Chapter 120

Chapter 120: Chapter 120

Asael carved out a portal without ever going into the palace. Perhaps he couldn’t sleep because Dulce was away from Earth, so he returned to Noctyrn with the intention of making another attempt to fall asleep.

What was supposed to be a brief mission of less than a week had stretched out into months. Unlike Vampires, even Shadow Demons couldn’t go on without sleep indefinitely.

The portal opened directly into a large bedroom, the high ceilings and arched windows showed that it was a room in a castle. The black curtains were drawn, obscuring the view outside, but the room was well-lit highlighting the gothic architecture.

Every piece of furniture and decorative item in the room were priceless treasures, reflecting the glow of the silver flames. He paid no mind to them, undoing the buttons of the loose cotton shirt he wore as he walked off to the bath.

He returned wearing only loose pants with a wide belt, his white hair down for the first time. There was a faint black mist in the air as he walked to his bed, giving the atmosphere an air of perpetual night although the curtains were down.

He got into the enormous bed without ceremony, closing his eyes, only his white hair and the silver-white bands tattooed on his arms standing out against the black sheets and matching drapes.

-+-

Dulce roused in a few short hours, the lingering taste of spun sugar on his blue-tinted tongue. He easily put the puzzles together right after he sat up, glancing down at his hands.

He clenched them into fists to hide the incriminating evidence, an anxious smile on his face. "When did we return?" He addressed the Incubus who was seated on an armchair in his room in the palace.

"A few hours ago," Ruoxi replied, wearing the same disgruntled look as everyone else, although he had been the last to steal Dulce away.

Dulce got off his bed, looking around. "Did Asael leave?" He asked with a worried expression.

He was still dressed in the clothes from Huayuan, the edges of the robes trailing on the ground.

"He’ll be back," Ruoxi said dismissively.

Dulce said nothing to that, turning to Caedos who sat quietly in a corner, staring at him intently. "I apologize for leaving without warning," He said directly, doing a terrible job of hiding his blue palms. There was even a faint blue shimmer on his lips, it would take a few days for the pigment to completely wear off.

"I’m not angry at you leaving," The Hellhound said quietly, startlingly articulate. "It’s the same as last time. I missed your presence, don’t leave again."

Dulce pushed his hair out of his face, sheepish. "I don’t think I have any reason to leave again. We’ve spent far too long in the desert, it’s about time to leave."

"Where are we going?" Kath’tan asked, also oddly quiet, an inscrutable expression in his deep purple eyes.

"I hoped to return to the west..."

"To your little cottage?" The Fiend cut in but there was no mockery in his tone like before.

"In a manner of speaking, although a bit of renovation has to be done." Dulce trailed off, his farm was likely overrun with weeds. It was already summer and by the time they returned, it would be winter. There was no longer the threat of a Vampire-hunting Queen, perhaps he wouldn’t have to go deeper into the woods to achieve his dream.

"When are we leaving?" Caedos asked with a hint of impatience, ear flicking.

Dulce hesitated, "Perhaps in a few days?"

"Why not today?" The Hellhound countered.

"Well, Asael might return-"

"You said you weren’t leaving again."

"I’m not," Dulce promised, "But he might return to find the palace empty."

"Write him a letter." Ruoxi chimed in without remorse, eager to ditch part of the crowd.

"If he doesn’t return by morning, we can leave." Dulce bargained, but it was evident that the Vampire would have a difficult time keeping to his words. "I’ll go relay the news of our departure to the hired help." He added, absentmindedly drifting out.

His robe was belted but the low neck revealed his collar bones, a dusting of red on the delicate structures. It had been days now since his complexion was last pallid, but he barely noticed the difference.

The hired help were surprised to have their employer arrive without warning, sad that such a laid-back and lucrative job was coming to an end. It was late at night which was ideal for traveling but the servants wouldn’t be able to return to Aysel until the next night.

Dulce held onto this piece of good news, returning to his room to find the Demons still waiting patiently for him. "The servants can’t leave until the next night, we can leave after they do."

No one said a word to his blatant attempts to make them wait longer for Asael’s return, it was futile to, the Vampire would do the same for any of them.

When there were no dissensions on his latest addition to the matter, Dulce could relax, with any hope, Asael would be back by then. Although his return could very well mean the request to have his summons undone, he drifted off to his bathroom, hoping to wash the color off his skin.

When he stepped out of his bathroom to still find company there, it put him in a good mood, wearing a loose cotton shirt and comfortable pants. The blue pigment in his skin had faded a bit but he was now less self-conscious of it, picking a chair by a shelf.

"Why are your hands blue?" Caedos was the one to break the silence, rising to his feet to sit by Dulce’s chair.

Without any thought, the Vampire rose to his feet and joined the Hellhound on the ground. "I ate too many moonberries on Huayuan," He revealed self-consciously.

Caedos leaned over to peer intently at his small blue hands, mildly concerned. "Will it always remain this way?"

Dulce turned to Ruoxi with an expression of horror and dread. "Ruoxi? Will my hands remain blue?"