Chapter 256: I Watched you Burn!

Sylas threw the blanket over her body after lying her down on the bed. She was fast asleep, and he watched her face for a while.

Her disguise was strong, but she wasn’t going to follow anyone for long with the layers of fake skin for that long.

That was why he had taken it upon himself to tweak it himself.

He’d gently peeled off the layers of skin and wiped off the makeup. Now, she was lying there with her real face.

The nose he knew.

Lips he knew so well.

Skin he wanted to merge himself with.

He almost wanted to leave her like this for a while, because he had missed her way too much. His hands were still trembling from holding her, and no amount of control could make them stop.

The control she had over him was frightening. Imagine having all the power one could ever possess and still trembling from the slightest touch from your woman, even when she’s sleeping.

That’s just plain scary.

He found it deeply enthralling.

He smiled at the thought and then leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. His lips caressed her skin gently, and he almost didn’t want to pull back.

Finally, he peeled his lips off her skin and sat up.

He didn’t make it halfway when her hands suddenly shot up and grabbed his face.

His eyes flew open, and he looked at her again.

Her breath.

Her eyes.

Her heartbeat.

She was definitely still fast asleep.

"Don’t go," She murmured again, "Sylas... don’t go," She sounded really frightened, her voice shuddering like she was having a bad dream.

A tear rolled down her face, and her lips puckered up, "You said you wouldn’t leave," She whispered, the tears becoming more insistent now, "You said you would never leave, but you...,"

"Venom," She cupped her face. She was beginning to burn up, "I’m here,"

"I watched you burn," She continued.

"Venom," She caressed her cheek, wiping off sweat from her forehead, "I’m here now, and I’m never leaving again,"

"I... watched you burn..." She repeated, sounding so small and horrified that he had no choice but to haul her into his arms.

Her head lifted from the bed till it was pressed against his chest. Quickly, he felt her inhale his scent like an anchor back to her senses while her claws dug in deep into the sides of his body, gripping him tight.

He didn’t mind the pain.

Because he was also shaking as hard as she was.

"I’m here..." He stroked her hair, "I’m here...,"

"It was so dark," She sniffed, coming apart in his arms, "I was strapped. Trapped. My soul...I couldn’t remember who I was anymore. Sera...she felt so far away..." Her voice sounded like it was clogged up, "Cain...he injected me...the pain...I was so—"

He pressed her tighter against his chest, feeling the rapid swell of dark rage. It was so powerful that it scared even him, but he would gladly let it out and let the world burn if it would mean anything.

If it would erase what had happened.

And honestly, he already had a feeling about the process of what happened to her since something similar had happened to him before.

He was familiar with that kind of torture.

Only hers... must have been worse, because in this case, they weren’t trying to merge something with her.

They were trying to rip her own soul from its body. Trying to rip out a spiritual core of what made her who she is.

He couldn’t even come close to imagining what she had felt.

And he would forever hate himself for leaving her.

For dying.

He wanted to tell her to stop saying it. He wanted to pet her and shush her till she was calm again. But he didn’t.

Because as much as this was raging a war and pounding against every bit of self-control he has struggled to amass, and as much as it was as if someone was ripping his heart into his chest and squeezing his heart till his eyes were turning red and his wolf and demonic were shrieking from rage and pain and rolling over the floor, he needed to allow her let it all out.

She needed to say it.

She needed to express it all.

Even though she probably wouldn’t remember when she wakes up.

Since this was a way for her body to expel the terror that has been trapped inside of it since that day, and although the terror would never leave completely...it was still something.

Hence, they both had to endure.

He kept listening to her.

He kept stroking her.

He kept whispering into her ear.

He kept anchoring her.

His shirt was soaked from sweat and tears.

One eye had turned completely dark like an endless void from his Erebos’s unleashed rage, while the other was mirror silver from his wolf’s.

And the feeling lasted forever.

Growing. Clawing. Growling. Shrieking. Darkening.

Hours.

It didn’t stop till it was almost midnight.

That was when she finally stopped.

Her body calmed. Her voice went silent, and the tears stopped coming out.

But he didn’t. He couldn’t afford to stop.

He just kept stroking her. He kept holding her close. He kept massaging her scalp. Kept anchoring her.

Slowly, he adjusted her position to make her more comfortable. He sat properly on the bed, his back leaning against the headboard while cradling her in his arms.

Time passed even more.

Silence.

Not in Sylas’s mind.

But she was safe again.

And that was all that truly mattered to him.

His eyes remained fixed on a particular spot in the room while he kept stroking her face.

One eye black. One silver.

His body felt like ice.

Theo started to shiver.

"Cold," She murmured.

Seraphina made a weird noise in her throat.

"What is it?" Sylas whispered.

"Cold," She repeated, and opened her eyes slightly. Half asleep, "You’re so cold...," She slurred the last part, reminding him that she was still drunk.

"I’ll cover you up," He said, reaching out to drag the duvet over her body.

But he knew it wouldn’t be enough to curb the cold unless he was no longer touching her.

So, he lifted her and made to drop her on the bed.

"No!" She protested suddenly, and grabbed his collar, pulling him back to her.

"Venom!" He almost slipped, catching himself before he fell on top of her.

Both hands fell by her sides, his body stopping just inches away from hers.

She was still half asleep, still gripping his collar tightly.

"Don’t...," She slurred again, her eyes slowly falling close again, "You...need the warmth,"

Huh? His brow shot up in question.

He needed what?!

She gave him an answer by tugging down at his collar sharply, forcing him down on her. He lost more of his balance, and she leaned up a bit and met his incoming lips.

With hers.

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Happy New Month, guys!

Mass release ongoing!

Oh! Good news!

You’ll be getting more frequent updates from now on. I can’t promise daily updates, but you’ll definitely hear from me multiple times every week!