BENEATH HER DARKNESS: The Alpha’s Little Demon
Chapter 76 – The Witch and the Demon Prince
PATREA…
My body was s*cked into limbo as I held Alpha Adan tighter to make sure he wouldn’t fall somewhere, but for some reason, I still ended up landing in the middle of the cold, forest ground alone.
“sh*t! Where is he now?” I gr0@ned, my eyes scanning the whole area as I placed a hand on my hip bone before stretching my back.
I landed on my b*tt, and I was thinking sending me back to the human realm might also mean I would be back at my real age. I had no idea what year it was already, but if my calculation was right, I should be almost seventy years old now.
And if my body were older, the fall might render me immobile. Apart from the pain in my @ssand the slight discomfort in my back, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I felt the same as I did there, except the air here was colder.
Good grief! It was snowing, and I had no thick clothes to shield me from the cold.
I stood up from the ground and rubbed my palms together, and I noticed my hands were still the same no sign of aging, which was a good thing, but I would check on everything later. I needed warmth because the chill in the air was slowly making its way onto my skin. I didn’t escape death at Lucien’s hands just to end up dead in the middle of the cold forest because of frostbite or Hypothermia.
I straightened my posture and was about to chant a small spell when a light flickered in front of me, and soon somebody appeared right before me. He was so close that I instinctively backed away and landed on my bum again. My pants were soiled with snow from earlier and were not seeping onto my skin.
“Aaaah!” I scrambled to my feet and stood up abruptly as I glared at Lucius, who reached out his hand to help me up, but I ignored it.
“Dammit! You and your father had no regard for space or privacy!”
The demon royal in front of me smiled. sheepishly as he brushed a hand through his curly hair, red tints creeping up his cheeks. Was he blushing?
“I just pictured where I would end up when I left the portal. I didn’t know you would be in the exact same spot.”
“What do you want?” I snapped at him while rubbing my arms. I hoped he would leave me alone so I could do my spells. because the cold was no joke after staying for decades in such warm surroundings.
“Are you cold?” He asked.
“Yes. Unfortunately, I don’t have a fire within me. Do you mind going on your way so I can warm myself up?”
He didn’t reply, but I saw the small flick of his fingers, and the next thing I knew, I had a thick, red coat on me and a winter hat, and my regular shoes were replaced with elegant winter boots that I doubt. would let me walk far from here. But they were still better than the regular ones I had earlier.
“Better?”
“Yes. This feels nice. Oh, spirits!” I exclaimed as I pulled the coat tighter against my body. “Are you expecting a thank you from me?”
“After what my father did? No.”
“Well, you forgot the hand gloves.” I raised my hands and wiggled them. I wanted to smile, but I didn’t think he deserved to get one from me, so I kept a poker face.
“Sorry…” He spoke in a low voice.
Did he just say sorry? That was really unusual from someone like him, and never in my experience did Lucien talk calmly this way. So why was Lucius acting this way?
He was acting like Lucy, but Lucy was a half-demon, and the one in front of me was a full demon. He opened his palm, and soon enough, a pair of black women’s gloves made of a combination of wool and cashmere appeared in his hand.
“Here, let me help you.” He moved forward and raised his hands as if asking permission to place the gloves on mine.
“Why did you not just let them magically appear on me so you don’t need to be ha*s*sled with putting them on?” I asked as I extended my hands, and he carefully placed one after the other without answering my question. He was so focused on placing them on mine that I had time to look at his face.
I was sure this demon was centuries old, but I couldn’t deny he was handsome, just like his father. But he had an advantage because I saw him smile earlier, and it was quite refreshing and nice to look at.
“Thank you…” I mumbled before I could stop myself as I withdrew my hands from him. sh*t! I shouldn’t have said that.
“You don’t need to.”
“Yeah. I know, but I said it anyway.” I shrugged my shoulders and looked at the path ahead of us. “Did you know if Adan made it to his territory?”
He nodded his head, slipping his hands into his pockets. “He’s with his family.”
“Good. And I’m guessing I’m here because the shield prohibits any supernatural beings from entering their territory? Am I right?” He just nodded his head again in response while his gaze was still stuck on me, and it was making me uncomfortable.
“Okay, then I should be on my way.”
“Where are you heading?”
“To his territory.”
“You can’t enter there. And with his condition at the moment, I doubt they have time for you. Give it a day or two, then come back.”
“I don’t need your advice.”
“I know. I just want to say if you need help, I’m just here.”
“I don’t need your help. Did Lucien send you to track my whereabouts?”
“No. He doesn’t know I’m here, and I’m sure once he finds out, I’ll be bombarded with questions about why the hell I was here.”
“Are you trying to play jokes on me?”
“No.”
“Why are you here?”
“Let’s go somewhere my father can’t track you. His power brought you here, so that means he could keep an eye on you at this exact same place. But if he doesn’t see you or know where you are exactly, he will not be able to see that I am with you.”
“Then I’m going. But you’re not coming with me. I’m tired of demons.” I said that and began walking away from him.
