Hades had called her, as Urania had known he would. Every part of the plan was perfect, except one: Belle.

That stupid sap of a boy wanted his little girlfriend to come along with them and this simply wouldn’t do. While Urania did not doubt that she could easily take care of herself and that Belle was not a threat to her, she heeded the words of a vision. She would be stupid not to. Every part of her training told her that those things should not be dismissed. Sally had been so stupidly helpful, coming right to her and telling her that it was Belle who supposedly was going to be her own undoing. She’d seen it in a vision, she’d said. Belle—stabbing Urania.

Ha.

Still, it was easier to be safe than sorry, or so was Urania’s thinking as she opened the door to the little bookshoppe armed with a pen and a lovely piece of stationary. She would take care of this pesky little problem so that it would not bother her later. Cover her bases. She’d waited too long for this day to let one little, stupid Mundus girl unravel it all.

She smiled, wide and kind, as she locked the door behind her subtly. The stupid girl was sitting at the counter, reading. Hadn’t even looked up at the chime of the bell. Crossing to the counter, Urania’s boots made hardly a sound as she went around to stand near the edge, blocking Belle in subtly. The other side of the counter ran into the wall—the window looking out into the alleyway. There would be no witnesses.

“Belle,” she spoke the girl’s name softly, that smile still curled on her lips.

Belle’s head snapped up, her book clattering to the floor. Well, that was dramatic.

Urania’s smile sharpened into a smirk. “Hello, I’m sure you reme—“

“What are you doing here?” Belle cut across her, making Urania scowl. The girl stood up from her stool, as if that would make her more intimidating. Cute.

Urania tilted her head. “I need you to do me a favour,” she explained, the saccharine smile returning to her lips.

“No.” Belle lifted her chin as she’d done the other night.

“I think you’ll want to do this for me, my dear.”

Belle hesitated, her arms folded across her chest. “I don’t think so,” she replied finally.

Urania took a step closer, and then another. Her head still tilted thoughtful as she drew her long, ornate dagger from its sheath hidden beneath her jacket. The metal glinted in the low light of the shoppe. Belle’s eyes went to it, widening a tick.

“What are you doing?” she asked again, though her voice was slightly higher. Ah, so not so brave after all. That didn’t surprise Urania. No one was really that brave, not in the face of death.

Touching her own finger to the tip of the knife, Urania tilted it so it glinted again. “Why, threatening you, darling,” she scoffed. “And here I thought you were intelligent—or must be for Hades to hold you in such high esteem.”

“What do you want from me?”

“To end your affair with Hades,” Urania told her simply, still smiling.

“What?” Belle’s brow furrowed and she straightened up.

Urania rolled her eyes a little and dropped the danger against the counter top, drawing a tiny little line in the wood with it as she spoke. “I need you out of the way, to do what I want. And, honestly dear,” she added with a shake of her head, “do you really think that you and him will last? He’s powerful, he has a destiny and you’re—“ She looked Belle up and down, “—you.”

Belle’s mouth opened and closed, blue eyes shining brightly. Her cheeks were red.

Pulling out the paper in her pocket, she put it on the counter, placing a blue pen on top of it. “This is really better for everyone, don’t you think?”

“I—I’m not doing that.”

Urania slunk closer, close enough she reached out to slash across Belle’s cheek, the tip of her knife slicing against that pretty, unmarred skin before Belle had a moment to defend herself. Stupid Mundus. Belle cried out and put her hand up to her cheek, but rubies of red blood dribbled through her fingers.

“Please do as I ask. It will make it easier for everyone.” She tapped the piece of paper, her knife resting against Belle’s collarbone. “And don’t get blood on the paper, if you would.”

The tears that had been gathering in Belle’s eyes fell now, though Urania couldn’t tell if they were from fear or pain, and she didn’t really care either.

“You’re not going to hurt him, a-are you?” Belle asked as she picked up the pen with shaking fingers. “You must promise me.”

Urania laughed, loud enough to make Belle flinch. “And what makes you think I need to promise you anything, girl?”

“You want me to write this don’t you?”

“I’ll just kill you if you don’t.”

“H-Hades won’t do whatever it is you want without t-this letter.” Her voice was laughably lacking the confidence she tried to bolster it with.

“Hm. True,” Urania said in mock defeat. The stupid girl had no idea that Urania never planned on harming Hades. She needed him. She didn’t want to go tracking down a new Ambassador. Hades would work just fine. He was already broken. Controlling him had been the easiest thing in the world. She assumed if she got rid of Belle, there was hardly anything she couldn’t get him to do for her. It was deliciously simple.

“Fine, fine, I promise. Now, hurry up, dear. We don’t have all day.” The knife pressed hard enough against Belle’s neck that the skin broke, just a little, a drop of blood running down onto the collar of Belle’s dress.

Diligently, Belle scribbled out a few words, tears falling as she did so, but she didn’t make a sound and she didn’t struggle anymore. It was almost too easy. She handed the note to Urania, turning towards her, her face stained bloody and teary. Urania took the note, glancing over it.

Hades,

I’m sorry, but I can’t support what you are doing. I can’t be with someone who would give up so easily.

Belle

Urania folded the letter once, then twice. There was a pause when Urania looked up, both women staring at each other. And then, Urania moved the dagger from Belle’s neck—

Plunging it into the center of her stomach instead. The sharp dagger made easy work of the flesh and muscle beneath Belle’s sternum, imbedding itself deep with a satisfying squelch. Urania smirked at the gasp that left Belle’s lips, her already bloodied hand gripping at Urania’s shoulder. Urania twisted her shoulder, dislodging Belle’s hand as she rotated the knife in Belle’s gut, tearing at the soft tissue. Then, she jerked her wrist up, slicing through Belle’s stomach, causing the girl to jerk like a fish at the end of a fisherman’s line.

She coughed and blood dribbled from the corner of her lips. Belle stumbled off the knife herself, both hands clutching at her stomach. She stood straight for just a moment, eyes wide with shock, the confusion and adrenaline keeping her up right. Then, her knees buckled, and she crumpled to the floor, pretty as a wilting flower.

“Thank you, Belle,” Urania said, as she knelt down to wipe the dirtied blade clean with the hem of Belle’s dress.

The girl reached out with a bloodied hand but Urania easily knocked it away. “None of that, now, I can’t have your blood all over me as I leave,” she tsked with a shake of her head. “Oh, don’t give me that look. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of Hades.”

Belle’s breath rasped out, the pain twisting her face and definitely stealing any words she had for Urania. Standing, Urania tilted her head slightly before turning and walking away without a word. She paused at the other end of the counter, pulling Belle’s bag out from where it was tucked underneath. Taking out her keys, she pocketed them, and then threw Belle’s bag towards the back of the shoppe, far out of the wounded girl’s reach.

Then, she left the store calmly, dagger back in place. Before she exited, she flipped the door sign closed and used Belle’s keys to lock the door before subtly dropping them down a storm drain a few meters away.