I lounged on my bed while Bellas's strong hands worked the tension from my shoulders. The silence in our room felt peaceful without Aria's constant chatter. My thoughts drifted to Earth, to Faith, and the mystery surrounding her.

Those movements when she caught me in the apartment - they weren't normal reactions. The way she positioned herself, how she scanned the room... Faith had training. But what kind? And why would she hide it from me when we were dating?

"Lower," I murmured to Bellas, who obediently shifted his attention to my mid-back. His fingers pressed into the muscles with practiced skill.

The more I thought about it, the more questions arose. Faith mentioned her "dangerous work" as the reason for our breakup. At the time, I assumed she meant long hours or travel. Now I wondered if there was something more sinister involved.

I needed to return to Earth soon. Each day in this body made it harder to imagine going back. The enhanced senses, the natural grace, the raw power flowing through my veins - they were intoxicating. Even now, I could feel the pleasure from Bellas's touch more intensely than I ever could before.

But what terrified me most was the thought of the real Lily appearing. If she showed up at the palace, confronting Lilith... I shuddered. The queen of hell's wrath would be devastating. The demons I'd seen punished for minor offenses suffered horribly. For someone who had essentially stolen her daughter's body? The torture would be beyond imagination.

"Is everything alright, Mistress?" Bellas asked softly, his hands pausing.

"Just thinking," I replied. "Continue."

I shifted under Bellas's touch as a disturbing thought crossed my mind. The screams from the torture chambers no longer bothered me. When had that happened? The sound of chains rattling against collars, the sight of broken slaves - it all faded into background noise.

"Stop," I told Bellas, pushing myself up. My stomach churned as I realized how easily I'd accepted him as property.

The demons' casual cruelty toward mortals used to revolt me. Now? I watched it daily without batting an eye. Somewhere along the way, I'd stopped caring about their suffering.

My fingers traced the silk sheets. When had this change happened? I'd already accepted this body's needs and urges, but this felt different. More fundamental.

Were Aria and Isabella's attitudes rubbing off on me? Was hell itself corrupting my soul? Or maybe I'd always been this way, and now without mortal society's constraints, my true nature emerged?

"No." I stood abruptly, making Bellas flinch. These thoughts... I needed to act before it's too late.

"Stay here," I ordered Bellas, already heading for the door. The library would have books on scrying magic. It was time to find my old body.

I pushed through the library's heavy doors, the familiar musty scent of ancient tomes filling my nostrils. Meridia floated behind her desk, her goat horns gleaming in the crystal light as she lazily levitated a stack of books.

"Back again?" Her tired voice carried across the silent space. "What obscure topic brings you here this time?"

"Scrying spells," I said, approaching her desk.

She didn't even blink at the request, just waved her hand. Several books drifted from different shelves, landing in a neat pile before me.

"Basic to advanced," she droned. "Though I'd start with the simpler ones unless you want to accidentally peek into the void between realms."

I settled at a quiet table in the corner, away from other students. The first book proved too complex - equations and ritual circles that made my head spin. The second wasn't much better, requiring ingredients I'd never heard of.

But the third book held promise. A basic water scrying spell caught my eye - simple enough that even a novice could attempt it. The spell used water as a conduit to locate people or objects. The catch was that it required a personal item from the target.

My fingers traced the spell instructions. I'd need something that belonged to my old body - to Liam. The apartment had been cleaned out, but Faith might have kept something. A gift, a piece of clothing, anything would work.

I closed the book, satisfaction warming my chest. This could work. One more trip to Earth, one conversation with Faith, and I might finally understand what happened to my original body.

Standing up, I returned the books to Meridia's desk. She barely glanced up from her own reading as she gestured them back to their shelves.

"Found what you needed?"

"Yes, thank you."

I left the library with renewed purpose. The spell wasn't complicated - I just needed to get back to Earth and track down Faith.

I rushed through the Academy's halls as soon as the last class ended, my heels clicking against the polished stone floor. The halls buzzed with students discussing weekend plans, but I had more pressing matters.

"Got an errand to run," I told Aria and Isabella when they asked about joining them for drinks. "Shouldn't take long."

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The market district teemed with demons bartering and haggling. I weaved between merchant stalls, dodging a group of imps carrying baskets of screaming fruit. The transport gate loomed ahead, its obsidian arch crackling with crimson energy.

A line of demons waited their turn while the guard collected payment. When my turn came, I dropped a handful of soul coins into his scaled palm.

He nodded and gestured me forward. I stepped up to the arch, inputting the familiar sequence. The runes pulsed brighter with each press. Taking a deep breath, I walked through.

The familiar dank alley materialized around me. The symbol marking this as the gate glowed faintly on the brick wall. I glanced around to ensure no one had seen my arrival.

I summoned casual Earth clothes from my ring - purse, simple jeans and a t-shirt that would blend in. The demon glamour settled over my features, hiding my supernatural nature.

Now for the tricky part. I needed a phone to contact Faith, and I still had British pounds from our last "shopping" trip. But how to reach out without making her suspicious? I couldn't exactly tell her I was Liam trapped in a demon princess's body.

I headed for the nearest electronics shop, my mind racing through possible approaches. The bell chimed as I pushed open the door, artificial air conditioning washing over my skin.

The clerk looked up from his phone as the door chime announced my entrance. He was young, maybe early twenties, with thick-rimmed glasses and a name tag that read 'Kevin'.

