The Devil's Temptation!

186 A Little Taste Of Pain

The forest grew silent once again, except for the non-stop wind that continuously rustled the leaves of trees and Anna felt stuck between making two tough decisions.

Looking at the devastated Gemma who just remained trapped in Luderick’s hold. The look in her watery hazel colored eyes were silently pleading for help, and it broke Anna’s heart in pieces at the thought of what must be going through her head.

If she eventually survives this, hopefully she’ll be able to snap out from the shock of everything that has happened here.

Frantically returning her gaze to the small red bowl on the ground, her eyes shifted to the knife beside it, bringing back images of when Luderick had stabbed her wrist with his own clawed fingers. The remembrance equally brought the pain, leading Anna to impulsively wrap her fingers around that wrist, and she couldn’t imagine herself going through it for the second time.

“This isn’t how to do things Luderick!” She shook her head, trying to reason with the demon whose brows confusedly pulled together in a frown.

“Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You’re even worse than a dying man.” She outrightly pointed his predicament at him, not in hate, but in obvious pity, “if you continue down this path then I can assure you that you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

“I’m a demon human,” he boringly reminded her, “demons are meant to be selfish, heartless, greedy for power, murderers. My late brother was everything put together, he did everything right until he decided to bring that half demon into this world.”

The resentment in his tone was enough to describe the hate he had for Roshan, “I’m not only after your blood human, I’m also out to destroy everything that mattered to that incompetent fool and watch him plead before me, just like he did when he was a child.”

“Call him a half demon if you want but you can’t force him to be one if he doesn’t want to.” Anna responded, not holding back her words as she wouldn’t take any foul words being said against Roshan.

.....

“That’s what makes him different from you,” she pointed an accusatory finger at him, “my Roshan is capable of fighting it whereas you are willing to succumb to the darkness brewing inside of you, and where has it landed you?”

Her question only made the look in Luderick’s eyes darken. ‘Her Roshan?’ seems like she really does remember being his mate, and as far as he knows, the Anna he once held captive was more of a cry baby than this.

Where did the sudden boldness come from??

“You need to watch the way you talk back at me, you human!!”

He threatened in a low deep tone that made Anna flinch. Slowly, he traced the tip of the silver blade along Gemma’s face that she closed her eyes tightly, feeling the cold thing move through her cheek to her jaw line and she shivered in fear, almost at the verge of crying again as tears trickled down from her eyes.

Instantly, Anna’s mind was brought back to the situation before her. She got so carried away with defending Roshan that she forgot little Gemma was still in Luderick’s clutches.

“If I give you my blood, will you let her go?” She quickly said before the lunatic did something treacherous.

She wanted to be sure that Luderick wasn’t messing with her this time around, and he nodded almost right away.

“You have my word.”

“But I don’t trust your words,” she admitted before narrowing her eyes at him, “how do I believe you’ll let her go once I give you my blood? Make me believe that you won’t hurt her once I give it to you.”

“I’m sorry but that is up to you.” He blatantly told her, “it’s either you take the risk and trust my words, or don’t and watch her young blood spill before your very eyes.”

Anna’s fist clenched by her side after hearing his response and she grew suspicious, her indecisiveness wasn’t letting her give in, but if she has to drop her blood like he said, then Gemma must be freed from his clutches.

Luderick, who still watched her movements with hawk eyes finally brightened when she made a move towards the bowl he had kept on the ground.

His eyes widened in delight after seeing her go on her knees before the bowl and pick up the knife.

Although Gemma couldn’t speak, she wasn’t blind or deaf to not understand what was happening and she shook her head, not wanting her favorite milkangel to spill her own blood for the sake of her.

“Stay still!” Luderick sternly said to the little one who was forced to remain still, and that caught Anna’s attention as she glared at Luderick, her own anger already displaying in her eyes but she chose not to say anything.

She has to be strong, she needed to prove to Luderick that she wasn’t the same woman he had sent his ugly minions to abduct.

Shifting her gaze towards Gemma, the look in her eyes finally softened and she assured the little one with a nod of her head, trying not to get emotional as well.

“Everything’s okay, just close your eyes for me okay?”

She shook her head, her tears flowing freely. She was too scared to even close her eyes and Anna tried to ease it for her with a smile.

“I’m here remember, or do you see me crying? Don’t be afraid and just close your eyes.... Or don’t you believe your milkangel anymore? If you listen to her words you’ll be free in no time, okay?”

The tears were already swimming in Anna’s eyes, but she didn’t let them drop so as not to please Luderick in any way. After considering her words, Gemma finally closed her eyes and there was a reason why Anna asked her to do it.

Returning her gaze to the small red bowl that was the size of a smallest cereal bowl, Anna slowly brought her hands forward, preparing herself for the pain she was about to experience and when she closed her eyes, she slit her palm with the sharp knife and bit her lower lip to stop herself from crying out in pain.

Her palm instantly started to bleed and when she opened her eyes, she watched as her crimson colored blood painted her fair palm. They ran down her fingers to her fingertip and began dropping on the bowl.

“Yes!!” Luderick was already rejoicing as he watched her sweet blood that scented alluringly drop to the little red bowl.

Sensing his distraction, Gemma opened her eyes to see what had happened, only to see Anna had indeed slit her palm and her eyes widened in alarm. Without thinking, she bit Luderick’s hand, leading the Happy demon to flinch as he yanked his hand away.

“Ouch!”

Immediately, Gemma escaped from his clutches and ran towards Anna who was still letting her blood drop to the red bowl.

Anna, who was busy dealing with the pain of her wounded palm, got distracted when she heard Luderick scream in pain, and when she turned her head to his direction to see what had happened, what she saw made her eyes lit up, when Gemma came running towards her and the next thing, she was hugging Anna who was surprised to see Gemma at her side.

“Gemma?”

Anna moved her bleeding hands from the bowl and hugged the little one back with her uninjured hand before pulling her back to look at her crying face.

“Are you alright?”

Gemma shook her head before trying to hold Anna’s injured palm with her own small hands, but Anna hid it, not willing to let her see something so bloody.

“Don’t worry about me, you’re alright and safe.” Anna didn’t know whether to cry or rejoice, but that thought was cut short when she met Luderick’s glaring eyes.

“You..!!..”

“Gemma, Run.” Anna immediately said to Gemma who was frightened by Luderick’s advances.

“Run now, hurry! Leave this place!”

At Anna’s word, Gemma immediately got to her feet and took off before Luderick could get his hands on her, leaving him and Anna alone in the forest.

“You aren’t–” he tried to violently grab Anna but unfortunately for him, Anna had sensed he’d come for her, which was why she got prepared and before he could touch her, she stabbed his wrist with the knife she had been hiding behind her.

“Since you love watching others in pain, I figured you’d have a little taste of it, now eat your own pain!”

“Arhh!!”

Luderick yanked his hands back as the blade of the knife had stabbed him deeply in his palm. Using the opportunity, Anna pushed him aside with all her might before running off in the direction where Gemma had followed.