What Happened

“You sure are a sweet thing, aren’t you?”

Zero didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t say anything.

Charlotte watched the devil as he prepped for supper. She hadn’t asked him to, but he was already chopping vegetables when she returned from giving Ivy some of her dresses to leave for Sakura. It had been a similar view a couple of days prior when she woke in the sitting room and walked into the kitchen to find the devil and Ivy preparing the evening meal. The girl had informed the woman of the parasite’s demise and that Ren and Sakura would not be joining them that night.

“What happened after breakfast?” Charlotte had asked, everything after watching the girl wash dishes completely forgotten while the remnants of the loveliest dream still lingered in the far recesses of her mind.

Ivy turned to her, violet eyes glowing as bright as her smile. “You said you were tired and wanted to lay down. You fell asleep.”

“I guess I did,” she had agreed, any doubt fading from memory.

“Your work for The Kingdom must be so exhausting, and I’m sure this parasite situation has been stressful. I’m glad you were able to get some rest. While you were sleeping, I ran into your maidservant, such a nice woman, and told her that we could take care of ourselves and that she could go and be with her family.” The girl gathered a small stack of plates and utensils and walked to the woman, holding them out like a gift. “Would you please set the table?”

The slightest of naggings irked at the woman, demanding that she rebel against this infringement of her lifestyle and home. But the girl’s soothing gaze enclosed around her— like a cloth of silk and tranquility— and the urge was gone quicker than it came.

Charlotte smiled, one that was unlike any she had ever given. “Yes.”

And each morning and night that Ivy asked, Charlotte obeyed, never questioning why, never pushing back.

But tonight, the table was already set, something else the boy had obviously done. However, instead of three places, there were five.

“Are Ren and Sakura joining us tonight?” the angel asked, not actually expecting an answer. The boy had been quieter than a mouse since he had arrived, allowing everyone else to speak on his behalf.

“They should be,” Zero responded in his placid manner, his attention on the task at hand.

Charlotte blinked in surprise, taken by the deep softness of his voice. She had imagined that it would be harsher, even gravely perhaps, but it reminded her of the girl’s in the way it lulled her into a comfortable state of compliancy. “That’s good. It’s been two days. How long can someone sleep for?” She chuckled awkwardly before it puttered out to the clacking of the knife against the cutting board and the boy’s silence. “Would you like some help?” she offered a little too quickly in the attempt to fill the uncomfortable hush.

He stopped chopping and looked towards the angel with the raise of a white brow for a moment before resuming his preparation. “Do you even know how to?”

“Well, that was rude even if it’s valid.” The woman stepped closer to Zero and leaned against the counter. “You’re a very unusual devil. But I guess you’re not just a devil, are you?”

No response. Not even a twitch or indication that he’d even heard her at all.

“You really don’t talk much, do you?”

The boy took his time to respond, “I prefer to listen.”

“Well, we have that in common.” She also preferred watching, something she’d noticed he did, too. Always watching, always listening, always aware of everything around him. She could often feel those crimson eyes following her, analyzing her every movement, every expression. His ears picking up every little change in the tone and emotion in her voice as she spoke with the girl. It was peculiar to be on the other end, to have someone monitor her even closer than she did them. “Are you afraid of me?”

The abrupt question didn’t seem to faze him. “No.”

Charlotte tilted her head. “Do I make you nervous?”

“No.”

“Even though I’m an angel, a devil like you trusts me?”

“I never said that.”

Her lips curled in a fallacious simper. The devil’s honesty was refreshing. Angel’s were experts at suppressing their true intentions, and one would have to dig around all the many truths they spewed before finding the core to them all. It could be exhausting. “You must be either quite brave or quite foolish to accept my hospitality while feeling that way about me. I’m not surprised though. Ren never trusted me either. You remind me of him when he was when he was in The Guard: reserved and vigilant and cold.” The woman giggled at the hardly noticeable twitch in Zero’s eye. “You don’t like that comparison much, do you?”

He didn’t answer. It wasn’t worth a response.

“And yet, you trust him, an angel,” Charlotte continued, “a being that kills devils at every chance they get. But you’re obviously not concerned about him. You obviously think he’s different.” She sidled up closer to the boy and lowered her voice. “Not all angels are the same. You should know that if not for me, Ren would have never found you, and the angels that would ultimately be sent to kill Gostog would have done the same to you. I’ve had plenty of chances to expose who you are, and if I were to do so, I would be revered as a hero and Ren a traitor. But I don’t want that. On the contrary, I want to see what Lailah’s and a devil’s child has in store for this world. So, I’ll only repeat Ren’s terrible little story about you if the need arises. I’ll keep your secret.”

Zero continued chopping vegetables for several lingering moments— seeming as though he hadn’t heard the woman— before setting the knife down with a subdued clatter. “What’s foolish is that you think you have any say in what secrets you keep.”