"Welcome! Can I help you find anything today?" His customer service smile appeared instantly.

"Yes, actually. I need a new phone," I said, approaching the counter. "Nothing too fancy though - just something that works."

Kevin nodded and walked over to one of the display cases. After a few seconds of consideration, he pulled out a mid-range Android model.

"How about this one? Good battery life, decent camera, and won't break the bank," he explained, placing it on the counter.

"That should work fine," I agreed, not particularly invested in the specifics. A phone was a phone - I just needed something to contact Faith with.

"Great! We have it in black, white, or pink. Which would you prefer?"

I paused, considering. My old habits as Liam wanted to reach for the black version, but something stopped me. White seemed more... fitting now. Pink felt like too much of a statement.

"White, please," I decided.

Kevin rang up the purchase, rattling off the total. I made a show of reaching into my purse, carefully obscuring the motion as I retrieved the cash from my ring instead of a wallet.

He counted out my change and handed over the bagged phone with another smile. I pulled it out immediately, disposing of the excess packaging in a nearby bin.

The phone disappeared into my purse as I headed for the exit. The door chime sounded again as I stepped back onto the busy London street.

I made my way toward my old apartment building, my heels clicking against the pavement.

A flash of movement caught my eye - Faith emerged from the building's front door. My heart skipped. Perfect timing.

"Hey!" I raised my hand in greeting, barely catching myself before calling out her name. That would have been hard to explain since she'd never properly introduced herself during our strange encounter.

Faith's eyes widened slightly as she spotted me. Unlike our last meeting where she'd been coiled tight as a spring, ready to strike, her posture remained relaxed. She walked toward me with measured steps.

"The mysterious apartment visitor," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Didn't expect to see you around here again."

Her casual tone surprised me. The trained wariness from our first encounter had softened, though I could still see the subtle way she scanned our surroundings - habits that now stood out after realizing her true profession.

"I was in the neighbourhood," I said with a small shrug. "Thought I might run into you."

"We never properly introduced ourselves last time," I said, brushing a strand of white hair behind my ear. "Perhaps we could rectify that over coffee? There's a nice café just around the corner."

"Sure," Faith chuckled. "I'm Faith."

"Lily," I offered with a smile. Strange how using my new name felt more natural now.

We walked to the café in comfortable silence. The barista took our orders - an americano for Faith and a caramel latte for me. We found a quiet corner table away from other patrons.

"So what brings you back to this area?" Faith asked, wrapping her hands around her steaming cup.

I considered using my succubus abilities to make her more talkative, to lower her guard. The power hummed just beneath my skin, ready to be called forth. But something in me recoiled at the thought of manipulating Faith that way. Despite all the changes I'd gone through, despite accepting my demon nature more each day, I couldn't bring myself to use it on her.

"I travel a lot for work," I said instead. "But I keep thinking about our conversation last time. About your missing friend."

Faith's fingers tightened around her cup. "Still no word. It's like he vanished into thin air. The police haven't found anything."

I nodded, processing this information about my old body. A plan started forming in my mind - I needed something personal, something that belonged to my previous self for the scrying spell. Breaking into the apartment through a window using my wings might work, but then another thought struck me.

My old workplace. With my charms, getting inside should be simple enough. And there might still be some of my belongings there, something I could use for the spell.

"That must be hard," I said softly. "Not knowing what happened."

"It's been rough," Faith admitted, staring into her coffee. "I keep wondering if I made the right choice, ending things the way I did."

I took a sip of my latte, letting the silence stretch. Faith's shoulders slumped slightly.

"I couldn't tell him about my work. It's... complicated. Dangerous." She traced the rim of her cup. "I thought I was protecting him by keeping that part of my life separate."

"What kind of work do you do?" I asked, already knowing she wouldn't give me a straight answer.

"I can't really talk about it." Faith's lips quirked into a sad smile. "That's part of the problem, isn't it? I never told Liam either. Maybe if I had... maybe he'd still be here."

The guilt in her voice made my chest tight. I wanted to tell her it wasn't her fault, that I was right here, but I couldn't.

I forced a smile, steering us away from the heavy topic. "That café across the street - is it new? The storefront looks fresh."

Faith latched onto the change of subject. "Yeah, opened about a month ago. They do these amazing pastries filled with cream cheese."

The conversation drifted to lighter territory - local shops, the weather, funny stories about terrible coffee experiences. Faith's shoulders relaxed as we chatted, her earlier tension melting away.

After finishing our drinks, we stood outside the café. I pulled out my new phone. "Hey, why don't we exchange numbers? In case you ever want to grab coffee again or just... talk."

Faith hesitated for a moment before taking my phone. As she typed in her number, she glanced up at me. "You know, it's strange. Something about you reminds me of Liam. The way you listen, maybe. Or how you deflect tension with humor."

My heart swelled at her words. Despite everything that had changed - my body, my nature, even parts of my personality - some core part of me remained recognizable to someone who knew me well.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said softly.

We said our goodbyes, and I watched Faith disappear around the corner. My phone felt warm in my pocket, a tangible connection to my past life.

I headed down the high street, scanning shop windows. My current wardrobe consisted mainly of clothes Lilith had packed - all designed to emphasize rather than conceal. I needed something professional if I planned to visit my old workplace.

I spotted a women's boutique with elegant business wear in the window. Perfect. The bell chimed as I pushed open the door, ready to find something that wouldn't draw quite so much attention.