Chapter 81: 21

"What nonsense are you saying?"

"I swear Your Highness. I saw him with my two own eyes." David shook as if remembering what he had seen.

Fear crept its way slowly into Pierre's heart. Lucian could not be alive. He had made sure that his brother was not breathing before letting the guards take him away.

"You said you burned him." Pierre accused.

"I...I did." David said his eyes widening in realization and fear at what he had done. "He will not spare my life." He said more to himself.

The horror on David's face was so real that it made Pierre wonder how his brother could have survived all that? Was he really the devil's son?

He chuckled darkly. That was ridiculous. David must have been feeling guilty that he started imagining things.

"Just leave." He said waving with his hand.

David stared at him for a short while then with a low voice, as if he was scared that someone would hear him he said "He is coming for you. He told me to tell you to be prepared."

A frown settled on Pierre's face and heart began to pump in fear. "Stop talking nonsense and Leave!" He yelled.

Lucian could not be alive and even if he was he couldn't have entered the castle without anyone noticing. Everyone here knew what he looked like.

Pierre took a deep breath to calm himself down. He had nothing to be scared of yet he put more guards outside his room before he went to sleep.

Lucian watched his brother turning back and forth in his bed while unable to sleep. This was only the beginning. Pierre would have many more sleepless nights.

******

"Hazel."

I jumped at the sound of Irene's voice. Turning around I found her standing in the middle of the room with shoulders dropped. Her once gorgeous face looked unhealthy and her once vibrant eyes looked dead.

"Irene."

"I know you probably don't want to see me but I couldn't help myself from coming to see you." She rubbed her hands together nervously. "I wanted to tell you everything but I couldn't because of the curse. Now I guess you already know."

She was speaking of being Lucian's mother.

"Yes I know."

As she looked more closely at me a frown settled on her face. "Oh…" She breathed. "Who did this to you?" She said crossing the distance between us and grabbing my shoulders to look more closely. Her sad face turned into one of anger, as if she wanted to punish whoever hurt me.

"Yes, I want to." She said and I could hear the anger in her voice. My once closest friend, my only friend turned out to be Lucian's mother. I still couldn't digest that fact.

Irene's expression turned into one of sadness again upon hearing my thoughts. "I am sorry." She apologized. "I know you are angry with me but I can't let you stay here. You have to come with me."

I shook my head. "I want to see Lucian. He needs me."

"It's dangerous to stay here and Lucian doesn't remember yo.." Before she could finish the sentence she stopped herself and looked at me apologetically

"So he is really not pretending?" I asked feeling my heart break into a thousand pieces.

"No… but don't worry. He will remember you."

I felt my eyes tear up. " And if he doesn't?"

"He will." She assured.

"Why doesn't he remember me?" I heard my voice crack. No, I was not going to cry again.

"He probably feels to much guilt that it's painful for him to remember." Now her eyes teared up.

"Guilt? Why?"

"Because he feels that he failed to protect you. He feels guilty for leaving you behind in the hands of his enemies. He probably imagined many times before he died what would happen to you once he left and it was too painful for him, so he suppressed all his memories that includes you."

Oh, Lucian. I didn't know he was in so much pain. I needed to make him see that I was just fine.

"I want to see him, Irene. Please take me to him." I was almost crying.

Irene sighed. "He can hurt you right now."

"No, he won't."

Irene sighed. "Alright, come with me."

***

Lucian was half asleep when he heard the door to his room open quietly and someone sneaking inside. He slowly reached for the dagger under his pillow making himself ready as the person's footsteps neared, but then suddenly Lucian stiffened. He recognized this scent, the scent of honey and coconut, the scent of Hazel.

What was she doing here and how did she get in?

Putting the dagger back he pretended to be asleep. Hazel walked closer, he could feel her leaning over him and then slowly she sat down on the bed next to him. After that it was quiet for a while and then he felt her fingers on his face, removing the hair from his face and tucking it behind his ear.

"Lucian." She whispered his name but he kept his eyes closed. "You have gone through a lot and I could do nothing to help you." She ran her fingers through his hair. "I don't want you to hurt anymore. I wish you could come with me and leave all this behind. We could live happily together and forget about the hurt and the pain." It was silent for a moment. "Is that possible?" She then asked. She seemed to ask herself more than him.

Slowly she leaned even closer to him and Lucian wondered what she was about to do before he felt her lips on his forehead. "I love you." She whispered and then stood up to leave.

Lucian panicked for an unknown reason and grabbed her wrist to prevent her from leaving. Hazel gasped startled but then looked back at him. "You are awake." She looked shocked and scared.

Lucian looked up at her. "Don't leave." He said to his surprise which seemed to surprise her as well. She was a little reluctant but then decided to stay with him. He made someplace for her on the bed next to him and she lay down carefully. There they lay face to face looking at each other, both a bit confused by what they were doing.

"How did you get in here?" he asked breaking the silence.

"You're guards are sleeping." She whispered.

"Why did you come here?"

"I wanted to see you."

Why he wanted to ask but then again he knew what she would say, because he was her husband. He felt as though he was, since he felt way too comfortable with her.

From what he had learned, he was only married once and to a princess from Maebeth whom his brother would never keep alive. This woman was alive and she could not be human. She had been able to see through his disguise and he could not read her thoughts like other humans. She was something else and she probably wanted something from him. What he didn't know but there was one way to find out, to keep her close to him and play along with her. Eventually, she would show her true colors.

"I am dirty, and your bed is clean." She said when it became too quiet.

"It's alright. Get some sleep." He said then closed his eyes and before he knew he was already asleep.

******

Lucian woke up feeling refreshed. It had been so long since he had a good sleep and without a nightmare. He wondered what went different this time, but that's when he noticed Hazel sleeping next to him. Was she the reason? How could he have fallen asleep and even felt comfortable next to a woman he suspected to be his enemy?

Lucian stared at Hazel's relaxed face as she was asleep. She looked so innocent that he had a hard time believing she could be anyone's enemy at all. He reached for her face, feeling her now bruised skin under his fingers. He felt a sudden urge to punish whoever did this to her. Caring for someone he didn't even know made him feel even more upset.

"Hazel." What am I supposed to do with you?

Hazel opened her eyes slowly as if she had heard her name being called. After blinking several times she looked at him and smiled. That smile, that annoying yet beautiful smile tugged at his heart in strange ways. Lucian got hastily out of bed, irritated by his own feelings. Hazel sat up and looked at him with a hurt expression that she tried to hide.

"You can use the bathroom to clean up." He said as an excuse to be without her for a moment, to collect his thoughts.

"Thank you." She smiled getting out of bed and then tiptoed to the bathroom.

Lucian let out a deep breath once she was out of sight. This woman was doing things to his mind and body. What was wrong with him? He had seen much more beautiful women than her and still not felt the way she made him feel. He paced back and forth in the room trying to calm his nerves down, but his demon was being rebellious again.

I thought we made peace, he told his demon as if his demon was someone other than himself. His demon was only a name for his dark side, the evil inside of him, the anger, the wickedness, the frustration and of course the lust and hunger. The will to manipulate and to seduce was usually what his demon enjoyed the most and usually that side of him, his demon was stronger than his good side.

"Lucian."

Hazel's voice interrupted his fight with his demon but as he turned around and laid eyes on her he knew there was no going back.

Hazel was standing in front of him, wet and with nothing but a small towel wrapped around her body.

"I couldn't put my dirty clothes back on." She said completely innocent.

Lucian slowly strolled toward her fully aware that he had let his demon win. Hazel didn't step away and there was no fear in her eyes this time as he grabbed her face softly.

"Good." He breathed. "I want you naked."

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