Heart of Darkness

Lucrezia sat upon the castle’s highest tower and watched the interaction between the destroyer and Roxana. Right now, she really needed one of them to stay calm. She hoped Roxana’s mate qualities would emerge and set the destroyer straight or even better, that the destroyer would have learned something from spending time inside Skender’s mind. Of course, without Skender, he could never be completely rational but she hoped just enough until Skender woke up.

If he ever did.

It was only a matter of time before the destroyer exposed himself without Skender’s control and got them both killed.

“Where is Skender?” Luciana asked who came to watch as well.

“Drowning somewhere.”

“In self-pity?”

“Pain.”

And she was an expert when it came to pain. Inflicting the right amount was important but also allowing healing in between. Too much pain could cause more damage than good and now she was worried. He had been doing alright, remembering little by little and dealing with it. Why did the destroyer reveal it all at once? Did he wish for him to disappear? Did he really think he didn’t need Skender?

From the way he was behaving, it didn’t seem that way. He was in a rush, probably afraid Skender would wake up anytime soon. It was the only thing that kept her calm at this moment. She could not lose Skender.

Lucrezia needed him to wake up. No, she needed him to wake up sane. The last thing she wanted was a deranged man with a deranged demon. That would force her to kill him.

“Why?”

“Let’s just say… parents.”

Luciana grimaced. They both knew what damages parents could cause sometimes.

“I thought they were good to him.”

“They were and not.”

That was the problem. It was always easier when there was no conflict and one could either hate or love their parents but Skender was lost in between. A part of him knew they did it to protect him and another part hated them. It was eating him from inside.

“Well, if he is in so much pain, he could get stuck.”

He could if he chose flight or freeze. Or he could choose to fight. But in this viscous cycle of pain, he needed a reason to fight. Everything that required a lot of strength, and a lot of endurance needed a reason. The mind would be able to cope with the pain if a reward was involved.

“Shouldn’t you do something?” Luciana asked.

“I can’t help him this time, but they can.” She nodded toward the destroyer and Roxana.

More than Roxana, Skender needed saving now. They could all lose him forever.

“You will just give him up?”

“It has always been a gamble, Lucy.” She still had hope but she didn’t know what was happening to him now. After all the past shaped the man and now with his newly revealed past, she wasn’t sure who would wake up. “I put my money on his mate. The mate of an archdemon. Let’s see what she can do.”

Maybe she could make the destroyer realize he needed Skender and then he would be the one to go into his mind and pull him out. She couldn’t see any other way, but she knew there were always more ways than the ones she came up with. Especially when it came to mates. Bonds were each unique.

“Well, we have a destroyer now. A strong woman could be good or very bad. Denying a destroying archdemon..” She pretended to shiver. “I can only imagine. Poor people who will die at his hands.”

That was one of many concerns. The destroyer going on a raging tour in town when he didn’t know what to do with his mate. It was a bit funny too.

“I just hope we won’t have to kill him. I want to see this romance.” Luciana said.

Lucrezia tore her eyes from the couple to look at her sister. “When did you start caring about romance?”

She shrugged. “Well, you showed me Angelica and Rayven. This is even more interesting because of all the dangerous elements. There is something so satisfying about these human females having such control over these powerful demons and the more powerful the more enjoyable to watch.”

Fine. Yes, it was fun when she wasn’t thinking of strategies. And yes, it was more enjoyable to tame a destroying archdemon. If he just didn’t make her anxious to ruin her own plans.

He had been doing well in the beginning, sparking hope in her. Telling his mate that she smelled good and that he wanted to taste her even if he was going a bit fast was not far from what Skender had already told her. The hope remained until that forceful kiss. And now this…

“Just give yourself to me.” He told her.

“Well, that is very romantic,” Luciana said. “He should add, or I will take you.” She imitated him.

Lucrezia chuckled. She knew Roxana would have to meet him at some point but she hoped not when he was a separate entity. A demon taking control without the man’s presence was unnatural. That was what made Skender’s case unique and more difficult for his mate. When he was like this, he wasn’t a demon part of the man she liked. This separation was what needed to stop. What she hoped the human mate would achieve.

