Chapter eight

“He is not back yet?” Aliyah asked Sean and together, they both glanced at Irene who had been pacing in front of the window for the past five hours.

Sean sighed and shook his head. “He said he would be back in the evening and it’s half past ten already. Even if he was afraid of walking under the setting sun —which we know he is not— he should be back by now. I mean, it’s pitch black out there.”

“Something is wrong,” Irene said. “I mean, he has never said he would do something and never do it the exact time he said he would.”

“Do you think he went back home, you know, the High council?” Aliyah asked and both Sean and Irene glared at her.

“Come on Aliyah, cut him some slack,” Sean said.

Aliyah raised her hands up while saying, “just saying. I mean, the last time he snuck out like that, someone died,” she shrugged.

Irene sighed and shook her head. “I’m going out to look for him.”

“Hello, he is a nightwalker, where are you going to look for him?” Aliyah asked.

“I’m coming with you,” Sean stood up from the floor.

“No,” Irene shook her head. “Someone needs to stay with her,” she glanced at Aliyah and sighed before going inside the room their shared together to get her coat.

“What?” Aliyah asked Sean who had been staring at her but he said nothing and just withdrew his gaze when Irene stepped back into the living room.

“I will try to be back soon, hopefully with him,” Irene said.

“Be careful,” Sean said.

“Yeah,” Aliyah nodded.

Irene smiled at them and walked to the front door, leaving the house.

“You are not making it easy for her,” Sean said when they were alone.

“What do you mean by that?” Aliyah frowned.

“Have you been blind then?” he asked.

“Well excuse me if I don’t understand what you are trying to say.” She rolled her eyes.

Sean sighed. “Can’t you see it? The more you thrash Rasmus, the more you affect her.”

“What are you trying to say. Irene is not Rasmus.”

“Yes, but it’s obvious she has taken a liking to him. I mean, I can’t believe you haven’t noticed.”

“What? No, no, no, Irene can’t like a traitor.”

Sean licked his lips and run his fingers through his finger. “Listen, we all agree that Rasmus made a mistake but put yourself in his shoes. His parents wanted him to do something, he had already taken a brave step by cutting all ties with them by doing that and in his favor, Prince Edward is an original, everyone, and I mean everyone thought he would walk out of that fight unscathed. Just because things didn’t go as planned doesn’t mean you should condemn him forever. Come on Aliyah, be honest to yourself, without him we wouldn’t have come this far, even with Irene. The man is trying his best, give him a second chance, please.”

Aliyah sighed and closed her eyes. “Sean, if Edward is lying down in a room and we are just waiting for the day he would wake up, then yes, I would easily forgive Rasmus. But he is dead, gone from this world, never to be seen again. I will never feel his arms around me again, I will never feel his touch again. I will never hold him, never talk to him ever again. And his son?” she placed her hands on her stomach, “he will never see his father, never create bonds and memories with him. So pardon me if I am finding it difficult forgiving a traitor.”

“He forgave him. And if he did then you could too.”

“Well, he forgave him because he is not the one living with only my memories now. Let’s twist this story and say that I am the one that died, do you think Edward would have forgiven him?”

Sean bit his lip. “Should I be honest? He would be killing him right on the spot, based on his personality.”

“Exactly, so he should be thankful that I am only not talking to him and he doesn’t deserve the love of a woman as pure as Irene.”

Sean chuckled at that, “you do know she had a crush on Edward, right? She told me herself.”

“What can I say? Edward is loveable so it’s understandable if he had females crushing on him here and there,” she flicked her hair aside with a smirk, however, the smirk died off soon after. “I meant was. Was lovable,” she corrected.

Sean went to her and pulled her into his arms. “Don’t worry, all it would take is time. And let’s say on a crazy scenario, the demon part of Edward kept him alive and he is just waiting to reclaim his strength before he came thrashing the world with his sassy comeback responds, what would you do?”

“How I wish that is true,” she chuckled in his arms and he smiled, happy that he made her smile. “Let’s go look for Irene, in as much as she thinks she is strong, she shouldn’t be alone.”

“That’s the spirit,” Sean replied. “But are you sure it would be right though?”

“If Rasmus ended up being in trouble, she will need our help.”

Sean shrugged. “It would do you good too, you need a little exercise.”

Aliyah smiled at that and so getting their hoodies, they left the house.

***

Kaiden opened his eyes and realizing that three days’ worth of pain has gone, he felt angry, sad and tired. He wasn’t supposed to lose consciousness, he was supposed to endure the pain for the whole ten days so that his body would know he can handle the demon king’s fire but alas, he has lost his winning streak so he would be starting all over again and he won’t be doing so immediately because his body would need to recover the damages first.

He sighed and sat up on the floor, mourning his failure when he heard a chuckle and glanced around. Right on his throne was seated someone in black with a long black cloak covering them from head to toes. Kaiden frowned and stood up. “Who are you and how dare you sit on my throne?”

“I’m sorry, your throne?” the person asked and Kaiden frowned the more discovering it was a woman. Who would dare to challenge him? “This throne belongs to the demon king and only the next demon king should sit on it.”

“I am the demon king!” he announced.

“A demon king without the eternal fire? Huh, some demon king indeed,” the woman mocked.

“It’s only a matter of time and my fire would naturally come to me,” Kaiden bragged. “And when that day comes, I hope you will still be as brazen as you are now.”

“Let me tell you how the eternal fire works. It naturally takes over the next successor, it doesn’t need to be forced like you are doing now. Trust me young demon when I say that if you continue in this path, you are leading your soul to eternal damnation.”

“And what could you be? Some sort of demon expert?” Kaiden scoffed.

“Oh, I am more than a demon expert,” the woman replied.

“So what then? Are you going to try to get me to work for you? Tell me you know how I can get my fire and be the true Demon king?” He asked. “If so, don’t, I am my own boss and I am never going to answer to anyone ever again.”

“Hmm,” the woman sighed, “your heart is as black as hell. However, it once held love, a true love that blossoms the flowers when you walked past but it was snatched away from you and now, you have lost your soul to darkness and wants to rule the world. Hmm, I like it,” she raised her head and all he could see was her grinning mouth. “My type of demon. But like you said, I am not here to recruit you, you would come running to me on your own. When that time comes, don’t bother to find me, I will find you myself. Ciao, my evil demon,” she chuckled and soon, a black smoke was all that was left where she once was.

Kaiden frowned, he couldn’t understand what just happened. As far as he knew, he and the vampire prince were the strongest creatures on earth and with his death made him the last one and with only the little prince on the way the only one who can dethrone him which is why he wants him dead and to gain his powers instead, living him the strongest creature alive. Where on earth could this woman had come from and why did she choose to reveal herself to him? Is there a part in history that he must have missed? If so then he must hurry up, the woman looked like she was thirsty for power even though he could sense she already has enough of her own. If she has come for the little prince, then she is late because his little heart belongs to him.