11: Unleashed Anger

HERA

I dragged myself back to my room after what felt like an endless day. Every muscle in my body ached from the hours of scrubbing, sweeping, and bending in submission to Lilith’s orders.

My head was filled with anger, frustration, and the burning need to figure out how to regain my power. But right now, all I wanted was a hot shower and some peace, even if only for a moment.

But when I opened the door to my room and entered, the faint hope of rest was immediately shattered.

Two bull dogs greeted me with a low growl. Their fur was matted with dirt, and the stench of their mess hit me before I could even process what was happening. Food and faeces were scattered everywhere—on the floor, on the bed.

My stomach turned.

What the fuck?

But what caught my attention even more was Lilith. She sat on the corner of my bed that was unsoiled by the faeces of the dogs, casually stroking one of them, her lips curled into a smug smile as if she’d been waiting for this exact moment.

I stood frozen in the doorway, my exhaustion quickly giving way to fresh anger.

“What the hell is this?” I demanded, my voice cold and sharp.

Lilith didn’t even bother to look up from the dog she was petting.

“Oh, didn’t anyone tell you?” Her tone was light, mocking. “The room belongs to my dogs now.”

I took a step forward, fists clenched at my sides, fighting the urge to throttle her till there was no breath left in her lungs.

“You’re joking, right?” I bit back.

Lilith finally looked up, her eyes gleaming with malicious amusement.

“Do I look like I’m joking?” She glanced around the room as if admiring her handiwork. “They needed a more comfortable space, and since you’re just a maid now, I figured… why not?”

My jaw tightened, and I fought to keep my composure.

“You can’t be serious.”

She chuckled, finally standing up, still scratching the dog behind its ears.

“Oh, I’m as serious as a heart attack,” Lilith responded, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “After the stunt you pulled this morning, especially at Atticus’ meeting, you didn’t think I’d make things easy, did you?”

My hands balled into fists at my sides, my rage boiling over. I have been holding myself back all day, trying to think logically, trying not to let Lilith get under my skin.

But this—this blatant disrespect, this game she was playing, thinking she had control over me—was too much.

On me, Hera Celeste Volkov, the Rightful Queen of Shadow Claw Coven.

Without thinking, I lunged at her.

Lilith’s eyes widened in shock, but before she could react, I slammed her into the wall, my hands wrapping around her throat. The surprise on her face was worth every second of my fury.

I could feel the power in my muscles, the satisfaction of taking control back from her. She gasped for air, her hands flailing, trying to push me off, but I was too strong, too consumed by anger.

“You think you can break me?” I spat, my grip tightening. “You’re nothing but a coward, hiding behind your dogs and your orders.”

Lilith’s eyes widened in genuine fear, her nails scratching desperately at my arms, but I didn’t let go. The satisfaction of seeing her panic coursed through me like a drug, and I pushed harder, slamming her into the wall again.

Her head knocked against it with a dull thud, and she let out a pained gasp, her hands now feebly trying to pry my fingers from her throat.

I was past the point of caring. Everything—the endless degradation, the cruel games, the constant testing—boiled over inside me. My vision tunneled, my only focus on Lilith and the fear that flickered in her eyes.

It stroked my ego that she feared me!

I ripped my hand away from her throat only to land a solid punch to her face. Her head snapped to the side with the impact, and a sharp gasp escaped her lips.

She stumbled, dazed, but I didn’t stop. My fists flew, landing blow after blow, venting every ounce of fury I had built up since stepping foot in this cursed palace.

“You think this makes you powerful?” I snarled, my voice shaking with rage as I kicked her to the ground. “You think Atticus cares about you? You’re pathetic!”

Lilith whimpered as she tried to crawl away, but I grabbed her by the hair, yanking her back and slamming her face into the cold floor.

Blood trickled from her nose, and for the first time, I saw genuine terror in her eyes. She tried to scream, but I clamped my hand over her mouth, leaning in close.

“You don’t get to threaten me,” I hissed. “You don’t get to humiliate me. Not anymore.”

I raised my hand to strike her again when the door suddenly burst open, and two maids rushed in, eyes wide with shock.

“Get her off me!” Lilith screamed, her voice muffled by the blood in her mouth. The maids hesitated for only a second before they threw themselves at me, grabbing at my arms and dragging me away from Lilith.

I fought against them, still burning with the need to finish what I’d started, but their grips were strong, and they managed to hold me back.

Lilith struggled to her feet, wiping the blood from her face with shaking hands, her eyes wild with rage and humiliation.

“Hold her down!” she shrieked, her voice cracking with anger. “Hold her!”

The maids forced me to the ground, pinning my arms behind my back. I thrashed, kicking, trying to get free, but there were too many of them. They pressed me down, their weight crushing me into the cold floor.

Lilith stood above me, her breathing ragged, but the fury in her eyes was like a wildfire. She used the back of her hand to wipe her nose and spat out blood. Then she wiped at her neck that was still red from where I’d grabbed her.

“You little bitch,” she spat, her voice trembling with rage. “You actually thought you could lay a hand on me? I’m going to make sure you regret this.”

She kicked me hard in the ribs, and pain shot through my side. I gritted my teeth, refusing to cry out, refusing to give her the satisfaction of hearing my pain.

“Hold her still!” Lilith shouted again, her voice ringing in the room. The maids tightened their hold on me, one of them twisting my arms painfully behind my back.

Lilith crouched down next to me, her face inches from mine, her nasty breath hot on my skin.

“You think you’re tough, don’t you? You think you’re untouchable because you were brought in by Atticus himself,” she laughed sardonically. “Let me tell you something, Hera, you’re nothing here, and you are certainly nothing to him. Nothing.” She spat.

I spat blood from my mouth, glaring up at her.

“If that’s the case, then you are no different from me,” I spat back. “The only difference is that you wear a fancy dress to hide your shattered dignity.”

That earned me another hard kick to the side. My body recoiled with the impact, but I bit down the groan of pain, determined not to let her see me weak.

Lilith straightened, adjusting her hair with a mocking smirk.

“Lock her up,” she ordered coldly. “Take her to the dungeon. No food. No water. Let’s see how tough she is after two days in there.” She told them.

The maids immediately dragged me to my feet, their grips firm as they hauled me toward the door. I could barely stand, my ribs aching, but I held my head high, meeting Lilith’s gaze one last time.

“You’ll regret this,” I said, my voice hoarse but steady. “You can beat me all you want, but you’ll never break me.”

Lilith’s smile widened, dark and twisted. “We’ll see about that.”

With that, they dragged me out of the room.