Chapter 37 Chapter 37
Nathaniel’s POV
The past few days had been nothing short of torment. Between planning the annual ball, maintaining order throughout the kingdom, and trying to train my so-called wife to wield her power without burning the castle down, I hadn’t had a single moment to breathe. Normally, this kind of pace didn’t faze me — I thrived on control and chaos alike — but ever since the heart had been split between us, focus was becoming a luxury I could no longer afford.
The First Born wasn’t helping either. The bastard delighted in finding new ways to crawl into my mind and twist the knife. Sometimes I managed to block him out; other times, exhaustion did the work for him.
Speaking of my wife — the bane of my existence — I had pushed her training to the edge of cruelty. Ever since I killed her precious friend Spike, she had refused to cooperate, which meant Benjamin had taken over much of her instruction. Still, I was determined to force progress. The faster she unlocked her potential, the sooner I could extract the heart and restore my full strength.
Her hatred toward me was a useful tool — it drove her to fight harder. But lately… it bothered me. I couldn’t quite place why. Strange, how I’d begun to feel emotions I thought long dead.
I turned my attention to the endless stack of paperwork before me, but the words blurred into meaningless ink. A migraine throbbed behind my eyes, and for once, I didn’t summon Kara to distract me. The last time we were together, Bailey had invaded my thoughts. The sound of her scream still echoed through my mind, a jagged reminder of guilt — an emotion I didn’t have the luxury to entertain.
Why did it haunt me? Why was I avoiding her pain instead of feeding on it, as I once would have? I clenched my jaw. Pathetic. She deserved to suffer. Yet here I was, finding reasons to keep my distance.
Perhaps I’d call Kara later — if only to remind myself who I truly was. After all, the little human had tried to escape again, aided by the gargoyles.
The memory of that night burned behind my eyes.
I had launched myself into the sky, leveling with the dragon-like gargoyle. Its glowing red eyes locked on mine, and I immediately knew who was behind the creature. The Sorcerer.
“Nathaniel Thorn,” he hissed through the creature’s fanged mouth.
“How original,” I replied dryly. “Sending beasts now, are we?”
"Careful, Dark King,” the Sorcerer sneered. “Rumor has it you’re not as powerful as you used to be.”
The twins had clearly been loose with their tongues.
“You should double-check your sources,” I growled. “I’m as powerful as ever.”
“Then prove it,” he taunted — and the gargoyle unleashed a torrent of fire.
I deflected the attack with ease, summoning a wave of energy that ricocheted the flames back at him. He dodged effortlessly. Something wasn’t right. He wasn’t trying to kill me — he was stalling.
And then it struck me. Bailey.
I turned toward where I’d left her — gone. My pulse spiked. When I scanned the sky, I saw her clinging to another gargoyle’s claw, being carried higher and higher.
“Foolish girl,” I growled.
Rage erupted through me. Power surged like wildfire as I unleashed a barrage of energy blasts. The Sorcerer’s gargoyle shattered into pieces. The others fell lifeless midair, including the one carrying Bailey.
I dove after her, catching her just before she hit the ground. She gasped in shock, trembling in my arms. For a fleeting second, something inside me — something unrecognizable — twisted painfully.
She deserved the fall. She deserved every bruise. So why did I question it?
“Damn it,” I hissed, slamming my fist into the desk. The explosion of power sent papers flying, scorching the edges of the room. My control was unraveling, and that could not happen — not now.
I needed a distraction. A reason to stop thinking.
Perhaps her training session would provide it. Tormenting her usually improved my mood.
Bailey’s POV
“Again!” Benjamin barked.
I groaned, raising my arm as another weak wave of magic fizzled before me. The half-formed shield shattered on impact as his energy ball slammed into my stomach, sending me sprawling backward. My ribs protested. My patience evaporated.
“I’m exhausted,” I gasped. “Can we take a break?”
“The enemy won’t care,” Benjamin shot back. “They’ll use your weakness to gut you. Again!”
For the hundredth time, I tried to focus. My mind, however, was everywhere but here. Between relentless training, helping Lucian in the lab, and learning to act like a queen — whatever that meant — sleep had become a myth.
Not that I could sleep even if I tried. Every night, Spike’s face haunted me. Every night, I watched him die again in my dreams.
At least Nathaniel had taken to sleeping elsewhere. Small mercies. But that didn’t mean he’d stopped tormenting me. He was still furious about my escape attempt. Yet, oddly enough, instead of punishing me, he’d grown… distant.
And lately, something else kept me awake — a voice.
A woman’s whisper, soft but clear as crystal, calling from the dark forest:
“Bailey… come to me… I’m waiting for you…”
I hadn’t dared tell anyone.
“You’re being too soft, Benjamin.”
That familiar, infuriating voice made my stomach twist.
Nathaniel stood leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, a smirk playing at his lips.
“My lord,” Benjamin greeted, bowing slightly.
“Leave us,” Nathaniel commanded.
Benjamin hesitated. “My lord?”
A single glare from Nathaniel was enough. Benjamin shot me a worried look before slipping out.
Great. Now I was alone with the devil himself.
Nathaniel approached slowly, eyes dark and mocking. “Still can’t form a simple shield? That’s the easiest spell in existence. Pathetic.”
“Screw you,” I hissed.
He chuckled softly. “Benjamin’s too lenient. Let’s see how you fare against me.”
A fireball blazed to life in his palm.
“I’m not doing this with you,” I snapped. “You’re not my trainer. I don’t have to—”
I didn’t finish. In a flash, he was in front of me, slamming me back against the wall. Pain shot down my spine. His body pressed into mine, his breath warm against my ear.
“Nathaniel—”
His hand gripped my waist, the other at the back of my neck. Our hearts pounded in rhythm — the same cursed pulse of the dark heart binding us together. The energy between us hummed, alive, insistent.
My body betrayed me.
I tried not to think about that night — his touch, his lips, the way he’d made me feel before everything went to hell — but the memories surged, uninvited.
“You should watch your mouth, darling,” he murmured. “Or I’ll have to remind you who’s in charge.”
“Try me,” I dared, even though my voice trembled.
His smirk deepened. He’d seen the thought flicker in my head — damn the bond.
“Well,” he murmured darkly, “if that’s what you want…”
Before I could react, his hand tangled in my hair, tilting my head back, forcing my lips open. His mouth crashed against mine, his tongue claiming, commanding. The kiss was rough, almost punishing — yet my body responded as if it had been waiting for it.
Heat coiled low in my stomach. My hands slid up his shoulders of their own accord, fingers gripping his shirt, his hair — and that low growl from his chest sent a shiver down my spine.
I could feel him hard against me. The ache it ignited was unbearable.
And then I realized what was happening. What I was letting happen.
“Stop—” I whispered, but my lips betrayed me, chasing his again.
Finally, I gathered enough strength to shove him back, using a surge of magic that flared instinctively.
He stumbled, eyes wide, breathing ragged — like he, too, had been pulled into something beyond his control. Then, just as quickly, his expression hardened to stone.
“Go change,” he ordered coldly. “Someone wishes to meet you. I’ll wait at the main gate in thirty minutes. Don’t keep me waiting.”
His tone carried a threat sharp enough to slice through the haze between us. Then, in a swirl of black smoke, he vanished.
I stood there, trembling, heart racing — hot, confused, and furious — wondering what in the hell had just happened.