The blizzard hit us with shocking suddenness. One moment we were trudging across the icy plains of Glacius, the distant spires of Frostheim just visible on the horizon, and the next we were engulfed in a swirling maelstrom of white.

"This way!" Isabella shouted over the howling wind, grabbing Aria's arm and pointing toward a dark opening in a nearby ice formation. "Cave shelter!"

We barely made it inside before the full fury of the storm descended. The entrance to the cave was a jagged mouth in the blue-white ice, leading to a surprisingly spacious chamber that glittered with crystalline formations. Outside, the blizzard raged with unnatural intensity, a solid wall of white obscuring everything beyond a few feet.

"Well, this is just perfect," Aria huffed, brushing snow from her purple outfit. "So much for our quick trip to Glacius."

I moved to the centre of the cave and closed my eyes, drawing on the thermal manipulation magic I'd been practicing. With a gentle exhale, I released a wave of heat that spread throughout the chamber, raising the temperature to a comfortable level. The icy walls began to glisten as a thin layer of melt formed on their surface.

"At least we won't freeze," I said, settling down on a relatively flat section of ice.

"You know," Aria said, shooting Isabella an accusatory glance, "you just had to say 'unless there's a blizzard' earlier. You practically invited this to happen."

Isabella scoffed, elegantly arranging herself on another ice shelf. "That's not how it works, and you know it. Correlation is not causation, Aria."

"Says the girl who just happened to mention the one thing that could go wrong right before it happened," Aria countered, crossing her arms over her chest.

I maintained the warming spell with minimal effort, creating a bubble of comfort within the frozen cave. Outside, the wind screamed with increasing fury, hurling ice particles against the entrance with such force that they sounded like tiny bullets.

"Can't we just power through it?" Aria asked, peering toward the cave entrance with a restless expression. "We're demons, for crying out loud. A little snow shouldn't stop us."

Isabella shook her head, her silver hair catching the light from my spell. "We could try, if we want to exhaust ourselves fighting against a Glacius blizzard. These aren't ordinary storms—they're manifestations of the Second Circle's essence. The temperature out there would solidify mortal blood in an instant."

"Even for us, it would be like swimming upstream through molten glass," she continued. "We'd be encased in ice before we made it halfway to Frostheim, and then we'd be stuck until we thawed ourselves out. Assuming we could generate enough heat while immobilised."

I shifted the conversation, sensing Aria's growing frustration. "It's not like the blizzard will last forever. These storms typically blow themselves out within a few hours. We just need to be patient."

"I suppose you're right," Aria agreed reluctantly, then a familiar mischievous smile spread across her face. "But since we're stuck here anyway, maybe we could have some… fun while we wait for the storm to pass?"

The suggestive tone in her voice was unmistakable, and I couldn't help but laugh at her predictability.

"Is that your solution to everything?" I asked, though without any real annoyance.

"Not everything," Aria replied with a wink. "Just boring situations that could use some spicing up."

I glanced at the swirling blizzard outside, then back at Aria's suggestive smile. What else were we going to do while trapped in an ice cave?

"Fine," I agreed with a shrug. "Though I'm not sure how you're planning to make this work. Ice isn't exactly known for being a comfortable surface."

Aria's smile widened into that familiar expression of smug satisfaction. "Oh, you think I came unprepared?" She reached into her spatial ring—the one I'd given her months ago—and with a theatrical flourish, pulled out several large, luxurious furs.

"The clothes weren't the only things I packed," she announced proudly, spreading the thick pelts across the icy floor. The furs were rich and dense, creating an inviting cushion against the hard surface. "I brought these just in case."

Isabella raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely impressed. "Well, well. Our Aria actually thought ahead for once."

"For once?" Aria huffed, but her mock offence couldn't hide her pleasure at Isabella's reaction.

Isabella's ice-blue eyes glinted as she began unfastening the clasps of her outfit. "Since you came so prepared, it would be a shame to disappoint your expectations." Her voice dropped to that aristocratic purr that somehow managed to sound both refined and utterly indecent. "Shall we begin?"

I sighed, though I couldn't suppress my smile. These two were impossible—and impossibly hard to resist. The furs looked inviting, and the warming spell had created a pleasant bubble of heat within our icy shelter. Outside, the blizzard continued its relentless assault, but in here, we had created our own little pocket of Hell's particular brand of comfort.

