The Faustian Love Bargain (COMPLETED)

Volume 2, Chapter 14

Anthony Smith looked at the stone in his hand. It was glowing red. Someone with power was holding onto it. He heard a knock on the door and his wife, Jean, entered. 

He put his hand under the table and smiled, “Are you not busy today?”

“What are you going to do about Mr Adam’s death?” She asked brusquely as she took a seat in front of her husband.

“I’m investigating,” he replied but Jean grew angry, “Anthony, someone as powerful as you and I killed Stephen. We are in grave danger.”

“No one can kill us,” Anthony shrugged but his hand tightened on the stone. 

“Nick told me things. He said that Stella is going to take revenge on you for killing her family. Why on earth would you bother with a human family?” Jean persisted.

“I told him I didn’t kill them,” Anthony said through gritted teeth. 

Two years ago, when he first met Elizabeth Marcus, she had asked him several uncomfortable questions. 

“There is something that I am curious about, Sir. Your family roots are extraordinary and there has never been “inter-breeding”. For a long time, your social circle has remained within a few families. It is strange. Could you explain that?”

“A miraculous coincidence, I suppose. Mrs Robbs, you have a bizarre interest in my family history.”

“Yes, I do. In fact, I have a great interest in your ancestor, King Fredrick. I read that his marriage was arranged and he had loved someone else. Of course, this was highly likely in the past. However, is it true that your marriage was arranged as well?”

Anthony bit his lip irritably, “Do you believe in love, Mrs Robbs? Because I don’t.”

She looked surprised and asked unwittingly, “Why not?”

“Suitability matters most,” he replied curtly and eyed the daring woman in front of him, “Do you have more important questions?”

She flipped her notebook once again nervously. “And Prince Gregory, do you think he died?”

He raised his eyebrows. “Why do you think I have answers to such questions?”

“Because you are hiding a family secret,” she replied quietly. Something close to fear shook him and he demanded, “What secret could that be?”

“A secret about attaining perfection in life and perfection in hiding death,” she challenged him further, “And a secret about conniving murders.”

Anthony cut her off angrily, “What rubbish! Do you have any evidence?” He called a few of his guards to take her out of his office and he never saw her again.

“Stella knows about our existence. Along with someone called Micheal Owell and Mr Rousseau,” Jean continued with a sigh, “Nick refuses to let me kill those people because he thinks you killed Stella’s family.”

“Micheal Owell?” Anthony repeated. He thought the name sounded familiar.

“Yes, he is in a relationship with the girl and he supports her when she kills souleaters,” Jean replied.

“Nick tells you many things,” he commented. 

“That’s because you refuse to talk to him,” she rebutted, “Just because he is different.”

Anthony looked away and breathed heavily.

“The curse comes every two hundred years. We both have no choice. You tried to remove the girl and he comes finding her. What can we do?” Jean was desperate, “We can’t kill an angel. You know that. But she can kill Nick easily. Why did you have to bother her? It was better if you had let them be! Do you think that you could have tampered with fate?” Jean started to cry in fear that her son was going to die under the hands of the angel. 

Two hundred years ago, as Fredrick looked upon the girl who had killed two souleaters and had been condemned as a witch, he had found her special. When she was thrown into the deep waters, he had teleported into the box and saved her. He found out about her murderous powers and he watched her daily while experimenting her powers on several souleater prisoners. As others grew suspicious about their relationship, he turned her into a royal concubine. Secretly, they exchanged love letters through pigeons and the girl would smile in glee as she read. Every night, she awaited for him to call upon her, and she would kiss him until she fell asleep on his shoulder. However, the princess soon found out about their nightly rendezvous and tortured the girl, who was tricked to believe that Fredrick had turned against her. 

Jean had tried to turn that ugly end. She had refused to touch that girl but she could not stop her husband from his folly ways. When Jean left, Anthony put the stone on his table and stared at it as it glowed. His wife’s words rang in his head. Stella was going to kill his son.