Devouring love

by Serafina Daniel

  “Every single man of mine was found dead,” Mr. Patrick Spring announced. “All of the cameras were turned off.”

  For some reason I felt like he was blaming me for this accident although it wasn't my job to keep Melody Watts safe. My duty was to make sure she would be awaked and healthy.

  “You need to talk with the security team,” I informed him before he could tell me something what he could regret later if this man had feelings at all.

  “I doubted it could help,” he turned his eyes at Melody who was hiding in Merdian's embrace. She seemed so small, so scared and so fragile. I wanted to tell her that everything would be okay, that nothing bad would ever happen to her, but I knew that I would cross the boundary between the doctor and the man.

  “Why?”

  “Father!” Merdian suddenly raised his voice. “I don't want you to discuss that in front of Melody.”

  He nodded reluctantly.

  “Of course. Mr. Offman, please come with me,” and he walked out from the room. I followed him, feeling Melody's eyes on me.

  We both entered into my cabinet in which it seemed someone had decided to organize a wild party. I stopped like the lightening had struck me. That someone had been in my cabinet, searching for something.

  I stole a glance at Mr. Spring. He didn't look surprise seeing what kind of mess was living in this room. He almost seemed like he was expecting something like this. Really, what was going on here?

  “Take a seat, Mr. Offman,” Mr. Spring said pointing his hand to one of the chairs which were lying on the ground.

  I nodded and put that thing back to its place and sat. My eyes were glued to Mr. Patrick Spring. I was waiting for him to speak and explain what was happening here.

  “As you know, my family is really powerful and rich,” he stared without any unnecessary words. “Merdian is my only son and to him, Melody is everything. Whoever he was, he knew what he was doing.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Melody said he came just to warn us.”

  “He?”

  Mr. Spring nodded.

  “She didn't say much, only that he came to warn us. She is in shock. To ask her to tell something more would be pointless, not to mention, that Merdian doesn't let anyone to talk with her right now.”

  I didn't know what I could say or do. This kind of things didn't happen in my life often. To be honest, it was the first time and I could only hope that it would be the last one. When I had accepted to be Melody's doctor, I would have never imagined that something like this could happened: twenty six men were dead. At least this kind of number was announced.

  “I will make sure that this thing would be hidden from the press,” he said after some minutes. “But it isn't a safe place for Melody anymore. We are going to bring her home. Even if I don't want to refuse your service, I have to. Many various specialists are working to my family. They will continue your job. “

  I clenched my hands into fists. Mr. Patrick Spring was firing me? Why? After all, Melody didn't have to be in the hospital that I could help her. I could make sure that she could recover at her home whitersoever it was.

  “What?” I asked.

  “We don't need your service anymore, Mr. Offman. My assistants will make sure that your salary would be in your bank account today. Not to mention, I will make sure that all of my friends would have heard about you. You helped my family and to say my thanks to you, I will make sure that every single door would be opened for you.”

  He stood up and without saying another word, he walked from my cabinet, leaving me alone and confused. I really didn't understand what had happened this night in this hospital. What kind of a sick person would kill guards only to warn The Spring family?

  I knew deep inside me that I should be happy that I won't need to deal with the Spring family anymore, but for some reason I was sad. I didn't want to let Melody walk from my life even though that I didn't know her. But still, she was a person who I would like to know better and now she would be taken from my care.

  I lifted up and scanned my cabinet. My books, my papers...everything was lying on the ground. But there was one thing which different in this mess, something what didn't belong. It was a red envelope. I walked closer to it and took it from the ground. On it was written my name.

  Without another thought, I pulled out a white card from it and read those few words out loud which could turned my hair into white.

  You must pay your father's debt.

  I crushed the note in my hands immediately and threw the paper into the rubbish bin. Who dared to make fun of this? Who knew about my father's debt?

  I glanced at the door and then at the window. That person, who had killed those guards, had something to do also with this envelope.

  “No,” I shook my head. It can't be possible. My father was just joking when he told me that story. It wasn't real. It couldn't be.

  Melody

  “Don't leave me,” I pleaded. “I don't want to be alone,” tears were gathering in my eyes, proving that I was still in a mess.

  Merdian kissed my hair and hugged me only tighter. I could feel his heartbeats against my hand which was on his chest.

  “I won't leave you, I promise.”

  “I am scared,” I confessed.

  “Don't be. I am here, with you. Everything will be okay. I won't let anyone hurt you. Do you trust me?”

  “Always” I said openly.

  “I won't let anyone steal you from me again, Melody, but you need to tell me who he was and what he wanted from you.”

  I knew that he would ask me to tell what had happened, but I really didn't want him to say a word. Marcus should be my secret. I was too ashamed to tell Merdian about him and the deal I had made with that person. No. I would never be able to tell him the truth.

  “It was dark, I couldn't see him,” I decided to lie. “He just told that it is a warning. I don't know what he meant by saying that,” I closed my eyes and tried to erase the images of dead men/angels on the floor. I tried to imagine that I was by a lake, watching some ducks. The sun was shining in the sky...

