14 The Devil's Cry

Instead of bringing Andrei to the hospital, his men brought him to the castle where I tended his wounds. The family doctor came soon and referred him to the nearest hospital but Andrei was adamant ... which was even sweeter.

"Doctor, how is he?" I asked the elderly doctor.

"I am not sure. He needs to be x- rayed for any fracture or contusion," he replied. I nodded.

"Why don't we bring him to the hospital?" I asked, sounding convincing.

The doctor shrugged. "Probably doesn't want his mom to know about it."

I turned to him, my eyes were asking for more answers. But he kept his lips tight and his eyes were evasive.

"Crazy," I whispered. The doctor chuckled.

"I told him the same thing. Anyway, just get him ready. I will arrange a secret check-up for him at dawn. I already talked to his men and a car will pick him up around 3 am," he said before hastily leaving. I knew something's up

and he just didn't want to talk about it.

The following morning, his wife arrived right after Andrei was brought back from the hospital. I wasn't allowed to get out so they locked me up to make sure that I won't escape.

There was no expression of remorse or grief on his wife's face. As matter of fact, there was even a glint of happiness despite her profused crying.

"Crocodile tears!" I thought. "Your color is becoming apparent, darling! Can't wait to see your anger."

"Can I join you?" I asked. She was sitting alone beside a glass window, overlooking the deep ravines covered in snow.

"Sure," she replied without even bothering to turn. I sat next to her. I lit my cigarette and puffed the smoke, creating an "O".

"Want one?" I asked, offering a pack of cigarettes. She took one.

"How can you live like this?" I whispered. She turned to me and smirked.

"Why do you even care?" she growled.

"I don't. I'm just curious. I mean, Andrei seemed not to love you anymore, yet you stick around like a complete idiot," I replied.

"Idiot? As if you never looked at yourself in the mirror," she smirked, glancing at the bruise on my neck. I didn't bother to hide it. What's the point? Everyone knew anyway.

"Point taken," I chuckled.

She sighed, "No one can satisfy him. Not me, not you. His heart already belonged to someone and we are just his past time. Someone he can use anytime. Someone who he can vent his frustration and lust."

"So, you knew about that woman? Did he tell you about her?" I asked, angling for more information.

"Nope. I just heard it from his servants," she replied. "He beat me up when I asked him about her. I was just lucky to escape from his grip. Had I not ran away, my body would have been burnt in an acid bath," she added casually. It seemed like abuse became a part of her life that she just didn't care about it anymore.

I was utterly horrified. Andrei was completely evil. I felt sorry for that woman. She seemed so nice yet Andrei exploited her. I could imagine the horrific things she went through and that made me more determined to make him pay.

"If you're thinking about why I never left him, he isn't the devil. He's a victim of the real evil... his mom. She groomed him to be like her."

"What do you mean?"

"She homeschooled Andrei. She taught him not academic things but how to manipulate people around him. At an early age, she exploited her children, sending Andrei to a concentration camp. There, Andrei became insane. He was sexually abused, tortured, and coerced to drink different aphrodisiac concoctions to drive him even crazier."

I gasped. She laughed as she puffed. "She is fucking abusive! If satan is his father, she is his wife! The master of her craft," she told theatrically.

There was a long silence. I didn't know what to say. Literally, my brain ran out of words. That could explain Andrei's mood swings and temper. We talked for a couple of hours more before she left without even saying goodbye to her husband.

It's been a week and neither of Andrei's mom nor his wife visited him. Which wasn't odd, given their already peculiar relationships. And Andrei finally woke up like a brand new man. It's as if he was possessed by some kind of an angel because his demeanor changed. That cold stare he had was all gone. He was smiling a lot. But, I didn't fall for it I always knew that Andrei was evil and would always be.

"Why are you doing this?" Andrei asked, horrified by the scene. I grinned. "Allondrah, untie me! This is not funny anymore!"

He was paralyzed from his waist down. And I took the opportunity to play with him. Andrei was riding in his wheelchair and I pushed him towards the Execution Room and I locked the door.

"Allondrah, what are you doing?" he asked nervously. I saw his hands tremble in anxiety. "Allondrah!"

"My name is not Allondrah, never was. It was a made-up name as part of my plan," I giggled. His eyes were full of confusion. "My name real name is Madeline Novich. Does it ring a bell?"

"I don't understand," he said.

"Hah! Poor... poor memory!" I snarled. "That's alright! Let me refresh your memory," I continued as I walked towards him with the whip in my hand. His eyes widen by the sight of it. He jolted and immediately closed his eyes when I whipped the leather sofa.

"Allondrah, please stop. You're frightening me!" he said.

"Andrei, baby. I thought you love this?" I thought you enjoy it?" I teased as he pushed his wheelchair away, dodging every lash I made.

"Please! This is crazy," he whimpered, burying his face on his palms. "Baby, I... don't do this. You're scaring me! Please!"

I stopped. I put down the whip and pushed him outside the room, still sobbing like a shit scared baby.