Demon Prince's Forsaken Bride-Chapter 44: Ghost Town (4)

There was something very wrong with him and Azrael was not in the right mind to figure out what it was. He could not understand why despite hating Lareina, he had this instinctive urge to protect her from all her troubles. And he did not know why, the moment he said something hurtful, he could not bear to see her face. It was like an invisible force caging him in his own conflicting emotions till he was suffocated.

As he moved in his chair, his boot slipped an inch over something. When he looked down, his eyes narrowed. A familiar silk handkerchief laid on the cold ground. The very same one that he had handed to Lareina.

When he looked up at her, he found her brows furrowed, lips curled down. She was struggling yet she sat straight. The faint tilt of her face told him that she was aware of his gaze on her but if anything, she did not return it.

He felt a weird sense of loss in his heart, an emptiness that seemed to be gnawing at his chest. And for that too, he hated the woman who caused it. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

He inhaled a deep breath and turned to his subordinates. Rune and Astra were sitting ramrod straight, as if awaiting his orders.

With a single nod from Azrael, the ’father’ in the family swiftly disappeared in the chaos of the crowd.

...

The sky was gradually darkening as the lanky man from the tavern earlier crossed through a few alleys, his steps never once slowing down. He walked as if he was being chased by a ghost.

’Whoosh’

A soft breeze passed by and his body trembled, eyes dilating.

He tripped on a stone and his body started falling forward as he screamed, ’’Ah! Ah! No... Don’t kill me!"

Suddenly, a firm grip landed on his shoulder and stabilized him in his place, preventing the fall.

His eyes were still wide from fear as he turned around, trembling.

But when he turned around, he was met with the sight of an old man who looked fat and ordinary.

’’T-Thank you, kind sir...’’ the man stuttered, still reeling from the fright he had received just now.

’’No need. I was just passing by,’’ Rune was a man of few words and that reflected in his stiff tone and clipped words.

But the lanky man did not mind it at all. He had taken a shortcut to his house, not knowing he would feel so spooked out throughout the way. He had been one step away from passing out earlier in fright inside the dark alley. Now that he had a little company, he was overjoyed.

’’May I ask where you are headed to?"

’’The place I want to go falls beyond a lake.’’

The lanky man’s eyes lit up, ’’My house is in the same direction. Why don’t we head there together?" Rune had played things to his advantage, putting his words in a way that it seemed like he was new to the place and did not know much. But anybody with a brain could join the dots and understand that if he could appear in this hidden alleyway, he must be knowing the ins and outs of the place.

In his excitement, the lanky man overlooked the fact that the alley they were standing in would only lead to the lake and the row of houses beyond that.

’’In the restaurant earlier, why did you say it was dangerous?"

When Rune mentioned it, the lanky demon nearly tripped again. He quickly looked around, his face paling by a few shades immediately, ’’Brother, were you in the restaurant earlier? Or let me ask you... Are you new to the town? Haven’t you heard of it by now?"

’’Enlighten me,’’ Rune cupped a fist.

Seeing the man’s respectful attitude, the lanky man cautiously looked around again and gulped before lowering his voice to a whisper, ’’When it is night, they appear.’’

On the other side, while Lareina and the group had gone to the tavern, nobody touched the meal for one reason or the other.

Lareina was experiencing sickness, due to the thick demonic stench in the air, the fragrance of raw meat and other similar delicacies that the demons seem to relish in. Unlike the royal demons who at least preferred their delicacies cooked, the local demons had no such particular preferences. They liked it with blood rolling down the piece of flesh like it was freshly pulled out of an animal.

She had discarded Azrael’s handkerchief to preserve her dignity but a preserved dignity did not prevent her urge to puke her guts out.

Rosie did not touch the food seeing her mistress’s condition.

Azrael sat there listlessly, looking at his handkerchief lying on the floor, his impassive face hiding the war in his mind.

Astra did not touch her food following her master’s footsteps.

The only exception, of course, was Moira, who ate everything, bit by bit, rather delicately.

’’Aren’t you starving, Lady Moira?" Astra said, her tone sarcastic as she watched the woman wolfing everything down, still sticking to her persona and maintaining an seductive stance as she licked her bottom lips, arched her neck and batted her eyelashes deliberately every once in a while.

"I am doing it for His Highness’s sake. A table full of food and nobody would touch it. It makes us look suspicious and out of place,’’ the demoness stated calmly.

Astra was displeased but she was also left tongue tied by the sleek mouthed demoness.

Soon, they met their local guide who escorted them out of the tavern and led them to the inn.

Once Lareina stepped out in the open air, she felt her entire body soften as her nausea settled a bit. She was supported by Rosie.

Their local guide was a talkative middle-aged-man. Earlier that day, he had strayed away from them while talking when he escorted them to the tavern so this time, he turned at every step to check they were following him and listening to his words about the town.

"...Cracon has been one of the most prosperous towns and nothing could change the fact...’’

Since Lareina was feeling a little better, she could not help but pay attention to his words.

Twice, she had heard the mention of this town before. And both the times, it had been referred to as Ghost Town. It was only then that she got to know that this town went by the name Cracon.

The group arrived at the inn in no time. It was a decent-sized inn situated in a rather isolated corner and the place seemed rather peaceful, surrounded by alluring flowered climbers that spread across the tall walls around the main entrance gates.

When the group entered the inn however, they were met with an unexpected situation.

...

A/N: If you like this story, support it with your power stones and golden tickets. And do take some time out to write a review. Your words mean a lot to me and my motivation in writing this story <3