Chapter 163 Chapter 163
His patience was running thin. This situation was unbearable, tore him in half. A part of him felt responsible for what happened to Juliana and saw himself obligated to make up for his mistake. But the greater part drove him to go looking for Valerie. He was worried sick about her, and he had no time for meaningless discussions. Every second counted.
Juliana frowned. “Who cares about a filthy human? You’re better off with me.”
“A filthy human, huh?” he mumbled, giving her a sharp look. The color of his eyes changed to deep red. “Don’t you dare insult her,” he growled, causing her to flinch.
She was so different from the way she had been in the past, like a stranger. The longer he spoke to her, the more he got the sense that something about her was off. In the past, she would have never insulted anyone for anything, but now, she continued to spew the vilest things about a woman whom she didn’t even know.
And there was something else that bugged him. How was it possible for a demon to come back to life? Once demons die, they turn to ash. There is nothing left of them. He himself had been witness to her death. He’d held her hand until the very end.
His Juliana was dead. Whoever the Juliana before him was, it was not the same person.
“Forget about that human, she’s not worth it,” she said, and that was when he lost his temper.
“Stop fucking insulting her,” he growled and abruptly grabbed her wrist. The tone of his voice was ice-cold and steely when he said, “You are not Juliana.”
“What do you mean? Of course I am.” she replied.
“Juliana would never say such cruel things to me,” he growled. “The real Juliana would have offered to help immediately, but you are just standing in my way. You might have copied her looks, but not her personality,” he snapped. “She would be appalled if she knew that someone evil like you tried to impersonate her.”
“What are you saying?”
“You are an illusion,” he countered. “And a fucking shitty one at that. That blood mage must have been drunk when he created you. I don’t have time for this crap,” he hissed and turned on his heels. He stormed towards the door, intending to find Valerie as soon as possible. He had lost valuable time—and he was sure that he had played right into the blood mage’s plan. The bastard must have created a distraction to separate him from Valerie.
“I’m not letting you go,” a furious voice thundered from behind him. A wave of frost magic gathered in the doorway, building a crystal-clear wall made of ice. It blocked the only exit of the room.
“My only purpose is to stop you,” she shouted. “You won’t leave this room as long as I am here.”
Bottomless fury overwhelmed him. Hot and blazing, it manifested in the form of flickering light around his body.
“Then I have to kill you,” he replied. His chilling glower was nothing less than bloodthirsty, promising that she wouldn’t survive the night. Nobody was allowed to stand between him and Valerie. He would get rid of everyone who tried, and this impostor was no exception.
—
Valerie’s head felt fuzzy. She couldn’t see anything. All she heard were water droplets hitting concrete, but the soft noises were soon drowned out by the ominous sound of approaching footsteps. Someone was hiding in the darkness with her. The sounds got louder and louder, and with them, her pulse rose.
She kneeled with her palms touching the ground. Pushing herself up, she stood on shaky legs. Valerie didn’t know what had happened, had no idea how she got here, and most importantly, she didn’t know where Maxwell was.
Being alone in the dark with an unfamiliar presence scared her. Her fear spurred her to make use of her magic. Golden light gathered in her palm, flooding the room. The darkness was driven back. Her gentle magic lit up every corner of the room, but the person she discovered only meters away from her was not who she had expected.
She gasped. She faltered. The light flickered.
Deep fear grew in her stomach. Nausea washed over her like a tidal wave and made her drown in a feeling she thought she had left behind long ago. It now became apparent that she hadn’t left it behind at all. She had never fully shaken off the dread, and she hadn’t come to terms with this part of her past either.
A shudder ran through her body, but this time, it wasn’t due to the cold. Her eyes watered.
“Hello, Valerie,” he smirked. “Did you miss me?”
Her mouth opened, and yet she couldn’t get a word out. It was as if her vocal cords had stopped functioning. He had that kind of power over her. He was the only one who did.
In her desperation, she clung to the only shard of Hopeshe retained. Even though she was frantic, she forced herself to concentrate on the bond she shared with Maxwell. He had to have noticed her despair; he had to know that something was wrong. However, the connection between them was gone. It seemed like it was blocked by something. Valerie was cut off from him, didn’t feel the reassuring presence of his in the back of her mind. He was gone. There was only radio silence.
“Are you deaf?”
She flinched. Her feet moved on their own, shuffling backward. The room she was in wasn’t too big, so she wouldn’t be able to run forever. Her eyes moved to the stairs in the opposite corner, longingly tracing the steps that led up to a door. She had to be in the basement of the building now—it was colder here. So much so that not even Maxwell’s leather jacket could keep her warm.
“So you won’t talk to me?” he laughed mirthlessly. “Pathetic.”
Her breath came faster now. She hated him, and she feared him. This had to be her worst nightmare come alive. He still wore his black hair slicked back, still looked like the perfect gentleman. But he was not. Looks could be deceiving.
“I can make you talk, you know?” Uriel went on to say. “Like in the good old times.”
Valerie was paralyzed. She couldn’t move anymore, was rooted to the spot. Her thoughts revolved around one question alone. It was the only thing she could actually put into words.