Seventy-Eight

REMI

The music pulses through the air, a dizzying rhythm that pulls me into the throng of bodies swaying under the shimmering lights. Laughter fills the space, intermingling with the intoxicating scent of wine and spiced food, the atmosphere thick with a kind of reckless abandon that feels almost infectious.

Kallias, Keiran, and Rhodes have already lost themselves to the revelry, their laughter ringing out as they dance, arms flailing in wild, carefree movements. Kallias twirls, nearly knocking over a passing tray of drinks, while Keiran leans against a pillar, a smug grin on his face as he watches Rhodes attempt to impress a group of girls with a half-hearted, drunken jig.

I can’t help but smile, despite the heaviness in my chest. I should be enjoying this moment, joining them in their escape from reality. But as I sip my drink, I feel the weight of the conversation we had earlier lingering in the back of my mind, an unwelcome shadow.

Glancing around, I see the joy on their faces—a joy I desperately want to share. But a part of me still aches, still fears what’s to come. Raelisar is coming. I can’t shake that knowledge, even amid the laughter.

As the music swells, I catch a glimpse of Xaden standing apart from the chaos, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His expression is as stormy as the ocean in a tempest. I feel drawn to him, an inexplicable pull that tugs at my heart. I weave my way through the crowd, dodging bodies and laughter until I reach him.
“Xaden,” I call, raising my voice above the music.

He looks up, his dark eyes meeting mine, a flicker of surprise crossing his features. “What do you want, Remi?”

“Can we talk?” I gesture toward a quieter corner, and he pushes himself off the wall, following me without protest.

Once we’re away from the noise, I take a breath, the tension in my chest tightening. “What did you mean when you said that Raelisar murdered an entire Isle?”

Xaden's expression hardens, and for a moment, I think he won’t answer. But then he exhales slowly, as if weighing his words carefully. “It was our Isle. Our home.” He shakes his head, a bitter smile playing on his lips. “It was sick and twisted. We had a family, but we weren’t really a family. We were demons, bound by blood and darkness.”

My heart aches for him, for the pain etched in his features. “What do you mean?”

He steps closer, the shadows deepening around us. “We did terrible things to each other. Raelisar... he unleashed hell on our home, and we were powerless to stop it. Our family was fractured, torn apart by madness and ambition.”

A heavy silence stretches between us, and I feel the weight of his words settling on my shoulders. “I can’t imagine what that must have been like.”

“I don’t want you to imagine,” he replies, his voice low. “I want you to understand that what we had—what I had—is a nightmare. One I can’t escape.”

I search his eyes, trying to bridge the distance between us, the emotional chasm that seems insurmountable. “You’re not alone, Xaden. I know what it’s like to feel like you don’t belong. This place, this family... it’s different. It’s not like that for me.”

He watches me, an intensity in his gaze that makes my pulse quicken. “You’re lucky, Remi. You found your people. I’m still trapped.”

I reach out, placing a hand on his arm. “But you’re not alone now. We’re all here together, aren’t we?”

His expression softens for a fleeting moment, and I can see the walls he’s built around himself start to crack. “I guess so.”

“Then why do you hate me so much?” I blurt out, my voice almost a whisper, the question tumbling out before I can stop it.

He lets out a laugh, a low sound that reverberates in the silence between us. “I don’t hate you at all. I hate how you make me feel.”

“What do you mean?” My heart races, a mix of curiosity and anxiety flooding my veins.

“Out of control,” he admits, his eyes darkening. “Young, foolish, reckless, despite being thousands of years old.”

I furrow my brow, trying to understand. “Out of control?”

“Yes,” he says, stepping closer, the heat radiating off him palpable. “You make me feel things I don’t want to feel. Things I can’t afford to feel.”

“Like what?” I ask, the tension thickening between us.

And then, in an unexpected surge of courage, he leans in, capturing my lips with his. The kiss is electric, igniting something deep within me, a fire I didn’t know I was missing. I respond instinctively, melting against him, my fingers tangling in his hair as I lose myself in the moment.

But then, something shifts. I feel it in the way he stiffens, his body suddenly rigid against mine. His eyes flash red, a sudden blaze of hunger that sends a shiver down my spine.

“Xaden?” I breathe, pulling back slightly, my heart racing in a different way now. “What’s happening?”

He releases me, pushing me away with a force that leaves me breathless. “Go. Now.”

“Xaden, wait—”

“No!” he snaps, his fangs elongating, sharp and glistening in the dim light. “You need to leave. I can’t control it. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Panic rises in my chest, but there’s an undeniable thrill in his words. “You won’t bite me. I trust you,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel.

His expression softens for just a moment, a flicker of something—desire, longing—before it hardens again. “Trust doesn’t matter when instincts take over. Go, Remi. Please.”

I stare at him, searching for a crack in his resolve, a sign that he might relent. “I’m not going anywhere,” I say defiantly, stepping closer, testing the boundaries he’s set.
His eyes blaze again, the red swirling like a storm. “You have to—”

“Why?” I challenge, refusing to back down. “Because you’re scared? Because you don’t want to feel?”

“Because I’m in love with you!” he erupts, the admission bursting forth like a dam breaking. The vulnerability in his voice pulls me in, shattering the walls around my heart. "Because your blood is the only thing I crave, your heartbeat is the music I've been waiting to hear my enitre life, and I love you Remi. And I have always hurt what I have loved before."

Before I can process his words, he closes the distance again, capturing my lips once more, the kiss more desperate this time. I can feel his control slipping as he pulls me against him, our bodies molding together as if they were meant to fit.

But just as quickly, he pulls back again, his fangs glinting dangerously. “I can’t—”

“Xaden,” I whisper, my heart racing, “please.”

He shakes his head, his expression torn between desire and despair. “You don’t understand. I’m not safe. I can’t protect you from this.”

“Then let me choose.” I meet his gaze, determination swirling within me. “Let me be the one who decides what’s safe.”

For a moment, he looks as if he might relent, but the fire in his eyes flickers dangerously. “I can’t, Remi.”

“Why?” I plead, my voice softening. “Because you’re afraid? Or because you’re not ready to face what we are?”

He releases a pained sigh, his eyes closing for a moment, as if trying to shut out the world. “I’m scared of losing you. Of KILLING YOU!”

“Then don’t push me away,” I whisper, stepping closer, my heart aching for him. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

But the moment hangs heavy between us, the silence stretching out like a chasm. And just as I think he might give in, he snaps back, the fangs glimmering in the light.
“Leave,” he growls, his voice low and dangerous.

I take a step back, my heart pounding. “Xaden—”

“GO!”

The command echoes through the dim corridor, cutting through the warmth of the party and the thrill of the moment.

And just like that, the fragile connection we’d forged shatters into a million pieces.

I turn, my heart heavy with a mix of longing and confusion, stepping back into the chaos of the party, my mind spinning.

Xaden loves me.

Xaden. Loves. Me.

Behind me, Xaden growls, and another chilling realization settles in the pit of my stomach.

The Demon Slayer loves me.

And he is hunting me.