Chapter 24

Lucian lay down on the bed holding his chest. What was this pain he was feeling and why couldn't he remember his wife? Everytime he tried to remember his head throbbed so painfully it made his eyes water, until he gave up and went to sleep.
That night he had a dream, about her, his wife. She was walking around their garden in a beautiful white dress and with the smile of an angel. Walking among the flowers she looked like a flower herself, a white rose, pure and beautiful. Suddenly she turned to him, the smile gone from her face, replace by a look of sadness.
She reached her hand to toward him. "Don't leave me, Lucian." Her voice was the saddest sound he had ever heard.
Lucians hand reached for hers but her fingers slipped through his and suddenly she was falling.
"No! No!" Lucian woke up his heart pounding inside his chest and sweat dripping from his forehead. He looked around. He was still in bed, but the dream had felt so real. He
Could still feel the touch of her hand.
His wife, he must have loved her but then why couldn't he remember her. He couldn't even remember her face from the dream.
"Your highness." Jade was already in the room gazing at him with a look of concern.
"What is it now?" Lucian didn't want to deal with anyone at this moment.
She hesitated for a while then began with her tattling.
"Can you believe it? The maid that I was about to punish disappeared. They have been looking for her the whole night but they didn't find her anywhere."
Lucian had almost forgotten about her. She had said that she was his wife but his wife was dead and he felt guilty for even worrying about this maid when he should avenge his dead wife.
Lucian decided to forget about her and focus on his revenge but even as day went by and he sat in front of his brother all he could think about was her. She was still in that cold place and had spent the whole night and the morning after without any food. She must be hungry and freezing he thought slightly worried but then shook his head.
This time he was determined not to care. He continued his day listening to his brothers nonsense until the sun went down, then he went back to his room and went to bed as quickly as he could. As he lay down he realised that he hadn't done anything productive the whole day, he didn't even think once about his revenge, then what was he thinking about?
In the back of his mind, she was still there trying to swim to the surface. What has this woman done to him? Maybe she was a witch because she had truly bewitched him. What Lucian couldn't understand is why she would put herself in such danger. She knew that defying his brother would mean death. She probably had some tricks under her sleeves he thought therefore he shouldn't care.
My stomach growled once again but more than the hunger the cold was killing me. My toes and fingers went almost numb. I shivered as I waited and waited for Lucian to come.
I knew he would come just as I knew he was my husband. Everything couldn't have been a coincidence. The way he smelled, that spicy scent I could never forget and the way he made me feel, but when I became certain that he was Lucian was when he had saved me.
Lucian had told me once that he could control fire and when he saved me suddenly all the lights were gone, and of all the places he brought me here. A hidden place in our garden. I remembered that it was dark inside the room at first but then suddenly the candles were lit. It reminded me of the time he saved me from those men who tried to **** me. He had burned them alive. A frightening sight indeed but what made me confused was why he was denying that it was him?
I couldn't think further as my teeth began to chatter because of the cold and more parts of my body became numb. Was Lucian really going to let me die here? My face hardened and I couldn't focus anymore because of the pain. Everything became a blur then.... Suddenly I heard the creaking sound of the door opening.
Lucian. I tried to lift my head to look but I couldn't.
"Hazel!"
I heard footsteps rushing toward me then suddenly Lucian scooped me into his arms. His body was so warm against my cold one that I almost sighed in relief.
"Hazel!"
It had been such a long time I heard him call my name. It warmed me up from the inside.
"I am so sorry." His voice was thick with guilt and worry. He pulled me even closer and wrapped me in a blanket. I closed my eyes relieved that I was safe now and then there was no pain anymore, no worry only darkness and I wasn't scared anymore.
"Where are we going?" Klara asked as she followed Roshan through the dark woods.
"You will see once we get there." He said.
Late at night, in the woods, alone without a weapon and with a man who could fight ten men on his own was maybe not a great idea after all.
Klaras began to calculate all the possible ways she could defend herself if he ever tried to do anything.
"What did you do to the guards?" she asked.
While they were escaping she noticed that all the guards lay unmoving on the ground.
"I put them to sleep." He said simply
"How? I thought you couldn't use magic."
"No...but I sang them a lullaby."
Even though Klara couldn't see him clearly in the darkness she knew he had a smirk in his face.
Not wanting to be mocked anymore she continued is silence. Meanwhile she tried to find the perfect opportunity to escape but it was so dark she was afraid to leave Roshans side. Once the sun rises she would escape she thought to herself.
"Here." Roshan said as he came to a halt and turned to her.
Klara looked around. Where? She could see nothing but trees and darkness.
