Symphony of Death

Anastasia’s POV

“Can you stop staring?”

“It speaks!” Angie exclaimed loudly. “Wow!” She finally moved back and sat properly on the couch. “Can I hold you?”

Shae jumped on the couch beside me and curled in a ball.

“So rude,” Angie pouted.

It was hilarious to watch them. If Angie could, she would have squished and squeezed Shae. And if possible, Shae would have murdered Angie every time she went gaga on her.

I was glad Cain didn’t harm Shae or my friends. They were going to be kept eyes on but they were safe and with me again.

“So, Cain won’t harm you because of the wing?” I nodded at Nat. “Is there any way to break the curse?”

“I don’t know,” I replied grimly. “Laurel was looking into it.” Nat and Angie looked at me worriedly. “There has to be a way.”

“Why don’t you look into Cain’s place?” Angie said suggestively. “I mean he is equally desperate to break it, right? I am sure he must have leads if not the solution.” She clapped her hands excitedly.

“Stop giving her stupid ideas, Angie,” Nat looked at Shae warily. She was asleep but I highly doubted she wasn’t listening in on us. “He could harm her.”

“Cain cannot harm me. He is extra possessive and concerned over my well-being.” I snorted. “It makes me want to slit myself or something just to get on his nerves.”

“I am not sure if it will help you.” Nat chuckled nervously. “Don’t make them angry, Ana. They are demons.” She scowled. “I can’t even look at Xic the same way. I hated being near him when I didn’t know his reality and now he is on my head like a sword of Damocles all the time.”

“Tell me about it,” Angie huffed loudly. “Aeron is taking this ‘I’m keeping my eyes on you’ thing to an impossible level.” She emphasized the point by pointing a V between us. “Everyone thinks that we got hots for each other.”

“By the way,” Angie exclaimed suddenly. “Who was the hottie?” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “I saw the way he looked at you. The sparks were everywhere, Ana. They were flying from him to you.”

“Don’t be presumptuous,” I fixed her with a warning glare. “And don’t even try to cook anything behind my back. I will kill you.” My brows shot up. “Cain will kill you for sure.”

“I don’t know why you would threaten me with him?” Angie said accusingly. I couldn’t comprehend why as well? “But who is he?”

“Logan. He is the owner of this building.” Angie and Nat nodded at the same time. “He is nice and polite, but he is weird. I don’t know how to put it but I don’t get a nice feeling around him.”

“I think being around demons has rubbed off on your senses,” Angie said dryly. “He is an attractive guy who has fallen for you. He brought you your favorite vanilla latte.” She was in awe. “Does he do that every day?”

“Shut up, Angie, and stay away.” I glared at her. “I mean it.”

“Geez!” Angie took out a diary from her bag. “What do you two take me for?” She started jotting down in it.

“Are you writing in a diary?” I mused.

“I recently picked this hobby.” She grinned. “I want to live the old times for good times. This is so much fun. You two should try it as well.”

“Excuse me!” We looked back simultaneously. “Anastasia, right?” The woman took off her shades. “I am Sophia Owen. My assistant talked with you.”

I stood up and shook hands with her.

“We should head back now.” Nat and Angie stood up as well. “You take care of yourself, okay?” They left and I motioned for Sophia to sit on the couch.

“Would you like something?” I sat next to Shae across from Sophia. She woke up from her nap and was now looking at the stranger intently “Tea? Coffee?”

“No, thank you. I am in a hurry for now,” she checked the time on her watch. “But some other time maybe.” Sophia smiled politely.

She was beautiful beyond words and so graceful. She was dressed elegantly and her aura was on a whole different level.

“I presume my assistant filled you in on all the details?” I nodded. “Will you manage all the dresses in time?”

“You don’t have to worry about it,” I replied confidently. “Have you chosen the color and design from the samples I sent you?”

“This one,” Sophia extended her phone toward me.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to take measurements individually?” I asked.

“That won’t be necessary,” She got up and I followed suit. “Just make them the size I shared with you.” I nodded. “I am looking forward to seeing the magic you put in your work as they say.”

“I will try my best,” I returned her smile.

Sophia kept looking at me.

She was scrutinizing me closely.

“I’m sorry but are you related to Logan?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking. Sophia was neither offended nor taken by surprise by my blunt question. “Your eyes and hair are similar.”

“You are observant,” Sophia chuckled. I looked at her hand when she touched my arm. “Distant relatives would be an appropriate term to use for us. Hair and eye color are a family thing.”

“Now that you mentioned him, I think I would drop a hello.” She grinned. “Logan doesn’t know I am here. Not sure if he will be thrilled to see me.”

