Chapter 19 Chapter 19
At first, she didn’t see anyone in the vicinity, but when Maxwell straightened his back, his eyes more alert, a shiver ran down her spine. Speckles of light surrounded his body, shimmering ominously. “They’re here already,” he muttered, warning Valerie.
Two people emerged from behind the ruin only a few seconds later, coming closer but still keeping a respectful distance. A young woman with violet-dyed hair stood next to a tall man.
His irises were almost white, startling Valerie with their eerie glow. A painful-looking scar covered his right eye and stretched over his cheek, probably a memento of a fight.
“Maxwell,” the black-haired man said, his eyes widening in sheer surprise. “I didn’t expect you to appear here.”
“Likewise, Vaughn,” Maxwell retorted. His voice held a mix of disbelief and resentment. “So this is why you never showed yourself in hell for the last five years.”
“Indeed.”
“It’s great you’re acquainted already,” the witch cut in. She sounded much kinder than the demons and eyed Valerie with curiosity. “My name is Esther, and this is Vaughn, a wind demon.”
“I’m Valerie. Thanks for meeting up with us. I was relieved when Ashton called me and told me about you,” she said with a smile, unsure if she could trust the witch, but Esther seemed friendly—except for the fact that she kept scrutinizing Maxwell.
Valerie didn’t blame her for her wariness of him. He wasn’t known to be particularly fond of humans and didn’t make any attempts to be friendly either. His dark glare spoke volumes…
“She told me you need some advice about the supernatural world. It must be hard when you haven’t grown up knowing its existence. I’ve been able to see supernatural beings since I was born because I’m the descendant of a long line of witches. My mother and grandmother taught me everything I know about demons, magic, and so on,” Esther explained.
Valerie shuddered, reminded that there were creatures around her that she couldn’t even see. It was a terrifying truth she just couldn’t get used to. Her trepidation wasn’t lost on Esther, who gave her a calming smile. “You don’t need to worry about them,” the witch added. “They won’t dare to get near you as long as you’re in the company of a stronger demon. Right now, for example, we’re alone. There are no ghosts or demons around.”
“I see,” Valerie said, sighing in relief. Maxwell kept quiet but shot the witch's distrustful glances now and then. He didn’t bother participating in the conversation, looking bored and annoyed.
Vaughn, on the other hand, observed Valerie with interest in his piercing eyes. He couldn’t wait to discover how this human had convinced Maxwell to bond with her.
“May I ask how you two know each other?” Valerie said, her gaze moving back and forth between Esther and Vaughn. The latter was relatively calm for a demon, not showing the same temper that Maxwell had.
He radiated a similar serenity as Thorne but was more intimidating than her friend, his piercing eyes unsettling her.
“I was in the human world for a while because I was sick of being stuck in hell all the time. It gets dull,” Vaughn said and shrugged. “The constant wails of the tortured souls are annoying.”
Valerie gulped, trying not to think about this too much. She didn’t even want to imagine what hell was like. It scared her. Feeling Maxwell’s gaze on her, she looked up to see him watching her with a strange expression in his blue eyes, but he didn’t say anything and eventually redirected his attention somewhere else.
“I was traveling aimlessly all over the world, and shortly after arriving in New York, I met Esther.” She was working at a café, and I kept visiting since I was curious about her,” Vaughn went on to explain.
Esther giggled, nudging him in the side. “He’s such a coffee addict. At first, I was surprised when he came by every day, always ordering the same thing. I knew he was a demon from the start, but since he was friendly, I didn’t mind his company. We grew closer over time until we eventually became a couple.”
Maxwell glared at her like she had committed the worst sin ever, his mouth forming a condescending smile. It wasn’t hard to guess what he was thinking.
“After around four years, we agreed to stay together and formed a bond. We never regretted it,” she said, sharing a smile with Vaughn, the kind expression on his face shocking Valerie.
“That’s great; I’m happy for you,” Valerie said, though her joyful smile didn’t last long, and her shoulders sank in defeat. She didn’t have this kind of luck.
“What about you?” Vaughn asked, noticing Maxwell’s glower.
“Uh… it was an accident, as weird as it sounds,” Valerie began, looking at the ground. “To this day, I don’t understand how it was possible.”
“Only a human would be foolish enough to do something like this,” Maxwell snarled as his temper got the best of him. He was seething in anger, his eyes deep red while they stared at her, the color of his iris reminding her of scarlet blood. She flinched.
“Hey, leave her be,” Vaughn intervened. “It wasn’t her fault. You can’t blame her for an accident, especially since she didn’t even know about the existence of demons before.”
“Even so, it doesn’t change that I’m stuck with her,” he hissed hatefully. “And I wouldn’t have expected you to agree to something so foolish, Vaughn. You know what happened to Seth. You know how fast this could end in disaster.”
“Seth’s death was a tragedy, no doubt,” Vaughn said bitterly, creasing his forehead. “I took this decision after thinking about it for a long time. Besides, Seth wouldn’t have wanted us to hate humans because he died due to his bond. He always wished for you to be more open towards mortals, but here you are, filled with so much hate.” Sadness flashed through his gaze before it darkened with resentment.
“I don’t see a reason to change,” Maxwell growled, particles of light appearing around him. “Humans are beneath me.”
Esther looked sad, sending Valerie a pitying look, while Vaughn got angrier by the second. “Seth’s death wasn’t the human’s fault, damn it! Instead, you should hate the demon who killed him!” Vaughn hissed.
“Do you even know who it was?” Maxwell retorted, but Vaughn only shook his head.
“No. I talked to Liam and Wade, but they don’t know either,” he answered. “I would feel better if we found the bastard soon.” He gazed at Esther with a worried frown, and a gust of wind swept past them, ruffling Valerie’s long hair.
“Well, I’ve always suspected Eric, but I don’t know for sure,” Maxwell said. He still sounded angry, and the red that had overtaken his gaze didn’t fade. “He often made weird remarks about Seth.”