“Now, now…” The unexpected voice had Charlotte spinning on her heels away from the devil and facing the man who stood in the entrance to the kitchen, talking to the boy but watching her with frigid, dark eyes. “That’s no way to speak to your gracious host. What do you say, boy?”

“I’m sorry,” Zero muttered a lackluster apology.

Charlotte was unable to register anything the boy had said due to the pounding in her chest. “I didn’t realize you were awake. How long have you been there?”

“Long enough,” Ren went to stand beside the boy, further separating him from the woman, and gathered the prepared ingredients before tossing them into a pan on the counter. “You sure talk a lot.”

“That’s because he talks too little,” she defended.

“Well, that’s something we can agree on.” He turned to the boy. “What are you making?”

Zero shrugged. “I’m just throwing whatever I can find together.”

“Ah, the ‘hope for the best’ meal. Very nice.” It was one they ate often though it was never the same. Always a surprise.

The boy nodded. “Is Sakura awake?”

“She is.” Ren ruffled his hair with a smirk, very much appreciative to the devil. “Her and Ivy should show up at some point, maybe, if Ivy wakes up. Then we’ll figure out what we’re going to do from here.” The man had been able to elude the fae’s clutches once she had finally cried herself to sleep, but the woman was still captured and unwillingly to possibly wake the girl in her attempt at freedom. He understood and wouldn’t get in their way, but it still was such a shame. The look Sakura had given had been so very nice, a prelude to all the other nice things she was willing to give.

It had been a real disappointment to have that interrupted.

But Ren had already waited this long.

He could wait a little longer.

He did enjoy the chase, after all.

And she was now just barely ahead of him, tempting.

All that was left was for him to simply reach out and grab her.

Zero was quiet as he cut the meat, but as he finished and added it to the pan, he looked at the dark-haired angel. “Who is that man you talked to?”

The angel’s brows went up as he was called away from his scheming, curious as to where this was going to lead to. “Cassiel? He’s some high up guy or something around here.”

“He’s a duke,” Charlotte corrected.

The man groaned, annoyed, “Who cares? You angels and your hoity toity words all the time, acting like you’re better than everyone with your bullshit make believe hierarchy determined by what inept infant is squirted out by who. None of it means anything.” He paused, debating on whether or not he should make the boy work for the answer he wanted. “Cassiel is your mother’s father, so your grandfather.” He’d give it to him this time. He’d earned it.

That explained the unfamiliar man’s staring and solidified the devil’s assumptions. “I’d like to speak with him.”

Ren nearly choked on the declaration. “You would?”

The boy was just full of surprises lately.

Zero grabbed the pan and took it to the stove, placing it on the flat surface and checking the fire underneath. “I would. But I don’t think you should be there. You two don’t seem to get along.”

He wasn’t wrong.

Ren watched as the boy made supper, stirring and flipping the contents of the pan as it sizzled and it’s tantalizing fragrance wafted around the room. It really hadn’t been that long ago since the boy could hardly do anything for himself, requiring the man to always care for him. Such simple things like washing his own hair and holding utensils properly were skill sets he didn’t possess and had to be learned. Getting him to speak more than a few words at a time was nearly impossible in the beginning.

He had been like a small child.

But like a child, he absorbed everything.

And before Ren knew it, his boy had become a man.

He was so proud.

“If that’s what you want.” The man nodded his approval. “There’s nothing The Kingdom can do about your existence now, and it’s not like there’s really anyone here to even try. You could destroy all of it.” His ocean eyes wide and hopeful for a show. “Just like a real devil.”

Zero continued cooking, emotionlessly dashing the angel’s aspirations. “I’m just going to talk to him. That’s all.”

Ren grumbled. The boy never wanted to have any fun. “Suit yourself. Are you going to be able to find your way through that hellhole?”

Getting to the outside of the castle would be no problem, but the interior was a completely different story. Zero may be able to recall where the angel had hidden all of his gold in the yard but winding through all those endless halls may prove difficult. “I’m not sure.”

“I can take you in the morning,” Charlotte offered. “I should catch up on some work before it gets out of hand, anyways.”

The boy glanced at the woman, thinking it over before agreeing. “Thank you.”

“That works, then.” The man grabbed plates out of a cabinet and set them beside the stove, his tone chipper. “I guess I’ll go get my sword and assess the damage.” Now he could get a good look at the devastation that his mother had left behind as a parting gift. “The girls can decide to do whatever they want.”

Zero began dividing the food, adding extra onto one plate. “Do you think they’ll come out to eat?”

Ren shrugged while handing a plate the Charlotte. “Who knows. Ivy was out like a light, and Sakura won’t leave her. They either do or they starve.”

“If you want, you can eat first and take them their plates,” Charlotte suggested, giving the hodgepodge meal an investigative poke with her fork. She took a bite, decided it was edible, and proceeded with the meal as the men did the same.

After they finished, Ren and Zero took their leave with plates in hand. They went to the room where the women were and quietly entered, finding Ivy still asleep as Sakura brushed her fingers through the girl’s hair and hummed gently to her. She looked up and her eyes went wide.

