In War, There Is Love

Like a Curse

“I could always kill them,” Demetrius said with a shrug, casually playing with the cup of wine in his hand.

Perhaps for the first time since that godforsaken night one week ago, his darling wife let her pretty midnight blue eyes linger on him without moving them away and avoiding him like he had the plague. “You cannot kill your uncles because of some rumors in your Court, husband. Not unless we prove them true, at least. They’re still lords of powerful families. People will talk.”

Demetrius looked into her eyes until he could practically feel her squirming in her seat and avoiding his gaze, once more. Like she was just remembering how she was in his arms, strangling him, so willing.

Demetrius couldn’t help the grin that spread on his face, and every one of his lords and ladies around them kept silent as they saw the interaction. As much as Demetrius wanted to grab her attention, as much as he loved any reaction he could get out of her, he knew that what she was saying was right.

A few of his lords thought his beloved uncles were planning some sort of big conspiracy against him. Was that rumor even new? Of course not. It had been spreading since centuries ago when Demetrius had killed his father and taken the throne from him, but they had never done anything to justify Deemtrius killing them out of the blue.

They were blood. That didn’t necessarily mean family, but it didn’t necessarily mean enmity as well.

Just as Maya had said, he had to prove the rumors true first. And for their sake, Demetrius hoped they actually weren’t.

However, the thing was, his wife was too smart and calculative... more than he had first thought, even after she had declared herself part of his Council and taken the seat of the Queen there.

He wasn’t the only one that had noticed. The members of this Council had as well. Maya didn’t speak much, but when she did no one could deny she knew exactly what she was talking about.

Silas had been stupid to throw away probably the best strategist he had had on his Council.

So it wasn’t strange that Demetrius’ people had started to hear her. Demetrius wouldn’t go as far as to say that they were ready to willingly bow down to her, but there was some progress in that.

And why did he find thrill and joy in that idea? In the idea of them looking up to her, respecting her, obeying her?

He had no idea.

“I can easily shush them,” he said, simply to provoke her. As much as he hated it, that was what he had been looking forward to these past few days.

“Until when?” The fire in her pretty eyes was back. “Until they realize they’re being led by a dictator?”

He chuckled, biting his bottom lip between his teeth, seeing as she followed every movement with her eyes. “Are you worried about me, wife?”

The realization passed through Maya’s eyes, the fact that he was simply messing with her, and he could practically hear her cursing herself for falling into his trap. She visibly grinded her teeth together. “And I think the meeting is over.” She got up and left without a second thought, without sparing him a second glance, all eyes following her outside.

Anthony chuckled and shook his head at him slowly.

“The Queen is right, though,” Lord Gavin said, his voice firm.

That caused Demetrius’ brows to rise in shock. Not many things surprised him these days, but surely this one did. He could have expected anyone to stand by his wife’s word but not Gavin.

It seemed she had won him over as well.

“Of course she is.” Demetrius nodded once before he turned his attention to the others. “You are all dismissed,” he ordered them, knowing he would be left with his siblings.

“Now what was that?” Lilith rolled her eyes at him, sitting down and taking her cup in her hand.

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb, Demetri,” she insisted. “Is she even talking to you after that night?”

“Nope.” Demetrius emptied the glass in one gulp, the memories flashing in front of his eyes. The hate in her eyes, the attraction, the blood... hell, the blood. In all the centuries he had lived, he had never tasted anything sweeter, anything more delicious—

Anthony tsked, drawing his attention. “You mean after he killed her hero-s***h-ex-lover out of pure jealousy and she went to kill him with a knife in his heart? Yeah, I didn’t think so.”

Glaring at him, Demetrius tapped his fingers on the table.

“What?” his brother continued with his death wish. “Your wife should have been more careful than rushing out of your bed with a knife that dripped blood through the hallways. Maids talk. Some people like me are even going with the theory that this hate thing is just a facade and that keeps the bed on fire—”

“Oh, for the love of God, Anthony, shut up,” Demetrius groaned out loud. “And it wasn’t out of jealousy.”

“So this is what you got out of my beautiful, heartfelt speech?”

“Can you two be serious for once in your life?” Lilith interjected, always so serious. “Why don’t we talk about the fact that the freaking Witch Heiress confirmed to you that Maya is your mate instead of just joking around like it is nothing?”

She was right, of course. Didn’t mean Demetrius had the slightest desire to talk about it.

And it seemed Anthony felt the same, because suddenly the smirk vanished from his face as he stood up abruptly. “I’ll leave you two to it. Clearly it isn’t a conversation that really affects me directly.”

Demetrius closed his eyes in frustration and sadness, knowing that he could give the world to his little brother except for the one thing he wanted the most.

“You should stop bringing this up in front of him, Lilith.” But he didn’t have to say it, Lilith looked guilty enough as it was. And that feeling of uncertainty was back on her face again. Just for a split second before she washed it away entirely.

For once, Demetrius hated how he couldn’t compel his siblings to tell him the truth. Everything would be better that way.

“One of these days you really should take the courage to talk to me,” he tried making his voice soft, but he regretted opening his mouth as soon as he was met with the doubt in his sister’s black eyes. “Or Anthony,” he corrected immediately. “Since you’re more comfortable speaking to him.”

