33

Scarlett finally slept off for real after listening to Damon's explanations about a lot of things Black and Silva couldn't make out in words individually, it seemed this whole merge was a plus on her side and it was definitely useful in her plight to gain the throne back. She liked them as Black and Silva but if it meant having the power to get the throne back for her family then why not make the most out of all that power.

When she woke up, she changed her shirt and wore a pair of joggers and then she left for training. There was not a single sound in the clearing when she arrived meaning no one was there, she waited a little while but Seth was still yet to arrive at the clearing.

***

A woman with raven black hair and beautiful hazel eyes walked out of Gallus' mansion as Scarlett walked in. She smiled softly at Scarlett and walked away. Scarlett couldn't help notice the resemblance between Eliza and the woman who just passed by. She thought about following the woman so she could find out who she was but just as she was about to teleport, Seth materialized in front of her.

"You're meant to be at the clearing," Seth said almost in a whisper. The usual storm that brewed in his ice blue eyes was calm for the first time since she'd met him.

"Who is she?" Scarlett asked ignoring him. Seth as well ignored her question and in an instant, they were both at the clearing and he had his dagger buried deep in her chest. A low grunt escaped her throat as her back collided with a tree with the dagger in her chest, she tried to escape from Seth's grasp but he held her firmly. She closed her eyes and let out a firm breath and when she opened them, they were black and red.

She managed a safe distance away from him before she pulled the dagger out and attacked him with swift and calculative movements but Seth was precise and within seconds, Scarlett's clothes were ripped and blood dripped from her body but there were surprisingly no wounds. She knew she'd felt the blade of his dagger on her skin and inhaled the scent of her own blood but she couldn't find even a single bruise on her body.

Seth watched as her wounds healed immediately his dagger lost contact with her flesh, he couldn't find the right words to describe it, could it be that they were actually…? As she was about to land another attack on him, he swiftly plunged his dagger into her shoulder and another in her lower abdomen. Scarlett groaned and fell to the ground while trying to catch her breath. She pulled the two daggers buried inside her out while groaning in pain and flung them at him. She put her palm over her shoulder and the wound was…fucking healed!? Her hand flew to her abdomen and there was barely even a scar.

"What the fuck is that dagger made of?" Seth ignored her and attacked her again, she barely managed to escape it but she was pissed, her black and red eyes glistened as a silver spark flashed across her eyes and then just like the first time it happened, she lost control of herself again and by the time she regained control, Seth was trapped beneath her legs and her dagger was plunged deep in his chest yet inches away from his heart. He sat up while still trapped beneath her legs making her straddle him; he stared into her eyes that slowly returned to its beautiful grey color. He lifted his hand to her face and tucked a loose red strand of hair behind her ear.

He held the hilt of the dagger as he continued to stare into her eyes. Scarlett was just as lost in his eyes as he was in hers; she struggled with herself to tear her gaze from his. He pulled the dagger out of his chest groaning and threw his head back in pain. Scarlett quickly got up from him, finally realizing she had almost killed him as she ran her fingers through her hair in a frustrating manner.

"You won't die right?" she asked as she stared down at him. Seth chuckled and arched a brow at her. He couldn't deny she looked kind of adorable looking frustrated.

"Do I look like I'm dying?" he asked and she nodded.

"You're not healing," she said. "And I stabbed your heart," he glanced at his bleeding chest and looked back up at her.

"You were barely inches away from it," he groaned and got up to continue their training but he fell back due to a sharp pain that shot up his thigh. That was when he finally realized the dark dagger in his thigh.

"I…that has a mind of its own," he sighed and pulled it out and then he was gone.

"What may I asked happened to you?" Kieran's voice made Seth realize he's been in the same room with Kieran ever since he materialized on the couch a bloody not healing mess.

"How bad is it?"

"Ask that again…you have a dagger-shaped hole in your chest and thigh and you wonder how bad it is?" Seth stayed quiet. Kieran stared at him knowingly, what else could make a shade prince as powerful as the mighty Seth bleed without healing? "You've found her haven't you?" he paused. "The only one who can kill you?"

"And the one only I can save from death,"

***

It's been exactly three nights since she'd stabbed Seth in the chest, she'd been coming to the clearing to see if she'd find him but he never showed. This was the fourth night and just as she was about leaving, she sensed Seth's presence.

