FOR THE UNKNOWN KINGDOM | BOOK 1

CHAPTER 40

And he made you a killer, as well. I tucked the thought away as fast as I could.

"I have the suspicion that I'm going to like you a lot," Normant said back, his face blank of emotions. Long live our false bravado.

And then I saw it. Or better, I saw him.

🔱

Brutal and ugly.

He came from nowhere and appeared in front of me in a cloud of red smoke and shadows. The characteristics of his face were altered due to the countless wrinkles and scars that covered his cheeks, his neck, his forehead and every corner of his face. His skin was so tanned that I could imagine him burning in a cauldron his entire life. Normant's eyes were locked in mine, and I found refuge in them, thinking it was better to be a prisoner in his green eyes that spoke of surety and honor than be captured in the cage the Devil would put me just by looking at him for more than a second.

"Rumors have it that you're the one who made Hell look like Heaven."

Darkness danced around him, kissing his body, eulogizing his presence. Since I didn't even make the effort to look straight at him, he took a step closer to me and it seemed like he was flying, hovering in the air, standing on some invisible cloud. He grabbed my chin with his long fingers and forced me to meet his stare. Hiding my unsteady breaths, I gave him a flat stare just to satisfy his need for attention and then looked away.

He didn't let go of my chin, and I swallowed hard.

Staring into an abyss of evilness and blankness, it was hard to breathe as the darkness hit me, slaughtered me and even though I knew Vanensera, Normant and Ian were still in the room, I couldn't see anything else but the face of that man that smirked wickedly at me, ready to destroy me. My knees buckled. I'd destroyed one of his men. He'd destroy me. It was simple and right. A game of vengeance.

"I know who you are," he snarled.

"I've been waiting for you," he continued, his red and hollow eyes lit with lust for death.

Red. No. His left eye wasn't red. It seemed to be that color in the dim light but if I looked closer, I could discern hints of red only around the iris. His left eye was golden. Deep golden. It reminded me of Denfer's castle. It reminded me of something sweet and real and true.

Although I couldn't move, for it was like he'd casted some sort of cruel spell on my soul and had chained my body in black and golden shackles, my mind was clear now, my heart rate steady, and even though I wished for everything to end, I knew that I wanted everything to end in my way, in my terms. Because right now, only a breath away from me was the thing I'd been searching for since the moment I'd arrived here. His left eye. It seemed like it didn't belong to his body. Such a delicate color for that man.

No, I wouldn't retreat now.

"The leader of Hell," he murmured, examining my face. "You know, I would let you take that golden thing you seem really attracted to and offer it to your lover to create his oh-so-fancy kingdom. And then I would be glad to end that bargain and take you home with me. But---" he paused and crossed his arms, letting go of my face. Suddenly, I was in control of my body again.

"As you may already know, Denfer and I made an oath a long time ago. If he wanted to ensure a better future for his people, he would have to find my kingdom's leader and give her to me. In return I would offer him a brand-new kingdom, just as he wanted it to be. But I didn't know that my leader would be such a rebel. Now, I guess, I have to test you because if you're as useless as I think you are, then the oath is useless too and what's the reason for Denfer to have a new kingdom if I have a useless leader?"