1821

~Tove

Three days ago, Keo told me flippantly over breakfast that he had business to attend elsewhere.

He still isn't back.

I spent the first two days reading the book he gave me. On the third day, I spent most of the day staring out at the sea, lounging in the sun and eating all the food left for me.

Today, I'm officially bored. I want to explore.

Every door I find that leads to the outside is unlocked, although distantly, there doesn't appear to be any civilisation, which means strolling around likely won't get me anywhere.

So, I opt instead for wandering aimlessly around this expansive manor.

Most rooms are empty. This is obviously just a temporary place for Keo to come to as he hops around the land.

On the bottom level, I come across an ajar door which I peek through. My mouth drops at the sight of a small library.

Nudging the door open with my shoulder, I step inside, breathing in the smell of ancient books.

I just found where I'm going to spend the rest of my time while Keo is absent.

I spend at least half an hour inspecting as many books as possible before one piques my interest. It's particularly old, written over a century ago. By the looks of it, it details some Angel-blood history regarding Demon's.

Lugging the book upstairs, I lay it on my bed, flipping the cover open.

I take my time scanning the small text, learning about the war, about Angel's depiction of Demon's. It's rough, hearing how they detail the mass death's, and how they justify it.

To them, Demon's are more than just dangerous and powerful. They are pure evil that should be exterminated to restore balance to nature.

Eventually, Keo's name comes up.

My heart almost stops as I read a particular narration of an Angel-blood who describes their interaction with Keo while they worked in a facility that tested on Demon's.

I've never known such a facility to exist, although by now such a horrific organisation has disbanded.

From what I can gather, they tested on him to determine the extent of his power and how they could extract it from Demon's so they would be less dangerous.

My throat dries. This is horrific.

There's not explicit details about the nature of this testing, but it's clear it was not consensual, nor was it fair and reasonable.

Keo underwent something horrific. I can tell.

I slam the book shut, clutching my stomach. Who knows how long Keo endured testing all those years ago, and what exactly he went through.

Knowing how much Angel-bloods resent Demon's, I know it must have been brutal.

The sound of a door slamming from downstairs causes me to flinch.

Somebody is here.

Grabbing the book, I press it to my chest and rush downstairs, following where I believe the sound came from. It leads me to Keo's private office that I've been warned about coming near, but if he's back, I want to talk to him.

Sure enough, the door is open, allowing me to see him sitting at his desk, head bent down as he looks over a mess of documents.

I lean my shoulder against the doorframe, holding the book behind my back. "You've returned."

"Uh huh." He doesn't look up, sweeping a hand through his hair tiredly.

"Where did you go?"

"If I told you I would have to kill you." He looks up, and it hits me how exhausted he looks. Dark shadows stain under his eyes, which drowsy themselves.

I tense. "Actually?"

He nods absently. "Actually."

"Okay, thanks for terrifying me again, I mumble uncomfortably, trying to soothe the rising panic in me. I'm frighten he will soon tire of me and kill me just for bothering him.

He looks back down, scribbling something on the paper. He clearly doesn't want to be bothered, but I'm not done talking to him.

"Is there something you want?" He sighs, turning a paper over.

"What does your tattoo mean?" I gesture at his bicep.

Keo has a few tattoo's, although most don't appear to elude to anything. But this striking piece on his arm does, made up of various objects, text and patterns.

"It's something that once meant a lot to me," he responds carefully.

"Such as?"

I shouldn't even be pushing him, when he clearly wants some space, but I've been alone for three days and it's been eating at me.

"Have you been sleeping properly? You look tired." He straightens, raising a brow.

I roll my eyes, sensing that he is trying to distract me. "Good one. Try again."

He considers my proposition, looking for a better conversation diversion with an effortlessly sly smile on his face.

"Because if you're not tired, I can always join you in bed to truly tire you out-"

"Don't make me throw this book at your head," I snap, holding it out.

He smiles a little, not threatened, although it quickly vanishes. I'm not going to stop annoying him until he starts being honest with me.

"It's of a collection of things," he eventually concedes.

"Continue."

The softest frown twists in his brows, and I swear hurt or pain flashes in his eyes. "They are things that remind me of my brother."

"Oh..."

I wasn't aware that Keo had any family. He seems so withdrawn from everyone, so focused on his one true motivation. So hearing about someone obviously important to him has me a little shaken.

