The lamp in her hand had fallen to the floor as her feet hung effortlessly in the air.
Dante was strangling her with a hand.
"M-my lord! her voice came out in a screech for help and Chadwick moved to stop his master.
"Calm down master", he placed a hand on his.
"You should have just stayed in bed, woman!", he dropped her on the hard floor as she coughed and panted for breath.
"I'm sorry", tears were streaming down her eyelids and she couldn't stop shaking. "Please don't kill me!", she begged like a mouse who'd overheard the plans of a group of thieves.
Dante pulled both hands through his hair, down to his face. "What do we do about her?".
"Hmm...", Chadwick cupped his chin as his left hand supported his elbow. "We could kill her..."
Vanessa's eyes widened as she bowed her head in tears. "I beg of you, spare my life". She was weeping profusely...
"Or we could take her with us..."
There was silence after those words as she wasn't even sure which option would be better. Go to hell with them or die now?
Dante laughed. "You must be joking"
The butler's silence told him just how serious he was.
"She's a mere human! Their life is but a flick of light on a candlestick!"
Vanessa's sobs had reduced now as she wasn't sure of her fate. "I won't mention it to anyone, I swear", both hands were clasped between her breasts.
With a knee, the young master knelt beside the weeping woman. "I can't take you for your word", he used his index finger to raise her chin up to his face. "See how much you're trembling".
"I...I'll do anything!"
He arched a disgusted brow. "What can you even offer me? Strength? I don't think so", he counted his fingers. "Wisdom? I highly doubt", another finger went down. "Pleasure?", he lowered his forehead to touch hers. "A mere virgin knows not how to appease a man!"
Her continuous sniffling annoyed him a bit.
He really didn't want to kill her, she was so innocent and pure.
"Are you afraid?"
She nodded slowly, it was too dark to make out his face apart from the inhumane crimson eyes that seemed to stare deep into her soul.
"Because I'm not human?"
"Because you tried to kill me...", the words escaped her lips.
He let go of her face.
"I'd planned on releasing you the day we were to leave", he helped lift her to her feet. "But it will no more be possible"
"I don't understand if you're leaving permanently... My knowledge of this would mean nothing!"
He stared into her brilliant blue eyes for some seconds, taking in all the details of her face enveloped by the darkness. Although she still didn't look well...
"The more I explain to you about how everything could go wrong, the more you'll have no chance of leaving here"
She covered her face with both hands.
"And what did you want to ask me when I'd just arrived?"
She took a deep obstructed breath, "I wanted to send letters to my family with your permission".
His gaze moved to Chadwick whose eyes were roaming about the insides of the castle to avoid his. Telling this woman Chadwick had made up all those rules to mess with her might not be such a good idea at this point.
They did keep her in check. But he won't have stopped her from writing to her family.
Dante sighed in displeasure, "You won't be allowed to make communication with the outside world till we decide on what to do with you". He ruffled her hair like a pet dog.
Vanessa cursed whatever instinct had made her come downstairs if it wasn't for that little mistake... She'd be kissing this place goodbye!
Her mother was so sick and Nathalie was still so young.
Dante moved closer to whisper into her ear. "Wait in my bed for me...", she could feel his mocking grin at her ear.
After nodding, she rushed to pick up her dull lamp and then made her way upstairs.
They both watched her scurry to the bedroom, continuing their conversation the moment she slammed the door.
Chadwick frowned. "Master?"
"We'll finish this discussion tomorrow....", he walked into the dining area to take a glass of water upstairs.
Vanessa buried her whole body under the thick duvet. Even though she'd been on a bed.... tonight seemed like the coldest one yet...
She clenched her jaw in disbelief. Demon continent? Exiled for centuries? Witches?
In tears, she wrapped her arms around her body. It sounded like stories kids would tell one another but hearing it from two grown men was terrifying! Especially when they were serious enough to try and kill her!
She tapped her sore neck. Would he really have killed her if Chadwick hadn't stepped in?
She shook her head.
Dante Vladwick won't hesitate to kill a noble family over a gamble, who was she? Just some poor little towns girl...
Her sobs were so loud she didn't hear when Dante stepped in.
"You're being noisy, woman!"
Her body jerked under the sheets as both her hands moved to cover her lips. "Here's some water...."
At those words, she sat up in the darkness to take the glass with shaky hands. In silence, she finished it before stretching the glass back.
He arched an annoyed brow, "Why are you giving me back?". Did she really expect him to take it back downstairs?
"I-I'm sorry my lord!", she squealed, slowly dropping the empty glass cup on the floor beside the bed then stuffing her quivering body back under the sheets.
After taking off his clothes, he laid his naked body above the sheets. Anytime he had a lot on his mind, he slept completely naked as a way to ease off the stress.
