Chapter Twenty Six

Aerilyn

The image of Bastian’s lifeless form was ingrained in her mind. She had tried to erase the image, but each time she closed her eyes she could see the blood pouring from his nostrils. He was dead. The sweet quiet boy that had held her hand as they both stepped beyond the wall of Orissia. She could still feel the warmth of his power as he had healed her after the hound attack. Bastian had shown her compassion before he truly even knew her. He was gentle in a way nobody else was. Her heart ached at the loss of her companion.

When Everett had finally fallen asleep, Aerilyn slipped out of his arms. Every time she tried to sleep, she was now plagued with death that she’d never experienced before leaving Orissia. She felt like the food within her stomach was going to return up her throat any moment. She didn’t know where she was heading when she pulled a cloak over her plum nightgown and slid her feet into a pair of flats. She was careful with each movement, not wanting to wake Everett’s sleeping form. Aerilyn wandered through the dark hallways that she still had barely come to understand. The twists and turns of the palace were unknown to her, but she did know how to locate the one other person that she wanted to see at that moment.

Aerilyn slammed her palm down onto the large wooden door before her more harshly than she had intended to. The only sound in the darkness was footsteps that got louder as they approached. As the door swung open, she was met with the familiar scent and green eyes. Azazel’s face was void of emotion, as usual, his lips pressed into a tight line. Before he could speak, she pushed past him into the room slamming her fists into his chest.

“How could you, Azazel? What the hell happened today? You have so much to explain to me-” she began, the anger coming out in her tone. She could remember his voice within her mind, begging her to listen to him. She never had expected to see the king plead with anyone, but he had pleaded with her. Her thoughts were cut off at the sight of a small girl in a long white nightgown moving to hide behind Azazel. Aerilyn couldn’t hide her surprise at the sight of the girl standing before her. She had the same piercing green eyes as Azazel, but her hair was jet black. Their features were all too similar, they had to be siblings.

“Aerilyn… This is my sister, Rosette,” he spoke cautiously, giving her a look that told her to keep herself in check. She had come to his room in hopes of answers but realized the information of a younger sister might be a bit more valuable. “Rose, this is my friend Aerilyn,” he introduced the girl to her. She couldn’t be more than ten years old. The innocence in her expression made Aerilyn feel a pang of jealousy. She wished she could return to her innocence.

“You have friends? A friend that is a girl?” The small voice squeaked, pulling laughter out of Aerilyn. The comment alone made her feel a bit of comfort. She had been worried she’d scared the girl with her sudden outburst at such a late hour. “I have friends, Rose. This one is just a bit difficult to handle. Do you mind going back to your room? I can come to find you once Aerilyn and I have our conversation,” he smiled at the girl, roughing up the hair on her head. “But I want to talk to her too. I want to make new friends,” Rose whined, a pout plastered on her face. Aerilyn wanted to speak up, but she found herself silent in the awkwardness of the situation.

“Rose, this isn’t a conversation that you want to be involved in. It’s all boring talk about adult things,” he made a face that made Aerilyn press her lips together to hide the growing smile. “I don’t care. I don’t want to leave,” she whined, crossing her arms over her chest. The face that the girl gave him mixed with the change in Azazel’s expression made Aerilyn see a weakness in the man who hadn’t been there before. The sister was his soft spot. The man she’d seen previously was nothing like the one she looked at now. His anger was absent, his carelessness was replaced with a compassion she didn’t know he was capable of.

“Fine, you can stay but only for a little while. You need to get to bed,” he sighed, finally giving in to the girl’s pleas. A wide smile grew on Rose’s face, quickly rushing to grab Aerilyn’s hand. She couldn’t hide her surprise as the small child’s hand latched into hers and began to tug her deeper into the room. “We were just having tea. I hope you like tea because it’s my favorite and I’ll be willing to share with you,” she began to ramble before plopping down on a large black velvet couch. Aerilyn wearily sat down beside Rose as the girl began to pat the spot beside her. “I do enjoy tea. It’s so kind of you to share with me, Rose,” she forced a smile at the girl as she felt the presence of Azazel joining them. He sat down in the armchair across from them as Rose began to pour a cup of tea for Aerilyn. He shot a glare at Aerilyn when the child wasn’t looking, giving her a small shake of his head. She realized that it was the first moment that she was holding power over the king. The realization gave her a bit of hope that she hadn’t had before walking into that room.

“Why are you friends with my brother? He’s so grumpy and you seem nice,” the little girl spoke as she handed Aerilyn the small porcelain cup. She accepted the drink with a small snort as his sister exposed him for his attitude. “I’m not grumpy, Rose. I just have to be stern with people or they’ll never listen. I’m the king after all,” he tried to defend himself. “Blah blah, king stuff. You’re still grumpy,” she crossed her arms over her chest with a small eye roll. “He is pretty grumpy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile” Aerilyn finally spoke into the conversation, keeping her attention completely on Rose. She was afraid that if she made eye contact with Azazel at that moment he would be giving her a terrifying glare.

