Claimed

by K. H. Kate

  "Can I help you?" I didn't care how rude I sounded to them. I was angry and hungry. Not a good combination for someone who just found out she wasn't even the right species as she was thinking for millennia.

  "Let us come in."

  I looked at the spiky-haired guy from earlier who was holding another person who looked sick in his hand. The moment I looked at the sick person, something in me wanted to rip that man in half. And the shock of it was what forced me to grit out. "I don't know what's happening to me but can you please just take him away?"

  All I could think about was this never happened before. I knew I could bring dead people to life but for me to be hungry of the almost dead man's soul? No, there was definitely something wrong. Perhaps that witch messed something up on my brain? Now, that was a more plausible reason.

  "Look, I know what's happening, Allegra warned me. I just came here to give you this person for a..." He stopped looking for the right words when a sigh left my mouth.

  "Fine! Can you both come in?" I couldn't stand for too long anyway.

  He nodded and quickly came into the room with the man in tow. "Have you stopped freaking out yet?"

  Before I could answer, he shook his head, "Never mind that. You must not tell anyone what I'm about to tell you after you had your fill. Especially don't tell Lex."

  Lex? He must be talking about Alexei...

  "Don't tell him what?"

  "I'm Zedkiel Lytton by the way. I'm sorry that I might've freaked you out." Freaked out would be far too good from what I was feeling. It's like I was going insane, like every pore of my body was hungry for something.

  "This is an offering for you. I know you crave souls. He's a human and he tried to expose the Coven to his species so-"

  "You want me to finish him." I connected the dots.

  "Yes, and it'll be good if you take him now before he dies cause if he did then he'll just come back."

  No way.

  "How did you know all of these?" He gave me a weak grin, which had his lip ring shine in the light.

  "I know a lot of things about you. We all do. We met before...you went to Hell."

  "What?" No, it couldn't be true, could it?

  "Did you think we just take people in without knowing anything about them? You are something to all of us." I didn't want to believe him. The witch told me the same thing but why couldn't I remember?

  "And your friend? Did he know me too? The man who saved me?"

  "Alexei?" Zedkiel tasked with another sigh. "He is a good man, Emeline. And, I know we don't always see eye to eye but I consider him my blood. He won't hurt...not you, never you. Please, take your compulsion back. He can't come into this room unless you want him to."

  Yeah, that was exactly why I did it.

  "Maybe I don't want him here." His hazel eyes didn't miss the hard tone in my voice.

  "We will let you go." I couldn't have heard him right as I looked at him shocked. A beginning of a smile was on his lips when he continued. "Just let him in. Your freedom exchange of letting Lex in this room and you will let him explain."

  He was giving me a choice.

  "OK." I shrugged. Ever since I took the medicine, it was messing with my head. It must be. Or why did I agree so easily? "Now I'm going to take my...fill."

  He chuckled at my words, giving me some privacy by going to the balcony. Only when he was gone that I looked at the half-dead human in front of me. I walked up to him, waiting for something to happen. And just as I thought that maybe I was mistaken, a violent jerk of my body had dark shadow like things coming out of it which warped him tightly, blocking his escape. A loud scream followed but I kept taking from him. When hands hold me back, I jumped.

  "Don't-"

  "Touch you. Yeah, I get it. I just held you back from messing your bedroom up. The dead body vanished." True to his words, ashes flew in the room freely and my nose scrunched by the scent.

  "Sorry, I lost control. I-I don't know what just happened." He nodded and a question lurked in my mind that was killing me if I didn't ask it.

  "Those witches...are they-"

  "They have been taken care of." He trailed off. "It's better if you don't involve yourself with that right now. It's Coven business."

  "You mean they have been shunned. Ok, ok. If I can't ask questions about my mistakes, then tell me this, why did I feel all your touches?" I could tell that the question caught him off guard. So I specified it. "I mean when I was in Hell, I used to feel nothing when someone touched me. But here...I feel it, it's so strange for me."