But after sleeping for two days straight, his eyes had remained as wide as a hawk tonight. The sniffles of the woman beside him agitated him.
For about the next half an hour, she'd fallen silent so he'd assumed the woman to be asleep.
'Thank Goodness!', he told himself. It had been years since he'd last touched a woman...
The last human he'd fallen for had met a gruesome demise. About a century ago..... he'd met a fair-skinned lady with blue eyes and blonde hair just like Vanessa.
Flora Jamison. She was twenty-two then and the most beautiful woman he'd ever met...
They'd loved each other although he never disclosed what he was to her. She'd sworn her loyalty and got his hopes up about starting a family with him...
After their engagement, a day had come for him to disclose his true identity to the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. But things didn't go as planned...
The moment he spoke the words 'demon' and showed her his horns, she'd looked at him as a monster... Trembling and begging...
It hurt him...
When he'd tried to calm her, she ended up running out of the castle in the darkness and falling off the mountain. He's never forgotten the way she screamed and begged him to let her go...
Just like Vanessa.
"Tch!", his fist tightened under the sheets. All women were the same.
He didn't want this woman to see his face so she won't have any reason to fall for him.
So he won't have any reason to hold back if he needed to hurt her...
They were to be just strangers living in the same house.
Having never shown her his face was to protect her. He wasn't a kind person...
But why was he trying so hard to protect her from himself?! He'd never planned on killing the innocent woman downstairs, he just wanted to spook her to an extent...
Why? Because he was a demon?
Unless he'd have broken her neck in the blink of an eye.
But he'd gone too far. From daybreak, she'd see him as a monster...
People don't forget... The way you make them feel.
__________________
Vanessa curled up against the warmth of the wall before her. It was hairy to an extent but-
Wait? Wall?!
Her eyes shot open to see the muscular chest of a man, his chin was rested above her forehead.
The moment her heart had started pounding against her chest she'd prayed for him not to wake up! It was beating so fast... So loud!
His arms were wrapped around her back so there was no way she could roll out to escape.
Her breath was hot against his body when she realized their legs were also entwined!
She wanted to lower her head to analyze the whole situation, but she could barely even move her face!
"My God...", she cursed under her breath when she'd felt something poking hard against her left thigh.
The duvet was off both their bodies.
If she was to move now, he'd be completely naked and probably misread the whole situation! Although he was the one holding her and she had to fight the urge to leave herself in his arms.
"Mmh", Dante rolled to lie on her.
"I can't breathe....", she bit her lips when she felt his object still pressing against her lower abdomen...
Her body felt like butter. Really warm butter that was about to suffocate!
"My lord!", she half screamed the words. "I can't breathe!".
Partially awake, he rolled off her and she turned her back to him. They were still so close as she could feel his warm breath on her neck.
She wanted him to touch her for some reason... even if it was just once more!
Taking the risk, she shuffled backward till her back rested on his chest. "One more time...", she whispered to herself wanting him to press against her butt for some reason.
Dante cleared his throat behind Vanessa startling half the life out of her! On impulse, her body jolted forward.
"Why are you rubbing yourself against me, woman?", He didn't know if he should feel amused or displeased.
She was silent for a moment wanting to act like she'd been asleep.
Realizing what she was doing, he decided to give her a taste of her own medicine.
After yawning, he threw his hand over her chest from behind.
He could feel her heart pounding so fast it made him want to laugh out loud.
Even above the light fabric of her nightwear, it felt so warm in his hands... The size seemed to fit right.
When she still didn't say a word...
He decided to give her a little squeeze.
"My lord!", she jumped up nearly falling off the bed. A deep frown along with embarrassment written all over her face.
But the man below her was facing the other way, all she could see was short silver hair rested on his shoulder and his....uhhm…butt?
Was this madness?
Dante smiled to himself not knowing what had come over him. Had she also forgotten the events of last night? Or could it be that she didn't care anymore?
Or was she trying to seduce him so she could stay alive?
The thought of that brushed all others aside.
His brows furrowed in annoyance.
There was an awkward silence between both of them for some seconds before Vanessa got the courage to take a sniff of her armpit.
"Christ!".
Had she forgotten about bathing for nearly three straight days?!
Taking off her nightwear, her cheeks heated up in embarrassment.
Had her odor woken up the master when she tried to press her body against his?
"Please no...", she trembled with doubt before rushing into the bathroom. All the while, Dante laid in silence confused at the words she'd uttered.
"Ahh...", Vanessa smiled on leaving the bathroom. The master was nowhere to be seen and clothes had been laid out for her.
But by who?
It wasn't like she'd forgotten about the happenings of last night, just the thought of it scared her to death.
But she had to act normal as if nothing had ever happened...
Till she could find a way to escape.