“Are you here to feed me?!” the woman asked quietly, trying not to wake the fae in her excitement.

“You know it.” Ren grinned and joined the famished fox on the bed, shoveling food in her mouth as quickly as she could eat it.

Zero looked at the sleeping girl and the plate in his hand meant for her. “Here.” He handed it to the man. “I don’t think Ivy’s going to eat tonight.”

“You’re probably right.” The girl hadn’t so much as fidgeted as he fed the demon, so the man didn’t think twice as he grabbed the plate and allowed Sakura to finish it. “I’ll go clean these up,” he said as he climbed from the bed and exited the room.

The woman smiled at the boy and sighed in defeat. “I don’t think she’s going anywhere tonight.”

“It doesn’t look like it.”

“Come on.” She nodded towards the large open space besides Ivy. “Get in. We’ll sleep here tonight.” How long had it been since the two hadn’t slept beside each other? She remembered those first nights after Ren had left for The Guard and how lonely it had been. Even though she had piled on the blankets, everything inside of her had felt so empty and cold, as if there was nothing left of her. And even as the years went by, the feeling never went away until his body returned to chase the chill away with his warmth. It seemed so cruel to do that to them, even for a night.

Zero considered the offer. “Are you sure? It’s your bed.”

Sakura rolled her eyes. “Yes, get your ass in here. This bed is three times as big as the tent and we all had no problem sleeping in there. If you’re that scared, I’ll throw a blanket over your head, and you can pretend we’re camping.”

The woman had a point.

The boy crawled in and laid behind the girl as the woman gently coaxed her from her arms. It didn’t take much before she was rolling over and clinging to the devil.

The woman observed the two, admiring the simplicity of their union. “You two certainly are different. Why is that, Zero?”

Crimson peered into emeralds. “I’m not sure.”

She sighed; not confident she would receive the answer she sought. “How did you get me out of Purgatory? How did you even get there in the first place?”

“I just followed you.”

“How?”

Zero thought on it carefully as he had done countless times over the last couple of days. “I don’t know. I just knew. Just something there that just… guided me. I’m not sure how to explain it.”

The fox looked at him tenderly and reached out, taking his hand in hers. “That’s okay. You don’t have to. Thank you for coming for me.”

His lips curved slightly. “Thank you for coming back with me.”

“Anytime.” She smirked. “Ren said your wings were out, but that you didn’t sleep afterwards. Aren’t you tired?”

“A little.”

Sakura gave Zero’s hand a tight squeeze before releasing him. “Then you should stop worrying about me and go to sleep.”

The boy nodded and closed his eyes, pulling the girl closer as he did so.

Sakura rolled onto her back to watch the sunset out of the massive windows across the room. It was still early, but even the idea of getting out of the bed seemed impossible, and at the moment, she much preferred listening to the synchronized breathing of the pair next to her.

In.

Out.

Always the same.

Never changing.

Just like every other night she laid awake listening.

Wondering.

How?

Why?

What?

The woman’s musings were interrupted by the opening of the door, its halting, and closing. Despite the distance, she could feel the man’s disdain from across the room and it only grew more suffocating the closer he got. She wanted to laugh, but she knew it wouldn’t be so funny once the whining began.

“The fuck is this shit?” Ren’s whisper was laced in ire as he got into bed next to the demon. “They have their own room. Why the fuck are they in my bed? Taking up my space?” It was one thing when it had only been Ivy, and he had ignorantly assumed that Zero would take her back to their room at some point. He hadn’t expected both of them to end up here for the night. It had taken an unacceptable amount of time for him to acquire separate sleeping arrangements, and yet, here they were, right back at square one.

Sakura couldn’t even look at the infuriated man. “It’s not your bed. It’s Charlotte’s. Or her father’s. I’m not really sure,” her whispers much calmer and more dismissive with a hint of amusement.

“I’m a fucking king. Everything in the heavens is mine.”

This could go on all night. “Okay. Sure. It’s yours. But they’re sleeping in it tonight.”

A growl rumbled low in the angel’s throat. “Every time we have a fucking moment this shit happens. I’m getting real tired of it.”

She definitely couldn’t look at him. The man was on the brink, and her laughing in his face was not going to help the situation. “I don’t know what moment you’re talking about.”

His eyes narrowed as his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her into him, trapping her, as he added distance between them and the sleeping couple. “You know damn well what moment I’m talking about.” His lips went to her ear.

She couldn’t ignore him now. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing you’ve never done. Now hush or you’ll wake them, and we wouldn’t want that.” And the whispers, just barely there, began. Revealing all of his future plans, some of which she had never even heard of.

Sakura stared at him in shock. “Where did you learn that?”

“You learn a lot of things when you’re busting down doors in the district, and I’ve busted down a lot of doors.” Ren grinned, and the whispers continued.

He was a man scorned one too many times.

And he would have his revenge.

And all she could do was listen.