  "Cause you are not a demon made by the King?" He shrugged, tilting his head to look at me.

  "Then what am I?"

  He looked at the floor beneath him. With the sudden awkwardness, I couldn't wait for him to leave the room or answer me. He didn't. Instead, he stared at me warily. "I can't tell you that as it's not my place. But all I can tell is he will be back. I owe him big time."

  "Who will be back?"

  "Lex doesn't even know about this. The man told me I had to keep someone safe. He wouldn't tell me who. He just said to go to you, Emeline. He said you'd understand." Suddenly he stood up from the couch to make his way to the outside.

  "Wait! Who are you talking about!?"

  "Jonathan Vale Franklin."

  I couldn't believe it. That man was coming back. And sure enough, Demos would find out. That someone...

  I wasn't the only one who escaped that night.

  There was another one.

  The biggest mystery on earth.

  The Prophesy herself.

  CHAPTER TEN

  I leaned back against the leather couch cushions, my coat draped next to me and a glass of wine in my hands, looking relaxed for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime. If I wasn't sure that any more smugness would kick me out of the room, perhaps I'd even whistle.

  I was that happy.

  And the reason for that was the hellfire near me. Little soul.

  Thanks, devil, she took her compulsion off. I didn't know what made her finally do it after an entire week of suffering, but all in all, I was happy that she was letting me see her at least. And I had the full intent to take that as an advantage.

  "What are you looking at?" She snapped when she noticed that I was staring at her for longer than ten minutes. Well, she did make me wait for seven days. Ten minutes wasn't going to hurt her anymore less.

  I gave her a careless shrug in answer.

  "No seriously, what's your problem?" She stood up from the bed, only to stomp toward the balcony. I pulled a face as she dragged another chair along, the sound loud enough to feel like nails scraping across a chalkboard. "Now, tell me why on earth you are staring at me like that. Don't you have any shame?"

  "Sorry to be a disappointment but I have none. Not when it comes to you." My answer brought another wave of scowl to her face but I wasn't intimidated. I was just amused.

  "You are not who you say you are. Alexei." She suddenly said leaning back on the chair, her face taking on a thoughtful expression.

  “Lex.” I was quick to correct her. “You used to call me Lex.”

  "Fine, Lex. When we first met, you told me that you were a warlock but I'm starting to think that there's more to it. Either you are lying or I'm missing something."

  "Oh, look at you, little soul. Already excited to know more about me." I poured myself another glass of wine with a sarcastic smile.

  She watched me in silence for a few moments. "Curious, yes. Excited, of course not. Besides, that's not why I asked."

  I nodded in acknowledgment. "Then what made you curious about me?"

  "I would like to know why you wanted my soul."

  With a violent cough, the drink dribbled down my chin before I could stop myself. Shit. Whatever reaction she wanted from me, she might've got it exactly.

  "I knew somewhat what I saw was right." What the hell?

  "What are you talking about, Emie?" Outside I looked poised as I threw the question at her but ins
ide? Deep inside, I was cursing myself in every language I could ever remember learning.

  "I had nightmares. There you were asking for my soul. That's why I asked you. I thought I was going crazy but now I know it's true."

  Bloody hell. She was remembering our first meetings. Deciding it was best to just tell her the truth now rather than being accused of lying again, I took a deep breath before looking at her. "Look...things were different when we first met. I was not in a good place." Literally. "And you were just learning how to cope with the betrayal of your people. You remember them, yes?"

  A hasty nod was the only thing I got but that was better than nothing. "Good, good. So you know what happened that night, don't you?"

  "Partly, it all felt like a dream...a nightmare but I know what I saw-"

  Almost immediately someone screamed, cutting her off. She was the one who got up first, not missing the sound along with those screams. There was chanting coming from downstairs. We both looked at each other confused as to what was happening but I didn't have to wonder any longer as I felt another presence around us.

