✍️✍️✍️✍️ Married to the Devil's 😈 Son Volume 3 Chapter 26 || 27....35 ✍️✍️✍️✍️

Married to the Devil's 😈 Son

Volume 3 Chapter 26

 

"You won't resist?" 

Zamiel stared into her emerald green eyes. There was innocence and vulnerability in them. He could tell she didn't know much about the world and it's people. She was raised sheltered and learned to love and trust. And here he was, knowing and feeling nothing but resentment. How different they were. 

For a brief moment, he actually thought of compelling her. The urge to bite her had been so strong that it swayed his judgement. 

"I.. I…" Was she hesitating? "I don't know." She admitted. 

This would change things if she became willing to be bitten. The mark would not fade away as quickly. The mark stayed longest when both parts consented to the bond. 

Stupid girl. Maybe he should have scared her even more. Just in case he become willing in a moment of weakness she would still be unwilling. 

The damn witch would enjoy this if she was still alive. Him biting a witch as soon as the mark faded. 

The more he resisted, the quicker the mark would fade and the more he would need to fight the urge to bite her. There was only one way out. If he resisted the urge long enough without biting her, then it would disappear forever and he would be free from the bond.

Zamiel heard that resisting the urge was almost impossible, but he was different. He had already endured so much pain, a little more wouldn't hurt. 

He grabbed her wr**t over the dress and took her back to her room. She looked around surprised before looking at him.

"Thank you." She breathed. 

When he dropped her arm her eyes darted in panic. She didn't want him to leave. He should have frightened her more. 

"You look sick." She pointed. 

Yes, he weakened himself so he could fall into a deep slumber until the urge disappeared, but she ruined his plans. Now he would have to start from scratch and try for several days, maybe even weeks, before he could fall into a deep slumber. 

"Heaven. Next time you come to meet me, I'll send you to heaven." He threatened. 

To his surprise, she smiled. "How can you be sure I'll end up there? I thought all witches were bad and would end up in hell."

She baffled him. He didn't know what to respond, and that caused her smile to widen. 

"I think deep down you know I wouldn't hurt you." She said. 

It should have been the other way round. Him telling her he wouldn't hurt her, but she understood the true meaning of hurt. 

"If I come to you, then you should hurt me if you don't want me to bite you."

"If you come to me, then I understand why."

He wished he could shake the innocence out of her. 

Suddenly someone materialized into her room. It was the man she called friend. 

"Heaven!" He drew his daggers.

Heaven turned to him, startled. 

"Zarin!" He could hear the shock in her voice. 

Zarin kept his gaze fixated on Zamiel while his eyes blazed with anger. 

"Get away from him!" He ordered. 

Again with the ordering around. 

"It's not what you think." She held her hands out, signaling for him to calm down. 

If he didn't Zamiel knew the perfect way to do it. 

"He is not here to hurt me." She said. 

Zamiel fought the urge to laugh, but Zarin was not amused at all. As if disappointed, he dropped his arms.

"You went to see him." He said with disgust. 

"I… I can explain." 

Zamiel didn't feel like listening to their fight. So he just took himself back home, back to his room where her scent still lingered.

What was he supposed to do now? He needed to find a plan to fight this extreme urge. 

By the way, who was that friend of hers? From the way she spoke to him, it seemed like she cared for him deeply. 

No! He was starting to care again. He should go try to fall back into his slumber as soon as possible. There was no other way he could fight this. 

He lay down thinking back of the time when life felt as lonely as it did now. Before he was locked inside the coffin he had isolated himself inside his home. Day in and out he just slept, not eating or drinking. 

Razia would come to him sometimes and try to talk some sense into him, but he wouldn't listen. He didn't even care to chase her away. He just shut her voice out. Someday she would get tired. 

One day she came to him. "Zamiel, I am moving somewhere else. I came to say goodbye." She said, but he kept ignoring her. 

"I baked this bread for you. Your wife taught me how to do it. I thought since you are not eating you wanted to… nevermind. I will put it on the table." 

She went and placed the baked bread on the table. "Won't you even look at me before I leave or ask me where I am going?"

He continued to ignore her. She sighted. "Alright. I hope you make some changes. This is not called living."

And just like she left him. Now he felt the loneliest. The only person remained to care for him had also left him now. He couldn't blame her. 

Being starved, he couldn't ignore the scent of freshly baked bread. It smelled like the one his wife used to bake. He loved it. Unable to ignore hunger that rose within him, he went to the table and ate the bread alone. 

It tasted exactly like the one his wife used to make. As he chewed a bite tears fell down his cheeks. All the happy memories came back to him, paining him even more. 

Gamila.

Why did she leave him all alone? She promised to stay with him for eternity, but he couldn't blame her for breaking her promise. It was his fault. He had promised to protect her, but he failed miserably. 

"I am sorry Gamila, I am sorry Mikah." He whispered. 

Zamiel remembered the day Mikah was born. The warmth that spread inside his chest. He never thought he would one day soon hold her cold, dead body in his arms. He failed not only as a husband; but as a father as well. 

He didn't even deserve to eat this bread, but he had already finished eating it. He went back to bed. The only way he couldn't feel pain was to sleep. He even decided once to fall into a deep slumber and wake up after many years, but he had a mission now. To protect demons from facing the same fate as him. He would put the witches in their place and make all of them know to never mess a demon. 

He closed his eyes. Tomorrow would be a new day, he thought. But before that day came, he woke up with an extreme pain. It felt like someone was stabbing and twisting his organs. He felt sick and vomited. 

It was blood. 

What was happening to him? It felt like something was eating him from the inside, like his body was corroding away. 

Blood ran from his nose. Something was wrong with him. 

"Zamiel!" Suddenly Razia stood in the room. 

She looked at him in the state he was and didn't seem the least surprised. 

It was her. 

"What… what did you do?!" He growled, trying to get out of bed. 

He would kill her!

"I am sorry. I had no choice." She said calmly. "At least you enjoyed eating it."

The bread. She must have poisoned it. She knew very well poison couldn't kill him. What did she plan to do?

"This poison is deadly. Well, for humans anyway. It eats at your organs one by one. So while one heals another one rottens. Oh, I also added som magic to make it more effective."

He got out of bed, furious and ready to kill her, but his legs gave in and he fell to the ground. His body burned, his limbs trembled. 

"Don't fight it, Zamiel. I won't kill you. I just want to help you understand a few things." She spoke so calmly while he choked on his own blood. 

He wasn't only enduring the damage caused by the poison, but also the process of healing. 

She loomed over him. "After I am done. You will understand everything." She assured him.

*****

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100% Written by Jasmine Josef

Married to the Devil's 😈 Son

Volume 3 Chapter 27

Zamiel turned back and forth on the ground, groaning in pain. It wasn't stopping. How long would it take until it was over? 

Then abruptly he just stopped fighting it. He didn't want to give Razia the satisfaction of seeing him suffer. He just lay there trying to move as little as possible. He told himself it would be over soon. 

Razia crouched and then watched him where he lay. There was no emotion in her eyes. Only emptiness. 

"Don't hate me, Zamiel. I am just trying to help. You were not doing anything with your life, so I had to do something. You wanted to go into a deep slumber, I'll help you with that. If you just slept here, anyone could come inside and hurt you. So I found the perfect place for you to sleep in and hide. A very comfortable coffin. It won't be cold inside. I made sure it's warm. You can sleep without worrying about anything. I will lock the coffin with a spell so that no one can open it." She explained. 

Then the look in her eyes changed, darkened. "But someone has to open it someday, right? You don't want to be locked for eternity. How about this? Only someone with a witch and demon blood will be able to release you. Sadly, you don't believe such creature will ever exist, but now at least you will hope they do. Because only that person can free you. If this mixed race creature never come to exist, then…" She shrugged. "You can sleep peacefully in your coffin knowing that you were right." 

She smiled, satisfied with her plan before a frown settled on her face. "I am missing something." She said thoughtfully. 

Zamiel listened while trying to focus on the anger instead of the pain. 

"You hate witches, so let's do this. If you get released, let's hope you do, then the person who releases you will become your mate. But then she has to be a female." She paused and thought for a while. "The first female with demon and witch blood will free you but bound you to her. Sounds poetic, doesn't it?"

Zamiel glared at her, thinking of how his friend turned into this merciless person. Was it his fault? Did he make her this way?

Maybe this was his punishment for the horrible things he did and for not being able to protect his family. 

Razia's lips moved again. She was speaking to him, but he couldn't hear her. Soon he couldn't see her either. Darkness was swallowing him slowly until he drowned in it. 

When he opened his eyes, he was already inside the coffin. He tried everything in his power to get out of it, but nothing helped. He hoped Razia would calm down and come to release him, but she didn't. 

