The Return of the Order—Act 2

If you want read about Malphas and Louisa's night together, then visit Here. (Warning: it is sexually explicit).

They lay together as night fell, not wanting to think of what the late hour would mean. Malphas gently kissed Louisa’s neck, drinking in the smell and taste of her skin. Finding her had brought new purpose to his life, something he never thought he would have, yet his need to feed still took him away from her.

Sensing his disquiet, Louisa turned to face him, wrapping herself around him, “A few months is nothing in the context of eternity, my love. The children and I will be here waiting when you return.”

“I know my love, and soon, the children will be old enough to take their own paths, and you and I can return home.”

He kissed her forehead. Outwardly she had not aged a day since they met, but her understanding of the world, their world, of their kind continued to grow. With her strength and knowledge, she could rule the entire demon realm if she had the mind to; it was in her blood, her very being, yet she was content ruling his heart, and that made him love her even more.

Slowly Malphas untangled himself from a very reluctant Louisa. He dressed, wrapped her in the bedsheet and lifted her into his arms. She snuggled into his chest as he carried her back to the main house and up to their bedroom. As she drifted off to sleep, the last thing she heard was her beloved imparting words of love and caution to their children.

Sleep rarely came to Louisa now that she had fully embraced her demon side. When it did come, it was often filled with images that disturbed her. She had relived her death many times in the darkest hours of the night, the burning pain of the arrows as they had pierced her skin, the wrench of her heart being pulled from her body, then darkness, never-ending darkness. She would wake, drenched in sweat, her heart pounding, fear coursing through her veins. The intensity of the dreams had decreased over time, but they still made her catch her breath and left her wandering the halls, checking on the children for fear that it was her new life that was the dream and the darkness that remained her reality.

As she slept that night, her mind full of the passion she shared with her mate, the darkness descended once more, coldness surrounded her, and the metallic smell of blood invaded her senses. A distant voice called, pleaded, she could hear the pain, the fear, but not the words. Her eyes adjusted to the gloom, her talons and wings ready, responding to the shiver of fear that crept up her spine. Another voice, and then another, and another, until a cacophony of voices surrounded her, all pleading, all screaming, two words, time and again screaming at her, "Help us." The sound invaded her head, running across every nerve of her mind until she could bear it no longer, raising her hands to her ears, her scream added to the sound that surrounded her.

Louisa woke to find Margaret holding her shaking and clammy body; tears streaked down her face, her palms bleeding from where she had pressed her talons into them in her sleep. Margaret held her until the sobs subsided.

“The dream again?”

“No, this was different. It wasn’t me. There were others calling for help, so much pain, so much suffering.”

“You should call Malphas back.”

“No, no, I can’t, it was just a dream. It is just my mind playing tricks because he is away.”

Margaret studied her closely; she was no longer the little girl she had once helped care for. She was a grown woman with experience way past her years. Her time with the Order had made her strong, and her bond with Malphas had only increased that strength. She kissed her forehead.

“If you are sure.”

“I am.”

Margaret returned to her room, unsure that not calling Malphas was the right idea. She could have ordered Louisa to reach him, used her position as her mistress to its full extent, but she never used the power she had over her, unless it was necessary, and was not about to start now.

Still shaken by what she had seen, Louisa drew herself a bath and relaxed into the warm waters allowing it to calm her mind and soothe her still aching body. She was determined not to add to the weight Malphas already carried, but the sound in the dream would not leave her. If she could not unburden herself on her mate, then reaching out to her father was her only other choice.

She contemplated this as she lay immersed in the water. While her father now held physical form, he was still weak, and what energy he did have was focused on keeping his position within the demon realm and helping Ciel to adjust to his new life as a demon. The thought of her cousin brought a smile to her face. The once sullen young Lord was now just as sullen as a demon; his new life had not been what he had expected, and she wondered how he would cope when he returned to the world as the servant rather than the master.

As the sun rose, Louisa felt clearer, the horrors of the night faded, and she felt stronger in her decision to do nothing. It was only a dream, and even demons were capable of fearing things they did not fully comprehend.

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