Chapter 425: The Covenant Can Be Broken

About Thalia laughing when Victoria offered herself as payment. About how the corruption made Victoria worthless. About how Lilith was now the most valuable supernatural being on the continent.

About the Veil’s core essence woven into Lilith’s soul. About how she was more powerful than any witch in existence. About how other covens would hunt her for that power.

About Thalia’s "VIP access" through the binding deal. About how she would come to collect when Lilith was "ready." About how the magic would compel Lilith to comply when Thalia invoked the debt.

When Victoria finished, Elena was silent.

She stood at the window staring out at nothing for so long Victoria started to worry.

"Say something," Victoria pleaded. "Tell me there’s a way out of this. Tell me I didn’t just trade Nicholas’s life only to bind Lilith to something worse than death."

Elena turned slowly to face her.

And she was smiling.

Not cruelly. Not mockingly. Just....smiling like she knew something Victoria did not.

"Don’t worry," Elena said quietly.

Victoria stared at her. "What? How can you possibly say that? Thalia has a binding claim on Lilith! When she comes to collect...."

"When she comes to collect," Elena interrupted gently, "Lilith will be strong enough to tell her no."

Victoria felt her breath catch. "I don’t understand. The binding magic...."

"Can be broken," Elena finished. "By someone powerful enough. Someone who carries magic older than demon deals and blood covenants. Someone who embodies the very source that all supernatural power derives from."

She moved closer to Victoria and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Victoria, have you forgotten what Lilith has become?" Elena asked. "She carries the Veil’s core essence. The power of the space between life and death. The origin point of existence itself. That makes her more powerful than Thalia could ever dream of being."

"But the corruption...." Victoria started.

"Thalia wields corrupted demon magic," Elena interrupted. "Dark bargains and blood deals and power stolen from entities that are themselves limited. Lilith wields the fundamental force of creation and destruction. Life and death in perfect balance. There is no comparison."

Victoria felt something that might have been hope stir in her chest. "You’re saying Lilith can break the covenant?"

"I’m saying once Lilith understands what she carries, once she learns to wield it properly.....breaking Thalia’s covenant will be child’s play," Elena said. "The binding magic only works if Lilith is weaker than the spell. But she’s not. She just doesn’t know it yet."

"So we teach her," Victoria said slowly.

"We train her," Elena confirmed. "You teach her death magic. I teach her life magic. We show her how to access the power she brought back from the Veil. We make her so strong that when Thalia comes calling, Lilith can look her in the eye and say no. And the binding magic will shatter because it cannot compel someone more powerful than the entity it was sealed with."

Victoria felt tears of relief burn behind her eyes. "That could actually work."

"It will work," Elena said firmly. "But Victoria....it’s going to take time. Lilith is grieving. She’s traumatized. She just came back from death and learned that Nicholas sacrificed himself for her. She’s not going to be in any state to train for weeks. Maybe months."

"We don’t have months," Victoria said desperately. "Thalia could come at any time. Other covens could...."

"Will come," Elena interrupted. "Eventually. Once word spreads about what Lilith carries. But Victoria, we buy ourselves time by keeping it quiet. Don’t tell anyone what Lilith has become. Don’t let her use the Veil power until she’s trained. Don’t advertise that she’s the most valuable supernatural being alive."

"And when Thalia comes?" Victoria asked.

"We deal with it," Elena said. "Together. You, me, Lilith, and these Alphas who love her enough to fight impossible battles. We stand between Lilith and every threat that comes for her. And we train her until she’s strong enough to stand on her own."

Victoria closed her eyes and took the first deep breath she seams to have be holding since entering the Underworld.

It was not a perfect solution. Not a guarantee. But it was a path forward that did not end in Lilith’s destruction.

"Thank you," Victoria whispered.

"Don’t thank me yet," Elena said. "We have a lot of work ahead of us. And Victoria...." She paused. "The corruption in your magic. It’s spreading. If we don’t address it soon, it’s going to kill you."

"I know," Victoria said. "But right now, Lilith is more important."

"Lilith needs you alive," Elena countered. "You’re the only one who can teach her death magic. If you die from corruption before she’s trained, we lose half of what she needs to learn."

"Then we figure out how to slow the corruption," Victoria said. "We do whatever we need to do to keep me functional long enough to train her."

Elena nodded slowly. "Alright. Then here’s what we do. We give Lilith time to grieve. Time to process everything that’s happened. And while she’s grieving, you and I prepare. We research. We plan training regimens. We gather materials she’ll need. We get everything ready so that when she’s finally able to start learning...."

"We can train her fast," Victoria finished.

"Exactly," Elena said.

Victoria stood and looked at herself in the mirror.

The black veins were visible even through her clothes now. The corruption was spreading faster than she had anticipated. She probably had months at best before it consumed her entirely.

But months was enough.

Months was time to teach Lilith. Time to prepare her. Time to make sure that when Victoria finally succumbed to the darkness she had embraced to save her niece, Lilith would be strong enough to survive what came next.

"Let’s get started," Victoria said.

Elena smiled. "Tomorrow. Tonight, you rest. You’ve been in the Underworld for hours. You’re exhausted. Your magic is depleted. Sleep, Victoria. Tomorrow we begin preparing for the war that’s coming."

Victoria wanted to argue. Wanted to say there was no time to waste.

But Elena was right.

Victoria was exhausted. Depleted. Running on fumes.

She needed rest if she was going to be any use to anyone.

"Alright," Victoria said. "Tomorrow."

Elena stood and moved to the door. "Get some sleep. And Victoria...." She paused with her hand on the handle. "For what it’s worth, you did the right thing. Nicholas’s sacrifice was not in vain. Lilith is alive. And we’re going to make sure she stays that way."

Then she left.

And Victoria was alone in her room with the weight of impossible secrets pressing down on her shoulders.

Lilith was alive.

But bound by a debt to Thalia.

Marked by the Veil.

Hunted by covens who would want her power.

And the only way to save her was to train her to be stronger than every threat that came.

Victoria looked at her corrupted hands and made a silent vow.

I will teach you everything I know. I will make you strong enough to break Thalia’s covenant. I will prepare you for the war that’s coming.

And when I finally succumb to this corruption, when the darkness I embraced to save you finally consumes me.....you will be ready.

You will be powerful enough to survive.

Whatever it takes.