Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the amount of views and votes I received on the previous chapter! I totally appreciate it :) I hope you guys enjoy this chapter because I had a ton of fun writing it!
Song: Dark Star x Jaymes Young
"Love doesn't discriminate between the sinner and the saints...it takes and it takes and it takes. But we keep loving anyway." ~Hamilton
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Although my newfound identity wasn't bringing me any good news, I was on cloud nine. In the midst of my bleak situation laid the minuscule yet steady light of love and hope. My friends rejoiced in the announcement that me and Angelo are together. He was everything I've dreamed of having by my side. The hypnotic and kind hazel eyes I fell in love with, his understanding personality, and his warm embrace made me feel safer than ever before.
I never expected to always forgive Angelo easily when it comes to his secrets and lies. Perhaps this was what being enamored with him is like.
Since Daemon came into my life, I've forgotten that God would never leave my side since he gave me Angelo to protect and love me.
Daemon had succeeded in removing the light within me when he imprinted his mark into my soul and declared its doom. However, the love I felt for my best friend and the close knit friendship I had, brought me so much hope that it gave me incentive to continue playing Daemon's game.
After my friends decided to leave after staying in my small apartment for many hours, I visited my father at the hospital and spoke to him about my day, my hopes for him to wake up and the things that happened recently although I knew deep inside, he wouldn't be able to hear a word that I'm saying because his soul wasn't in this world.
I took the bus ride from the hospital and gazed into the starless sky of LA. Pollution masked the once radiant moon that shed its light over the city. Once I arrived, I took off my jacket and went inside my parents' room where my mother laid in bed to kiss her goodnight.
Walking back to my room, I noticed the seemingly innocent bouquet of blue roses Daemon gave me on my wooden desk. I've forgotten that they were there since Summer's death and her funeral.
None of the buds or the silky petals have dried up and died even after weeks of neglect. The untainted roses reminded me of the pressure and heartache Daemon brought me that I grabbed the flowers from its vase with the thorns piercing the palm of my hand and threw it in the trash can next to my desk. Putting the roses out of my mind, I decided to continue reading through the book Angelo gave me about my identity.
I laid on my stomach and crossed my ankles behind me while resting my chin on the palm of my hand. Reviewing what I have learned recently, everything about me from head to toe was desired by both Heaven and the Nether Realm.
"Daemon wants to eat your heart and throw your useless body to the creatures of the Nether Realm." I remembered Angelo's words causing me to shiver and wince in fear from the memory. I remembered the wishes my friends and I have left from the apples we ate and decided against suggesting them to my friends to use. The last time we utilized them, Daemon found a way to threaten the lives of the people I cared about.
Flipping through the pages of Fructus Est Nuptialis, I learned about the five levels of the Nether Realm which reminded me so much of Dante Alighieri's Inferno which had nine, instead of five levels in Hell. The book described each horror of the first four levels of the Nether Realm and how each soul is sent to each level depending on the gravity of their sins when they were alive.
However, not everything was all doom and gloom in the Nether Realm. In the fifth level, also known as the Empyrean fields, lived Daemon in his wicked glory and his obedient followers that served him when they were alive. The Empyrean fields mimicked most of Heaven's glamour and buildings except for the rubies, diamonds, and so much more gems that paved the roads of the Nether Realm.
Although the Nether Realm may have its precious and rare gems to offer, it will never beat the beauty of Heaven, I thought.
Unlike the Nether Realm, Heaven had nothing to offer but purity and goodness to the souls that entered through its gleaming pearly gates. The streets were paved with gold and mansions lined the streets as the souls that lived there basked in the never-ending warm daylight that Heaven offered.
After reading for awhile, I decided to take a hot shower and prepare myself for bed. Once I finished taking a shower, I did my usual routine of drying my hair, brushing my teeth, and moisturizing my face. After finishing my routine of getting ready for bed, I realized I forgot to bring in my clothes to change.
Wrapping my rough maroon towel around my body, I stepped out of the bathroom and screamed my lungs out when I saw Daemon lounging lazily on my tiny bed with one arm behind his head and reading the book I left on my bed. His cheshire cat grin grew when he saw me gripping my towel closer to my body.
"Shhh, you might wake up your mother. We wouldn't want that, do we?" he winked.
I nodded silently before I found my old teddy bear tucked in the crook of his arm making him less intimidating and carefree. This time, he was wearing a crimson shirt and dark pants that emphasized his muscular torso and broad shoulders. How odd, I thought to myself. Daemon usually wears black every time I see him. Did he actually listen to my weak insult about him wearing black all the time? I shook the thought away because I know Daemon could care less about what I think about him.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him, my voice cold and crossing my arms against my chest. Because of him, my best friend died. I tried to cool down the rage that bubbled in my chest when I saw him.