“I am sure he will be.” I walked her to the door.

“That coffee is on hold. I have a feeling we will be meeting again soon.” Sophia turned to me suddenly. “I am glad I came today. I got to see you in person.” Her gaze was cognizant. “You are very beautiful.”

“You are flattering me,” I cupped my neck out of habit. She was unnerving me now. “I am nothing but an ordinary face.”

“I won’t agree,” Her smile was cryptic. “I wish I could talk to you more but now is not the time.”

I didn’t find her smile and gaze comfortable all of the sudden.

She was talking as if she knew me all her life.

“Until we meet again.”

****

The scissor slipped out of my hand and fell on the floor again. I wanted to pick it up but for some reason, my mind and body were not ready to cooperate.

I rubbed my eye tiredly and heaved a long sigh.

There was so much work to do, yet my mind had the luxury to wander over useless things.

“Damn it,” I hissed in pain when a few pins pierced my palm when I picked the scissor.

I scowled at the bleeding spots. They reminded me of the injuries I sustained a few nights ago.

There were no traces left of the wound on my arm or the cut on my lip, and the bruise on my cheek.

Cain healed them.

With his kisses.

I stood up abruptly and almost ripped my hair out of its roots while trying to keep my brain wandering back to the kiss.

That sinister kiss.

I didn’t want to recall it but my brain was not wiping out or burying the memory in some deep corner.

I dropped everything and came out on the terrace. I suddenly felt stuffed and claustrophobic. I couldn’t care less about what monster might appear before my eyes right now.

They were no match to Cain in his wicked and twisted evildoings.

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose tiredly. Shae was gone again and I was sure she was not going to return anytime soon.

I was curious to know where Cain was sending her almost every night but I didn’t dare to ask.

Cain wasn’t home much these past days as well. I had plenty of chances to look around but I couldn’t muster enough courage. Some part of the thought gave me a foreboding feeling that was stopping me from finding the unknown.

I walked toward the railings and looked down and around my surroundings warily.

The night was quiet and too dark. The air didn’t stir trouble for me.

“They won’t appear,” I fisted my hands when I felt his presence against my back. “You are bleeding.” I didn’t look up when Cain turned me to him. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

My lips parted in a soft gasp when he kissed my palm.

“Even if I want to,” his intense gaze seared into mine. “I won’t.” Cain towered over me intimidatingly. “Even a minor scratch on your body is unacceptable, Anastasia. So, try to avoid getting hurt or I will be forced to intervene.” His thumb rubbed my healed palm softly. “Your life is not just yours, love.”

Dirty bastard took advantage in the worst way possible

I mentally cursed him to my heart’s content.

I didn’t want to see him. Right now or ever.

I made sure we didn’t cross paths even by accident. He was not the same way he used to be.

He was suddenly so physical.

I pulled my hand out of his grasp and stepped back to create a favorable distance between us.

“Can you not do this popping out of thin air thing?” My eyes moved down his body.

Cain was in a sweatshirt and sweatpants for a change. The outfit was hugging his muscular build. He looked almost human in his casual look.

A handsome human.

“It’s annoying,” I muttered unintelligibly while looking him up and down.

“Glaring won’t kill me, Anastasia” I fumed at his arrogant smirk. “You should be bowing to me but here you are as always.” I stepped back when he took one forward. “Selfish and ungrateful.”

“Where is Shae?” I tried not to let his insults provoke me. “She-” I sealed my lips when he put his index finger on them.

His touches were ghost-like but they were lethal enough to make me faint. I was becoming hot and bothered when I shouldn’t.

I preferred when he ignored my presence and was disgusted by the mere sight of me.

I couldn’t help but notice a slight shift in him. It was potent and it scared me.

When Cain looked at me before, his gaze was of pure contempt, but now his malice bore a new color.

His desire to devour me.

“Don’t try to take advantage of my leniency, Anastasia.” His dark gaze stopped on my lips. “There is a limit to what I can tolerate.”

My eyes widened when his face moved closer and closer.

“I’m shaken enough,” I said before he could have done anything. “Not anymore.”

“Those goons should be shaken,” Cain muttered sarcastically. “I wasn’t expecting you to put up a fight.”

“It was ages ago. Stop teasing me now.” I was highly flustered. “Self-defense is a basic necessity. The world is full of dangers, no?”

His one brow arched up in response.

“You won’t understand.” I breathed in relief when he stood up straight.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” His question took me by surprise. “The nervousness and fear are oozing out of you, Anastasia. Am I intimidating you now?” Cain smirked wickedly. “Because you kissed me?”