Suddenly he crossed the distance between them, wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to his body. Before Klara could push him away she felt the ground underneath her feet open and then suddenly she was falling. A cry escaped her lips and she held onto Roshan for dear life.
Klara couldn't understand what was happening but she just wanted it to end. Or maybe not, because falling this far she would probably die by the end of it. Good lord, she way dying.
"I wouldn't let you die... yet."
"Huh." Klara shot her eyes open and found herself pressed against Roshans body. She would have pushed him if she wasn't the one holding him so tightly. Slowly letting her hands fall she took a few steps back relieved that she could feel the ground underneath her feet again, then she looked around studying her surroundings. Wait! She knew this place. It was the place Irene had brought her and Hazel before.
"Shall we." Roshan motioned for her to go in.
Klara hesitated for a moment but then walked inside.
"Where is Irene?" She would feel a lot more safe if a woman was here.
"She is not here." He said shortly. Opening a door he led her into a room.
"You can stay here." He said.
Stay? Even though Klara didn't know where to go, thinking of staying here with Roshan alone sent a shiver down her spine. There was just something about him that frightened her and made her feel unsafe. He had that dark aura that spoke of danger and that spellbinding look. She felt afraid to look into his eyes, it was as if he could see unravel her deepest darkest secrets of she did.
His lips curved slightly as if he could read her thoughts.
Klara cleared her throat "You said you were not a witch?"
"I am not."
"Then how did you bring us here out of nowhere?" She asked.
"Well, there are some benefits with having a friend who is a witch." He explained.
Klara couldn't follow since he was speaking in riddles. "Anyway, I don't plan on staying here."
No! She couldn't stay alone with a man, but where would she go? She had no frien...Hazel?
No, Hazel would be uncomfortable to have her. Klara herself would be uncomfortable as she didn't want to see Lucian again. It would make her effort of forgetting him all go to waste.
"Then do you have somewhere else to go?" He asked raising one brow.
No she didn't. As if he could sense her fear, "Don't worry, I don't eat humans." He assured showing his perfect white teeth with slightly longer and pointed canines.
Klara felt disturbed, even more at the way he referred to humans, as if he wasn't one himself.
"Then I'll leave you to rest." He said using a more polite tone before he left and closed the door behind him.
Klara suddenly panicked. What if he locked her inside?
Turning around she hurried out of the room.
Roshan who was amost halfway through the hall turned around. "Is something wrong?" He asked.
"I am hungry." She said and it wasn't a lie, but that wasn't the main reason she wanted to eat. She needed a weapon to defend herself and in the kitchen she could find many useful things.
Roshan turned around and for a moment she thought he was going to ignore her and leave before he said "Follow me."
Klara followed him eagerly as he led the way to a dining room. No, this is not where she wanted to be.
"Sit and I'll bring something."
"No need. I can follow you, maybe I can help."
Roshan raised a brow. "Help? I am sure you have never even cut a vegetable in your life, princess."
"No. But I have cut people. Vegetable can not be more difficult." She said confidently.
Roshan shook his head with a smile. "Fine then. Follow me."
This time he took her to the kitchen. "What do you want to eat?"
"Just something simple." Klara shrugged.
Roshan put a salad, a cuc.u.mber, an onion, tomatoes and pepper infront of her. "Cut these." He said handing her a knife.
Klara stared at the vegetable infront of her wondering which one she should start with. Grabbing the cuc.u.mber, because it seemed the most easy one, she started to cut it into round shapes.
"Cut them into small squares." Roshan instructed.
Klara became confused. How was she supposed to cut this round shaped thing into small squares.
"You can cut this." She said putting it aside. "I will cut this." She said picking the the union. Klara began to cut it into round shaped as well.
"You need to cut that into strips." He interrupted her again.
Strips? Klara tried to figure out how to cut it into strips but ended up cutting it into all kinds of different shapes.
Roshan shook his head looking at the mess she created. "You see, princess. To cut people you don't need skills but for vegetables you need skills and...you just don't have it."
He took the knife from her. "Now let me show how it's done."
Klara studied him closely and was fascinated by how fast and precise he cut the vegetables. He cut them into all kinds of different shapes and then mixing them together he poured everything into a bowl. He even added a few other things like olives, white cheese, corn and lastly some flavor.
At the end it looked delicious and Klara could wait but to have a taste. She had never seen salad look so tasty before.
"What do you say princess?" Roshan asked proudly.
"It looks tasty." She smiled.