Years went by and he spent them in anger and agony. The darkness, the loneliness, the helplessness, it tortured him, tore him apart, ate at his heart until it was filled with nothing but darkness. Sometimes it felt like he was losing his sanity. How could his friend do this to him? He thought she would come back to him eventually, but now after almost two hundred years she had already passed away. 

Now there was only one way for him out. The female with the mixed blood. 

As an ancient demon he could get into anyone's mind, so for years he jumped from mind to mind just to find her. After five hundred years, he gave up. He was exhausted, hungry and furious. Maybe it was good that he would never get released because if he did, he would wipe witches off the face of earth and he would start with the one to release him. That is, if he ever found her. 

After enduring more years of torture, Zamiel decided to fall into a deep slumber despite knowing that he could miss the chance to find the mixed blood female. But he could just not endure the pain anymore. He was fed up of looking and needed recovery, so he fell asleep until a strange feeling woke him up. 

The need to locate someone. 

He tried to find his way through many minds until he ended up in the one he was looking for. It was a young girl with the greenest eyes and the darkest hair he had ever seen. 

Zamiel knew it was her, and immediately he started his mission to make her release him. It was difficult staying in her mind, at first. He didn't know why, so he appeared in her dreams instead. It was easier since she was relaxed and asleep. But even then, he couldn't get to her in the beginning. It was as if she was denying him access into her mind. But Zamiel was slow and patient and thought of ways to make her curious or make her trust him so she would let him in. Eventually she did. 

And soon the day he had waited for a thousand years came. He was released. He still remembered the first time she opened the lock, as if she had opened his lungs. He felt alive, breathing, smelling and seeing. But most of all, the hungering. He never felt anything like it before. 

It wasn't only an extreme urge to bite her, but also the need to feed himself. He was confused at first, not understanding this need to feed on someone. It was unnatural, but he had no control over it. His gums itches and once his teeth sunk into her flesh, the world around him faded away. He could only focus on the euphoric feeling her blood gave. The way he came alive again, felt alive again. 

When he had enough he still continued. Almost draining the life out of her. Even if she was part demon, she was still part witch, and he planned to get rid of each and every one of them. Starting with her. 

Then he heard her voice in the back. 

"Please, save me." She begged. "I.. I want to live."

Zamiel's body froze. 

She wanted to live. 

He wished he could say the same. But as he held her almost dying body in his arms, he couldn't finish what he started. He couldn't bring himself to do it no matter how much he tried to convince himself. 

So he took her with him thinking that eventually his hate would come back and he would end her life. But his hate had always been there, still he hadn't been able to kill her. 

Now, because of his stupid decision to let her go, he was fighting something he wouldn't have to, had he just killed her. 

Why?! 

Why was it so difficult? 

She was just a witch. What good did they do? 

Even his friend whom he had watched over since she was a little girl had betrayed him. They killed innocent beings in the name of doing good and removing evil. What could be more evil than that? 

The rest of them were all the same. Instead of condemning the act, they protected and praised the ones who committed the horrible crime. They were all the same. 

But Heaven…

What was she doing to him? He should not trust her. She was probably bewitching him for her advantage. He would not fall into the trap of trusting a witch ever again. 

Never!

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Married to the Devil's 😈 Son

 Volume 3 Chapter 28

Zarin looked at Heaven with a disappointed and a disgusted look. It was like he couldn't believe what he just saw. 

"Zarin, I can explain." Heaven began, but he raised his hand, telling her to stop. 

"What explanation could make me understand the reason you are with the man who put you and your family in danger?" 

Heaven knew this looked bad. She didn't know how to explain herself. Even she didn't know what was right or wrong in this situation. 

"I am having a hard time Zarin. I don't know what to do and I am just trying to figure out… the situation."

"By being with the man who abducted you, held you against your will, hurt my sister and your friend and threatened your family? What… what does that mean?" He looked at her as if she had lost her mind. 

"How long have you been meeting him?" He asked. 

Heaven shook her head. "This is the first time. I know I shouldn't but…" 

But what? Why did she go meet him? 

"I was worrying for you, looking out for you all these days in case something happened to you, knowing what you went through. I never thought you would purposely put yourself in danger." He shook his head. 

Heaven looked down at her hands, her eyes tearing up. She was already feeling guilty. Why was he adding salt to her wounds? Why didn't he even try to understand her?

"You have changed. You are becoming…. I don't know." He shrugged. 

Heaven looked up at him. This time more hurt by his words. "What am I becoming?" 

He had already said it once before. That she was changing, and it was not in a good way. 

Zarin just looked away, sighing as if her question was not what mattered. 

"No, tell me! What am I becoming? Why is my change so bad? Tell me!" She urged. 

"You are becoming selfish." He blurted. 

Heaven couldn't believe her ears. Had he called her careless, childish, stupid, then she wouldn't mind. She would even agree with him. But calling her selfish made her heart ache. 

"What have I done to be called selfish?" She asked, fighting her tears. She would not cry in front of him.

Zarin shut his eyes tightly and pressed his lips into a thin line as if regretting what he said. "Heaven, I am just looking out for you." He said trying to sound calm. 

"You are not my father. It is not your duty to look out for me. As a friend, you should support me and be there for me when I am having a hard time. You are not even willing to listen. You are the one who suddenly changed as soon as I told you I wanted to become a Queen." Now she was furious. He had been ignoring her all these days and now suddenly he wanted to be her protector. 

If her father didn't have anything against her becoming a ruler then what was his problem?

"As I friend, I should be honest with you. You will go through a lot of hardship to become a ruler. I just don't want you to go through that." He explained. 

"You don't think I am going through hardship now? Right now I need my friend the most, but he is angry at me because of the hardsh.i.p.s I might go through in the future." 

Zarin dropped his shoulders as if defeated, but he didn't look at her. 

"I was always here, Heaven. You are the one that left. I don't think you need me anymore."

They looked at each other for a long moment. Heaven tried to figure out what that meant. It sounded like he was abandoning her, breaking their friendship. 

A tear fell down her cheek when he just vanished. 

The next morning Heaven woke up with a newfound energy. She had convinced herself to not let sadness defeat her. She was going to become a ruler so she wouldn't let anything make her cry easily, but was easier said than done because only a few hours later she was in her room crying a river. 

She had attended a meeting where her father let her be the one to lead. He went to sit among the generals and councils, letting her face all those scary, powerful men alone. She had watched him lead these meeting many times before and studied his tactics. It didn't seem difficult while she watched, but now when all eyes were on her she began to sweat. 

"Your Highness, as you know the Kingdom of Valish don't want to trade with us anymore. So many of our food supplies have been suddenly cut off and winter is coming soon." One council spoke. 

"Your Highness, the cheating of tax payment have increased among sellers despite knowing its severe punishment. We have captured a few of them. I think we should set an example of what happens when you cheat the tax by punishing these criminals in public." Another one presented another problem. 

"Your Highness…." And a third problem. 

"Your Highness…" And a fourth problem, and so it continued until all parts presented the issues within the department they were responsible for. 

Heaven only understood the first two questions, and then she was confused. She was supposed to lead the discussion, but after they presented their problems, she just listened to their debate trying to follow and understand what they were saying. Then suddenly they turned to her to make the last decisions based on what they had discussed. 

Heaven could see some of them were fighting hard to stay passive in front of her father and try not to insult her, but she could already feel that they thought she was unfit for the role. 

Everyone stared at her as they waited. It felt like they could see through her, see her fears and insecurities. Her voice trembled slightly when she began to speak. "I think we can find another Kingdom to trade with." She wasn't even sure if her voice was heard before one of them replied. 

"I am not sure if you are aware, Your Highness. But Valish was the last Kingdom who wanted to trade with us.

"Oh," Heaven didn't know. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Why?"

The men looked at each other as if she was stupid and she could see her father shake his head. 

"Your Highness, as the largest Kingdom we are a threat to many Kingdoms, especially our neighbor Kingdoms. No one would feed their enemy." 

Heaven nodded, feeling foolish. She knew these times were special. The Kingdoms in Europe wanted to build Empires like the Kingdoms in Asia. The whole of Asia was four Empires while Europe still had many small Kingdoms. Now the European Kingdoms also wanted to build Empires, and the first Kingdom to take a step toward becoming one was the Kingdom of Gatrish. King Rasmus, Zarin's uncle, was known for his tactical ways to expand his Kingdom. Heaven didn't want to use his method, but from the debate the council and the generals had, it seemed that they were suggesting war. 

What Heaven learned from her father was that war should be avoided as much as possible and should be the last option when nothing else was left. Heaven agreed with him, but in this situation she didn't know what other options she had. She looked at the men around the table, then her father, but she could see he was not going to help her. 

"I need to think about this." She said, not knowing if she did the right thing. 

"As for those who didn't pay tax, you can punish them the way you see it fit." She added.

