Chapter 203

Chapter 203: Chapter 203

The end of the west arrived in the form of a frost-covered forest. It was snowing in Dewmire, the sleepy little village covered in white. Yet beyond that still was a stately cottage, nestled in a snowy meadow, just before the forest line.

Inside the cottage, the hearth blazed, a tray of tea and hot biscuits sat on a table, ignored for the stack of playing cards instead. It was a snowy morning, as usual.

Dulce was in a cheery mood, pleased that he had found company content to do the mundane with him. He was the only one smiling at the table, while the Demons all glared each other down like they had blades drawn underneath the table.

Kath’tan had discovered a useful skill in keeping his thoughts off his face, he simply had to look angry the entire time, an easy task. After all, the foolish Incubus smiled all the time regardless of the cards he possessed.

Dulce had been the ’old maid’ the last time but Ruoxi was treated as the loser because he was the third to match all his cards. So for the first time, the Incubus had lost his smile.

"Does anyone care for more tea?" Dulce asked with a smile, placing his cards down on the table to reach for the teapot.

He had been the only one paying attention to the sweet tea, so only his teacup was empty, the other saucers still held tea.

After he refilled his teacup, there was a knock on the door, a confused servant stepping in. "There is someone here to see you, Lord Montesserat." She introduced, inviting in a cloaked figure.

Caedos pulled down his hood to get a better look, thin flakes of snow shaken off by his movements swirled to the ground, dissipating against the warm, wooden floor.

"Caedos?" Dulce shot to his feet, nearly knocking his teacup over.

He was the only one startled by the Demon’s sudden reappearance, the other three only looked disgruntled at his return, already privy to the war that was won.

The servant sighed in relief, no one ever came to visit Lord Montesserat without prior announcement. However, the hulking figure had appeared out of nowhere, without a horse or carriage in sight like he had walked to the cottage in the piling snow.

She quietly excused herself, sent from the mansion in Marlen, she had been told that Lord Montesserat had four companions. Even as she drifted down the hallway to spend the rest of the morning leisurely, she found herself wondering if that was the fourth companion.

Dulce left the table and made his way over, his excited surprise fading into confusion. "You’re back?" He mumbled, slowly taking in the Demon.

Caedos had taken off his cloak by then, it hung over a table, exuding cold, a cold that still clung to his skin. With the new flame he possessed, his internal temperature was even warmer so the winter cold had no impact on him.

He took in the room as well as the Vampire approaching. He had never been to Dulce’s cottage before, yet it felt familiar, like he was returning and not arriving for the first time.

His burning hazel eyes settled on Dulce who was only a short distance away from him now, the Vampire hadn’t changed. His hair was left down, his clear blue eyes filled with concern.

"I promised to return," Caedos said quietly, impressed by his own ability to remain this composed at their reunion.

Dulce reached out to take his hand, frowning at how cold his fingers were. That fact seemed to bother him as much as the Demon’s return did. He had been resigned to Caedos leaving for good and had slowly begun to adjust to his absence.

Caedos let himself be pulled to the fireplace although he could easily warm himself up. The restlessness that had taken root in his heart when he made the decision to leave at the desert palace finally eased, a peaceful quiet filling him like the warmth from the hearth.

"Did you save your kind?" Dulce asked, guiding Caedos to sit. He rubbed the Demon’s hand between two of his in an attempt to warm his limbs up quicker.

He hoped to hear that Caedos was merely visiting, or that he had come to have his binding contract broken.

"Yes." Caedos answered, a smile playing at his lips.

"T-Then, don’t you have to stay to rule as King?" Dulce probed cautiously.

Caedos hadn’t been gone that long, it was difficult to forget the Demon’s words before he left. It tainted his happiness, like warmth dissipating snow.

"I don’t. Avalan has no Kings anymore." Caedos revealed easily, catching one of Dulce’s hands to pull him closer. "We had an agreement before I left," He spoke bluntly, his smile only growing wider at the Vampire’s avoidant demeanor.

Dulce didn’t try to pull away, sighing worriedly. "And did you give it any thought while you were away?" He asked hopefully.

He had been ready to completely give up the Hellhound just so that this wouldn’t happen. As the last of the royal bloodline, who had been awaited for a thousand years, it felt incredibly greedy to keep the Demon all to himself.

"It was all I thought about," Caedos said seriously, rising to his feet.

Dulce was caught between hope and caution, lifting his head to hold his gaze. "And what conclusion did you come to?"

Caedos simply swept the Vampire off his feet and started for the door, ignoring the cold gazes that trailed him out.

As soon as Dulce was taken out of the room, the table dissolved into chaos. A shadow blade and sharp claws were placed on either side of Ruoxi’s throat.

The Incubus had recovered his smile, it was no longer the charming one he displayed in front of Dulce, rather, it was one full of danger and mischief. "I was of this opinion that this was a game where tricks were encouraged."

While Caedos’ departure had caught their attention for a split second, Ruoxi had taken advantage of their momentary distraction to steal a glimpse of their cards - which was received not so well.

The Incubus was unrepentant, paying no mind to the threats on his person even as the game continued.