The Devil's Temptation!

Those guards weren’t even kind enough to offer him a seat so he could relax his legs. Not that he was tired, but isn’t that how he’s meant to be treated since he’s a guest? At least someone would have shown him some humility.

“Why do I get this feeling you made me wait on you on purpose?” Blake questioned when the glacier finally made his presence known in the foyer. Blake squinted his eyelids into an accusatory slit till the glacier was standing in front of him.

Roshan’s hazel-green eyes raked over Blake’s and it was obvious he hadn’t changed. His red hair was even messier than that of Roshan’s, and he had a scar that ran from his left eye to his eyebrow. The bad boy also pierced his eyebrow with a tiny golden ring, and that was enough for Roshan to know he hasn’t changed.

Unfortunately he possessed good-looks that made ladies turn a blind eye to his personality.

“You did it, didn’t you?” Blake’s pushed on, and Roshan didn’t plan on denying it.

“You had to wait, was I supposed to wait on you instead?” Tapping Blake’s shoulder in a brotherly manner, feeling good to see him, he led the red-haired Demon outside the palace so they could talk more there.

The white snows had clumped together on the ground, creating a blanket of snow that expanded to the gate and outside the gate. It was shivering cold outside, to the point Blake couldn’t stop his teeth from chattering in reaction as he rubbed both sides of his arms to warm himself up. The blistering wind fluttered their jackets and their hairs danced to the direction of the breeze.

Stepping on the snow, each step they took left footprints behind. The cold was barely their problem since they have more issues to worry about.

.....

“Have you taken what I asked of you?” Roshan proceeded to the main reason why he sent for Blake’s in the first place, and the red-haired being nodded, taking each step with Roshan as they strolled through the concrete path, the snows swept away by the servants.

“Yeah, my men are already getting the coffin out and taking it through the back door.” He asserted, and Roshan’s demeanor relaxed after hearing Blake’s was already on it.

“Good, I’m glad you chose to help me watch it for a few days.”

“We’re family, of course I’d help.” Was Blake’s response as he shoved his hands into his jacket pocket, but Roshan knew Blake’s too well to fall for his pretense.

“Don’t sleep on the coffin Blakes.” He warned, and that led to Blake’s eyes widening as though he was offended by that statement.

“Well that’s an accusation.”

“I know you Blake’s, there’s a reason why I’m entrusting it in your care despite knowing you tend to sleep in one. Keep away from that coffin, I only need you to watch it, not experiment on it.”

“Fine, but why keep it with me?” His brows snapped together as he just realized he’s yet to know why he’s accepting to do this favor for Roshan.

“I can’t keep it here, it’s dangerous to Anna and I don’t want her near it.” Roshan explained, and Blake seemed to understand to a passive extent what his cousin was trying to insinuate, and so he didn’t dive in deeper.

“I see.” He shoved his hair back away from his face, “how long am I supposed to watch the damn coffin then?”

“A day or two, at least till the owner of the coffin shows up. I have no idea what Luderick has awakened but I get a feeling I shouldn’t underestimate it. Keep the coffin under tight security and I’ll be at your place tomorrow tonight.”

“No problem then,” he found Roshan’s wishes acceptable, “I’ll be expecting you if that’s the case.”

“Then we’re done here.” Roshan looked at the red-haired being who was staring back. He spread out his arms for a goodbye hug but what he got was a punch on his shoulder from Roshan.

“Argh! You devil!”

“I don’t do hugs, say hello to your mother for me.” And he walked out after that, leaving Blake to grimace as he kneaded his shoulder to ease the soreness Roshan’s unforgivable punch had caused.

~

Later in the night, Anna was busy reading a storybook to Gemma in her chamber. The little one’s eyes were already drooping to a close as Anna continued to tell the story with a soft relaxing tone.

“....the hunter nearby was throwing out his net to the dove, hoping to catch it. Guessing what he was about to do, the ant quickly bit the hunter on the heel. Feeling the pain, the hunter dropped his net, and the dove was quick to fly away to safety.”

Her voice was like a soporific spell, enough to send Gemma to her sweet slumbers. When Anna was done reading the short story of the Ant and the Bird, Gemma was already fast asleep.

Smiling, Anna quietly rose from her seat and proceeded to tuck Gemma in bed, covering her up properly. She also checked the windows to make sure they were properly locked before blowing out the candles and exiting Gemma’s chamber.

She was heading to her own room, and everyone was already asleep since it was night time. Unfortunately, Gemma had refused to sleep till she reads her a bedtime story, and that’s why she’s still awake.

The candles were still brightly lit up, burning against the candle wax so it was easier for Anna to see and make her way to her own room.

But before she could head up the stairs, someone suddenly dashed out from a corner in black cloak from up the stairs, leading Anna to pause in her steps, and whoever it was appeared to be making his way down the stairs in a hurry too, as though the stranger was in a dilemma to get out of the palace.

Anna’s eyes widened at the sight of this strange person, and already thinking it might be a thief, Anna didn’t bother to climb the stairs and remained hidden below, shielding herself behind the stairs. Apparently where she was hiding, a servant had forgotten a broom, which means it was the only weapon Anna found usable at the moment.

Picking it up, she waited for the right moment for the thief to make his way by, and when the person got close, Anna stepped out from her hiding spot, and didn’t waste a second before she began hitting the strange person with the broom as hard as she could.

“Ouch! Hey! Stop!” The stranger tried to shield himself from her beatings but Anna didn’t stop hitting the person out of fear.

“Thief!!” She raised an alarm, wanting to alert everyone that someone had broken into the house.

“How dare you break into the Viscarrian Palace, just watch as I-”

“Anna, wait!!” The person under the cloak quickly voiced out before Anna could deal with him. She had already raised the broom above her head to descend it down on the thief, but had stopped mid-air when the person mentioned her name.

“It’s me.” The person removed the cloak from his head, and Anna’s eyes widened in shock when she realized whom she had just hit.

“Levi?!”