“He doesn’t sound much different from most men if you ask me,” Lucrezia said.

“Yes. But so different from Skender. The demon usually has similar traits to the man. He still has a long way to learn and for them to merge.”

“Not just different. Remember, Skender is a defender so his demon is the complete opposite of him now.” Or was he? “Some contrast is good but not this.”

Which was why the destroyer needed taming. He needed to change his ways. Perhaps this was the needed start, him realizing that Roxana wouldn’t be impressed by him. She would not accept that forceful behavior. She had already been through it and it was one of the things she hated the most. Maybe his mindreading would make him see who he resembled. The man he killed with this own hands. That comparison would probably trigger him. Hopefully in the right direction and a change would come along. Wasn’t that what it was all about after all? Finding a reason to change for the better.

It had to be. If he wanted his mate, he would have to wake Skender and be part of him. It was already foolish of him to think the mating would work when he was in an unnatural state.

Didn’t she just theoretically solve the whole merging problem in her head. She smirked and stood up. Now, she would only need the destroyer to come to that realization. She didn’t think it was impossible since he could hear Roxana’s thoughts. “Let’s go home.” She said.

She would leave it like this. This gamble was getting more dangerous and interesting but she knew if she continued to watch, she might ruin what fate had in plan. Because sometimes fate had better plans for these demons than she did and this time her gut feeling told her to leave it to fate. Or to leave it to them to decide their own fate.

“But… he is getting more forceful.”

“She has gotten herself out of bad situations many times before. She should handle this one better than me.”

The worst possible outcome would leave her alive and many people including Skender dead. But now that she got the chance to think about it, she was less worried and more curious.

Back home, she went to her chambers. Luciana quickly glanced her way as they sensed his presence. Her torturer. She could feel him nearing the door to her room and then he swung them open before standing there in his full glory. Luciana sighed, not hiding her distaste for him, and then vanished, leaving them alone.

“Where have you been?” He asked as he stepped inside. If any other woman had seen him, she would have melted at the sight of him. He was an original. A created demon. The ones of the highest rank. He held beauty and power like no other. He looked like an angel with that golden hair and golden eyes but he was the devil in disguise.

“Having fun.” She said.

He was good at keeping his emotions hidden but she had learned the barely visible flickers in his eyes and twitches in his face.

He walked further in and made himself comfortable in one of her armchairs. “And the best fun you can have is with humans? You know my offer is still available. You are missing out on pleasure.”

“And you are missing everything I say. I am not interested.”

“It is alright. I have patience. A woman like you can’t be sustained by weak demons and humans. I know you long for more.”

This man had killed his own mate because she was a low-rank demon. Some said there were other reasons for the murder, but no one really knew the truth. But she knew what he thought of mates. He didn’t believe in them. Didn’t think that demons should base their choice of partner on instinct. “We are not animals” he would say.

He was the one who started the cult of demons finding partners based on other criteria instead of waiting hundreds of years to find the one. There were some benefits to that but denying instinct completely was not something that could be done easily. Not even for him, which was why he couldn’t just let his mate go. He had to kill her and the frightening part was that he made it look so simple. He also seemed just fine after what he did.

“It is just an instinct. An urge. We all can control our urges.” He had explained when people had questioned his method.

Would she be able to? She had to. She had no choice.

“I want to sleep.” She said.

“Then do so.”

“Alone.”

He watched her for a long moment then stood up. A moment later he was standing right in front of her. Grabbing her jaw, he forced her to look at him. A smile curved his lips. “You will beg me to sleep beside you one day. Let’s hope that day is not too late.”

She glared at him. “You should know better than to threaten me.”

“You should know better than to waste your efforts on denying me.” He leaned down and forced his lips on hers. This time she didn’t bother to bite him. He enjoyed that anyway. “Good night, beauty.” He said and then left her with disgust bubbling in her stomach.