Chapter 49: Chapter 49

Geraldine stared at her surroundings with skeptical eyes, trying to pinpoint the source of the animosity she suddenly felt, it was all around her, like an ominous presence that invaded the place, one which she could only feel but not see.

There was definitely something going on, she thought to herself as she bent down to touch the dewy ground of the forest, trying to detect what was different and a malicious suffocating weight slowly settled on her chest.

The dark forest was more than just an exile for the shadow demons, for they had not only made a home out of it, but also formed a tie with it, the forest was their strength and every single shadow demon had a connection with it, and it was through that connection that the shadow demons possessed the ability to reach out to one another, and to the forest.

And the forest was suffering, Geraldine stood up as worry crept into her mind, she sniffed the air, hoping her nose would be more useful than her eyes, focusing on the mixed smells, she recognized those of moss, dew, bush, soil, wood, and very faintly, smoke!

The forest was burning! The thought alone made the demoness shiver in fear, the dark forest was saturated with dark energy that shielded it, the fact that there was fire somewhere in the forest only meant that those flames were started by a very strong individual, strong enough to breach through the shadows shield.

And that was the scary part, Geraldine thought, because the only person she knew of who could start the fire was the fire lord whom she was on her way to meet!

But why would he do that? To burn the dark forest or even a single tree in it was an direct act of violation against all the shadows’ empire and all the demons in it, the forest was their strength, their home, such actions were an open war declaration on the shadows’ empire, one that didn’t serve the alliance in any kind!

This was not the time to start a war! Especially since she was on her way to give him the hybrid girl who was under some kind of a spell, the delivery was supposed to be as secretive and discreet as possible, and that is why Geraldine have chosen a location close to the borders, away from the sneaky eyes of Eren’s snitches, but the smell of smoke and burning trees told her that the deal was not secretive nor discreet anymore!

What was that weasel thinking, Geraldine asked, panic settling in her heart as she watched the orange glow radiating from the forest and illuminating the sky, she couldn’t see the flames for they were still far but the suffocating smell and the raising heat told her it would only be a matter of time before they surround her!

She had previously thought that smuggling the hybrid out of the castle was going to be the hardest part, and it was, for she had to use most of her magic in the process, lucky for her everyone was too busy with the meetings, and even those who didn’t attend kept their focus on the big guests and their attendants, but even with such golden occasion, it was still hard and she had to abuse her magic in order to get the hybrid out without being noticed and followed.

It was hard and draining, and she hoped with all her heart that the delivery would go smoothly, she wanted to be over with it as soon as she could for.

That was no longer a possibility though, as a shadow demoness, the violation affected her just like it did with every other shadow demon, the forest was her home too and she couldn’t just seal a deal with someone who just violated it sacredness, and even if she silenced her patriotism for now, the punishment for her treason would be ten times harder if she cooperated with the fire lord after such actions, they were going to be hard before but she trusted her status and affinity would grant her some mercy, especially since the demons were finally joining forces to fight their common enemy, it didn’t matter before who lead the forces as they all shared the same goal but now, she doubted the alliance would even stand a chance, it was doomed and she was too if she delivered the hybrid to what could be now an open enemy!

Fucking perfect! Geraldine cursed under her breath, for she hoped to get rid of the hybrid as soon as she could, because she didn’t know for how long can she keep the hybrid safe, from herself!

Looking down at the hybrid’s sleeping form, Geraldine gritted her teeth. She hated this abomination more than she hated anything else, she hated everything about her, she hated her existence, but what she hated mostly was the fact that she was still breathing!

Oh how she wished to wrap her fingers around the hybrid’s neck and just squeeze, slowly and steadily to savor every second of it, how satisfying it must be, Geraldine thought while straddling the hybrid’s body, everything would return to the way it was between her and Eren, she would go back in being the only woman in his life, they would find a way to save their world together, and if not then it is okay, they were both hybrids, they could both live in the human world, together.

It would be perfect, she thought, just the two of them, somewhere in the world, having no one else but each other to care and worry about, without all the responsibilities weighing him down and keeping him away from her, and certainly without this filthy hybrid meddling with their happiness!

What was it that he liked in her? Geraldine asked herself, the silver haired girl was but a shell! She had none of the qualities that Eren liked and appreciated, she was actually the exact opposite, a frail naïve girl who trusted people easily, a stupid one who didn’t question the sugarcoated words said to her and believed them, she didn’t notice the red flags even when they screamed danger in her face, she was delusional and air headed with the silliest dreams, ones about love and warmth.

She was nothing like the strong and ambitious woman Geraldine was, the shadow demoness had an iron will above all, an unbreakable one, she was a wicked woman who would smile sweetly in someone’s face one second only to stab them in the next one, she was a hard worker who didn’t wait for things to be given to her but snatched them with her own hands.

Compared to her, the hybrid was nothing, she had nothing but her unique looks, and whether she wanted to admit it or not, the hybrid was so beautiful, probably because of her divine blood, but that was it, her beauty was everything she had.

That was all she was, a beautiful shell, so if the shell is broken, if her beauty was gone, then Eren would lose any interest and infatuation he has for her.

