My Demon, My Love...: Changes of Heart
Removing the Burden

Azlyn stared into the darkness, growing delirious. She was not certain how long she had been trapped in this cell. It could have been hours, days, or possibly even longer; there was no way for her to know. Every so often, by no means on a regular schedule, someone would bring her a tray of trash to nibble at and this had been her only means of interaction.

Reve had not come to visit her again after their night together. Azlyn could not believe that he was truly serious about Hunter not being his child. How could he do this to them? How could he leave Hunter to defend for herself in this awful realm? After everything that they had been through to be together, he was going to give up, just like that. He had been willing to do whatever it took when his father had been king. Was he really so terrified of his brother’s wrath?

Or, was it all much simpler than that? Could it be, that Reve really had wanted to get rid of Azlyn all along? Cared enough not to see her killed, but not enough to want to stay with her? A child with her certainly would not have been in the plans if he had never been serious about her in the first place. Maybe the change in his personality was not from the grief of losing her, after all. Maybe this was who he had truly been all along. Maybe it was merely the influence of her and Teanna that had kept him from being his true, full demonic-self. Maybe he is happier now. Maybe he had never needed to her to save him as the Mystics had suggested. Maybe the Mystics were wrong.

At this moment in time, Azlyn felt a level of disgust with herself that she had never reached before. She hated herself; every minute detail about her. She hated Reve for turning his back on Hunter. She hated him for putting her through all that he had for nothing. She hated that she had ever believed him when he told her that he loved her. Lies! It had all been a pack of lies!

The thing that Azlyn hated the most, the thing that made her blood boil with rage, was that she had let Reve mark her. Now she had this permanent reminder on her body of her ignorance. Worst still, it allowed Reve unrestricted access to her most intense emotions; access that she did not want him to be privy to any longer.

Hunter was a different story, she made Azlyn happy. She had provided nothing but joy. It was not her fault that her father was so heartless, she certainly had not had a say in the matter. Hunter could have been conceived from a one-night-stand as easily as a loving, committed relationship. Hunter was a mistake that Azlyn would happily make again.

This damned mark, on the other hand, was something else, altogether. The mark was only given by a demon to his chosen mate; a mate that he should have for life. It was a sacred and ancient bond that meant more than any other in the demon realm, or at least, it was supposed to be. Reve had, clearly, given it to her under false pretenses.

Azlyn was overcome with the sudden urge to rid herself of the cursed thing. There had to be a way for her to remove it. If she was not actually meant to have it, then she did not deserve it, if she didn’t deserve it then she needed it gone.

In Azlyn’s desperation and delirium, she began reaching around to her shoulder, clawing at the mark with her nails. Maybe if she could peel away the layers of skin that the mark shown on, then it would be as if it was never there. Azlyn’s bloodshot eyes, stared ferociously into the dark, unblinking, as she continued scratching away.

Meanwhile, across the castle, several floors above, Reve unexpectedly doubled over in pain. A sharp jolt shot through his heart causing him to clutch his chest. He was not certain what was happening, and it caused him great concern; however, he was even more disturbed by the fact it had happened in front of members of the Demon Council. Despite the pain that coursed through him in waves, Reve managed to straighten himself. He desperately wanted to continue the meeting and he needed to save face. He had shown weakness, and this was unacceptable. He was the leader of the entire demonic military and he needed to present himself as such.

“As I was saying, gentleman…” Reve began again.

Despite his best efforts, Reve could not continue. The pain coursed through him again and he hunched over, clutching the table before him.

“Brother…are you alright?” Gedeon asked, feigning concern.

“Yes, I am fine. I just have not slept well lately. I am certain that it is just fatigue. It’ll pass after a good night’s rest.” Reve assured.

“Ah, too many late nights with Emilie?” Gedeon teased.

“Oh…yeah…uh…something like that.” Reve stammered

The truth was that Reve had not been able to sleep because he spent all of his free time trying to track down Hunter. He knew that rescuing the demoness was the most important thing, she would not survive long in this realm as a half-breed. He was tracking any lead that he could think of; starting with demons that were known for collecting humans and trafficking them into the demon realm. So far, he had turned up nothing, but he was determined to keep trying. Someone, somewhere, had to know something about the half-breed child with her shocks of white hair.

