Free Web NovelChapter 19: It’s Nothing
A wave of distant chuckling and mockery rose from the tear that burned with dark smoke.
The demons torturing souls were listening and they were mocking his friends.
They sounded like a pack of miserable hounds finally given something to laugh about.
Grim turned over his shoulder, and as if sensing his authority through the tear, they scrambled in fear and begged to be spared.
’’Honestly, the King of Hell will be eager to know your friendssss,’’ it hissed, as more disfigured arms slithered out from the tear, creating a tense and ominous environment in this world.
’’As if a goddamned forbidden fruit of the devil could ever be truly loved.’’ One hand spoke.
’’Oh, look, he even came to earth, the mortal realm to find true love,’’ another slithered out and mocked.
’’He should have just stayed chained down in that cave forever,’’ another said as it pushed its way out of the mouth of one of the hands. ’’It’s even more believable for God to make a truce with Lucifer than a snake hiding in false limbs and thighs to ever be desired truly. He will try and fail, then wither and die in his mortal body in a year and return to be condemned forever.’’
Ichor moved around a bit as the hands laughed madly. Their mouths stretched wide, rows of jagged teeth flashing as they laughed around him.
’’Oh, but I recently saw him slithering around a human.’’
’’A human? A human? What human?’’
They turned to each other.
They started to mumble nothing but nonsense to each other as the body of said monster remained behind the tear.
This world slowly faded and was replaced by memories of the days when he was bullied and looked down on by lower demons.
’’After all these years, you could only face me with your hands,’’ Grim said calmly as a low hiss, more like hot gas slipping through a tight crack was heard behind the tear.
A pair of dark red eyes, with deep black reptilian slits peeked from the tear and Grim smiled, not having the strength to deal with a bunch of lousy demons that held no respect for him.
Hell, he doesn’t need their respect.
’’If only you started minding your business, Iyhaldi, maybe one day, an ancient demon like you will finally leave the backwaters of Hell. And you wouldn’t rot away hanging out with lower demons forever.’’ Grim blinked, ’’Not like there is any difference between you and the demons that kill for scraps.’’
Iyhaldi, the ancient demon of many hands and the Nine Hells, revealed more of his anger.
’’I can entertain you talking trash about me but,’’
The little demonic hands attached to the ancient demon flinched and shrank at the golden eyes that locked on them. It made them fearful of the young prince of hell and it reminded them of the ancient, great and terrible serpent of Eden.
’’Do train your little brats and let them know my friends and my woman isn’t an object of ridicule.’’
Even the demon of nine hells withdrew further into the tear as his hands begged to be let in and spared from that molten look.
The molten gaze darkened every time they whimpered and scrambled back into the tear.
’’I wouldn’t forgive a second time.’’ It wasn’t a threat but a promise as the tear closed, taking the darkness it brought with it.
Grim’s golden gaze simmered underneath his brown ones. He was once again left alone at the grand entrance of his home.
One that felt truly like a home when they were with him.
He sighed, refusing to let a few insignificant demons get under his skin. Demons that weren’t even worth the ground in which he stepped on.
He turned and returned inside the building. The few demons that lingered about in the bright and gold lobby of his home paused to acknowledge his presence with a bow. One he ignored as he made his way inside the elevator and had a quiet lonely ride back to his penthouse.
Were they really spooked?
He kept asking himself, and he hated how his past kept getting in the way of him having the life he had always wanted.
His fingers moved to type in his passcode.
A life where he wasn’t a demon the entire world despised
A being his parents once tried to get rid of.
A demon whose innocence was taken in exchange for...
For...
He stood before the paintings.
His paintings.
And it felt like looking right in the face of a period of his existence now held together by a paintbrush and captured in six pieces of artwork.
He remembered it all just like yesterday. And he could only imagine what they thought of him now even if they were being too polite to show it.
Maybe he should have a painting of them made as well.
Maybe it wasn’t all that wise to have his dirty secrets out in the open like this.
A flicker of gold in his eyes and Grim let out a cold breath at the paintings.
They burned and folded like ash.
The faces of his father, his mother, his tree, his home and the face of...
He stared tensely at that piercing gaze that was a striking mixture of violet and green. The long, white hair that boasted of her beauty and immaculate form and presence. Her godly and supreme nature.
Eve. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
It burned along with the haunting memory of her.
’’My beloved lonely and abandoned forbidden fruit. My one and only. You will submit and become mine or live the rest of your days regretting it.’’
Grim felt a part of him trembling. He couldn’t tell if it was because of fear or that in a corner of his mind, he could hear that long, nauseating promise.
’’I am coming for you...’’
☆☆☆
In the car and on their way home, Lin had finally finished talking to his alien friends from space and was now sleeping, passed out on Berry’s shoulder.
Berry smiled, thinking it was very nice of Grim to have a car drive them back to their homes.
All the while she thought of her rich and amazing friend, she tried her best not to be reminded of the creepy paintings in his house.
Surely, there were worse paintings than that in the world. He was rich so he could afford them even if it meant they were scary enough to fuel nightmares.
It must mean something to him to make it forbidden for them to see.
’’Mmmh.’’
She turned to stare at the coworker passed out on her and smiled again, thinking of taking a quick pic of him drooling off on her shoulder. And keep it to blackmail him later.
As she lifted her phone to take a few pictures, she paused at her other workmate sitting silently beside them. Her diamond ring in her right pinky finger as she reached out to caress the necklace hanging around her neck, thinking and lost in her thoughts.
’’Stylie?’’
’’Hey, Stylie,’’ she called again and there was a response. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman turned to Berry with a wide, frightened gaze.
Berry was worried and said, ’’This was definitely not the Stylie I brought to see a friend with me. What’s wrong? You’ve been acting so strange and lost ever since we saw that painting.’’
Stylie didn’t say anything for a while. Her eyes fell on her lap as the car raced down the road.
’’If it’s about that painting, do try to forget about it. It probably doesn’t mean anything and Grim is just being protective of it because of its worth or value.’’
Both Stylie and Berry stared at each other.
Blue against dark brown.
’’It’s nothing.’’
For a long moment, and after overthinking everything, Stylie knew Berry would never understand why she was so worried. So she kept it to herself.
’’Look, the diamond ring matches well with your necklace.’’
Stylie smiled nervously and their attention drew back to their sleepy, hardworking bean. They laughed at the pictures of him they took and they all agreed they had a fun outing together.
If only their Boss came as well.
It would have been great.
’’Berry,’’ Stylie called softly, her fingers rubbing against the dark ruby stone around her neck. ’’I think it’s best I stay away from Grim.’’
