Chapter Twenty-Two (Lazarus)

“Why would you make such a ridiculous deal?” Hellebore asked as I closed the door. How long had she been here?

I sighed, “You’re spying on me now?” I retorted before adding, “If we pushed her right now, she would reject us both, and I haven’t exactly made the best impression on her, mother.”

“You can say that again?” she sneered as she gestured to me, “Still haven’t got the witch to undo her spell, I see.” She stated as she watched me use the crutches to return to the bed.

“No… I’m using these for fun.” I lifted the crutches as she frowned at my sarcasm.

“You can’t even get a witch to do your bidding, how are you supposed to control demons?” She shook her head, disappointed. "Maybe I should've picked Rook."
“I told you once and a hundred times before. I don’t want to be King never have. It’s you who wants me in a place of power so you can make me into a puppet king.” I bit out angrily.

Her face reddened with anger as she walked towards me and grabbed my chin hard; long nails digging in uncomfortably. Her eyes swirling purple, she snapped, “You will help me with my plan, or I will kill everything and everyone you care about. I have done it before, and I will do it again.” She warned as she smiled and released me. "If you don’t win this bargain that you have made with your brother, then I will simply kill them both." She played with the bottles on the counter, inspecting them, slipping one into her pocket.

“Well, places to go, people to destroy.” She smiled, “Be a good boy and stick with the plan.” She pouted as her purple flames consumed her and she was gone.

“I hate you.” I muttered under my breath as I laid down. She knew I took her threats seriously, after all, the first time I refused to help her with this plan, she had killed my father, one of my friends and another one of my girlfriends.

Woman in the kingdom refused to talk to me because any woman I showed interest in would disappear or at least that is what they were told. In reality, my mother had dropped them into the bowels of hell to feed her waiting pets. Creatures who were so vile that even the citizens of hell feared them. After my mother had killed the last woman, I was interested in, I vowed to stay away from relationships and avoided all women unless I found my fated mate.

I hoped that if I could find and get my fated mate to love me that with my full demon form, I could fight against my mother and win, but because demons were created to guard the souls of the damned, it was hard to not only find a fated mate but also to win them over.

I didn’t want to obtain Amaya like some object. I was lonely, and I wanted to be able to trust someone, have someone to open up to. To not be alone anymore. My half brother Sin and little brother Rook seemed to be close and although I was happy for Rook. It made me feel alienated and alone.

My mother had focused her attention on molding me to suit her needs. My brother was free of her for the most part, able to do what he wanted and not have anyone interfere. In a way, I wanted to keep him safe so at least one of us could have a happy ending.

I had a feeling that my mother raised me to be a sacrificial lamb, hoping that Sin and I could be pitted against each other and foster the hate between us so she could use it to control us and eventually have us kill each other, then if she took out Rook the only one left to take over the throne would be her, as former Queen she would have the first claim.

So far, she had succeeded is pitting us against each other. I remembered watching Sin and Rook playing and wanting to join them, yearning for the companionship, tired of being alone. She would tell me they hated me and that I was different, and they would never understand, that it would be better to stay away from them. When I had asked her what made me different, she would give vague answers or pat my head and walk away.

She had told me that to have relationships with others would create weaknesses I couldn’t afford to have. I always thought that relationships fostered strength, because a person's desire to keep those they care about safe made them work to be stronger so they could protect them. I had once explained it to her, and she slapped me across the face and locked me in a closet for a week with this vile hell dog that I had spent the entire time fending off before finally killing it. When I emerged from that closet, chunks of my skin had been bitten off and eaten, I was dirty and bloody, and I resented my brothers for their freedoms. That was the last time I spoke out against her.

I was unable to sleep as my mind went in circles, how could I get out of the situation I was in? I knew my mother wanted me to find my fated mate, but not for the same reasons I wanted to find her. She wanted someone she could control, and I had a feeling Amaya was not going to fit the bill. Would she go after her once she discovered that, or was her intention to kill her or hold her prisoner so she could control me?

If only I knew what she was, I knew my mother wasn’t a full demon or a demon at all, but she refused to tell me what she was even when my brother Rook and I started showing signs of being able to control people who had feelings for us. We want to know what the other half of us is, but it was no use asking her.

I heard someone walking around in the other room rousing me from my thoughts, and after a few minutes, Amaya entered, carrying a tray with oatmeal and a cup of beer on it. She placed it on the table beside my bed.

“How are you feeling this morning?” She asked as she moved around me, unbandaging the wounds and looking for any sign of infection before gently cleaning and re-bandaging them. Finished with her task, she took a seat beside me.

“Morning, Little Dove. I feel fine.” I lied as I leaned over and grabbed the beer, drinking some of it. It was a little more tolerable than the food they served. I couldn’t tell her what I was. Not yet for Hellebores' plan to work, she couldn’t know. I needed her to fall for the human version of me. I am not sure why when she seemed fine with Sin being a demon.

“What are you thinking about?” Amaya asked, studying my face.

“Hmm, nothing, just letting my mind wander, really.”

“Want to share what is going through that head of yours?” She asked as she watched me.

“Nah. Although I was wondering how long it’s going to take me to heal.”

She chuckled, “I have no clue. I am just my grandmother's helper.”

“Very well. I guess I’ll have to ask Abigail. When I’m healed, though, will you show me around Salem and the spots where you spend most of your time?”

“I can, but I doubt you would have much interest in them.”

“If you have an interest in it. Then so do I.” I smiled at the thought of getting to know her better.

“Sounds like a plan.” She smiled back at me.

“What plan would that be?” Abigail asked, walking into the room, a frown on her face.

“Samuel wants a tour of Salem.” Amaya answered.

“How long am I going to be stuck in this room?” I asked, as Abigail’s frown deepened.

“Well, that really depends on you.” She replied as Amaya looked at her curiously.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“If you follow my orders and take your medicine, then you should be out of here in no time.” Her innuendo didn’t fall short on me. She wanted me to stay away from Amaya or she would not lift whatever she did to prevent me from healing.

“Thank you.” I smiled, knowing that I would heal eventually and the longer it took me to heal, the longer I had excuses to spend time with Amaya.

The old witch's magic would do the opposite of what was intended. She didn’t want to lift her spell. Fine, I would use this as a way to gain an advantage over Sin to win Amaya’s affection