"Why not?" I said, joining them on the fur bedding. "It's not like we have anything better to do until this storm passes."

The furs felt surprisingly soft against my skin as I settled between Aria and Isabella. Outside, the blizzard howled with increasing fury, but inside our little ice cave, the temperature was rising—and not just from my warming spell.

Isabella's eyes met mine, that familiar aristocratic hunger gleaming in their icy blue depths. Without a word, she leaned forward, her silver hair falling like a curtain around us as her lips found mine. The kiss was gentle at first, almost questioning, before deepening with practiced precision. I felt Aria's hands slide around my waist from behind, her lips finding the sensitive spot where my neck met my shoulder.

"You're always so hesitant at first," Isabella murmured against my lips, pulling back just enough to speak. "It's endearing."

"And hot," Aria added, her breath warm against my skin. "Like unwrapping a present… slowly."

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I smiled, feeling that familiar moment of restraint—a habit from before I fully embraced being Lily—before consciously letting it go. My hands reached up to cup Isabella's face, pulling her back into a deeper kiss while my tail curled around Aria's thigh.

Isabella's fingers worked at the clasps of my outfit, each movement deliberate and unhurried. Aria was less patient, her hands already sliding beneath the fabric to cup my breasts, her thumbs circling my nipples with practiced ease.

"Someone's eager," Isabella commented with a smirk, glancing over my shoulder at Aria.

"As if you're not," Aria retorted, reaching past me to pinch Isabella's nipple through her clothing.

Isabella's sharp intake of breath was all the confirmation needed. I took advantage of the moment to slide my hands beneath Isabella's top, feeling the cool smoothness of her skin. Her breasts were smaller than mine or Aria's, but perfectly shaped, fitting my palms as if designed for them.

We moved together in a dance we'd performed before, yet one that never grew tiresome. Clothing fell away piece by piece, discarded carelessly onto the furs. Aria's purple outfit with its shifting cutouts, Isabella's elegant midnight blue ensemble, my crimson attire—all abandoned as we revealed ourselves to each other.

"You're beautiful," Aria whispered, her hands tracing the curve of my waist.

The words settled over me like a warm blanket. Where once such compliments had triggered a sense of wrongness—a reminder that this body wasn't originally mine—now they filled me with genuine pleasure. I was beautiful, and hearing it from Aria's lips made me feel appreciated in a way I'd never experienced before becoming Lily.

Isabella's mouth found my breast, her tongue circling my nipple while her hand slid between Aria's thighs. Aria gasped, her head falling back, exposing the elegant line of her throat. I leaned forward, nipping gently at the sensitive skin there while my hands explored the familiar territory of her body.

We shifted positions with fluid grace, a tangle of limbs and wings and tails. Isabella's spaded tail wrapped around my ankle while Aria's hands guided my face between her breasts. I traced the curve of each with my tongue, feeling the vibration of her moan against my lips.

"More," Isabella commanded, her aristocratic tone never quite disappearing even in moments like this.

I obliged, my hand finding the wetness between her thighs as Aria's mouth claimed mine in a hungry kiss. The taste of her was intoxicating—sweet with just a hint of spice, like the exotic fruits that grew in the gardens of Igneus.

Our bodies pressed together, skin against skin, the contrast between Isabella's cool paleness and Aria's warmer tones creating a visual feast that matched the physical one. Moans and sighs filled our icy shelter, creating a counterpoint to the howling storm outside.

* * *

I don't know how long we stayed entwined in that cave, feeding on each other's pleasure and warmth while the blizzard raged outside. Time works differently in moments like those—stretching and compressing according to its own rules. Eventually, though, I noticed the howling winds had quieted to a gentle whisper.

"I think the storm's passed," I said, reluctantly disentangling myself from Aria's arms and Isabella's legs.

I crawled toward the cave entrance, still gloriously naked, and peered outside. The landscape had transformed into a pristine white expanse, the earlier chaotic winds replaced by an eerie stillness. Ice crystals hung suspended in the air, catching what little light filtered through Glacius's perpetually overcast sky and transforming it into rainbow prisms.

"It's clear," I confirmed, turning back to my companions.

Aria stretched languidly on the furs, her purple eyes half-lidded with satisfaction. Her tail curled and uncurled in lazy contentment as she arched her back.

