14. THE DEMON SAID: "TAKE YOUR NEIGHBOUR'S HOUSE, WIFE AND SERVANTS."

I will be chasing a starlight

Until the end of my life,

I don't know if it's worth it anymore (...)

I just wanted to hold you in my arms

(Starlight, Muse)

Set dragged himself into the living room. Thanks to the wine he drank the previous night, he had swollen eyes, a dry mouth and a pounding headache. It felt as though it had been centuries since he could sleep on a goddamn bed, and the one he just left was huge and fucking soft. He wanted to enjoy it until it hurt, but Maria had thrown him out of bed at seven sharp.

The little bitch had barged in his room and opened the window. He'd turned around to keep sleeping and she'd started ranting and hollering. Then, her hands had pulled on his bedcover. Still being ignored, she'd decided to pinch his thighs until he got up, rumbling like an old man.

Set went straight to crash out on the sofa. Butt up, he stretched and spread his legs – that thing was so huge there was room for another four people. He groaned at the freshness of the leather on his bare skin. As his brain was still throbbing in his skull, he massaged his forehead to get a bit of release.

Maria called out to him again. She said she brought fresh croissants from the café, because Sybil asked her to have breakfast as soon as he came back from his morning walk. Set didn't give a shit about that. He was so worn out that his eyelids shut themselves and he blacked out.

The peace lasted for just a few moments. Then something dropped on his head. He half-opened his eyes to see the white clothes from the previous day. He frowned as he pushed them aside.

"Hey, knock it off," he barked, glaring at the girl, his cheek still pressed to the sofa.

Maria scowled back, her hand still mid-air after throwing the clothes. She snorted as she withdrew her arm and crossed it with the other against her chest. She was ready to fight.

"Get dressed." She tapped her foot on the floor.

Set rolled his eyes.

"The appointment at Guerlain Spa is at 8:30. You. Have. To. Get. Ready." Commanding skills were a clear legacy of her good Italian family.

The boy sat up and crossed his arms, his legs too. As Maria glanced at his body, her doll face turned slightly red. She looked away, her eyes darting around the room.

Set stood up and walked to her. His heavy steps stopped an inch before reaching the girl. His hands itched with the need to grab her and shake some sense into her head. He was uncomfortable enough just being himself. He didn't give a shit about that whatever spa. Still, he was clearheaded enough to know better than to touch her.

"Stop. Bugging. Me," he spelled out, rage dripping down his words.

Not that it mattered, but he wasn't butt-naked to impress her. In fact, he was as pissed off about it as Maria could be, if not more. The previous night, after she'd taken his old clothes for washing, nobody had given him a change of underwear.

Sure as hell, he wasn't going to ask for it.

He did live as a hobo, but he despised begging. Especially asking for more than he'd already received. He'd learned from life to expect nothing and to be grateful if something came. That was it. That rule had always kept him from disappointments. It was awfully rare to get a good dinner, a warm bath, clean clothes and a soft bed. So, he just slept naked.

The girl swore in Sicilian. She looked down, then up, and she let out an exasperated shriek. She was small, but her voice wasn't. Set covered his ears and squinted at her. She brought her hands to her hips, pulling her chin up to stare straight into his eyes.

"Stop acting like a brat," she hissed.

If she though him such a wuss that she could scream him into something, she had it wrong. The hard way never worked with him. "Or what?" he challenged with an evil grin. "You'll spank me?"

Maria reached for his chest and pushed with all her strength.

Taken aback, Set lost his balance and almost fell. As he straightened up, he took a couple of steps back. His blood was boiling in his veins. The contact had been fast, but enough to force him to retreat. He couldn't attack Vito's daughter. He would never be able to forgive himself.

"Thank whatever God you got that I can't touch you," he growled, raising his hands to show his palms, his eyes glued to the floor.

"You're a jerk!" she cried out.

Set's gaze trailed back up. She had clenched fists, digging purple nails in her flesh, and the hurt face of someone who got Set's words totally wrong.

"It's always been like that. Damn it!" she swore to herself. "Why can't you touch me? What the hell is wrong with me?" she spat, before regretting it and looking away.