They sat at the table in the dining room and she started eating. It even tasted better than it looked. Roshan had even prepared some chicken to eat with. As she was eating she didn't even realize that Roshan was studying her all the time or that she forgot to take something from the kitchen to protect herself. When she was full she felt really tired. She hadn't slept the whole night after all.
"Do you want me to show you back to your room?"
Suddenly Klara panicked remembering she didn't take a knife from the kitchen. She had been so distracted with Roshan and his vegetables. She looked at the food knife on the table. It wasn't sharp but it would do for now she thought.
"Yes." She said and slowly hid the knife as he stood up to take her back to the room.
"So...when is Irene coming back." She asked on their way back.
"Not anytime soon."
Klara nodded. She didn't feel the least bit safe with Roshan but she had nowhere to go. Only tonight then tomorrow she would leave she thought.
Once they reached the room "Good night." He said and left without waiting for her to say anything back.
As he walked away Klara realized that the smirk he usually had on his face had been absent. He had looked serious this whole time. She wondered what happened.
The room was big and the bed comfortable yet Klara couldn't sleep despite being very tired. She kept hearing weird noises or was it whispers she wasn't sure. Sometimes she would feel as if someone was in the room, watching her silently.
Wrapping the sheets around her tightly and she shut her eyes. She was probably imagining all these things because she was away from home and she didn't feel safe in this place. She would rather sleep in the woods. At least she knew what to expect there.
The more she tried to ignore the noises the more clear they became and suddenly she heard a cry. Someone was crying loaudly. Klara was unsure whether to stay in the room or go and see where the noise was coming from. At last she decided to go and check. Taking the knife under her pillow she walked out of the room. Following the sound she came to a closed door. Now she could hear that the noise came from a woman.
Klara thought it was the saddest cry she had ever heard and wanted to see who was so sad that they would be crying like this. Slowly she opened the door and peeked her head inside. There a woman sat on the bed, her long black hair covered her face and she cried with her arms wrapped around herself. It looked like she was trying to stop herself from crying but couldn't.
As if sensing Klara's presence the woman stopped crying and lifted her head slowly.
A gasp escaped Klaras lips
Irene?!
Klara was surprised to find Irene like this. She barely recognized her. Irene looked frightening. She was pale, her hair was ragged and her face was covered in tears, but that's not what frightened Klara. It was her eyes. Irene's eyes looked dead, as if her soul had left her body. She stared at Klara yet it seemed she wasn't looking at her, but right through her.
Klara wondered what happened so she slowly walked inside. "Irene?" she called hesitantly.
When she got no reply she approached Irene slowly. "Is something wrong?"
A single tear ran down her cheek. "He is dead!" She said her voice void of any emotion.
"Who is dead?" Klara asked confused.
"My son." It was almost a whisper.
Irene had a son? Klara didn't know and she didn't know how to console Irene either.
Suddenly Irene shifted her gaze and looked right at Klara. The looked in her eyes sent a shiver down Klara's spine.
"You..." She said and Klara realized she was in danger even thought she didn't know what wrong she did.
"You said you loved him...but you didn't save him." Irene hastily got out of bed and began strolling toward Klara slowly.
Klara took a few steps back frightened by the crazy look in Irene's eyes. She looked like she wanted to destroy the world. Klara was of course a fighter but she knew she didn't stand a chance with Irene. The woman was a witch after all.
"Now... who will save you?" She said threateningly.
Turning around Klara ran toward the door, grabbing the handle she wanted to leave quickly but suddenly the door shut by an invisible force and Klara couldn't open it. Panik kicked in and she reached for the knife that would probably not help, but again some invisible force knocked it out of her hand and it flew across the room. Swiftly Klara's eyes searched for something in the room she could use to defend herself but before she could even move Irene grabbed her by the neck and pinned her to the wall.
Klara tried to kick, push or even punch but neither could her legs move nor her arms. How would she defend herself if she couldn't even use her limbs. She could only use her mouth, maybe she should talk some sense into Irene's head but she could barely breath as Irene tightened her grip even more squeezing all the air out of Klara's lungs.
"All of us said we loved him but none of us could save him. None! We all deserve to die."
Was she going to die like this? And her family wouldn't even know. No, she refused to die.
"You refuse?!" Irene asked. She could read her thoughts? "Alright then...I will make you suffer first." Then suddenly Klara felt her body get thrown across the room. She braced herself for the pain to come as she hit the wall then fell on a table that tumbled over and she fell further to the floor.
Klara rolled on the floor in pain while gasping for air. She had to get away and tried to get up despite the pain when Irene kicked her in the stomach and she fell back with cry.
