Chapter 161
He didn’t blame Azazel for thinking he sounded completely stupid right now, on the contrary, who in their right mind would wish death for themselves? But then again, his uncle didn’t call him a psycho for nothing.
According to the scroll, the curse can only be reversed as long as someone else is willing to reap the curse for themselves, and since Anna’s safety has become his number one priority, he’s willing to sacrifice his life to make sure she stays alive.
Yes, he’s crazy enough to decide something like that.
“Will you do it?” He pushed on, returning his gaze to Azazel and the white-haired demon was more than tempted to punch his brother in the face, just maybe, he might come back to his senses after receiving a few blows.
“Hell no!” He refused without thinking twice, but it only made Roshan click his tongue in visible annoyance. He might be asking for a favor but neither does he fancy the idea that he’d be refused so abruptly.
“You do know that response won’t work for either of us, Azazel, you’re going to do it, if it appeals to you or not is basically your own cup of tea.”
He clarified, leaving no space for arguments and suddenly went back to staring at the darkened sky again.
He shoved his hands into the pocket of his breeches, enjoying the scenery in front of him but if he even bothered to steal a glance at Azazel’s direction, just once, he’d see for the first time the genuine concern that portrayed his imperturbable face,
.....
“Forgive me but I won’t partake in this ‘favor’ you’re asking of me.”
Azazel also turned away, feeling upset and visibly conflicted about the absurd favor Roshan had brought to him without warning. This was why he never wanted Roshan to figure out the truth about the mark from the beginning, because he was fully aware that the reborned Aveline would eventually be the death of him someday.
He had kept all the truths related to the meteor mark sealed, so how did Roshan even figure it out???
“Why don’t you like her?” Asked Roshan whose mind had equally been rampaging on how many times his brother had constantly refused to help Anna get better.
“This is not a matter of likes Roshan.”
“Then what’s the issue? As far as I’m aware, it’s my life, why are you so worked up about it?”
“Because.... I didn’t want to say this before but since you’re willing to force it out of me, then I’ll tell you.” He finally dropped his guard, rubbing his temple slowly and gently as though trying to keep his brain in check, but the main reason for it was to buy himself some time to compose himself.
Exhaling through his nose and staring idly at the sky, he began.
“Anna’s soul is a special soul, you’re very much aware of that by now,” he licked his lips and let out a soft hiss, like he felt cold, “her soul left the limbo due to the unexplainable blast that happened while you away in Euphrasia.”
“And just like every other victim who was unfortunate enough to bear the meteor mark, they’re days in the world are numbered so they can return, but Anna’s soul is different.”
Roshan, who was resting against the edge of the balcony and paying attention to Azazel’s words, lifted a brow in puzzlement.
“I don’t understand.”
“In her past life, Anna.... Anna was Aveline.” He confessed, lowering his gaze and trying to force himself to keep speaking.
Meanwhile, time seemed to slow down for Roshan who’s eyes momentarily widened at his brother’s confession and he instinctively moved away from the edge. The look on his face didn’t fail to hide his shock and just hearing Anna being referred to as Aveline made his soul shake and waver in a mystifying way.
Without giving him time to recover, Azazel continued, “Anna was Aveline and if my memories aren’t playing games with me, she wasn’t just Aveline, she was a half demoness, just like you.
“She was special even in her past life, Aveline was nothing more but a strong woman who fought for what was right and as many admired, they were equally haters too. She possessed a sword, gifted to her and she used it well, until one saddened day when things went out of control and she had to kill herself to sustain peace, knowing her presence would cause impending doom.”
“Wait_wait....hold up...” Roshan spoke up, his head was currently banging at the moment and the more Azazel kept speaking made different flashes rain on his head, it was too much! But then...
Anna was Aveline???
His heart sped uncontrollably as the locket in her old home flashed in his eyes, the times he had impulsively called her Aveline without knowing who bore the name and all this freaking time, it was actually Annalise.
“How do you even know this?” He wasn’t asking, his tone was demanding as he took a step towards Azazel who remained rooted to his spot, unfazed and barely bothered about the incoming anger he sensed in Roshan.
