Inside Umbra's Ruins ✓ [Umbra's Fate #2]

ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ: ᴀɢᴀᴛʜᴀ

"Let's see if my doll is a good girl."

Agatha's body shivered when she heard the voice that haunted her in her nightmares. The deep sound she used to crave turned into torture in a matter of months.

She had to move out of bed, Zagar hated it when she didn't meet him at the door with impeccable attire and a fake smile on his face. She had to play the role he had given her, only by pretending to enjoy her jail she was able to avoid the demon's wrath.

But Agatha didn't have the energy to pretend, she didn't even have the strength to get out of bed. If he had arrived a little later, if he had given her a chance to spend a couple of hours in the dark and in silence, perhaps she would have been ready to receive him.

The creak of the door went straight into Agatha's ears, causing her to shake her head and put her hands over her ears. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop the spread of the headache that delivered its final blow when the demon turned on the light.

"I see you haven't learned any manners yet." Zagar crossed the room, taking in all the out-of-place objects. "You've been forgetting your duties lately, maybe I should teach you once again. It's a shame I don't have time today."

Agatha pushed her torso with her arms, trying to get up, she managed to lean over a bit before the tremor in her arms made her fall back to her starting position. She couldn't quite comprehend Zagar's words, they all became blurry inside her mind and some of the meanings escaped her. Still, she nodded slowly so he wouldn't be offended.

"It seems you also forgot how to talk." The demon stood by the bed. He took a lock of Agatha's hair in his hand and yanked it away from her face. "At least listen to what I have to say. I have to go away for two days, Borbala insists that someone competent has to take care of the matter. It's the first time we'll be apart for so long and I hope that when I return you have fixed your bad attitude. I don't trust the other demons so I had to order them that no one enters the room and that you can't leave. I'm afraid that includes no food, but maybe we can take it as a small punishment for your disobedience."

Zagar took the girl's arm and pulled her into a sitting position. A wicked smile appeared on his face as he leaned over Agatha. He looked her straight in the eye as if he was searching for something.

"I don't like it," he said. "There is no adoration or fear, your eyes are dull when empty. What can I do to wake them up? Should I visit your family while I'm in the village? Or rather your friends?"

Agatha's eyes widened.

"Now you understand." Zagar caressed her cheek. "See you again in two days, don't miss me too much."

The demon left the room, however, its presence remained through its words that continued to repeat themselves in Agatha's mind.

Wasn't that what she wanted, to push Zagar towards his friends? At the time she suggested her idea to Lorcan, she hadn't considered the dangers it entailed for others. Her weakness prompted her to ignore all the details beyond her possible release and ended up sending her loved ones to a more than dangerous battle.

After a few hours, the lethargy that kept her glued to her bed began to fade. Her body regained its ability to react. Her mind, on the contrary, remained imprisoned between her fears.

What had she done? She sent a monster to hunt down the people she loved the most. Certainly, they had training and were stronger than her, but Zagar's name was enough to send the other demons into panic.

Agatha had overheard them as they shared the table, she heard them whispering about the atrocities Zagar had committed. None of them dared even look at her, not because they feared a human's reaction, but because neither wanted to suffer for the rest of eternity as punishment for defying one of their leaders.