Heyyyy!!! I'm back lol..

I was busy moving out... so yeah... I couldnt update

Anyway welcome back yall.

Happy reading!!

_______________

_______________

I washed my face and stared into my reflection.

I wasn't thinking of anything in particular, but my mind just revolved around the thought of Esther.

I didn't get to talk much last night, as I was physically and mentally exhausted, to which Esther ushered me to take rest as he left soon after.

For a thousand reasons... or maybe just a single reason, of Esther being a supernatural being should have actually scared me... but it was quite the opposite. I'm not going to lie, but I had always thought about the possibilities of encountering with a Devil or anything unholy, to end up spending rest of my life in church or praying or simply moving to the Vatican to get rid of the entity.

But yet again, here I was... calm as ever as if nothing had passed by the previous night.

I was scared, yes.... but I wasnt afraid. I was scared for my life, of the possibilities of hundreds of dangers walking into my life again... but I wasnt afraid. My heart beated softly, assuring me that the man would protect me. It wasnt much of assurance, but Esther's soft features as he revealed painfully made me want to believe him. And I did.

There wasn't a reason not to.

I remembered the single wing that adorned his shoulder. It was purely beautiful and simply aesthetically pleasing to see. I could remember the rough yet smooth bronze colored texture of its surface running under my fingers.

My mind drifted back to the other missing wing, which was replaced by a scar. Almost, looking like an infected wound in horror movies. The scar was simple, yet so much complicated and detailed if looked closely enough. I had this urge to run my finger on his back and count every little stream of scar that adorned his skin, but I dismissed that inappropriate idea as soon as it hit my mind, almost immediately.

I lifted my shirt holding the hem to catch my own little dark secret staring back at me. It was more like a habit as I grew up.. never being able to embrace the trademark of my childhood on my own body.

It was painful to stare at the scar, to be reminded of the pain and the miserable times. I wondered if Esther had gone through something similar... or God forbid something worse.

I sighed, shaking my head and walked out of the bathroom.

I put up my hair into a pony and settled to walk out of my room, with my phone.

There was a text from Ellie and another girl from my uni.

I opened Ellie's and elaked mindlessly into the living room.

"Hi"

"Arfghh" I yelled, startled and stared wide eyed at the owner standing in the middle of my living room.

Esther grinned cheekily "sorry, did I startle you?"

"Huh." I mumbled, looking at him. He was wearing a grey hoodie again and black joggers.  His dark oak brown lush hair was a little tamed today and he looked slightly happy... or I was just making that up in my head.

"Hi?" I replied looking at his face.

"Uh.. I didn't mean to you know... like barge in... I did out of habit... I'll wait out next time" he smiled sheepishly.

"Uh.. uh.. I think it's fine.... but give me a headsup if you're coming by next time.."

"Oh.. I don't know how to do that... I just teleport.." he mumbled to himself but it was quite audible.

"Well.. you can give a call" I laughed explaining.

"Right. I dont have a phone. Never needed one." He shrugged.

I looked at him surprised, but it made sense. I laughed then shuffled past him. "Breakfast?"

"Um.. sure?"

I entered the kitchen, which wasnt that grand or anything. It was simple.. average but convenient.

"Is toast and eggs okay?" I asked finding a pan.

"Yeah..." I heard him from the living room.

I heard his footsteps approaching.

"Is there something I should do?" He asked leaning on the doorframe.

"Oh? Uh... well you can help yourself with the toaster. Wait. Do you know how to use a toaster?"

He deadpanned "I've lived long enough to know how to use a toaster"

"You still don't have a phone though" I mumbled under my breath, stifling my laugh.

Esther turned around and looked at me with his lips pursed. "Okay you're making me lose hope."

I laughed hearing him and went onwards to fry the eggs and show Esther how the toaster worked.

We proceeded to eat our breakfasts in a calm silence. Washing the dishes, while Esther helped by drying them.