"Mmm, I needed that," she purred, making no immediate move to get dressed. "Nothing like a good feeding session to warm you up in this frozen wasteland."

Isabella was already reaching for her clothes, her practical nature asserting itself now that our pleasure had concluded. "It wasn't that bad," she said, though the slight flush on her pale cheeks betrayed her enjoyment. "But we need to hurry. We've lost several hours to the storm, and I'd rather not be caught out here after dark."

"Agreed," I said, gathering my crimson outfit. "Glacius nights are very cold even for demons."

We dressed quickly, our earlier languor replaced by purposeful efficiency. The warming spell I'd maintained had gradually faded, and the chill was creeping back into our shelter. I helped Aria fold the furs while Isabella consulted her map.

"There's a small outpost about an hour's flight from here," Isabella said. "We can rest there briefly before continuing to Frostheim."

"Lead the way," I replied, stepping out into the glittering landscape.

* * *

I had just stepped out of the cave when a bright glow emanated from my spatial ring. A small stone floated out, hovering in the air before me, pulsing with arcane energy.

"What the—" I stepped back, startled.

Aria's eyes widened. "I didn't know it could do that," she said, echoing my exact thoughts.

The stone flickered, and suddenly Kyriakos's skeletal visage appeared in a projected image above it. The Lich's eye sockets glowed with their characteristic ethereal flame as he glanced around, taking in our surroundings.

"Ah, Princess," he said, his voice crackling through the magical connection. "I see you're with trusted company."

Isabella moved closer, her curiosity evident as she studied the projection. "A communication stone? Interesting."

"Kyriakos," I said, surprised. "I thought our time working together was over. What's going on?"

The ancient Lich laughed dryly, the sound like brittle leaves rustling. "I'm not contacting you for myself, Princess. Our mutual… friends from Earth asked me to reach out to you."

I frowned, confused. "The VCD? Why would they contact you? And how?"

My mind raced back to London, to those final moments after we'd defeated Cain. Kyriakos had stayed behind to speak with Galahad and Morgan while I'd said my goodbyes to Faith. What had they discussed that was important enough for him to leave them a method of contacting him?

"What do they want to talk about?" I asked, pushing aside my questions about their connection.

"I don't have many details," Kyriakos replied, his skeletal features impossible to read. "But it apparently concerns something you did to Agent Clarke."

Faith. Just hearing her name sent a wave of emotions crashing through me. I'd been working so hard to move forward, to embrace my life as Lily Morningstar, to forget my attachments to Earth. And yet, just the mention of Faith was enough to bring everything rushing back.

"Is she okay?" I asked, unable to keep the concern from my voice. A troubling thought crossed my mind—had my outburst of True Magic done something to her? After that incident, I hadn't been able to access that wellspring of power again, and I'd almost forgotten about it. But now…

"The VCD didn't elaborate," Kyriakos said. "They simply requested your presence. They seemed confident you would come if you heard Agent Clarke was involved."

I bit my lip, considering my options.

"You're not seriously thinking of ditching our mission now for your former mortal lover, are you?" Aria interrupted, her tail flicking with irritation.

Isabella remained silent, but her ice-blue eyes studied me intently, waiting for my response.

They were right. We were in the middle of something important.

"Is this urgent, Kyriakos?" I asked.

The lich shrugged, his bony shoulders rising and falling beneath his robes. "Most likely not. If it were truly pressing, they would have attempted to summon you directly."

I thought for a moment, torn between my past and present obligations. "Tell them I'll come when I have time," I finally decided. "Or they can contact me directly if it's urgent. Give them a communication stone or something."

Before Kyriakos could respond, a loud explosion sounded from somewhere near him, the noise carrying through the magical connection.

"I'll relay your answer," he said hurriedly. "I must end now—"

He muttered something under his breath—an incantation of some kind—and a second later, the communication stone went silent, the projection vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

The three of us stood in silence for a moment, the stone dropping gently into my palm.

"Well," Aria said finally, "that was dramatic. Now can we please get moving before we freeze our tails off?"

I nodded, tucking the stone back into my spatial ring. Whatever was happening with Faith would have to wait. Right now, we had a mission to complete in Glacius.

"Let's go," I said, stepping out into the glittering ice field. "Isabella, lead the way to that outpost."

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