My blood ran cold as Louis approached me with fists tightly clenched. His expression was a storm of rage and hatred, his shirt and face stained crimson, mirroring the way I had defeated him that fateful night.
"Long time no see, old friend." He chuckled darkly, cracking his neck with a menacing motion.
I blinked in disbelief, my worst nightmare standing before me, staring me down while Veronica seemed disturbingly unfazed. I couldn't understand how she had managed to bring him here—not when death would have offered a far more merciful punishment than this torment.
Nearby, a group of Everlings set up a black beach chair beneath a tree, placing it alongside a table adorned with a bottle of grape wine. Veronica settled into the chair, crossing her legs before accepting a glass poured by an Everling beside her.
"Let's begin, shall we?" she smirked, her tone dripping with amusement.
"Begin? Begin with what—" I struggled to articulate, but before I could finish, Louis lunged at me, landing a punch squarely in my stomach. I collapsed, but immediately sat up, only to be greeted by another blow to my head.
For someone his size, his strength defied belief.
"Fight him, Adonis," Veronica's voice cut through the haze as I tried to gather my thoughts and calm my racing heart. But I knew I couldn't fight him; I had long given up on that.
Louis seized my collar, yanking me upward as he positioned himself between my legs. "You heard her. Fight me!" he hissed, aiming another punch.
I spat blood onto the ground. "I'm not fighting you."
His fist smashed into my jaw again, accompanied by a loud roar of rage. "Fight me!" he demanded, his voice deepening as he rained blows upon me.
The metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth, my saliva seemingly replaced by it. He showed me no mercy; the thought of retaliating never crossed my mind. I couldn't kill him again.
In the distance, I heard glass shattering—an abrupt crack slicing through the tension, echoing ominously.
"You're bleeding, Madame," an Everling squeaked, but Veronica remained unfazed, her icy demeanor unbroken.
I felt her gaze bore into me, cold and calculating, watching me writhe in this sickening spectacle she had orchestrated purely for her amusement.
It was as if she were daring me to hate her, taunting me with every action. I couldn't hold her accountable; she was merely fulfilling her end of the bargain, ensuring I regretted my presence here. I refused to give her the satisfaction of fighting him. Yet, bitterness churned within me. What was worse—her or my own feelings of helplessness under her watchful gaze?
My face swelled, my vision blurred with blood, my lips chapped and cracked. I could barely breathe, my nose filling with the musty scent of the garden's loamy soil. Maybe I should die this way, I deserved it. To die the same way I had killed him.
Frustrated by my obstinacy, Louis released his grip on me. For a brief moment, I thought he had given up, until a shower of sand fell into my eyes, revealing a large rock he had raised.
"Final chance. Fight me, Adonis." His voice was a low hiss.
I scoffed, blood accompanying the gesture as I closed my eyes. "Then you'll have to kill me."
Suddenly, Louis screamed loudly, but silence enveloped the atmosphere. I expected to feel my skull shatter, but all I heard was someone collapsing beside me, the sharp sound of heels striking the paved floor, followed by her voice. "Clean this up."
I slowly opened my eyes to see an Everling groaning and rubbing his head as more Everlings rushed to my side. My consciousness faded slowly. Perhaps I was dying—dying at the whim of the woman I was supposed to love.
*****
A blinding beam of light pierced my eyes, pulling me from unconsciousness.
I attempted to rise, but the pain in my head pinned me down. Resigned, I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. My vision remained a hazy blur.
I didn't need anyone to confirm that I was injured; my face was a mess, covered in bandages. My thoughts drifted back to the night before—her, the woman who had orchestrated this nightmare, intent on ruining me completely. Perhaps dying was a preferable option; anything would be better than remaining a captive in her relentless bloodbath.
"Glad to see you're awake," Zephyr's voice echoed across the room.
Speak of the devil. I forced myself to sit up, suppressing a groan as my head tilted painfully to one side. I supported my back against the pillow, focusing on him with my least swollen eye.
"Glad you're here," I grunted. "You can do it now…take my life. I'm no longer interested in our ridiculous deal."
Zephyr said nothing but drew a chair from the vanity table I had converted into a reading desk.
"What's bound on Earth is bound in Heaven," he began, dragging the chair to my bedside. He crossed his legs, crushing my hopes with the words, "There's no backing out. It's either you win or lose. As a matter of fact, you could remain in this state until the time of our arrangement elapses, then you can finally rest in peace."
