Chapter 9: Queen of Hell

Briar was at her wit’s end.

She had tried everything. The “I’m secretly evil” reveal? A disaster. The disastrous date setups? Failed miserably. She had even summoned blood from the walls, and instead of scaring Cassie away, the human had clapped and asked to learn more. There was no way out. Cassie wasn’t afraid of her. Cassie wasn’t distracted by her. In fact, Cassie had become too fond of her.

Briar needed something more. She needed to make Cassie see what it would be like to have someone else. Someone better. Someone who was powerful, elegant, and undeniably seductive.

But Briar was a demon. She had a wealth of magic at her disposal. It was time for her to get creative.

The idea came to her late one night, as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. I’ll create a rival, she thought. Someone who makes Cassie forget all about me. She needed to be more than just a "bad girlfriend." She needed to be a distraction.

That was when the plan was born.

With a flourish, Briar summoned the powers of illusion and transformation. She stepped into the center of the room, her hands swirling in intricate gestures. The air around her shimmered, and her form began to change. Her height stretched upward, her features softened and became more symmetrical. She lost all her usual rough edges, her wild energy replaced by an aura of calm, controlled elegance.

A few moments later, a taller, more graceful version of herself stood in the mirror. Her hair flowed like liquid silver, her eyes gleaming with an eerie, seductive glow. She was now Sarielle, Queen of the Underworld.

With a satisfied smirk, Briar—no, Sarielle—adjusted her posture and gave her hair a dramatic flip, reveling in her new, striking form. This will work, she thought. Cassie won’t be able to resist me now.

The next morning, Cassie was at her desk, typing away, oblivious to the fact that her entire world was about to be thrown into chaos.

Briar—Sarielle—strutted into the living room, gliding across the floor like a shadow, her movements smooth and graceful. Cassie barely had time to look up before she was greeted with a sultry, low voice.

“Well, well,” Sarielle purred, her eyes narrowing as she gazed at Cassie. “Mortal, you deserve someone more refined, more powerful, more… dangerously alluring.” She gave her hair another dramatic flip, letting it cascade over her shoulder in a way that was absolutely perfectly theatrical.

Cassie blinked, slowly lowering her hands from the keyboard. She stared up at Sarielle, her expression a mix of confusion and curiosity. “Uh… Briar?”

Sarielle raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the moment. “I am no longer Briar, foolish mortal. You stand before Sarielle, Queen of the Underworld, and I have come to claim your heart.” She walked slowly toward Cassie, her hips swaying with every step, her voice dripping with all the gravitas and mystery she could muster. “You need someone with power, someone who understands the darkness of the world. You need someone like me.”

Cassie stared at her, her lips twitching. “You... uh, did you change your look or something?”

Sarielle smiled, a cruel smile that only served to make her seem more refined and elegant. “I have changed everything, mortal. For you.”

Cassie tilted her head, her lips now curving into an amused smile. “I don’t know… You seem familiar.”

Sarielle narrowed her eyes in frustration, her voice becoming lower and more seductive. “It’s because we are destined, Cassie. The very stars themselves have aligned for us. You, a simple mortal, and I, a queen of the abyss… Do you not see it? This is fate.”

Cassie blinked. “You’re totally roleplaying right now, aren’t you?”

Sarielle froze, her heart skipping a beat. “Roleplaying?” she repeated, confused.

“Yeah,” Cassie said, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes with a hint of a smirk. “You didn’t even change your voice, Briar. You’re still talking like yourself.”

Briar—Sarielle—looked at her in disbelief. What? She had meticulously crafted this persona, putting in all the effort to sound like an entirely different, mysterious entity.

She immediately cast a quick glance at her own voice—yes, it was still her voice, her usual snarky tone slipping out no matter how hard she tried to suppress it. She groaned internally.

“Well,” Briar grumbled, her shoulders slumping in defeat as she cast a glance around the room. “I did change my hair, at least,” she muttered.

Cassie raised an eyebrow. “Not that I’m complaining, but you look kinda… taller? A bit more regal? The hair’s different, yeah, and the outfit's... more elaborate. I guess you look like... a goth princess or something? I like it.”

Briar’s eyes widened. “You—what? Are you seriously telling me that this…” She gestured to her new form dramatically, “Doesn’t look like an alluring, powerful queen of the Underworld?”

“Well,” Cassie said, taking in Briar’s form with an expression that was more amused than intimidated, “you look like someone who’s trying really hard to be someone else.”

Briar’s face flushed in frustration, and she let out a long sigh. “Ugh, this is a disaster.” She snapped her fingers, and the illusion flickered, unraveling quickly as she returned to her usual, less glamorous self. “Fine. You’re right. It’s me. I just thought it’d be… more effective.”

But before she could continue her rant, she caught a glimpse of Cassie’s expression—an expression that made her pause. Cassie wasn’t scared, no. But there was something else there.

Cassie was… grinning.

“You know,” Cassie said with a wicked gleam in her eye, “that was kind of fun. I didn’t expect you to be so... into roleplaying, Briar. Are you saying you want me to, like, fall for this Queen of the Underworld persona? Or... is the real you the one I’m supposed to be falling for?”

Briar’s heart stuttered. “W-wait, what? What do you mean by that?”

Cassie’s grin only grew wider. “Well,” she said in a playful, teasing voice, “I think you are way more alluring than Sarielle. Maybe you could’ve used a little more effort with the ‘dark and mysterious’ thing, but the real you? You’re the one who’s been here with me. Who’s always here. Maybe I’d prefer the real Briar after all.”

Briar blinked, stunned. “You’re not going to… flirt with Sarielle?”

Cassie chuckled, leaning back in her chair. “You think I’d fall for some weird, tall demon queen when I’ve got you right here, trying to act all mysterious?” She winked playfully. “Honestly, I think you’re way more attractive just as you are.”

Briar’s cheeks burned, and she could feel herself cracking under Cassie’s gaze. This wasn’t the reaction she expected. She had failed to make Cassie choose someone else, but somehow, Cassie had… flirted with her anyway.

“Cassie…” Briar began, her voice barely a whisper, “You’re impossible.”

Cassie just laughed, clearly enjoying herself. “I think you’re adorable, Briar. Sarielle was cool and all, but you’re more my type.”

Briar collapsed onto the couch in defeat, groaning. “This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.”

Cassie smiled, leaning in closer. “You really need to stop trying to sabotage this,” she said, her tone softening. “Because if you keep acting like this… I might just end up falling for you even more.”

And once again, Briar was left completely defeated—only this time, she couldn’t help but feel a little warm inside.

“Ugh, you’re ridiculous,” she muttered, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Cassie grinned back at her, leaning even closer. “I know.”