Devouring love

by Serafina Daniel

  “Well, Mr. Offman will have another mission; to teach you how to speak,” he sounded irritated.

  I had a desire to open my mouth and tell him that I could speak and no one needs to teach me that. But somehow I killed it.

  I closed my eyes. In my mind I begged for Merdian to come into the room and be with me. I missed him.

  “I am really happy that you are with us again,” this time he put a smile on his face. This time his smile seemed warm and sincere.

  And then he left the room. Even if he wasn't my most favorite person in this world, I still didn't want him to walk out from the room. I was alone for so long that the only thing which I wanted now was to be surrounded by many people and animals.

  I sighed and dropped my eyes to the ground, then I lifted them to the window. I couldn't say that it was far away from my bed, but that short distance could become my biggest nightmare. I wasn't strong enough to stand on my feet. After all, I needed so much strength only to move my body in a sitting position.

  “I won't give up,” I said to myself and started lifting my hands up an down. I needed to make my body stronger. I had a feeling that something bad will happen and I needed to be prepared for that.

  Caspar

  Mr. Patrick Spring was standing in front of me. I could feel power spreading from him. I tried to look confident in front of him, but it was really hard thing for me, because my body didn't want to listen to my orders. My body was shivering and I could bet that my voice would tremble if I open my mouth.

  It was the first time I saw him after Melody being awaked. Even if I knew that I had done my job, something in my head was whispering that it was just the beginning of something bigger, something dangerous.

  “I am really glad that you managed to do your job better and quicker that Melody's previous doctor,” he said as he took a seat in front of me.

  “I did my best,” I looked everywhere accept at him. I knew that if we lock our eyes, I won't manage to say a word at him this minute. Why was I suddenly feeling so small and vulnerable in front of this man? I did what he had asked from me. I shouldn't feel guilty or ashamed in his presence. But here was the problem, I was, because I wanted what I knew I could never have.

  “Yes,” he nodded. Now his sincere smile became a cunning one. “But your job hasn't finished yet,” he put his hands on his stomach.

  I narrowed my eyes. Yes, I should have expected something like that. I had proven that I was a professional and not some kind of pretender. So, why should The Spring family throw out a golden coin and take a silver one?

  “What else do you want me do?” I asked politely, although I wanted to yell at his face and say that I wanted to take one long holiday.

  “Melody doesn't speak. So, you have to help her speak again. Not to mention, you must put her back on her feet,” he lifted his hand up to silence as he noticed that I was about to open my mouth and say something “I know that she won't be the same Melody as we have once known her,” sadness lived in his words. “But she will be the same to Merdian. So, do everything what you can to help her adapt to the life,” and he stood up. He didn't let me say anything more and that had insulted me. Yes, he had money and power, but it didn't give him right to act like this with me.

  But I slammed myself in my mind and swallowed my anger. I didn't need to have an enemy right now and especially Mr. Patrick Spring.

  I spent an hour just trying to create a plan how to help Melody. Okay, she could speak. One problem solved. Right now I needed to find out her mental state: was she insane or not. The fact that she could hear everything during her sleep wasn't much promising thing.

  I could only hope that everything could be fine with her brain. It was a pink elephant's dream, but still, I had that thought in my head and I prayed for it like it was my GOD.

  I stood up and walked to the window. The days were getting warmer and warmer every day. Soon the summer would start, but I doubted that I would have my holiday. I could barely remember the last time I did nothing but just rested on the grass and stared at the fluffy white clouds.

  Someone knocked on the door, bringing me back to the reality which I wanted to be alive only that I could kill it.

  I turned around and told that someone that he could come in. The door immediately opened and Chelsea entered inside. In her hand I noticed a cup of coffee. She knew when I really needed one.

  I smiled. She put a smile too on her face but it was bigger and more alive than mine.

  “Hard day?” she asked as she extended her hand to me with the cup of coffee.

  “Yes,” I nodded and looked at the dark liquid in the cup. From my studies time I knew that the coffee was destructive to health, but I didn't care this minute. I needed its magical powers this moment. “Mr. Spring gave me another job and I doubt that I would be able to do it,” I sat over the table. Chelsea also took a seat.

  “I believe in you. You managed to wake that girl. Melody, right?” I nodded. “No one else could do that. So, you shouldn't devalue yourself. You are a fantastic doctor.”

  I sipped my coffee. She said only what I really needed to hear this moment; encouragement not to give up and do whatever those rich people would want me to do.

  “To wake her was one thing, but to make her the same person as everyone used to know her...” I shook my head. “No. I am really not a wander-maker.”

  She lifted one corner of her lips up in sympathetic. She had the same thought about Melody's mental state.

  “Just try,” she said and stood up. “A person who doesn't even try to win is a bigger looser that the one who actually tries,” and she walked out from the room. Yes, she said the truth. One way or another, the result would be the same, but at least I could tell everyone that I did what I could.

  Melody

  “How are you?” Merdian asked me. He was wearing a huge smile on his face, his eyes were shinning so brightly that I even thought they could lighten up this all room. He was so happy to see me awaked, alive. I was excited too. The darkness was finally defeated. At least I hoped it was.

