Chapter 56: .•24•.

Her eyes widened at first. Not even sure how to react. He was kissing her again. Caressing her with those sensual lips of his. Touching her so gently. As if what happened today hadn't even been real. As if he'd never even meant to harm her. And it was so confusing. How could he have changed his mind so fast? What was going on with him? How could he threaten her life in one moment and then touch her like this in the next? And he'd done this before. It wasn't the first time.

Oh no. Was he...sick somehow?

Good lord. What if that demon had actually done this to him? It had the ghost of his wife in his possession. Who was to say that he couldn't actually tamper with his mind as well? Maybe the demon was also the one who had turned him into this. A bloodsucking creature.

That intruding and new thought suddenly made her falter, gently pressing at his chest into an attempt to push him away. Make him stop at once.

He very so gentlemanly did, pulling back a little to peer down at her with a hint of uncertainty. His hands though still holding onto her.

The girl timidly raised her chin. Noticing that hungered look in his eyes. His reddened and wet lips. That smeared paint on his chin. She felt herself blush. But she cleared out her throat and steeled herself in, struggling not to look too affected or avert her gaze. There was something wrong with this. So so seriously wrong and she had to alert him of it. If he wasn't already aware.

"Nicholas..." she tentatively uttered. So very much aware of his closeness. The feel of his warm chest still pressed against her palm. His fingers splayed over her hip. The nape of her neck.

"C-can I ask you something?" He only peered back at her. His brows slightly furrowing. She thickly swallowed, willing herself to continue.

"Were-uhm... Were you born like this?" His frown deepened at the sound of her evidently odd question. She nervously licked her lips.

"W-were you born a vampire?" She finally found the courage to ask. Plain and simple.

He simply stared at her for a moment. Intently gazing between her eyes.

"I was turned," he lastly answered with a morose tone, after several seconds of utter silence.

"Why are you asking?"

She could only blink. Evidently taken by surprise by his question.

Still, she forced herself to go on. She had to. Something was telling her to. To not give up. Have him see.

She stole the god's heart. It wasn't hers to take... The image of that ghost screaming those crazy things at her about Nicholas' late wife fleetingly came back to her, making her momentarily lose focus.

"I-I'm just trying to understand something," she quickly said with a brief shake of her head. Ridding herself of that senseless and scary image.

Nicholas' brow rose in return. Evident intrigue now glinting in his eyes.

Have him see. Make him understand... that inner voice kept pressing at her now.

"Right. So uhm...did you happen to be turned by that hideous demon?" She rapidly asked. Nervously biting into her lower lip.

The vampire's gaze narrowed, giving her a flat look.

"What do you think?"

She blushed a little at the hearing of his words and the sight of that look into his eyes. Right. There really was no other logical explanation anyway. Otherwise why would the demon even visit him? What other possible motive could he have? There had to be a some sort of connection between them. Of any sorts. That was why she'd heard Nicholas talking about offering sacrifices to him. They had to have had a pact of sorts. She knew how those worked. She'd seen the movies. She'd even read books about them. And if the vampire standing before her and the ghosts in this house were real, that had to be real too. It had to be.

Have him see! Make him understand! She stole it! It wasn't hers to take! That unfamiliar voice suddenly echoed into her mind with so much alarm and impatience, making her wince a little. And before she even knew it those words were already tumbling past her lips into a rapid blurt.

"Nicholas... Have you ever thought of that demon possibly tampering with your mind?"

The vampire simply stared at her for a moment. An unreadable expression taking over his features.

"How did you come to this conclusion?" His gaze narrowed again. She couldn't help but shrink a little under his stare.

"I know about possession. That demons can possess people and stuff. That creature was a demon, right?" She rather timidly said after licking her lips once again, feeling faint traces of that sinful kiss. His coppery and salty blood.

They both stared at each other now. Trapped within their own spinning thoughts.

"Looks like you're not just a pair of tits with a pretty face on top after all,"

Diana's body tensed at the sound of that. Her dainty hands automatically clutching at Nicholas' shirt. Pulling him closer to her. There was something familiar about that grating voice. And as soon as she timidly peered past Nicholas' broad shoulder, her blood froze within her veins at the sight that greeted her.

The demon. That horribly hideous  demon was there, standing just a few spaces away from them. He had reappeared.

She softly whimpered with alarm and horror, unconsciously burying herself even further into Nicholas' chest. Searching for comfort. Protection.

"I thought I told you not to touch her before you send her to me," the demon growled upon noticing the rather compromising position they were in, and also Diana's state of dressing. The girl mildly jolted with fright.

Nicholas' arm quickly went around her as if in response, holding her to him. Protectively. Possessively.

"You only said that you wanted her for yourself," he rather nonchalantly said, peering at the demon from over his shoulder as if he were just a mild nuisance.

"Pure and untouched," the demon interjected, his yellowish eyes glowing with unbridled anger.

Nicholas laughed, the sound so derisive. Defiant.

"You see, the thing is that I don't exactly recall agreeing to that though," he simply said in return. Glowering at the creature so challengingly. Daring him to do something. To retaliate. And retaliate he did.

The room plunged into darkness once again. Making the girl whimper with fright. And as soon as those candlelights flickered to life once again, she let out the loudest and most terrified scream anyone had ever heard.