The Devotion of The Sun

Chapter Seventeen

A/N: I tried to draw Lenore, it doesn't let me post more than one photo up top so I'll post the brighter version in the next chapter.

:!:Recap:!:

He watches as her veins lighten ever so slightly. Rather than inky black, they now look grayish. "... your mine... and I'm yours," he leans in, pressing a kiss against her lips, she tangles her fingers in his hair.

✩.･*:｡>──── ⋆☀︎⋆ ────<.•*:｡✩

She slowly parts the kiss, "Milo, can we..." she whispers, he immediately understands what she's asking for. He nods, her eyes light up with excitement as he pushes her down on the bed, making her lay comfortably.

"Words can't express how much I want you Lenore," he slowly places a hand on her hip before dragging it up to her waist. She shivers slightly due to his warmth on her icey skin.

Meanwhile, in town a certain brown eyed human reads through an ancient book that she can barely understand within the temple library.

'Anna is dead, that forest spirit... Lenore, he said her name was... she looked scary... dangerous...' her finger tips tremble as she turns the page of the book. 'She was covered in so much blood... red human blood...'

'Damien, he's with that... demon.' She reaches the end of the book, her frustration only rising as she puts on top of the pile of books she's read through already. She grabs another, opens it, and begins reading through.

"Bella," she hears someone's voice. She looks up from the book she's reading. "I know you went into the forest," she flinches slightly. It's Lucas. "Did you find him..." he has a stoic expression.

"I..." she glances around to ensure that there's no listening ears nearby. She nods confirming his suspicion. "He's different then before though," she whispers, "he's grown wings, large white wings, and a pair of black horns on his head, and his eyes... they look haunting... but... it's still him, it's still Damien,"

"And... you're sure he was Damien," his eyes are alight with hope.

"He was, he's still the same personality wise, but... there's a spirit that lingers around him... he calls her Lenore..." he sits across from her at the library table, listening closely. "I think... it's possible that he was brainwashed somehow... the forest spirit, she was drenched in bright red blood, and considering that... Anna never came back..."

"Wait, you and Anna went in together? What happened?" his brows furrow.

"We got separated, I don't know, I just... there were wolves, she told me to run and I ran, half of the pack followed me and half followed her I think..." she looks away avoiding his eyes. "When I was running, I found a cottage, the wolves didn't mess with that place... then I found him,"

"He asked about you and Alice, but he refused to reenter the town, he confirmed that it was your parents that left him in the forest to die," she says, his eye contact making her uncomfortable. "He said he's a... solar spirit... and he calls himself Milo now for whatever reason,"

"Thanks for the information," he smiles, a new plan in mind. 'We'll need to wait for an opening to sneak into the forest to find him,' he gets up slowly. "Oh... and don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your adventure,"

Her shoulders ease slightly. 'Anna's death would be seen as the result of my irresponsibility, I'm sure I'd be locked up if they ever found out,' her fingertips shake as she turns the page of the book she has in her hand.

He turns away from her as he walks outside, 'I will find him, I have to, after all he just might be our only hope for a life that doesn't involve abuse,' he happily walks down the street, heading home to tell Alice the great news.

"Have you seen my sister?" He walks past a man, William, who is busy questioning people. "She's this tall, she has brown hair, brown eyes, an angry face, have you seen her?"

"No, I haven't," the old lady responds. "When did she go missing?"

"Yesterday, she didn't come home, it's not like her to do this kind of thing," William says in a panicked tone. Lucas doesn't stop walking.

He sends him a small mocking glare. Once he returns home, he waits at the door for a second. He inhales deeply before hesitantly grabbing the door handle. He walks inside.

To his relief, his father lays unconscious in his chair in the living room. He walks to his and Alice's room, "Alice," he whispers he walks inside, Alice is sitting on the corner of her bed, tear filled eyes, her tiny body trembling with each breath.

"What's wrong?" he asks as he sits down next to her. She shakes her head again and again. "Hey, talk to me, what happened?" she doesn't say a word.

Her mothers voice rings through her mind vividly, the words 'now that Damien isn't alive to protect you, I can do what I like, I could even sell you to some baron to be his pet dog,' 'I am dead,'

"Listen," he sighs. "I have something important to tell you, Bella went into the forest," her eyes gaze up at him. "She found him," she stares for a moment, processing the information. "Damiens alive,"

"Damiens... he's really..." her eyes tear up, a glimmer of hope shows.

"We're going tomorrow night, it might be difficult since Anna went... well... missing, but I'm sure we can do it," he smiles. "Bella said that he has changed, physically from what it sounded. She said he's turned into a 'solar spirit' or something,"

"Really?" her voice is quiet.

He nods, "she said he has wings, strange eyes, and horns too," he says. "She said that he calls himself 'Milo' now, and that there's a forest spirit that sticks around him," he grabs the satchel from under her bed. "We'll go tomorrow, while everyone's busy at the temple,"

Back in the forest, Milo gently brushes through Lenore's extremely messy hair. "How do you feel?" his eyes gaze at the bites and bruises he left all over her body, unaware that there's twice as many on his.

"Happy and warm," she says with a warm smile. He smiles softly.