  "Son of a-" A voice rang out in the dark and I could hear someone coming closer. That someone flashed across the room before us and if I didn't focus much on the aura around the person, I wouldn't even realize that it was Zedkiel.

  His eyes were hard to read when he whispered. "There's a demon in the house...and he wants to see you."

  A demon. A fucking demon was all this about.

  After leaving a confused Emie on the balcony and walking through too many turns, I finally entered the healing room. Why the heck a demon chose a healing room to wait was beyond my imagination. But if it was there, then it must be something of importance. At first in the darkroom, I didn't notice the state of the demon. But once it started coming toward me and the light hit from the window, I had to hold back a snicker.

  If that Demos thought that he could send a lower ranked demon to kill me, he had another thing coming. I prepared myself for a battle but to my surprise, the demon kneeled on the ground before I told it to rise.

  At least it had manners.

  "My lord, I'm sent here by my master Jonathan Vale Franklinnnn. I'm afraid he's worried about his daughters' safety so he told me to accompany you, in all demons' matter in the futureee." The demon spoke in a raspy voice.

  Jonathan? The last I saw him was the day I lost Emie but after that, I had no interest to see the old King of Shadows ever again. Despite that, I couldn't imagine why Emie’s father would bestow a demon at my service instead of sending it to one of his daughters.

  "What is the name of your Keeper, demon? Tell me again."

  It didn't even flinch under my hard gaze. "It was Jonathannn, but now I'm bound to Darkness, the King of shadowsss."

  "But you're a demon yourself. Why would you betray your own kind?" I asked, all the while twirling my shadows with my fingers. If the demon even sounded like a traitor, it was its death wish.

  "I'm loyal to my masterrr. If it's my master's wish, then I can kill myselffff." It said again with that raspy voice.

  My lips formed a smirk in a second. "Fine. But how do I know that you won't betray...me?"

  The demon showed its hands, revealing a small knife. "I'm doing a blood oath for my new masterrrr. It'll bind us by trust and loyaltyyyy." It made a cut in it's wrist, letting the drops fall in the pentagram.

  Mimicking his actions, I gripped the knife's edge until my blood mixed with the demon's. As soon as the blood touched, it turned into a bluish hue before I could feel the wound heal itself. Now if the demon betrayed me, it would die with me.

  "My name's Cone, masterrr." The demon showed it's neck in submission.

  "Cone. Well then. Now you can go to Hell and tell your fellow King that I won't ever give up on Emeline Deshayes. Even if it means war." I ordered Cone and with a bow, he vanished.

  Zed walked inside frantically almost immediately looking for the demon. "What the heck just happened?"

  I sighed, staring at where the demon was just standing. "What do I know? I just found myself a pet demon."

  "What!?"

  "We made a deal. It's helping me destroy that demon Almighty's ass." Zed shook his head, the worry too clear in his gaze.

  "What if it betrays us?"

  "Well...then it's dear Jonathan's problem. Emie's father bound it to me." He couldn't have looked any more shocked than that. Something told me that the name Jonathan only riled another name we both had no intention of ever remembering.

  That deranged Keisha.

  Zed crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you know what you've gotten yourself into?"

  The disappointment came first before a shudder went through me. What the heck was I getting myself into? I knew I could withstand a demon like Cone any day but Demos? That guy had many advantages over me, he was millennia's older than me for devil's sake.

  "There's still time to change your mind." Zed offered as if he could read off the emotions on my face easily. That's what made me shut off any emotions I was showing earlier only to bring out my Darkness side.

  "I know what I'm doing, Zedkiel."

  Of course, I had first thought to refuse by telling Cone that Jonathan could stick his offer up his ass if it meant that I would be away from trouble. But her safety was the only reason that I agreed to blindly follow someone I had no plan to see.

  And it was good to know I had an inner loyal pet in Hell anyway.

