Leota's Groom

"You are a demon, Leota!!! Demons should have no attractions to humans!! If anything goes wrong, you'd have to suffer and burn for it in hell till the day of the final war!" Shouted the demon King. " You loved mother greatly father, even though she was a mortal, even though she was a helpless human.

You loved her greatly even though you could do nothing for her to continue living when she completed her years living on earth, you loved her and you still do.My loyalty lies with you, father, they do but my heart cannot be controlled by the fires of hell nor by the dear of burning till the day of the last war. It is not attraction that drives me, but a sense of love and sacrifice. For that, I will gladly face the consequences of my actions, whatever they may be when it's time comes, but for now,I cannot deny the bond that has formed between myself and the human I've come to love""Leota"" Humans are not all you see them to be at night when they sleep and you watch them. They are not always vulnerable! They're evil, they have ambition and most times they do really bad things for those ambitions, you can't predict how they'd turn out. You can't predict whether the human you've fallen for would fall for you too. It is never predictable"The demon King Sighed."Leota, I understand your feelings, but humans and demons are fundamentally different. While your mother was an exception, not all human-demon relationships end well. The risks are great, and the consequences severe. I cannot condone you venturing into the human realm.""Father, I respect your wisdom, but I must follow my heart. I will go to the human realm, even if I do not change who I am, but I will embrace the love I have found. If it leads to suffering, so be it. I will gladly accept the consequences that'd come with it in the end."The DemonKing sighed once more.In his life he had never imagined that one day his own daughter would be amongst his subjects that would seek his permission to cross over to the Human realm.Her mother always loved to stay in their own realm even though she was human, and even though they had no day nor sun or light.she always wanted to join the Demons in all they did. More like she was tired of living with her fellow humans.Her daughter seemed to want otherwise even though she might not be able to survive staying with humans."You are not a human Leota, you are not. You will soon complete your transition to becoming a full demon. If you go, you'd live like them. You'd love like other humans, you'd suffer great pains like they do, you'd due like they do. That is why I want you to stay by my side, so I'd protect you. So I'd shield you so you'd live long like other demons"" I am a Cambion father, half human, hakd demon. Look at me, I am the only different one in this place. I am the only one that cannot do what others do. I hear the whispers, your people do not trust me. They think I'd betray them to the humans, they feel like I'm a human they'd have to take her soul one day to grow more powerful. It isn't right. I want to go to the human world, I'm human too"" Even if you're in the human world, you'd still be the odd one out. You'd still be the only Cambion there is there. There is no dispute to that"" Atleast no one would know, no one would, unlike here"" Leota" He said slowly with anyone suggesting defeat.maybe she never felt at home with them, others did not like her anyway, how could she feel at home.She was the outcome of the tryst he has had with a mortal woman.He went to take her soul , what he had been promised by her parents after he helped them decades ago.But when he saw her, he was drawn to her. Using his powers , he had turned into an incubus and seduced her, which she took in later.She died in his arms after birthing their daughter. All of them do, all Cambion mother's always died once they had delivered their babies.He had named her Leota, after her mother.Hence her name.Now she wanted to go back to her mother's people.Were her parents still alive? Would he be able to connect her to them for them to guide and protect her from humans, especially those who mean no good.She was beautiful. She was the most beautiful.No one could rival her beauty, that was also contributing parts of why she was hated by other demons.Cambion children were always beautiful. Beauty was all they possessed. They had no numerous powers like other demons, they can't speak demon language even though they understand it, they can't perform tricks nor take souls unless they train for it and most Cambions that learn the art of soul tricking and taking did it do they'd live long. Cambions died like humans, the highest they could live was 200years old,but in the end,they always die like their fellow humans. Hence to escape this and to gain immortality,some of them do so by soul eating.But those were usually Cambions that allowed their paternal instincts take over them.Cambions that struggle against bad and overcome it usually spend their times saving the souls of humans from the tricks of demons.They were always misunderstood, worst still was from demons who see them as adversaries. Another reason why Cambions were not loved as one do not know how they'd turn out to be.But their beauties were sights to behold. They carry an allure of