Eden (Part IV)

IG Account: nyx_reveuse, for arts relating to the book ^.^!

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Eva didn't shut her eyes this time before they were swallowed by the roaring darkness. Her glossy ember orbs were fixated on him and so were his. The darkness didn't bother her. It was a part of him that she wondered why she felt comforted in. Maybe because she knew that a spot of the very same darkness resided in her as well?

The darkness wasn't suffocating like the one she had felt when she had been locked up. She felt safe around the dark, in his arms where she knew she would remain safe until he got tired of her or something happened that would force them apart once again.

The surroundings around them changed. The stars had vanished to be replaced with a beautiful ocean-blue sky. Clouds were scattered around the atmosphere as Theo lowered them to the ground and Eva took the opportunity to look away from him.

He slowly bent down, and she placed her feet on the ground leaving his warmth reluctantly. They weren't touching but she felt his presence behind her which was enough for her to take her time to survey the surroundings.

The artichoke green carpet looked soft and worn enough for her to confirm that it had been here since long ago. Where the carpet ended, wooden floors appeared which led to a spiral staircase that had her craning her neck to look where it ended.

Lowering her head, her eye caught sight of a few rooms, one of which's door was swung open to reveal a large-sized kitchen, able to fit at least a big family of 10 at once. And for some strange reason, the table counters were overflowing with flour and all sorts of containers. It seemed like a failed attempt to make something.

"These idiots..." Theo muttered from behind her and her eyes paused on a bookshelf as she slowly turned herself around and saw him look at her with a guilty and nervous expression.

Theodore.

The feared King of Xandria was looking at her as if he was expecting a scolding any time soon or disappointment from her side.

"Welcome to my home."

Eva's eyes widened a fraction before she stared at the structure of the building and realized she was most probably standing at a very great height considering the view from the window she was now receiving.

This was a whole city. A comfortable-looking home in a beautiful city and what had she expected? Dungeons? Jungles? Even more problems?

Morning sunlight streamed through the windows lining the front of the building. The ornately carved wood door before her was inset with fogged glass that peeked into a small antechamber and the actual front door beyond it, shut and solid against whatever city lurked beyond.

Her voice sounded far away as she asked, "What is this place?"

Theo leaned back against the back wall, carelessly sliding his hands in his pockets in a defenseless posture she had never seen him in.

"This is my real house. Well, I have a few of them in the city but this is the main one, the one in which you'll be staying for... a while," he concluded as if he wasn't sure that she would want to stay here after seeing the condition of the kitchen.

Eva nodded slowly, still examining some of the few articles that looked... comfortable in a house such as this. There were no maids or servants in sight like there were in the castle neither was there any shouting or danger like there was in the Court.

This home... seemed peaceful and happy and cherished. It felt like memories were made in each and every nook and cranny and a sudden desire rose in her to be part of those memories. Even one would do for now.

"No servants...?" she questioned with a jerk of the head to the kitchen and bit her lip to stop the smile that was arising when she saw him shift uncomfortably in his position.

"Two or three, only for cleaning purposes."

It took Eva a minute for her to find out what he meant. "You can cook!?" she asked in a half cry, half whisper. It seemed more like she had choked out the words instead of saying them.

He didn't answer as his eyes shifted to the glass door. Eva's neck twisted around and she saw two faint tall, burly figures standing outside the door.

"God, fricking open the door you ass." a deep, lazy male voice sounded throughout the room and the wooden door was knocked on with a loud thump.

Eva's brows narrowed as she turned to look at Theo with a question mark hovering above her head.

The corners of his lips inched up and he shook his head as if he was long used to this. "A few things or people I should warn you about beforehand."

"He better not be talking about us!" the same male voice invaded her ears but the next voice was deeper, huskier, and a little closer to Theodore's in matters of coldness.

"If you're going to pick a fight, do it outside."

"Says the one who dragged me here for some unknown reason I still don't know!" another thump on the door and Eva pressed her lips to stop herself from scoffing.

Now she was an unknown reason? Her eyes glared at Theodore who shrugged as if he wasn't the one she should be blaming.

"Ow! Why the hell did you smack me?"

"Shut up, you idiot."

Eva turned around once again, readying herself to ask a few questions but the look on his face stopped her.

There was such light in his eyes. It made him look … younger, somehow. More mortal. So at odds with the icy rage, she'd seen earlier when she had woken up after fainting...

"It's your choice but I'd like to alert you. The two fools outside the door are the ones who you'll find here along with Gwen and another woman, sometimes, even though they have their own houses to make a chaos in," he spoke and Eva could swear she saw his lips tug up again as both their eyes drifted off into the direction of the kitchen.

"He better not be talking bad about me to whoever is there inside!" shouted the male voice again and Eva smiled despite the shaking of her hands that resumed without a break.