The Devil's Temptation!

She was casually dressed in a burgundy gown made from fluttering chiffon. It looked simple and delicate on her tender skin and it made her look no different from a rose on its stem. The demon found it difficult to avert his stare till he realized she was standing in front of him.

He couldn’t explain the reason for it but she appeared more beautiful in his eyes each time he saw her.

“So where are we going?” She asked, “Do we get the dresses first and then take a stroll around Ark Ville before doing whatever it is you plan on doing?” Her glimmering brown eyes were filled with anticipation as she asked, but she got a flick on the forehead in return, as if snapping her back to her senses.

“Have you come down to earth? We’re not doing any of that stuff.”

“But_ the dresses, you promised.”

“And you’ll get them.” He assured her, “but speaking with Azazel is more important, it’s best we get this off our chest so we can focus on your birthmark and find a solution quickly.”

Although she was a bit disappointed that they wouldn’t go for a walk around Ark Ville, he was still right and to say the least bit of truth, she never really took it serious and it all started after she met him. So this is basically his fault.

“Fine.” She agreed before looking around with a searching gaze.

.....

“So how do we go? Do we get a carriage on the way or..”

“Get on my back.”

“What?” Her eyes instantly googled at him, as though she didn’t hear him correctly and he repeated it.

“Get on my back.”

Anna still remembered vividly the first time he suggested this same technique to her after saving her from Luderick and she unwillingly blushed at the recollection.

“Why? We can just take a carriage.”

“Ever ridden a demon before?”

He uttered something that made her question his words in her head. Of course she hasn’t but now that he mentioned it, she was curious to know what it felt like.

“What if someone sees?”

“Then you better hurry up.”

Anna took her time to look around and make sure no one was at sight and to her relief, everyone seemed to be inside the mansion or the guest house which was at the back of the building.

Which means the path was more than clear.

Without delaying any further, she got on his back like he asked her to and heard him tsk after carrying her properly, feeling her delicate arms wrapped around his neck gently.

“I see you’ve been eating a lot, you’re heavier than last time.”

“That’s a good thing.” She felt proud, “uhm Roshan, I’ve never ridden a demon before so can you have mercy and slow down on the way?”

“Sure, they’re actually two ways to ride a demon, this is the first.” He subtly told her and Anna’s brow knitted into a curious frown.

“What’s the second?”

“It remains a mystery till you experience it yourself, but there is one secret I can tell you.”

“What?”

“Both methods will leave you screaming my name.” The corner of his lips pulled up.

“Huh?” Anna didn’t get it until the being finally took off.

All she knew was that she wrapped her arms tightly around him and buried her face at his neck. She knew she was screaming out but could barely hear what she was screaming about due to the howling wind that continuously swept past them.

Roshan sensed her fear and unlike her who could barely hear her own screams, he held it clearly as she screamed out his name, begging him to slow down and instead of abiding to her words, he did as he pleased and chose to make her suffer a little as he rounded the forest path, avoiding the main street of Ark Ville.

He was moving too fast for her to handle and she just held on tighter like a magnet glued to an iron, afraid she might fall off if she let her nervousness take control of her action.

And suddenly he stopped. If it wasn’t for the sweet scent of his hair that helped ease her fatigue, she would have thrown up for sure.

But at this moment, she felt like thanking him for stopping, she’s never ridden anything so fast in her life and she barely saw how he even got here, the winds wouldn’t even let her.

When she finally raised her head up, they were in a completely different environment. The place was surrounded with trees that he turned a shade orange as a sign of autumn.

When Roshan dropped her on the ground, her feet were unsteady and everything looked dizzy before her eyes. She shook her head while placing a palm to the side of her face, as though it’d steady her sight.

“Why is the_why is the forest spinning?” She nearly lost her balance if not for Roshan who held her in place so she could regain her stamina once again.

“Are you alright?”

“I think so.”

When she felt her stamina returning once again, and her vision becoming steady, she stood firmly on the ground and Roshan slowly released her, just in case she plans on falling again.

“Remind me not to ride a demon again.” She uttered before recovering fully from that ride and lifting her head to gaze at the sky.

The sky was darker with a mixture of blue and red, beautifully highlighting the transition from day to night.

“Sunsets are always so beautiful, I see different colors.” She pointed at the sky with a glowing smile on her lips.

“You’re smiling already.”

She met his gaze and nodded, still staggering back a bit and a pleasing laughter followed as she looked up at the sky again, “watching the sunset reminds me that I’m only a small part of a bigger picture, there’s so much to explore in this life that being sad is really not worth my sweat.”

He sighed hopelessly at her childish behavior and made her sit on the leaves that had formed a soft carpet on the ground.

“Don’t move.”

He sat beside her and Anna had to admit, the place he brought her too was really serene and peaceful. The only thing heard was the sweet chirping of birds, already singing their goodnight songs and the cool breeze fluttering against trees was a sight to marvel at.

“This is_” she paused in her words after realizing the glacier already had his legs crossed in a meditating position, his eyes were closed and he looked concentrated.

Just staring at him made her realize how much of a long way they’ve actually come. It was something that was no different from now. She had awoken in a forest and met Roshan in a sitting position just like this.

She had been so marveled by his appearance on that day and they never had a good start to begin with. Now that she thought about it, she found it funny and her escaped snicker made Roshan’s eyes flutter open.

She composed herself when he stared at her and he suddenly stretched his right hand forward.

“Your hand.” He said, leaving Anna to blink at his word.

“What?”

“Your hand.”

“Why do you need my hand?”

“Just give it.”

Anna stared at his proffered hand for a few seconds before placing her delicate hand on his. The confusion was clearly written on her face as she met his stare and he held her hand in his, holding it affectionately like it was some special gem that he wasn’t willing to let go off and he closed his eyes again.

“I can’t concentrate, I just needed a little support.”

“By holding my hand?”

“It’s called seeking solace,” his tone came out even softer as he uttered, “and I can conquer my demons knowing you’re here with me, so don’t let go.”

Anna didn’t expect such words to come from his mouth. She was really taken aback by it. She watched him as his eyes were closed and she was hundred percent sure he was fully focused now.

“You’re in a subconscious state, in case you reach Azazel, just give me a thumbs up.”

There was no reaction in his face to notify her that he’s heard but Anna knew he heard her clearly, he just isn’t allowed to respond since his mind was in another different dimension.

Seconds ticked by, followed by minutes and when Anna was starting to get bored of waiting, his hands finally moved to her her bewilderment, he gave her a thumbs up.