Chapter 16

The man with locks sling his cross bow across his chest and cocked a brow at her, sweeping her from head to toe with his eyes.

"What?" Maris stared back, sparing her body a glance to see if she wasn't putting on her clothes well.

He narrowed his eyes at her and she refrained from rolling hers.

"Nothing." He shrugged and averted his gaze to the other side of the woods.

"Uhm, okay." She replied, unsure of what else to say till a bell rang in her head. "Oh, pardon my manners. Thank you so much for saving me back there."

Her eyes glittered and the man couldn't help, but smile at her for being so charming.

"Oh, it's nothing." He waved his hand in the air as if there was something he was driving away. "Where are you from?"

"Uhm..." She placed her hands on her hips and gave him a long skeptical look before something caught her attention, the ruffling of a nearby bush.

"Can you find your way back home?" He asked and she shook her head. "It's no problem, I could help you. Trust me."

Could that be Logan?

Her reasoning asked as the bushed ruffled more. Her eyes brightened up and enlarged with excitement and hopes of finally getting back together with Logan.

"Logan?" She called with a smile that could not be contained.

Suddenly, an animal jumped out of the bush in an attempt to bite her, but locks man shot it mid air with it's crossbow and the werehyna fell to the ground, an arrow sticking out of it's forehead.

"Tha-Thanks again." Maris stuttered, a hand holding her heart to keep it from leaping out. "Why are all these things happening?!"

She breathed heavily, eyes becoming glossy. She held the tears back in, looking weak in front of a stranger was something she definitely didn't want.

"I-I-well, don't think I know." He stammered, scratching his locks before he spoke again, saying, "C'mon, we should be on our way... It's already getting dark."

Maris nodded, glancing over her shoulder one last time with the hope of Logan jumping out from one of the bushes, but there was nothing. She exhaled and trailed behind the man.

They walked past trees and bushes that snapped every once in a while. As darkness began to envelop the place, Maris unconsciously grabbed lock man's arm and took baby steps beside him. What a rollercoaster life she was having. First, Logan then werehyenas now locks man. What more lemons was life going to throw at her?

The man halted in front of a cave and so did she, staring into nothingness, thinking about what was going to become of her after this.

"We'd have to rest here for the night." The man pointed to a cave and Maris snapped out of her trance.

"The cave you mean?" She questioned and he nodded, his muscles moving a little underneath her hands. "Why should I trust you?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and he laughed, gazing down on her hands around his arm.

"Because I'm going to protect you. I saved you, remember?" He cocked his brow and raised his other hand so he could flex his muscle. Maris frowned. "Sorry, just thought a little self appreciation wouldn't hurt."

They got into the cave and it was more than what she expected, it had a worn out chair and an old blanket that looked like it had been used to wipe someone's ass.

"Where's this?" Her curiosity bubbled.

"My place." He answered shortly and dropped the crossbow on a table with lots of unwashed plates on it, maggots, crawling in and out.

"Ugh." Maris scrunched up her face and fanned the air in front of her nose.

It was a bit scattered and could pass the house of a mad man. From the corners of her eyes, she sighted a cage that looked like the letter U upside down. She spun to take a proper gander at it.

"What's that?" She pointed at the cage and a gut wrenching laugh spilled out of his lips. "Anyways, you have no idea how grateful I am that you saved me ba-"

"Your new home." He sounded dangerous.

"Wait, what?" Maris blinked rapidly and before she could speak any further, locks man pushed her into the cage and locked it. "To think you were a good man! You look like a good man so why this?"

"Don't judge a book by its cover, demon host." He muttered and sat on one of the chairs, leaning back with his arms under his head and legs crossed on the table.

"What do you want from me?"

"What others want," he started and jumped to his feet. "To rule the world."

"And what does that have to do with me?" Maris gripped the irons of the cage, terrified once again.

"You'll see." He walked towards her and pulled up short a whisper away from the cage. "You," he said, trailing a finger down her face. "Are priceless and you carry-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence because Maris spat on his face and he moved back, wiping the saliva with his shirt.

"Fierce one, er?" He unbuckled his belt and pulled it out, earning cow eyes from Maris as she backed away from the irons. "Don't mess with me or I'll give you marks on that clear skin of yours."

Maris gulped down a lump and fidgeted, her hands grabbing the sides of her gown as she watched him like a hawk.

"As I was saying, I want to rule the world and to do that..." He drawled, rocking back and forth on his heels. "I need you. The entity carrier. I would have killed you, but your beauty has captured my heart and you, my lady," he said, getting down on one knee. Maris' eyes followed him down. "Would make a fine wife."

"What?" She furrowed her brows and her skin crept. "You're a maniac and I can't be your wife."

"Maniac for you my love," he whispered, touching his heart. "We'd rule the world together as king and queen. Ruler of the Earth and Hades itself."

"You're insane." Maris laughed, shaking her head in dismay. "What's this all about? Is this some kind of joke?"

"No, I'm serious." He did sound serious.

*********

Three hours gone and Maris was still on her feet, peering her eyes into his soul as he laid on the couch, mouth open with cringe worthy snores coming out of it. She scanned the cage and found a little stone, which she picked up and threw at him.

"Huh?" He jolted awake when the stone made harsh contact with his face. "You?!"

He sat up and Maris' eyes grew wider when she saw he wasn't the only one that sat up, his member did too.

"What are you looking at?" He growled then followed her gaze to his bulge. A wicked grin etched to his face the moment he saw it. "Looks like Richard wants a taste of his wife."

"You're sick," Maris said through gritted teeth.

"And he must have her tonight." He bounced on his feet and pulled down his pants, leaving him with just his brown boxers.

"No, you need me alive. Remember?" Maris tried to get into his head, but there was no luck on her side. Again.

He moved closer, clouds of lust in his eyes as his smile grew wider. He unlocked the cage and pulled her out, she drew herself back, trying to escape.

"You definitely don't want this the hard way, so stay still."

"Let me go." Maris panicked, still trying to pull her wrist out of his palm.

"Okay." He released her and she fell on her butt.

"Ouch!" She winced, nursing her sore butt on the floor.

The man pulled off his shirt and laughed before running some baby oil on his palms.

"Bless your mother for giving birth to you, my wife." He muttered then jumped on her, trying to pull her legs open.

Instantly, Maris screamed and her body instantly became cold. She kicked him from her body and he flew, crashing into the wall.

"I am not your wife!" She breathed heavily with a clenched jaw. Her eyes became darker than they used to be as she stared longly at him with hatred in her eyes.

Maris held up her hand and pointed her fingers which were now bent like claws to Richard and tightened her dental bone.

"What are you doing to me?" He asked, his body bending like he was convulsing. "What source of sorcery is this?"

"The type that'd kill you!" A thousand and one voices exclaimed from Maris' mouth.

She raised the second hand and squeezed it. Richard floated in the air with his back against the wall as he coughed, clawing at his neck. His windpipe was closing up and he feared for his life.

"Witch..." He struggled to speak and she controlled his body from where she was standing.

"Do you want to die?" She asked with dead eyes.

"Spare-spare my life." He begged.

"I'm gonna kill you!" She screamed then waved her hands, sending him crashing into his table.