Heart of Darkness

Raven watched Angelica eat her food with a great appetite. He was glad that she regained her desire to eat, and she was also getting back the healthy color of her skin and regaining some weight. It was a good thing that he brought her here despite her missing home. The place that she made a home. He missed it too. He could imagine them living there, spending their days in the garden which would soon bloom with all kinds of colors. He could imagine them sitting at the dining table and talking like they did today while having their meal and he could imagine them spending their nights near the fireplace reading or in bed. God this must be the effect of doing half of the mating. The only thing left was for her to drink his blood before her blood left his body. Otherwise they would have to repeat the entire process. But there was no rush, and he didn't want her to lose her appetite when she only regained it. Drinking blood wasn't the same as the bite where it could feel pleasurable when consented to. Drinking blood wasn't enjoyable for humans no matter what.

"You will not just watch me eat this time as well," She said.

"I have had food all my life but not you."

Angelica narrowed her eyes, "surely you cannot be tired of having food. Even if I lived for a very long time food would be something I would never tire of. You don't need to be hungry to enjoy food."

"I am enjoying it. Just differently."

Angelica smiled and shook her head at him. "When we go back home, I will make some really delicious food for you. Will you eat?"

"If you feed me. I want to lick it off your fingers." He told her.

"You are shameless, My Lord." She teased him.

Rayven noticed many things that he should have felt and not her since he was the one who had her blood. Her missing home, wanting to make him food, wanting children, all those things were usually the result of sharing blood. Demons would feel a powerful urge to love, care for and reproduce and even a stronger urge to protect once they have mated. They became more sensitive which could explain why he was able to talk about his feelings today. Bonding physical strengthened the emotional bond and he could notice. But he didn't expect Angelica to have those effects yet. She didn't have his blood. Maybe because she was human and bonding physically only meant making love. That would explain it. Or maybe that was just what she desired.

He had seen in it in her eyes, the excitement of wanting children. It wasn't something that she felt like doing out of obligation as a woman. She wanted to and he couldn't deny that it burdened him. He wanted to give her everything but children weren't things. They were leaving breathing creatures, and he was struggling with the idea. While he could clearly imagine and see a future with Angelica, he couldn't see children in it. He just couldn't imagine it.

The blush left her cheeks, and she gazed up as if discovering something. "Oh, chocolate and cheese." She said sadly. "I will miss them."

Rayven fought back a laughter. "Don't worry. I will come back here occasionally to bring you some."

"Thank you," she smiled. "I think William would love it too. Children love sweets."

Satisfied she picked up her spoon and continued to eat.

Rayven continued to watch her. He observed her fiery hair and those deep blue eyes that held so much emotion and wisdom. He imagined their children looking like her. Many red heads running around. But that didn't scare him as much as them also being as smart as their mother.

Who would be the parent among them? He could imagine them lecturing him and his fears doubled. He would fail so badly.

"Rayven!"

His heart jumped out of his chest at the sudden call of his name. His head jerked following the sound, and he found Angelica staring at him questioningly.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded sucking in a deep breath. "Yes."

Angelica narrowed her gaze. "Children are still scaring you," she said.

His eyes widened. How did she know?

She chuckled amusedly, "I was joking, but it seems to be true. I will admit, they are scary."

"How do you know?"

"Well, I know William is my brother, but I raised him. I took care of him since he was born. It was the most challenging and freighting thing but also the most rewarding. I would never want to replace that feeling with anything else. I would not mind having ten Williams."

Ten?!

She chuckled again at his expression that he failed to hide. "But that is not the only reason even though having someone you love unconditionally gives you so much strength. I always feared and avoided the thought of having a family for many reasons and some of that fear is still there but it is much less now."

"Why?"

"Because of you. Because with you it will be a family. Not individuals living in a house together. I didn't want that for my children. It was enough that William had to live like that."

A family? Not individuals living together. That touched a place in his heart. The family he had but never cherished. He could have it again and she could also have the family she wished to have. There was more meaning to it than just small children running around. He could see it now and he really wished he could give her many children and give himself a new chance to take care of his family this time.

He swallowed the lump in his throat, remembering his mother and sister. Angelica took his hand, "I am happy with you. We are a family and I would be happy either way, with or without children." She assured him.

