The Devil's Temptation!

It was unlike Azazel to be so persistent or persuasive in changing his mind over something, he wasn’t the type to care about what people did, most especially him unless his help was needed.

Roshan seriously searched his face with a suspicious stare, endlessly wondering if there was something the white haired Demon knew about but wasn’t directly telling him.

Noticing his stare, Azazel naturally averted from it before his emotions were caught and he turned sideways, facing the window to avoid looking into Roshan’s impenetrable gaze while gathering himself.

“I’m just reminding you that she’s an Euphrasia,” he spoke with a much more neutral tone, “you’ve killed her people in front of her eyes before, forced her to become your maid so what makes you think she wouldn’t strike back someday?”

“So what if she strikes back?” He asked, still not getting the message, “It’s only natural if she plans to kill me in return but she needs to be alive to do that, if uncle performs that damned ritual, she will die, and I won’t let her die.”

“Why?”

“Cause I’m not done with her.” His words were like a whiplash that silenced any further words from Azazel and whenever he sounded that way, Azazel knew he couldn’t discuss the topic any further.

He watched as the stubborn being took a deep breath before forcing his limbs to move as he got out of bed.

.....

“Where are you going?” He raised a brow in questioning but Roshan only grabbed his robe from the hanger and slipped it over his shoulders. He worked on the sash and his face instantly creased into one of pain the moment his body jerked, like his system were being pricked with a thousand needle. He was forcing his body to act against the paralysis and the effects of his actions were returning at full force, which meant he’d receive twice the pain with each resistance.

Azazel did nothing but stare at his younger brother’s situation, he couldn’t help him even if he wanted to, and it has always been like this.

“I’m going to get Anna.”

“You’re becoming too attached to the human without even realizing it.”

“I don’t really see how that is any of your business.”

“You never listen, do you?”

“I wasn’t named Roshan without a reason.” He smirked and picked up his favorite sword from his wall shelf. His body shivered in pain but he stubbornly resisted and turned to look at Azazel.

“I warned you.”

Roshan smiled, “I’ll try to remember that.” and he vanished.

~

Back at the dim lit fortress, Anna restlessly paced back and forth in the cell she was kept in, she had felt the brick walls and thought of any possible way to escape from the hell of a cell but unfortunately that weird man really worked hard on this cell to not have an escape route.

She let out her frustration on the wall as she hit it severally with her balled fist, not minding the sting it caused and the fact she had hurt herself.

Sinking to the ground for the tenth time in defeat, Anna couldn’t help but think rationally at this point in time and her expression appeared downcast. This predicament would have been avoided if she didn’t attend the mask celebration at all, because of her sir Steve got killed at the spot, right before her very eyes, Roshan was shot and she’s trapped in who knows where this place might be, waiting to be used for some unknown ritual.

She ran her fingers through her hair before scratching it, thinking about how surprisingly worse things just got for her, she was so aimed on hearing about her mother’s corpse from sir Steve that she foolishly ignored Roshan’s orders but how could she possibly have known any of this would happen?

‘Was that why he even locked me in? Did he sense this coming if I attended? But why didn’t he just tell me instead?’ thought Annalise as the frustration only seemed to build up.

Who knew if he was alright or not? So many lives were in danger tonight and it’s because of her, if they had gone down the stairs then...

‘No.’

She shook the unthinkable imagination from her head and thanked the heavens that they didn’t, else it would have been a bloodshed and many lives would be lost.

She felt the mark on her forehead, carefully running her already wounded fingers through the little crystal birthmark and right now, she felt like using a knife to pull it out. What kind of birthmark comes in the form of a crystal? Was she really cursed that everyone around her always got hurt?

A small smile traced her lips as she couldn’t even defend herself anymore, she had nothing else to say, what could she possibly say? It seemed like whatever choice she chooses to take happens to take the better of her so why choose when basically she’s getting nothing out of it.

A tired sigh left her lips and she curled herself at a corner, hugging her knees and resting her head on them while her mind chose to escape reality even if it’s just for a few minutes.

It seemed like that little wish wasn’t going to be fulfilled either cause the moment she closed her eyes, she heard footsteps heading towards the direction of her cell, causing those eyes to snap open and she instantly lifted her head up. The masked man came in sight, holding a tray in hand and Anna scurried backwards till her back touched the wall.

The cold wall meeting the skin on her back made her flinch and she involuntarily moved away. The masked man opened the cell gate and walked in. He dropped the tray in front of her before lifting his head up to look at her face.

“Eat!” He ordered but due to the anger and all sorts of mixed emotions bubbling inside of Anna, she spat on the food instead and met the masked man’s stare with a glare.

“I’ll never touch anything that comes from you or your master.” She made it clear, she was done being scared of them.

Since he wore a mask, Anna couldn’t see his expression but she knew her actions had made him angry.

“You ungrateful..” he stopped himself from speaking and clenched his fist to hold in his anger. One could tell he wanted nothing more than to strangle the living daylight out of her, he’d drain both her blood and soul without mercy but he held himself back due to his Master.

“It’s alright then.” He said instead before turning his attention to her bleeding hands.

“Get rid of the blood, not all humans are lucky to bleed and still be alive at the same time, you don’t seem to get the fact you have a very tempting blood.”

His voice sounded unexpectedly hoarse and Anna figured he was still looking at her bleeding hands, was he tempted to taste her blood??

She instantly picked the cup of water and turned her back against the masked man, rinsing her hands and getting rid of the blood. The cool water against her bruised hands was a little comforting but she didn’t like how hungry the demon sounded over her blood.

She stared at her dainty hands the moment she was done, it had cuts on several places and the sides of her palm had swollen a bit since she used it to punch the hard brick walls without pity.

Gosh, they look so ugly.

A grotesque Demon walked in all of a sudden, handing the masked man a golden goblet which left Anna curious.

“It’s alright if you don’t want to eat, but I’m sure you wouldn’t mind a drink.” He offered but Anna only frowned in suspicion as she looked the cup over before returning her serious gaze back to him.

“What’s in it?”

“You still question me.”

“I’m not drinking that.”

“Tch! I always have to force you to do everything!” He forcefully brought the cup to her lips, prying her lips open as he made her drink every content on the goblet.

Anna struggled to move her face away but the masked man held her face in place with one hand while the other forced a bitter and burning drink down her throat.

The moment he moved it away, Anna coughed severally while patting her chest and the sensation was frightening. The content was burning her chest and many seconds later, her vision blurred as well...

“What’s... what’s happening??? What did you give me?” She demanded while the masked man stood straight in his full height, staring down at her with no pity.

“Just a little mixture of magical Herbs and maybe other contents.” He sounded evil which made Anna’s eyes widen. How dare he??? What did he give to her?? Why was it burning??

“Ahh!!” A painful whimper left her lips as the burning sensation increased and her hands shook, her eyelids grew heavier, like a deep sleep calling after her. Was this torture or was it part of the ritual??

With each passing second, her body grew weak and when she couldn’t bear the pain, she passed out on the cold ground.