CONSCIENCE
                          ~~~°°°~~~

Mary couldn't do it. There was something about Ikechukwu lying unconscious on her bed helpless and defenceless. Any other man and she wouldn't have cared so much, but didn't understand why it was different in this case, maybe it was his innocence or maybe—she shook her head, she refused to believe she was becoming weak.

"I shouldn't care," she mumbled under her breathe. Sighing, she walked over to the bed, sitting down.

"What's wrong?" Athea asked once she entered Mary's room. One look at Ikechukwu and she could tell he hasn't been touched.

Mary frowned at her mother's presence. "Nothing," she answered avoiding her Athea's eyes.

"So, why haven't you done it?"

She let out a huge sigh. "Stop asking me questions mother, I haven't done it, because I can't."

"What do you mean?" Athea questioned, an eyebrow raised as she glanced from Mary to Ikechukwu.

"I don't want to do that to him. I mean, it's rape."

Athea scoffed. "Rape? Who cares? Since when have you ever cared?" She paused watching Mary. "Don't tell me that this human is getting to you."

"Don't speak rubbish mother. No one's getting to me. I just don't feel comfortable with this, most of the guys I've had this with have always been through consent, this is different, this is rape, I am not going to stoop that low."

"Oh shut it. Do you understand the situation we're in? There isn't time for this conversation. I am not asking you to do this Mary, I'm commanding you as the Queen."

Mary gave her an incredulous look, then clapped her hands, laughing. "Who are you trying to intimidate? It isn't going to work."

"Urrgh! Why do you have to be so stubborn! Catherine would have done as I said." Catherine was Mary's elder sister. Mary and her sister had never gotten along and she didn't like to be compared to her sister

"Don't you dare compare me to Catherine. Where is she by the way? Didn't she abandon you? Abandon us?"

Athea's hands twisted into angry fists. "The rumors aren't true Mary, your sister just needs to-"

"She hasn't been around for two years!" She yelled throwing her hands in the air. "You need to stop revolving round a lie, she's not coming back," Mary said simply.

"Shut up!" Athea thundered. "If you choose not to sleep with the human, don't. But I'll never forgive you if anything happens to my sister, and remember you can't fully get your powers back till we get the Tarum, so you better have a plan up your sleeve."

Mary rolled her eyes, her mother spoke like she was the one holding her sister hostage, this whole drama would never have happened if she had been giving the vacation she knew she deserves. "Can I take him back?"

"Back?" Athea repeated like she didn't hear Mary well. "No. He knows too much now, he stays with us. What has come over you?"

"What is he going to be doing here? Can't you just wipe his memory and send him back?"

"I can, but since you care so much about him, he's your burden now."

"You're being childish mother." Athea left without another word. Mary turned back to Ikechukwu, she knew he was already awake. "You can open your eyes now," she said to him, but after a few seconds when she got no response she walked over to him. "You are not deceiving anyone, I can see your eyeballs moving round and your fingers are trembling really bad."

Slowly he opened his eyes, not moving an inch, his eyes moved up to meet Mary. "Where have you brought me?" He asked.

"My Kingdom," she said. "Don't ask too much questions." She looked away from him, standing akimbo.

Slowly he sat up looking round the room. When Mary had said her kingdom he was expecting some strange alien planet with weird creatures floating around, but the room he was in looked like any normal room. "Are we..." he didn't know how to place the question. "Are we on Earth?"

Mary gave him a look asking if he was serious. "Do you really want that question to be answered?"

Ikechukwu suddenly felt lightheaded, deep down he already knew the answer to his question. His whole body went numb as his heart seemed to slow down in its pace, suddenly everything was too loud, his breathing, Mary's, whatever was humming in the room.

Mary noticed this. "Are you okay?" But her words didn't come clearly to him, he could barely catch what she was saying. He nodded slowly, but then felt himself falling back on the bed, losing consciousness.

He woke up to a striking pain at the side of his head, Mary was above him. "Good," she said. "I was about to give you another slap."

He frowned rubbing his cheeks. "You slapped me?" He couldn't count the amount of times Mary had slapped him, it seems to be something that gave her pleasure.

"Yes. Now, stand up. We can't stay here and also you're not allowed to go."

"I heard your...mother?" He asked not sure if he should call her that, even though he knew. "You didn't... You didn't have eh-"

"I didn't have sex with you? If that's what you're trying to say, then yes."

"What did your mother mean by I've become a burden to you?"

"It means you're now my responsibility."

"Your responsibility? I don't understand what you mean about that, I just want to go home."

"This is your new home," Mary said. "You're welcome." she added before walking away.

                         ~~~°°°~~~

"I heard she bought for herself a concubine," A voice whispered.

"I also heard, but what I find most shocking is the fact that he is a virgin," The other replied.

"You lie. What's the princess doing with a virgin?" The first one asked.

"May the Queen cut my tongue and roast for breakfast if I do lie, he's a virgin and-"

"The Queen won't cut your tongue for breakfast, but another word from your lips and I will." Mary who had been approaching unknown to the maids heard what they had just said.

"My princess!" They went down on their knees immediately. Mary walked past them, she didn't have the time to punish anyone, she had to think and fast.

There was one person she knew she could run to for help, her Father. Unlike humans, when Demons meet to mate, it's sorely for the purpose of reproduction, nothing like love or forever. If the child is a boy, he stays with his father, if it's a girl, she follows her mother.

