Heart of Darkness

Rayven could hear Angelica's heart beat faster and louder as they watched the mating ceremony. She wore a frown on her face, yet couldn't tear her gaze away from the couple. He tried to watch as well but imagined himself being a human. How would he react to this? He had to admit that this looked horrible from a human perspective. Blood, biting and almost draining each other and staining the wedding gown.

No! It was terrible.

Once the horror ended, Rayven could hear Angelica let out a deep breath as if she had been holding it the whole time. He didn't even want to ask what she thought. At this point completing the mating didn't matter to him. He was more than happy with the progress they made. The only reason he would want her to have his blood would be so she could live longer and not leave him alone in this world.

"That was… intense." Angelica said leaning into him as if needing support.

He tightened his hold around her waist. "Are you alright?"

"I feel dizzy."

"Let's take you back home. You need to eat and sleep."

Angelica didn't protest as he took them back home when the after party started with blasting music and dance. They arrived at the quietness of his house and he helped Angelica to bed. She sat down carefully.

"How are you feeling?"

"I am alright. I will rest a little." She replied.

"You should eat first." He had taken a lot of blood from her so she needed to eat something to help her regain blood.

"Shouldn't I have your blood?" She asked him.

"Do you want to?" That was a stupid question. Of course she didn't but it would help and heal her a lot faster.

"Drinking even a little would help you heal." He explained himself but then cursed inwardly. He didn't want to push this matter, even if it was for her own sake.

"How will I do it? I don't have fangs." The way she sincerely asked made him want to laugh.

"I will cut myself."

She nodded slowly as if not really wanting to agree to it. "Alright."

Having just a little of his blood would not complete the mating but perhaps if she had a little every day instead of all at once, it would be better. She would heal and they would be mated.

Cutting his wrist he let his blood pour into a glass, then he went back to the room with the glass in his hand. Rayven felt strange handing her a glass of his own blood. At least if the liquid was thin she would be able to quickly gulp it down. But the blood was thick and the taste couldn't be avoided by drinking it quickly.

Angelica held the glass, staring at it for a while. He knew she was mentally preparing herself. She brought it up to her lips and tried to drink it all at once but he already knew she would fail. Pausing she grimaced after drinking a little.

"I'll bring something to eat," he said and left her alone so she wouldn't feel pressured to drink it.

When he came back with water and fruits, she had already fallen asleep and the empty glass stood on the bedstand. Rayven wondered if she would feel anything tomorrow even if she just had a little of his blood.

Adjusting the pillow under her head, he covered her up and then turned the lights off. Leaving the room he decided to go and find Lucrezia. Angelica had told him of her dream about Skender and he had questions to ask. He hated it because Lucrezia would probably give him her complicated answers instead of something he could comprehend but he decided to try at least.

When he arrived at her cave he had to wait for a while. She had not attended the waiting ceremony which told him she was probably busy with other more important things. Or maybe not so important. He didn't know what she did in her free time.

Rayven had to wait for a long while but he waited patiently since he was desperate for answers. Skender was the only one who could help him with Constantine and he wanted to know if he would be able to or if he would have to find other ways to defeat the shade. If that was even possible. At most he would have to negotiate with him if Skender could not fight him.

"I see you are still thinking about problems even during your vacation." Lucrezia finally arrived. She had been spending time in the human world from the way she dressed.

"We will go back home tomorrow." Rayven said. "I can't keep hiding Angelica and Constantine is out there."

"He is indeed. But why does Angelica have to hide?"

"You know very well why."

She shook her head. "No, I don't."

Rayven wasn't in the mood to argue with her. "When will Skender's punishment end? How will he be able to find his powers?"

Lucrezia pulled herself up with her arms to sit on the large rock in the cave. "It is not about finding his powers. It is about owning them. He doesn't possess them yet but they are not lost."

"What does he need to do to possess them?"

"Learn. He needs to learn, and learning takes time and patience. Otherwise his powers will possess him instead."

And that was how he would become a destroyer. But why didn't his parents already teach him at a young age? Surely that would have been much more effective and he wouldn't have to become a destroyer.

"That is why you need to take care of your own problems and not involve him. You would not want his powers to be triggered before he is ready." Lucrezia said.

