Sons of a devil-Chapter 44: A storm in the blood
Chapter 44 - A storm in the blood
The manor was quiet. Too quiet.
Morning light streamed in through the high, cracked windows, glinting off the broken shards of glass and dried blood that stained the marble floor. The scent of scorched shadow still lingered from the battle with Thorne. Every corner of the once-glorious estate now felt heavier, as if the manor itself had absorbed the weight of war.
Cain stood by the window, shirtless, the claw marks across his chest barely scabbing over. He didn't flinch when Selene came up behind him, her presence soft, comforting. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against his back.
"You haven't rested," she murmured.
"Can't," he said simply.
Selene didn't push. She just held him tighter.
Downstairs, the kitchen was a mess of breakfast prep and mild chaos. Leo had a banana in one hand and a dagger in the other, trying to chop vegetables without setting the kitchen on fire.
"This is why we don't let you cook," Eren grunted, rolling dough with magical telekinesis.
"Excuse me," Leo said, "my omelets are legendary."
"Legendary because they burned through the counter," Eira added from the corner. She was nursing a black eye, courtesy of yesterday's ambush, and sipping something that looked suspiciously alcoholic.
"It's tea," she said preemptively, catching Eren's look.
He raised a brow. "Sure it is."
Selene appeared in the doorway, smiling softly. "You all look like a sitcom about dysfunctional demon children."
Leo threw her a wink. "We try our best."
Their laughter faded when Amara entered, regal and quiet as always, but her eyes said she hadn't slept either. She glanced around, her tone soft but resolute.
"Thorne won't wait long. He's testing us. He'll come again—harder, darker. We need to be ready."
Eren sighed. "Great. More death and trauma. Just what I needed."
Amara nodded toward the great hall. "Today we begin training. Not just in power, but in trust. In unity. If we can't hold together, we will fall apart."
They all looked at each other, their usual jokes fading.
Cain joined them moments later, his expression unreadable. Selene reached for his hand under the table, and he squeezed back gently. That tiny gesture was enough to ground them both.
The training field had been restored overnight by Amara's magic. The grass sparkled with morning dew, the runes etched into the stone pillars humming quietly with life.
"Alright," Amara said, "let's begin with illusions. Leo, you're up."
Leo blinked. "Me? You want me to fight my nightmares first? What if it's...like...a giant eel with my ex's face or something?"
"Then you fight it," Amara replied. "Or apologize, depending on how guilty you feel."
Selene chuckled as Leo stepped into the circle. Runes flashed, and suddenly the field was gone. In its place, Leo was back in a burning village—his past. His eyes widened. A child cried nearby. The scent of fire, screams, shadows moving.
He hesitated.
Then he whispered, "Not real. Not anymore."
He closed his eyes, then extended both hands. A pulse of energy blasted outward, and the illusion shattered.
He emerged from the circle, pale but proud.
"Okay," Leo said. "Not gonna lie. That was kind of badass."
Cain was next. But his illusion wasn't a burning village. It was Selene.
On her knees. Crying. Covered in blood.
"Cain..." she whispered in the vision, reaching for him. "Why didn't you save me?"
Cain froze. The others couldn't see what he saw. Only he could. He turned his head slightly, tears welling.
"Not again," he whispered. "Never again."
His entire body flared with fire and light, his markings glowing red-hot. The illusion burned away.
He collapsed to his knees.
Selene was there in a second, cradling his face. "You saved me," she said. "Every time you choose me, you save me."
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He breathed deeply, leaning into her.
Evening
Training ended in exhaustion and ice packs. Leo fell asleep with a frozen steak on his head. Eira and Eren shared drinks by the garden fountain, laughing about who had better aim with rocks and demon skulls.
Meanwhile, Cain and Selene lay on the manor roof, watching the stars.
"Do you think we'll make it?" she asked softly.
"We have to," he said.
She reached up, tracing the curve of his jaw.
"If I lose you, I lose myself," she whispered.
He turned to her, eyes soft. "Then I'll never let go."
They kissed slowly, surrounded by night.
Below, Amara stood watching them from the window, her hand pressed to the glass. Her eyes shimmered with power—and fear.
Because deep in the woods, a darkness had begun to stir. And not even she knew how long the light would hold.
