Chapter 7: Possessed Dark Elf
Valor looked at the sleeping princess. Her face looked peaceful, with no traces of pain and sadness. Valor sat at the edge of the bed, still studying Lareia's features. Pointed nose, long black eyelashes, clear pale white skin, and flowing silver hair.
"Your beauty is truly bewitching... but your race is not." Valor caressed her left cheek, looking at her intently. "You're lucky that it is just a normal poison. With your weak body, no one would suspect me if I kill you. I should thank the one who poisoned you then."
Lareia's eyes swung open, tears forming around her beautiful orbs. "You really betrayed me? I expect that it was your brother, but it was unlikely of you. Tell me the reason, I'll help you if I can."
"Can you bring a dead person back?" He smiled bitterly. "You can't!" His smile widens as it becomes creepy, and he stared at her with eyes that lost their sparkle. He is not in the right state of mind.
"What do you mean? Explain to me and I'll know what to do!" Lareia tried to remain calm and respond in a way to possibly help him.
"Demons... demons poisoned the minds of utopians... They are the reason why our parents died! Why I am alone! You killed them! You killed them!" He lunged towards Lareia and grabbed her neck. Slowly tightening it while shaking it, he looked at her like a crazy man hungry for revenge.
Lareia gripped his hands tightly, trying to pull herself away from his clutches. The poison was still under effect, so she is particularly weaker at the moment and can't use her magic or brute force.
"Stop trying to fight and die! The poison will prevent you from absorbing mana, so you can't heal on your own or even use your filthy magic!" Lareia looked into his eyes that turned pitch black.
"He probably hated demons and got tricked by one. Losing his mind.. he is possessed," Lareia concluded inside her mind, thinking of how to escape at the same time.
"Many utopians died because of you... even humans. It's your fault! You ruled them! You made them kill my kind!" His grip tightens, Lareia can feel the air escaping her lungs.
She can feel her consciousness slowly slipping away when the door suddenly swung open. Several wolves came rushing in, Jake on the lead. They pulled Valor away from her and brought him out of the room. Lareia only sat on the bed, gasping for air as tears came strolling down from her orbs to the soft bed. Jake stared at her with a blank expression until we are the only ones left.
He appeared in front of Lareia in a blink of an eye and pulled her into an embrace. "I'm sorry... I failed to protect you. A maid led demons towards our hidden mansion and started possessing the maids and even my brother. It's my fault, I was too careless. Forgive me..." He hugged her so tight, worry, and regret in his voice. Lareia slowly patted his head to comfort him.
"Are you fine now?" He asked, pulling away and checking her neck. There are red marks left, but it's not that bad. "It's red. You need to get treated." He was about to stand when Lareia stopped him.
"The poison is still acting up. The only way for me to get rid of the poison... is devouring a human or other living creature. Nevermind it, I'll eventually heal after several days," she assured him but his face was still filled with worry.
"This won't do. We already got attacked. We managed to stop them, but they will surely come back. You need to get strong enough to travel, we are abandoning this mansion," He replied sternly.
"No. I will leave, all of you will stay. This is your home, not mine. I apologize for ruining your peace and will make sure that no demon will step foot in this place." Lareia was about to stand when Jake pinned him down the bed.
Jake looked at her, his face dead serious as he towers above her. His hands on each side of her head, while Lareia looked straight at his eyes, determination in it. Jake sighed then moved his head down to her left side. "I will stay with you, whether you like it or not," he breathed, sending shivers down her spine. Lareia was stunned with his words as a smirk crept from his lips.
"I didn't know you could make such a cute face. You're red as a tomato," he teased and moved away from her. Lareia turned and hid her face, pulling the blanket over her face. She kept hidden under the blanket for a while, still embarrassed of what happened earlier.
"You should take a bath and go out later. I'll go to visit my brother. I can provide you... the meal you need to recover, will you accept it?" He waited for Lareia's answer as he stands in front of the door.
"Give me some time, I'll give you my response later," she replied hesitantly. Jake sighed and left.
The moment the door made the clicking sound, Lareia abruptly sat up on the bed. She was panting, her face was crimson red. Lareia can feel the heat continuously rising up to her cheeks as images of Jake's face on top of her flashed in her mind. Heart beating rapidly, restlessly moving around the bed; she was clearly flustered.
"Argh!" She suddenly stopped in the middle of the room and ruffled her own hair. She gasped for air, as her blush slowly fades away. After calming down, she decided to take a bath.
The warm water helped her calm her nerves and tense muscles as her mind drift back to Jake's last words. "I can provide you... the meal you need to recover, will you accept it?" His words echoed in her mind, as she contemplates what to do.
Eating another creature is a first for her. Demons are being who grew stronger by devouring others, except for her. She has enough self-control and she can survive with normal human food. Her power grows with the number of creatures she kills and as she ages. A unique type of demon that any species can get close with, without the fear of getting consumed.
She kept pondering about Jake's offer as she dried her body and slipped another black medieval dress. It felt soft and comfortable, but she can't afford to relax at the thought of devouring a living person. She sat down in front of the mirror and combed her hair.
Stopping halfway from combing, she stared at her reflection. "You must do whatever it takes to help the utopian brothers and escape from death. You started this, so you must end it." Her eyes were full of resentment as tears formed. "No, I can't cry. I have to stop showing this weakness," she said to herself then continues combing her hair.
Reaching a conclusion, she stood up and wore her black, leather boots. Swinging the door open, she proudly walked down the corridor. A maid guided her to the detention room, where Valor is detained. It was located in the farthest room on the second floor.
When they arrived, Jake was waiting outside of the room, leaning on the wall beside the door. He looks up and smiled the moment he saw Lareia. "Still wearing black? Don't you like any other color?" he asked mockingly.
"Black is the second, most beautiful thing in the world, so why not? Is there a problem?" she answered nonchalantly, her eyes were void of emotion. Seeing this, Jake's smile fades away and he turned dead serious.
"Have you decided?"
"Yes." Lareia remained emotionless, but her heart was beating rapidly because of uneasiness. She is also confused about what causes this. Is it the fact that she will devour a living person for the first time, or is it because of the images flashing at the back of her mind every time she sees him? Whatever it is, she wants to get rid of them.
"It will arrive soon, don't worry. Devouring a human... won't be that bad. You will get used to it sooner or later," he assured her. Lareia only nodded, afraid that she might stutter.
"What's the situation inside?"
"It is confirmed that Valor is possessed. He is detained, but he will definitely try to break free once he saw you. Are you ready to meet him and try to remove the demon? It's all right if not, we can try it tomorrow." His voice was full of comfort and he tried to deliver it in a way that she won't feel any guilt.
"He won't get possessed if I didn't run into you. Don't worry, I have seen and experienced worse than this," she assured him, but it felt empty. Her eyes show no emotion and her voice was as cold as ever. Jake wants to know why she is acting like this, but he knew that this is not the right time.
The maid slowly opened the room, a dark fog greeted them. Having no clue of what's waiting for them inside, they stepped inside as the door slowly closed behind them.