I decided to take a leave for the day, since my soul was eating me to know more about the sea-green eyed man.

Taking a short walk to the park we both settled on the usual bench. It was fairly sunny and cheerful today. The atmosphere calmed my soul and I felt at peace.

I decided to break the silence by speaking up first.

"So... how do you teleport? Can everyone like you do that?"

"Its a common hereditary trait in all Devils. We think of a place and we just... move there"

"So... you dont.. need transportation... like ever?!" I almost shrieked.

"Nope." He shrugged.

"So... why did you.. that day on the bus?"

"Oh right... I.. remember when I said there was another demon on the bus. He apparently had caught a whiff of you... but he left as soon as he saw me. It happens a lot where devils... just torture demons for fun. So maybe he thought I was there to torture him. I sticked to you most of the way because, I felt that there could be chances where you might encounter more of them"

Realsiation dawned on me and I shivered a little. The man from the hospital had shook me to the core and I didnt want another demon to come find me.

"Demons... and Devils... arent they the same?"

"No, not really... Devils are pretty much superior. They have their own bodies, their own powers... and are fairly powerful to Demons, who cant have their own bodies or their own powers. They possess people to survive from the realms of hell... and that too they possess the worst of kinds.. they almost appear normal but you know what happens when worst meets the worse..."

"Oh...." I mumbled, feeling a little dumb. "So these demons they possess people who are bad?".

"Yes... it is compatible for their hollow and destructive nature... but sometimes, Devils too possess although they dont have to, but they do it anyway... just for fun."

".. fun?"

"Yeah.. I mean.. well Devils they possess the good ones... for fun"

"What?!"

"I know its absurd... but they do it to defy God... for fun."

"That's just... that's horrible" I screeched, digging my fingers into my cheeks.

"Yeah... it's kinda sad but anyone who isnt opting to possess among Devils cant trot into the business of someone who is"

"So you're like a rebel of the downstairs?" I asked.

"Downstairs... yeah... well kinda. The place is too hot and cramped although they keep expanding 10 acres every day"

"Wow.... I.. just wow" I was speechless. Esther never talked lot... but at the moment he was so engrossed in speaking it amazed me.

"You said.. you are the Dragon-"

"Draken" he interrupted

"Draken" I repeated looking at him.

"I'm not very proud of it.. but anyway, you were saying?"

"You said you are a Draken... are there many like you?"

"Yeah... but they are not all great. Let's just say we have been rivals for a long long time."

"Oh.. that sounds bad." I paused and continued "so is Ian..?"

"No.. he isnt my relative. Let's just say he tagged along with me years later he was born"

"So that's why he calls you boss. You are more like his mentor then?"

Esther looked at me funnily.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing its just that.... you're taking all of this so normally.... and the fact that you are taking this in a positive way unlike other people amazes me..."

"Its not like I find supernatural beings everyday now do I?" I grinned, while Esther's own smile faltered.

He sighed a little "I hope you don't."

He stayed silent and I wanted to know what was going through his mind.

"Hey... I mean.. what are the chances of me meeting them anyway? I mean.. you are there by my side even if I do right?" I smiled hopefully.

He looked at me and smiled a little "yeah.. they wont stand a chance"

We both resorted to silence for a little while.

"Is that all you wanted to ask me?" He asked with an amused look.

"I mean... I had a whole list in my mind.. but I dont really remember much of it." I confessed, feeling a little shy.

"Its okay.. it makes sense if you dont remember all of it" he said shrugging.

"Okay... oh uh.. I remember something Ian said!"

"Okay?"

"What's a pet?"

Esther choked on air as his eyes widened.

"I.. Its not that great of a title"

"Is it... some kind of rank? Because Ian.. called me pathetic then he called me a pet" I said remembering the bitter words  that spilled from his mouth.

