Affair with the Devil

t yet broken. The wind howled through the trees outside my windo

ou offer it to him willingly, blinded by desire

no dif

lvet. D

uc

the flicker of the dying fire, but I knew I wasn't alone. He was here. The man who h

o the shadows, my voice shakin

predator watching its prey. My mouth went dry. I should have been terrified, and part of m

to me,

lid out of bed, my bare feet cold against the stone floor as I crossed the room. The closer I go

s eyes, black as night, locked onto mine with an intensity that stole my breath. He was bea

said, his lips curling into

rst heard his voice, first felt his presence, I had been drawn to

" I asked, my voic

smoke and something darker cling

hard. "And w

he reached out, tracing a finger along the c

y screamed to pull away, but I couldn't move. There was a force, stronger than an

ed, my voice trembling. "

sound that sent a shiver

me to breathe again. I stepped back, desperate for distance, for

said, his voice low and seductive, "

my pulse racing

eyes gleaming with somet

I hadn't made any deals with demons or gods, yet something about his words felt like the trut

ed, though the certainty

made my heart skip a beat. "You will be. Th

," I said, though t

ery secret desire, your soul reached out long befor

further back until I hit

ke fire smoldering just beneath his skin. His hand rose, this time not to touch me but t

ghtening its grip. His hand was so close, inches from my skin, and all I could t

ed, more to mys

ing that scared me even as it drew me in. "There's no need

ull of meaning, as if he knew the thin

ice soft but firm, "but the truth is, yo

body trembling. "What

something deeper in his eyes, something beyond

ose

id simply.

Choose him? What did that even mean? My mind screamed at me to run, to fight, to

sked, though the word

nst my skin. "Then I'll leave you. But not be

mething dark and ancient. I should have felt afraid, but instead, a wave of curiosity washed over me. What did

I said, my voice barel

the tension between us only grew stronger. "There's a part of you that's always

routines, with days that bled into each other, all leading to nowhere. But what he was offe

my voice rising with frustration. "Choose yo

one. "You know exactly who I am, Lucia. I've been in y

deep down, in the part of me I kept hidden from the world, I knew he was right. I had

the name falling from m

uch was warm, almost too warm, as his fingers closed around mine. "Com

something held me there. His eyes locked onto mine, and in that moment, it felt

d?" I asked, my voice trembling

danger in his smile. "Then you'll have a choice. But

heart raced in my chest, and the tension between us hung heavy in the air. This was

hispered, though my

ghtening just enough to let me know there was

, to let go, to turn back. But my feet moved of their own accord, following him into the