Heaven noticed slight changes in expressions that made her wonder if she did something wrong. Things got only worse after that. She realized that even if she had learned a lot; she was not even close to knowing enough.

And every time she made a decision, they seemed to oppose to it. They made her feel uneducated and small. She just wanted to shrink in her seat and hide.

"Your Highness, may I ask you why do you want to become ruler." One of them lastly asked.

Heaven was surprised by the question and didn't know how to reply.

"I want to ensure the wellbeing of the people in our kingdom." She said, but saying what she said made her realize that she didn't speak the truth and that wake her feel guilty. Maybe she was selfish, like Zarin said. She was becoming a ruler for selfish reasons. 

"Your Highness, to ensure the wellbeing of the people in our Kingdom, you need to know the people first and understand what they want and what they need."

Heaven's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. It was true she knew nothing. She humiliated herself in front of everyone.

After what felt like forever, the meeting finally ended and they all left. Heaven listened to their conversation outside the hall. They muttered about how immature and spoiled she was.

Tears pricked her eyes, but she tried her best to not cry until she reached her room. Once she arrived she threw herself on her bed and cried. 

Her dreams of becoming a ruler were crushed. She had no purpose anymore. 

Heaven spent the whole day in her bed feeling bad for herself. If people saw her like this, they would never accept her as their ruler.. She was too weak for it. 

Crying and feeling sad was not going to solve her problems, but she couldn't help it. It made her realize she was not for the role. Maybe she should just give it up. 

She had lost hope for her dreams; hope to find love and she lost her friend. Thinking about it made her cry again. 

Suddenly she shivered when the room become cold. A familiar scent invaded her senses. 

Before looking up, she already knew who had come to her room. 

It was him. 

He stood in the corner and looked worse than she remembered. His skin color turned ashy and his lips were purple. The whites of his eyes were red and his hair had lost its shine. Fighting the urge to bite her must have been so difficult for him, and he seemed to suffer. But Heaven didn't feel like thinking about the bite or getting bitten today. She just wanted to be left alone. 

"I can't help you today." She said. 

In the blink of an eye, he stood right next to her, his tall figure towering over where she sat on her bed. 

Her heart skipped a beat. Why was he frightening her so? He was not going to forcefully bite her again? Would he?

"Why are you crying?" He asked. 

Heaven quickly wiped her tears away. "Why do you care?" 

"I don't know."

His reply surprised her. He didn't deny that he cared. 

"You made me dream of something I can't achieve." Now she just wanted someone to blame. 

"Of course you can't. You are just a woman. A young, naive and a foolish woman. You know nothing but being emotional."

Anger made her jump out of bed. "What is wrong with being a woman? Just because I am a woman doesn't mean I know nothing, and being a woman doesn't stop me from achieving my dreams." 

"No?" He raised a brow. "I thought you said you couldn't achieve your dreams?"

"I can!" She said with finality. 

The stranger crossed his arms behind his back. He was showing great self-restraint despite his already elongated fangs. "If you are being this emotional now, I doubt you will become a ruler in this lifetime."

Why was he discouraging her when he was the first to encourage her? Walking closer to her, he reached his hand out and Heaven flinched back, unsure of what he was going to do. 

His gaze hardened, and he grabbed her shoulder in a strong grip. "As a ruler, never show fear." He said firmly. "Relax your shoulder." He then ordered. 

Heaven was confused at first, but she did as he said. 

"Stand with a straight back and relax you arms."

Again she listened to him. Then he grabbed her chin and made her look at him. His cold silver eyes stared back at her, demanding her attention. "And never bow your head in front of anyone." 

Heaven didn't reply. She didn't even nod. She just gazed into his eyes as her breath caught in her throat. He wasn't compelling her, yet she was hypnotized. 

Then his lips moved, and her focus went to his mouth. "Did you hear me?" He asked.

Heaven nodded as she stared at his fangs. 

"Does it hurt?" She blurted. 

He slowly let go of her chin. "I am used to it." He said simply. 

It pained her to hear him say that. "You shouldn't be." No one should be used to hurting. 

He turned away from her, but she grabbed his sleeve. It was becoming a habit. "Didn't you come here to bite me?" She asked. 

He clenched his jaw.

"If you have to… I won't resist." She said. 

*************

 Married to the Devil's 😈 Son

Volume 3 Chapter 29

 

"If you have to… I won't resist." She said. 

Slowly, he opened his eyes and turned to her. Grabbed h*r wr**t, he drew her gently into his arms. Heaven's heart beat erratically inside her chest. Butterflies filler her stomach and her breath came out in shallow p**ts. Was she excited or afraid she didn't know?

"You are afraid." He said. 

"I am… nervous." She admitted. 

Heaven knew that mating was something serious. She shouldn't take it as lightly as she was now. 

"I told you, I would rather kill you than mark you." He reminded. 

"You don't look like a killer." She said. 

He chuckled darkly. "I have killed many of your people. I can't even count how many. I just burned down villages."

Heaven was confused. Why did he decide to burn them? "But witches can protect themselves from fire. At least for a while. I am sure they managed to escape."

"Maybe. But they lost their homes, like I lost mine." 

He didn't want to kill them. He wanted to punish them. 

Sometimes killing someone could be the lightest punishment they could receive. For witches, communities meant a lot. It was their way of protecting themselves. If their communities dispersed, then they could easily become targets for demons. He wanted them to live in fear. 

Zamiel grabbed a few strands of her hair and inhaled her scent. Heaven looked at him, disturbed. This was not going to help him fight the urge to bite her if he didn't plan to do it. It was like… he was punishing himself. 

"Why won't you resist?" He asked. 

"I have nothing to lose, but… you are hurting."

The cold look in his eyes changed, his gaze softened. Ever so lightly, his hand cupped her cheek. "You have a pure heart, Heaven. Mine is full of darkness and hatred. You will gain nothing by being bound to me."

"Do you still hate witches?" She asked. 

He seemed to think for a while before he spoke. "I know it's not your fault and I know it's not every witch's fault, but I can't help it. It's like poison spreading in my body."

"Then you should stop it before it kills you." She said. 

Zamiel chuckled. This time it wasn't the usual dark, cynical laugh. It had another sound to it that made her stomach tickle in a strange way. 

When he dropped his hand and took a step back Heaven panicked. He was leaving. 

"Will you come back?" She hurried to ask. "I… I could use more advice." 

He looked at her for a long moment. "I can't promise you that." 

Heaven's heart skipped with joy. He didn't say he wouldn't. She could see him slowly accepting her and letting go of the hate. She knew it would take time, so she didn't pressure him. Instead, she just nodded, and he left.

That night Heaven went to sleep feeling better. 

The first thing she saw in the morning when she opened her eyes was her father's face. 

"Father." She rubbed her eyes, surprised to find him this early in her room. The first thing she thought was that something bad had happened, but when he smiled at her, her fears disappeared. 

"Good morning." He greeted sitting at the edge of her bed. 

"Good morning." She said pushing herself up. "Did something happen?" 

"No. I just wanted to see how you were doing after what happened yesterday." He explained.

Yesterday, she had embarrassed her father and herself. She should have listened to him when he told her she wasn't ready yet. But watching him and learning from him for three weeks, she thought she would be ready. 

"I am sorry I didn't listen." She apologized.

"Heaven, you told me not to be your father while training you. As your tutor, I advice you to turn your sadness into anger and determination. As your father, I advice you to ask your heart what it truly desires. You know your happiness matters to me the most." 

"I know." Heaven whispered. 

"I won't go easy on you. I'll be the one to criticize you the most and tell you the truth others won't dare to tell you. But as soon as you feel you can't handle it anymore, tell me to be your father again."

Heaven nodded. "I will."

He leaned in and placed a k**s on her forehead. "I love you." 

"I love you more." She smiled. 

"I hope you can say the same in a few days." 

Heaven chuckled. "It won't be appropriate, Your Majesty." She said causing him to laugh. 

"Father, shall I comb your hair?" She asked excitedly. 

It was a long time ago when she last combed her father's hair. When she was little, she would watch her mother brush her father's hair and she would want to do the same. But most of the time she would just end up playing with it instead. 

"Sure." He smiled. 

Her father's hair felt exactly the way she remembered. Soft and silky. People said she resembled her father a lot and she could see the resemblances. The hair, the face, the nose, the lips, even the shape of her eyes was like her fathers. People would say she was the female version of him. 

The maids were not so excited about her. She remembered while being little they would hope her mother would get pregnant with a boy. "wait until a prince is born. He is going to be so handsome." They would say. 

But Heaven knew the chance of her getting a brother was very little. Demons didn't reproduce like human. The majority of them could only conceive once, if lucky twice. Roshan and Klara were one of the few lucky ones. 

Speaking of Roshan and Klara, Heaven needed to visit Zarin. They had to talk. She could not let their friendship go to ruin. 