Reve often thought of Azlyn and could not stand the idea of her down in that cold cell, alone. Nonetheless, he could not bring himself to face her until he had some kind of information to give her about Hunter’s situation. His guilt gnawed at him, making it impossible to unwind.

Reve knew that he should not have been so hard on Azlyn; how could she be expected to explain how she birthed a demoness? He knew that she would not have willingly slept with another demon. The reality of the situation was that he knew that she had never had consensual relations with any other demon but him. He knew her history and her struggles better than anyone. Maybe she had been raped again and was too afraid to tell him. These thoughts plagued his mind as he spent his efforts focused on searching for the child.

A few days later, Azlyn’s dinner had just been delivered when she noticed an old, rusted spoon included with her tray. Azlyn no longer cared about the food as she tossed the tray to the side. This spoon had been exactly what she needed. Her nails were not doing a fast enough job and they could not get deep enough. Azlyn ground the spoon against the concrete floor of her cell. She wanted the edges to be sharp and jagged, this way they would cause maximum damage.

After several hours of this, the spoon had the desired texture, so Azlyn reached around and began dragging the sharp spoon against the already raw flesh where her mark lay. She cried out as the metal scrapped and shredded at her scratches, leaving tiny metallic flakes behind in the wound. She hesitated for only a moment, before continuing further. She wanted to be rid of this mark, and this was the only way that she could think to do it. Reve had betrayed her in the most unspeakable and heinous way, by choosing to leave their daughter to fend for herself. Azlyn wanted to break all ties with him. Blood began to pour down her back as she continued to tear away at it without remorse.

Reve had been unable to leave his quarters for the past several days. His heart ached, and he was uncertain why. He had been to see the physician, but he was unable to find a cause. The physician had recommended sleep as the prescription for Reve’s condition, blaming the pain he was experiencing on exhaustion, however, Reve suspected that there was more to it than that. He was beginning to worry that this may be connected to Azlyn somehow. Maybe, in his cruelty, he had broken something in their bond. After all, none of this had started until after he had abandoned her in the cell; leaving her to believe that he did not intend to help her child. Before that, he had been in perfect health.

Reve paced back and forth across his room; debating whether or not to go to Azlyn. He wanted to be with her so badly. He wanted to apologize for lashing out at her about Hunter. He longed for her arms around him and that electrifying touch that he felt when his skin caressed hers. He wanted to assure her that he would do everything in his power to find Hunter. He suspected that all his pain and anguish would disappear if he would just stop being so stubborn and talk to her again; explain himself. Unfortunately, this was easier said than done.

Reve’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his bedroom door. He had no desire to see anyone at the moment, but he figured he would oblige his visitor, at least, momentarily. He strolled over to the door and opened it just enough to reveal his face.

“I am supposed to be resting. What do you want?” Reve demanded of the being outside of his door before looking to see who it was.

“I know. I heard about your chest pain. It is part of the reason that we have come.” Kane responded.

“Part? We?” Reve questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

Suddenly, a bold demon who kept his face covered pushed his way past Reve and into the room without waiting for an invitation. Kane followed the strange demon and closed the door behind them as Reve looked on in confusion. He could scarcely believe that some unknown demon had been so daring with him, no one behaved so disrespectfully in his presence. The stranger began searching the room, obviously, looking for something specific.

“Can I help you?” Reve, derisively, asked the stranger as he peeked his head into Reve’s bathroom.

The strange demon stopped his search and looked back at Reve with a furrowed brow. He pulled the cover down from over his nose and mouth; finally revealing his face. Reve stared in shock as he looked at his friend Dalair for the first time in six years.

“Where is Azlyn?” Dalair demanded. “Has she not made it to the castle?”

“She’s in the castle, but she’s not in here. She’s being held down in the dungeon.” Reve informed them.

“What is your wife doing in the dungeon?!” Kane challenged.

“She is being held there until an appropriate punishment can be determined for the crimes that she has committed.”