"Why didn't his parents teach him? They were defenders too, and they didn't have that problem." Rayven asked.

"They had their reasons." Lucrezia replied curtly. There was something she wasn't telling him.

"I need his help and even if I don't involve him, he will get himself involved." Rayven said.

"Then you better find a way so he doesn't feel the need to get involved. It will be bad for all of us if he does, but mostly for him. If his demon goes out of control, then the Arch will have to step in and eliminate him and there will be nothing I can do to stop it."

"The Arch will kill him?"

"Yes. A powerful, uncontrollable demon won't be able to be controlled so death will be the only way."

So he could cause Skender's death if he involved him and probably many other people's death by making him a destroyer.

"Then I need your help," Rayven said desperately.

"I can't help you. My job is only to punish and redeem."

"Then do that. Just punish a shade instead of a demon."

She chuckled. "I see you have a humor now."

He wasn't trying to be funny. He was getting frustrated.

"You wouldn't let me die." He said.

After fighting to keep him alive for so long, she wouldn't just let him die. What was her plan?

She smiled and shook her head. "I have achieved my purpose, and it was to redeem you. Now that you have redeemed yourself, I won't stop you from dying. Death awaits us all."

********

Skender was lost in thoughts while he sat with the Lords.

"Do you think Rayven has mated yet?" Blayze asked.

Acheron shrugged. "I don't know but he was making eggs for his wife."

Lazarus spit the drink in his mouth. "He was what?!"

"The demon has lost his mind." Blayze shook his head.

"Well, women are dangerous. He is thinking with the thing in his pants then what is in his head." Lazarus said.

"It shows. He is thinking a bit like you." Blayze retorted.

"For God's sake! The man is making eggs for his wife. At least his not jumping off roofs." Acheron said.

"Hmm…" Lazarus took a sip of his drink.

"If he was making eggs, then they have mated." Vitale added who sat quietly the whole time.

All of them turned to him questioningly. He would be the only one to know about mating if the rumors were true.

"How do you know?" Lazarus asked.

"I just know." He replied curtly.

"So mating makes you crazy?" Blayze said.

"Yes," Vitale said with all seriousness.

"Why are you so quiet?" Lazarus turned to Skender.

Skender had been thinking about what happened to him last night and how he got him. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

"I was attacked by shades last night." He said.

Now he had everyone's attention.

"Why didn't you call us?"

"I couldn't. My powers weren't working."

"You went to the damn witches." Lazarus realized.

Skender nodded. "That is not the problem. I almost died. They ripped me apart and left me there but in the morning I found myself in my bed, completely healed."

"It must Lucrezia." Blayze said.

"It wasn't her."

"She is probably lying."

"She had no reason too and she can't heal me even if she did."

"A witch? The one who had her eyes on you?" Lazarus said.

Skender had been thinking about it but witches could heal minor injuries, maybe cure some illnesses but not put body parts together. That was a bit out of their capabilities and even if they did, there would be signs of scars or some evidence left on his body from the fight.

"I don't think so."

"If not, then you were drinking, or it was all a nightmare. You don't look like someone who has been ripped apart." Blayze didn't believe him. Well, the demon hated him so he expected nothing less.

He could see the other demons speculating except for Vitale who seemed to not care to even know what happened.

"Anyway, be careful." Acheron told him as they were about to leave.

So now he was crazy in their eyes? Great!

As he prepared himself for sleep and his maid helped him get dressed, he paused in front of the mirror. He looked closer at his arms and chest. He was not imagining things. There was no sign of any struggle on his body. The maid waited for him thinking that he was admiring himself but he didn't care.

"Do I have something on my back?" He asked her.

"What, Your Majesty?"

"A scar?"

She looked at his bare back then shook her head. "No, Your Majesty."

He sighed then held his arms out. She slipped his robe into his arms. "Do you want me to bring the wine now, Your Majesty?" She asked him.

He looked at her confused. "Wine?"

"Yes. You requested to have wine served every night before bedtime, Your Majesty." She reminded him.

He did? He read her thoughts, and she wasn't lying. "When did I?"

"Last night, Your Majesty."