The Scent of Your Blood

Chapter 67

Hongjoong jolted awake and frantically looked around with wide eyes, his heart rate beating rapidly while his breathing was shaky.

"Hello!?" He called out and moved towards the door. He noticed his wrists were shackled and he began panicking more. "Seonghwa!? Help!" He started to tear up.

"The Prince won't be helping you, mortal," a voice said from the darkness and Hongjoong looked over to see a demon leaning against the brick walls, his eyes glowing slightly. He stood up and gripped the bars.

"Please, Seungcheol, take me back," he almost whispered and the demon glared.

"Too late. The King already knows about you and Seonghwa will be punished for having a mortal as a partner," he moved to stand in front of Hongjoong and reached one hand out to grip onto the bars above the human's hands.

"Please, don't let his father hurt him, please," he sniffled.

The stern look on Seungcheol's face relaxed and he lifted his other hand to grab a bar. "Why do you care for him?"

"I love him. We're soulmates."

The demon's eyes widened, shock evident on his face. "You-you're soulmates?" He whispered and leaned closer. Hongjoong nodded.

"Seonghwa will come for me and I don't want his father hurting him because of me," a tear rolled down his cheek and he looked down at his shoes, resting his head against the cold bars. He frowned and closed his eyes.

"I have a soulmate who is a demon. His name is Jeonghan," Seungcheol smiled and wrapped his warm hand around Hongjoong's cold one to try to give him some comfort. The human opened his eyes and looked up into the demon's red ones. "I don't like going against the King's orders, but, I will try to get you and Seonghwa out of here safely, even if that means I will be severely punished for it," he nodded in determination and Hongjoong frowned. "But I don't know if things will end well."

"Thank you, Seungcheol, but there has to be another way so you aren't punished for helping."

"I'll be okay, Hongjoong, don't worry," he patted him on the head. "You're a very kind person. One of the nicest I've met," Seungcheol said with a small smile and moved away. Hongjoong shivered at the loss of warmth. The dungeon was cold. "I'll do what I can," the demon left and a door closed, the sound echoing around the basement.

———

"WHERE IS HE?!" Seonghwa shouted when the doors to the throne room were opened, his eyes were fully black. Two guards stopped him with their spears but the demon sliced one across the stomach, their guts spilling out onto the floor and the other was stabbed in the throat, almost decapitated. He stepped over the bodies and moved closer. Satan grinned and chuckled.

"I have no idea—"

"Don't play bullshit with me, asshole! You have what belongs to me! My soulmate!"

The King's smile dropped and he stood up. "Soulmate!?" He barked out a laugh, it echoing around the room.

"There is no such thing as demons having mortals as soulmates. It's—"

"Mother had a human soulmate who you killed out of jealousy because you loved her and you wanted her all to yourself," he walked closer and his father glared. "You also killed her best friend's soulmate who was also mortal!"

"Who told you that? Was it your mother?!"

"Someone told me but it wasn't my dear mother." He lied to protect his mother. He stopped at the first step.

"You'll be punished for having a human as a soulmate."

"You can't choose your soulmate!" Seonghwa shouted.