"He was young when they murdered him," he mutters, looking down at his hands. "I wasn't. I got to watch them take his life, and then my parents."

My heartbeat tumbles over itself, stomach plummeting. I hate Keo, I know that, but hearing that hurts.

No one deserves to watch their family die right in front of them.

"And by they, you mean Angel-bloods," I guess.

He nods grimly. "Pretty much."

"The one's that tortured you?" I ask, gripping the book. Keo's eyes dips down to read the cover of the book, before smirking bitterly.

"Ah. I see you've had a history lesson."

I set the book down on his desk, trembling. It's clear Keo bears hideous mental scars from what he went through, that drives his merciless actions toward Angel-blood's today.

"Is that why you hate me so much?"

He frowns, reclining back in his chair. I try not to shift uncomfortably under the intensity of his gaze, knowing my deduction is correct, that even though he brought me here to work with him, it doesn't mean he will ever like me.

I shouldn't care...It's not as if I like him, and a sad past isn't going to change that.

"Who said I hate you?" he asks carefully.

"You don't like me, that's for sure. You pretend to, but only because of what you ultimately want," I accuse him.

He considers me quietly, obviously wondering whether he should deny it or not.

Eventually he sighs. "Perceptive."

"You resent me. You resent Angel-bloods with true power, which is what you're eluding to me being. So you hate me." It feels liberating saying it, being right about something.

"Does what I think about you matter?" he questions, gaze sweeping over me.

"It does if it means you're going to use me and kill me," I mutter.

I'm trying not to think about my fate once Keo is done with me. I can't imagine he will allow me to reintegrate back into society with all the knowledge I'm learning about him, but I'm hoping once he gets to know me, he will decide against ending my life.

His smile is dark and sensous. "Live on the edge a little. Maybe I will, maybe I won't."

"Keo..." I grit out irritably.

He sighs, pressing the heels of his hands against his closed eyes. I'm pushing it, considering how exhausted he is.

"If you were there that day, you would hate your own kind too." His shoulders drop, eyes burning as he examines my reaction.

My hands rest on my stomach, feeling it ache. Yes, I would hate anyone who were involved with the death of my family, and I would do everything in my power to make them pay.

"You don't-"

"And then every day after, I've been hunted, just for being a Demon," he continues bitterly.

He stares at me, knowing I'm one of them. He's not trying to scare me, he's just being brutally honest.

That's what's terrifying...

"It doesn't excuse the murder," I insist. So many people who don't even know Keo's name probably died at his hand. People just like me.

"You weren't there that day." His voice breaks a little, and he looks away, jaw tightening.

Centuries later and he still bears the pain like it were yesterday. And that hurt has broken him into what remains today, and in this moment, I'm scared of him.

Clearing my throat, I straighten. Time to divert the attention to something far different from this.

"Fine. Shall we get to the hate fucking now?" I ask abruptly.

He blinks, stunned. "What?"

I smile, taking a mental image. It's not often that anyone can surprise Keo.

"The hate fucking. You said it was incredible-"

All of a sudden, and unknown force has my legs giving out. I fall to my knees, yelping as my hands are drawn around my back, completely against my will.

Keo stands, rounding the desk. It dawns on me that he is using his magic, not even having lifted a finger.

I scowl at him, unable to move against the unknown force as he crouches down in front of me.

"You wouldn't be able to handle it," he purrs.

I swallow thickly. That look in his eyes, pure hatred mixed with desire as he looks over me. I wouldn't be able to handle it, because I get the feeling that sex with him involves both pleasure and pain.

"You don't know that," I snap back, although all the bravado has leeched from my tone.

He tilts his head to the side. "Sure I do."

Once again, he stands, stalking past me and out the office door, as if I'm not on my knees by the will of his magic.

"Hey, Keo, can you drop the weird magic binds?" I call out, hearing him depart down the hallway.

Nothing.

I wiggle against the magic, trying to transport away, but my magic against his in a battle will never win.

At least half an hour passes before finally the magic drops, and I fall forward, my limbs aching. Groaning, I slowly stand, having to brace myself against the desk.

"Bastard," I mutter under my breath, although I can't help the smile that accompanies it.

🤎••🤎

~Midika 💜🐼