“Sometimes the heart knows what the mind refuses to accept.” He lifted his gaze to look at the visibly dumbstruck Roshan.
“She was your mate.”
What happened next happened too fast and all Azazel knew was that he was roughly backed against the wall, the side of the jaw felt soar, as though he got punched on the face and he believed that was the case when he spat out blood.
“Tell me everything!” The look in Roshan’s eyes burned with untold fury as his eyes turned bloody red, the more Azazel revealed it to him, the more the flashes appeared vividly in his head and all he could see was Anna’s smiling face, even as she dropped dead with blood flowing from her stomach and staining her white dress.
“Tell me!!” He raged, his eyes were almost watery, but Azazel just licked the blood from his lips, avoiding Roshan’s stare but if he wanted to be honest, that blow hit him hard.
“I’ve told you,” he admitted, “Anna was once your mate.” He repeated it, and it took a lot of self-control not to smash the Demon against the wall.
“You knew all this time, yet you fucking kept it to yourself!!”
“What should I have done?” His blue eyes glinted with a sudden seriousness that stunned Roshan for a few seconds, and he continued.
“No one except me understands fully what losing Aveline did to you and your health, you lost it completely to the point your memories of her had to be wiped out. You loved her so much that it ruined you completely, you were like a dead man walking and nothing could be done to get you back together.”
He sighed, already feeling like an emotional mess, “I don’t understand human emotions but Levi and I knew how difficult it was for us to get you back, but then your mother and your sister, they died due to the sword and you were trapped.”
“You came home all of a sudden, with Aveline in your arms that Levi and I found it difficult to believe she was Aveline. Levi was ecstatic to tell you everything when he figured it out, but then she bore a meteor mark and her life span was cut short. Tell me, did you expect us to still reveal the truth to you after what you made us experience when you lost her once??”
Azazel’s tone wasn’t so calm anymore as he countered back, “I have no regrets keeping it from you cause out of every person living in this damned palace, you’re one of those people I seriously care about so go ahead and kill me if you want, but I am not fulfilling that absurd favor of yours.”
A silence that seemed heavy and dark, filled the air the moment Azazel was done, and every moving thing was brought to a halt and nothing seemed to work as they refused to break their hard stubborn gazes.
Azazel had already expected the worst but to his bewilderment, Roshan slowly freed his collar and moved back, giving the demon some space to recover from the tension and all he had just poured out.
Glancing at the entrance of the balcony, Levi stood there, frozen in shock as he seemed to have witnessed everything that took place.
He could tell the hit had affected Azazel in some way and when he wanted to step in and make sure both brother’s were alright, Azazel shook his head, signaling with his eyes for Levi to keep a distance.
He didn’t want to leave but seeing Azazel send him a warning glare, he dejectedly lowered his head and left the balcony.
When he was finally out of sight, a certain someone stretched out his hand for him, leading Azazel to look up and when he did, it was Roshan.
“Let me help you.”
“I’m not a weakling like you, I can help myself up.”
“I know.” Roshan didn’t argue, his eyes were back to normal but he didn’t take his hand away, still offering it to Azazel who finally held it in a brotherly manner and lifted himself up to his feet.
“How’s your jaw? I must have hit it too hard for a weakling.” He tsked, but that succeeded in revealing a small smile on Azazel’s lips.
“Bastard.”
“I hate you too.”
Rolling his eyes at Roshan’s response, he was about to say something when an exciting girly scream interrupted them.
Looking below, it was the demoness and Roshan’s mood slowly dissipated, hearing them call at him but then, his eyes landed on the bridge they stood on, leaving his brows to knit together.
“Hey Azazel, didn’t the gardener complain about the bridge~”
*CRACK! SPLASH!!*
Roshan wasn’t even done speaking when the bridge broke and sent the demoness falling into the water below. Both their eyes widened at the sight and suddenly.....
Pfft!!
Roshan was the first to break the chain of laughter and no sooner, Azazel joined.