  My doctor came every day into my ward to give me special medicine only to make sure that my mysterious illness wouldn't do its dirty job. Every time he tried to find out something about me and the possible reason why I was in here in the first place. But I decided not to talk with him anymore until I would really have something important to tell him.

  Every time he left the room sad and a bit angry that I didn't want to talk with him and to make his job easier. I perfectly understood that I was making his life a hell. After all, he was working to The Spring family and both of the leading men wanted perfection and control. My doctor should be feeling like a dog which was bossed around.

  I felt guilty that I decided to make his job only harder for him. Also, I was a bit angry with myself. After all, I wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, then why I was so stubborn and creating rules for myself not to do one or other thing? Because I was afraid.

  I tried to create a smile on my face, but I doubted if I succeeded. Every movement of mine required a lot of strength and attention. I was so hard for me even to move my hand.

  “I presume that means you are fine,” he touched my cheek and I moved my head closer to his fingers. I felt joy inside me. I was finally with him, with a person who I loved me, with a person from whom I shouldn't have tried to run away.

  He leaned closer to me. Only a few inches separated our lips from each other. I could feel his warm breath on my skin.

  “I missed you,” he whispered and I closed my eyes. He touched my cheek with his fingers, spreading vibes through all my body.

  “I missed you too,” I whispered back. I just couldn't forbid myself not to say those words to him. Yes, I missed feeling his touches, seeing him, even if I knew that he was always with me.

  He leaned back a bit and I opened my eyes. I could see surprise on his face. Only seeing his face expression I realized what had happened; it were my first words to him. He tried to so man
y times to steal some of them from my mouth, but he had always hit the brick wall and his dialogs turned to be monologues.

  “Melody,“ he said, not trying to control his excitement,” do you recognize me?

  “Yes,” I said instead of nodding. Nodding required more strength than saying that one word, so I decided to be a bit lazy at that moment.

  He didn't know what to say anymore, so he let his lips do what they yearned for so long; our lips joined into one of those long and sweet kisses which I always liked. Dammit, I missed him so much. My beloved Merdian. My soulmate. My angel. My fiance.

  When we broke our kiss, he lay on my bed, taking me into his embrace. I didn't struggle because I wasn't strong enough even to push him one step away from me. Plus, I didn't want to push him away. I had missed so much to be surrounded by his strong arms.

  “I won't let you out from my eyes again,” he promised me. Or did he promise himself that? I didn't know and I didn't care while he was with me.

  But in the end he had to leave me alone in this room. Even if he was powerful angel among the humans, it didn't mean that everyone would always listen to him and dance according to his wishes. He was asked to leave the hospital, but before he left me for the night, he had made sure that there would be more guards next to my door and that a few doctors would be in the building if something bad would happen to me.

  “I will come back in the morning. You won't even noticed that I am gone,” he kissed my forehead and walked out reluctantly from the room.

  I watched him until the door hide him.

  No, I said in my mind, I will notice that you are not with me.

  For some reason I wasn't curious why so many guards were standing next to the door, protecting me from everyone. Also, I didn't doubt that several angels were on the roof, making sure that no one would just knock on the window. After all, Merdian was the Prince of angels and I was the only person which truly mean something to him. In other words, I was the thing which could control him even without the oath.

  Now that oath didn't scare me. I even wanted to say it right now and live the life which I thought would never belong to me.

  I closed my eyes and gave permission for dreams to take me away from the hospital. But soon I felt something cold against my skin and I opened my eyes. I didn't know how many hours I slept, but I could be sure that it wasn't enough for me to be fully awaked.

  The darkness was playing in the ward and the only thing which annoyed it, was a few night lamps in the corners which let me see a person sitting on my bed.

  I gasped and tried to move my body to the other side of the bed. No. It couldn't be real. He wasn't here with me in the same room. I was just dreaming everything.

  “Welcome back to life, my angel,” he said, smirking.

  I shook my head. Even if I tried to move away from him, I was too weak to create a distance between us. In other words I was like a baby. I hated to be like a small person who couldn't do anything by himself.

  “No,” I said out loud. My poor heart hammered in my chest, my mouth was gasping for air which was around me but couldn't find its way to my lungs.

  “You are so happy to see me,” he took my hand and lifted it up, closer to his red as blood lips. I tried to pull my poor hand from him, but it was like to blow against the wind; pointless. He was stronger.

  “What...why are you here?” somehow I managed to ask. I wondered why computers hadn't registered my heartbeats. After all, it wasn't normal right now. Someone should have come and check if I was alright. Plus, how did he contrive to sneak past the guards?

  “To see my angel, of course,” he put slowly my hand back to the bed. “I felt that you had opened your eyes. So, I came to take my payment,” he said playfully, like this was only a game for him.

  “You tricked me,” that was all I said. I wasn't shocked or scared right now. I was furious, because he really had deluded me. He was a liar.

  He shook his head. That hideous grin was still on his face. I wanted to erase it.

