Hey guys, this was just a story that I felt like writing after reading Hunt the Moon because it annoyed me too much that Pritkin was sent back down to Hell! I mean come on! He's being condemned to his personal hell in all respects just because he saved someone he loved? That's just unfair! So as mentioned at the end of Hunt the Moon, Cassie is going to do what she can to get him back. She's definitely not going to let him go without a fight!

In this fanfic, Cassie learns about how the demon world functions, all the tricks and all the hierarchies involved. She finds that the demon world isn't nearly as straightforward, if you could even say that, as the vampire world. To get Pritkin back, she's really going to have to stay on her toes and avoid demonic charms which are even deadlier than the charm of a vampire by a mile! If she can only barely hand Mircea's charm when she's at her best, how can she possibly hope to handle demon charms thrown at her left, right and centre? Some of the charm isn't even from enemies, but rather from the man she's trying to save himself?

Of course, as I've mentioned, there is a new and own character in this story who will be helping Cassie along in her task. But just who is this girl and why does she seem to know so much? Even more than Pritkin knew, in fact?


~x~ Prologue ~x~

Lyris raced down the street to escape her pursuers when something unexpected happened. It was something that hadn't occurred for a while so she was startled when it did. She passed a certain couple and with the brief brush of skin contact with the woman she felt the truth flash through her mind.

Everything detail about that woman flittered through her brain within a matter of seconds and Lyris whirled around in shock. The woman, known as Cassandra Palmer, was an important person is various respects. Firstly, she had the abilities of a clairvoyant and a dark mage. Secondly, she was currently escaping some form of a house arrest. Thirdly, she was the newest Pythia and therefore her boss for all intents and purposes.

However, the thing that really made Lyris turn around and catch Cassie's upper arm was the fact that the Pythia had the blood of a god flowing within her. The blood of a very important god indeed.

Artemis.

Lyris wasn't entirely certain how Cassie was related to the goddess since she hadn't delved into the truth too much but from that flittering touch, Lyris learned more than she'd intended to know.

It was an ability that she sometimes resented because she felt that it was an intrusion of privacy. With the life that she'd had, Lyris understood the feeling of having someone probe into her privacy. That was the main reason why she was running away but now? Now she knew that she had to offer some form of warning without giving too much away.

"You! What? How? Why are you here?" Lyris all but screamed at the baffled Pythia.

A hand enclosed firmly around her wrist in warning while hers remained enclosed around Cassie's upper arm. Lyris blinked in surprise at the vaguely familiar touch and when she trailed her gaze to the owner of the hand, she instantly knew why.

Emrys.

The son of one of the Demon Lords on the Royal Council of Hell. It had been centuries since she'd last seen him because he'd been banished onto Earth for attempting to kill a Council member. Since he'd made permanent residence on Earth, Lyris had lost contact with him. The reason being that she was, in opposite, confined to the worlds of Hell due to her father's overprotectiveness.

She saw his eyes widen in surprise and knew that her gaze had mirrored his. She knew without a doubt that he would recognise her instantly just as she could recognise him. It was a talent that all demons had. They would be able to identify another demon by their auras, however, it was harder to identify the race and identity of the particular demon unless one held a lot of power.

Both Lyris and Pritkin possessed a lot of power and therefore could without effort recognise race and identity with a simple touch.

She gave a startled gasp when she felt a slither of power connect with her shield. She realised that he was trying to re-establish a link that had not been used for a long time. Not since he'd been banished. Cautiously, she accepted the request for the connection and she suddenly felt a lot warmer and a lot more comforted. She felt familiarity settle over her and she realised how much she'd missed it.

"Lyris?" he asked with suspicion laced in his tones.

"Yes Em, it's really me so no need for the suspicious tone. It's been a very long time, hasn't it? How have you been coping?" She laughed and gave him a mental nudge.

"I've coped."

"But it's been hard." Lyris stated rather than asked. She knew the answer because it was there in his eyes, in his aura. He might have found a way to settle on Earth without caving into his most basic needs as a demon, but she knew that without a doubt, he was still suffering. Particularly with Cassie at his side because she stirred his senses like no other. "We need to talk, Em, but not now. We don't have the time for it. Actually, it's you who doesn't have the time for it. I wish you luck old friend in protecting your Pythia because the task will not be easy and it will require a lot of sacrifices."

"Tell me something I don't know." Pritkin scoffed.

"I just did. Soon, you will have to make a choice, one that will make you suffer no matter which you choose."

"Has anyone told you that you're still as cryptic as ever?"

"Oh yeah," she smirked sassily. "We'd better get back to the real world because your little Pythia is beginning to look a little freaked."

"Hm… you may be right about that. I will come find you, Rys."

"Whenever you have a moment of spare time, Em." Lyris nodded.

With that she shut the door on their connection but instead of locking the link again, she left the connection so that he would be able to contact her at will without having to be in her proximity.

She returned her attention to Cassie who looked startled and began to pass glances between her and Pritkin. There was a gleam of curiosity in her gaze as she glanced back and forth between the pair, wondering what was happening during those few seconds of silence. Cassie's curiosity merely increased when Pritkin released Lyris' wrist.

Lyris gave a small cryptic smile and reached up with her hand to brush Cassie's cheek with a faint brush of her knuckles.

"I wish you good luck. Be careful because soon, your life will get even more out of hand than it currently is. You're involved in something far deeper than the current war between the vampire Senate and the mage Councils. Soon, everything will begin to make sense and when it does, remember to not lose yourself in life's maze. Just remember that you are strong and no one can tell you otherwise except for yourself."

"What?" Cassie arched her brows at the stranger's cryptic comments and she felt more confused than she already was. She was already surprised that Pritkin hadn't abruptly torn her away from the stranger the way he usually would. Nor did he use threats to make the stranger go away.

"Believe in yourself. You have the power." Lyris repeated before a terrified expression settled on her face and a heartbeat later she was suddenly gone, racing down the street, taking a sharp left a few metres ahead.

"What was that about?" Cassie asked Pritkin suspiciously and he simply ignored the question and proceeded to lead her to the parking lot.


This bit is set in Hunt the Moon around the time between the explosion of the cafe if I remember rightly and just before the massive dragon fight where Pritkin nearly dies protecting Cassie.