Chapter 1
The burning on her skin subsided. Silence. Darkness. Rowena opened her eyes only to be met with a golden throne, and sitting on it…a woman with dark, wavy hair and bright blue eyes. The woman smiled at Rowena and beckoned her to come closer.
“I won’t bite.” The woman smirked, making a chill go up the witch’s spine.
Without looking away from the woman’s piercing eyes, Rowena stepped closer. “Where am I?” She asked, glancing around briefly. She almost immediately recognised the familiar smell of sulphur and grimaced… “so this is what Hell has turned into?”
It was different for sure, although Hell was infinite in possible designs. The place she remembered was less…elegant? She couldn’t even put the room into words.
The walls were cobblestone, covered in moss, vines, and flowers of all types. Stained glass windows, depicting various goddesses, allowed light from the hellfire to seep into the room, giving it an unearthly glow. An apple tree sat right behind a throne made of golden, skeletal fingers. And on that throne was a woman named Lilith.
“You, Rowena, have made yourself quite the spectacle.” Lilith began, “I can appreciate that….” She trailed off, trying to find the right words for the frazzled woman in front of her. “The world up there cannot handle women like us, hm?” She chuckled, “I knew I had to meet you.”
Rowena furrowed her brow, not sure how to take this. “Whatever do you mean?” Her accent sounded thicker from unease. “Who are you?”
“I’m Lilith. New and improved of course,” she took a minute to admire her face; the face of Mary Wardwell. “I found this one to be quite nice. Don’t you think?” She ran her hand along the soft skin of her cheek and grinned.
Rowena had to admit, Lilith was beautiful. She’d never seen anyone quite like her before. Seemingly too starstruck to realise, Rowena didn’t even notice when Lilith got off her plush cushion and came to get a better look.
“I have a proposal.” The queen said, caressing Rowena’s cheek with her hand, “rule with me.”