“Crimes?! What crimes?!”

Reve looked as though he was about to speak, but instead he just stopped and shook his head. He walked over to his bed and plopped down hard on the edge. He put his head in his hands and leaned his arms on his knees. He stared at the floor for a good minute or two before speaking again.

“I…I don’t know.” Reve sighed. “I am so conflicted, and I don’t know what to do anymore.”

Kane sat down next to Reve and put his hand on his shoulder. Dalair merely stood across the room with his arms crossed, staring daggers at him. He was furious that Azlyn was being treated this way; she had done nothing wrong and was being treated badly because of one of Reve’s whims. Reve was not the demon that he had remembered. This was unfair, and he would not stand for it; he certainly would not show Reve any sympathy, as far as he was concerned, Reve was the villain in this situation. Dalair had come to care a great deal for Azlyn and Hunter while he had been responsible for them for the past two years. Azlyn had come to this terrible place seeking assistance from her husband, her life mate, in rescuing their child and this is how she is treated?!

“Tell us, what is going on with you, brother? Maybe we can help you sort through whatever is happening here?” Kane offered.

Dalair huffed and rolled his eyes. He had no interest in helping Reve. He only wanted the information on where to find Azlyn, so he could get her out of here and they could focus on what was most important, finding Hunter. However, Dalair’s demeanor softened, slightly, when Reve lifted his head and tears could be seen streaming down his face.

“I-I love h-her. I love her so much that it…literally…h-hurts.” Reve breathed.

Dalair walked over to Reve; sitting on the opposite side of Kane. Coming to the aid of his oldest friend, fighting the desire to punch him in the face. He may have been on Azlyn’s side until the end, but it did not mean that he did not care about Reve. He had known Reve long enough to know that he never cried without good reason.

“That is why this is so hard.” Reve continued. “I am filled with so many conflicting emotions.”

“What are you conflicted about? It sounds pretty straight forward to me. If you love her, then you need to do what it takes to be with her, to protect her.” Dalair stated, firmly.

“You are right. I know that you’re right. It’s just…” Reve hesitated before beginning again. “I don’t think that I can survive losing her again. I barely survived this last time when I believed that she had perished. Her life is in too much danger all the time; there is no way to guarantee her safety. I really feel that I would, literally, die if lost her again.”

Dalair and Kane knew that Reve was right on this point. The mate bond was a strong one that should not be taken lightly. It was extremely common for the surviving mate to follow their partner to the grave fairly quickly. The fact that Reve had survived, at all, had really been a testament to his strength.

“Reve…you cannot allow fear of losing someone keep you from being with them altogether.” Kane spoke, softly, trying to sound encouraging. “You will never know any sort of happiness if you live your life in fear of what may come. You are a soldier, you know better than anyone that life is full of risks. But haven’t some of the biggest risks that you have taken on the battlefield, paid off with the greatest rewards?”

Reve thought about Kane’s words. He was not wrong. He had to take unbelievable risks in war and these, sometimes, involved hundreds of demons lives at a time. However, many times, he had seen great victories come from such risks.

“What about…the child?” Reve whispered.

“Hunter? She is still in danger and we need to find her immediately.”

“I have been searching for the child already. I have not had any leads so far. It is just that…” Reve paused, unsure if he should admit his thoughts out loud. “I don’t…I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know if I am demon enough to raise the child of another demon. Especially, one who may have taken advantage of my wife in order to create his half-breed offspring.”

“Are you seriously still on this, Reve?!” Kane groaned, shaking his head.

“Well, you explain it, Kane? We have never had a demoness born in our bloodline! Now I am just supposed to accept that because Azlyn is a human that it changes centuries of royal genetics.”

“Yes. You are. Because that IS what happened.” Dalair asserted.

“How? How can you be so certain? There are demons in this realm with similar features to our family. I am just supposed to accept that Hunter is mine based off of, what? The fact that this demoness looks similar to me?”

“Well, if you cannot base it off of the fact that you trust Azlyn, as I know that you do. Kane and I have taken it upon ourselves to provide proof that Hunter is, indeed, your child.”