I clutched the bedsheet tightly. "She'd kill me before then. Are you even looking at me? Look at what's happened. I had a wild vision about a visitor at the Inn; I thought she was innocent… foolishly so." I halted as I noticed the smirk playing on his lips. "You did this… didn't you?"
He shrugged. "You clearly needed help. I had to do something."
I scoffed at the irony. He was the one who had put me in this mess. "Why don't you apply for the position of the Devil? You seem like the perfect candidate after all."
"After Veronica, of course." He chuckled, but I found no humor in it. I just wanted to escape this tangled web. "And come on, don't be angry because she cast a mimicry spell on an Everling to resemble Louis. She clearly adores you. She ensured you were all cleaned up last night before she went to bed. That counts for something, doesn't it?"
I grabbed the alarm clock from the bedside and hurled it at him. It struck his chest, then fell to the ground and shattered. "Adore is a word that would flee from her if it were wise enough. She doesn't adore me; she's preparing me for the horrible things she has planned. Finding my weakness and exploiting it for her amusement. And do you know the most infuriating part? She's the heroine of her own story, not the cruel villainess. None of this would have happened if you hadn't interfered. From now on, do me a favor—stay away from me so I can avoid her."
Silence lingered until he cleared his throat and leaned closer.
"I'll stay away, but you can't simply avoid her path if you truly want your life back."
"Keep it. In four months, I'll gladly be a dead man."
"So you intend to endure whatever she puts you through for nothing?"
"For eternal rest. It's impossible to win her affection. You mentioned looks, didn't you? Just look at what she did to my face. She hates me, and I despise her. There's no possibility of love between us." My voice dripped with sarcasm.
"Besides the Everlings, you're the only innocent soul to enter this Inn—"
"I'm not innocent. I killed someone, remember?" The weight of the words hung heavily in my mouth. Perhaps I did deserve death; it was simply Louis seeking justice.
"No, you didn't. After your confrontation with Louis, he was sent to the hospital for treatment. But the officials at the orphanage could no longer afford it, so they cut off his life support."
My body stiffened. "That wouldn't have happened if I hadn't fought with him—"
"Louis had a brain tumor already; he was bound to die."
"That doesn't justify what I did!" I found myself shouting, hot tears stinging my swollen eyes in the most painful way.
"You can't choose to stop fighting. The world has always belonged to fighters, which is why you ended up dead in the first place. Now, I'm offering you another chance at a price. You should reconsider and forgive yourself for what's already happened."
Words escaped me, so he pressed on. "You know Louis wanted you dead." He stood up, his tone serious.
My heart raced. "What?"
Zephyr slipped his hands into his pockets. "The whole plan to frame you was to have the Master hand you over to a group of human traffickers. The boys devised it when they overheard him. Why do you think the orphanage closed four years after that incident? That fight with Louis made you a less attractive target for their plans. You should be grateful you stood up for yourself."
"Are you just fabricating this to make me feel less guilty?"
"Trust me, you don't want to see the evidence for this. Adonis, it's been years; Louis is old news. If you want to survive here, you need to toughen up. I've got to go… my assistant sent me an urgent message. Stay safe." He smiled and walked through the wall. From the window, I watched him transform into an owl in a single fluid motion before soaring away.
All I could sense was the taste of liberty—something I craved desperately. I needed a more effective strategy if I wanted to win Veronica's favor. A few romance novels and CDs might help; I'd visit the library tomorrow and deepen my research.
For now, I tried not to think about anything related to Louis. Sighing, I rested my head against the pillow and closed my eyes, only to be jolted awake by a knock at the door.
"It's me… Piper. Can I come in?" her voice called from outside.
"Yes," I groaned.
The door opened, and Piper strutted in, clad in pink lingerie and thigh-high lace stockings, coupled with pumps. She seemed to embody the Nightingale role perfectly.
"Hi. How are you feeling?" she asked calmly, settling herself on the edge of the bed.
"Better. Thank you. Did Veronica send you here?" I inquired, wanting to bypass the polite formalities.
"No…she had one of the dwarves take care of things while you slept," she replied.
"Everlings… not dwarves," I corrected.
"Oh! My apologies, I'm still trying to get the hang of this place." She laughed, then her expression shifted to one of solemnity. "I'm really sorry about what happened. I know it's because of me, and—"
"You're not important," a serene voice cut her off, accompanied by the faint sound of heels approaching the room—Veronica.