Chapter 14: First kiss.

LUANA’S POV

Song: Tit for Tat — Tate McRae

When I was younger, we used to whisper scary bedtime stories to each other. But none of them ever compared to the tale of the King of Vacuità.

His name alone was enough to silence a room—a warning parents used when children refused to behave.

I hastened my steps toward his room, hoping he would be awake. I knocked softly.

“Your Highness?” I called.

Silence.

Panic crept in. What if he had fallen unconscious again? Or worse—developed a fever?

Without thinking, I pushed the door open.

The room was empty.

My chest tightened. Where could he be?

I turned to leave when something caught my eye—the cupboard had shifted slightly, just enough to reveal a hidden door behind it.

Curious, I moved the cupboard aside completely.

A white door stood before me, its surface etched with golden runes that shimmered faintly, as though alive.

I hesitated…..then opened it slowly and saw a dark corridor beyond.

I quickly conjured fire and balanced the flames on my palm.

As I reached the end of the corridor, light pierced my eyes, forcing me to squint.

When my vision cleared, I froze.

Before me lay an entirely different world.

A soft breeze brushed against my skin as vibrant, colorful butterflies filled the air, their wings shimmering like stained glass under sunlight.

The delicate dragonflies I had once seen in the library fluttered nearby, their wings humming like tiny chimes.

They surrounded me, light and playful.

One by one, they landed gently, weaving tiny, radiant flowers into my hair—petals of gold, violet, and soft blue.

I blinked in surprise, then crouched beside a small stream to look at my reflection.

I smiled.

I looked… beautiful.

“Thank you, tiny helpers,” I said softly.

The place felt unreal.

Golden fish leapt from the crystal-clear water, catching sunlight like liquid fire. Flowers of every shape and color stretched endlessly across the land, swaying in rhythm with the breeze.

As the butterflies drifted through the air, trails of silver dust followed in their wake, glowing faintly like magic.

It was… breathtaking.

Then, in the distance, something caught my attention.

A pool.

“There he is,” I muttered.

He stood in the water, bare-chested, his long silver-and-black hair floating around him like strands of silk.

His eyes were closed, his expression calm—almost peaceful.

He looked completely harmless and fucking handsome.

Then his eyes opened.

“Luana?”

“Your Highness,” I said, bowing slightly as I approached.

“I wanted to talk,” I continued. “I know about the prophecy.”

He flinched.

Then his jaw tightened.

“Stefano,” he growled.

“I asked him. It’s not his fault.”

His gaze shifted.

“Your hair,” he said.

“Oh—” I touched it lightly. “The little dragonflies decorated it for me.”

A soft chuckle escaped him.

“They have a mind of their own. It suits you.”

“Um… thanks.”

I cleared my throat.

“So… you built this place?”

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s where I come to relax. Clear my head.”

“It’s beautiful.”

He looked at me.

“Not as beautiful as you.”

I blinked, caught off guard.

Was he… flirting?

Heat crept into my cheeks.

I quickly looked away.

“I have a plan,” I said. “To prevent the prophecy.”

\~~~~~~~~~~

“They won’t want to see me,” he said, his voice low.

“That’s why I’ll go with you,” I replied. “Think about it—if you gain allies from those who fear or hate you, you can turn the prophecy into nothing more than a myth.”

I stepped closer.

“And lucky for you, I have friends everywhere—vampires, werewolves, ogres, mermaids…”

He studied me carefully.

“Why are you helping me?”

I hesitated for only a moment.

“Because I know you’re not a bad person,” I said softly. “You’re just… carrying the weight of what everyone expects you to be.”

I met his eyes.

“Have you ever considered doing what you want?”

He looked up at the sky, watching the butterflies drift above us.

“What I want…” he murmured.

“Also,” I added.

“Also?” he asked.

“When I’m done helping you, you'll break the binding spell. Deal?”

He looked surprised.

Then a slow smirk spread across his lips.

“You want to get rid of me that quickly?”

“Yes,” I said flatly. “I can’t stand you.”

He laughed.

The sound echoed through me.

“Deal.”

“Good. I’ll take my leave—”

I turned—

—and tripped.

“Ahh!”

I fell straight into the pool.

“Whoa—careful!”

Strong arms wrapped around my waist, steadying me before I could fully sink.

I gasped, clinging to him instinctively.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Y-yeah… just soaked.”

He gently brushed my wet hair away from my face.

“Thank you for saving me, Your High—”

I was cut off abruptly as he placed his index finger on my lips.

“Don’t call me that,” he said, his voice low and rough. “You’re more than a servant to me, Luana.”

My heart skipped.

“Then… what should I call you?”

“Ric.”

I nodded slowly.

“Say it.”

“What?”

“Say my name.”

His breath fanned against my skin. My thoughts blurred.

“Ric…” I whispered.

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

“Good girl.”

For a moment, we just stood there, suspended in the water, staring at each other.

And in that moment, I realized I didn’t hate him anymore.

If someone had told me I’d be helping a demon…

I would have laughed till my ribs cracked.

Life is strange like that.

His grip on my waist tightened.

In one swift motion, he lifted me, forcing my legs to wrap around him.

I gasped.

“What—what are you doing?” I stammered.

We were too close.

“You mentioned something about me doing what I want, well…recently there's something that I've wanted to do”.

“What's that?” My voice came out as a whisper. What was this man doing to me?

“This”.

He crashed his lips onto mine suddenly, startling me. I froze. I didn’t move.

He nibbled on my lower lip and sucked it tenderly. I melted. Then he bit me. I gasped, and he took that as an invitation, slipping his tongue in. If not for the way he held me, I would have collapsed from the quaking of my knees.

He tasted like ripe, sweet cherries. It was addictive. Intoxicating and dangerous. I pulled away.

“We…we shouldn't”. I said, my voice unsteady.

What was wrong with me?

“Ohh…”

His eyes left mine and drifted to my bare shoulders. Slowly, he began to plant soft kisses there. My vision blurred. My stomach did backflips.

“Tell me to stop,” he murmured, his voice low and raspy. “Then I’ll stop.”