"Checking to see how you're doing, of course." he replied easily as he flipped a page from Fructus Est Nuptialis.
"You've been watching me since I was child, wouldn't you know by now that I'm not okay?" I snapped. I couldn't believe that he'd think I'll be okay after he murdered my best friend!
"This book is obviously biased against the Nether Realm." he tsked as he ignored my reply. "But I'm glad you've been eager to learn about your future home." he smiled tilting his head towards my direction.
"Why didn't you like the roses?" Daemon asked curiously. He obviously saw them in the trash.
I sighed ignoring his question, I just wanted another night of dreamless sleep and Daemon showed up here again. "When are you going to get through your thick skull that I'm never going to be yo—" I paused. As I put the pieces together, I realized that Daemon had something to do with the book finding its way to my possession.
I glared at him before walking towards my bed and snatching the book and my beloved teddy bear from his clutches.
"Leave." I told him, my voice crisped. I was feeling confident and strong until I saw Daemon's azure eyes turned scarlet his perfect face crumpling into a frown from my order.
In a blink of an eye, the back of my head slammed against the wall of my room. Letting out a groan and slowly opening my teary eyes, Daemon was fuming as he towered over my petite frame.
"Do not tell me what to do." he said slowly, his voice low and dangerous. I let out a yelp when he gripped a fistful of my wet hair and brought my face closer to his. "I'm sure you already know that you belong to me since the day you were born. Don't act as if you have every advantage to this game since you've won twice."
"I don't," I said gritting my teeth, "How could I when you killed my best friend?" I replied.
"Your friend died because she wasn't strong enough to face her fear. Those are the rules of the game, surely you would know that." Daemon said as he tightened his grip on my hair to the point I know he would be pulling strands from my scalp.
"Ahh..." I winced in pain as tears threatened to fall from the sharp pain on my head. I placed both my hands on his chest to try and lessen the pain. The second my hands touched his chest, Daemon's face softened and his once crimson eyes faded to his previous blue orbs.
He removed his grip from his hair and placed his arm above my head. "Why must you be so stubborn? Why couldn't you just surrender to me?" he asked exasperatedly.
"I will never surrender because I'm going to win the game with my friends and I'll do anything to get away from you." I answered simply, looking at him dead in the eye.
"This is what I love about you the most, my love. You're so determined to have your way." Daemon said letting out a small laugh. I frowned because I couldn't keep up with his change in mood.
"But so do I, and I'll do anything in my power to have you, one way or another." he added his tone serious.
My eyes widened in fear as I realized what he was implying. "Why couldn't you understand that I love someone else?" I said desperately.
Daemon's expression darkened with jealousy when I said these words. However, in a blink of an eye, this expression disappeared into his signature smirk as if his previous one never existed.
"You mean, you love my stupid brother?" he asked incredulously before he let out a sarcastic laugh.
"He can never protect you like I could when the time comes!" Daemon growled in jealousy.
"What do you mean?" I asked him, confused.
"You already found out about your origins didn't you? I'm sure you'll find the answer to your question if you asked my feeble brother. After all, if you love someone, there would be no secrets between the two of you, right?" Daemon said in a tone that implied he knew something that I don't.
"I'm sure I will, Daemon." I said with certainty causing him to sigh, his warm breath grazing my upper lip.
"The darkness isn't so bad, Celeste," he said, touching my cheek with his chilled fingers. "It doesn't discriminate like I do because I'll accept you for who you are. Would Angelo do the same thing for you?"
I didn't answer Daemon's question because his words confused me. My silence only caused Daemon to continue to speak.
"You should get dressed," he said his voice low, "before I lose control seeing you like that."
I looked down and I noticed that the only thing that's preventing Daemon from seeing my entire body was the flimsy towel wrapped around it. When I lifted my head again to face him, Daemon was gone leaving me alone cold and confused.
After I finished getting dressed, I jumped into bed exhausted. I lifted the comforter and pulled it up to my chin. My room was shrouded in darkness reminding me of the evil that may prowl and hide within the shadows. Although this irrational fear of mine prevented me from going to sleep, I found my eyelids closing as I surrendered to the beckoning of slumber.
"Wake up, Celeste."
Hi guys! I hope you liked this chapter! :D Please don't forget to vote and comment what you think! I'll see you all on Wednesday :) If you guys want to be the first ones to see when there's a new update for Enamored, please don't forget to follow me!
Xoxo,
Angelique <3