Chapter 144 Chapter 144
Valerie didn’t like that at all. Xander never looked this serious… he joked around a lot and was careless. His deeming the blood mage as a serious threat didn’t sit right with her. It scared her. The cold fear building within her filtered through the bond and prompted Maxwell to glance at her. Wanting to comfort her, he moved his arm around her back and pulled her closer to him.
“Why is it that you demons are so cautious about a blood mage?” she asked. “What kind of power do they possess?”
“It differs from person to person, and that’s why it’s so hard to know who you’re up against,” Liam replied grimly. “Blood magic is versatile, and the ones who use it don’t have any scruples. They’re worse than most demons, even though they are human.”
“They gain their power by sacrificing humans and demons alike. It’s messed up,” Shawn spat, his gaze filled with hate and disgust. “Some of them can read your mind, others can create the most realistic illusions I’ve ever seen. They’re strong enough to fool even demons.”
“I met one that was able to resurrect the dead for a brief period of time,” Wade muttered, shuddering. “I’m still not sure if it was an illusion or real. Seriously, you don’t ever want to meet a blood mage.”
“They don’t sound very… friendly,” Valerie mumbled worriedly. This guy could be after them now, and it scared her terribly.
“Stop talking about this,” Maxwell snapped suddenly, making everyone look at him. He stared the other demons down with scarlet eyes. “You’re making her uneasy. Either talk about something else or leave.”
“Alright, alright. Calm down,” Liam said, and let out a sigh. “Xander only wanted to warn you.”
“Make sure you stay cautious, okay?” Xander reminded them. “We don’t know who we’re up against here… this could very well be connected to Seth’s death.”
—
After the demons had left later that evening, Valerie made sure to lock the front door from the inside. She was aware that this would hardly keep a supernatural being out; nonetheless, it served to calm her down a bit. Maxwell was in the living room, playing one of his PS4 games, but she was sure that he sensed her unease.
In order not to worry him, she attempted to ignore her fearful thoughts. Unfortunately, this was easier said than done and ended with her sitting in the kitchen, staring at a social media feed on her phone. She mindlessly clicked through various posts, hoping they would distract her, but they didn’t.
All she could think of was the demons’ ominous words about the blood mage. She didn’t want to meet them, fearing that she would lose her life. If that came to pass, then Maxwell would die too, and that was something she had to prevent at all costs. Perhaps it hadn’t been such a good idea to create a new bond with this threat still hanging over them.
She had been so happy when he had proposed it, and she hadn’t hesitated to agree because she loved him wholeheartedly. Had she thought about it rationally for a second, she would have probably decided to wait. Her worry mixed with guilt made her chest feel heavy as a stone. This blood mage would most likely attack her first since she was the easier target. And being only human, she would die quickly.
The whole gravity of the situation weighed on her—how could she have been so stupid? She turned her wrist and stared at the gleaming star on her skin, running her finger over it. It had been selfish of her to want a new bond. She should have said no for his sake. But… when he’d asked her to make a new one, she just couldn’t have denied him.
“Why is this so fucked up?” she muttered bitterly, burying her face in her hands. She felt like crying now.
“What’s the problem, sugar?” his voice interrupted her train of thought. Of course, he’d notice her inner turmoil; she couldn’t hide anything from him. She heaved a sigh and got up from the chair, turning to him.
His brows were furrowed, and he studied her closely, attempting to find out why she was sad. He knew it was connected to their earlier conversation, but he wanted to hear it from her mouth. If he’d learned anything being around humans, then it was that they needed to speak about their sorrows to feel better.
Her silence prompted him to walk closer. He cupped her cheek, running his thumb over her skin. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”
Valerie didn’t know whether she should tell him or not. Would that really help? Would that worry him more? She glanced at his face and met his sky-blue eyes, getting lost in their depths. They were concerned.
Yes, she should tell him. Then at least he would know what she was thinking about… Her right hand encased her wrist, covering the demon mark up instinctively as another wave of guilt broke over her. She took a deep breath and then finally told him.
“I’m sorry, Maxwell,” she whispered, lowering her head. “We shouldn’t have formed a new bond.”
Valerie was met with deafening silence. She heard the clock ticking in the corner, heard the faint sounds of traffic outside.
“Why?” he asked. He sounded hurt, and that only made her feel worse.
“Isn’t it obvious? The blood mage is dangerous, and they are after us now. What if they find us and… and what if I die? You’d lose your life too, and I… I wouldn’t want that to happen,” she answered, her voice filled with emotion and breaking after every few words.
He stayed silent and gazed at her for a while before he took her hand. His fingers traveled to her wrist, caressing the mark that gleamed brighter at his touch. A pleasant tingling originated from it when he bowed down to place a tender kiss on it. Her eyes widened. His lips were soft on her skin, and she blushed when he gazed up at her.