Once her father left, she dressed quickly and teleported to Gina's room. She wanted to surprise her and show her what she had learned. Gina was looking at herself in the mirror and adjusting her dress when Heaven arrived unannounced. Startled, her friend turned around and stared at her, surprised, before her lips slowly curved into a smile. 

"You succeeded." She said. 

Heaven nodded. "Yes, finally." 

Gina clapped like a little girl and it caused Heaven to laugh. 

"What more did you learn?" She asked. 

"It's not that easy." Heaven said feeling a little sad. 

Her grandma had tried to teach her magic when she was younger, but it never worked and she used to feel sad. "Forget about it. You don't need powers." Her grandmother would say. "I think you will do better without it." 

Her parents, on the other hand, never tried to teach her anything about her powers. They were careful because she was different and they didn't want her to deal with powers she might not be able to control. Her father had explained to her once that being part witch and demon could make controlling her powers very difficult, and it could cause more harm than good sometimes. 

"Where is Zarin?" She asked. 

"Probably in his room." Gina shrugged. 

"I'll come back." Heaven said and made her way to his room. 

She was about to knock on his door when she heard a woman's voice coming from inside. Heaven sighed, feeling sad for her friend. She didn't like all those empty encounters he had with women and was about to leave him alone when she suddenly decided not to. 

Grabbing the door handle, she barged inside without knocking. 

"Good morning." She greeted, smiling brightly just to annoy him. 

The woman in his bed jumped, startled, and tried to cover herself quickly. But when she realized it was only a young woman like her, she glared at her questioningly before turning to Zarin. 

"Who is she?" She asked accusingly. 

Zarin opened his mouth to say something, but Heaven didn't let him. 

"I am his wife." Heaven replied. 

Now it was Zarin's turn to glare at her while the woman's eyes widened. 

"You are married?"

"Yes. I am his second wife. He had been looking for a third one, actually." Heaven lied, then turned to Zarin." Husband, is she the one? Shall we prepare for a wedding?"

Zarin shook his head. "Don't listen to her. She is not my wife." He told the woman, but she wasn't listening. She already started to get dressed and then pushed passed Heaven with the straps of her dress still open and carrying her shoes in her hand. 

"What are you doing?" Zarin asked, annoyed as he got out of bed. 

Heaven turned away from him as he began to dress. The man was shameless. 

"Having fun." She replied. "You know there are other ways to have fun than fooling around with women." 

"Oh, you don't know." He said. 

"Then maybe I should try it too. I am sure many men would be willing to spend some time with me."

"It's not the same." He muttered. 

Heaven turned to him. He was fully dressed and had his arms crossed his over his chest. 

"Oh. Is that because I am a woman? I can't enjoy men nor can I become a ruler." 

"I don't want to fight with you anymore." He sighed, running his hand through his hair. 

"You know, I thought you were like your father. I was wrong. You could learn a few things from him." She said and this time she did not allow him to leave her. Instead, she turned around and left him standing there.

 -------------

Married to the Devil's 😈 Son

 Volume 3 Chapter 30

 

"Did you guys fight?" Gina asked when Heaven came back to her room. 

"He is angry with me. I thought he would come around, but he keeps being bitter. He doesn't even give me a chance to explain." Heaven complained. 

"What did you fight over?" 

Heaven was about to reply when she realized she hadn't told her friend anything about what was happening with her and Zamiel. She had been afraid that everyone would judge her for being with the man who abducted her and hurt her family and friends. 

He even hurt Gina. How was she supposed to tell her?

"Ohoh, you have that look again." Gina said. 

"What look?" Heaven asked.

"The look when you are hiding something. Come one. You know you can tell me anything. I am not my brother." She smirked. 

"You might not like me after I tell you."

"Nothing in the world can make me dislike you." Gina assured. 

Heaven looked at her friend for a moment. She knew Gina was the least judgemental person on earth and she had never fought with her or stayed angry with her. 

"Alright, I'll tell you everything from the beginning."

Heaven told Gina everything she could. How it first started with the dreams to how Zamiel marked her and wanted to kill her. She told her he was actually alive and not dead and how the mark faded away. She even told her about her encounters with him, what the witches did to him and his family, and that he now was fighting the urge to bite her. Heaven didn't leave any details out. She wanted Gina to understand why she did what she did. 

Gina listened carefully, her eyes widening sometimes, her expression changing throughout the story. Once she finished telling the entire story, Heaven let out a deep breath. Her heart accelerated as she waited for Gina to say something. 

"How could you….?"

Oh, no! Heaven thought. Now her friend would hate her. 

"How could you keep all this away from me?" Gina asked, demanding an answer. 

"I was afraid you would be angry. Are you not angry?"

"Heaven! Don't you trust in our friendship enough? You have been going through all this alone when I could have been there for you, stupid girl." Gina scolded. 

Tears of relief fell down Heaven's cheeks. It felt like a mountain was lifted off her shoulders. 

Gina came over and hugged her. "Don't cry. It's alright." She assured. "I am glad you told me. Besides, I was the one who suggested we go there, so it's all my fault."

"No, it's not." Heaven shook her head. "It's my fault."

"Never mind who's fault. What happened has already happened. Now tell me. Do you like this man?"

Heaven had to think. She wasn't sure what liking in this case meant, but she worried for him, thought of him, maybe even missed him. He made her feel a certain way. She couldn't quite explain it. 

"I don't know. I thought it was the mark at first, but I keep thinking about him even now."

"Heaven mating is beyond the mark. The mark itself can't do much if there aren't any feelings involved. I am sure what he is fighting is more than the urge to bite you. He is fighting his feelings for you because that will affect his urge to bite you. Had he known you longer and his feelings for you had been stronger, he would not have been able to fight the urge one more day. Fighting the urge the first and the second time is not the same." Gina explained. 

Heaven didn't have much knowledge on how the mark worked, but she never cared to know before. Now she needed to learn everything about it. 

"What do you mean? What is the difference?"

"The first time can be controlled to some extent because both must consent to it before it happens. The second time is almost impossible to control because you already belong to him. The reason he had been able to control it is probably because the feelings are not fully there yet. He hates witches and therefore he doesn't trust you, yet." Gina continued. 

"He is far from trusting anyone." Heaven said. 

"I don't think so. I mean, he is fighting the urge to renew the mark. He feels something for you. But is the reason you wanted to allow him to bite you only because you pity him? I think you like him more than you realize." Gina was thoughtful. 

Heaven recalled the moment he drew her into his arms. It felt so natural, as if she belonged there. Her heart had fluttered at his closeness and despite how horrible he looked, he was beautiful in her eyes at that moment. 

"I don't know." She said shaking her head. She was afraid to admit. 

What if she admitted, and he left her?

Gina studied her quietly. She knew her all too well, so she said nothing. She just smiled. 

Heaven was still surprised. She thought her friend would tell her to be careful or warn her not to be with him, maybe even scold her, but she seemed rather accepting and happy about it. 

"I need to go back home." Heaven said standing up. "There is a lot I need to learn." 

"Of course. My friend is becoming a Queen." Gina smiled. 

"It's nothing to be excited about." Heaven muttered. 

Gina frowned. "Why do you say so?"

Heaven sighed. "Because I need to rule for the right reason. I just… wanted to rule over my life." She shrugged. 

"Well, that is a good start. You can't rule over other people's lives if you can't even rule over your own. Once you feel confident enough to rule over your life, only then can you find a reason and a purpose to rule over others."

Gina was too wise for her age, and Heaven always appreciated her friend's advice. "I need you by my side, friend." Heaven smiled.

"Always." Gina smiled back. "Now go and rule over your life." 

Heaven went back to the castle, feeling more confident and at ease. She was glad for the wonderful people in her life who supported her no matter what. Holding her head high, she went into the meeting room. As usual, she listened and observed carefully the way her father led the discussion and the way he announced his decision. 

It was with absolute finality and confidence. But she could see that he listened carefully to their debate and took what they said into consideration. Heaven realized that state affairs related to economics were the area where she lacked most knowledge. She would make sure to study it more. 

As soon as the meeting ended Heaven hurried to look for Lincoln. He was speaking to some soldiers in the hall when she found him. 

"Your Highness." He bowed. 

"Lincoln. Can you find me a tutor? One who is very skilled in economic affairs." 

"Of course, Your Highness." 

"Thank you. Could you also arrange for me to meet General Kian?" 

"Yes, Your Highness."

General Kian would be a good person to learn from about the people in this kingdom. Lincoln would also be a good source of knowledge, so she decided to follow him for a while and ask him questions she had. Lincoln was patient and provided her with the information she needed. 

"Your Highness, you are overexerting yourself. You can't learn everything in one day." He told her. 

"I just want to find to find the right reason to rule." The comments made about her still hurt her. 

