Skender arrived in time and joined them in the backyard together with Blayze, Mazzon and Vitale before the Arch arrived.
Rayven could feel the tension in the air when everyone gathered. No one was pleased that the Arch would come and they wouldn't have visited if Skender had done his job. Blayze was already showing his bitterness toward Skender. Mazzon kept to himself, and Acheron and Lazarus stayed quiet. Vitale sat on the floor, looking exhausted. He didn't know if it was the thought of the Arch coming alone that exhausted him or if there was something else."Well, well, you have already gathered, my Lords." Lucrezia appeared from thin air with her two wingmen on each side, startling a few of them. Her aura sucked all the existing air whenever she arrived.Today she wore a long-sleeved green dress that complimented her green eyes and a crown of black thorns sat on top of her head. Her dark hair cascaded down to her waist in elegant waves and her sun kissed skin glowed in the evening light.She was mesmerizing and cruel, and Rayven hated her with such passion. He had hoped to never see her face again, but here she was. Thank you, Skender, he thought."You don't seem pleased to see me, but I am not pleased to be here either." She began.Even her voice annoyed him.Skender stepped forward. "It is my fault. I take full responsibility." He hurried to say.Lucrezia shook her head and clicked her tongue in disapproval. "I wouldn't be here if you had taken responsibility, Skender. We can't afford to have someone knowing of our identity roaming free. Why haven't you taken care of it?""Do I have to kill him?" Skender asked."Do you have any other solution?" she wondered."I'll find one but I don't want to kill him.""Even if I tell you to do it?" She asked."I'll take whatever punishment you give me." He told her.He really cared for the woman, or maybe he didn't know what getting punished by the Arch meant."Very well then. You shall receive your punishment." She said, before turning to look at each one of them. Her eyes studied them as if looking for something, but her search stopped when her eyes locked with Rayven's.A wicked smile curved her lips. "You will be the punishment." She said pointing at him.They all frowned, confused by what was happening, but Rayven knew exactly what she was going to do. She was going to punish him instead of Skender. No wonder. The woman hated him the most.Her wingmen came and grabbed each of his arms to take him, but he pushed them away. "I don't need help to walk.""What are you doing?" Skender asked her."I will punish Rayven instead of you. You have to learn that your decisions as a leader will affect others." She told him, giving him something to think about. Then with a snap of her fingers, she teleported Rayven away to where he would receive his punishment.It was the same cave where she had taken a piece of him and, until today, his chest was empty."Are you frightened, Rayven?" She asked, tilting her head to one side.She already knew what he was thinking and feeling.Walking up to him, she stood inches away from his face. Rayven gazed into her eyes, unafraid."Your eyes are so cold and dead. Is there any hope left for you?" She asked, running a finger along his scars. "You must have become used to the pain. I am going to make you feel a different kind of pain today."He didn't even want to think about what kind of punishment she had in store for him. She was very creative with her punishments."Come," she showed him the way through the corners of the cave and then brought him to a dark room. There was a large, flat rock in the middle. "I want you to undress and lie down and don't disobey me, Rayven. I am in the mood to punish."Rayven undressed and went to lie down on the large, flat rock. He knew she enjoyed resistance, so he wasn't going to satisfy her. Through the years, he had learned her twisted ways.When he lay down on the cold stone, an invisible force wrapped itself around his wrists and ankles to hold him down. What was she going to do?"You are curious." She said, walking around him. "That is a good sign. Now let's see if this pain will awaken you."Suddenly, the roof of the cave opened and light entered as if it was midday, even though it was evening. Before he could take a closer look to see where the light was coming from, his eyes burned as if someone had thrown stones of fire into them. He shut them quickly but then felt heat on his skin, slowly increasing until he felt his skin burn.Rayven clenched his jaw, suppressing his urge to groan in pain, but the heat kept increasing. It burned the scars on his face, his neck, his chest, and his stomach. Those places hurt the most. He clenched his fists and naturally tried to release himself, but the invisible chains around his arms and legs tightened, cutting the blood-flow to his hands and feet.As if getting punished for resisting the burning became unbearable. He could smell his skin burning and he threw his head back and growled. His skin melted off and the scorching heat burned his flesh. Rayven screamed in agony, trying to free himself, but to no avail."Stop it!" He yelled and abruptly the burning stopped.He let out a deep breath, completely shocked by the pain."See Rayven, you do feel pain." She told him, "and you don't enjoy it."He was panting. "Are you satisfied now?" He asked her."No. I want you to change. I want to give you back your life, but you are not helping me. You think I am your enemy but I am not."Rayven chuckled darkly through all the pain. "I don't want my life