Caliban, Prince of Hell

Capítulo 43

SONG FOR THIS CHAPTER: KINGDOM FALL - CLAIRE WYNDHAM 

The next morning, when I came back to the palace, everyone was in a rush, but they stopped when they saw me.

"Where were you?!" Lilith appeared from the stairs, almost yelling at me. "Everyone was looking for you!"

"I went to a walk." I simply answer.

"Well, your majesty, next time say something to someone, anyone really, so your king and court don't think you were kidnapped!" She shouts, eyes deadly serious to me.

"I needed to be alone." I answer.

"Serena." She mumbles, now closer to me. "The court can't think that is something wrong, they can smell blood in the water for miles, and they will come after you." She warns me.

"Let them. Maybe they need to be remembered who is in charge in here and what happens to traitors." I say, a little bit louder so the servants next to me could hear and gossip about this all they want, luckily it would reach the court and they would know their place. I was so sick of being a puppet. "Now I need to take a shower, unless you want to tell me something else."

"No, you can go."

"Careful Lilith, your motherly side is showing." I tease her and she rolls her eyes at me.

When I go to my room, I see Caliban sitting on my vanity chair, turning the chair around so he can face the door. I almost jumped at his sight. I wasn't expecting him. I keep walking to the bathroom and none of us say a word. I filled the tub with hot water and let me sink for what seemed hours, when I came back to my room, Caliban wasn't there anymore.

My nights have been full of terrors since I touched the book, I wake up at least three times at night in panic and tears. The next mornings I was full of dark circles underneath my eyes and I was exhausted, I looked like a zombie. Then, one night, I finally could sleep without terrors, it was like my mind just had given up about dreaming and went straight to full on sleep. It was the first night that I didn't wake up in tears. Then the next night was like the previous one: no nightmares, and the next one, and the next one. I couldn't wrap my finger around it, so I asked Michael if he knew something about it and he looked surprised with my question. Clearly he had nothing to do with it. Maybe my brain just gave up on dreaming.

The next weeks were all the same: I got up, I sit on the throne and fix issues, I walk around the beaches near the castle, I spent time with Michael, usually he would paint and I would read a book near him, and then I went to bed. Time in Hell was different that time on earth, it was much faster.

On one of those days I decided to go back to Earth and meet the gang. When I saw them I couldn't contain my tears.

"Serena!" My sister screams of joy for seeing me.

"Brina." My smile opens bright and I hug her.

"Long time no see." Roz says and I hug her next, and then Harvey and Theo.

"How long was it this time? Three weeks?" Harvey asks, referring to the time difference.

"Two months." I say and I smile.

"Damn. You will grow old very quickly." He says and Roz hits him on the arm, making me laugh.

"Doesn't work like that for me. Half celestial, remember?"

"Shoot, I totally forgot." He jokes and I hit him.

"So, let's go to Dr. Cerberus for old time sake?"

"Yes!" Theo shoots and I laugh, hugging him.

I spent the night at Sabrina's house, we had a pyjamas party with Roz and Theo. We watch old movies, ate popcorn with candy, danced like crazy, played board games, talked for hours and finally fall asleep. That night I wake up in tears once again, scaring my friends. I guess my brain wasn't over with torturing me.

...

"Is Sabrina still loving the mortal life?" Lilith asks as soon as I enter the palace. It was impossible for her not knowing what I was up to.

"Yup." I say.

"What a waste." She says.

"I miss her too, Lilith." I say and she rolls her eyes, smiling at the end, but trying to contain it.

"I need your help. I can't sleep."

"Why? I thought your demon prince had fixed that."

"What?"

"Caliban. He came to me a few weeks ago asking for a spell to help you sleep."

"He did?"

"Yes. I told him that the only way to prevent the nightmares to catch you was if he catches them first. I thought you knew, since he spent every night, awake, watching you sleep, making sure you were safe by protecting you from them." She says, with no emotion on her voice.

"I had no idea." I admit it.

"I can see that." She says.

"That's why I had nightmares last night for the first time in weeks." I say, almost to myself.

"Hun?" She asks, confused.

"Nothing. Thank you, Lilith." I say and grab the end of my dress and leave the throne room.

I went straight to Caliban's chambers, where I found him laying on the bed, but as soon as I enter the room he got up.

"Are you okay? Is everything okay?" He asks, concerned.

"Yeah, I-" I started to say but then I just stop, I didn't know what to say.

"Serena, are your hurt?" He asks, confused this time.

And just like that I felt everything again, and I couldn't stop me from kissing him. I joined my lips to his and it only took seconds for him to kiss me back and having me in his arms. It was like nothing had change, the same warm, the same lust, the same love. When I part our lips, Caliban was looking at me, with some confusion on his eyes, but mostly happiness.

"I-" I try to speak but I couldn't. I run out of his room as fast as I can, until I was out of the palace and the cold air entered my lungs.

I was over my head.