"In my opinion, there is no right ruler or right reason to rule. Rulers don't choose to rule, they are born into that position. There are only good rulers and good reasons to rule. His Majesty wanted to rule because he wanted to protect the people he cared for, not because he wanted to be a ruler. You need to find a good reason for you to rule." 

A good reason? What could that be?

Before she knew it was already time for lunch. Heaven went back to her room while her head imploded with more questions than answers. This would not be easy, but it was definitely fun. She learned a lot of new things and she wanted to know more. 

As she walked into her room she was surprised to find Zarin inside, sitting on her sofa. 

"What are you doing here?" She asked. 

He stood up from his seat and looked at her. "I came to apologize. I am sorry." He said. 

"Which part are you sorry for? The part where you called me selfish, or that you just left every time without letting me explain, or the part where you have been ignoring me?" 

"For all of it." He said. "But you did wrong too."

"Yes, which I apologized for and tried to explain had you listened."

For some reason he seemed surprised by her anger. 

"I am sorry." He said with a frown. "I just didn't want you to make a mistake."

Heaven sighed, trying to calm herself down. "Zarin, as a friend you don't need to agree with my choices. I don't agree with you sleeping around with women, but I never left you or ignored you for it. As for what happened last night, I apologize again. If you let me, I would like to explain." 

Something changed about the way he looked at her. Heaven couldn't tell if it was a good or a bad change. 

"I'll listen anytime you need me to." He finally said. 

Heaven shoulders dropped in relief. Her friend was back. 

***********

Married to the Devil's 😈 Son

Volume 3 Chapter 31

Zarin got furious when Heaven told him that Zamiel bit her. He began to curse and say that he would kill Zamiel. Heaven barely Stepped him from making the mistake of seeking out Zamiel. It's not like he could win a fight against him.

"Zarin, please relax. The mark is gone."

"How can I relax? That man bit you against your will. Does your father know?"

Heaven panicked. "Promise me you won't tell him."

Zarin turned away from her, not wanting to make that promise. 

"Zarin! Don't make me regret that I told you. Promise me you won't say a word to anyone."

Zarin swore under his breath. "Alright, I promise. But if he comes for you again, I'll kill him."

Heaven sighed, deciding not to tell him the rest. She only told him about the bite and he was so angry. If she told him the rest, he would put himself in danger.

"Is that why he was here? Because the bite is gone and he want's to bite you again." He asked. 

Heaven opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.

Zarin shook his head. "I'll stay here with you every night." He said with finality. 

"No. I don't want you to."

"I don't care. I am not letting you out of my sight."

"You can't guard me forever. If he wants to bite me, there is nothing you can do or anyone else for that matter. Only I have the chance to do something."

"There is always a way out." Zarin told her. "I won't let him near you." 

"Zarin remember, I was the one who went to him. I have it under control." Heaven said, but regretted it when anger blazed through his eyes. 

"It's the mark doing all this." He said with clenched teeth. 

"The mark is gone." She reminded.

Zarin frowned. "Then why did you go to him?" 

How she wished she had the answer to his question. "I don't know." She shrugged.

Zarin hit the table with his fist, causing the wood to break. Heaven was taken aback by his fury. She had never seen him like that before.

"He is manipulating you." 

Oh no, Heaven thought. It was a terrible idea, telling him.

"Don't worry. I won't let him near you, but promise me you won't go to him."

How was she supposed to promise him that?

"Heaven, promise me." He urged.

"I can't." It came out as a whisper. She did not want to hurt him. 

"Why?" He yelled.

"Because… because he is my husband."

His eyes widened in shock, and he just stared at her for a moment. Heaven was shocked by her own words. That wasn't the way she imagined getting married.

"Heaven, he forced you." 

No, he didn't. He just did what he had to do. He never wanted to be mated to her. If she was forced then he was forced too.

"That doesn't change the facts." She said.

"Maybe not, but the mark is gone now. We just need to make sure that he doesn't bite you again and you will be free."

Free? What did it mean to be free? She thought being free was making her own choices.

"Alright. Let's forget about this for a while. We have only been arguing lately. I missed having fun with you. Let's do something fun together like we used to." She tried to distract him away from the topic. 

Zarin stood up from his seat and strode back and forth in the room. She could see that he was not willing to let go of the subject.

"You know, your father has been training me. Let's see if you can still win in a fight with me. I bet you won't." 

Last time she could beat Gina because of her intense training. Heaven was sure she could win over Zarin this time. 

Zarin who loved a challenge couldn't turn down her request.

They made their way to the backyard, picked their swords and then prepared to fight.

"Are you ready?" Zarin asked.

"Never been so ready to beat someone." Heaven said. 

Before she could finish her sentence Zarin swung at her, but Heaven was quick to avoid his attack. 

"I see you have become quick." He smirked. 

"Or maybe you have been slacking."

Again and again she avoided his attacks. It surprised her that she could predict his movements. Uncle Roshan's lessons did indeed help a lot.

Her new developed skills impressed Zarin. Now she would show him what she really learned from her demon slayer uncle.

Roshan had taught her to always move the opposite of how she was supposed to attack, and that speed and timing was crucial. Now was the perfect time to try it. 

Heaven moved with ease around Zarin, making him believe she would continue to defend herself and then she attached when he least expected it. She did not let him recover between the attack, and he kept blocking her until he missed. 

Zarin was surprised by her sudden strength and speed and was trying his best to keep up with her when she suddenly knocked the sword out of his hand, head butted him, and kneed him in the stomach before grabbing his arm and throwing him over her shoulder. 

Zarin fell on his back with a groan. Blood seeped from his nose.

"God. When did you learn all this?" He asked while getting up on his feet again. He wiped the blood from his face. 

"While you were sleeping around." She replied mockingly. 

Zaim smirked "Are you perhaps jealous?"

She walked up to him. "I was. Not anymore. I beat you."

He shook his head at her. 

Heaven was happy to get her annoying friend back. They spent the rest of the day annoying each other as usual. When the evening came Lincoln came looking for her. 

"Your Highness, General Kian is here to meet you." He informed. 

"I'll be there," Heaven said and Lincoln left.

Zarin gave her a questioning look.

"I am trying to learn more about being a ruler." She explained. "I need to go now. Don't wait for me."

She knew he would still insist to stay the night in her room. 

"I'll wait for you." He said ignoring what she just told him. 

Heaven decided to take the fight with him later and went to meet General Kian.

He was waiting in the parlor and stood up when she walked inside. "I am sorry I came this late." He apologized.

"It's alright. I am glad you could come. Please sit down." 

They both sat down. "I hope we can see each other more often from now on and that you can support me in my cause."

"Any help you need, I'm here to provide." He said. 

"Thank you. What I need now is to learn how the royal army works, and how do I gain their trust?"

Kian was happy to provide her with any useful information. He spoke to her about the royal army and how they worked. But he could not provide her with all the details, so they decided to meet again. 

After saying goodbye, Heaven went back to her room. She expected to find Zarin there, but he was nowhere to be seen. He had been insisting on staying so she  didn't think he just went back home. 

Where did he go? 

Suddenly her mind thought of Zamiel. Her heart raced inside her chest and she didn't want to believe what she was thinking, but she was probably right. 

Zarin went to Zamiel. 

****************

Married to the Devil's 😈 Son

Volume 3 Chapter 32

Zarin stood in front of the eerie old house where he believed the ancient demon stayed. This ancient being needed to stay away from Heaven. He was dangerous, and he was using and confusing her.

Since he came into her life, she had changed and it wasn't a change he liked. She had always wanted to be free. He couldn't understand why she suddenly wanted to become a ruler. Zarin didn't want that lifestyle for her. He wanted her to be happy and be free from royal duties and obligations. 

But Heaven was heading the opposite direction, and it caused her to be busy most of the time. She was working so hard for something that wouldn't benefit her, something that would bound her to a lot of responsibilities. 

It also made her also more distant, and she stayed angry with him longer. It felt like she couldn't understand him anymore. 

Zarin remembered when they were younger, when she would always come to him first, confide in him and ask for his advice. Their friendship was always a priority to her, and she would do anything to uphold it. Even if it meant that she apologized first every time they fought. 

Now it felt like their friendship wasn't important anymore. It felt like he didn't matter to her, that he had no place or role in her life anymore. He wanted his friend back. He knew she was still there, but this demon was confusing her. 

Zarin teleported himself into the old house. It was dark inside, but he could still see. He tried to listen to any sound, but he could hear nothing. Still his hands rested on his daggers, which he had dipped in poison. There was no other way he could defeat an ancient demon.

Suddenly he sensed something behind him. Drawing his daggers, he turned around fast. A few feet away stood the ancient demon. His silver eyes were gleaming in the dark.

He did not look like the last time he saw him. This time he looked dead. He was all bones and his skin was ashy. If it wasn't for the power that emanated from him, Zarin would have thought he would faint anytime soon. 

