"Aaaaaaaaarchhhh," Asher screamed in dismay, only to end up feeling nothing but a void of emptiness clouding his heart.
He looked around and saw he was in a vast place, white and wide, so wide he could easily be swallowed by the excessive space. The feeling of being injured had been washed off.
Yes, he wasn't feeling any ounce of pain anymore, and looking at his arm, he realized that it was not chopped off. He was confused. Trying to get up, he saw himself chained to a white chair, and his eyes widened.
He was standing not too long ago—how? When did the chains get to his hands? Asher was perplexed and confused; this was getting to his head.
"Don't be too shocked, darling, it's me. I am still around," the familiar voice rang out, and Asher turned sharply. Before him was the devil himself—Lamia—seated majestically on a couch surrounded by a large table, while he himself faced him like a person in need of therapy.
"What is your plan, you witch? Let me go! I am still on my word that I will make your death as fast as possible, so don't make me go back on my word," Asher threatened, fire gleaming in his emerald eyes, fury and hatred for the figure before him.
Lamia just looked at him, then stood up and used the back of his hand to slap Asher right across the cheek, making the boy fall on the floor with a heavy force that twisted his front arm, making him yelp in pain.
"Don't you dare disrespect me like that again, Asher. So, should we talk like civilized people, or should I make you conform to my wishes?" Lamia sneered, his red eyes daring him to continue with his stubbornness.
Asher gulped. Why did he feel so weak towards him? He was a fucking divine being, for goodness' sake—or was he overhyped for nothing? And why couldn't his so-called powers end the nightmare before him?
"Don't fret. You expect to vanquish me with your army of novices? Gosh, you make me giggle, love. See, I am Desdemona, the Queen of the Dead Witches. I alone control dead powers and can withstand them, so goodness, thinking that you, an untrained mortal, can come and defeat me is something to laugh about."
"And why are you mortal yet? Gosh, you're doomed. That makes the job of killing the divine being easier because you're meant to be immortal and surrounded by armies of high fortitude. But what did you get? Teenagers that ran away from school coming to challenge me—Desdemona—not to talk more of being in control of a body as powerful as this. Imagine being in a powerful demi-god and immortal witch—how do you expect to win?"
Lamia mocked him even more, adding salt to the already opened wounds.
Asher got it instantly. They were definitely wrong. They were untrained. No matter how powerful they were, they were teenagers and were supposed to be groomed on how to master their powers. Even Slyvia, who had been trained longer than them, was easily defeated. Talk more of him, who had zero knowledge in magic, trying to defeat an immortal ancient terror. How stupid of them.
"Oh, now you realize it. Don't worry, I might take it easy on you—that's if you don't fuck it up. So, Asher, why don't we talk about your love life and what happened to you years ago in high school?"
Lamia smiled while watching the trembling figure of Asher. Oh, it was a fragile topic that Asher hated the most, but she wasn't a mistress of manipulation for nothing. She would make him break, and eventually, he would go and commit suicide. That was the goal—and the superheroes that wanted to defeat her would all be dealt with mentally.
"So, what do we have here? Firstly, your love life," Lamia announced.
Asher was shaking so badly. He didn't want to talk about his past. He wasn't ready. But as it stood, with his options now, he had to do it or face a devastating attack.
"What do you want to know about my love life? Because I don't have any," Asher declared fearlessly, even though it was all a façade.
"Oh..." Lamia acted surprised, then moved, stroking Asher's long silver hair and moving it aside. A beautiful mark was shown on his neck—Rowan's mate mark.
"What then is this? Because if my knowledge serves me correctly, isn't this the siren's mate mark, Asher, or are we playing dumb here?" Lamia asked while holding on to Asher's neck firmly, making him gasp in pain.
He wasn't breathing. Asher struggled to talk, but Lamia only added extra pressure to his neck, making him gasp weakly, almost collapsing, until Lamia stopped.
"Ready to talk now, child of light?" Lamia grinned while eating an apple that was on the white and spotless table. How the apple got there was a mystery to Asher, but he had to deal with Lamia, who was playing with his mind like a basketball game.
"I am ready to talk. Go on, ask me whatever your highness desires," Asher yelled, his voice betraying his feelings, which were confusion and fear for his life and for his friends, whom he had clearly watched being snatched away from him.
"So, by my calculations, you have three guys now—oh, that's not it—three romantic interests. Isn't that cute?" Lamia smiled, his cheeks drawing him, making his face look more malevolent and scary.
Asher just stayed dormant, waiting for the worst that could happen.
"And why haven't you chosen, Asher? Are you that confused? Or is it the selfishness of not allowing the three go that is preventing you from choosing between the three gorgeous guys? I don't blame you—who could? Those boys are damn exactly how the life of the host of the body was before he made the decision of staying with the devil's son. How enticing."
"So, back to you—who do you feel romantically more involved with? Tell me the truth because lying is no option here—I can detect it fully," Lamia smiled maliciously, watching the haunted look on Asher.
"I really don't know. Jeremy is like an angel—someone I feel attached to physically, especially during the stay at the Dark Trench. But he rejected me. I was heartbroken. But as it seems, he now wants me—but I just can't indulge with him when I know my sister Rose loves him."
"Ezekiel—I feel connected to psychologically. He gets me because he was my savior back at my high school. I fell in love with him at first sight, but he left me to pursue the sexy teacher Ares. Now that I was at least happy he was now mine, he wanted to rape me—to force himself on me and use me like a sex toy to please himself. I just couldn't stand that, because I thought he understood me. Having to go through that messed with my mental health."
"I couldn't believe I would allow myself to degrade like that. I was hurt—terribly hurt. And Rowan—by mistake he marked me and I just can't stop feeling his emotions. He almost raped my sister, for fucking sake, and not only that, he killed me and Jeremy—dumping us from the highest building in the school. If not for Slyvia, we wouldn't have been here."
Asher then faced Lamia. "Then you're wrong, Lamia, because I don't like any of them a bit—especially not Rowan and Zeke."
Lamia turned around, and in his hands was a glowing ball of light, shining red.
"You see—you lied, Asher. This is a truth ball. It glows yellow if a person is telling the truth and red if he or she lies. So tell me the truth now—or face my wrath."
Asher began crying. He refused to talk. Why must he be so vile? He didn't want to remember such triggering stuff.
"I won't talk...." Before he could land, a gold necklace was placed over his neck, and he began to gag and scream while shaking profusely.
"Haa haa nooo haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.." Asher's painful scream echoed.
"Yes, you're right. I love the three of them. I couldn't stand my sister having feelings for Jeremy. I want them to myself. I hated myself for it—because Rowan ruined me emotionally and psychologically. I also love Ezekiel—that it hurts. I can't stand him being injured or dead. Nooo. I am terrible for this. I just wish I could enjoy the three of them without any interference."
Asher revealed.
Lamia grinned in satisfaction.
"That's my boy. Finally, the truth. You see, you're nothing but a monster and a piece of trash, Asher. Live with that forever. So, why don't we go to what happened to your school traitor."
Lamia sat down, twirling the ball of light. Gosh, she couldn't wait to damage the child of light until he was beyond redemption and recognition.