“Demetri—”

He stood up as well. “It’s us, Lilith. The three of us. Always. Whatever’s happening now, with the curse, with you, with me, it doesn’t change anything. Never forget that.”

Demetrius reached the door, but her words stopped him. “Not even Maya changes things?” He didn’t answer. “Things have already changed, Demetrius. It doesn’t matter if you want to accept it or not.”

His knuckles turned white around the golden handle of the door. Without giving his sister an answer—because obviously he didn’t have one—he opened the door and left, with the one place in his mind that he knew would give him a little peace.

Lilith was right, he knew that. How had things gotten this complicated the second the damned faerie had entered his life?

She was like a curse.

A beautiful one at that. One that was walking through the empty dark hallways of the other wing of his castle, a ball of magic light floating in her opened palm as she sneaked around to... to the Arts Room.

To that one place that he had wanted to spend the rest of the night in. The one place that no one except his brother was allowed to use.

How did she even know that? It seemed his darling wife had done some research on him.

Demetrius couldn’t resist but follow her. Hadn’t she accused him of being a stalker too? At least he had to live up to his wife’s expectations, or else she would end up disappointed.

And he couldn’t have that now, could he?

Not wanting her to notice him, he walked in the dark, but still looking around clearly with his vampire abilities.

When Demetrius expected to stop by and admire Anthony’s paintings, she opened up another door, the one that sent you directly to the secret room Demetrius used only for his sculptures. At least the personal ones he didn’t show the world. The ones that were left unfinished, the ones he didn’t think were good enough to see the light of day... the ones that showed a part of him no one had seen before.

And yet she walked around like she had been there before, caressing the pieces of art carefully with her fingertips, oblivious to the eyes that followed her every moment.

Compared to her, however, the pieces of art looked somehow less beautiful. But that, of course, was just a trick of his imagination. Blamed on the bloody mate bond.

He wouldn’t succumb to it. He would never succumb to a greater power than him, not when all it did was make him weak to a beautiful creature that despised him way more than he despised her.

Did he even despise her?

Demetrius wasn’t sure anymore.

But no matter how clouded his mind was, how busy his eyes were as they followed her, he didn’t miss the other pair of eyes that followed her, hiding behind his largest statues.

He knew who they belonged to a little too well.

“Isn’t it calming to be in the company of someone that isn’t a vampire?”

Demetrius saw Maya jump, before she took hold of herself and clicked her fingers once, making the ball of light larger so she could see the face of the one that had spoken to her.

“Jeremiah?”

Demetrius hated how relaxed she looked that it was him.

Was it because he was not a vampire, or had they formed some kind of bond he wasn’t aware of?

“The one and only.” He grinned as he approached her, crossing his arms on his chest as he leaned against the wall.

“I don’t think you’re allowed to be here,” Maya told him, but there was a smile on her face as she spoke. One that Demetrius hated a little too much.

She had never once smiled at him. Not genuinely at least.

“Nor are you.” The goddamn wizard shrugged, his eyes taking her in from head to toe. Demetrius didn’t have to be closer to them to know that the wizard liked what he was seeing.

He would be blind not to.

It still didn’t stop his fangs elongating, in a pure instinct to get rid of the male that thought he could get what was his.

Demetrius hated his wife. Yes. But she was still his.

She would always be his. She just didn’t know it yet.

“That’s true,” her beautiful voice echoed in the room. “How bad some orders are meant to be broken.”

The wizard laughed. “You mean all orders? I don’t remember seeing you following any of the King’s at least.”

“And that means you’ve watched closely.”

Damn her and her smart mouth.

“What can I say, I’m an observer.” With every step the wizard took towards her, the urge to get his pathetic heart out of his body grew stronger. “Beautiful magic,” he said as he studied the ball of light.

“You mean the basics of a light faerie? Sure,” Maya answered.

“It’s still impressive for a faerie that basically uses any magic.”

Demetrius had wondered about this as well, but how closely had Jeremiah actually studied her? What was his motive?

And why did Maya still look pleased to have him around?

His mind went back to her dumb ex-lover for some reason. Demetrius knew his wife had had no feelings for him, and yet the thought of his hands on her, his mouth...

If he could bring him back to life just so he could kill him again, he would. Just for the fun of it.

He would make it more painful this time. To hell with morals and respect for his wife. His morals’ compass hadn’t shown north for bloody centuries, why would it now?

“What would be impressive is controlling them properly.” Demetrius could see the regret in her face the moment she said the words.

The sneaky wizard didn’t ask more, but his question was answered either way.

Maya could not control her powers. For some reason Demetrius was curious to know why as well.

Faeries were close to their magic. It was born with them, inherited by at least one of their parents. They knew how to control it since the early years of their lives.

So what exactly had happened to her?

What was she hiding from him?

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A/N:

Hey everyone!! <3

I know I promised an update like three days ago, you don't have to remind me. I kind of just graduated, so yay for me I guess :) Then things were hectic with paperwork, and then I was hit with the biggest writer's block ever because it felt like I hadn't written for so long I had lost touch with my characters. I don't even know if this chapter is okay or not.

Anyways, I'll try to update as often as I can now. xo