  “Don't worry about that. My father will catch that person.”

  I nodded, although I wasn't sure if Mr. Spring would be able to catch the devil. Was it even possible to do that? I hadn't even known that the devils existed until I met one.

  “I don't want to be here.”

  “And you won't. I will bring you home. There you would be safe.”

  I wanted to believe in that. Safe. Home. But what if my home wasn't safe. What if my presence there would bring everyone danger. I really didn't know what Marcus was capable of, but I hoped that he wasn’t as strong as my wild imagination imaged him.

  Mr. Patrick Spring returned into the room. From his face expression I couldn't read anything. He was hiding his thoughts and emotions. I wanted to do the same thing, but was too tired to even try.

  He didn't need to say anything to me and Merdian. We both realized why he asked Mr. Offman to walk with him. His job was done. Even if Mr. Patrick Spring had plans to use the human, he had changed his mind after this night’s events. He perfectly understood that this person wasn't human and for me to stay here, would be playing with fire.

  Now my new doctors would be angels.

  “It's time,” Patrick said.

  Merdian nodded and looked at me. Our eyes locked. I wanted to leave this place, but not this minute. I needed some time to digest everything. Mr. Patrick and Merdian didn't want to risk. They thought the house full of angels would be the safest place for me, although they didn't know that it might not be. Marcus once managed to find me in one of those rooms and to offer a deal.

  “Okay,” I said reluctantly.

  Soon a nurse came into the room, bringing a wheelchair. Merdian, without any hesitation or even asking me, took me into his hands and put in it. I felt how my wings inside me stirred when I was in his hands.

  I wanted so much to lift up to the sky, but I couldn't right now even to sta
nd up. So, I didn't even needed to wonder what could happen with my flying.

  “Soon we will be home,” Merdian said and I nodded.

  I closed my eyes and let him do whatever he wanted. I trusted him.

  Caspar

  Two months had passed since that tragical even in the hospital. Mr. Patrick Spring didn't lie when he said that he would try to hide the accident from the press. No one knew about the nightmare in the rich people hospital. Of course, the hospital's staff helped Mr. Spring with that. After all, this accident could deter many potential patients.

  Right now I was having my holiday...at home, in front of TV. I didn't hear anything from the Spring family. They had forgotten me while I didn't. Every day I wondered how Melody was doing. Was she stronger now?

  I wished that I could have more time with her. This case was really unusually and that why it was interesting.

  I sighed and stood up. I walked into the kitchen to make myself some tea. I was about to take the cup and returned to the living room when I heard a door bell. I rolled my eyes, because I had a hint who might be in other side of the door and I wasn't happy that he decided to visit me.

  But, for my luck or not, not Nick was standing in front of me with Chinese food in the hands. It was Chelsea and she was smiling.

  “Hi,” she said a bit shyly. “I was not far away from your home and decided just...to drop in.”

  I opened my mouth to say something, but I didn't know what I should. So, I just opened the door wider and waved my hand for her to walk inside. Without any hesitation she entered into my home. I closed the door behind her.

  “That is a lovely surprise,” I said finally.

  “Yea, I know. I should have call you, because maybe you have some kind of plans...”

  “No, I don't,” I said quickly. “I am just enjoying my holiday.”

  “I heard that the Spring family wasn't avaricious,” she said as we were walking into the living room.

  I nodded.

  “Yes, they weren't. I could say that I am very rich person at the moment.”

  “What are you planning to do with the money?”

  I shrugged. I didn't know. They had paid me so much money that I could never work again in my life, but I didn't want to do nothing in my life.

  Also, I could only understand how precious Melody was to the Spring family if they paid me that sum of money.

  “I don't want to offend or anything. I am just curious. How much did they pay you?” we took a seat on the sofa.

  “One milliard dollars,” I said openly.

  She gasped. She couldn't believe me. I couldn't believe myself when I saw the numbers in my bank account. But that was truth, one milliard dollars were in my bank account.

  “That only proves how rich they really are,” she put the Chinese food on the table.

  I nodded. They were rich and powerful while I was only a young doctor who had brain in his head. They could have everything they want while I had to prove the world that I was worth to have what I had.

  “Yes,” I took a remote pull and switch the channels. Now, instead of cooking show, there was a concert. The music filled the room, making it nicer place to be in.

  “When will you come back to the hospital? The Spring family are recommending you to their friends. Now many rich people are asking to be your patients,” she opened one of the box and put two sticks in it. I watched how she opened another box and did the same thing with sticks.

  “I don't know. Of course, I am happy that I am noticed, but...”

  “To much attention?” she helped.

  I nodded. It was too much of attention. I wasn't used to it. Of course, I always wanted to in the place in which I was now, but it was before I really knew what kind of things I would need to face.

  “It's hard,” she agreed and gave me one box. I took it and looked at the rise with meat.