But the ancient demons stood steadily. His mare presence was threatening, but Zarin tried to not be intimidated. 

"What are you doing here?" Asked the demon, his voice vibrating in the empty hall.

"I came to tell you to stay away from Heaven."

"Or what?" He asked, taking a few steps forward. Zarin tightened his grip on his daggers. 

"Her family and I won't tolerate you hurting her."

"If you came all the way here with nothing but small threats, you embarrass yourself." The demon scoffed. 

"What do you want from her?" Zarin asked, ignoring his remark. 

"What to you want? What are your intentions for coming here?"

Zarin became annoyed. "I came here to protect my friend." 

"As a true protector you should put your pride aside." The demon said. 

Zarin paused. what did he mean? How was he being prideful?

"More than protecting your friend, you came here to prove something." 

"I came here to prove that I can do anything for her. Even risk my life."

The demon shook his head. "How rom**tic. Proving to be her protector at the expense of her safety."

The demon's words felt like a slap in the face. Zarin didn't think he was putting Heaven's safety at risk. He was going to protect her. He could not just sit by and do nothing. 

"I won't let you by a finger on her."

Now the demon's l*ps curved into a smile. "Don't worry. I won't be using my fingers. Only my teeth." 

Fury made the blood in Zarin's veins boil. He could not control the urge to to fight him despite knowing the danger. Only a stab and the poison would do the rest, he thought. 

The demon's expression turned serious as and Zarin realized his body language exposed him. 

"I would think carefully before making that mistake, if I were you." He warned. 

But you are not me, Zarin thought, and decided to attack when Heaven and Gina suddenly materialized in the hall.

"Zarin!" Heaven called, her eyes filled with panic as she looked between him and the ancient demon.

She hurried and placed herself between him and the other demon as if protecting him.

"I am sorry. He won't bother you again." She promised the ancient demon.

Why was she apologizing for him? 

He moved her out of his way, but Gina blocked him. "Follow me quietly if you want us to leave this place alive." Her voice was low and lethal. He knew she was furious. 

Before he could think, she grabbed his arm and all three of them were back home. 

"What were you thinking?" Gina yelled as soon as they were back home. 

Heaven crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him, disappointed. He was tired of that look. 

"I wanted to make sure that he wouldn't come to bother you again." Zarin explained, turning to Heaven. 

"And you thought he would just listen? Didn't you think going to his home with daggers might make him angrier?" His actions appalled Gina, but she didn't understand him. 

"I could not just sit and do nothing."

"Why do you feel the need to do something?" Now Gina was yelling again. 

"Don't you? After all, he did to her." He asked. 

Heaven just stood there. It was like she didn't know what to say, and Zarin hoped she would say something. 

"Heaven, say something." He urged. 

"What do you want me to say?" She asked. "You never listen to me or respect my wishes and choices. That demon that you just provoked has lost his whole family and was locked inside a coffin for a thousand years. He is grieving and angry and despite a curse who forced him to bite me, he is resisting the urge to renew the mark which put him in the state you just found him in. Now I don't know what he might decide to do." 

Zarin was confused. Why didn't she tell him all this earlier? 

"Yes. And it was witches who killed his family and locked him inside." Gina added. 

Now he understood why Heaven was afraid. 

"I won't let him hurt you. I promise." Zarin said. 

He didn't know exactly how he would protect her, but he would find a way to kill this ancient demon, or maybe he would just lock him inside again with the help of a witch. He would need Irene. 

"It's not me I am worried for." She said looking at him. 

***********

Married to the Devil's 😈 Son

Volume 3 Chapter 33

Heaven was preparing to go to bed after leaving Gina and Zarin to fight alone. There was so much she wanted to say to Zarin, but it felt like he wouldn't care or listen. Lately he had been disregarding her wishes and emotions, and she couldn't understand why. His behavior was hurting her feelings. 

She was tired of being the one to try to make their friendship work. She was tired of running after him, and now she was tired of trying to make him listen to her. Not once had he taken her feelings into consideration. 

But now more than being angry with him, she was worried for him. He had angered Zamiel, and she wasn't sure if Zamiel would stay quiet his time. Maybe she should go meet him again, beg him to forgive Zarin's reckless behavior.

Zamiel had warned her to not come to him, that he would send her to heaven next time she did, but she didn't believe his words. Besides, she had to do something to fix the mess Zarin created. 

Going to the mirror, Heaven let her hair down to cover her neck, before teleporting herself to his home. Once she was in front of his old house, she picket up earth and grass from the ground and rubbing it on her skin. She wanted to get rid of her scent so she wouldn't add to his suffering. 

Then carefully she stepped inside his home. Darkness filled the halls and rooms as usual. Heaven followed his scent. This time it was mixed with the scent of burning wood. When she came to his room, the first thing she noticed was the fire burning in the hearth and Zamiel sat next to it in an armchair. He seemed to rest, his face looked relaxed and his eyes were closed. But his condition seemed to worsen. He looked even more dead this time. 

"I knew you would come." He spoke with his eyes still closed. "If you came to beg for your friend's life, don't bother. I have no desire to fight a boy."

Heaven stood there quietly, not knowing what to say. If she didn't have to beg for her friend's life, then there was nothing else to do here. 

Slowly, Zamiel opened his eyes and stared into hers. His eyes did not reflect his body's weakness, he still looked at her with the same intensity. 

"Do you remember what I told you last time?" 

Heaven knew what he was referring to. "That you would send me to heaven if I came here."

"So you do remember?" He asked. "Then don't you value your life or do you have so much faith in me?" 

"I have faith in my judgement of you." She said. 

"And what is your judgment of me?" 

"That you have a good judgment." 

Zamiel tilted his head to one side and studied her closely. Heaven's heart raced as his gaze went up and down her body before it lingered on her neck. A smile made its way to his l*p*. 

It took a moment for Heaven to realize that he was smiling at the fact that she rubbed mud and grass on h*r b*dy. 

"Don't worry. I have the urge under control.�� He assured her. 

Heaven panicked. What did that mean? Did he not have feelings for her anymore? Did his hatred for witches prevail at the end? Heaven didn't want that. She did not want him to hate her, but she didn't want him to suffer either. Maybe this was for the best. If he fought the urge and their bond broke, he would be free from suffering. 

But at the same time, Heaven thought his words didn't match his condition. He might have the urge under control for now because he was starving and weakening himself. 

"You will kill yourself if you don't eat." She told him. 

"If it were only that easy." He said. 

"You have to eat." She said ignoring him. "Wait!" 

Without waiting for his reply, she teleported back home. She snuck into the kitchen and stole a bread and a few fruits. 

Wait! How could she easily teleport back home this time? 

Not having time to think, she went back to Zamiel's house with the food. Just like she told him, he waited for her. He still sat where she left him. Heaven went to him and put the food on the table. 

"I just brought a little for now, but I can bring more if you are still hungry." She told him. "There is no reason to starve yourself if you have the urge under control."

A frown settled on his face as he looked at her and then at the bread. He lifted it slowly from the table and studied it for a while. Heaven wondered if she did something wrong because suddenly his face twisted with disgust and his eyes gleamed with hatred. 

"The last meal I had was bread." He spoke before looking up at her. "It was poisoned." 

Heaven looked into his stormy eyes, realizing that she had awoken the hatred in him. "I would never…" 

Suddenly he was out of his chair and grabbed her by the hair, bringing her face close to his. Heaven groaned in pain. 

"You want to lock me inside again, don't you? So that I won't hurt your dear friend." His fury was frightening and his grip on hair was so strong she thought he would tear her hair out. "You could have just asked. Have I not kept my word to not hurt your family? I thought you would be different." He spat in disgust. 

Heaven could not handle the pain, so she did what she had to do. She kneed him in the groin. That always worked, no matter how strong the demon was. 

Zamiel did not make a sound, but she could see the pain on his face as he moved let go of her hair and she moved away from him. Before he could recover, she hurried to pick up the bread. 

"Wait!" She held her hands out as he turned to her with a murderous look in his eyes. Heaven took a piece of the bread and stuffed it in her mouth. She chewed it grimly. 

Now his expression turned from anger to confusion. 

Heaven swallowed the piece. "See. I didn't poison it." She said. 

Zamiel just stared at her. So many emotions went through his eyes.

Heaven put the bread back on the table before looking at him. "I trusted you when I came here. I don't expect you to trust me easily, but there is no reason to live if you want to continue living in hatred." She told him. "Right now, no one is making you suffer but you." 

Zamiel was taken aback by her words. The anger in his eyes returned to pain. Heaven hated it. She did not intend to hurt him by realizing the truth, but her words would hopefully help him in the future. 

Again, she knew that so many years of pain and suffering would not disappear in a night. She knew it would take time, but something in her was stirring up to life and causing her to feel impatient. She would always have to distract herself, to get rid of the voices that told her to take care of him, protect him, heal him and most of all make him her man. 

