TRAPPED BY THE DEVIL'S HEIR

REJECTED 2

We were walking through an umber-brown, ancient forest. It reeked of age. Its woody incense was from centuries of snapping branches crashing to the forest's floor and rotting silently.

The composting, organic smell rose in waves like a miasma. Every sprawling tree we passed under reminded me of a watchful guardian, a silent sentinel of the groves

The forest was primordial. The centuries-old trees with sprawling limbs guarded the darkness, blotting out any moonlight.

Clumpy combs of wet moss dangled from their rotten boughs. Underneath the moss, lethal larkspur peppered the mulchy floor.

A pungent tang oozed from every sentient being in the forest.

Bewailing sounds ghosted through the trees. Whether it was from the victim or victor, only the forest could tell. It was truly a place to make your veins freeze over.

Everything considered edible in another forest was nauseating here. It left you with the same, sickening taste of your own blood. It was a forest to be avoided.

I endured all of these still tailing behind the man before me. My legs grew weaker by the minute, my throat dry and my body exhausted from all of the walkings, yet it didn't feel like we were halfway through the forest. It didn't seem like we were close to our destination.

My pace was slowing down by seconds and I was scared I might not be able to keep up with his movements. I was scared I might get eaten by the animals or wild beasts in the forest.

"C... Can we rest a bit, I'm tired my Lord." I called out to see him pause in his steps. He turned around pacing towards me and my heart couldn't help but leap out of my chest at the sight of him. Have I done something wrong to offend him or does he want to kill me now?

I swallowed squinting my lashes at him when he stood before me. He tilted his body a bit to pick me up from the ground placing me on his shoulders.

My body stiffened at his action. I was being carried like a sack of tomatoes on his shoulders. But it was much better than walking with my aching legs. I had a lot going on in my head, and though I was calm, my head was in chaos.

I still couldn't believe I was married. I'm being carried by my monster husband who hasn't eaten me yet but will eventually do.

I had been so lost in my thought and only got out when I felt my legs touch the ground again. I turned my gaze from him to see a stream.

The turquoise-blue stream wounds its merry way through the forest. Babbling and burbling, it sprung over the limestone rocks in its way. Pebbles whisked about in the under wash like pieces of glitter. Streams are the liquid soul of the forest, and this one was glowing. 

Chords of soft light, speared down from above, bathing its surface in gold. It was glinting with little sparkles, like a thousand diamonds blessed with an inner fire.

A galaxy of dragonflies fizzed through the beams of light, wings a-glitter under the moonlight. The hedgerows were pregnant with berries that looked tasty and refreshing.

It's the first time I've seen something edible since we started moving. My stomach suddenly rumbled and cried for them.

They were far from my reach, but tall enough for him to plug some. I watched him drink water with his hands and it made me wonder if vampires drank water too, I was told they fed and drank blood alone.

He stopped drinking patting his wet hands on his clothes after using his hands to scoop about six rounds of water.

"Are you not drinking too, we have a long way to go?" He suddenly said meeting my gaze and I quickly stared at the water. My cheeks flushed that I had been caught staring at him.

The man before me looked dangerous at the same time I felt strangely safe around him.

I did as asked, I scooped the glowing water with both my hands before drinking from it. I felt it patch my dry throat as it felt wet again.

The monster beside me plugged the berries rinsing them with the water before handing them over to me.

"I'm quite full my Lord," I said quickly, rejecting the berry calmly even if I died to have them in my watery mouth.

"You don't seem like it, but if you say so." He threw them back into the river and I felt my heart drop. I wanted them badly to at least quench my hunger but at the same time I had to keep my pride intact.

I had no idea how someone can be so ruthless.

He walked up to me again but this time rather than picking me up, his hand grabbed the beads around my neck. My eyes widened at his action and in the blinking of an eye, I felt the beads splatter on the floor and some into the stream. The same happened to the bead on my waist, my legs, hands and head.

"You seem to be out of breath a lot, humans die if they don't breath," He said before picking me up in his arms.

I could feel my heart raising faster than before as I felt him place me on one of the rocks in the stream as he squat to my level. My feet were now in the water, it felt so good against my skin.

He raised my feet with his hands, "My lord." I called hesitantly staring at him with wide eyes.

His thumb caressed my feet and I flinched, but he was quick to keep me in place. I could feel his nail pierce into them before washing my feet with the water.

He picked me up again, placing me back on his shoulders and we continue our journey.