slightly squirming his powerful lap.

"Who is she?" I ask, already feeling drained from not releasing my pent up power.

Kilian's hands slowly drop from my face down to my waist as he opens his mouth to speak.

"The reliable source is my mother, the queen."

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