unparalleled beauty that make heads turn, no matter whose head it is."I will find your mother's parents for you, until then, you won't set foot into the human realm"He said and walked out.Leota smiled.She would meet him soon.The man who had promoted her decision.The one who had stolen her heart.The human she had heard sing.It was evening when she had gone.Demons don't go out of their lairs except in the dead of the night when day has gone and the sun has gone into oblivion. They could only come out at night, or lest they be tortured by the sun.But she could, she was half human anyway.She could do everything humans could, she could equally do most of the things demons did too.She has come out that evening when she saw a man being beaten.He was wounded deeply by the other men.She didn't know why.But instead of avenging or fuming with anger, she saw him going to sit under a tree.He started whistling.He was singing.Who would sing at such a time. She approached him cautiously, her curiosity piqued by his unexpected reaction to the wounds inflicted upon him by others. As she drew closer, she noticed the serene expression on his face, a stark contrast to the pain evident in his injuries."Why are you singing?" she asked softly, unsure of what to expect.He looked up, meeting her gaze with eyes that held a mixture of sadness and resilience. "Because music heals," he replied, his voice tinged with a hint of melancholy.She sat down beside him, intrigued by his perspective. "But you're wounded," she pointed out, gesturing to the cuts and bruises marring his skin.He nodded, a wistful smile playing on his lips. "Physical wounds can heal with time, but the wounds within, the ones inflicted by words and actions, they take more than just time."She listened intently, sensing that there was more to his words than met the eye."Music," he continued, "has a way of reaching those inner wounds, of soothing the pain that words cannot express. It's a way to release the emotions trapped inside, to find solace even in the midst of chaos."She watched as he closed his eyes, lost in the melody he was humming softly. There was a vulnerability in that moment, a rawness that touched her heart."You inspire me," she admitted quietly, feeling a connection to him that transcended the physical.He opened his eyes, a glimmer of gratitude shining in them. "We all carry scars, visible or not," he said gently. "It's how we choose to heal and grow from them that defines us."They sat together under the tree, sharing moments of silence and song, finding solace in each other's company even though they did not know each other.She looked at him, sitting under the tree with a serene yet resilient aura, and that moment was when Leota realized that she had fallen, the most unlikeliest human of all. She had fallen for his Voice too.Demons never sang, they never did.This was her first time of hearing a song. A melody.He was not the kind of person she would have expected to captivate her heart, but there was something about his strength, his vulnerability, and his unwavering spirit that drew her in.He had a way of seeing the beauty in the midst of pain, of finding hope even in the darkest of moments. His capacity to heal not just physical wounds but also emotional scars resonated deeply with her own experiences as a Cambion navigating the complexities of her identity.As she watched him hum a soothing melody under the tree, she felt a sense of peace and belonging she had never known before. Despite the odds and the challenges they faced, she knew that her heart had found its home in the most unexpected place-in the heart of a human who saw the world through a lens of compassion and resilience.Leota smiled, her heart brimming with newfound love and gratitude for the unlikeliest human who had captured her soul with his song and his spirit.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Writing this novel has been an incredible journey filled with twists and turns, just like the story itself. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to the creation of this book.

First and foremost, I want to thank my friends for their unwavering support and encouragement. Your enthusiasm for the characters and storyline kept me motivated throughout the writing process.

I am deeply grateful to my family and friends for their patience, understanding, and belief in my writing endeavors. Your love and encouragement sustained me during the moments of doubt and uncertainty.

A special thank you to my beta_editor for her invaluable feedback and guidance, which helped shape the manuscript into its final form. Your keen insights and attention to detail truly enhanced the story.

I am also indebted to the countless authors whose work has inspired me over the years. Your stories have fueled my imagination and provided me with endless hours of entertainment.

Last but not least, I want to acknowledge the characters themselves, who took on a life of their own and guided me through the ups and downs of their tumultuous journey. Without them, this story would not have been possible.

To everyone who played a part in bringing this novel to fruition, I extend my deepest gratitude. Thank you for joining me on this unforgettable adventure.

With love and appreciation,

RidaHari