"Rachelle," She called to the stable girl. "Ready a portal I need to go see someone."

Rachelle nodded her head. "Where do you wish to go my princess?"

"Goltham."

"You want to go see your father?" she asked in a panicked tone. "But my Queen, your mother forbids-"

"If you don't open your mouth, she wouldn't know of this. If she asks, tell her I have taken the human back to Earth and will be back in few days. Now, hurry, I will be back." Mary needed to back some bags and get Ikechukwu.

"Stand up, let's go." Ikechukwu jumped up from the bed when Mary entered.

"Are you taking me home?" He asked,  watching her as she hurried round the room.

"No, not now. We are going somewhere else, where we can get help." She rushed to her wardrobe, throwing clothes in the bag she held, once it was full, she zipped it. Getting another bag, she rushed to another corner of the room, she had to get the most important item, weapons.

"Ewo!" Ikechukwu shouted when the mini arsenal opened up. "What's that for?"

"We will need it."

"We? What for? Why are you packing? Where are we going?"

"Fuck!" Mary cursed, getting irritated. "What have I told you about asking me questions?"

"That I shouldn't."

"Good, you remember, so just shut it." Ikechukwu watched silently as she threw swords of different sizes and edges, and other weapons he had never imagine existed. She stood up once she was done and handed the bag over to Ikechukwu. "Hold this." he took it quickly to avoid getting smacked again. She rushed to her bag and grabbed it. "OK, let's go—and, be quiet." she warned.

Ikechukwu didn't understand what was going on, it's been two days since Mary brought him here holding him hostage and he hadn't even stepped out of the room. She was the only one he knew in this strange world, and to be on the safe side, he would do anything she asked, just to stay alive. He didn't trust her, but he also knew she didn't want him dead. "Where are we going?" he whispered as they hurried down the corridor.

"Be quiet," she hissed. "We don't want to draw attention."

They tiptoed round the huge building, hiding when they heard footsteps approaching and running as soon as its passed. Ikechukwu found himself being attracted to the paintings on the wall. He eyes widened when he saw one of Mary, except this time she was just a little girl, she was sitting on some strange beast. It had the body of a Lion, but with feathers of a huge bird, strong enough to lift it's weight, its green eyes seemed to follow Ikechukwu as he walked past it. He hurried to catch up with Mary who wasn't slowing down.

"Rachelle should have gotten the portal ready." He heard Mary say, Ikechukwu didn't know who Rachelle was so he kept quiet.

They finally got out, Ikechukwu found himself staring at fantasy, when he had imagined himself in Demon land, he had pretty much imagined ugly beast, dragons and fire, but before him lay Paradise.

The sky was almost cloudless, it was blue and bright—almost too bright. A lovely wind fanned around, brushing past the leaves of the trees, they waved, following whatever directions they were pushed to. The trees around stood tall and proud, dressed in the most beautiful colours, purple, blue, most of them Ikechukwu didn't have a name for. They stood on a land of massive green, everywhere you looked there were rolling hills. There surprisingly were birds in the sky, they chirped and whistle not minding the creatures below.

"This is beautiful," he said.

"I know," Mary replied with a proud smile. "This is something of what God was willing to give you humans if that stupid man hadn't eaten the apple."

Ikechukwu was surprised Mary knew the story of Adam and Eve. "You know the Bible?" He felt stupid as soon as he asked that, of course she did. "I thought you served the devil?"

She shot him a look. "No."

"But all Creatures who are not of God are of the devil. And you are obviously not of God," He said as they walked through the garden of golden bells, the fresh scent reminded Ikechukwu of Vanilla, all he wanted to do was pluck a branch and eat it's flowers.

"Where do you get that from?" She asked, amused.

"It's preached in the church and I'm sure it's in the Bible...I don't know the verse though."

"Oh, and what does the Bible say about us demons? What exactly is our fate?" Ikechukwu kept quiet. "I am also God's creature, the same hell humans will end up in if they die in sin, is the same one I'm going to be in."

"So you want to end up in hell fire? You know it isn't a joke right?"

Mary threw her head back and laughed. "Don't be stupid, if there's anyone who should know that, it's me. But don't worry, I don't plan to end up there." Ikechukwu frowned, he didn't know what she meant by that, but he decided not to question further.

"There she is," Mary said once she sighed Rachelle. She hurried, jogging up to her, Ikechukwu followed. "You didn't tell anyone right?"

Rachelle shook her head. "No, I didn't." Her eyes went to Ikechukwu. "You're going with him?"

"Yes," Mary said. "Now, open the portal."

Rachelle nodded and turned to do as Mary has instructed. Ikechukwu moved closer to Mary once Rachelle started her incantations. "Portal?" He whispered to Mary.

"We are going to see someone that can help."

"Help get me back home?" He asked hopefully.

"You can't go home, my mother will come after you. But if we do get through this, I promise to get you home safely."

"It's ready my princess." The portal glowed bright green, spiralling round into what seemed like nothingness.

"Thank you," Mary said to her. She grabbed Ikechukwu hand like she was afraid he would run away. "Let's go," she said to him.

•••

Thanks for reading 😊❤

•••

So, I know this book needs editing, but I've decided to finish the book first before going back to do this, so as not to slow me down, so please bear with me.

Thanks for reading, kindly share your thoughts ❤