The comment she had made caused Rose to return a small giggle. The smile on the girl’s face was precious. Aerilyn found it hard to imagine that the two people before her were related. “Are you going to be his girlfriend? I think he needs one of those. Maybe he’d be happier if he had someone to love besides me,” Rose blurted. Aerilyn’s cheeks flushed at the comment, not once considering that the king of Korth could be lonely. He could easily have any girl in the kingdom, but he was too moody for anyone to want to stick around. “Rose…” Azazel’s tone changed as he growled the warning. “No, Rose. I’m not going to be his girlfriend. Your brother and I are just friends,” she tried to shut the conversation down, but the girl only looked disappointed. “That’s so sad. You would be such a pretty queen,” Rose was giggling again, hiding a hand over her mouth as she did. It was adorable in every sense.

“Rosie, I think it’s bedtime. There are some things Aerilyn and I need to talk about. It’s much too late for a kiddo like you to be awake,” Azazel stood from the armrest and moved towards the girl. He held out a hand towards her and she let out a whine before taking his hand. “At least tuck me in,” she gave him little doe eyes that would make anyone’s heart melt. He nodded his head without hesitation before shooting Aerilyn a glare. “Don’t move. I’ll be back,” he spoke and the warning in his voice was enough to make a shiver run down her spine. She set down the cup of tea that she hadn’t taken a single sip of before she saw the girl move towards her. “Can you come with us? I want you to tuck me in too,” she reproduced the same doe eyes at Aerilyn. She wanted to decline the offer, but she couldn’t help giving in. The girl didn’t seem to have a female figure in her life. She hadn’t heard about the queen of Korth or seen the royals’ mother.

Aerilyn lifted her gaze to Azazel’s for permission. She wasn’t sure why she did so. He clenched his jaw before he slowly nodded his head once. “Of course I’ll come,” she smiled at Rose and the girl beamed with excitement. She grabbed Aerilyn’s hand as she stood from the couch. She followed behind the child, letting her lead her towards her bedroom. When they left Azazel’s room, Rose’s was directly across the hallway. It made sense that he kept his sister so close to him. She was obviously extremely important to the king.

When they entered the room, Aerilyn was in awe. She’d never seen such an elaborately decorated bedroom before. It was all colored in a soft lavender purple, giving it a warm feeling that she’d never experienced. It felt like a home. She had a large bed with four tall posts that had curtains draped over the edges. It was the room of a princess, to say the least. Rose ran ahead of them, jumping into the bed as she wiggled under the covers. Azazel was close behind her, pulling the covers up to her chin. Aerilyn stood awkwardly at the end of the bed, watching the moment between the two.

“Goodnight, my sweet Rose,” he placed a kiss on the top of his sister’s head. The kindness he displayed caused Aerilyn’s heart to ache. He stepped away from the bed, glancing over at Aerilyn. “Your turn,” Rose called out, pulling Aerilyn back to reality. She moved around to the edge of the bed and leaned down to the girl. She kissed the top of her head as Azazel had done, a warmth filling her. It brought her back to when her mother used to kiss her goodnight. Before she could pull away, she felt small arms wrap around her neck in a tight hug. The action surprised Aerilyn, but she quickly returned the hug. She squeezed the small frame of the child, rubbing her hands over her hair to smooth it out. “Goodnight, little flower,” she whispered against the girl's hair, giving her a nickname that her mother had called her. She let go of Rose before she stood, nodding once to Azazel as they both exited the bedroom.

“What the hell was that?” Azazel’s voice snapped the moment they were out of earshot of the bedroom. “I- She asked and I didn’t know what to do. I’m sorry. I didn’t know she even existed,” Aerilyn felt her cheeks get hot with frustration. “Little flower? You acted as if you cared for her. Rose is sensitive and I don’t need her getting attached to you. Stay away from the child,” the anger in his voice only seemed to grow. “I didn’t mean any harm, Azazel. It won’t happen again,” she sighed as she gave in to his words. It was an argument that she would never win. Submission was much easier than dealing with an angry king.

“Why are you showing up at my bedroom door in the middle of the night?” Azazel’s entire demeanor changed as he tilted his head to stare at her. She took a step away from him, feeling uncomfortable under his predatory gaze. “I’d rather not talk about this now. It was a mistake,” she bit her bottom lip, trying to find an excuse to get away from him. She wanted to confront him, but she knew he was already angry. “Then let's get you back to your room. I need to make sure you’re not wandering off during the night,” he sighed, running his hands through his hair.

Aerilyn was silent as she walked beside Azazel. His presence spoke for itself. She wasn’t sure what was going through the man’s mind. She was reminded of why she had come looking for Azazel so late in the night. Remembering the events of the day made her fists clench and a wave of anger rushed over her. She knew two things for certain: Bastian was dead and Azazel was responsible for his death. She slowed her pace, letting Azazel’s long strides carry him a few feet in front of her. She felt the weight of her dagger on her thigh and let her fingertips curl around the hilt. She only had one chance for this and knew she couldn’t fuck it up. Aerilyn drew the dagger and threw the entirety of her body weight into the man from behind. If Azazel had seen her actions coming, she knew he would’ve easily been able to fight her off. The unexpected attack gave her a small advantage over him.

