Chapter 180 Chapter 180
He exhaled and bit his lip. Conflict shone in his ruby eyes. It was clear he didn’t want to tell her, but he was driven into a corner now. He knew that he had to answer her. The damage was done, and keeping more secrets would only aggravate it. She would either understand and accept the truth or she would hate him. He hoped it wasn’t the latter, but given how she looked at him now, he was doubtful.
“I’m not human,” he began, slowly easing into the topic. His hold on her wrists was firm yet gentle. She quivered, causing him to sigh. “The truth is that I’m a demon.”
Aghast, her eyes widened considerably. He hated how scared she looked. The warmth in her gaze was long gone; he was faced with mistrust and doubts. He sensed the whirlwind of emotions in her—it was devastating.
“Why… why would I want to… to be with such a creature?” she hissed, appalled at herself and him. Her shock had her forget all the happy memories she had seen before. This was very hard to swallow for her. It wasn’t just the fact that demons were real; it was the fact that she had been so close to him without having an idea about his true identity. It creeped her out. What other dark secrets was he hiding?
She ripped her hands away from him, and he let her, lowering his head. “Why does it matter so much what I am?” he muttered. “You were fine with our relationship the entire time until you found out about this.”
“Demons aren’t known to be particularly kind.”
“So you’re saying I treated you badly these past days?” he shot back, raising his head. Exasperation and a hint of desperation shone in his red eyes. “I’ve tried all I could to help you. This isn’t fucking fair. I don’t know what you saw in that memory, but it’s not the current me.”
She couldn’t deny that he was right—he hadn’t done anything wrong, and if she thought about it, he defied all logic with his behavior. Demons were supposed to be ruthless monsters, but he… he put her well-being first and made sure she would recover all of her memories even though he didn’t gain anything from that. Valerie raked her hands through her hair, upset and confused. This was all so much to wrap her head around.
She closed her eyes briefly and calmed herself, reminding herself that she wasn’t in any immediate danger. It was better to ask questions now. She could panic later if that was necessary.
She locked her eyes with his. “Why does my wrist glow?” she asked.
“That’s because light magic is my element. The crest on your wrist serves as a connection between us. And before you ask, no, it’s not dangerous.”
“I see,” she mumbled, turning her arm with her wrist up. She traced the star with her fingers, intrigued. “You can use magic?”
“Yeah,” he replied. Inwardly, he hoped that the worst of her shock had faded. At least, she didn’t have this paralyzing fear in her expression anymore. That had been rather hurtful to see.
She gawked at him. “You can do what?” she sputtered. “What the hell? Show me.”
“Fine, but don’t freak out,” he said. Without him moving a muscle, a golden orb appeared and hovered between them. It illuminated the room with its gentle glow. Valerie leaned in to inspect it more closely, and she noted that it was made up of tiny particles of pure light. It radiated warmth, and its presence felt soothing.
“Can I touch it?” she asked fascinatedly.
“Yes.”
She stretched out her hand, slowly nearing the gleaming magic. Her fingertips came in contact with the light. It engulfed her hand, a tingling spreading over it. The sensation was incredibly familiar to her. She had felt it many, many times before. It called out to her, and it woke her up.
Something in her burst. The barricade that had blocked her memories was torn down without warning. Stinging pain shot through her brain. She gasped. A myriad of scenes flashed before her eyes. She remembered it all, and it was overwhelming and liberating at the same time. Finally, everything made sense. Finally, all her questions were answered. She understood why Maxwell had acted the way he did; she remembered their bond and all the memories they shared. The good ones and the bad ones.
She raised her head and saw Maxwell standing directly in front of her. His expression was concerned and somewhat dejected. Instantly, she recalled how she had treated him just now and what awful things she had said. Her heart sank. He didn’t deserve any of that after what he had gone through in the past few days.
“I’m sorry, Maxwell. I didn’t mean what I said,” she burst out and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She couldn’t believe she had been so mean to him, and she wanted to hit herself for it. “You’ve been very patient with me. Thank you for that. I know that it must have been difficult.”
He was paralyzed when he caught on to what was happening. “You remembered?”
“Yes, everything,” she answered, burying her face in his chest. He heaved a relieved sigh, his body relaxing. He wrapped his arms around her smaller form and held her tightly, hiding his face at her neck. His warm breath ghosted over her skin.
“Finally. I was about to lose my mind,” he mumbled into her hair. “Are you okay now?”
“I think so,” she said quietly, enjoying his proximity and warmth.
“I missed you,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. It quivered a bit. His hug grew tighter, more protective.
“We should talk… about what happened,” she said. As long as they didn’t address the elephant in the room, neither of them would be fully at ease, and he knew this as well.
“Yes,” he mumbled, but he didn’t budge from his spot, and neither did she. They stayed in this position for a while, just embracing each other and enjoying the moment. To them, it was like a reunion even though they hadn’t been separated. She was glad she finally understood everything. The constant questions in her head had troubled her.