Chapter 87

Klara sat in her room, thinking back of what Roshan had told her.

"I am a demon."

A demon? Klara had laughed even though he had sounded serious. "If you are a demon than I am an angel."

"I would believe you if you told me." He said.

The way he had looked at her back then had made her unable to breathe. How could he say such words? Words that made her heart race and her body tingle. Words that made her cheeks burn and her breath hitch. Maybe he was a demon after all, slowly seducing her into the path of sin.

No! She needed to stay far away from him or else she might end up doing something she would regret.

"Klara?" Irene peeked her head from behind the door. Had Klara become deaf or did the people in this house not know how to knock on the door.

"Come in."

Irene opened the door further but she didn't step inside. "I just wanted to say that Hazel is here, in case you want to greet her."

Hazel? Klara stood up immediately and turned to the door. "Where is she?"

"This way." Irene said leading the way.

Halfway Klara started to question herself as to why she was so excited to meet Hazel. She never liked that woman so why?

No, she wasn't excited, she just wanted to make sure that Hazel was safe for Lucian's sake.

"No need to convince yourself otherwise. I think you like Hazel." Irene said.

"This is rude. My thoughts are private." Klara said annoyed.

"Not if I can hear them." Irene mocked.

People in this house liked to mock Klara realized.

As they walked into a room the first thing Klara noticed was the woman sitting at the edge of the bed. As the woman turned Klara realized that it was Hazel. How?

Hazel's almost unrecognizable face lit with a smile.

"Klara. You are here?" She stood up.

Klara took a closer look and her stomach clenched. Who had done this to her? Hazel's hair was ragged, her clothes torn and she looked thin, unhealthy thin and her arms were covered with bruises.

"Good lord, who did this to you?"

"I am alright." Hazel smiled. "What happened to you?"

Klara still had a few visible bruises on her face from her fight with Irene whose face now turned into one of guilt. Irene had apologized a hundred times and taken care of her but Klara knew she still felt guilty.

"Nothing much. You know I fight a lot."

Hazel nodded.

"I'll bring something to eat. Klara, would you mind helping her change?" Irene asked.

"I can change myself." Hazel said quickly.

"I don't think you can even walk. I'll help you." Klara insisted.

Irene left to bring some food while Klara prepared a bath and brought some new clothes. When she walked back into the room Hazel had already undressed, her body was covered with even more bruises and a few scars. Klara couldn't imagine what Hazel could have gone through.

Hazel quickly wrapped herself in a towel when she took notice of Klara then smiled. "You don't need to look so worried." She said.

"I am not, but you should be. As soon as you recover I am going to teach you how to fight and defend yourself."

"I look forward to that."

Once Hazel took a bath and got dressed they sat at the dining table with Irene and ate in silence. Everyone seemed to be lost in their own thoughts and for a moment Klara wished that she had Irene's ability so that she could know what they were thinking.

"You are probably tired so get some sleep." Irene told Hazel once they were done eating.

Klara had many questions to ask Hazel but seeing her conditions she decided to wait. It would probably bring back painful memories, she thought.

On her way back to her room she wondered where Roshan was since she hadn't seen him the whole day.

Wait! Why would she want to see him? She shook her head, she was losing her mind. As she entered her room her thoughts went back to Hazel. That woman must have gone through hell. Klara wanted to comfort her but at the same time slap her for her stupidity. Why didn't she come with Lothaire earlier?

With a sigh, she began to untie her dress when someone suddenly cleared their throat. Turning around Klara found Roshan standing behind her with his arms behind his back.

Klara was sure that the room had been empty when she entered and that she had locked the door behind her, so when and how did he come inside?

"How…?" She began.

"I would tell you if you would believe me but you don't even believe what I told you last night."

"Well, it's not a believable thing you said."

"Nevermind, would you like to have a glass of wine with me?" He had been hiding a bottle of wine and two glasses behind his back.

Klara looked at the bottle in his hand. It had been so long since she had some mine so she thought it couldn't hurt to have some. Or maybe it was just an excuse to be with Roshan a little longer.

Before she could say anything Roshan already put the glasses and the table and began to pour some into each glass. "It doesn't hurt to have some, besides I am sure you have many questions so why not ask them while having a taste." He put the bottle down then motioned toward the chair.

Klara went and sat down and so did he.

"I'll just have a taste." She said. She didn't want to get intoxicated. 

"Suit yourself."

Klara grabbed the glass and took a sip but as the taste filled her mouth she realized she might have a little bit more than just a taste.

