8 The Deal

(From Ella's Perspective)

He walked too fast. I had to run alongside him, to keep up with his big strides. In this dreadful forest, I needed a place to stay. But I did not want to be a burden. I did not want to hear it again and again that I was nothing but a responsibility out of pity.

So, I wanted to make a deal with him in which both of us would be benefited. I was not sure if he would agree. But I knew that I needed to make him agree.

"So, tell me what you want. I'll get that for you. And you'll let me live with you," I said, keeping up with him.

"You can never get me what I want," he muttered, not looking at me. He hardly looked at me when I was talking. He only looked at me when he needed to know something from me. It was as if he did not want to hear what I was saying. But I knew he was listening. So, I did not mind.

"If you don't tell me what it is, then how can I get you that?"

"I want power. I want to rule over this world. Can you get that for me?" he asked, turning to face me as if he was certain I had tripped over my own words.

"Power? You want to rule over this world? Huh, only this! Of course, I can get that for you. I mean, I can help you at least," I said proudly.

"Do you think I'm joking?"

"No. Why would I? You are a power-hungry psychopathic villain and I'm going to help you. That's the thing. Well, I might be just a human and stuff like that. But trust me, if you tell me much about your world and your rivals, I'll find a way to help you," I said.

He stopped walking and looked at me, his dark eyes penetrating through me, his magnificent stature making me shake slightly.

"All right, I'll tell you, and then you'll have to work for me whether you like it or not. And only then I'll let you stay here," he said.

"Uh-huh," I said, nodding. "Let's go inside that cave of yours then. It feels weird to talk here. And besides, I need to get comfortable to think properly. Do you mind taking my backpack? It's heavy."

I shoved my backpack into his hands, just the way he had earlier thrown it on my lap, and began walking without waiting to observe his reaction. Thankfully, he carried it though I heard him hiss under his breath.

As we reached the cave, I saw that the door was not locked. He seemed as if he did not care if anyone went inside it. Things appeared to become more complex. Those creatures feared him. They fled the moment they saw him. And he did not lock his door. It was as if he was sure that no one would get inside. Something about him was a secret, or it might not be just one thing. A lot of things were secrets about him. I did not even know his name. What if he was more than what I was seeing?

We went inside and I felt the warmth of the room falling on my skin again, making me want to take a nap right away. But if I wanted to be in this place, I needed to persuade him to make a deal with me.

There was a chair that could easily fit two like me. I sat in the chair, and he sat on the bed, again dumping my backpack on my lap, although not as forcefully as before.

"Okay, so here's the deal... First, I need to learn more about you. Like first of all, what's your name?"

"There is no need to know that," he said.

"There is. Listen, we're making a deal. It means we're all on the same page. You know things about me and I know things about you. You don't disrespect me and I don't disrespect you. We don't have to be friends; we simply have to put up with each other. So first of all, what's your name?"

"Leandro Gregor," he replied.

"So, Leandro, you need to tell me about everything. At the very least, the information I require to help you. And please don't make it difficult for me. I know nothing about this world," I said.

"Let me tell you from the beginning and don't make me repeat myself," he said. "This world is known as the world of shadows, the world of darkness. Because there are monsters here. There are humans and there are shifters. Shifters can turn into another animal other than their human forms."

"Like anytime?"

"Yes. But sometimes they lose control when they are angry or something like that. And there are humans here as well. They are large in number, but as they are not as powerful as the shifters, they are not respected here much. They are used as servants and slaves."

"Slaves? You mean sex slaves?" I asked, horrified by the prospect.

"Yes and other things. Shifters rule over this world. It's not a big place, but a powerful one for sure. My family has ruled this earth since its inception, generation after generation."

"That means you are a shifter as well? You can turn into that weird-looking animal as well?" I asked, suddenly fearing what if he turned into that creature as well and try to eat me.

"That is where things begin. My entire family is capable of shifting into Orgades..."

"Those things are called Orgades?" I asked.

"Yes. And let me finish first. Don't interrupt," he said coldly. "All of my family members can shapeshift into them. But I never could. I'm something else. Something more devious, more powerful. They say that I am the devil itself."

"Wait! You are the monster, aren't you? That's how you just appeared in the place of the monster in an instant," I said enthusiastically.

"They call me the Beast. My brother Nicklaus set the people against me. Even though I am the rightful heir of the throne, he took it. He told the people about me and set me off the throne. And here I am, now living in a cave."

"So you want to reclaim your throne?" I asked, thinking deeply. "And I need to help you. Well, I think I can do something. You said that humans work as servants here, right?"

He nodded. "And there must be a castle, right?"

"My family lives in a castle. It's called the Black Palace," he said.

"Your family? You mean, your brother... is there anyone else?"

"My father as well. He plotted the people against me as well," he replied.

"Oh, that's sad. They must be evil or you are the evil one. But never mind. So, I will go to the palace and work as a servant there. And then I'll bring you the information. Kind of like a spy, you know," I said.

He let out a hollow laugh. "As if it's that easy! They won't take you as their servants if you ask them to. The servants that work there must be trustworthy."

"I am trustworthy. Well, you know what I mean. I'll find my way. So do you agree to the deal? I'll bring you information and you'll let me stay here."

"Only if you can first sneak into the castle as a servant, which I highly doubt," he remarked.

"Oh, I will. You just have to show me which way the castle is. I'll go there every morning and come back at night and then tell you about everything. So they are not going to eat me, right?"

"They don't eat humans. They kill them only."

"If I make a mistake?"

"You'll see. The deal that you are making is hard. But if you actually make the deal, then there is no turning back. You have to do what you're saying," he said in a warning tone.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to back down. So deal then?" I asked, holding out my hand.

For some reason, he appeared astonished. But then shook my hand. His grip was firm and his hand was rough. His hand was noticeably big in front of mine. But his grip felt safe as if he would keep me safe.

"So do you have a bathroom? I need to freshen up and change," I said.

He nodded and stood up. I followed him as he walked towards another door other than the front door. For some reason, I did not notice this door before. He pushed it open and I found myself in front of a study room. There was a table and a large leather chair in the center of the room. There were three bookshelves, each crammed with books.

I caught myself staring at the books as we passed past the study room. In the study room, he pushed open a door.

As I went inside, I saw what I did not expect at all. There was a hot water tub in the middle of the room. No, it was a pool. The whole place was gorgeous and inviting. One thing I was sure of was that I was going to have a great time here.