"Justice... I.. how do I explain..." he mumbled to himself but then looked at me with a firm expression "okay. A pet is uh... like you know a personal maid that serves every wish of the devil"

"Like a slave?"

"Well... the title doesn't just include cleaning places... it includes everything.. from cleaning to personal intimate demands"

My face turned a shade of red from embarrassment.

He was talking about a sex slave.

How... how can they be so vile? I couldnt even imagine anything these people had to go with. For a reason, I was pretty sure they didnt even get paid for anything they did.

"So..  Ian thought I was.. your sex slave?" My lower lip quivered. The whole idea was bizarre and made my nerves jolt out of fear.

"Sadly.. yes. That's the first thing that comes to another supernatural being's mind if one were to stay close to a human"

He looked at my eyes and I was afraid he could read them.

"But I made him understand all too well, that you're just my friend. So you can dismiss the thought"

I sighed out of relief and awkwardly glanced sideways.

"Shall we take a walk?" He asked standing up.

I pressed my lips togther and stood up joining him. We walked a little, admiring the greenery and the fairly happy atmosphere.

There weren't a lot of people like in the evenings.

"Do you... know.. Ian's real name?"

"Oh? Uh yes.. isnt it Ido-"

"Dont say it!" He cut me off. "Taking that sneaky bastard he would probably leave his bounds the very moment someone who knows him call from the mortal land"

I could only gape at what he said.

"What?"

"Okay..  I'll set up some rules. You have to remember each of them very carefully. Okay?"

"But you-"

"Sush. Now listen. One, now that you see through the vision charm you can see the demons easily, not devils since they can control the charm and show it only if they want to. Anyway, if you see a demon.. stay calm, they feed on fear and normal humans can't see them so theres no way a normal mortal be scared of them. So you shouldnt show fear... the more fear emits out of you, the more they catch a whiff of your scent"

I nodded simply, wondering how in the world would I ever not be afraid if anything other than Esther would pop up on my face.

"Two... if you've seen a Devil... and you know the name. Never. Never call their names. At least, do not call the name visualizing the face... if that'll help to understand. Calling out a name is a direct link to summon them. Most devils... which are known to mortals tend to use their names carelessly and hence those certain few have proceeded to ignore the heeds. There were few times or two where the devils have left to the mortal world to snatch the mortals' souls out of annoyance... but.. oh well.." his voice faded a little and shrugged.

"So that means... you do not call Ian." His voiced dropped a octave but he masked it with a smile.

"Three, you call me. If you see anything suspicious... you call me first." Esther said looking deep into my eyes. "The bond, lets me know if you're in grave danger but it only tells me in the last second... so it wont be of a great help if theres a wild demon out there"

"Okay..." I said sighing trying to recollect the important points he said. It was hard to process everything he said...

To be honest, I wasnt really fond of Ian. Not after what happend right after he met me nights ago. The way he looked into my childhood memories scared me but I wasn't really sure of that either.

Esther seemed like he trusted Ian. Although he implied that he didn't like the latter I could feel the tinge of emotion when he took Ian's name. It was definitely of lazy anger, but there was slight signs of hesitation and worry too. It was almost as if he was pushing all his emotion towards another person away. This really piqued my interest to the highest levels but I wasn't sure if I was even allowed in this area.

Sure to be told, Esther was older to Ian... and Ian always seemed carefree yet respectful towards Esther... and that reason alone kept me safe to think that even if Ian would pop out anytime soon, he wouldnt actually go lengths to torture or kill me.. not when Esther is around at least.

I wasn't sure of Ian's intentions towards me, but again I wasn't willing to meet him and find out so that cut off my brain storming.

"Do you have any powers? Like Ian? I mean..do you have your own powers?" I asked simply. "You know like.. summon skeletons and..uh.."

He looked at me funnily. "Yes I have my own powers.... and no.. I dont summon skeletons and I dont... think theres anyone who can do that.." he rolled his eyes a little

"That simply means you've never tried summoning skeletons. I mean you said you are the Devil's son, so... well you probably would have access to those powers you know" I shrugged with a sly grin.

