The Devil's Temptation!

The glistening bracelet around her fair wrist caught her attention, leaving her to secretly admire it once more and a brightening smile adorned her pink lips. She recollected how shy Roshan acted when he gave her the bracelet and she hasn’t taking it off since then.

It was an adorable moment and who would have thought the cold-blooded Roshan would be so considerate towards her after all those times in Euphrasia and in Viscarrian too. She never imagined a day like this was even possible to exist and strangely, he’s been the reason for both her happiness, sadness and every other emotions of hers that seemed to revolve around him.

She woke up this morning and couldn’t find him in the room, to her disappointment, but she suspected he might be in the library since that was another place he grew fond of in the mansion.

“Don’t let it escape! How did it get in?! Everyone stay locked in your various rooms! Now!!” Came the alarmed yell of whom Anna assumed to be one of the Mayor’s assassin and her eyes instantly diverted to the door, a gasp leaving her lips.

A look of worry contorted her facial features as she heard hurried footfalls just outside her door, like they were after something and her attention was no longer on the bracelet.

“What’s happening out there?” She got to her feet as the hurried footfalls slowly faded and it grew unusually quiet outside.

Anna reached for the door handle, curiousity already getting the better of her as she wished to know what the guard or assassin was seriously yelling about.

She quietly opened the door and popped her head out, the wide corridor was empty, not even a single soul could be seen wandering by and her brows knit themselves in puzzlement.

.....

“What’s going on?” She didn’t let the fear in her heart stop her from taking a step outside. She was meant to stay indoors like the assassin had ordered and every nerve in her screamed for her to go back inside, but she fought it, looking determined to figure out what exactly was going on.

With silent steps, she walked past the red carpeted corridor and could hear hurried footsteps coming from below.

“Find it!” The strict order in his tone made Anna flinch in startlement, but regardless of how scared she was, she curled her fingers into her palm and kept moving.

“Hold it down! Tie it up!”

Anna paused as the ordering stern voice happened to be coming from the right corners of the corridor and it sounded like Nicholas’s voice.

“Tie what up?” The situation wasn’t making things clear to Annalise and when she dared to peep, four to five assassins including Nicholas were holding a soulless demon down, pressing his leg on the Demon’s cheek to keep one side of it’s face down on the ground.

“Can someone explain how to me how this happened? Aren’t the bridges closed??” Nicholas questioned one of the assassins who had shot an arrow to the soulless’ back and an ugly shriek was heard before the demon gave up on struggling.

“I don’t know.” He responded, obviously shocked himself, “the bridge hasn’t been lowered for three days now Master Nicholas.”

“How strange, and this isn’t the first time, it’s almost like they’re after something.”

Anna froze against the wall the moment she saw the soulless demon. It looked grosteque, with the short horns on it’s head and the irritating scaly body, just like the ones Luderick tamed and her feet instantly trapped themselves against the ground as it became difficult to move away from the scene.

Her shock-filled eyes remained locked on the demon and Nicholas’s last words only heightened her fear.

‘like they’re after something..after something...’ that particular word kept ringing in her head severally until the demon Nicholas held down suddenly met her stare with it’s purely black eyes. It looked no different from a black pool and it sent several chills running down Anna’s spine, she had to let out a silent gasp while taking a step back and that was it. She wanted to run, but her legs weren’t moving, almost paralyzed from fear.

Why did she leave her room???

The Demon’s deadly gaze remained locked on her until a commanding deep voice whispered into it’s head, like a twisted trance.

“Bring her to me!”

A loud ugly shriek left the Demon’s mouth as it’s energy returned and it broke free from Nicholas’s hold, sending an electrifying invisible force that pushed Nicholas with his assassin’s away from him.

Nicholas was shocked to see the demon reviving a little too quicker than he expected it to be and puzzlingly, it had it’s gaze fixated on a particular direction.

He looked at the direction of where the Demon was heading to and his face paled, seeing Anna stand before the corner, unable to move and his eyes widened in trepidation.

“Run Anna!” Nicholas quickly alerted her, but she couldn’t move her feet even when she tried, why now??

The soulless headed towards her with a lightning speed, its arms stretched to grab her when Anna crouched to her knees and covered her eyes.

“Roshan!”

She quickly called his name as that was the only thing that came into her mind at the last minute, still waiting for the expected but the unexpected happened when the Demon who should have reached her by now didn’t touch her.

Shakily tearing her palms from her face, she looked up, only to see the Demon’s body had connected to the wall, a dagger was surprisingly buried at the side of it’s head, so deep that only the hilt of the dagger was visible to her gaze.

The sharp mouth of the dagger penetrated from the other side of it’s head and trapping it to the wall. Black blood oozed from where the dagger had stabbed it and the demon stopped moving.

When Anna looked to her left, Roshan was unhurriedly heading towards the Demon’s direction, already pulling out his second dagger as he twirled it playfully in his fingers.

But one thing that left Anna frozen was Roshan’s fiery red eyes and snowy white fangs which were now visible to the gaze of the assassins, including Nicholas too and Anna shook her head. Why did he reveal himself??

To her dismay, the soulless wasn’t dead yet as it suddenly moved it’s fingers and with horror-filled eyes, Anna watched as it reached for the dagger in it’s head and pulled it out, startling the human girl who fell backwards except this time, the soulless had it’s gaze on Roshan who headed his way.

An angry shriek escaped its mouth as it raced towards Roshan who just walked and it got to a point, he had to pick up speed as well, knowing the soulless wasn’t any normal soulless for it to have survived his daggers and he was rather delighted for a fight.

Anna didn’t even realize when Nicholas had reached for her side due to her shock-stricken state, picking her into his arms but she resisted his touch, unwilling to go anywhere as she watched the different Demons clash.

“Drop me down, Roshan_ he.!!”

“We need to get you to safety first.” He quickly convinced her before she stopped struggling. He looked at the assassins who were waiting for his command and his gaze turned serious.

“Get rid of that demon!”

They nodded before pulling out their silver swords and Nicholas quickly took Anna back into her room, despite sensing how badly she wanted to be by Roshan’s side.

He dropped her to her feet after reaching her room but the stubborn lady wanted to go out despite his words.

“Miss Ann.”

“He’s out there alone, I can’t just....”

“Listen!” He finally snapped, gaining her attention and earning her silence as the room fell quiet, “that thing is obviously here for you, if you go out there you’re only risking more lives.”

“But Roshan..”

“He’s a demon.” Nicholas candidly said to her, reminding Anna with his serious stare about what has been shockingly revealed to him and she lost her voice instantly.

“Your brother is a Demon, what’s going on? Is there something I should know about that you’re not telling me?”

“I promise I’ll explain it all to you but...”

“No,” his clipped tone cut her off and he wasn’t joking, the look in his eyes proved it as he took a dominant step forward, leaving Anna to take a step back, “tell me the truth, who are you?”

Anna remained mute, looking as quiet as a nun. She barely had the strength to come up with an excuse as she was more worried about Roshan and her heart would tighten at the thought of what must be happening to him out there, what if he gets hurt??

“Will you tell me now?” Nicholas’s voice broke her from her thoughts and she met his amber eyes. A look of despondency smeared her features as she lowered her head. Her fingers curled into her palms as she uttered in a weak voice.

“Roshan isn’t my brother, it’s all a lie”