Hell's Consort-Chapter 929 [Side Story] 12 [Not Here]

Newest Chapter for Highest Tier (July 2022)

************************

Archdemon Empress Luna

***********************

Luna had a nightmare that night.

She had woken up with a start and bolted upright from the king-sized bed, breathing hard.

She was surrounded by inky darkness and she was all alone in the marriage suite.

She couldn't remember what her dream was about except the fact that it was all about Apollyon.

Her tears had welled up and her throat had also felt sore from crying and pleading for the anyone to save her husband.

She knew Apollyon was with her in that dream but for some reason, she couldn't seem to look him in the eye. Luna kept turning her back on him every time he tried to face her and she couldn't understand why she did it.

Did her dream self feel shame and humiliation every time she faced him?

She had no idea why she was avoiding him in her dream when she should have been so desperate to be with him every chance she got.

Luna shook her head to clear her mind of the anguish, covered her face with trembling hands and laid her back down on the bed.

Half-an-hour later, her quilt were all rumpled from all the tossing and turning she did as she tried her best to sleep again.

Too late, ominous thoughts had continued loom over her consciousness.

She pondered all of the horrible fates that could possibly befall on her mate, her twin daughters and the Vampire Kingdom and it had kept her awake for another half hour.

She kept convincing herself that these fears weren't real.

That these were just figments of her imagination.

Yet, hours of combatting sleep deprivation had turned her worst fears into monstrous proportions.

At this rate, it was impossible for her to sleep again.

She climbed out of bed, approached the window and parted the curtains brought it to the side.

It appeared like the dawn hadn't come out yet.

The night was as dark as her soul and Apollyon's absence had caused it.

Luna realized that Apollyon was right.

She recalled the times when she had just returned from Hell to the Material Realm after uncontrollable forces had forcefully separated the two of them.

Compared to her, the Vampire King had endured far more.

This was what he originally wished and fate had been cruel to them.

Apollyon didn't want her to suffer than he had already experienced but him, losing his memories of her, was the worst punishment.

It made her lose hope and faith of the goddess she served.

Sadly, she had no one--- no Apollyon---to comfort her and keep her company.

It was a difficult year of enduring loss and grief for her mate and feeling guilt, shame and dread for her daughters that had almost sent him into a downward spiral.

Yet, she couldn't afford to go insane and leave Leo and Tria in her Familiars' care.

Those Archdemons weren't sane, either.

"I need to get out of here." Luna muttered as she pulled the curtains towards the center.

Perhaps, discussing urgent matters in the Vampire Kingdom with Ravin would do.

Hopefully, that Fae Prince would have returned at the castle by now after a harrowing day's work of fixing the structures and bridges that had been destroyed due to Luxen's invasion.

Sloth told her that Ravin worked hard in taking over Apollyon's responsibility temporarily and she was truly grateful for his efforts.

However, that didn't mean her Familiar was the better option now just because her husband had lost his memories.

+++

Luna knocked thrice.

Then, she dropped all reservations and straight up hammered the wooden surface like it was her enemy.

"Ravin. Let me in." She called out as she pressed one ear on the door, trying to pick up subtle movement on the other side. " Are you in there?"

Someone opened the door and her knuckles almost knocked that person's windpipe if she hadn't stopped herself. 𝘧𝚛𝗲𝘦𝚠𝙚𝙗𝙣o𝙫𝗲𝚕.𝐜o𝓂

"Sloth?" Her brows furrowed as she dropped her hand to her side. "It's you again."

It wasn't who she expected at all but she suppressed the urge from going back.

"Oh?" After rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Sloth perused her face, the column of her throat, her low neckline and her bare feet peeking from the hem of her night gown in a daze. "You don't look happy to see me."

Of course, she wasn't happy to see him.

They just saw each other at the Nursery Room a few hours ago before they went on to separate ways.

"What are you doing here?" Both asked the same question in unison.

Luna briefly noticed that the silk shirt and breeches he had worn this afternoon were unbuttoned.

He must be too lazy to change into the comfort of sleeping garments so she kept her gaze strictly on his face. "Did you sleep here?"

He must have had before she bothered him.

Sloth leaned his forearm against the wall and glanced down at her. "I was about to. I'm waiting for my brother in this room to pass your message but he hadn't arrived yet."

"Where do you think he is?"

"The Legion must have continued stacking magic bricks on the remaining areas of the fortress that had been knocked down. He had to monitor them so I assume he will return by morning." He replied, dragging his fingers through his messy blond hair that looked like a bird's nest. "I'll be staying here to wait for him, though. You did tell me that you wanted to talk to him as soon as possible."

"Do you think it's almost done?" She asked, biting at her finger nail.

"Yes. He wanted to finish it as soon as possible." He tilted his head and watched her carefully. "You still didn't tell me why you're here."

She avoided his gaze and muttered, "I wanted to talk to him."

"As you can see, he's not here." Sloth even opened the bedroom door even wider to prove that. "If it's urgent, why don't you summon him back here using his true name?"

Silence reigned.

Should she?

"I'm sure he will come to you if he knows you need him."

"No. No." She looked at him, waving a hand in dismissal. "It's not that urgent anyway."

It wasn't like she was asking Ravin to help her sleep. 𝙛r𝚎𝐞𝑤𝚎𝗯𝗻𝗼𝐯e𝚕.𝒄𝐨𝓂

In addition to that, the bastard might get the wrong idea.

She sighed, whispering, "I should go."

He arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure you don't want to come in?"

"I'd better go back to my room." She lied.

Luna actually planned to go outside the castle to see what Ravin had been doing all this time.

She turned to the left and started walking along the corridors when she felt a cold hand on her shoulder.

She gasped in surprise.

"That isn't the direction of your room, Lune. "

When she glanced behind her, she realized it was Sloth.

"Are you a ghost? I didn't hear you at all."

She couldn't believe that her senses had dulled when it came to her Familiars.

"You look sick and pale." He pinched the dark circles beneath her eyes with his fingers and added, "You can't go there alone. Let me get a cloak for you before we take the Pegasus from the stables to visit him."