"I tasted death, master." Dougmous couldn't help but profess over and over again.

Elias couldn't help but feel the same way for he could have lost Dougmous forever behind that door.

In the house of tricketer, nothing could be simple enough ; everything was there for a reason. With absolute pride , Trickery had told them the room was his favorite place for driving priosners to insanity. The silence so loud , one couldn't help but lose himself.

Dougmous had visibly paled and gulped.

"Dijins played with your delicate heart. Only a vampire can be so full of himself to expect Hades attending to his call." He mused darkly. " He has a Contract with the wretched creatures. They are bound by it." Tricketers traced his wispy beard , his eyes staring far away.

"And what did he offer in return?" Elias asked.

Trickster smiled , a vicious one at that ," You don't want to know , vampire."

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The owl hooted as if signaling it's partner of an incoming danger. It's big eyes awakening with a knowing look for it knew the odd pair had an aura around them ; danger and allure.

The pair was walking down a barely lit street , the fog had enveloped most of the vision , homeless humans were lying around in a fetal position , snoring.

Sleeping soundly while the cold settled around , cutting at their skin , turning them blue.

"Poor lads." Dougmous couldn't help but pity them.

"Seeing this , one can't help but feel humble. It's a humbling experience , Dougmous. All my worry seems like a speck of dust infornt of them. But then again. .every person has their own definition of worry." Elias smirked.

"I know what you worry." Dougmous whispered softly , walking side by side with his master.

Elias glanced at him.

"You think you do but you don't." Elias said in a kind manner making the bug man frown.

"You want to touch the woman you love." Dougmous insisted , trying to prove he knew his master inside out.

"Yes , I do. I want to touch her and feel her reality. But what worries me the most is her heart , she has a pure heart with no stain on it. I worry for her heart. It's delicate . .fargile. . and she asked me not to break it. Ever. Now how do you guarteee that?" Elias asked , to Dougmous it seemed like he was asking himself.

And once the ball went rolling. .

"Breaking a heart is easy. Keeping it is difficult."

×××××××××

To any naked eyes , the alley seemed innocent, barely lit up. The on and off growling of stray cats was the only noise slicing the still air.

Fog was slowly and steadily descending down but two men didn't care much about their surrounding. Their sharp eyes were on the door that was getting near with each step they took. Elias could feel the hum of magic , the pressure on his heart , the power the door seemed to emanate.

Dougmous scoffed. "Why in the bloody hell would the king of underworld live behind that rotten door?"

"I know why. He needs to conceal what he is and what better place than an abandoned place in the middle of humans." Elias mused darkly.

They had reached the door , it was taller than them , the wood ancient and worn out , it looked like a door to a humble abode but Elias knew he would be a fool if he believed what his eyes saw.

Their were things out there that hid under the cloak of darkness , magic.

"The size of this house . .," Dougmous trailed off in a condescending manner.

Elias raised his hand and placed it on the rough surface of the door—

"Master! You mustn't!" Dougmous said in alaram , wanting nothing but yo snatch back his hand.

"It's alright. It won't allow us in until we prove ourselves."

Dougmous frowned.

"Prove ourselves?"

Elias glanced at his big companion. "It wants to know if we are magical creatures or not."

Dougmous still didn't get it.

Elias sighed softly and then pulled his hand back , Dougmous silently watched him slipping his thumb in his mouth , letting his canines proturede and snip at his thumb.

Droplets of blood begin to color his shirt and quickly , he stamped the injured skin against the door. To Dougmous surprise , the door groaned in response and he jumped when he heard the unlatching of the door.

Elias stepped back as the door swiped open to a dark abys. The darkness so overwhelming that Dougmous shifted around , uncomfortable.

He was expecting monsters but definitely not this.

"We can still go back ." Dougmous offered.

Elias chuckled. "Don't be afraid of the dark. Aren't we bred from it? It's our friend. Let's greet it."

Dougmous was still reeling from the tricketers episode , the harrowing room he had been held into was still fresh in his head , he wasn't afraid of what was Infront , he was afraid of what lay ahead of it.

Elias had slipped in and he had no other rchoice but to follow him.

As they entered , the door snapped shut , the sound of the latch going up ringing in the darkness.

Elias couldn't separate two from two , the darkness was such , he could hear Dougmous shuffling and praying under his breath.

"This isn't a park , you know."

A sarcastic voice floated around and , Elias knew whomever she was , she was very near . . merely few feet away from him.

"And it is who?" Elias said in a clear voice.

A female laugh cackled.

"The intruder is asking me question. How interesting." She mocked.

"We are here for Hades , lady." Dougmous said the word like an afterthought.

"Don't all are?" She fired back in a sickingpy sweet voice.

Elias swallowed , his ears straining to hear her footsteps bit he couldn't hear them. Was she walking on air?

"I'm Elias jj and this is Dougmous , my friend—,"

He held his breath when he felt a presence behind him , the soft rustle of silk and throaty breaths against the nape of his back. Elias stilled.

"You smell of truth , vampire. Not many can stand up against Octavia with truth." Her voice dipped down seductively.

Elias felt her hand on his shoulder , he could feel her nails gliding down in a slow purposefully . "I think I'll have fun with you."

"I'm here for Hades." Elias repeated Dougmos's words , to bring some sense back , her touch left a vile , dark feeling he couldn't understand.

She snapped her fingers and the light flooded their eyes , if they were humans , it might have stinged .

Elias didn't need to look around , she was standing right in front of them.

Dougmous took a sharp intake of breath.

The woman was made of pure sin. The brown hair curled down to her wiats , the hourglass figure prominent under the silk dress that had a thigh high slit , she had popped her hip out , letting her legs on full display for the men to feast their eyes on but . .

Octavia bit her lower lip , her big blue eyes not liking their response .

Stone cold.

Specifically , the gorgeous vampire didn't look like he saw the woman of his dreams? She couldn't detect any desire in them , the first for her. Had she lost her touch or what?

Maybe her cleavage wasn't deep enough.

"Why do you want to meet him?" She couldn't help but ask , again. .a first for her.

She was never interested in their intentions , she always wanted to eat them.

Bit this one. . .

He was peculiar in an alluring way , Octavia hadn't met such . . strangeness.

"I'll not divulge further into details untill I meet him." Elias said in a steely voice.

"Fair enough." Octavia smiled , not liking to be kept in dark.

"Follow me , handsome."

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