Heaven woke up feeling cold despite being wrapped in her thick, heavy blanket. But it wasn't the weather that was cold.
It was him.
Every time he came, the room would turn cold. Or maybe it wasn't the room but her body that froze.
Sitting up, her eyes searched for him in the darkness, but she couldn't find him. Yet she knew he was there. Gripping her blanket, she held it tightly against her body, as if it would protect her.
"Hell0?" Her voice trembled. "Are you there?"
Slowly he emerged from the darkness. The sight of him made her draw in a sharp breath and want to hide under the bedcovers. He was beautifully terrifying, if that made sense.
The stranger took a step toward her.
"Don't! Please." Heaven shrieked, crawling back in her bed.
"I won't hurt you." He assured.
"What do you want?" It came out as a whisper.
He came closer. "I want you. Come with me.���
"Why?" She asked.
"Because we belong together."
"I don't even know you." Her heart accelerated with every step he took toward her.
"But you have been looking for me. And if you really want to know me, then come to Black rosewood." He said.
"What if I don't want to?" She asked, afraid.
In the blink of an eye, he stood right in front of her, causing her to squeal in terror. Leaning down, he brought his face close to hers. Heaven held her breath.
"Then I'll come back to convince you." He smirked, leaning even closer.
Heaven shut her eyes tightly, praying he would disappear. When she opened them again, she was sleeping in her bed. The morning sun shone through the window, lighting up the room.
Heaven let out a breath of relief. It was all a bad dream.
But wait! How did she get into her bed? She had been sleeping on the sofa.
Turning to her left, she found Zarin sleeping next to her.
What on earth was happening?
"Zarin!" She rocked him. "Wake up!"
Slowly, his eyes fluttered open.
"How did I get here?" She asked accusingly.
He rubbed his eyes before looking at her."You don't know?"
She shook her head.
"Well, I don't either." He smiled tauntingly.
Heaven took her pillow and started hitting him with it.
"All right, all right, stop." He held his arms up in defense, but Heaven kept hitting him.
"Stop!" He grabbed her wrists turning her over he pinned her down on the bed.
She struggled to free herself, but he was strong.
"I am still stronger than you," He reminded. "And faster too."
But that was not what made Heaven stop.
It was him, in her bed, on top of her. When he understood her reaction he released her.
"You will get me in trouble one day." He muttered before vanishing.
Heaven was confused for a brief moment before her handmaidens knocked on the door. While they assisted her to get ready for the day, she kept thinking of the silver-eyed stranger. He wanted to meet her after so many visits.
Why now? What changed? And what did he mean by them belonging together? She shook her head. It didn't matter. She would not go meet him.
When her handmaidens were done with her, she looked at herself in the mirror one last time before making her way to the great garden, where she would have breakfast with her parents.
When Heaven neared the garden, she heard her grandmother's voice. She became thrilled and hurried to meet her.
"Grandma!"
"Heaven!" Her grandmother Irene stood up from her seat, meeting her halfway for a hug.
"I miss you." Heaven said.
"I miss you more, my Angel."
Heaven was so happy to see her grandmother. They chatted happily while they ate their breakfast. But Heaven knew her grandmother was not as happy as she looked. Since her grandfather left, she could see the sadness behind her grandmother's smile. Until this day, Heaven could not understand why her grandfather left.
He had never been the warm type to begin with, but she never thought he would abandon them.
She could still remember the day he decided to leave. He had explained that he was on earth for a purpose, and that he for a moment got distracted and forgot why he was here.
"What is the purpose that is more important than your family?" Her father had asked.
"I am here to mislead God's creation. That's the purpose of my existence. I am not here to live a normal life."
"You say that now?" Her father had been outraged and Heaven could understand why. But her grandfather had remained calm.
"I did not plan to have a family. It just happened, and I got caught up in it. Now I am back to who and what I should be."
"The devil?"
"Yes." Her grandfather replied calmly.
"So you want to leave us?"
"You can come with me. We can mislead everyone. We can make the world ours."
Her father shook his head. "I don't want to be part of your evil schemes."
It was the first time Heaven heard her grandfather laugh. Until this day, she never heard a more malicious sound. "You are part of me, Lucian. Evil is part of you, whether you admit it or not."
"No one is born evil. It's a choice you make, and I choose not to be what you have become."
Heaven had felt proud of her father, but she had been very disappointed in her grandfather. She couldn't understand why misleading people was so important to him, but when she grew up, she learned the reason to why the devil was on earth. He had rebelled against God.
"Father, do you believe in God?" One day Heaven had asked her father when she was a little girl.
"Yes." Her father answered simply.
"I don't mean if you believe there is a God. I mean, do you believe God is good?"
Her father who was busy reading some papers put them away and looked at her. "Yes. I believe God is good."
"But those who believe that God is good are also those who believe demons are evil." Heaven argued.
Her father studied her for a moment. "If those people believe God is good, they should know that God does not create evil. It's something his creation chooses to be, and as demons we have the choice to be what we want."
And so Heaven chose to be good, despite not knowing what it truly meant. At that time, when she was a little girl, to be good meant listening to her parents, not fighting with others and being kind. But today Heaven wondered what it truly meant to be good.
Could she still be good despite being the devil's granddaughter?
"Is something wrong?" Her grandmother asked, breaking her train of thoughts.
Heaven realized everyone had emptied their plate while she was lost in old memories.
"No, no." Heaven shook her head.
Now, both her parents looked at her worriedly.
"I am fine. I am just trying to eat less. I have gained some weight." She lied.
Heaven was thankful that demons couldn't hear demons thoughts. Otherwise, her parents and grandmother would have known she was lying.
After the breakfast Heaven took her grandmother aside. "I need to talk to you." She whispered. Then they went to her room to speak privetly.
"So, what troubles you my dear?" Her grandmother asked once they arrived.
"Grandma, I don't want to worry anyone, but something had been troubling me for a long time."
"What is it?" Her grandmother looked very concerned.
"Dreams or nightmares. I don't know. But they feel so real, and it's the same person as everytime. I think it might be more than just a dream." Heaven explained.
Her grandmother listened carefully.
"I think it's a demon. He has silver-eyes, and he comes almost every night." She continued.
"What does he do when he comes?"
Heavens cheeks flushed.
"Oh dear. It's that kind of dream." Her grandmother said.
"No!" Heaven's blush deepened.
"It's normal." Her grandmother cut off. "You have grown. You are a woman now and you yearn for a man."
Heaven sighed. She didn't expect her grandmother to react the way Gina did.
"Who is he?" She asked curiously.
Heaven shook her head. "I don't know him. But he seems to know me. That's why I am afraid."
The concerned look returned to her grandmother's face. "You don't know him?"
"No."
She was quiet for a long moment before she stood up. "Come. I'll perform a spell on you. It will make demons unable to enter your mind."