Yes, she had to admit that she wanted him to belong to her. She wanted to ruin his plans for fighting the urge. If it wasn't for the part of her that cared for his feelings she would not be able to stay away. It felt like she had to fight some unknown urges as well. 

Zamiel looked away from her. His hands clenched into fists, his claws piercing through his skin. It was like the pain was his food and the suffering was his home. He refused to let go of it because he thought he belonged there. 

He needed someone to pull him out of this dark sea and show him what was above. Heaven went and stood in front of him, so he could see her face. He still refused to look at her. 

"Zamiel, you deserve better than this. You should not be the one suffering, they should. The best way to have your revenge is to be happy. Your family would not want you to live like this." 

Heaven knew it was risky to speak of his family, but she was willing to take that risk. 

Zamiel still refused to look at her. 

Heaven sighed. "If you decide to stop your suffering, I will be waiting for you." She told.

**************

Married to the Devil's 😈 Son

Volume 3 Chapter 34

Zamiel. That was his name. An ancient smoke demon who was trapped for a thousand years inside a coffin by a witch. Irene could only imagine his hatred for witches, yet he had not hurt her granddaughter so far. Still, she wanted to be careful, so she gathered all information she could get on him, all while keeping an eye on Heaven. 

It was very well known amongst the witches that a powerful witch named Razia had trapped an ancient demon. Razia became famous for the act since no one had dared to trap an ancient demon before. But why she trapped him, no one knew. 

The demons who had lived long enough to know Zamiel did not think that he was trapped. They thought he ended his life after some witches killed his family. It was not the kind of information she hoped to find. This would mean that Heaven was in danger because this demon was not only ancient but vengeful as well. 

Irene didn't need to know more about him. Instead, she began to look for ways to protect her family from this ancient being. There were two options. Killing him or trapping him. Finding believable sources on how to kill an ancient demon was impossible and trying methods she was not sure would work would be too dangerous. The only person who knew for sure how to kill an ancient was Lothaire, but Irene knew he would not give her answers without getting anything in return. So there was only the option of trapping him left. 

But while she tried to look for ways to trap the demon, she could not ignore the strange things that happened. Why did the mark fade away so fast?

Even though she was curious, she had been relieved it was gone until she found out that Heaven went to visit him. She remembered the panic that day, how close she was to tell her son that his daughter was in danger, but to her surprise Heaven came back to her room safely. And he was the one who brought her back. 

Irene became even more confused. What did he want? What were his intentions? 

If he did not want to hurt her granddaughter even after the mark had faded then what else could he want? He was acting strangely. 

But Heaven was also acting strangely by going to visit him. She also seemed to care for him still, even after the mark disappeared. Irene could only find one reason for both's behaviour. 

They were true mates. 

She did not sure if it was a good thing, but it kept her from wanting to trap Zamiel before knowing the whole truth. If he was Heaven's true mate, then trapping him would mean hurting her granddaughter. 

Irene needed to find out more about the mark. How did the mark work if it was caused by a spell? It was a difficult question which could only be answered by the most knowledgeable witches. The Azure coven. They lived in the desert. 

Irene had to seek them out. It was not easy to find them. They lived in tents and moved around often. When she found them, they did not accept to meet her at first, but Irene insisted and eventually they agreed. They took her to the coven leader, an elder woman. 

The elder witch sat on a mattress on the floor. She motioned for Irene to sit in front of her. 

"I see you have traveled a long way." The woman spoke. "I am sure you have come for an important matter." 

"Yes. Do you know a witch names Razia?" Irene asked going straight into the matter. 

"I have heard of her. She was the one who trapped an ancient demon."

Irene nodded. "And that demon could only be released by a female with both demon and witch blood whom he would mark. He is released now by that female, and the curse forced him to mark her." 

The old lady shook her head. "That witch Razia went against the nature. The mark is a sacred bond that should happen naturally and not be forced on someone. When someone goes against the nature, the nature does everything in its power to restore itself. No magic is powerful enough to do what the nature does." She explained. 

"What does that mean." Irene asked, even though she had her own theories. 

"In your case, I don't know exactly what it means, but I'll say that fate will laugh at Razia."

Fate would laugh at Razia.

It was already, Irene guessed. Razia forced a mating between two people who turned out to be true mates. This had to be the nature taking its own force. 

Her mother had told her once that there were things magic could never do. Bring back the dead, prolong life, or touch the heart and soul. Being mates was a matter of the heart and soul and no magic could be strong enough to bring two people together against their will. That explained why the mark faded away quickly, but how would it effect the urge to renew the mark. Or would there be no urge? 

If they happened to be true mates the urge should still be there. Then why did he not mark her again?

Irene was utterly confused. Was his hate for witches so strong that it overcame the will to mark her? Was he rejecting Heaven and causing her pain as revenge?

There was only one way to find out the whole truth. She could ask Heaven but if she was his true mate then she would try to protect him and not tell her the whole truth. So Irene thought to somehow make Zarin or Gina tell her what they knew. Heaven must have told them something. 

Once she was back to her room she was surprised to find Zarin there. He walked back and forth and seemes aggitated. When he noticed her arrival he stopped wondering around the room. 

"What is wrong, dear?" She asked. 

"I need to speak to you." He said with a serious tone. 

"Come." She led him gently to sit down. He was making her worry. " Yes, tell me." She sat across him on the small table in her room. 

Zarin tried to think. It was like he didn't know where to begin. "Alright, I should not be telling you because I promised Heaven, but I am concerned for her." He began. 

Irene already understood where this was going. He found out about the ancient demon.

"The ancient demon we thought was dead is still alive and he even marked Heaven." He said as if unable to believe it. 

Irene's lack of response to what he said made him pause. 

"You already knew?" He asked as confusion settled on his face. "Why are you not doing anything?"

"Zarin, " Irene began but she did not know how to make him understand the situation. Even she was confused. "We need to deal with this situation carefully or else everyone will be in danger. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

She could see that he could not accept what she said. "Heaven is in danger, now! We need to protect her." 

"We are protecting her by being careful." Irene explained. 

"He might not be hurting her physically yet but he is playing with her mind. She… I feel like she is turning against me. She doesn't understand that I am just trying to protect her."

Irene knew about their latest fights. But they seemed to have fought once again. 

"No, Heaven would not turn against you. I know how much she loves you and looks up to you. She has just found a goal and the change comes with it. I think she is just sad because the person she hoped to support her the most doesn't want to." 

Zarin pressed his lips into a thin line. "Again that is me protecting her." He explained. 

"Which part of her are you protecting? Heaven is building up her self confidence, taking control over her life, she is trying to find her way and even if she doesn't know what she is doing yet, I can see it makes her happy. I want to protect those qualities in her. I want to protect her heart from getting hurt. It's inevitable with her wanting to become a ruler, but I don't want to be the person who inflicts that pain. Because the pain caused by those close to your heart is the one that hurts the most. So which part of her are you protecting?" 

The purpose of her questions was not to get an answer but to make him reflect on his feelings and actions. 

Zarin seemed to be thinking deeply about what she said before nodding. "I don't want to cause her any pain." He said. 

"I don't doubt that." Irene smiled. 

"But I don't know what to do." He admitted. 

"I am sure you will figure it out. Just don't put yourself or anyone else in danger. I'll take care of this matter."

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Married to the Devil's 😈 Son

Volume 3 Chapter 35

Heaven was washing the dirt off her body with no help. She wanted to be alone, to sort out her thoughts and feelings. She would leave both Zamiel and Zarin to think for themselves. There was no need to worry about them. They were grown up men and she had other things to take care of. Tomorrow she would solely focus on her mission to become a ruler. She would not let these men distract her. 

When she was done cleaning herself she got dressed and then went to sit in front of the mirror to brush her hair. Suddenly cold air hit her back. Heaven wondered who came to visit. 

Turning back, she found the person she least expected to be in her room. Her grandfather. 

"Grandpa?"

"Heaven." He smiled, opening her arms for her. 

Heaven run into his arms as if she was still a child. She was so happy to see him after such a long time.

Takin a few steps back, she looked at him. "Where were you? Why did you not come?"

"I wanted to. But your father and Irene… nevermind. I am happy to see you now." He said.

"What did my father and grandma do?" Heaven asked. 

"They don't want me to meet you and they said that you don't want to meet me either." 

Heaven shook her head. "That is not true. I always wanted you to come back to us."

Her grandmother had told her about her grandfather's plans, but Heaven wanted to give him a chance or it wouldn't be fair. 

"I am glad to hear that. I missed you a lot." He said. 

"Me too." Heaven smiled. 

Heaven looked forward to speaking to her grandfather after such a long time. Both went to sit in her small garden outside her room. 

"So you want to become a ruler?" He asked. 