back. I just want you to end it." He snapped.She frowned. "You want to escape your punishment instead of trying to make a change.""How do you expect me to change?" He asked between clenched teeth and his burned face hurt every time he spoke."I want you to care. To love. To think of others before yourself. Look at Skender. He was willing to take a punishment to save someone else."Rayven scoffed. "You want me to love and care for others when you have taken my heart. I want it back!""Did you care for others when you had your heart? It was dead when I took it, Rayven." She spoke louder this time. "I can't give it to you. You will kill yourself."He fought to free himself again before glaring at her. "Look at me! I am as good as dead."She frowned. "I believe you sometimes when I look into your eyes even when I know that is not true.""You just want to keep punishing me." He spat."No, I want you to feel Rayven."He let his head fall back, feeling tired. He gave up. "Nothing can save me. Just let me go." He pleaded."You are wrong. You can be saved. Today I saw a red dot on your heart. Do you know what it means?"Rayven remained quiet, but in the back of his mind, he became a little curious. "It means blood. Your heart bled a little today." She placed a finger on his chest. "You felt it too. Right here."Rayven was lost, not understanding what she was talking about."To be saved, you have to find the thing or the person who made you feel that way.""You said a special woman would save us.""No. When I said 'you', I was only talking about you." She said. "My predictions can be wrong, but that is what I saw. One thing is sure. If your heart doesn't beat and keep beating, then you won't be saved and I believe despite my predictions that your fate is in your hands.""I told you, I don't want to be saved." He said."Alright then. How about this? If you make your heart beat, I will give it back to you."Rayven sat up, now listening carefully. He had a chance to finally be free? "How do I make it beat?" He asked.A smile curved her lips. "Oh, my dear. You don't seem to understand. Love, fear, passion make our heart beat. Hatred, envy, greed and selfishness darken our hearts."Then she was wrong. He couldn't be saved. He would just wait for his death.Ignoring the pain his wounds caused, he climbed down from the rock. He went to wear his clothes on his burned skin, relishing in how it peeled the rest of his skin and tugged at his burned flesh. And then he was back in the castle's backyard.Was it night or was it just darkness covering his eyes? He wasn't sure why he couldn't see clearly, but he knew they all waited for him to come back, especially Skender, who caught him when he fell. "I am sorry, Rayven." He whispered, sounding remorseful.Rayven felt other arms around him, and then he was being carried away. They lay him down on a bed.Yes, it was his vision that darkened because even inside the room, he couldn't see anything. Just hear their voices. Blayze was cursing as usual, blaming Skender for what had happened to him. Acheron was trying to stop the fight.Rayven couldn't keep up anymore. He gradually fell into the darkness until he felt nothing.Oh pain, what have I doneTo make you my companion Having you around is no funI want you goneRayven opened his eyes slowly, the lights greeting him with their warmth. But right now, all he wanted was to feel cold. To feel numb. Why did he wake up? He wished he had never opened his eyes again. Skender sat next to the bed in a chair and Acheron on a coach in the corner. He was falling asleep when he saw that Rayven had woken up. Skender loomed over him with a worried expression. "Rayven, you worried me." He said, breathing out in relief.Acheron came to his side as well. "What did she do to you?" Rayven saw anger in Acheron's eyes. The man never showed anger unless he was hungry. Opening his mouth, Rayven tried to speak despite his extremely dry mouth and throat. The words cut through him, causing him to grimace in pain, but he could barely be heard. Acheron hurried away to bring him water. Pushing himself up with his arms, Rayven tried to sit, but almost cursed when his healing
29"William, ;come here!" Rayven ordered when all the boys left their training. ;William came to him, keeping his head down. ;"What has happened to you?" he asked. ;Today, he wasn't as focused as he used to be. ;William looked up at him. "I didn't sleep well." ;"Seems like reading isn't helping anymore.""I have read all the books at home. I have nothing left to read. My sister will buy me a book today," he explained. ;"Take this," he said, giving him the book in his hands. "Make sure to come well prepared tomorrow." ;William looked at the book in his hands. The Monster Is Me. Then he looked up at him again. "What are you, My Lord?" he asked straight. ;"What do you think I am?" Rayven asked. ;"I am not sure," William replied. ;Interesting, Rayven thought. So he could sense that he wasn't human. Rayven wondered how he would react if he told him the truth. Most people didn't believe when the truth was told blatantly. ;"I am what most people call a demon." ;"Not evil? Just dem
