Chapter 206 Chapter 206
Maxwell vanished for a moment to fetch a change of clothes for her, choosing one of his t-shirts and sweatpants that would probably be a bit too long for her. He helped her leave the bathtub and get dressed, not liking this apathetic state she was in. Even her emotions were frozen—it was as if her mind was just blank.
“Valerie,” he said, trying to get her attention. He sighed, cupped her cheeks with his hands. “What’s up with you? You’re not hurt, are you?”
Her eyes met his, and like she was only now realizing that he was there, they brightened a tad. “No,” she replied. “Just a bit sore… but you know that.”
“Come with me, I think you should rest,” he said, taking her hand, but she was rooted to the spot and did not follow him.
“I can’t rest. What if he hunts us down?” she asked suddenly. “What if he finds us here… and burns this place to the ground with us in it?” Her voice trembled, and her body quaked.
Maxwell's eyes changed from blue to red. “If he shows up here, I will kill him,” he said, not leaving any doubts that he would go through with it. His expression was murderous. “He won’t get away with what he did, that I can promise you.”
“The fire was so scary,” she breathed, inching closer to him. He could tell what she wanted and embraced her, cradling her head to his chest.
“I know,” he murmured. “Just remember that we’re safe. I’m here for you.”
She was silent for a while, her hands clutching the fabric of his shirt on his back. “Thank you,” she whispered. He touched her wet hair, stroking the back of her head with his hand.
“You really should rest for a while. You seem very tired,” he insisted, and the hardness of his tone proved that he wouldn’t change his stance on it. He took a towel and dried her hair, making sure it wasn’t dripping wet anymore.
“Follow me,” he ordered and took her hand to bring her to his bedroom. Valerie had trouble collecting her thoughts, the loss of her home having left a gaping hole in her chest. She had lived in that flat for years, and she had been so proud of finding a new home after the disaster with her ex. But now it was just gone. Everything was gone.
Maxwell brought her to a room she was already familiar with from her last visit. It looked the same as it had back then; nothing had changed. The furniture was modern, albeit very dark, and the large window at the other side of the room allowed her an impressive view over the rocky planes of hell and its ever-dark sky.
He pulled the cover on the bed back and waited until she had lain down before he spread it over her body. Then, he sat down next to her, gazing at her in silence. The sadness she exuded was unbearable—he hated it since it was unlike her to feel such an intense negative emotion. His fingers touched her cheek, gently tilting her head so she faced him. Her eyes were dull.
“Valerie,” he said as he caressed her cheek. “Don’t be sad. This isn’t the end of everything. I know it’s hard to lose your home, but we will eventually find a new one. Right now, it’s much more important for you to calm down and rest.”
Over time, he had developed a good understanding of how much a human could take, and she was at the end of her tether. She wasn’t like a demon; the heat of the fire hadn’t left her unaffected, and neither had the thick smoke. In addition to that, she needed to come to terms with her loss and the fear that had latched itself onto her heart.
“I’m uneasy,” she mumbled. “I don’t think I can rest.”
“You can,” he persisted as his gaze grew sterner. “I will stay until you’re asleep. Nobody can enter this house without me noticing, so you needn’t worry about bad surprises.”
She gazed at him in reluctance, but he didn’t change his mind. “Close your eyes.”
His fingertips ghosted over her cheek, softly brushing her hair. The motion was soothing, causing her to close her eyes. He stayed at her side just like he had told her and made sure she would fall asleep. The longer they remained like this, the calmer she became, and eventually, her breaths evened out.
He took her hand, holding it in his. Her fingers were red, and he realized that she must have briefly been touched by the flames despite his best efforts to protect her. They hadn’t left any major injuries, but the red marks alone were enough to make his anger surge. Mason deserved hell for this—nobody was allowed to hurt her, and whoever dared to do it would pay a high price. The fire demon must have known how aggressive demons became when someone hurt their significant other. And that must have been the reason why he chose such a cowardly way to kill her. Burning her alive. The idea had Maxwell shake with rage. His eyes were deep red as they gazed at Valerie’s relaxed face.
Suddenly, he sensed a familiar kind of magic, and not one second later, he heard a rap at his front door. Even before Maxwell had moved an inch, he knew that it was Nicholas Clarke. He shot Valerie one last look and left the room to open the front door, meeting Nicholas Clarke’s worried gaze.
“There you are.” Nicholas Clarke said. He was frantic, kept running his hand through his hair. “Where’s Valerie? Are you both fine?”
“We are, but it was a close call,” Maxwell explained and let him in, closing the door behind him.
“I heard about the fire; it was on the news,” Nicholas Clarke said. “When I realized that it was your home, I almost lost it. Mason found you, didn’t he?”
“Yes,” Maxwell growled. “Valerie is in the bedroom. We ought to let her rest; she’s been through a lot.”
“I can imagine,” Nicholas Clarke said, scowling in anger. He followed Maxwell to the living room, getting a better look at his slightly scorched clothes and the strong smell of smoke that stuck to him. They remained standing, Nicholas Clarke crossing his arms as he waited for an explanation.
“Mason somehow found out where we live, and he showed up at her door when I was about to return home. I sensed that something was wrong and hurried home, but by then, the entire house was already ablaze. It’s a miracle she wasn’t hurt. I reached her just moments before the ceiling above her collapsed… and then I brought her here because there was no other way to escape the house,” Maxwell explained. He was tense and kept pacing up and down in the living room. His restlessness was contagious, making Nicholas Clarke nervous.
“Just between you and me,” Maxwell continued. “I’m certain that Mason will show up here soon. It’s only a matter of time.”