  “I didn't lie to you,” his fingers ran on my bare arm, creating unpleasant vibes in my body. I wanted so much just to remove my arm from his fingers, but when I tried, I he pulled it back to its previous place.

  “You said that I would wake up when I decide it was enough for me to sleep,” I said in an angry tone. “I didn't wake up when I wanted.”

  “Really?” a doubt was in his voice.

  “Yes,” I assured him.

  “So, why are you awaked now?” he narrowed his eyes a bit. His dark chocolate eyes turned into dark red, revealing me that he was a real demon.

  “Because a human managed to break your magic,” I said safely.

  He put his finger against his chin and pretend for several minutes that he was thinking intensively. But in the end he shook his head and lifted one corner of his lips up in that cunning manner.

  “Yes and no. Yes, that human break my magic and no that he managed. It was you who managed to do that.”

  I didn't understand what he had in mind. He read my confusion on my face and hurried to explain me everything.

  “You see, you wanted time for what? To decide if the wedding was really a thing which you desired,” I didn't give him any kind of sign that I understood what he was talking about. “You wanted to know if there could be another person who might be destined to be with you,” he leaned closer to me and said those words next to my ear. I shivered feeling his warm breath against my cold skin.

  “What?” I heard myself saying.

  “My pretty angel doesn't understand,” now his fingers ran on my cheek. I felt nausea on my tongue. “Well, I will explain you, but only if you give me a kiss. I have missed your warm lips so much during your long sleep.”

  My eyes had to be big, because I imagined them like that in my mind. The devil was here with me and asked me to kiss him if I wanted to know what he had done to me.

  “You will tell me now and without a kiss,” I said furious. How dared he to ask for a kiss?

  He leaned back a bit that he could see my face in this dim light better. I could believe my eyes. The grin was still on his face and it even was bigger. I was amusing him while he was making me angrier.

  “My pretty angel is ireful? I liked that, you know,” my body shivered, seeing how flames in his eyes had become brighter. He was up to do something not good.

  “I will scream,” I warned him. At least my voice obeyed me when my body couldn't.

  Marcus only laughed hearing my words. They meant nothing to him and that only woke up my curiosity, why wasn't he afraid? Did he do something to the guards that they couldn't help me?

  “My pretty angel wants to throw me out from this room?” he asked, playing with my hair.

  I didn't reply. I just stared at him confused.

  “Well,” he continued, “I really doubt if anyone could help you and plus, I don't want to hurt my angel. You shouldn't be scared of me. I am your friend.”

  I gaped at him confused. He was the person whom I could trust? He was a devil, he had tricked me. No. I could never trust him and right now I wanted him to leave me alone.

  “Leave,” I ordered him.

  He shook his head and leaned closer to me. His lips touched my cheek. My entire body was tense like a string.

  “You know that you have a debt to pay, Melody. You are owing to me and I am intending to take what belongs to me.”

  “And it is?” I asked, although something whispered in my head that I shouldn't want to know what he wanted from me. But I had to know.

  “All in good time, my angel,” he planted a soft kiss on my cheek and leaned back. “I will see you later, and until then, get stronger,” he stood up and walked to the door. Without any hesitation he opened it and left the room. I noticed some silhouettes laying on the ground. That should be my guards. Marcus had done something to them. Did he kill them?

  I turned my eyes at the button next to my bed. I pushed it without having a second thought. After some minutes two nu
rses came inside the room. They noticed the men on the ground, but their priority was I, not them.

  “Are you alright, miss,” they asked. I nodded and lifted my finger to the men, like telling them the the reason why I called them was because of them.

  The women nodded and hurried to help them. I just stared how the woman turned them on their backs and pulled their hands against their mouths. One long and red line decorated my guards' necks. Marcus had killed them. It was his way to show that he was stronger and smarter, that one way or another he would take something from me as his reward.

  The question was, what he really wanted from me?

  Caspar

  A phone call waked me up. On the other line was a woman. Her voice was trembling in shock. It was really hard for me to understand why she was calling to me and what had happened in the hospital.

  “Calm down,” I said softly. “Is Melody Watts okay?” I asked.

  “Yes, doctor,” she tried her best to steady her nerves, but I could hear from her voice that it was a hard thing for her to do. Something really terrible had happened in the hospital and that somehow was related with Melody, because the nurse wouldn't be calling to me this late hour.

  “What happened?” I risked to ask this question.

  “The guards,” she started,” someone killed them. All of them.”

  “Those who were in the corridor?” I wanted to check.

  “And those. Also, there were found some other men on the roof and in the hospital territory. They all were dead. The security system was damaged.”

  I didn't know what to ask next and what to do. After all, someone had intruded into the most protected hospital and for what? I couldn't understand what kind of intention the intruder had?

  “I will be soon in the hospital,” I said and put the phone on the table.

  After twenty minutes I was standing in the Melody's ward. There were also Merdian and Mr. Patrick Spring. They both seemed furious that this kind of accident had happened in the place in which they would have never expected to. To be honest, I was also surprised.