I didn’t look back, as I didn’t want him to follow me at all. And since I didn’t hear any movement or noises from my back, I thought he had left, so I just went ahead and walked faster. I was hoping I would see a rough road soon. If not, I would have to use a locator spell to find out where I was. But using energy in an unknown territory might bring me danger, so that would be my last option.
“I think you’re heading the wrong way… Someone spoke behind me. My body jerked forward before I turned abruptly around and found Lucius behind me, floating in the air.
“What the heck are you still doing here? For Spirits’ sake, are you stalking me?”
“Calm down. I just want to make sure you’ll have a safe place for the night.”
“I’m a witch. I can protect myself.”
“I’m sure you can unless it’s a whole pack of rogues or other supernatural beings attacking you.”
“You can’t scare me. Nothing is more terrifying than your father.”
“I know. And I’m not even trying to scare you. Come here…” He motioned with his hand, and although I didn’t want him to control me, something in his eyes hypnotized me. I walked back to where he was as if my feet had a mind of their own.
Oh, spirits! Please don’t let me get trapped in his allure. I was able to repel the father, I should be able to do so with the son as well.
Lucius descended from the air, and the moment his feet hit the snowy ground, he coiled an arm around my waist and pulled my body closer. I arched my body back so my chest wouldn’t hit his, but it didn’t stop him from holding me tightly.
And then I was s*cked into limbo again, and in seconds, we were in an empty alley, which I thought was in the middle of the city if I based it on the cars passing by on the main road.
“I really don’t like being transported without any notice. One day, I’m just going to d*ie with all the palpitations I get from being stuck in limbo.”
“You’re welcome,” He chuckled as his arm on my body loosened and he let me go. “This building here is an inn. You can stay for the night and just rest.”
I crossed my arms against my chest as I bit my bottom lip. I had no money with me. I was about to tell him that, but he already handed me some bills that looked totally different from the last time I was here. Well, it had been decades.
“Here… use this.”
“This is too much. Where did you get this?
“It doesn’t matter. It’s enough to keep you going for a couple of days.”
I finally smiled at him as my eyes watered. I had no idea I would be leaving the demon world today, so I was not prepared, and even if I hated the demon in front of me, I was grateful for the help.
“Thank you. I will pay you back when…”
“No need. I stole them. From people who are stealing as well. So, no harm done.”
“I should go now.” I didn’t wait for him to reply as I turned my body around, ready to walk away, when he called for me, making me halt from moving forward.
“Patrea.” His voice was low and hesitant.
“Yes?” I answered, tilting my head slightly in his direction.
“Take this?” He extended his hand, and my gaze fell on the black coin he was handing me.
“What’s that for?” I turned my body around completely, and he placed the coin in my hand.
“Rub it three times with your thumb, and I will come without any questions. Just in case you need help?”
“Why would I need help from you?”
He shrugged his shoulders as his eyes softened, but he turned his gaze somewhere else but on mine. “I don’t know. This could be your last option, but use it if you need help. It can be as simple as you needing something to eat or something to wear, or you losing direction. Or you just want to talk or vent out.”
“Did you forget I’m a witch? I can find my way and find solutions. I can steal money. too. And I definitely don’t need a demon around me.”
“I know. I’m not underestimating what you can do. Just that, there’s nothing wrong with asking for a*s*sistance from time to time. Even I need help sometimes. I didn’t say anything, but I raised my eyebrows as I stared at him.
“Look, I’m not sure what you and Lucija planned or if you actually had any plans. But I want to help Lucija. If you’re on her side, then we can help each other.”
“I don’t trust you.” He nodded his head, his lips pursing into a thin line.
“I understand. I wouldn’t trust me either if I were you.” He stepped backward, his hands raised as if he were surrendering. “But give it a shot. Maybe you’ll realize I am trustworthy. You have the coin, rub it, and I’ll be there. At your service. Any time of the day or night.”
And then he was gone. No warnings, no goodbyes. And the air suddenly felt colder than it was like it was biting the skin on my face. I clutched the black coin tighter in my hand before turning around and making my way to the entrance of the inn.
The last thing I would trust would be anyone related to Lucien, with the exception of Lucija. And I knew I should discard the coin in my hand, but for some reason, I was holding on to it, as if it were my only hope that I would be able to survive in the realm that had changed in full magnitude since the last time I was here.
I pushed the idea to the back of my mind as I entered the building lobby. I had many other things to think about instead of Lucius.
I needed to find my way to reach Alpha Adan’s territory and inform them of Lucija’s request. And maybe they could also point me to where I could find my granddaughter.
I had to find her. She was the only reason I looked forward to returning to this realm. And then, together, we could hatch a plan to help Lucija.
Lucija clearly told me to stay away and that her only request was for me to speak with Adan’s family. And I knew I should do just that and forget about the demon world. But I didn’t think I had it in me to let poor Lucija suffer and carry the burden alone.
I passed by a mirrored wall, and it made me stop in my tracks as a smile curled on my lips. I still looked the same as I did in the demon realm. If anything, I should be grateful for this – no back pain and blurred vision. At least I would get to relive the years I missed while I was trapped down there. But, of course, only after I helped Lucy get out of the underworld.