Chapter Forty-Six (Amaya)

“We need to keep our distance from Hellebore.” Abigail told me as we headed to her room.

“I know she gives off weird energy. What is she anyway?”

“No idea.”

“It’s curious as she doesn’t give off a demon aura at all.”

“I agree, we will have to figure out what she is, especially if she is a threat to us. Do you want to give me a hand?”

“Sure, what do you need help with?” I inquired as she opened the door to her room and headed in.

“Just working on making more medicines and ointments.”

I walked into her room and unlike mine, which looked like my room from my apartment aside from the balcony and sitting area. Abigail's room looked like the inside of the cave we used to go to make her medicines and for me to practice my abilities. The only difference was the bed on the one wall and the sitting area off to the side. She also had a bathroom and a smaller balcony.

She walked over to her workbench, and I followed.

“I need these mashed into a paste.” She stated as she handed me some lavender, camomile, and lemongrass. I grabbed her motor and pestle and worked on the first set of herbs, mashing them into a fine grain before adding the water and herb mixture she used to make the paste and poultices. Once it was mixed, I put the mixture into a large jar and did the same with the other herbs as she explained what the paste and herbs did for different ailments.

I loved to listen to her teachings and wished that people in the future could learn from her as well. She had so much knowledge to share and humankind would really benefit from it. Science has come a long way and they can make a lot of medicines synthetically and it has helped many people, but there is something to learning and making your own medicines, it makes me feel more connected and centered to the earth.

“What are you thinking about, dear?” Abigail asked me.

“Just thinking I should write all of this down, people in the future could really benefit from your natural approach to healing over all the chemicals they currently use, some of them are needed, but a natural choice would be nice as well.”

“Write away then.” She smiled at me. She walked over to a desk in the corner and grabbed a book off the surface. "I was planning to give this to you so you could start your own grimoire." She smiled and handed me a beautiful leather-bound notebook with engravings on the cover.

“Thank you.” I grinned.

“Of course, when I pass all my notebooks and supplies will be yours as well.” She noted before returning to her work.

“I don’t want to think of that. I just found you.”

“Everyone dies, sweetie.”

“I know.”

I heard a knock at the door and went to answer it; I opened it to find Lazarus.

“Hey, how are you?” I asked him.

“I’m alright, I was looking for you. How are you settling in? Do you have everything you need?”

I nodded, “Yes, I do, minus a television.” I laughed, I missed my shows, it was usually how I relaxed after a long day.

“Are you busy right now?”

“I am helping Abigail with her medicines. Why what’s up?”

“It’s fine, dear, I think I am done for the day.” She shared as she walked over to me.

“I wanted to show you my favorite place in the castle.”

“Are you sure you don’t my help?” I asked Abigail.

“Go, have fun.” She smiled.

I nodded and followed Lazarus out of the room. “So, where is this favorite place?”

“You’ll see.” He smiled. "I think she is starting to like me."

"You may have earned some brownie points." I laughed and added, "I’ve already had a tour of the castle."

“Yes, but no one knows about this spot.”

I followed him as he led me down corridors and up and down stairwells. Until he stopped in front of a giant painting.

“This is your favorite place?” I asked skeptically.

“Yes and no, touch the painting.”

I did and my hand went through it; I looked at him, confused, and he smiled and walked through the painting, grabbing my hand and pulling me with him. On the other side was a natural hot spring, pools of water with steam rising dotted the landscape. Surrounding it were tall mountain peaks and trees with obsidian bark and vibrant purple leaves.

“It’s beautiful. How did you find this place?”

“I stumbled on the portal when I was little, I was running away from my guard and went to hide behind the curtain over there, but I tripped and fell through. I come here when I want to be alone.”

“Thank you for sharing it with me.”

Come on, he said, walking towards one pool. He stripped into his boxers and hopped into the water.

“They are shallow except for the farthest one, we can’t go in that one.”

“Why not?” I asked as I stripped down to my panties and bra.

"Because there is a creature that lives in there and he is not friendly. He pointed to a scar on his upper arm. It looked like something with enormous jaws had bitten him."

Lazarus' expression changed as he watched me, it was like he was trying to memorize my body, his gaze sent shivers down my spine.

“Warning noted.” 

I got into the pool with him, and he watched me like a hawk. I slipped, and he grabbed my arm.

“Careful.”

“Thank you.” He released my arm, and I sat down in the water, enjoying the heat. I loved hot tubs. “So, why did you bring me here?”

“Wanted to show you a place we could be alone without interruptions. It was my spot, but now it belongs to just us.”

“Us and the creature of the deep.” I laughed as I splashed him.

“Yes. For now.” He smiled as he moved to sit next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

“You are a sneaky demon, you know that.”

“Yes, I do.” He grinned as he leaned in and kissed me. “Is it a crime to want to spend some alone time with you?” He asked when he pulled away.

“It is if they are ill intended.” I smirked.

“I would plan nothing that would hurt you.” He frowned.

“I know you avoid it when you can.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I was almost hanged, and you could not stop it. So, you do your best not to hurt me, but it isn’t completely unavoidable.”

“I am sorry about that; it will never happen again. I promise Little Dove.” He vowed as he held my hands.

“You shouldn’t make promises that are impossible to keep. You don’t know what will happen in the future.”

“I can know how I will act in the future.”

“You can’t know for certain; people and situations are constantly changing something you would never do today you might do in the future. So why don't  we just relax and enjoy the now and not think about what may or may not happen?”

“Agreed.” We watched the yellow and orange clouds drift across the lime green sky as it turned into a darker emerald color.

“It’s so beautiful here.” I mumbled, half asleep.

“Yes, it is.” Lazarus agreed, but his eyes were on me as he leaned in and kissed me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

My body responded to him as our kiss depended, he went to pull away, and I frowned, placing my hands on the back of his neck i pulled him to me and he let me. He kissed me again, his hands sliding down my sides, sending tingles where his skin met mine. My hands slid down his shoulders to his chest, exploring his body, playing with the elastic of his boxers.

I could feel his strong hands sliding lower before he stopped, pulling away he looked at me.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to manipulate you."

"Huh?" I asked, confused.

"When I am attracted to someone, or they are attracted to me, I can manipulate them into doing what I want and I have no control over it." He said, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"You're not forcing me to do anything." i mumbled, annoyed backing up from him.

"Are you angry?" he asked, confused.

"Well, yeah, we were having a nice moment, and you went and ruined it. I wasn't doing anything I didn't want to."

"Really?" He asked surprised but with a hint of a smile.

I rolled my eyes and kissed him again, "My self-conscious demon." I joked before I climbed out of the pool.

He grabbed my waist and pulled me back in, turning me to face him. He looked down at me, his eyes swirling blues and greys before settling on black, I could feel his hard length against me as he pulled me closer to him. "You are like an addiction, Little Dove." he hissed as he gently tilted my chin up to kiss him.

“We should head back.” I told him breathlessly when he released my chin.

He pulled away, “I guess so, it should be close to dinnertime.”

He got out of the pool and I joined him as we quickly dried off with some towels Lazarus had gotten from behind a boulder. I pulled my clothes back on as he did. I could see a shimmering space and knew it was the portal, so I went through it and Lazarus joined me seconds later, we went back through his labyrinthine like route to the dining hall.