  “Do you know something about Melody Watts?” I dared to ask.

  “You are still interested in her state?” I nodded. “Yes, there are rumors in the hospital about her.”

  “What kind of rumors?”

  “That she could walk now and speak. But why is that so surprising. After all, the Spring family hired a lot of good specialists.”

  I sighed and put a small smile on my face. So, everything was fine with her. That was a good thing, because I was really worried that those two years could have done a huge damage to her.

  “Is that all?” I asked, hoping that maybe there was more information about Melody.

  She nodded.

  “But there is another thing which might or maybe not be related with her,” she said mysteriously. That caught my attention.

  “And it is?”

  “A ball. The Spring family is holding the ball next week. There are many interesting stories about it.”

  “Tell me,” I felt like an old woman in the market who tried to hear every single rumor in this world.

  “Well, according to some tabloids, the last ball they had ever held was the ball in which that girl was found unconscious. Since then there weren't any kind of balls in the Spring house. Also, they didn't attend to any kind of balls in their friends' home. And now, they are holding one again. That girl was really important to that family if they just shut from the world like that after that accident.”

  I pressed my lips tightly and put the box on the table. To be honest, I didn't want to eat. The only thing which I really wished to do was to see Melody again. There wasn't a day when I wouldn't think about her and that made me crazy. Why should I think about her?

  “You know, many people in the hospital think you are a wizard,” she joked. I looked at her.

  “Why?”

  “Because no one hadn't done what you did. You brought back a person back to the land of the living. You should be happy about that.”

  “I just did my job,” I said coldly.

  “And now you are the most well-know doctor in the world because of the Spring family. Your world will really change.”

  I nodded. Yes, it would change if it hadn't yet.

  Melody

  Two months of various procedures, of various exercises, of various talks...I was tired not because I had slept two years, but because my every minute was occupied with something. Everyone wanted so much to put me on my feet that I could be the same Melody which they used to know.

  I had to admit, I wanted to be that Melody, but I knew that I could never be. I changed. I was different now.

  Mr. Patrick Spring tried many times to steal the truth about that night when I left them all, but I always said the same words, “I don't remember”. He didn't believe me, but there were only few times when he believed in something I had said him. He was a suspicious person. His job was to find the truth before it could destroy us all.

  Merdian was another thing with which I had to deal. He didn't leave me even for one single minute. He was afraid that something bad could happen to me if he doesn't be with me. Even though that annoyed me, I was happy that he was so protective, because I didn't want to be left alone.

  Not to mention that I had not one shadow, but two. My sister Annabelle was following me everywhere I went. To her I was the only family and she wanted to know me. I was happy that she wasn't aloof.

  “Soon we will fly together,” she said when I was drawing a sleeping cat next to the fireplace in a huge and luxurious room.

  “Yes, soon I will be strong enough and we could do whatever we like.”

  Many people were concerned about my mental state. They thought that I would be one insane girl, but I wasn't, although I knew I should. For two years I had been only a listener, a person who couldn't do anything or feel something. I was nothing. That had to destroy me, but , lucky for me, it didn't.

  “He won't give up, you know,” she said suddenly.

  I lifted my eyes up from the drawing and looked at her. She was looking through the window.

  “He?” I didn't understand about what she was talking.

&nb
sp; “Yes,” she nodded. “You made the deal with the devil, Melody and he wants his payment.”

  I was staring at her now like she was a ghost or a deadly weapon which was aim at me. Was I dreaming or she really had said the devil? I had realized that my sister had some kind of powers. After all, we were angels and they had to have something in order to protect themselves. My I hadn't even had a thought that maybe my sister could read thoughts or glimpse at the past.

  “Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about him,” she promised me and turned her eyes at me. Then, she moved away from the window, closer to me. I was still shocked hearing her words. I really didn't know what to do, what to say. My sister Annabelle knew about him, about the devil Marcus.

  “How do you know about him?”

  She shrugged.

  “I just know,” tears started gathering in her eyes. “Please, don't leave me again. Fight and defeat him. Don't let him win and take you. Please, Melody,” and she pull herself into my embrace. The only thing which came up into my head was to snake my hands around her small and fragile body.

  “No one will take me. Don't worry about that.”

  “But he will. He wants his payment. He waited for it so long. He is eager to get it as quickly as possible,” she started sobbing. I didn't like that.

  “Don't worry about that,” I said softly as I brushed my hand against her back, calming her down. “Nothing will happen to me. I promise you that.”

  She shook her head.

  “No. You can't promise me anything. You need to act. He is coming, Melody,” and she ran out from the room, leaving me alone and confused. I intended to keep Marcus in a secret but now, knowing that my sister knew about him, I doubted that my secret would stay a secret for long.

  I looked at my drawing. The cat needed some more brushed and the drawing would be done, but I wasn't in a mood anymore to end it, and plus, the cat had walked out from the room.

  I sighed and turned my eyes at the fire. I liked to draw flames. I lost the number how many times I was in this room just drawing flames.