This is Glek

Chapter 19: A Monster

Raja backed away from me. "I don't know you." He looked around, before hurrying inside.

What is going on? 50 years was a long time, but to completely forget about me. I chased after him and found Raja pressed against Eadwyn's side with the overlord's arm around him.

"What did you do to him?"

Eadwyn shrugged. "Nothing. I guess with time we forget some things."

I snatched Raja away and held the boy in front of me "Raja?"

He fought to get me off. "You're not supposed to touch me. Let go. My lord, tell him to stop."

"Raja!" I shook him.

He froze and just stared.

"It's me, Raja." I stooped down to his level. "It's Tobias. I came for you. I'm here to take you home."

His eyes met mine, and he quickly bowed his head. "It's you, then?"

"Raja." I grabbed his chin.

He turned his head sharply. "The devil. You're a horrible man. I won't go back with you!" He swung his arm down and broke away. "I hate you. You never should have come here." He ran off and disappeared through a set of doors.

Dread, panic, emotion I didn't even feel when facing a mission. "What have you done?"

"Nothing, Raja simply-"

I had my hand around his throat, alerting the entire room. Pets were practically scooting up the walls with panicked expressions. The guards appeared just as confused on what to do.

"Don't make me squeeze," I stated. "I don't have time to put a world back together. I just want my pet and to get the hell out of here."

He chuckled, showing signs of discomfort. "The Hollins' strength, it's as the rumors say."

I tightened my hold. "You're wasting my time."

"Killing me-"

Clenching my hand, I blocked his windpipe. A bit more, and I'd crush it. "When I let go, don't waste your breath on anything I don't want to hear." I relaxed when Eadwyn nodded.

"Could you?" He glanced at my hand.

I released him. "What did you do to him?"

He rubbed his throat. "He's stubborn. The only way to make him behave was to block his memories."

Block his memories! My fist flew at his jaw on its own. He toppled to the ground, landing on a slave sitting on a pillow. Blood dribbled over his lip. Wiping it, he peered up at me.

He altered with my pet's mind. My Raja, the boy who took me too damn long to get under control to start over now. Eadwyn ruined it all.

I rubbed my knuckles. "How far did you go back?"

"Erased all the good and left the bad from the last seven years. But even the bad is a bit hazy." He slowly stood, clasping his cheek. "You raised him. How else was I going to get him to submit?"

I cocked back my fist again, and he nearly fell over without me even hitting him. He was a coward, just like this father. Both hid from the fight while everyone else died to protect them.

"Undo it."

He shook his head. "I can't," he breathed. "I made it irreversible to less the chance that memories would leak through and eventually break the block. Fifty years and not one issue. I don't think I could undo it even if it could be reversed."

"I'm going to kill you." I grabbed the front of his shirt and slammed him into a pillar.

Eadwyn held up his hands. "Kill me, and you'll never get him back."

I took a deep breath, waiting for him to make a valuable point before I threw him off the balcony.

"Raja serves me. Kill me, and it'll make him hate you even more. It may not look like it, but life in my harem is much better than the brothels in the city. Raja knows this, and in his mind, I saved him from that life, and," he smiled, "from you."

Shoving him back, I paced across the room. "You've destroyed him." I tugged at my hair.

"No, I simply returned him to a time before he knew you personally. What he does know are a few vague memories and legends."

I turned to him. "Such as what?"

"Your fall from grace. How you killed his people, and god had to punish you. He took Raja away and banished you to live in hell alone. From his own memory, he remembers being a slave and having his honor ruined by a monster with red eyes." He motioned to my face. "You should have been nicer to him. Your own actions are the root of why he hates you."

"I will hit you again." I charged the man with my fist pulled back.

Eadwyn ducked behind a pillar. "You already will have to explain the bruise you left on my face. A hole in the wall might seal your fate, if you haven't already done so.

"Where is he? Take me to him now."

"Of course." He waved for a young girl holding a tray to come forward.

She was terrified. Her hands shook to the point the glasses were close to falling over.

"Take Tobias to Raja's room."

Nodding, she set the tray down. "This way."

Keeping a good amount of space between us, I followed her down the hall to a door at the end.

She bowed and moved out of the way. "This is his room."

"You can go."

She shuffled passed me, before running down the corridor. Breathing deeply, I knocked. No answer. I knocked again and didn't receive a reply, so I tried the handle. It wasn't locked.

I opened the door and slipped inside. Raja was sitting by the window with his head resting on his knees.

"I didn't say you could come in."

"You didn't say anything."

His head snapped up. He pushed back against the wall as I approached. "It is you. I know your eyes. I've seen them before. You're the devil."

"No, though you called me that before." I knelt down at his feet. "You know the truth, Raja. Somewhere in there, you know who I am." I touched the side of his head. "Why did you let it grow out?"

Raja jerked away from me. "It was your symbol. It was disgusting."

Clenching my hand, I withdrew it. "What Eadwyn has told you are lies. I've done nothing to this world or your people."

"Then why is everyone dead?" he said in a hushed voice. "Why do I remember being raped in a car?" he muttered. "You didn't make me filthy and steal me from my beloved, either right? You didn't do those things," he stated, his voice growing stronger. "You not a murder who kills men, shoots them, cuts off their heads. Right?" He narrowed his eyes. "Those are my memories of you, and I will never go back to hell." Taking a deep breath, he met my gaze. "I used to be terrified that you'd show up one day, but Lord Eadwyn said that you have no power here. You can't force me to go with you. God won't let you."

"Raja." I reached out for him.

He dodged my hand and escaped across the room. "I want you to leave. Go back to hell. I never want to see you again."

"No, not without you," I said firmly. "I came for you."

He glanced back at me with anger in his eyes. "I'd rather die than be with a monster like you."

Raja slipped into a side room, and I heard the lock click into place. I rose to my feet and just stared. Was this worse than finding out he was dead? I ran my hand down my face.

Seven months.

Seven months to get Raja to fall in love with me again, and this time, he knew all of my flaws.