Chapter 196

"The greatest gift you can give someone is the space to be his or herself, without the threat of you leaving."

******************

Zamiel watched Heaven sleeping in his arms. He couldn't let himself fall asleep because he didn't want to have a nightmare in her presence, but also because he wanted to enjoy the feel of having her in his arms.

He found her remark that he had to marry her after this amusing. As if he had any other plan. But he understood what she meant. It was scandalous for a maiden to be in a man's house, let alone his bed. It was even worse for a princess. This could ruin her reputation. That she stayed with him in his bed showed how much she trusted him.

Zamiel removed the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Her beautiful features were relaxed, but she looked tired. This mission had exhausted her, and he hated to see her like this, but this was what she chose to do and he wanted to respect that. Letting her walk this path alone would make her stronger, but whenever she got tired, he would be there to finish what she started.

After watching her for a while, he decided to get out of bed. He wrapped the sheets around his waist and walked out of the room. He came face to face with his maid, Helen. Her gaze fell on his bare chest and her hands in which she held a tray with cups and plates began to shake. Still, she couldn't tear her gaze away from him.

She was an old woman, but when it came to his looks, age or even gender didn't matter. He could make both men and women lose track of their thoughts.

"Helen, could you make me two cups of tea?" He asked.

She blinked a few times, forcing herself to stop shaking. "O… of cou..rse, My Lord."

Zamiel went back into the room. It would be better to put a shirt on before he gave her a heart-attack. Even in his home, he couldn't dress any way he liked.

Once he got dressed, he went to the parlor and Helen served him his tea. Zamiel picked up his cup and took a sip while summoning Ilyas by getting into his mind.

Ilyas appeared shortly after. "My Lord." He greeted.

"Please sit." Zamiel told him and Ilyas got seated in front of him on a couch. "Have some tea." He then told him.

"Thank you." Ilyas picked the other cup of tea and took a sip.

Ilyas already knew why Zamiel summoned him, so he started to speak without being asked. He told him about the mission and how it went. He also told him about what happened with Zarin and Rose. Zamiel could see the images through Ilyas' memory as he spoke.

His plan went accordingly, but just like he expected, it left Heaven hurt.

Zamiel had not wanted to do it this way, but he had lost the person he loved once. If anyone tried to ruin his relationship with Heaven, he would have no mercy. Still, he had been very patient with Zarin because Heaven called him a friend. He even apologized, despite knowing very well that Zarin had no intention of forgiving him, ever.

The day he invited him to his home, he found his thoughts to be very disturbing. Zarin had already decided that Zamiel was the villain, and he wanted to get rid of him at any cost. He did not act or think like a friend looking out for his friend, and his actions didn't come from a place of care and concern.

If Zamiel hadn't lived so long, he would have been confused to why Zarin hated him so much, but having many years of experience he knew very well that look in his eyes.

It was pride and envy.

Heaven choosing him hurt Zarin's pride, and now he was jealousy. It was the same emotions he saw in Razia. The way she had watched him with satisfaction as he suffered after she poisoned him was still a painful memory. She had been very proud of her plan, knowing very well that if a half-breed never came to existents, he would be doomed to live an eternity locked inside a coffin. She didn't even leave him the choice to die. All that mattered was to prove that she was right and if she wasn't, then he would be the one to pay the price.

Until today, he suffered from that memory. He had once considered her a dear friend, and he never thought that she of all people could inflict so much pain on him. He didn't want Heaven to go through that same pain.

Zarin's wasn't as extreme as Razia, but the small resemblance made him worry for Heaven. And when Zarin sent Rose, Zamiel realized that he wouldn't give up easily and was slowly heading toward the same dark path as Razia. It would be better to put an end to it before it got very ugly. That would cause Heaven a lot of pain.

So Zamiel spoke to Rose after finding out that it was Zarin who sent her. He told her that she was being used and then read her mind to see what she wanted to do about it. Rose was a clever woman and didn't want to be part of this game, so she decided to tell the truth and be left alone. But humans were complicated and could easily change their minds, so Zamiel made sure she told the truth by manipulating her thoughts. He didn't want to take any risks with Heaven.

"It is not my place to say this, but I would kill anyone who touched my woman." Ilyas said surprising Zamiel.

Zamiel chuckled. "No, you wouldn't. Not if you cared for her feelings more than your own."

Ilyas narrowed his gaze. "I am not as good as you." He said.

Zamiel leaned back and sighed. "You can't change your past, but tomorrow is a new day."

Louis had raised Ilyas after his parents decided to leave him. His mother had moved on to the next life and his father was unable to handle the pain, so he followed her shortly after, leaving Ilyas all alone. Louis had trained Ilyas to be a fierce fighter, but he also made him do all his dirty deeds. It involved a lot of killing. Ilyas had a lot of blood on his hands. Killing became his second nature.

"Heaven freed you. I know you don't feel completely free yet because of me, but you serve Heaven and if she freed you, then you are free."

"I don't want to be free from you." Ilyas said.

Zamiel nodded, understanding very well. Being under a demon lord meant protection, and having an ancient demon as your lord meant even a higher protection. Only those who had someone in their family line who was ancient didn't bother to have a demon Lord. They already had protection from their families.

"May I ask how your mother moved on?"

Ilyas' mother was ancient smoke demon and Zamiel wondered how she ended her life. Ancients didn't have a definitive way of dying, and very few knew how ancients took their lives and move on. Zamiel was curious, especially since he suspected it involved Heaven.

"She found something that slowed down her healing ability." He said.

Zamiel frowned. So Heaven was truly what could kill him.

Why her?

***************

Leaving a note in the comment section.