Page 4 of Azure Mania

His silver hair falls down his waist, a shade darker than my own. It’s those eyes that I refuse to look away from — the pure hatred that he’s not scared to show, only fuels the excitement inside of me.

His eyes, like that of the rest of his family, are red. They resemble blood, and the shade depends on the hunger. The hungrier they are, the darker shade of red. However, since I can smell the stench of blood on him, and the way the moonlight is making his bright, red eyes stand out, I’d say he definitely satisfied his hunger before coming here.

“Yvonne,” he says my name like it’s poison on his tongue, goosebumps prickle my skin. “I’ve been looking for you.”

His voice is deep, raspy, and different from what I remember. There’s an edge to it, as if he’s trying to hold back all the resentment, all the anger, and not act on impulse. It’s adorable, really, how desperately he’s trying to stay in control.

Unfortunately for him, he lost the control the moment he decided to come here.

“Congratulations. You’ve found me at last.”

Chapter 2

Lucifer

Yvonne sits on the porch, on the third step. Her blue, almost translucent eyes bore into mine. From a strangers point of view, the woman looks ethereal. She looks like the beauty you see described in books, resembling a Goddess. White hair falls down her waist, tied into a neat side braid. When she sees me, she all but beams in excitement.

Her eyes are filled with excitement, almost sparkling in the night. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this is too easy. Luckily, I do know better. She’s up to something, and the fact that I can’t tell what she’s plotting or planning, is annoying me beyond words.

Two hundred years.

That’s how long this woman has cursed me for. She put me to sleep, forced my mind to stay awake while it replayed the most horrible, traumatizing piece of my memory over, and over again. I was aware that it was all a dream; yet not once, was I able to stop myself from killing Martha.

The dream would always start off the same.

I’d get home from hunting, and from spending countless hours trying to get my bloodthirst under control. Martha never wanted to live in the castle with my family, simply because they terrified her. So, we had a little cottage in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the gardens that Martha nurtured.

Each time I arrived home, Martha would greet me with a smile. Her lively, dark chocolate eyes would greet me, and it would melt away any anxiety I’d been feeling. She’d be in the kitchen area, cooking something delicious. Although I couldn’t taste it, I could smell it. Just from the smell alone, I knew it was divine.

Somehow, things went astray.

The knife she’d be holding in her hands would slip, and she’d end up slicing her palm open. The smell of her blood would overflow my senses, and the delicious cooking would be long forgotten.

No matter how much I tried to resist the temptation, I was always too weak. In an instant, I’d be in front of her, my eyes filled with blood-lust, and no matter how much she begged me not to, I was unable to prevent myself from feeding off her.

That’s how I killed my wife.

The wretched woman in front of me, has forced me to relive the most haunting memory of my life for two hundred years. She dared to use her wicked, little spells on someone like me and it’s time she paid what she owed.

“You look awfully calm for someone who’s about to die,” I step forward, hands clasped behind my back. I don’t trust myself not to strangle her immediately, so I’m keeping my hands as far away from her as possible.

The rage bubbles deeply within me, and I don’t want to force it down. In fact, I want to let it roam freely; to satisfy the need I have for vengeance. But I need this to last. If I kill her now, it will be no different than letting her walk away.

Yvonne Valois will regret ever cursing me. I’ll ensure her life becomes as torturous as the curse she inflicted upon me, until she dies in a painful, pathetic death.

“Oh? I’m about to die?” She asks, blinking. The tone of her voice is annoying me more, if possible. The way she’s acting all innocent, as if I said something outrageous. Then, she chuckles.

This bitch dares to chuckle at me?

“I don’t think you’ll find this funny once I’m done with you, Yvonne.”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Lucifer,” she mocks, her voice dropping. She plops her chin on her knees, looking up at me, completely and utterly undisturbed that she’s staring in the eyes of death. “After all, I’m the one who lured you here, no? Do you really think I’m so stupid not to have safety measures in place?”

“Perhaps, but none of those little spells will help you.”

“If I recall correctly, it was those ‘little spells’ that put you to sleep.”

“You got lucky,” I clench my jaw, hating how quickly she managed to get under my skin. “There won’t be a second chance.”