"I do not know if I should be baffled or amused..." he shook his head "anyway, I can drink 6 cans of beer in 6 minutes"

I lightly smacked his arm and we both fell out laughing.

"No I meant, like literally... any special... powers."

"I can fight... pretty decent. I can teleport faster. I can intimidate people to tell me what I want to know with a change of obsidian eyes. I can control the weather... its plants when I'm exceptionally happy or a dead storm when I'm mad. And some other powers...I'm pretty much a commoner Devil for a high rank"

"But you always sound like you can take hundreds of demons at once" I replied with a grin.

"Well...that's a... confidence." He grinned back.

"How old are you anyway?" I asked looking at him. I clearly remembered he once had casually joked about 'waiting another century'.

"Probably centuries.. I don't really remember. I stopped counting after 832."

"832?!!"

"Probably way more than that" he grinned a little.

"More than that?!" I stopped breathing "you lived for that long?"

"Yeah I mean... yeah.." he shrugged.

I scoffed in a daze "wow.. I mean... wow. How.. was it at that time then?"

"Well... sometimes it was peaceful. There were farms and grasslands and it was just... pleasant. But... then there were plagues.. wars.. crimes with no judgement... " he stopped with a sigh.

"The clothes were bad. There wasnt really much rave with the fashion and all.. but yeah.. it was okay. And.. well there wasnt iced Americano back in those days so you know.."

I laughed with his sentence, to which he joined in too.

"I mean... how was.. your time? I meant like... your life.." I secretly hoped I wasnt asking much, knowing that I wanted to know everything about him, yet again when I needed him to know only little or so of my own dark world.

He stopped walking and turned to face me.

"No Devil is brought up sane.. Justice." Esther replied monotonously, although there was a pained emotion in his eyes.

"What.. what is that supposed to mean?"

"Sure we have no idea what we'd grow into once we grow older. But what lies for one ahead, would be the definite reason for ones birth and the reason only would be it."

"Why do you keep criminalising yourself?" I asked.. wanting to know the real reason

"Because I am a Devil. And no force on Earth or heaven can change that. I cant change who I am or what I am or what I've done before."

"But you care for me. The Devil you talk about doesn't do that. I'm sure... no one who's bad would ever do that."

"No Justice... I'm only here to protect you"

It wasn't much, but that sentence hurt me a little.

"Look at the brighter side... you've got amazing powers, and you get to see places with the blink of your eye... and you're immortal-"

"I never asked for this life Justice." He replied I'm a flat tone "not once, I begged for immortality."

"But you-"

"There is nothing great about living. If it wasnt for my immortality or my disability to kill myself by plucking my non existent heart out.... I would have been gladly dead ages ago"

I paused on that, looking at him. His words shocked me to the highest and I felt irritated with the choice of his words.

"You're ungrateful... there are so many... so many people dying out there... who just want to live another day... see another morning. You cant just... you can't just be... so ignorant"

"How am I ignorant, if that's what I want in my life? And those people out there? If they are meant to die. They are meant to die. Nothing or nobody can change what lies for them in the future. Nobody cares for me and I dont care for anyone. I dont have a heart and yes. I don't have feelings to feel."

The clouds darkened a little. Grey clouds started to huddle together and for this once reason, I was sure the weather forecast had nothing to do with it.

I grit my teeth in annoyance.

If they are meant to die. They are meant to die

The words rang in my head and honestly I felt like my lungs were tearing apart. I glared at him, till my own tears pricked my eyes

I clenched my fist and walked away from the deep brown haired man.

I'm so stupid

Why did I even think another person would understand me?

You know what he is wrong. I'm not meant to die. I am not going to give up just like that..

I am-

"Hey wait up!" I heard him behind my back.

"Why are you getting mad at me?!" He asked suddenly teleporting right infront of me.