"How bad is it?" she asked without turning to look at him. She could still smell the scent of his blood which meant that wound was nowhere near healed. He didn't reply so she turned to him. He had a bandage round his torso that had a red blotch in the centre, she knew that was where she had injured him and there was no way she was going to fight someone who she could easily put to eternal sleep if she fought with her full strength. "We can call it a night, you're injured," he stayed quiet yet Scarlett knew better than trust such silence, she was one who enjoyed that type of silence but she couldn't decipher his, his was different, she couldn't understand what he wanted. Majestic black wings with ashen horns grew from his back and he took off graciously. Scarlett's gaze remained transfixed on his figure as he shrunk the farther and higher he flew. "My blood can heal you," she said.

"I won't drink your blood,"

"I never wanted to offer you my blood in the first place but seeing that your wound isn't healing and I need a teacher to master the arts of the dagger, I can't have you dead,"

"You'll have to force me,"

"With all due pleasure," he smirked at her as her eyes turned red. Black wings grew from her back and she took off with such grace and force, a crater appeared on the ground. Seth managed to dodge the attack she lunged at him but Scarlett wasn't ready to give him any breathing space, she would make him drink her blood even if it meant incapacitating him to do it. She attacked him with her daggers, Seth dodged her attack and pushed her back, he turned to attack her but she was gone. He closed his eyes and tried to pinpoint where she was but when he did; her fist already collided with his jaw and her knee in his stomach pushing him to the ground. "You're stronger and faster by all means yet this wound is making it quite easy to finish you off, let me heal you Seth," Scarlett pleaded as she pushed him back to the ground. "This is not a fair fight,"

"It never was," he smirked. Her brows furrowed at his words. What?

"I can practically kill you right now, just drink it,"

"Why hesitate?" Scarlett stilled for a moment, she could kill him, yes but why did she find it difficult? There were other people who could teach her the art of the dagger why did she want Seth to be her teacher? Why not finish him off and just find someone else? It's not like he's irreplaceable. Seth used her momentary black out to try and escape her hold. He grabbed her neck and tried to snap it but Scarlett regained herself just before he could do that and kneed him harder this time, he spat out blood as he fell to the ground faster and harder on the crater Scarlett had created and it enlarged. Scarlett adjusted her hair to the side and leaned down on him.

"I need your help to get into the royal castle and my family's throne back, you're the only Grey brother who's actually willing to help me, David will do nothing but ignore me and Gal…well he'll look out for me and call me a kid," Scarlett said. "But you Seth, you may call me Reckless but you're still helping me which means I owe you a favor, don't get me wrong, me making sure you don't die right now is the favor I owe you for training me, the favor I'm talking about is the one you get for helping me get that seal…and for all of this to happen, I need you alive and not dead…now drink up,"

"This is…a bad idea," Seth choked before finally sinking his fangs into her neck.

'I know' she thought. His bite would leave a mark and she knew nothing about that mark, what it would do to her, what would happen to both of them…she knew nothing concerning the mating mark, other than it would claim her as his there was no other information she knew. This was the reason why she never drank blood from a male, she always wanted to avoid the whole mate thing but now…usually she wouldn't care about such matter but her heartbeat accelerated with the mere knowledge of his fangs in her neck but she tried to soothe herself with the thought that it was all for the good of her family, the throne and the rest of Devaria.

She dragged her gaze down his bleeding and bandaged torso and her eyes fell on his hot toned muscles. With the bandage covering just the part of his chest where she'd daggered him, the rest of his torso was left bared to her glittering eyes. Ink black tattoos welcomed her gaze that wanted to stare at something other than his bare chest but...were those images of…fire? Her eyes trailed curiously over the tattoos, travelling downwards without her even realizing, until her gaze stopped at his navel and her eyes trailed off to his abs and they were…fuck! What the hell? What the hell was happening to her?

Seth couldn't believe he was actually drinking her blood, he would've drunk from her wrist but she offered him her neck and he couldn't refuse a good drink and it wouldn't make any difference, he would still be marking her. He'd taken enough of her blood to heal but he couldn't find the strength to get his fangs out of her neck, he licked the blood that trailed off and finally pulled his fangs out then he licked the wound his fangs had caused and it healed up as fast as possible. He then kissed and sucked her neck, using his tongue he made a trail with it to her earlobe and she shivered.

