Deal with the Devil - Fear the devils series book 1

Chapter 52 🍋

"Come with me," Blade's voice was subtle, laced with an uncharacteristic hint of pleading.

Celine hesitated, her gaze meeting his. "Where will you take me?" she asked, needing to know.

"Where you belong," he stated. "And were would that be?" she asked him. "With me." his tone possessive, as if the very idea of her being anywhere else was unthinkable.

She took a step back, her resolve wavering. "Blade... I can't do this anymore. I don't belong to you, just as you don't belong to me." she whispered, as if it wasn't the truth; the whole truth.

His hand, which had been reaching out for her, slowly dropped to his side. "What do you mean by that?" His words were steady, but there was an edge to them, a desperation he couldn't quite hide. "You always have belonged to me. From the day you sold your soul to me and beyond that."

Celine inhaled deeply, steeling herself. "Each time I follow you back to Hell, everything seems fine... until it doesn't. Then I'm back on Earth, wondering why I keep doing this to myself."

"Celine, listen," he said, his voice firm but tinged with frustration. "Each time you left, it was because you couldn't let go of the idea that I was the monster who killed your late husband and daughter." His composure faltered, his control slipping for just a moment.

He caught himself, his expression hardening, slightly changing to something vicious. "I am a monster, Celine. I won't ever change. I'm the Devil himself, the antithesis of everything you once believed in." His hand found her cheek, and despite his words, his touch was tender, almost reverent, as if she were something fragile.

"All my existence, I've never understood love or admiration. Those concepts were foreign to me, meaningless. Not even my... parents ever stirred such feelings in me. When I killed them, I felt nothing but satisfaction, especially since they tried to kill me first."

He paused, searching her eyes for any sign of understanding. "Even when I met you, I felt nothing. You intrigued me, yes, but you were never someone I cared for." His thumb brushed her cheek, his gaze softening. "But something changed. Now, when someone hurts you, I feel a rage I can't control, a need to kill. When I hold you, there's warmth. But when you're gone... I'm cold, desperate for yet another one of your touches."

Blade stepped back, distancing himself physically as if to give her space to process his words. "For years, I tried to be with other women, but I couldn't. You're imprinted on me, Celine. I hunger for you as demons hunger for souls."

Celine's breath caught in her throat. She had suspected his feelings for a while, but hearing him say it so plainly left her reeling. "I know I haven't given you any reason to trust me after everything I've put you through," Blade continued, his voice softer now, almost vulnerable. "But I'm asking for one last chance."

Her mind raced, a whirlwind of emotions overwhelming her. Anger, sorrow, confusion, and something else she wasn't ready to name. Yet, in the midst of it all, she found herself saying, "Okay." The word slipped out, and suddenly, she was the one reaching for his hand. He took it, relief washing over his features.

In the blink of an eye, they were back in Hell, standing in the opulent throne room. Blade's throne loomed behind him, a reminder of the power he held, but his focus was solely on her.

"I had a dress prepared for you," he said, gesturing towards a side room. "Would you mind changing and returning to me?"

"Sure," Celine replied, her voice still distant, her mind struggling to catch up with the whirlwind of events. How had this night turned from a desperate escape from vampires to a demon king confessing his desperation. Was this some king of trick again?