I don't know what time it is; I laid on the uncomfortable couch, wrapped tightly in the thin towel. I stared at the broken grandfather clock in the corner. The hands frozen in place and seemed to be covered in something.

The second sunlight started peeking in through the window I jumped to my feet still keeping the thin towel wrapped tightly around my body.

I shivered as I watched my breath cloud in front of me, the candles not provided much more than light in this small room. I glanced up to see several of the candles in the dusty, spiderweb-covered chandelier had been extinguished. Small traces of smoke all that was left in their place. I slowly stood up, pulling the towel impossibly closer to my body. I walked over to the grandfather clock. Something about this seemed so familiar, like I had seen this exact one somewhere. The cold must really be getting to my head. I hesitantly reached my arm up, gripping the small knob on the clock. I pulled it open and screamed when several spiders crawled onto the glass. I scrambled back and took deep breaths before jumping onto the couch. They scurried along the floor and towards me.

"Get away." I breathed, making sure they weren't able to get onto the couch. I hate, hate, hate spiders. Hate isn't a strong enough word to describe how much I despise those retched creatures. Nothing should have that many legs.

While I debated whether or not it was safe to step back down on the floor, every candle burst with fire, the flames, licking at the walls. I panicked and ran outside as quickly as I could. I grabbed handfuls of snow, ignoring the familiar sting of the cold. I threw the messy snowballs at the walls, hoping to smother the flames, before they got too out of hand. What on Wellis is happening?

The flames were out of control and just melted through the snow, creating puddles on the shelves and floors.

I groaned in frustration before wrapping the towel tighter around my body and running out of the small shelter and towards the mansion. My boots tapping on the stone steps as I made my way towards the large black, back door. I yanked it open and charged into the kitchen. Two of Miss. Dalaris' goonies froze and stared at me in confusion.

"What do you want?" One of them asked.

"W-Where is Miss. Dalaris?" I asked rubbing my forearms.

"Not here." He spoke digging back into his breakfast.

"W-What about Theo?" I rushed out in one breath.

"We don't know a Theo, girl." One of them spat out, looking at me confused.

"The male who lives here?" I spoke confused, was that not his name?

"Black?" He asked. I nodded my head so fast that I'm surprised I didn't get whiplash. "His study is upstairs, but if you know what's good for you, you will just go back to the shed." He chuckled. I raised a confused brow. What is a shed? We didn't have those in the human lands.

I hurried through the dark kitchen and into one of the main corridors. I saw a narrow staircase, next to the closest wall. I felt the familiar cold of the metal of my dagger against my thigh. The only thing encouraging me to not let that 'shed' as the man called the shelter, burn down. I hurried through the hallway and listened for anything behind the doors to see which one could be Theo's study.

I kept walking when I suddenly heard screams and groaning. I paused and looked at the door concerned. Was someone hurt in there? Should I go look? I went to reach for the doorknob when a hand grasped around my wrist yanking me back against a hard chest. I glanced up to see Theo looking down at me with a confused look.

"What do you think you're doing?" He whispered, a smirk gracing his annoyingly perfect lips. The hairs on the back of my neck and arms rising, as I felt his breath tickle against my ear.

"I-I um was looking for you." I whispered, suddenly feeling nervous. What is actually wrong with me.

"Why is that?" He smirked looking down at me with darkened eyes.

"Fire!" I blurted remembering the reason I came running here. "There is a fire...t-the candles—", he cut me off by pushing open the door.

"Julian." He snapped. I looked with wide eyes at the sight of Julian quickly covering himself with a blanket and a girl shrieking and hiding under blanket as well. Oh my gods.

They were doing...that.

I thought someone was being freaking tortured.

While I stood there dumfounded Theo and Julian were going back and forth before Theo turned blocking the room from my view and directing me down the hallway. I glanced back to see Julian now dressed in a tunic and pants storming the opposite direction.

"I'm sorry." I blurted.

He looked at me with a raised brow.

"I didn't know they were in the middle of something." I coughed nervously.

A smile smile threatened to take over his lips but he seemed to be using all of his energy to keep it away. That made part of me feel sad.

He led me into a giant room. The bed was a four poster, with large black curtains decorating each post. There was a large black chandelier, black wallpaper and fluffy grey rugs. There were things scattered all over the floor, unusual leather bound books. One of them had circles scribbled all over the cover. I walked over to it but an arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me back.