"Do you like it?"

Klara nodded. "Yes. It tastes really expensive."

"It is." He took a sip as well but his eyes stayed focused on her. His gaze was so intense that she looked down quickly.

"Don't look at me like that." She said embarrassed.

"How?" He asked putting his glass down slowly.

"Like...like…I don't know."

He seemed amused. "I think you do."

Klara looked up and met his gaze. Those Hazel eyes promised her things, things she didn't know but wanted to. What was he telling her with those eyes?

She wasn't very shy but the way he looked at her always made her blush.

Feeling nervous she gulped down the rest of the wine in her glass.

"I thought you would only have a taste?" He raised a brow.

A taste? Her gaze fell on his lips for a moment but she looked away quickly.

Roshan chuckled which embarrassed her even more.

"Want some more?" He asked.

Klara looked at the bottle again. She wanted to say no but the wine tasted so good and made her feel relaxed. Without saying anything she reached her glass out and Roshan poured some more into it.

"So you won't tell me what you really are?" She asked.

"I told you what I really am."

"A demon?" Klara said raising a brow in suspicion.

"Yes."

Klara sighed. "How do you expect me to believe that?"

"Think about it." He said "You do feel that I am different and I can do things normal people can't. So if I am not a witch than what am I?"

Was she really going to believe that he was a demon?

"If you are a demon than how can you look like this? Like a normal human being?"

"This is not how I actually look. This is just how I appear to others."

"Then how do you actually look?"

He took another sip then put his glass down before looking her in the eyes. "Once you really deep down believe that I am a demon you might see what I really look like."

"Can't I see before that?" She asked.

"Only if I show you but I don't want to."

"Why?"

He narrowed his gaze. "It's not a pretty sight and you might never forget it."

Klara was getting frustrated. How did he expect her to believe him if he wasn't going to show her? Or maybe he was just messing around with. She gulped the second glass down then reached for a third one.

"You shouldn't drink so fast. Take it slowly." He said while pouring her some more-

Klara tried to drink slowly but she didn't know when she finished the third one and now reached for the bottle. Was this actually helping her? Then why did she suddenly miss Astrid and even Rasmus? She missed her home so much. Would she ever be able to go back?

What would happen to her know? She couldn't be living like this.

Klara reached for the bottle for the fifth time or was it the sixth she didn't know but Roshan took it out of her reach.

"I think you had enough." He said.

This annoying man. Why was he denying her a drink?

"Just one more." She said.

Wait, why did she sound so strange?

******

Strange women, Roshan thought. She had said that she would only have a taste but she almost drank the whole bottle. He had wanted to stop her earlier but she had looked so sad and so lost in her own thoughts.

"You are annoying." She said apparently drunk. "You.." She pointed "You were the one who suggested to have a drink."

"Yes, a drink. Not the whole bottle."

Her cheeks were flushed and she looked at him as though she wanted to fight him.

"I need more." She said stubbornly.

"No."

Standing up hastily she tried to reach for the bottle in his hand but lost her balance. Roshan quickly grabbed her by the waist with one arm while still holding the bottle with the other before she fell.

Klara looked up at him, at first startled but then slowly her lips curved into a smile. "You always hold me like this." She slurred.

"Oh well…" he let go of her and was about to take a step back when she wrapped her arms around him.

"I am not complaining." She said holding him tight. Roshan could feel her full b.r.e.a.s.ts pressing against his chest and her rich scent filled his senses. He needed to get away from her before he did something stupid while she was in this vulnerable state.

"I'll let you get some rest." He said trying to withdraw from her hold but she tightened her hold around him.

"Don't you want me?" She asked looking at him with a sad expression.

If she only knew, Roshan thought. Her mere presence had been torturing him all these days and he hadn't been able to think of anything but her.

"You don't find me desirable as well?"

As well? Who didn't find this woman desirable? Oh...she was probably talking about Lucian. Roshan felt jealousy stab him like a knife. She was still heartbroken.

"You are very desirable." He assured her.

Her arms slowly and sloppily went around his neck. "Would you kiss me then?"

Klara brought her face so close to his that he could feel her hot breath on his mouth. It took every amount of self-restraint for him to not grab her by the hair and kiss her right there and then.

"Klara I…"

"You don't want me?"

God, she was torturing him.

"Would you make me your woman?"

Roshan stiffened. He knew this had nothing to do with him. He knew she was being like this because of Lucian and the alcohol but still.

"You don't say that to a demon."