"Yes."

"How is it going?" 

"Good, so far." Heaven nodded. 

"It's going to be a difficult road."

"I know." Heaven said. 

"But I am sure you will succeed." He assured her. 

"How can you be so sure?" She asked. 

"It's just a feeling. Your grandmother must have already told you that I wanted you to help me rule. To be my successor. That is because I saw those qualities in you. The qualities of a great ruler."

"I don't want to be you successor. I want to be a ruler here." Heaven wanted to make that clear. She loved her grandfather, but not his decisions. 

"I know and I honor your choice. I still want you to know that my offer is still open. But if you to continue on this path I wish you success."

He seemed sincere, and it made her confused. Was he really supporting her decision? 

"And if you need any help or advice, I want you to know I am here despite what you father or Irene says." He added. 

"Thank you." 

"I should go. I don't want you to get in trouble because of me." He said. 

He promised to visit her again before disappearing. 

Heaven became thoughtful. Would her grandfather really honor her choice? Then who would become his successor? He would not just give that up easily. 

Leaving it behind, Heaven decided to go to sleep. When the morning came, she reminded herself that she would only focus on her mission and nothing else, but then Zarin came to see her. At least today she hoped for no fight, and she was glad to know that Zarin wanted the same. 

"Heaven. I want to apologize. But this time it's different. I am really here to listen and support you." He said. 

Heaven was relieved to hear that. 

"I accept you apology." She smiled. 

Zarin tried his best to show her he was supportive of her. He followed her everywhere and helped her with everything. It was almost too much but Heaven didn't want to hurt his feelings so she said nothing. Besides, she was just happy to have her friend back. 

When it was time for lunch Gina joined them and all three ate together while chatting happily like old times. Heaven was happy that things were falling into place. She felt like she was making progress in her learning, and now she had everyone's support. She couldn't ask for more. 

After lunch she decided to go back to work. 

"Shouldn't you rest a little?" Zarin asked, concerned. 

Heaven shook her head. "I am not tired, but you have been helping me the entire day. Maybe you should rest. I can take care of the rest myself."

"I'll come with you." He insisted. 

Heaven allowed him to follow her. She knew he would get bored eventually because now she was going to meet her tutor, who would teach her about economic affairs. At first Zarin tried to listen and seem interested, but slowly he gave up and sat in a chair far out in the corner. After a while he even fell asleep. Heaven wanted to laugh but contained herself. 

"How can you endure this?" He asked when her lesson ended and her tutor left. "That old man gave me a headache."

"Me too." Heaven agreed, but it wasn't the old man who gave her a headache. It was what he tried to teach her. 

No more learning today, she thought. She deserved to relax the rest of the evening. She just wanted to wear comfortable clothes, drink her grandmother's delicious tea and rest in her bed. But she had to get rid of Zarin first, who was stuck by her side. 

"Thank you for your help today. I won't be doing anything else. I'll just rest." She told him. 

She hoped he would understand that she wanted to be alone, but no. He didn't. When he was about to insist Heaven gave him a hard glare. He had to understand at some point. 

"Alright." He said pretending to be scared. "Good night." 

She smiled at him. "Good night."

Heaven had never been so happy to arrive to her room. She looked at her bed with such longing. She was exhausted. 

Her handmaiden Kate helped her take a bath and change into her nightgown. She offered to comb her hair, but Heaven wanted to do it herself. After she was left alone in her room Heaven brushed her wet hair in front of the mirror. For some odd reason, her gaze fell on her neck, where the mark had been. Her thoughts drifted to Zamiel. 

How was he?

Was he still suffering? 

As if he could read her thoughts she felt his presence in the room. She turned around slowly and there he stood. She had hoped to see him in a better condition after what she said to him, but no. It looked like he suffered even more. 

"Zamiel." She stood up from her seat. 

His silver eyes gazed into hers. She had never seen such sadness in someone's eyes. 

"Heaven, I won't disturb…"

"You are not disturbing." She cut off. 

He nodded before looking down, but Heaven had already caught sight of the guilt in his eyes.

Something wasn't right. 

"I have thought of what you said. That I am the one making myself suffer. You are right, but I can't stop it." He began. 

Heaven took a few steps toward him slowly, as if afraid he would run away. She nodded for him to continue. 

"I don't want to suffer anymore." He continued looking up at her again. "You saved me once, can you save me again?"

"If you let me, I would save you without counting." She was so happy that he was willing to be saved, but then she realized something. 

He had his hands behind his back and it felt like he was hiding something. 

"Only you can end my suffering. Only you can save me." He said and then slowly pulled a dagger from behind his back, holding it out for her. 

Heaven's heart skipped, her stomach turned. 

"And only you can hurt me." He added. 

She shook her head, taking a step back. He could not be asking what she thought he was asking. 

"No, Zamiel." She kept shaking her head as tears filled her eyes. 

"Only you can do it." He said, almost pleadingly. 

"But I don't want to." The words came out as a whisper. 

"Why? I have caused you nothing but pain and suffering. You are probably anxious because of me everyday. I'll bring nothing good to you, myself, or to anyone else in this world. I'll just hurt more people."

A tear fell down her cheek. "You have not caused me any pain or suffering. You made me look forward to everyday, you made me find a purpose. But if you... if you…" She choked back her tears. "If you ask me to do this, then I will truly suffer."

"I see no other way out Heaven. I am too far gone to be saved in any other way. I just want to find peace." She could see that he was desperate. 

How much pain was he in to want to end his life? Why could he not give her a chance?

"Give me a chance." She pleaded. 

He shook his head. Now she could see the tears in his eyes. "You deserve a better chance than this." He said, speaking of himself. 

Now she was crying rivers. She could not hold the tears back anymore.

Heaven could see that he had made up his mind and it would not be easy to make him change his decisions. But she wanted to try anyway. 

"Alright." She said wiping some of her tears aways. She walked closer to him, only standing a few inches away. She looked up and into his eyes. "Can I at least kiss you goodbye?" 

He looked at her for a moment. Heaven thought he would probably deny her, but just then he leaned down and pressed his cold lips against hers. Heaven closed her eyes.

She had imagined many times how her first k**s would feel, and it was nothing like this. He was k**sing her goodbye. 

No! 

That was not what she wanted. She wanted him to long for her, to give up his plans and be with her. She wanted him to k**s her with passion and not say goodbye. 

Unwilling to give up, she tiptoed and wrapped her arms around him to d**pen the k**s, but then suddenly images flooded her brain. 

Blood. 

Dead bodies. 

Zamiel holding a little girl's lifeless body in his arms while he cried. 

Pain. 

Darkness. 

Dark walls surrounded her, locking her in a very small place. She could barely move, barely breath. She choked. 

A sorrow like no other filled her soul. Her heart pounded in pain, pumping anger through her veins. Everyday felt like a thousand years in darkness. She was alone and lonely. She was desperate. 

Disturbed by the images and her feelings, she shot her eyes open and pulled away. 

What happened? 

Those images were not her memory, and those feeling were not her own. They were Zamiel's. 

She just saw and felt what he went through. Her heart felt like a heavy stone inside her, weighing on her lungs and making her unable to breathe. 

Were those the memories he lived with? Were these the feelings he had to bear everyday?

Heaven looked at him. A tear fell down his cheek as he held the dagger out for her. 

Her k**s had no effect. 

"Is this really what you want?" Heaven asked. 

"Yes."

"Even if I say it will make me suffer?"

"You will forget me soon." He said.

If he only knew. She would never forget him. 

Slowly and with shaking hands, she picked up the dagger. 

If this would make his suffering end, if this would truly make him find peace and reunite with his family then she could do it for him. Even if it meant that she would suffer. 

If this was all she could do for him, then she would. She felt sorry she couldn't do anything else. She felt sorry that someone like him had to suffer to this extent. But now she would send him away. To a better place where no one could hurt him.

Her hands shook. She knew if she stabbed him in the spine it would be different. Maybe there was a reason to why he couldn't heal when she was the one to inflict the pain. 

"I want to apologize for everything I did. I hope I can get your forgiveness before you send me away." 

Heaven nodded fighting the tears again. "I forgive you." 

She looked at the dagger, then at him. She hoped for a sign in his eyes, something to tell her he didn't want to die. But to her disappointment, she found none. 

Slowly she went behind him. She pulled the dagger from the sheath with her heart pounding in her ears. 

Her hands were still shaking, but she tightened her hold around the dagger, deciding to think straight. Either he would let her stab him and find peace or he would decide to not make her suffer. It was his choice. 

Zamiel stood still while she stared at his back. He waited patiently. Maybe he didn't care for her like she thought. Letting him go would be the right thing to do. 

She pulled the hand holding the dagger back, her eyes fixated on where she wanted to stab him. "I might not find peace after this, but I hope you do." She said then taking a deep breath she stabbed. 

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