Heart of Darkness

Rayven’s heart was pounding hard in his chest as he hurried to the dungeon. So many things went through his head that scared him to death and when he found her lying there on the floor, unconscious his heart dropped. If he hadn’t heard her heartbeat he would have expected the worst.

Hurrying to where she lay he went down on his knees and picked her upper body and put her on his lap. “Angelica!” He shook her.

She stirred and mumbled something he couldn’t understand. “I am here,” he told her. “You will be alright.”

He picked her up and carried her back to their room. Her body was freezing cold so he put fire in the hearth and then removed her heavy dress that got dirty and her corset before tucking her under the blankets. How long had she been lying down there and why would she go there? She feared bats.

“Angelica?” He cupped her cheek. “Do you hear me?”

She stirred again and her lips moved without making a sound. A frown settled on her face and she looked disturbed.

“Angelica?” Was she having a nightmare or was she just afraid? He couldn’t tell.

Her frown deepened and a tear fell from her eye. She was having a nightmare.

Oh, God. He just hoped she wasn’t seeing other bad memories. Why could she just not listen to him?

She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him confused. Pushing herself up she sat on the bed. She looked around as if the place was unfamiliar to her before looking at him.

“Are you alright?” He asked her.

Her eyes looked distant and she shook her head. “I am not,” she said.

“Why did you go there?”

Now her eyes were focused on him. “I was trying to find answers. I wanted to help”

“I told you I would take care of it. Also, I would have helped you. Why did you have to do it alone?”

She looked down at her hands. “I don’t want you to see me afraid of you.”

“I told you I don’t care about it.”

“But I do,” she insisted.

“God!” he yelled standing up. He couldn’t control himself with her stubbornness anymore. “I don’t want you to care if that is your caring!”

He admired her braveness and but she was foolishly brave. Too brave for her own good that she might as well kill herself.

She just stared at him because he yelled while almost wanting to tear his hair out.

“Don’t look at me like that. Do you know how scared I was when I couldn’t find you?”

“I am sorry,” she said. “I was scared too. I didn’t enjoy going down there but I need to find answers.”

“You need to do what I say,” he said with clenched fists.

She frowned at him.

“You don’t know what is good for you and it is my duty to protect you so you will do as I say. No more breaking my rules.”

She looked at him appalled and then became angry. “To hell with your rules,” she said shocking him.

He blinked a few times in disbelief.

She got up on her knees on the bed. “Do you think this graveyard you lived in would look like a home now if I had followed your stupid rules?” She spat.

“Stupid rules?”

“Yes!”

“You think you are less stupid going down there all alone? I should have left you there so you could learn a lesson!” he yelled back.

“Then why didn’t you? I would rather be there now than here with you!”

“Then go back there and freeze to death!” he shouted.

“I will!” She threw one pillow across the room and hurried out of bed.

Rayven cursed and went to stop her before she could leave.

“What are you doing?! Let me go!”

He picked her up and she hit his hands and arms to release her. “Don’t touch me with your filthy hands!”

“You enjoyed these filthy hands when they touched you last night.”

That only seemed to anger her more and she dug her nails in his hand. Rayven hissed and threw her on the bed. She was quick to grab a pillow and throw it at him. He slapped it away but she threw another one.

“You stupid demon!”

Rayven just let the second pillow hit him.

A pillow? Really?

“I am tired of you, your ugly fangs and your ugly enemies, and this ugly castle you live in!” She threw the third one and fourth one and then she had no more pillows to throw at him.

She was panting and her hair got all messy.

“Are you done now?” He asked her. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀ​ꪶ​

“No!” She said glaring at him with blazing eyes. “I want to leave!”

She tried to get out of bed again from the other side but he quickly teleported to block her way before she could get out of bed. She tried to push him aside but he grabbed her wrists and pinned her hands behind her back. He held her firmly against his body, her chest brushing against his.

“It is enough now! Listen to me!”

“Or what?!” She said looking up at him. She was breathing heavily after trying to fight him off. Her hot breath tickled his mouth and her chest rose and fell against his. He forgot for a moment that he was angry. “What other silly rules are you going to…”

Before she could finish the sentence he silenced her with his mouth. He crushed his lips against hers and kissed her with the same ferocity as she fought him.

Angelica bit his lip and he pulled away with a groan. Her eyes widened as he met her gaze. She looked shocked as he licked the blood away from his lips. “I… I am sorry. I didn’t mean…”

Rayven grabbed her by the hair and kissed her again, not letting her speak. Angelica was surprised at first but responded to his kiss quickly. She was just as mad as him, grabbing him roughly by the collar and pulling him closer to her. He punished her with his lips and she tortured him. They could barely breathe anymore so they pulled away and gasped for air before kissing again.

Rayven knew he had to stop soon because he was losing his mind. “Angelica wait…” he began pulling away from her but she didn’t let him. Her lips were on his again and her fingers went into his hair.

Oh, God! He didn’t have the strength to stop this. He really wanted her first time to be good and not while she was bleeding but this wasn’t going as planned.

Suddenly she stopped kissing him and stepped back. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed as if she suddenly realized what she did.

“I… I am sorry,” she said looking down.

“For what?” He asked breathlessly.

For almost giving him a heart attack a second time? God, he would die happily now.

She gazed at him. “For everything.”

Not for the kiss, he wanted to say but he just nodded. “Good.”

“Is that all you have to say?” She asked.

“Yes.”

She looked like she wanted to throw something at him again.

“I don’t want you to freeze to death. I didn’t mean that. Besides that, I said nothing wrong to you.”

“You started yelling at me when I only wanted to help.”

“Because you don’t listen otherwise.”

She clenched her jaw and then crawled out of bed.

“Where are you going now?” He asked.

“Nowhere!” She said.

She picked up her pillow and went back to bed. She crawled under the blanket and turned away from him.

Rayven sighed. He had learned that women could feel more anger when they were bleeding and he didn’t want to fight anymore.

He got into bed with her put his arm around her from behind. She tried to get away from him but he held her in place. “I am sorry,” he said and kissed her shoulder.

They lay quiet for a moment, slowly calming down.

“I created a mess,” she whispered.

“I didn’t know you could yell like that. Or kiss like that.”

She remained quiet. He knew she got shy.

“Perhaps I should anger you more often.”

“Oh no!” She said and he chuckled.

“For someone who doesn’t like claws, you claw quite well.”

She turned around and grabbed his hands and looked at them. Rayven smiled. “It already healed.”

“I must be insane,” she said.

“That I already told you,” he reminded.

He tucked her hair gently behind her ear and then caressed her cheek with his fingers. Angelica gazed into his eyes. There was a gentleness mixed with sadness in the way she looked at him and it tugged at his heart.

“What are you thinking?” He asked her.

She shook her head, “nothing.”

“Tell me, Angel.” He caressed her cheek with his thumb.

“I was thinking that… you are beautiful.”

Rayven was surprised. Beautiful? Why suddenly? Was it because his scars were gone?

He became worried but then why was she sad?