"My best dreams and worst nightmares have the same people in them."
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Once Heaven's mother joined them at the table, a few silent looks were exchanged and Zamiel knew that Hazel had noticed the mark on her daughter's neck. Heaven gave her mother a look that said she would explain later, and Irene didn't waste time to move on to the nightmares and ask about them.
Heaven told her grandmother about the nightmares she had been having, and Irene told her what she suspected. That it was her grandfather's doing.
Zamiel sat silently and watched Heaven's expression as Irene spoke to her about her grandfather's plan and the five kingdoms. To his surprise, Heaven remained calm at the beginning, but then instead of feeling disappointed, he sensed anger coming from her as her grandmother continued to speak.
Her mother's thoughts were distracting. She was extremely worried for her daughter, but most of all she was scared. She just wanted to hide her somewhere, but because she grew up very sheltered, she didn't want to make Heaven feel like she couldn't enjoy her life. Her mother already felt sad and guilty that she couldn't give her daughter a different life than she had.
"What can we do to stop this?" Heaven asked when her grandmother finished talking.
Her grandmother sighed. "There isn't much you can do. You just have to resist his manipulation and not let your fears control you."
"There is no spell that can help?" Heaven wondered.
"Most spells don't work on ancients. They are too powerful for that. Very complicated spells need to be used, and those spells can kill you unless you have a direct source of power. Like an ancient demon." She explained looking at him.
Zamiel knew what she meant. Razia had poisoned him. Then she drew power from him to lock him inside. Otherwise, her spell would never work. She would end up draining herself, but she drained him instead.
"With your grandfather, there is no spell that can stop him from manipulating. That is his special power that nothing in this world can take away from him." She continued turning back to Heaven.
Now it was Heaven's turn to sigh. She was frustrated. He could feel her emotions stronger now with the mark. He had been skeptical at first, but the mark truly renewed itself. He could feel the bond with Heaven even though he didn't understand her grandmother's explanation. Maybe because he didn't see nature the way she looked at it.
Heaven's mother took both of daughter's hands in her own before gazing into her eyes.
"Heaven. I am proud of the strong woman you have become. I want you to believe in yourself and know that no one can frighten you or use you. And I want you to always remember that this is you home. No matter where you are or where you go, this place is your home."
"Mother, I am not going anywhere. I have no intention of helping grandfather so don't worry." Heaven assured.
Zamiel could see that all three women were worried and frustrated that nothing much could be done. This was Heaven's fight alone, and only she could do something. Resist her grandfather.
The devil could not be killed, so he had nothing to fear. There was nothing that could be used against him either. He cared for no one and nothing but himself.
Zamiel could only guess what the devil was trying to do with the nightmares. He would keep doing this until one of them gave up because of the constant worry, fear and lack of sleep. He would exhaust them, and Heaven not having the same strong demon mentality as he had, she would break easily.
Zamiel wouldn't let that happen and the devil knew that, therefore giving him his own nightmares to keep him occupied.
Or maybe he was all wrong, and the devil was planning something else entirely.
"Heaven." Her mother broke the eerie silence first. "Don't think much about it. You need to stay strong, so make sure to rest and not let this worry you. You look exhausted. You should go to your room and rest."
"Mother, I need to go back to Valish." Heaven protested.
"No, you don't. You completed your mission. Now the rest will be taken care of by your father. It is important you rest."
Her mother's tone was resolute, but not harsh. He could feel the strong bond between them. Sometimes they only needed to exchange looks to communicate.
"I'll make your father arrange so it looks like you left Valish and I'll make sure no one comes to your room."
Heaven nodded.
Zamiel thought of excusing himself and leaving before things got awkward, but both Hazel and Irene stood up from their seats before he could do something.
"We will leave you two alone for a while." Her grandmother smiled.
"Thank you for lending us your time." Zamiel said.
Her green eyes that looked exactly like Heaven's looked at him with a feeling he couldn't tell. But he could tell it was a good one, unlike the one her mother showed who was still careful with him.
He didn't blame her. She was only worried for her daughter, especially now knowing about the nightmares.
As soon as they left, Heaven took his hand and teleported them to her room. They stood right next to her bed. She gazed up at him, her eyes filled with concern.
"I am sorry for my grandfather." She said.
"It is his fault. Not yours." He told her.
She sat down on the bed with a sigh and he sat next to her.
He could feel her stress, her confusion. He could feel the weight on her shoulders. So much had happened in her life over the last weeks. The mission, Zarin, the nightmares and now the mark and her grandfather. He could feel her shrink. This is what he had worried about. Maybe he should have waited and not put everything on her at the same time.
Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close to him. "Don't think." He spoke against her hair. "Let me do the thinking."
She turned to him, her green eyes meeting his. "I don't want you to do everything. You said you resisted the urge to protect me. From what? Your memories?"
"Yes." Zamiel admitted.
She caught on fast.
"I know you want to protect me, but you don't have to go that far. I can handle it." She said.
"But you shouldn't have too. That is something I should have left in the past, and not something you should bear. I will share with you things in the present, but I should deal with my past alone."
Heaven took his hand. "It is not your fault. Now it is my grandfather's doing, so you shouldn't feel guilty if I see your past."
Zamiel stared into her eyes. "Heaven, promise me one thing." He said.
She nodded.
"If it gets too much, you can just leave. I'll be alright. Then you can come back when you want too. I'll always wait for you."
His memories were nothing to be taken lightly. It was horrifying. Something no one should have to see daily.
Heaven nodded, even though he could clearly tell she had no plan of listening to him.
Stubborn, as always.
Then she frowned. Her hand reaching for her neck again and rubbing the mark. She stood up and went to the mirror in her room, taking a closer look.
"I still can't believe it." She said.
He couldn't either.
There wasn't one time when she came to him and his gaze didn't travel to her neck, causing his gums to itch badly. He would have seen it if she had the mark before. It had only reappeared now and since the urge to bite her was gone and he could feel the connection between them stronger than before; it had to be the mating mark.
Heaven turned around. "You don't feel the urge to bite me anymore?" She asked.
Zamiel was confused. Did he hear disappointment in her voice? Did she want him to bite her?
Standing up, he walked up to her. He looked down at the mark between her shoulder and neck before his gaze traveled up her slender neck. He felt a hunger rise within him, but it was not the same as the one to mate her. This was only to take pleasure from biting her.
Unlike the urge that clawed at him every little moment, this was just him wanting more than he needed.
When it came to Heaven, his greed was endless. She unleashed his demon with all its sinful traits. But she was his now, and only she could unleash his demon and restrain him.
"No." Was his short reply.
"So… you won't bite me?"
He gazed into her emerald eyes. They looked pleadingly at him, expecting his answer to be what she wanted to hear. And she wanted him to bite her. He could see she was curious about it. Nervous, but still curious.
He grabbed her waist and pulled her against his body. He leaned in and brushed his lips along her cheek, then followed the line of her jaw. She shivered in his arms.
"Do you want me to bite you?" He spoke in hushed tones, his hand moving up her back and entangling in her soft hair.
He could hear the rapid beat of her heart and her shaky breath.
"Yes." Her reply left her lips like a silent cry.
She tilted her head back, baring her neck for him.
It didn't take long for his fangs to elongate and his demon to come alive, pushing him to act on his impulses and whisper things in his mind.
'She is ours now. Calm down.'
But as soon as he tasted her skin and her sweet scent filled his senses, all rational thought fled his mind and he buried his fangs into her flesh.