Removing the silver strands, Geraldine stared at the right half of Sara’s tilted face, taking a deep breath, she focused her dark magic on her palm, enough to the point where her hand’s pale skin turned completely black, once her nails were saturated with the dark venomous magic, she placed them on what was exposed of Sara’s face, and then slowly started adding pressure until she porcelain skin was pierced and red dotes appeared at the tips of her nails, dragging her hand all over the hybrid’s face, a demented grin made it way to hers when she saw the vivid wounds she created, like deep red grooves flawing the flawless beauty.

Geraldine giggled insanely, the ecstatic satisfaction taking away what was left of her reasoning, she was just happy with the masterpiece she just created, knowing very well that the venom on her nails won’t let the wounds heal, the once beautiful hybrid would stay like this forever, disfigured.

Now, with her beauty gone, he will not look at her, his obsession would fade and he will come back to her.

“What are you doing?” Geraldine snapped her head at the unfamiliar voice, she was too engrossed in her own pleasure that she failed to notice the flames that surrounded her from each corner, looking around her, she saw that she was net just surrounded with flames but also four figures all wearing red, fire demons, Geraldine thought.

Something didn’t feel right about them, she thought, they were not supposed to be here in the first place, not to mention the way they stood, as if they were ready to attack, attack her.

“We are here on behalf of Lord Micka!” one of them spoke, his voice calm unlike the offensive aura he was emitting.

“Is that so?” Geraldine stood up, very slowly and carefully, her eyes studying the demons, the hair on her body followed her lead for the malicious intentions of those fire couldn’t be mistaken.

“And why didn’t he come here himself?” She asked with a raised brow, faking confusion even though she already guessed everything, it was necessary though to gain time for she had consumed most of her magic, taking Four pureblooded fire demons was already an impossible task with her full potency let alone in that drained state she was in, all she could do now was stall them until someone showed up to help her, the shadow demons were probably on their way for the huge fire which was now surrounding her couldn’t be missed

“He is a little occupied at the moment, now if you may, hand over the hybrid!” So her little stalling game didn’t work, Geraldine cursed while taking a protective stand, it was ironic, how in one minute she was thinking about killing the hybrid and now was placing herself between her and the fire demons, not that she cared about the hybrid’s safety, but she knew it was her only way to escape the treason penalty which was far worse than death.

“Don’t come any closer!” she threatened them, raising her palms to summon what ever magic she had left but it only made the fire demons laugh at her.

Geraldine cursed under her breath, for the flames were not just destroying the forest but trapping her inside their circle, isolating her inside and hindering her magic from being fed and regenerated by the forest.

“Don’t make this hard on yourself, our Lord have given us orders to not harm you if you cooperated, you have been very useful to him and he is willing to spare your life if you continue to be so!” So, she was right, the fire lord did start an open war against the shadows’ empire, she cursed herself for being so stupid and desperate to the point where she trusted him, this mess she was in was her own doing.

“How about this.” Geraldine smiled wickedly at them, she wasn’t the kind of woman to be blackmailed nor threatened, especially not by fire scums, forging her shadows into a thin sword, she placed it tip on the sleeping hybrid’s throat.

“You take one more step and she dies!” Geraldine’s smile widened when she saw them stop, it wasn’t going to hold them for long though, and she had to think of a way out, fast!

“You need her as much as we do!”

“Not really! I am a hybrid myself; I can escape to the human lands!”

“The question is, can you run fast enough!” and indeed Geraldine wasn’t fast enough as one of them attacked her from behind, a very precise fire arrow that targeted the hand which held the sword, out of reflex, Geraldine pulled her arm away only to be thrown away by another attack that took her off guard.

Geraldine gasped at how painful the burns were, she wanted to ignore it for she knew there was more to come but she couldn’t, the pain was paralyzing, and the fire demons didn’t waste any second before lunching at her.

For a second, Geraldine felt as if the time had slowed down, she watched as the demons jumped at her, their red eyes showcasing their murderous intents, and for a second, she believed they would succeed, that this was indeed her end.

She didn’t want to die this way, not by their hands, and not by anyone’s hands, she wanted to die in Eren’s arms, she wanted his face to be the last thing she sees.

This can’t be it! Geraldine screamed and closed her eyes, the strong woman she always was completely disappeared to be replaced by a frightened little girl, she didn’t want to see their faces, she couldn’t allow that to be the last thing she saw in this life, instead she chose to remember her lover’s face, Eren’s face, with his red eyes and dark hair, and his smell, that is what she wanted to see before she died, and if she couldn’t see it with her own eyes, then she would see it with her mind.

Unknown to the demoness, the fire demons didn’t even manage to touch her, for they were all swept away like mosquitos in a single dark blow.

When she didn’t feel any new pain, Geraldine opened her eyes to inspect what was going on, and she instantly recognized the familiar dark aura, looking around her, she noticed that the orange flames were replaced with black ones, but Geraldine knew they were not flames, they were shadows, the mossy ground was tainted red and chops of flesh were thrown around her, she didn’t understand how did he kill them so fast, without a single sound, without any sign of resistance from them, as if he was a death ghost.

He was, Geraldine thought when her eyes fell on him, standing not far from her, naked in the darkness.