“No,” It came out faster than I wanted. “What–what do you take me for?”

“You think I am going to jump you?” His tone was conceited. “Is that why you locked yourself up in here and jump at my very name?”

I seethed at his mock.

“It’s nothing like that.” I felt highly embarrassed by this conversation. “I was–”

“You are nothing special, love” Cain smirked. “I am not that desperate and you aren’t the only female in the entire universe.”

I didn’t think it would sting this much.

Of course, he thought nothing of it. I wasn’t the first and only woman he kissed. I was nowhere near the exotic beauties I have seen on his arms every other occasion.

I knew I shouldn’t be bothered by such inane thoughts but I couldn’t control the reins of my mind.

I watched him silently when he looked ahead. He seemed less hostile right now. I recalled Harold’s words but I was not sure if I should ask Cain.

About her.

“I’m curious about one thing,” Cain looked at me from his periphery. “Why isn’t there anything about you in history?”

“Because I exist between one and zero,” Cain replied without looking my way. “There is either heaven or hell, good or evil, life or death,” He faced me with a dark look in his eyes.

“I exist in between them. I was not created by God himself so why would I be mentioned along with his toys and puppets?”

“It doesn’t bother you?” It bothered me a little. Cain chuckled darkly in response. “No human knows about you?”

“They do,” His reply was husky. “History is not entirely oblivious to my existence. But the Blue Bloods make sure to wipe their memory clean off me.”

His dark gaze pierced me with unknown intensity.

“Are they like you as well?” I asked curiously. “The Blue Bloods. They were created like you so do they exist between one and zero?” I frowned when Cain laughed at this. “What’s so funny?”

“Your question,” he mused. “Why don’t you answer me?” he mocked coldly.

“I won’t know,” I replied calmly. “I am not from that bloodline. They ousted my ancestors and stripped them of their powers so it makes me human in every way. And I am glad about it.” Cain was looking at me intently. “What?”

“You are free to stay here or come to my room if you feel the need to. I could care less either way.” Cain grabbed a few strands of my hair and let them slip through his fingers slowly. “As long as you stay out of trouble.”

“They won’t come here again?” Cain nodded in response.

His eyes and attention were suddenly too transfixed on my hair. He couldn’t stop touching them. He was repeating the same action over and over again.

Grabbing a few locks and watching them slip through his fingers.

I couldn’t understand him really. He was so contradicting.

“Why?”

“Just because,” Cain replied off-handedly. “I put up a barrier around the estate.” I looked around at this. “You cannot see it but no other being apart from humans and the selected few can enter or come within a few miles radius of this place. You can roam freely at night throughout the property if you want.”

“I can?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“Shae won’t be on your watch for a few nights.” He finally let go of my hair and looked at my face. “I figured you would rather want this than having me by your side all the time.”

I looked away while clearing my throat.

“See, I am not that bad.” He mused.

“Yes, of course.” I chuckled humorlessly. “You have my gratitude, Mr. Black. I couldn’t ask for a more benevolent curator.”

Cain grabbed my hand and placed something in my open palm. My cheeks flared in embarrassment when I recognized the key.

“You can have it,” He closed my fingers around it. “You seemed like you took a liking for it.”

“You cannot–”

“I can,” Cain interrupted me arrogantly. “I have more cars than you can imagine, Anastasia. Giving you one or a few won’t make any difference.”

He was extremely snobbish on top of being evil and arrogant.

“You look in desperate need of a vehicle.”

“I will get my own.” I thrust the key into his chest. “No need to go out of your way. There is a limit to what I can take as well.” I retorted haughtily.

“Must you make this difficult?” Cain grabbed my jeans from the flyer and pulled me into his body.

How dare he?

I pushed at his chest when his arm snaked around my hips and grabbed them firmly.

“Don’t!” I screamed when he squeezed them roughly. “Cain!” I turned my face to the side when his mouth neared mine.

“Don’t provoke me unnecessarily,” He whispered in my ear.

His fingers moved in my pocket and I felt the heaviness of the key pressed in my clothed skin.

“You don’t even know yet what I could make you take from me and in how many ways.” I closed my eyes when his lips brushed my cheek. “I may not harm you, love, but I can soil you.”

“Go away,” I staggered back when he let go of me. “You don’t dare to come near me, okay? Stay away from me.”

I hugged my body to keep its shivering out of his sight. I highly doubt it worked with the way he was eyeing me.

“Sweet dreams, Anastasia.” Cain walked back to the room. “I’m sure you have yearned for them all your life.”