“Proof? What proof?”

“We collected a sample of Hunter’s DNA from her belongings while we were in the human realm. We figured that Azlyn might need help convincing you. We brought the DNA with us and had a specialist here, in the demon realm, compare Hunter’s DNA with my DNA; the process is called an avuncular DNA test which is a paternity test performed without the presence of the father. It proved that I am, without a doubt, Hunter’s biological uncle. She IS your daughter.” Kane explained.

Reve was floored by this revelation. There was a small part of him that had suspected that he was Hunter’s father, especially, after he had seen the pictures of her. There had been an even larger part of him that hoped that he was Hunter’s father. But until this moment, he had not allowed himself to actually believe in the possibility. He was too busy guarding himself against further heartbreak to allow himself to accept the truth.

“I…I am…I am a…a father…” Reve stammered, barely able to form the words.

“Here are the results if you want to see them.” Kane offered as he pulled an envelope from his jacket.

Suddenly, Reve jumped up from the bed, brushing Dalair and Kane away from him as he did so. He did not need to see the proof, he already knew it was true, he had known it all along, he merely needed confirmation and he had as much as he required. He rushed to his closet and began digging through his clothes until he found what he was looking for. Then he emerged from the closet clutching what appeared to be a photograph.

“What is that?” Dalair inquired.

“It…It’s my daughter.” Reve responded with a large grin spreading across his lips.

Reve walked towards to bed to show the picture to Kane and Dalair, but he was stopped by an, overwhelming, burning sensation coming from his shoulder. Something was wrong, very wrong. Though he knew that the problem was not with him.

“Azlyn!” Reve cried out.

Azlyn was in immense pain. Reve’s first thought was that someone was harming her. Without another word, he rushed out of the room, full speed, beginning to transform to his primal-self as he ran.

Dalair and Kane both looked at each other, confused, for a second. Neither was quite sure what had happened. They both quickly jumped up and ran after Reve. They were not certain what was going on, but they wanted to be there in case, either, Reve or, more importantly, Azlyn needed them.

When everyone arrived at the dungeon they were met with an unexpected sight. One guard stood just outside Azlyn’s door and, as they approached, another guard could be heard inside the cell. Reve was furious, jumping to the conclusion that the guards were assaulting her. However, as he pushed the first guard out of the way, so that he could attack the one who was in the cell with Azlyn; Reve quickly realized that the guard was not harming Azlyn at all, surprisingly, he was talking to her.

“Give me that rusty spoon, dammit!” The guard demanded. “The Prince would not be happy about this, not at all!”

“You get the hell away from me!” Azlyn cried. “You have no idea what I am going through!”

“You are just delirious from the rotten food and dehydration, not to mention, blood loss. Stop being so stubborn! Give me that spoon and I will consider keeping this incident from the Prince.” The guard offered.

“I don’t care what you do. I do not care what any of you damn demons do.” Azlyn asserted.

“Come on now, the Prince would have my head if I allowed you to continue this.” The guard begged, using every ounce of patience that he possessed. The guard knew how important Azlyn was to Prince Reve and he was not going to be blamed for her wounds or mistreatment. The Prince was known to kill for much less than that.

“The Prince doesn’t care about me. You are wasting your time. Now run along and find someone else to annoy.” Azlyn sneered.

“Now, you listen here…” The guard growled, raising his voice.

“That will be enough!” Reve commanded, snapping the guard to attention.

“Prince Reve, sire!” The guard sounded off with a salute. “This prisoner has mangled herself. I am merely trying to remove the instrument with which she was using to do so.”

“Thank you.” Reve nodded. “Please, go and fetch the physician. I will take it from here.”

The guard quickly skirted around Reve to exit the cell and rushed off. He did not want to be anywhere near when Reve saw the wounds on the slave that he had once considered his mate.

Reve walked closer to Azlyn to assess the situation. He could smell the blood on her and noticed the corresponding stains running down her left side. In her right hand she held an old, jagged-edged spoon that was also drenched in her blood. Reve was very disturbed by the scene before him, he could scarcely believe that she would do this to herself.

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