Bound to the Demon Lord ✔️

Chapter Sixteen

A soft breeze tickled Phoebe's cheeks. It brought a sense of comfort as she inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. She had been stuck inside for so long that she thought she would have gone stir-crazy. Fortunately, the doctor had given her all the all clear to have a day outside. Her maids had been a little uneasy, but she promised she wouldn't do anything too strenuous.

It wasn't like she could anyway. Her wound was still healing, so the most she did was come out to the gardens and lie down on the grass. It was a nice day out, even with the overcast. A cool breeze, a warm day, not too much noise and activity outside – a perfect atmosphere for her to relax and think.

And there was definitely a lot of thinking she had to do.

She sighed loudly. She and Krios hadn't spoken since she first woke up. He only came to see her when she was sleeping. He would just sit by her bedside and hold her hand or stroke her hair. But when she was awake, there was no trace of him. The only reason why she knew about his visits was because her maids would gush about it and how they thought it was sweet he would do that.

Maybe it was, but she still didn't know what to think. She was still getting some memories other than Seraphine's, both good and bad from several different times. And in every single memory she came across, their counterparts were always in love. Even if the memory was heartbreaking or maddening, there was always love between them, no matter who they were. Because it was fate.

She was still coming to terms with it. She was still upset that he never even tried to tell her. He only ever hinted at it, always saying that she needed to remember things on her own. Something that was easier said than done. These memories came sporadically and never showed a whole picture. There was still so much she didn't know about most of her past lives, and she could never trigger more to come on command.

Gently, she touched her birthmark through her chest. Her desire to run away had all but diminished now. With the mark, he would always find her. And even if she got rid of it, they would still be soulmates. Fate would still pull them back together, one way or another.

Her hand clenched into a fist. She couldn't keep avoiding Krios forever. They would have to talk eventually. Maybe now that she knew the truth, he would be more willing to fill in the gaps that she had with her knowledge about their relationship. Where it had been and where it would go, what did it all mean – and what did he want from her now that she knew.

A shadow suddenly came over her. Blinking, she looked up to find Krios standing over her. Her eyes widened in surprise, but his expression was unreadable. He just studied her carefully, his gaze flickering to her stomach where her scar was every so often. Well, he just saved her the time of having to go find him herself. Though, she wasn't sure if she was actually ready to talk yet.

She turned her head to where her maids were supposed to be. But she couldn't see them anymore, nor the two guards that had been there too. Krios must have sent them away. How she didn't hear it was beyond her; she must have been too lost in her thoughts.

"What're you doing here?" His voice was soft and cautious. As if he were speaking to a rabbit about to run off. "You should be resting."

"The doctor said it was fine as long as I didn't move around too much."

"How long have you been out here?"

She shrugged. "Maybe an hour."

"Have you eaten?"

She nodded. "Gloria insisted before I even came out here." Then she forced herself to look back at him and his unreadable expression. He was just as guarded as she was. But they could only tip-toe around the subject for so long. "Want to join me?"