The two tumbled to the floor, hitting the stone harder than she’d intended. She landed on top of the man, her weight pressing down on him as she straddled his back. She grabbed a fistful of his white locks, tugging his head back as she pressed her blade to his throat. Her chest rose and fell quickly from the actions, trying to regain control over her breathing. A small chuckle escaped the man below her, but he did not attempt to move away from her grasp.

“What do you think you’re doing, little doll?” Azazel’s deep voice made a shiver run down her spine. “Why did you do it?” She growled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he tried to play it off which only sparked more frustration within the girl. “Don’t play dumb Azazel. You were in my head. You helped me, but you let one of my friends die. You killed Bastian. You killed the man who saved my life,” Aerilyn’s voice broke as the stream of words came falling from her lips. She pressed the blade harder against his throat, feeling a small drop of blood hit her hand as she broke the skin.

“I did no such thing. You all agreed to these trials. I cannot save your friends when they fail to meet the task given. We made a deal, I’m only upholding my end of the bargain. Which might I remind you that you have failed to do,” she could hear the arrogance in his tone. “You’re a monster!” She cried, the emotions beginning to consume her. The dagger in her hand was capable of slitting his throat, but the king of Korth made no attempts to fight her hold. She knew he could escape her easily, but he didn’t think she’d do it. That thought only made her want to go through with harming the man.

“If you want to see a monster, Aerilyn, I can show you just how terrible I can be.”

Aerilyn felt the threat in his words as his body seemed to tense beneath her. “Don’t fucking move,” she snapped, pressing the blade tighter. “I will end you right now,” she gave him her threat. Azazel laughed, the deep sound was almost as beautiful as it was evil. “Little do you know I’m into this doll. I find having a blade pressed to my skin incredibly sexy, especially when it’s you wielding the dagger,” he hummed, his words vibrating through her.

It all happened so fast, she couldn’t process it.

Within a second, Azazel had her knife in his hand. He rolled them over so that her back was pressed into the stone before he straddled over top of her. His eyes narrowed at her as a small smirk played on his lips. One of his hands captured hers and pinned them above her head. She tried to wiggle from his grasp before she felt the prick of the blade against her jaw. “The question is… Are you?” He lowered his face to hers, running the side of the blade along her cheek. There was a devilish look in his eyes, the same one that had been there when he waved the antidote in front of her. He enjoyed playing with her life and his expression showed just that. “I could cut you up into a million little pieces. I could drain every drop of blood from your body with little effort. But that would be such a waste…” he trailed off, his eyes running over her as he dragged the blade further down her body. Aerilyn didn’t move as she felt the tip of the dagger run down her throat and down the valley between her breasts. “Get the fuck off of me, Azazel,” she hissed, shooting him a glare.

Aerilyn wanted to scream for help, but she knew help wouldn’t come at this hour of the night. She debated trying to summon the light that had erupted from her the last time she was in danger. It was a possibility, but she was also afraid of the damage it may cause to her own body. “I like you in this position. Completely under my control. One little slip and I could end you. Oh, how the roles have reversed,” he continued to run the blade down to her belly button before he dragged it back up the same path. She jerked her body, trying to pull her wrists from the hold he held on them. He clicked his tongue and shook his head at her attempt to escape. “Don’t make me hurt you, love. As much as I like watching you squirm, I’m quite angry. You drew blood on me and ruined my shirt,” he challenged, anger flashing in his eyes. She almost laughed at the thought of the man being angered by a ruined shirt. He was a king. He could afford plenty of shirts.

“What do you want from me?” Aerilyn clenched her jaw, trying to hold back any other words that threatened to escape her mouth. “I want you to get me more information from your prince. You’re only alive because you’re useful to me. If you don’t get me the information you’ll no longer have use and may just find yourself dead in the last little game. I will break you, Aerilyn. Do not cross me again. You will find that next time I won’t be so pleasant,” he lowered his face to hers, dropping the dagger as his hand squeezed around her throat. She tried to breathe, but her airway was completely cut off. She struggled against him, kicking her legs violently. Her cheeks got hot as she began to see black dots clouding her vision. She felt like she was on the verge of losing consciousness.

Azazel loosened his hold at just the right moment, allowing the air to flow back into her lungs. She coughed hard as he moved off of her chest, allowing her to sit up as she struggled to regain air. “Just remember that your life is in my hands. I own you now, little doll. I can take your life away that easily,” he bit his lower lip as he pushed himself to his feet, his eyes roaming over the entirety of her body. “Now go back to your prince and warm his bed. I’m sure he’s missing his whore. Use that pretty body of yours to get me what I want,” he gave her a wink before he turned on his heel and left her alone in the dark hallway. She continued to claw at her throat, gasping for air. His words echoed through her mind as she grabbed her dagger, debating chasing after him. Her hatred for the man only seemed to grow as she watched him walk away without a care in the world. As if he didn’t just threaten her life.