"Haven't you learned not to touch books by now?" He chuckled darkly but there was no humor in his voice.

I gulped audibly before glancing up at him. Why did the warmth from his body have to be so damned distracting.

"Why are we here?" I managed to get out. He quickly let go of me, as if I had burned him. He rushed towards his closet and came back out with a large fluffy blanket.

"This is better than that decades old rag." He spoke pulling it away from my body and tossing it into a nearby waste bin.

"You have a fear of spiders." I looked up at him wide eyed, at his statement. How did he know that?

"H-How—", he looked equally as shocked by his confession as me.

"Leave, I have things to get done." He spoke.  

——————————————————————

Theo's POV
TW: Graphic Torture

I watched as she hurried out of my room. What the fuck was I thinking bringing her here? Part of me felt remorse for seeing her draped in a towel that has been there for who knows how long. I watched as her long dark brown hair, and black dress disappeared from my view.

She was dangerous.

What she was doing to me was beyond lethal.

"The damage is fine." I got yanked out of my thoughts of her, as Julian's miserable face filled my view, he was just pissed he didn't get to keep fucking his mate. It's not my fault he can't get a control on his magic when he's having sex.

I nodded and pushed past him, having an abhorrent amount of anger I needed to release. I walked past the morons that were here with Zayla and shoved open the metal door towards the cellar. I walked down the cement floor, my shoes echoing down towards the cells. I felt magic infiltrate the door as it shoved itself open. I stared at the filthy excuse of a man, chained to floor, blood stained every part of his skin, well the skin I allowed him to keep.

"Hello again." I spat out walking up to him. I released punch after punch on his broken body. I was beginning to find that it would never be broken enough. I don't care for her. I can't. But I already decided that she is mine and only mine. She belongs to me and no one touches what is mine. He touched her, he tried to rape her. He deserves an eternity of suffering and even that doesn't feel like enough.

I made sure he couldn't think with his cock anymore. It had been shoved down his throat the first night I chained the piece of shit down here.

He opened his mouth to speak, revealing scars and gaping, bloodied holes where his teeth had once been. Now they laid scattered across the blood stained floor. I punched him again and again. Feeling my skin re-heal itself every time my knuckles split.

Once I was satisfied with his swollen and nearly purple face, I turned on my heal and left the dungeon. 

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

The second I entered the kitchen and glanced out the back window at my long abandoned shed, I saw her outside again with that fucking axe. I shook my head when I saw her completely miss the log.

I was about to mentally make fun of her some more when something appeared out of no where slamming her down into the snow. I felt my magic ripple through the world as I walked through the pocket I had created in time and space, allowing myself to appear at her side. Before the creature could move my dagger slid through its veiny and wrinkled grey neck. I pulled her up into my side and looked into the woods for any indicator as to where this fucking thing came from.

"Are you alright?" I whispered, pulling her in front of me and taking in any injuries.

"That was just rude." She breathed rubbing her side. I raised a brow at her, convinced she had to be delirious.

"Are you hurt, Eleia?" My tone harsher than I interned, but it seemed to snap her out of whatever the fuck that was. She just nodded her head.

"Words." I grounded my teeth, tightening my grip on her shoulders.

"I'm okay, Theo." She whispered, looking up into my eyes. Gods those eyes. I could get lost in them. Who knew the color brown could have such an ethereal shade. The way the light reflected off of the snow and  through her eyes, made them appear as if they were pools of honey. Fuck.

They are just eyes.

"Well that was uneventful." I was so distracted by the beautiful menace in front of me that I didn't even realize Zayla was nearing us.

"You couldn't even wait two seconds before stepping in?" She snapped.

"What was that?" I snapped at her.

"A lesser demon." She shrugged, as if this was a normal occurrence.

"You have two fucking seconds to tell me, before I make sure you have no way back, do you understand me?"

"Girl, shoo." She spat at Eleia.

"No." She stood her ground crossing her arms over her chest, pushing her breasts up unintentionally. Now is not the time. Not the fucking time.

"No?" Zayla countered, looking surprised by her disobedience.

"I said no. I deserve to know whatever it is." Her voice was unwavering as she met Zayla's intense stare.

"I summoned it to see if it would awaken something in you." She froze and stared at her with a confused look.

"What are you talking about?" She spoke her face scrunched up in confusion. Gods she was adorable. No.

"Let's go inside, it is time for you to know everything."