Selena

Chapter Seven

The bright sunlight woke Selena up from her sleep as it poured right into her face. She tried to return to sleep, feeling the migraine she was having but something didn't seem right. She remembered leaving the hotel, sprinting deeper into the forest then someone slamming into her side, breaking her ribs.

The red-eyed stranger.

She quickly got up from her sleeping position, despite the excruciating pain she received from the action, and looked around. She was shocked when she discovered she was in a beautifully decorated with antique furniture. To her left, was a huge glass door that led to what looked like a balcony. The bed she was sleeping in was bigger than the one she had left in the human world. She slowly got off the bed, careful not to injure her broken ribs further.

The scenery outside the open glass doors was pulling her like a mermaid's sweet song. She seemed to be in a building, high up, maybe second or third floor. From the balcony, she could see large grounds with beautiful flower gardens and a lush green labyrinth. In the distance, stood a mighty forest that extended as far as her eyes could see. A warm breeze carried the forest air as it lightly caressed her skin. The sun was well into sky indicating that it was midmorning, probably a few hours after she had been abducted.

"I'm glad you are awake, my darling."

Came a voice behind her.

She swiveled around and came face to face with a good looking middle-aged man. He had ocean blue eyes and shoulder length black hair. His smile revealed a set of pearly whites and sharp fangs. His scent was a cool ocean breeze that reminded her of trips to the beach with her Grandma. He had shoulder length black hair with a few grey strands that caught the sunlight.



" Who are you?", Selena asked.

"I'm King Lucifer, love. Ruler of the Kresal Kingdom."

He said as he raised his hand before her, palm up in anticipation. Not knowing what to do, Selena placed her hand in his. He wrapped his fingers around hers, and slowly brought them to his lips, placing a lingering kiss on her pale knuckles.

"King Lucifer of the Kresal Kingdom?"

Selena was shocked. The map was supposed to lead her to someone in the Krystavian Kingdom but somehow she had was now in the Kresal Kingdom. There were so many questions running wild in her head. What did the king of the Kresal Kingdom want from her? How did he even know who she was?

As if sensing her discomfort, he immediately told her to take a seat on one of the comfortable chairs set in the middle of the room. As she settled in, he waited patiently for the questions he knew she was going to ask.

"What do you want from me?" She asked.

He sighed, "That would be very hard to answer," he paused as he pulled his hands together and looked into her eyes, " I wouldn't want to turn you against your parents."

"My parents? What do my parents have to do with this?"

Lucifer rose from his seat, "Maybe it would be best if I showed you."

Selena quietly followed him. She couldn't believe her eyes. The castle was amazing. The walls seemed to be made of rock itself. It was just a majestic sight and to top it all off, different kinds of plants and flowers lined the sides of the hallways, some creeping up the golden frames of what looked to be Lucifer's predecessors. Her attention was averted though, when she noticed Lucifer stop before two golden doors. He pulled from around his neck a black chain with a bunch of keys attached to it.

He used the keys to open several locks on the door then motioned for her to enter the room. Curious about what she would find, Selena took cautious steps into the dark room. She was startled when there door suddenly slammed shut. She turned around but she was relieved to see that Lucifer was in the room with her. With the flick of a switch, light flooded the room, making her cover her eyes from the brutality.

"I'm sorry about that, my darling. But, as you can see, there are no windows or alternate light sources in this room." Came Lucifer's voice from one corner of the room.

She watched as he drew another key from his pocket and unlocked a safe. She couldn't see the contents of the safe but she did notice him bring back a thin folder. He sat on the royal blue couch along the far corner of the room and patted the space beside him, silently ordering her to join him.

Selena promptly followed his silent order and settled beside him, keeping her eyes on the black folder in his hand the entire time. She couldn't stop thinking and the anticipation of what he had that would probably make her hate her parents was beginning to make her nervous. She wanted to tell him to hurry and show her what it was he had but she frozen. She didn't know what to think, to expect or even to feel. But, by the unsettling feeling in her stomach, Selena knew it was nothing good.

"Please understand that this was done in your best interest, Selena. For your own security." Lucifer's voice broke the silence.

He handed over the folder to Selena, who took it and slowly opened it. Her eyes skimmed over the inked paper. The scattered words that looked like they had been written in a great hurry. The meaning of the words was shocking but what really astonished her were the two signatures at the bottom of the page.

They were her parents'.