My limbs almost gave away when he left.

“Like hell it would make a difference.” I grabbed the cold steel to steady myself. “Like I will let myself be swayed by this pretense.”

****

“Crap, I’m going to be late.” I hurried down the stairs while looking at my watch. “Why did I oversleep?” I glowered in space. “It’s all because of that--”

“Ana!” I stopped running and looked back at Sibyl. “You are leaving without breakfast again?” Her tone and gaze were apprehensive.

“I’m late, Sibyl” Shae jumped out of my arms and transformed into her human form. “I’ll eat there.”

“Set the table” I turned wildly at his deep voice from behind me. My eyes moved up from his chest only to meet his eyes full of anger.

Could he stop doing this already?

I was going to die of him sneaking up on me one of these days.

“Go to Aeron right now, Shae. I will see to her escort myself.” I looked back just in time to see Shae disappearing into thin air. “And you,” Cain pinched my chin. “Come with me.”

He grabbed my arm and dragged me to the dining area.

“I don’t have time for this.” He let go of my arm and pulled the chair out.

When I refused to comply, Cain pushed me down on the chair roughly and sat as well.

“This is the height of rudeness.” Cain turned deaf to my yelling. Sibyl came with a handful of servants, served breakfast, and left.

I was surprised to see Cain eat. It was the first time since I came here that I saw him eating. I couldn’t stop ogling. It was not my fault.

I was baffled and boggled at the same time.

“Is my face that interesting?” I blinked at his sudden question. “Aren’t you getting late now?” Cain grabbed my wrist when I stood up. “Not until you finish this.” He pointed to my plate. “Don’t even think about rebelling.”

The warning was conveyed by his icy glare.

“Can you-” I pulled my wrist out of his grip. “Don’t just go and grab me as you please.”

“Sit. Down.” Cain commanded coldly. “I won’t ask twice, Anastasia.”

“Stop this farce” I snapped at last. “I don’t need your concern, okay? I don’t need anything from you. And doing all this is not going to help you.”

I walked away from there before he could have said or done anything.

He thought I didn’t know, that I couldn’t figure out what he was trying to do. He could dream about it but nothing was going to change.

I was not going to give in to him and his traps.

I would have hardly taken two steps out of the main door when my body suddenly froze. My limbs refused to move and my throat felt full of lead.

“Why do you keep on forgetting, love?” Cain came in front of me.

Black formless shadows rose from the ground and slithered around him.

“Do you think you can even lift a finger or blink if I don’t want to?”

Something was terrifying about his glowing blue eyes with red slits right now.

“You cannot even breathe without my consent, Anastasia, then what makes you think that you can walk out on me on your own?”

My lungs constricted and I couldn’t breathe normally. I tried to open my mouth and speak.

My lips refused to comply.

“How adorable of you,” I gasped loudly when Cain released me. “To think that you can fight me.”

“You–” I looked at him in bewilderment when he shoved a sandwich in my mouth right when I opened it to scream at him.

“What part of ‘I don’t care how you intercept my intentions’ was unclear to you, Anastasia?”

I grabbed the sandwich before it could have fallen and glowered at him.

“I am only tolerating all this because you have my wing. Nothing more, nothing less. And the day I got it back,” Cain got in my face. “You can fucking go to hell, live or die, I don’t give a dime. Do you understand?” He spat the venom my way.

“So, get off your high horse before you suffer humiliation by falling face down.”

I tried to walk past him but he grabbed my arm. My anger turned to confusion when he held my left hand and slid a ring on my index finger.

It was one of the three pieces he always wore.

“Don’t take it off or lose it.” I looked at him silently. “Anima won’t come near you as long as you have this and if you run into some other trouble.” Cain rubbed the skull-like bird head. “Just touch it.”

I looked at the ring when he let go of my hand.

“The driver will pick and drop you.” A car stopped in the driveway. “You refuse to use the car I gave you.” He tapped my folder in disgust. “It’s unsightly to watch you carry a cat and all this. Have some standards while you can.”

I bit my tongue to keep it from lashing back.

“Besides, you want to spend all your hard-earned money on the cab fares and buses?”

“None of your concern,” I said defensively. “I’ll see to my mortal issues. You don’t have to interfere with them.”

“It’s either the driver,” Cain stepped toward me intimidatingly. “Or me. Take your pick.” His expressions yelled victory from every direction.

I gritted my teeth and stomped towards the car.

“Have a good day, love.”

“And I hope you choke on all the bad luck, asshole” I screeched at him and got in the car before I could have let him play me to his tune anymore.