Chapter 90

Chapter 90: Chapter 90

"Which means we can leave anytime," Dulce said, incredibly relieved. "I fear though that the portal might reject you even if you didn’t create it. If that happens, I’ll come with you."

Kath’tan stared at Dulce with intensity in his purple eyes. The Vampire had said it so lightly, but it meant a lot to him. For such kindness to be so generously given, and without demanding anything in return.

Dulce felt the Demon’s stare, glancing at him. "If that is fine with you of course," He hastily added, aware of how intrusive his presence would be.

"It is." Kath’tan said just as quickly, dropping his gaze to the table.

"Then there is no harm in leaving first thing tomorrow," Dulce suggested, the sooner they made the journey, the sooner he could dedicate himself to undoing the summons.

"There is no telling how long it will take us so today, I’ll arrange for helpers to come to the palace." He went on, half expecting another to insist on accompanying them.

But what he didn’t know well was that Fiends were a rather troublesome species. They didn’t get along with each other, much less other species. Caedos and Ruoxi coming along would only drive both Demons mad with anger for similar reasons, their kind in captivity.

And Asael, well, he already had a foot out the door. The Shadow Demon listened to Dulce make plans for their upkeep without him, realizing that the Vampire would never address him.

Even if he was still here when they returned from the hells, Dulce’s attitude towards him wouldn’t change. It was a flawed solution, one he couldn’t live with.

"I’m leaving," He said quietly when there was a short spell of silence.

Dulce’s silver blue eyes dimmed but he wore a gentle smile, "Then I’ll undo your summons..."

"Don’t." Asael blurted out unconsciously, taking a pause to collect himself. "I mean, it’s temporary. There’s something I need to do, I’ll return." He made the promise Dulce always made to them.

He ignored the stares his words garnered him from Kath’tan and Ruoxi, the Incubus glaring at him in disbelief. He rose to his feet and started for the door, his dark figure disappearing down the hallway.

Asael had nothing to do, but as a Shadow Demon, he needed to focus on the next pay. Accompanying a strange Vampire on his odd journeys was out of the question for him.

Stopping Dulce from undoing his summons had been completely out of character, he had blurted it out without thought. He had been preparing for this moment since he made an agreement with Dulce, yet when he could finally leave, he had panicked.

He was uncertain about everything but the one thing he was certain of was that he didn’t want the summons undone... not yet. Because without it, he would just become another Demon to Dulce.

Asael made his way back to the treasury, he stood in the center of the room, tempted to go back one last time to look at the Vampire. It was only a fleeting thought, one he ignored and created a portal.

When he stepped into the whirling black portal, he took the exact amount Duke Zazrel had paid him and a coin more, his black overcoat billowing as he disappeared into the portal.

-+-

Dulce stared at the door with a distant gaze in his eyes when the kitchen emptied. He could instinctively sense that Asael was gone, it was rather difficult to focus on the present and not the inevitable future that awaited him.

He didn’t wallow in his thoughts for long, rising to his feet to prepare for his journey to the Hells. He was curious about what it looked like, could a Vampire even go to the Hells?

After preparing for the journey, he quickly returned to Aysel to make arrangements for servants and more supplies to be sent to the palace overnight. There was no telling how long the journey would take, but they could also return at anytime so there was little worry.

By the time night fell, he was already back in the oasis. As the whole palace belonged to him, he saw less and less of the Demons, they were all scattered about the palace.

He sat in the veranda which once held their luggage, it had been cleaned save for the dusty silk curtains which billowed in the night breeze. He reclined on a chaise lounge, dressed only in his dress shirt, pale hair unbound.

This little green island in the middle of a desert was familiar, it made him want to leave. He didn’t want to recover his memories, knowing deep down that they would break him.

Perhaps he could return to the west with Ruoxi and Caedos after all this. They too would eventually leave but until then, he could at least achieve his dreams of living in a quiet cottage with a hellhound for company.

He could arrange to have a sizeable cottage built on the outskirts of Dewmire at the edge of the west... there was a faint smile on his face as the cold wind blew past him, tousling his hair and blowing pale strands across his face.

It was dark but he could see clearly regardless so it didn’t matter that none of the lamps were lit. From where he sat, he could see a section of the garden, colorful flowers swaying in the night breeze.

It was certainly far more entertaining to watch the garden and the desert at night to pass the time than it was to read mindless books.

He sat alone on the veranda until the moon rose, the chittering of bugs, the rustling of leaves, and the rushing of water kept him company as the night grew late.

With sunrise the next morning, came a caravan. He got up to receive them, the servants he had hired looking around with wonder in their eyes.

He settled them in the palace, they would be staying in the servants’ quarters, a man and three women. The were awed but skeptical, it was strange for such a pleasant noble to live completely alone out in the desert, but the pay was generous.