It started to rain in the demon world and Rayven sat outside in the porch, watching the rain pour down. He was feeling emotional and thought of visiting his mother and sister's graves. In all those years, he never visited them once. Could his mother see him? Would she be able to hear him? Even if she could, what would he say?

Mother, I found a wonderful woman. She changed my life by becoming my wife. I am no longer blind and I am filled with regret. But I am no good man either, just yet.

Oh mother, I struggle still, but I no longer kill. And I no longer want to die. I want to live and I want to give. And this ungrateful son, I hope you forgive.

A tear fell among the drops falling on his face as he sat near the grave of his mother. The rain continued to pour down, and he remained in place for a while.

I will come back, mother. He said standing up. Next time with my wife, and maybe the time after with your grandchild.

Soaked in rain, he returned home and changed his clothes quickly before going to find Angelica. She was getting dressed for the mating ceremony. She wore a nice and simple black dress with golden accessories.

"Where have you been?"

"I took a walk in the rain." He said.

"Does this look good?"

"You look beautiful." He told her.

Once she was ready, they left. "Oh, your hand is cold. How long where you in the rain?" She asked him when he took her hand to teleport them.

"I don't feel cold." He reminded her.

She studied his face for a while. He had made sure to wash his face of all tears before he went to her but she still seemed to notice something.

************

Angelica noticed a strange sadness in Rayven's eyes. There was something he wasn't telling her but she didn't push him. He would tell her eventually.

Now she braced herself to watch the mating ceremony.

Being bitten felt like something very intimate and private so she couldn't understand how it would be done in front of all the people that attended the ceremony. They were many and just like any other ceremony; the guests were chattering, eating and drinking. Some were dancing.

Angelica noticed a couple dressed in all white and since everyone was going to them and greeting them, Angelica guessed they must be the ones mating. The man had his arm around the woman's shoulder and she leaned into him as they chatted with others. Both were demons, she could tell.

Angelica's eyes wandered around the room looking for Lucrezia, but she was nowhere to be found. Would she not attend herself?

"The ceremony will begin soon," Rayven told her and just then the lights went off and Angelica got startled finding herself in complete darkness.

Rayven put his arm around her waist, to let her know he was there and just then candles began to burn, placed in a circle in the middle of the room. They burned in an odd way, only casting light inside the circle where no one stood. Outside the circle she could feel people gathering around it and Rayven led her closer to where the fire burned.

A man materialized from smoke among the candles. Angelica had never seen a demon appear like that before. Rayven often caused a rush of air when he arrived or left.

The man was dressed in black satin robes adorned with silver embroidery. He wore a crown of thorns on his head that made her wonder if they didn't poke holes in his scalp. He was young, with dark golden hair and black eyes.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to witness the uniting of two hearts and souls. Two demons brought together by the language of love. Some call it fate or destiny but whatever it is, it was meant to be. More and more demons are abandoning the practice of mating. Some have lost hope after waiting for too long, some don't believe there is someone meant for them, some don't want to believe because they want to continue their promiscuity and some are simply lost. May the Lord guide you." He said, and the guests laughed.

"I am truly happy to see that there are still many who believe in the power of bonding and are here to do so. You only need one heart to survive but you need at least two, to live." The man said. "Now let's celebrate two hearts coming together."

The guests applauded, and the man vanished into smoke at the same time that the couple entered the circle from each side. Angelica watched intently, her heart beating in rhythm with the drums that began to play.

The man and the woman approached each other slowly, their eyes locked, their gazes hot and if Angelica wasn't mistaken the color of their eyes seemed to change to something darker.

Rayven tightened his hold around her and leaned in. "They are changing." He explained.

"Changing?"

"Form. They are letting their demons out."

Angelica saw the fangs and the claws come out and she flinched a bit. Once they were standing so close that their bodies touched, their arms snaked around each other's bodies, molding them together in a way where they fit perfectly and when they drew back to look at each it was like a fire burned between them. Yes burned and melting, lips parted, revealing long sharp fangs and with a breath of anticipation they sank into a slender neck, staining the pale skin with a red liquid that traveled down to stain the white dress.

Angelica kept watching in fascination.. The way one of them became weak after almost being drained but then regained his strength after drinking from the other was disturbingly intriguing.