"I will kill everyone who claimed to love him, everyone and then I'll join you. Do you know why?" She asked. "Because I loved him the most yet I did nothing...nothing."
This was not good. Klara could hear the anger and despair in Irenes voice. If she didn't get away Irene would kill her for sure.
"Oh right. Before I kill myself I have to kill mother as well. I'll kill her!" She screamed.
While Irene was speaking to herself Klara tried to crawl away but soon Irene grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up bringing both their faces close to each other. "You want to live princess? While letting the man you love die?"
Klara was confused. Who was Irene talking about? She had only ever loved one man and it was Lucian.
"Yes. I am talking about Lucian. He is dead!" She yelled pushing her down again.
Klara fell. "Lucian is dead?"
"Yes."
"No!" Klara shook her head. "No, no!" No she was probably talking about another Lucian.
"You can deny it all you want it but it won't bring him back from the dead." Irene grabbed Klara by the hair again.
Klara took notice of a vase that lay on the table nearby. She grabbed it quickly and smashed it on Irene's head. She expected Irene to fall down but she still stood straight as blood poured from her head and down her face.
Suddenly she laughed, something that shocked Klara. "Come on! Hit me some more!" Irene said.
Klara was confused.
"I said come on!" Irene yelled then Klara punched her face causing Irene's lip to burst.
"Is that all you got?" Irene asked with a smirk. "You are not giving me a choice but to show you how." She said and slapped Klara across the face.
Klara had been slapped before, even by strong men but it never hurt like this. Her whole head was throbbing in pain and she lost her balance and fell. Irene Placed herself on top of her and was about to land another slap when someone spoke.
"Stop!"
Roshan! Klara felt a sudden relief.
"Don't interfere! I am warning you!" Irene said with a deadly tone.
"Don't touch her. I am warning you!" He spoke with that same deadly tone.
She intended to ignore him when someone called her name. "Irene!"
This voice sent a chill down Klara's spine. She wanted to see who the voice belonged to but she kept her gaze fixated on Irene.
"What are you doing?"
Irene slowly let her hand fall as the crazy look in her eyes turned into one of confusion and sadness. The man quickly came to her side and pulled her up and away from Klara then he wrapped his arms around her. "It's alright." He whispered.
Klara didn't spare a moment to look at the man and tried to quickly get up and away but Roshan already scooped her up in his arms and carried her away. Klara felt embarrassed but didn't protest as she was in too much pain to walk herself.
Roshan tried to stay calm as he carried Klara to his room. He was shocked and angry, he had never seen Irene act this way before. He shouldn't have left Klara alone here. If he had come a bit late she could have been dead. The possibility of losing her easily made him feel vulnerable and he hated it.
He slowly placed her on his bed and she flinched in pain. Her beautiful face was now covered with bruises and her clothes soaked in her own blood. Roshan clenched his fists, seeing her like this made him angry. If it was someone else who made her like this they would be dead long ago, but it was Irene. He knew she was grieving the loss of her son and blaming herself for not saving him.
"Stay here." He said and left to bring an aid kit.
As he returned he found Klara curled up in his bed, her arms wrapped around her waist. For the first time he didn't see the tough woman he was used to see. She looked startled and scared and he could understand that. Roshan put the kit on the nightstand and then carefully sat down next to her.
He waited patiently for her to sit up then reached for her face. She flinched back.
"I am not going to hurt you." He assured then slowly removed the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. As he treated her wounds she didn't even complain once even though it was probably a bit painful.
Roshan knew that not only was her face bruised but her body as well. Knowing that she wouldn't let him help her treat those wounds he gave the aid kit and a clean dress.
"What happened to Lucian?" She asked abruptly.
Roshan was taken aback for a moment. He had almost forgotten that she was in love with Lucian and telling her that the man she loved was dead, was not something he wanted to do at this moment.
Klaras eyes welled with tears. "He is not dead right? She was referring to someone else, right?" A tear fell down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand.
Roshan couldn't bring himself to tell her so he kept quiet. Maybe his silence would speak for itself.
"Please...please tell me he is not dead. Plea...ase." She began to cry hysterically.
Her whole body shook as she buried her face in her hands. Roshan wanted to comfort her but he didn't know how. Even if he knew why would he want to comfort her when she was crying for another man? Turning around he left her alone thinking that she would calm down eventually, but he was wrong.
She kept crying the whole night until she was exhausted and fell asleep almost at sunrise.
"How is she?" Lucifer asked taking a seat in the garden where Roshan was taking a short nap after listening to Klara's cry the whole night.
"She just fell asleep."
"You care for her." Lucifer pointed. "I didn't think someone as promiscuous as you would care for someone."
