Love of a Raven

Chapter 40: A Step Forward

"What was that?" Damian blurts out and raises a brow.

"Did you know about my mother's plans?" I repeat my question while I cross my arms. "The one she's making an army by using my blood?"

"Oh, that plan. No, I don't know about it until after we saw Acantha. Why? Are you doubting me already, Garrick? After all that we've been through?" Damian replies in a mocking tone to which I roll my eyes at him.

"Garrick? Is there a reason you brought this up?" Galvin ponders as my eyes landed on him. He looks confused and a bit worried from what I can gathered. I do not blame him for worrying since Damian and I have the tendency to argue whenever I question him.

"I wanted to be sure that Damian isn't trying to stab me in the back." I bluntly explain which caused Galvin to almost choke on his tea when he took a sip.

"That's harsh, Garrick!" Damian exclaims with a pout, like the petulant child he is sometimes.

"I thought you two are close friends? Why would you think that Damian would betray you?" Galvin asks while Damian releases a scoff. But he does make an excellent point.

Damian has been a great friend to me ever since we first met, so why do I continue to doubt him? He has taught me how to fend for myself, has kept my secret about Alexandru from my parents, and has even gone to such lengths to help me find the killer. There is nothing that Damian did to make me think ill of him. Especially after he told me about his disdain towards humans and contracts.

"I simply do not want to learn that along with my family, my friend has also known about this. That's all." I admit and turn my head away from them. In three. . . two. . .

"Aw, Garrick!" Damian shouts cheerfully, followed by a pair of arms wrapping themselves around me.

"Damian, off. We're in public." I order while I feel his head nuzzling into my shoulder.

"But, I want to show you how happy you made me! It's not every decade that I get to hear you say something nice about me!" Damian whines as his grip on me tightens a tad.

"And you won't hear something like that until the next century if you don't remove yourself from me before I pull you away." I threaten in banter like manner.

"You are so rude. Next time, let me enjoy it. It wouldn't kill you if you do." Damian comments and pulls away from me.

Damian settles back to his seat next to me while I take a sip of my tea before responding back, "I'm more concern about how much you'll enjoy the compliment."

That quip earned me a scoff from Damian's end, but a confused look in Galvin. Oddly enough, a soft smile forms on my lips. Galvin would not understand because my friendship with Damian is not exactly what one would consider to be normal. The likelihood of a friendship between a demon prince and a vampire-demon hybrid to be strange is extremely high.

"Why is it that I can come to terms that I am having tea with two supernatural creatures that shouldn't even exist, but I can not for the life of me see how you two are close friends?" Galvin mutters mostly to himself, but I couldn't help hear him.

"That's because the friendship between us is like that! Confusing, unique, illogical even! But what kind of relationship is there if those things aren't there? Take a look at yours with Garrick. It's binded by a contract, right?" Damian states, though I do not know where he is going with this conversation.

"Damian," I try to intervene when he presses on.

"No, honestly Garrick. Where is your end of the contract coming? Because all I see is him getting the most out of this arrangement. If you were after his soul, then it would be fine. You would be waiting for dinner, but you're not. You are waiting for some news about your vampire prince that even I can't track with my many lackeys." Damian declares angrily which caused Galvin to look away.