-HER-
"Where do you want me to begin?" He asked, snuggling closer to me. His gaze fixed on me fervently.
"From the beginning?" I suggested. He fell silent for a couple of seconds as if collecting his thoughts before he finally started speaking.
"Dervis is older than me. He was the heir to the throne, but some things happened, and he couldn't be crowned king," His voice had a dark tone as he spoke.
"What happened exactly?" I asked, intrigued.
"Well... one day we were playing. We were children and decided to wander to a place we weren't supposed to go. It was the ruins of a mage's laboratory. A of things were there, including a pyxiris,"
"A pyxiris?" I breathed. The word sounded familiar, but I couldn't exactly remember it.
"It's an enchanted cupboard-like thing they trap the demons in," He told me, and instantly, I remembered everything about it. My mother used to keep a pyxiris in her study, and she'd always warn Theoron and me never to open it.
She had once trapped a small, harmless demon in it and let it free to scare us permanently. I still remember the fear I had experienced that day. After that incident, Theoron and I never dared to look in that pyxiris' direction.
"We found a pyxiris. He dared me to open it, and so I did. Things didn't end well. A powerful demon had been trapped inside it for centuries, and we had finally set it free. It almost killed Dervis. For a long time, his health was weak, and hence, I was made the heir," He spoke.
"Still, according to the laws, your lineage should rule since you have done so much," I frowned. He remained quiet. I had a feeling that there was more to it than just a demon being set free accidentally. I watched his face intently. His eyes were unfocused, and his face had a hard look. I could tell that he was going down a dark memory lane.
I waited a few seconds before asking him, "What happened to the demon?"
Alex's eyes snapped back to me with lightning speed. His body tensed up, and something dark took over his face. I swallowed hard, wondering if I asked the wrong question.
"He needed to be contained. The demon was too powerful to kill," He answered.
"So they put it back into the pyxiris?" I suggested cautiously. The look on his face hardened. His eyes burned on me, not fervently but in a hard manner. I could tell that he was contemplating whether to speak next.
"Alex?" I pushed, gently touching his cheek. He closed his eyes briefly and let out a deep breath. He moved in closer to me, wrapping his arms around me. An uncertain look remained on his face.
"What happened to the demon?" I asked, my voice was a mere whisper.
"You wouldn't freak out, would you?" He asked me. His voice was dark and heavy. I had never heard him speak in this tone. I could feel the tension in his body as he held me. His steely arms gripped me tightly as if he were afraid I'd leave him or something would happen if he let me go.
"No," I answered bravely, even though I wasn't sure if I was ready to hear what he would tell me. He watched me pensively for a couple more moments.
"The demon couldn't be put back into the pyxiris. It had become too powerful in its captivity. It couldn't be contained in any enchanted objected. It needed a more powerful vessel. A vessel that had the consciousness of its own to control the demon," He spoke.
My heart hammered against my sternum.
"A person?" I breathed. His silence was my answer. My mouth went dry while my heart thumped harder in my chest. "Who?" I asked. Silence.
"Was it Dervis?" I suggested. The look he gave me was enough to give me goosebumps.
"My brother had grown too weak due to the curse. His body couldn't stand having a demon trapped inside him. They needed someone more powerful. Someone who had a strong soul. At that moment, it happened to be me," He finally spoke up, making my blood run cold.
I stared at him, wide-eyed. I could feel all the blood draining from my face and my body turning cold. Consequentially, I felt his arms grow tighter around me. To make sure I couldn't escape him, he tangled our legs.
"So... it's still inside you?" I asked him cautiously.
"Yes," He answered, watching me unblinkingly. I tried my best to keep my face normal, but from the inside, I was startled. My mind was racing a thousand miles per hour, thinking about everything.
"Does it... fight you?" I couldn't help but ask.
"He does," He spoke. "Remember the day when Theoron sent the war invitation to my court? I almost lost control over him," he told me. I sucked in a sharp breath. "I'd have lost it all if it wasn't for you stepping in,"
I fell quiet, feeling at an absolute loss of words. I didn't know what to say anymore. Heck, it felt like I had forgotten how to speak in the first place. The thought that I had unknowingly saved his court from a bloodbath unnerved me.
"Are you afraid of me now, Theresa?" He asked, watching me intently. The way he was looking at me tugged at my heart. I had to be extra careful with my words not to hurt him.
"No," I answered.
"Don't lie to me, Theresa," He muttered. "Tell me, what do you feel about this? I want the truth," He demanded, putting one finger under my chin and forcing me to look him in the eyes. "Do you hate me now that I have a demon inside me?"
"No, it's not like that," I told him. "I don't feel scared... I feel... anxious," I told him the truth since that's what he wanted from me. His tension eased a bit, but still, he didn't seem convinced. "Can't you get rid of it?" '
"Well, I want to, but it's not easy and...." He trailed off.
"And?" I pressed.
"I don't mind him much," He muttered. "Yes, there are times when I run the risk of letting him out and causing havoc, but after all these years, he has become a second part of me. Almost part of my consciousness. He has given me strength and helped me win several wars," he spoke, freeing one of his hands to stoke my cheeks gently, but his other arm remained around me in a steely grip.
"I see..." I breathed, still shocked.
"But I have tried to get rid of him in the past," He assured me. "I had seen a lot of mages. None of them succeeded. They all said that he is now permanently attached to my soul,"
"But still?" I pressed.
"I know," He nodded, "That's where Valdemerca's grimoire comes in. I wanted one of its chapters translated, but I lost the book," He told me. "Someone robbed the ship the book was in," I sucked in a breath, knowing well who he might be talking about. Even though it was still a mystery, I wouldn't be surprised if a certain high priestess had to do with that said robbery.
"After all this is over, I will find out who robbed me and make sure to make a perfect example out of them," He growled.
Oh boy.
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