I moved away, not saying anything. He grabbed onto my wrist and yanked me back. I forcefully relased myslef from him and stepped away.

His touch gave me creeps and I felt less confident when being reminded of a similar, yet a very much disastrous memory.

"Because I'm dying!"

The winds slowed down and the grey clouds stilled in the sky.

His sea-green eyes looked deep into mine, almost lost but still there.

"I... am dying!! I am one of those people you think who is meant to die just like you said! And you know what?! That irks me! That ignorant, I-dont-care attitude hurts me because I dont want to believe that I've got cancer and my cells are dying each day as I wake up! I dont want to believe that one day I would want to wake up but to never wake up! I don't want to believe that I just have two years or less to live! I dont want to believe I was born to die just when I've started living  my life!!"

"I.. I.. hate it when people say they want to die.. because they don't know..how privileged they are... I hate it that they have everything I want to have... but they are just throwing it away while.. yelling it out on somebody's face.. who desperately needs it!"

"I know not everyone lives a perfect life... I know.. what it is like.. t-to be in the d-dark. I know w-what it feels like.. t-to be looked upon like a-a monster... I know... how bad t-that is.. " my voice cracked with salty tears reaching my lips. "It's f-fine if y-you... dont care a-about m-me..But... that ... d-doesn't mean.. y-you can simply... tell.. t-that I'm supposed t-to die... "

I stood there, hands still clenched on the sides and tears streaming down my cheeks.

Esther watched me, his expression plain but his eyes showed so many e.otions, that he had earlier claimed to deny.

He took small steps towards me stopping right ahead of me and brushed his thumb, wiping a tear under the slope of my cheek.

He proceeded to cup my cheeks and wipe away all the tears while I closed my eyes taking content from his warmth.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered, in a pained voice.

I shut my eyes tighter and nodded showing my acceptance to his apology.

I felt him lean closer but I didnt feel the usual racing of my heartbeat. This... this was something different..  the pace was stronger and harder in my chest, almost foreign to me.

I felt his warm hazy breath on my forehead and my heart raced even faster with each second. I didnt push him away like normally I would have... instead I felt myself relaxing in his arms, almost leaning towards his chest.

A pair of warm lips briskly attached itself to my forehead.

It was soft.. softer than any marshmallow I've eaten. It was softer than the green moss that grew in the park. My heart leaped and I clenched the hem of my shirt.

"I care about you."

He whispered again placing his forehead on mine.

"I didnt know... and I was wrong.. I'm sorry" he said again with the same tone.

We stayed there silently in the quiet atmosphere for few more minutes before letting each other go.

For some reason, I felt a new kind of energy coursing in my veins but I dismissed it.

I didnt look up to meet Esther's gaze. My face red and my heart pounding in my chest told me everything I didnt think I'd know.

"Hey... are we good?" He asked. His eyes blazing and his lips adorning a fond smile.

I pursed my lips together and nodded, feeling shy inside out...

"How about Iced Americano and some bagels?" He asked with a grin

Although he was smiling, I could feel him asking so many questions about me in his mind. I could feel his restlessness and I knew he wanted to know more about the disease that was slowly but surely killing me. I knew he felt guilt rise in his throat but then again I wanted nothing to happen to him.

He was important to me.

His hidden soft and sweet nature was just as beautiful as his strong and intimidating aura. Everything about him intrigued me.

He was way more than important... to me.

"I think that'd be nice..." I smiled back.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
And just like that... I knew I might probably end up filling in the 'fall in love before you leave this world' rule from my mother. As much as I didn't want to fall for anyone at the moment... I knew... for a hundred and one reasons... my heart was deeply entangled with a man who had the softest sea-green eyes.

_______________

_______________

Authors note:

Lemme know your thoughts on this chapter!!!!

VOTE.COMMENT.SHARE.FAN.

Follow me up for updates.

love,
Jaye.