"Well...if Lucifer himself could care for someone then anyone can care for someone. By the way...how did Irene wake up? Did you find her mother?"
"No. I just found her awake." Lucifer said thoughtful.
"What is it?" Roshan asked.
"I have been thinking. Maybe...Lucian is alive."
"Why would you think so?"
"Demons cannot die unless killed by other supernatural creatures. Why would Lucian be an exception?"
"Because he is not entirely Demon." Roshan said as a matter of fact.
"True but he could have died and come back to life, just like Irene."
Irene had died after giving birth to Lucian but she had come back to life because she had demon blood in her system. When she came back to life she had become partly Demon. Lucian was already partly demon which meant that when he died his demon side could have saved him and he awakened was a fully Demon. But then again Demons could track other Demons so why couldn't they find him, Roshan wondered.
It meant that he was either dead or maybe even though he awakened as a fully Demon he still had his witch powers. A deadly combination indeed and this deadly combination would not be found unless he wanted to be found.
"There is one way to finding Lucian if he is alive." As a Demon himself Roshan knew Demons were very protective and possessive of their mates.
"How?"
"Hazel."
Lucian looked at the woman in his arms. She looked almost dead. What if she had died? He couldn't understand why he was being so cruel to her.
Quickly he wrapped her in the blankets he brought and then lifting her head slightly he tried to make her drink some water. She couldn't drink much as she was half conscious and seemed to slowly drift away.
He tried to wake her up. "Hazel, look at me." But her eyes slowly fluttered down and she lost consciousness completely.
With a sigh Lucian placed her carefully on the bed then added a few more blankets. He put fire everywhere he could then tried to warm her up by rubbing her hands and feet. While rubbing her feet a memory flashed through his mind.
In his memory there was a woman, he was washing her feet while she watched him shyly. He tried to see her face but the memory disappeared as quickly as it came.
Lucian tried to remember some more but as usual every time he tried to remember his head throbbed so painfully it felt like it was going to burst. Ignoring the memories he tried to focus on Hazel. She was in this state because of him so he was responsible for her. He kept rubbing her hands and feet until she woke up.
Slowly Hazel opened her eyes and the first thing she said was... "Lucian."
"I am here." He said instinctively and drew her into his arms. Right now he didn't care if he exposed himself and ruined his plan, all he wanted to do was protect this woman and make her feel safe. He didn't even care to ask himself why anymore. The sense of protectiveness he felt was too strong that nothing else seemed to matter.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
"I am fine now." She smiled a faint smile. "I knew you would come for me."
Since she already knew his name he wanted to ask how. "How do you know my name?"
She rubbed her eyes then stared at him with questioning look.
"How I know your name? How could I not, Lucian? Are you asking because you really don't know?"
Lucian nodded. Hazel's expression turned serious and she used the little strength she had left to sit up. Lucian helped her while trying to hear her thoughts but he heard nothing. There was only silence. Why couldn't he hear her thoughts? Could it be that she wasn't a normal human because he could hear other people's thoughts clearly. Maybe he shouldn't trust her yet.
"Do you not know...who I am?" She asked carefully as if afraid to hear the answer.
"I don't."
"Do you really....not remember me?"
Lucian shook his head.
Hazel's shoulders fell in disappointment. "I thought you came for me. You came revenge right? That's why you look like this?"
Lucian sighed not wanting to tell her the truth.
"I don't understand. Then why did you kiss me?" She touched her lips probably recalling the memories. Lucian himself have not been able to forget the taste of her lips and he knew he could never forget.
"And save me?" She continued. If he hadn't saved her he wouldn't be in this situation but strangely he didn't regret saving her at all. He knew if he went back in time he would save her again.
"You still haven't answered how you know my name." Ignoring her questions.
"I know you name because you are my husband." She said calmly.
Lucian stood up hastily annoyed that she was still lying to him. "My wife is dead."
Now it was Hazel's time to stand up hastily. She looked as angry as he was."Who told you that? How could I be dead when I am standing right infront of you."
"Stop! You are not my wife."
"I am."
"I would not forget her."
"You did Lucian. You forgot me when I have been waiting for you here everyday enduring every torture that came my way just to see you once again." She almost yelled frustrated.
I was so angry and frustrated. Just a moment ago I had been so relieved and happy to find that Lucian was alive and that he admitted that it was him just find out later that didn't remember me or maybe he just didn't want to. Why?!
Why was he doing this to me? This was worse than all the tortures I went through put together.
"I have been thinking of you everyday, worrying, praying for you safety. I missed you everyday, don't tell me you didn't."