Never in her wildest imagination did Scarlett ever think she could experience such electricity course through her veins or chills run down her spine, she always thought the only thing that could make someone feel such electricity or chills was fear or nervousness, she felt since it wasn't fear she could be feeling nervous but of what exactly? Her imaginations or thoughts had never been wild, she never in all her nineteen years of existence thought she'd be in a position like this, with a man's lips on her neck, kissing and sucking it and sending different waves of chills and electricity through her veins and down her spine. She couldn't deny the fact that she felt good and kind of giddy as his hot tongue and breath tickled the sensitive spots on her skin she never knew existed.

His hands slid to her waist and he pulled her closer when he felt her knees give out. He licked the spot on her neck where the mark was and she unconsciously and for the first time in her life, let out a pleasured moan. She felt a rush of cold air hit her as the feel of warmth that protected her from the cold night breeze faded. Her eyes that were shut without her realizing flew open immediately and she caught sight of something huge trying to rip Seth apart.

The dog-like figure flew back and Seth materialized in front of it when it landed with a heavy thud. He was about to pull the animal's heart out but Scarlett punched him and stabbed him with her dagger; he groaned as he pulled it out and stared at her questioningly.

"I'm sorry but I can't let you kill him," Scarlett pleaded. Seth had no intention of letting this lycan see the dawn of the day but he didn't understand why her pleas angered him yet he still listened to her, he decided to calm his raging his demon even though it vexed him more that she wanted to save the lycan's life.

As much as Scarlett wanted to rip Xander's head off of his body, she wouldn't because of Nicole. This asshole was the last bloody family Nicole had and killing him would make Nicole hate her when she found out what she'd done.

"What the fuck are you doing with the devil I warned you to stay away from!?" Xander's voice echoed.

"What the fuck is wrong with you Xander?" Scarlett yelled. She was really struggling with her anger especially now that her demon was whole. Her anger was literally making her blood boil that she could feel flames on her skin.

"You let him fucking kiss you! For fuck sake Scarlett, he gave you a freaking hickey," Xander yelled. "Eleven months ago I asked you out and you refused even though I knew your grandfather and he trusted me but here you are making out with the devil of a stranger in the daemon forest,"

"Don't you dare bring my grandfather into this Xander or I swear I will have your head on a platter,"

"Training Scarlett, that was what you told me you were doing with him," Xander said as he crossed the distance between them. He cupped her cheek and glanced at her neck. "How the hell did training get him to kiss you? That's…that's a mating mark, you let him bite you?"

"This is my decision Xander," Scarlett said pulling his hands off her.

"You just got yourself mated to a devil Scarlett, how is a decision like this going to do you any good?" he backed away as these words fell off his lips.

"This is my problem Xander leave! Now,"

"The devil won't help if this is about the throne Scarlett,"

"Why do you keep calling him that?"

"He's caused more damage and chaos than the devil,"

"I need help to get my family's throne back and I need to get into that castle if I want that throne, I'm pretty sure you can't offer me that help but I swear if you can I'll stay as far away as I can from the devil you so much hate. So please Xander, be my guest and offer me help but if you can't…do well to leave," Xander stared at her speechless. He couldn't believe this was the Scarlett he had fallen for,

"He's already gotten to you hasn't he? The truth is Scarlett…he lies, he's a liar, a manipulator and I don't want you to get caught up in his lies,"

"Lucky for you Xander, he's hasn't spouted any lies and point of correction, it's the devil who's a liar and a manipulator," she wasn't sure why she was and wanted to fight for Seth even though she obviously knew nothing about him.

"That's exactly what he is Scarlett, why can't you see that?"

"I said a way to help me Xander, not one to dissuade me,"

"You'll end up probably dead, the throne isn't worth it if you end up dead Scarlett and I don't want that,"

"Thought so…you have nothing to say," Scarlett said and turned away from him. She wanted to help Seth but he was already gone. Maybe she should've let Seth kill him when he wanted to. Xander was gone as well which meant she had also lost her opportunity to kill him. Scarlett was beyond frustrated, would Seth still help her?