A woman's mind was without a doubt a mysterious thing. Set didn't have a clue as to how she ended up thinking she was the problem. There was obviously nothing wrong with her.

She wore a baby-blue mini-dress that was damn tight. Not to mention, it had such a low-cut that half of her goods were left in the open. A series of sexy slits ran through the full length of her white leggings, showing munches of her skin from thighs to ankles. Set looked down again, struggling to control his instincts. The purple nails on her bare feet were the final blow.

He longed to touch her.

Worse, the demon craved to eat her.

The boy drew closer and bent over her, keeping his hands behind his back, clenched to each other. He tried to suppress his hunger the best he could.

"Hey, it's not you... I mean... Nothing is wrong with you," he muttered clumsily. He wasn't very good at saying nice things, least of all in such a situation. "It's because I..." He took a deep breath, trying to chill the heat rising inside of him. He waited for the right thing to say, but nothing came. After all, he couldn't tell her the truth. "I don't want to hurt you," he whispered as he tried to force his legs to move back.

Maria raised her head. Her big, pouty, child eyes met his. She swallowed hard and then held her breath. There was something delicious about her embarrassment. Set's legs didn't move an inch. It took all his willpower just to keep his hands down, but Maria blew it all up when she tiptoed and laid a kiss on his lips.

The light touch lasted for just a few moments, and then he grasped her in his arms. Their tongues entwined and their bodies pressed together until his reacted. The demon's hunger and the erection throbbing between his legs gave way to the full rising of his disorder. His knees bent under the shaking and his eyes burned like hell. He squeezed them hard, but the power kept rising, bringing in some sort of euphoric madness. His hands held her tighter.

The vortex opened up in his head, showing him what he didn't want to see. It started with an accident Maria was involved in. Set saw the car crash and the skull of the driver being smashed, with a clarity that even Maria herself might've not had. His eyes shot open and he strove to move his body. He managed to unclog his fingers and move his hands, breaking the contact. His gut tightened as he pulled back. Hit by nausea, he swallowed his own stomach acid.

The demon went wild trying to get back to her.

The energy flow ran through Set's body with a power he hadn't experienced in decades. It filled his mind with all the traumatic happenings of Maria's past, reaching to her birth and further back.

Then, the room morphed, blending into different worlds, and her face blurred.

Set grabbed his head and bent in on himself, trying to shut it all out. He shut his eyes again, repressing the urge to let out the devastating energy. He refused to give in to the twisted pleasure of being a powerful destroyer. His breath was uncontrollable, his heart about to burst.

"Go away!" he groaned, panting hard. "Get away from me!"

The girl was too terrified to move or speak. He couldn't see her, but he could sense it – the presence of petrified, living prey.

Set gave out a loud cry, his body shaking so badly he could barely stand. The veins in his temples and neck bulged. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead. The demon was about to break free, eager to release his power and quench his thirst for pain and blood.

As a dreadful stench of rotten eggs filled Set's nostrils, he clung to the last glimpses of his consciousness, reminding him that the prey was Maria. He had to keep her safe. He gritted his teeth, drool dripping from his mouth. He let go of his head and his arms fell to his sides.

He could still comfort her. Tell her that everything was going to be all right – that he could control it.

His eyes flashed open.

She was gone.

A stranger stood in front of him and everything else had vanished. He blinked. Instinctively, he knew he was in a whole different world. It was pitch dark and his body was hard and heavy as steel. He straightened up. He could move easily now. His gaze darted back to the stranger. It was a naked little girl, her skin glowing in the darkness.

It was his prey.

His hand stretched out to get her.

______________________________________

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hi everybody!

So, how about this chapter? It's short but rather strong I think.

I hope I didn't mess around with my poor English, if so please let me know.

What do you think about Set? Is he an interesting character?

This chapter is dedicated to challoner , as she is a lovely soul and a wonderful writer and friend. Check out her fantasy book, The Crimson Guard, 'cause it's totally worth your time. It's an amazing work.

DarlingCupcakes I'm in the middle of editing so I'm reposting chapters and integrating things here and there, please bear with me XD

As usual, my gratitude goes to my beloved betas, @Jaegermeanshunter,  and @SarahMacLean for the amazing help they are giving me!

Love you all!