  But now wasn't the time for an argument. So I flipped him off instead, walking fast enough to reach her room. I had to assure her that everything's alright. She was too curious for her own good so who to say what kind of trouble she already brought in when we were gone? The thought alone made me run until I was standing in front of her door. Taking a deep breath, I noticed the door was ajar.

  "Hey." I whispered not knowing what to say. Damn it, I was right. The room looked like someone fought a battle here. She was in a half trance and when she looked at me, it was full of fear. In a second, I stepped back when I also noticed that her eyes were pitch black, just like mine.

  "Little soul-you..." Before I could finish the sentence or give out any warning, she thrust her hand shoving me off my balance. Whoa...How could she have that much energy?

  "You won't take a step toward me, you monster!" She screamed, grabbing my neck with a smile. I didn't think just how dangerous she had become in these last four years and I didn't want to wonder that now.

  With difficulty, I got my hands free and shoved her. It was not a hard shove that could hurt her but it'd be slowing her down. Then just as it started, it was finished with her eyes turning to her natural color. I inhaled the fresh air, quickly thanking Heaven and Hell for it to end.

  "Are you okay?" She asked, coming to my side.

  The words that came out were harsh. "Do I look fine!?"

  She cringed at my tone, going as far as to keep a safe distance. "Sorry. No one was telling me what was happening so I was trying to dematerialize but I think I accidentally opened another dimension. I don't remember what happened after."

  Dematerialize. Not a teleporting spell or something else. She could dematerialize on her own account. I didn't know if I should be proud of her or start to be wary of just how far her powers had reached.

  Instead of showing worry on my face, I decided to joke around. "Why did you want to teleport again? Aren't we taking good care of you?"

  "I told you. No one tells me anything. When I have questions they just say that I'm the one who has to figure it out." She let out a sigh. "Why does it always have to me? For once, why won't anyone just give me a straight answer?"

  "Look, Emie-" I reached out to hold her hands and she breathed out slowly. That's good. She was not throwing me out of the window yet. "If you have any questions, I'll always tell you the truth. You can count me on that."

  Something flashed over her face, too fast for me to catch as she gritted out. "How did I die? And why Hell? Why did I end up there?"

  For all
my bravery, I froze right there as she asked the most important question of my life. Why did I do it? Why did I believe in the prophecy so much that I led her to it willingly? I was her downfall, I knew it. So why couldn't I just stay away?

  "Alexei?"

  The name did something to me. Like stupid enough to tell that truth.

  "Me. I was the reason you went to Hell."

  "What?" Her tone made me believe that she was denying it to this point. She knew it too, just so little memory she had that I was always bad for her but she didn't just want to believe. But now? Now the hatred in her eyes almost made me take my words back but I couldn't. Not anymore.

  "I fulfilled the prophecy around you. I killed you. But goddammit, little soul! If that didn't hurt any less for me-"

  "Stop it!" She shouted on the top of her lungs, that fear-filled eyes mirroring my own. "I don't want to hear anymore, you bastard..."

  But I couldn't stop, I didn't want to. Let her hate me, something in me taunted. I deserve it, DESERVE it. "And you know the best part? We were supposed to be soul mates. Fuck it, you are my beloved."

  "No, no, you are lying." Her eyes widened to a degree that I was afraid of her health. "That can't be true. That's...you are lying."

  "You wanted to know who you are, didn't you? I am telling you who you are."

  "And who am I?" She breathed out.

  By the time I answered, I was running out of her room. "Someone I already lost."

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  "I told you to leave her alone!" Someone spat out, the threat in his voice unmistakable. It was a voice I didn't hear before. Which meant there was someone new in the manor and they were arguing about something.

  Should I go out and see?

  With a throbbing pain, I wobbled from the bed. I knew that it was only time before I would be remembering some things from my previous life or the life I had forgotten about. Allegra's potions were helping me to clear my mind but to actually hear it from someone else's mouth...

  Fuck it, you are my beloved.