Chapter 376: Which god Of Death Is The Safest?

Elena’s expression turned grave. "I’ve been researching that. There are three death gods who might be willing to bargain with you. Moros the god of doom and inevitable fate. Thanatos the god of peaceful death. And Erebus the primordial darkness itself."

"Which one is safest?" Victoria asked.

"None of them are safe," Elena said. "But Thanatos is probably least likely to destroy you outright. He has some concept of mercy. The others..." She shook her head. "Moros will demand everything you have and give you barely enough in return. And Erebus is so ancient and powerful that bargaining with him is basically suicide."

"So Thanatos," Victoria said.

"If you must bargain with anyone, yes," Elena confirmed. "But Victoria....understand that even Thanatos will demand a price. He won’t negotiate. He’ll state his price and you either pay it or leave."

"You said he demanded for ten years of your life, Your ability to cry. And all the memories of your sister’s childhood, when you attempted resurrection four years ago?"

Elena’s expression changed. "Yes, that was the price he asked for"

"And you paid it," Victoria said.

"I did," Elena confirmed. "And the resurrection still failed.

The devastation in her voice made Victoria’s throat tighten.

"I’m sorry," Victoria said again.

"Don’t be sorry," Elena said. "like i have said earlier on, be smart. When you approach Thanatos, if you have to approach him, know your limits. Decide beforehand what you’re willing to trade and what you’re not. Because in the moment, when he’s offering you the power to bring Lilith back, you’ll be tempted to give him everything. And that’s how you lose yourself entirely."

Victoria nodded slowly. "What are your limits? If you had to do it again, what would you refuse to trade?"

Elena was quiet for a long moment. "My ability to love. My memories of people who are still alive. My magic entirely. Those three things, no matter what, I would never trade those."

"Why?" Victoria asked.

"Because without love, life isn’t worth living," Elena said. "Without memories of the people I care about, I’m just an empty shell. And without magic, I can’t protect anyone. Those three things are non-negotiable."

Victoria committed this to memory. "So when I approach Thanatos, I need to have my own non-negotiables clear."

"Yes," Elena confirmed. "Decide now. Before you’re standing in front of a death god desperate and terrified and willing to promise anything."

Victoria thought about what she would absolutely refuse to trade.

Her love for Lilith. Her memories of her sister...Lilith’s mother. Her magic.

Those three things felt essential. Everything else....her ability to feel joy, years of her life, pieces of her soul, those felt negotiable if it meant bringing Lilith back.

"I know my limits," Victoria said quietly.

Elena studied her. "Are you sure? Because Victoria...in the moment, when Lilith is dead and the seven-day clock is ticking, you’ll be desperate. And desperation makes people do things they regret."

"I’m sure," Victoria said.

Elena nodded. "Then finish your preparations today. Gather the Alpha components. Perform the scrying to locate Thalia. Pack supplies you’ll need to leave quickly. And pray to whatever gods are listening that the transformation works and none of this is necessary."

"And if it doesn’t work?" Victoria asked.

"Then tomorrow morning, the moment Lilith dies, you preserve her body and leave," Elena said. "You have seven days to track down Thalia, make deals with Thanatos, gather the remaining components, and return ready to perform the resurrection."

"Seven days," Victoria repeated.

"Seven days," Elena confirmed. "After that, even the soul bonds won’t hold her. She’ll be lost permanently."

Victoria felt the weight of the timeline pressing down on her.

Seven days to do what would normally take weeks or months. Seven days to become someone willing to bargain with death gods and sacrifice pieces of herself. Seven days to save Lilith or lose her forever.

"I can do it," Victoria said.

"I know you can," Elena said. "The question is....will you be able to live with what you become in the process?"

Victoria looked at the hidden components. At the research she had compiled. At the evidence of how far she was already willing to go.

"I don’t know," Victoria admitted. "But I’m going to find out."

Elena stood. "I’ll help you with the scrying. We should locate Thalia today so you know exactly where to go if the worst happens."

"Thank you," Victoria said.

"Don’t thank me yet," Elena said. "We still have to get through the transformation. And Victoria..." She paused. "If it works, if Lilith survives, you need to destroy all of this. The research. The components. The plans. Don’t let it exist as a temptation."

"And if it doesn’t work?" Victoria asked.

"Then you use every piece of it to bring her back," Elena said. "And you live with the consequences."

***

*Three hours later*

Victoria stood in the center of a scrying circle with one of Lilith’s blood vials in her hand and Elena guiding the ritual.

"Focus on the blood connection," Elena instructed. "Lilith and Thalia share Morvaine ancestry. Their blood resonates. Use that resonance to find Thalia’s location."

Victoria opened the vial and let three drops of Lilith’s blood fall onto the map spread across the floor.

The blood shimmered.

Moved.

Slid across the map like it was being pulled by invisible threads.

And stopped.

Eastern territories. Abandoned quarry. Twenty miles from the nearest pack border.

Thalia was hiding in the ruins.

"Got her," Victoria breathed.

Elena looked at the location. "That’s deep in neutral territory. No pack protection. No witnesses. If you need to approach her, that’s where you’ll go."

Victoria committed the location to memory.

She now knew exactly where to find Thalia if Lilith died.

Knew exactly where to go to get the knowledge she needed to access the Underworld.

Knew exactly what her first step would be in the desperate race to save her niece.

"What else?" Victoria asked.

"The Alpha components," Elena reminded her. "You need their blood before the day ends."

Victoria nodded and left her room.

Time to commit another small betrayal in service of a larger goal.