The Devil's Temptation!

As much as she tried to think, her brain wasn’t helping the situation. It felt like her headache got worse the more she tried to think of the familiar person. The lady said she’s from Draekharm village, and the familiarity she felt towards her....

Is it possible she knows the woman??

“You_”

Before Anna could figure out who’s touch had a familiarity to that of Agnes, the lady had already sensed it and immediately placed a hand on Anna’s head, keeping her touch gentle with no intention of harming her.

Instead of massaging, her hand remained at the top of Anna’s head, as though she was silently casting a spell. She uttered a few words under her breath till Anna’s eyes finally closed shut, letting her fall into a sweet slumber since her eyelids became unbearable to carry.

She was asleep.

A relieved sigh escaped Agnes’s lips after confirming Anna had fully passed out. She waved a hand at Anna’s face, but she didn’t budge, neither did her lashes flicker in the tiniest of movements, indicating she had fallen deep into the sleeping spell.

Agnes sank to the tiled floor, wiping off the sweat that was starting to form beads on her pale face.

.....

“It’s good she’s asleep.” Agnes muttered with relief, instinctively placing a hand to her chest to help calm her spirit. If she had taken too long to work out the sleeping spell on Anna, then surely Anna would have figured out her identity a little too early than she planned she would.

“Her powers are already starting to awaken, which means Nicholas was right from the start.” She exclaimed softly, staring at Anna’s face and checking with a smile on her lips. She had witnessed Anna’s mysterious powers herself, her eyes turned golden out of the blue, and Agnes couldn’t help but ponder on it.

The last time she saw Annalise, it was a tragic incident that took place many years ago- but now, she’s grown up so well to become such a beautiful lady.

Agnes couldn’t rid her mind of this, even though she sensed his Highness making his way towards this particular chamber, she wanted to keep staring at Annalise, to hold her and tell her how sorry she was everything, but unfortunately, now isn’t the right time to get emotional, else it’d ruin her plan.

She just got here, so it’s not in her place to start slacking. She wouldn’t have known Anna’s whereabouts if it wasn’t for Nicholas, as well as the incoming dangers that surrounded Anna. She’ll have to inform Nicholas that she’s gotten into Viscarrian, and then they can both work out the next step to their plan of protecting her.

The door to the room opened at the last minute, followed by a silence that alerted Agnes of who just walked in.

Roshan stepped inside his chamber, closing the door behind him, but he found no one in the room except for Annalise who was sleeping soundly on the bed, properly covered with a duvet.

He leaned his back against the door at the relief that overwhelmed him, closing his eyes after seeing his Anna was safe and sound.

After what Azazel told him about that silly coffin, he came right here to ensure his Anna was safe. Azazel made mention that Anna might fall into a trance if he kept the coffin anywhere near her, so he rushed down here to make sure none of that had happened, and to his greatest relief, she was alright.

Walking away from the door, he crouched before her bedside, staring at her face as she slept peacefully and his heart throbbed with the need to shadow her from the pains of the world.

All he wants is to make Anna happy, that’s why he hasn’t bothered her with the strange scenarios that’s been going on. But with this new found situation arising and finding her in the middle of everything, he was starting to have doubts on if he’d be capable of dealing with it all.

Luderick has awakened only the heavens know what, and he was sure they had a reason for not striking already. His main problem wasn’t even Luderick anymore, he was more worried about the dead being his uncle had gone ahead to bring back to life.

Why will Anna fall into the trance of a mere coffin? Even Azazel couldn’t give him a detailed explanation as to what connection his Anna could share with someone else’s coffin.

He can’t take the coffin away, but the least he could do is keep it far away from Anna.

He’ll have one of his cousin’s come take the coffin away and put it under tight security. He was going to keep it entrapped so he gets to see the owner of the coffin face to face.

“I won’t let you be dragged into my problems again.” His tone was as soft as a whisper, like he was making an honest promise

———

At the top of the tower, snowflakes slowly dropped from the sky, only to be assisted by the wind that blew it in through the window, landing gently on the palms of Aveline who smiled at the little snow resting on her white palm.

“Do you know why I enjoy the winter season so much?” She asked Luderick who just hid himself in the shadows, currently dealing with his own problems as he groaned in pain.

Aveline barely flinched, she just kept smiling sweetly at the snowflake resting on her palm, and paying no attention to Luderick who gritted his teeth in anger and agony, a chord of vein appeared on his neck as another sharp cry of pain tore from his lips.

“How cruel, you aren’t even answering me.” Aveline feigned victim, not turning around to look at Luderick who was struggling on the ground.

“Poor thing,” she tsked, “it seems you’ve forgotten that you can’t just take without repaying for what you took.” She reminded Luderick, finally looking at him and going to kneel beside him on the ground.

He appeared helpless as he tried to stand on his feet, but ended up falling to the ground again as though there was a magnet holding him in place.

“You used blood art to bring a dead soul to life,” she showed the struggling Luderick the snowflake on her palm, “I’m not one of your useless soulless that you can summon freely, summoning a high rank Demon like myself comes with a price you see.”

Luderick’s dark eyes displayed the pain his body was currently going through as he glared at Aveline, and the chords of green and black veins in his neck and face kept throbbing like strings waiting to be cut open. The pain was torturably unbearable, one couldn’t possibly imagine such a pain for himself.

Aveline appeared unbothered and made Luderick look at the snowflakes instead, “From now on, you’ll have to follow my orders. This is just the little price you have to pay, you’ll have to be broken.” And she brutally crushed the snowflakes in her palm.