Angelica paced back and forth in her room feeling anxious while her brother followed her with his gaze until he became dizzy and gave up. "Why didn't you tell me first?" She scolded. "I am sorry. I thought it was the right opportunity." He said. She stopped pacing and looked at him. "Why did you tell him?" she asked curiously. She thought he liked the King the most. "He is honest. If I tell him, I will know his intentions. He won't pretend to be kind and then betray me." Angelica didn't know him as much as her brother knew him, so she trusted his intuition. "What about the King?" "I can't know for sure if I can trust him." William replied. If the King was a charmer, then it would be hard to know what he was thinking if William told him. She was proud of her clever brother. When they went to bed at night, William was reading Lord Rayven's book. The one that had caught her and his attention in the bookstore. He had refused to lend it to her, but he gave it to William. He definit
"My Lord, thank you for giving me your book. I enjoyed it greatly and finished reading it at once. I believe the book is special to you so I thought of giving it back." William held out the book he had given to him. Rayven had regretted all of his actions last night, but he mostly regretted that he gave away his book when he remembered what he had written in it. Without hesitance he took it back from William. Spending time with this boy was messing with his mind, so he left him this time before William could leave. Rayven went to his chamber so he could be alone, but found Blayze waiting for him. Rayven gave him a questioning look. "Have you asked Skender if he found a solution on how to deal with Lord Davis or will your punishment go to waste?" Rayven sighed as he sat down on the bed. "He was willing to take the punishment to save him, so I am sure he is thinking of a way." "Are you sure?" Blayze asked skeptically. Skender was known to be negligent. Maybe he wasn't doing his j
Rayven was walking through the market, causing heads to turn and eyes to widen in fascination. Women would nudge each other with their elbows whenever he walked by, giggle or try to catch his attention. He was taller than most men, but he carried his length with elegance, just like the rest of his attire. His skin changes tones depending on season and on this summer day, his sun-kissed skin had a healthy glow and his dark hair looked more well kept than the wealthiest woman in town. He was aware of everyone's glances, but his obsidian eyes didn't wander amongst the woman. Instead, they turned to gaze at the woman by his side, who had her arm through his. She looked up at him with a smile, and he smiled back at her. Rayven didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed that he woke up from this beautiful dream. It had been a long time since he hadn't had a nightmare. In his dream, his scars were gone, and he had a lovely woman by his side. He seeme
Why did she have to come here at this time? Her eyes burned like blue flames into his. "Release him at once." She said. And so he did. The man almost fell down but stayed hidden behind the counter. Rayven was in shock. Did he just obey her orders? Pretending like he did no such thing, he adjusted himself while Angelica went to help the seller get up on his feet. "Are you alright, Sir?" "Yes. Thank you, My Lady." Turning to him, she gave him a stern look. Rayven ignored her and picked up his books before walking past her maid, who looked like she had seen a ghost. When he was outside the shop, he went to his horse that was tied to a tree nearby. "Lord Rayven." He almost groaned. Why was she following him? He kept pretending as if she didn't exist and began to pack his books into the bag that hung from the saddle. She was quiet for a moment that he had to glance her way to see what she was doing. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and he could hear her heart beat a little faster
"You can kill him." Skender finally gave his approval to kill Lord Davis. He called Lazarus and Acheron to his room and appointed them to do it discreetly. Perhaps the problem could still be solved if more words didn't reach the public yet. Lazarus could see that Skender was torn about his decision but there was no other way than killing Lord Davis at this moment, since he was planning to attack the castle tonight. "We will take care of it," Acheron said, giving him a pat on the shoulder. Lazarus gave him a nod, and they both left Skender behind. They walked into the darkness of the night, moving toward the camp where Lord Davis and his men were preparing for their mission. "It has been some time since we were sent on a mission." Acheron said. "I miss it," Lazarus replied, feeling excitement pump in his veins.But these were humans, and they would probably be done in no time. Lazarus wished they were facing other creatures. "I wished Skender would cause more mishaps so we would
Angelica had no chance of escaping. In the basement, there was only one small window, through which sunlight came in. But even if she could escape, what would she actually do?Her father was right when he laughed at her threat. It would be dangerous and foolish to go to the King to expose her own father, that is, if she even could bring herself to do that. How could she be the cause of her father's death and for what purpose? To be a woman alone in this world? Without a man, there was almost nothing she could do. Especially if she exposed her father as a traitor. Her world would crumble. There was also no guarantee that the King would believe her and suspicion alone could lead to her execution. It was also not rare for a King to execute the traitor with his family members, especially the males to eliminate any threat of them wanting revenge in the future. She could put her brother in danger even if she didn't think that Skender was that kind of King. She wouldn't gamble with her br