"Irene? Are you awake?"

Irene opened her eyes but everything was a blur and it took her awhile before she could see Hazel looming over her with a concerned expression.

"Haz...el." Her voice cracked as if she hadn't spoken for days. "How long was I gone?"

"Two days." Hazel spoke. "You got me worried. What happened?"

Irene recalled sneaking into her sons room at night to take his pain away. She had practiced the spell for days and even though he had told her he didn't want to she couldn't let him stay in pain. But as she took some of his pain away she realized she couldn't even handle half of it. It was too much and knowing that her son was in so much pain, pained her even more. She wanted to take all of it away so she pushed herself over the limit and ended up in this condition.

One thing she would never forget was seeing Lucian in that dark well, getting burned over and over again. She would make sure Pierre went through the same and even worse.

"I haven't slept for days, that's probably why." She lied. "Where is Lucian?"

"Do you want me to bring him?" Hazel asked.

"No, its alright. I am sure he is busy." Irene was nervous to meet her son. She didn't know what to say to him to make everything alright. She felt like the worst mother on earth.

"You haven't eaten for days. Let me help you up and then we will have some lunch." Hazel suggested.

Irene nodded.

After taking a bath and getting some new clothes to wear she sat at the garden with Hazel while some maids served lunch.

"Did...Lothaire come to bring me?"

Hazel who was chewing her food paused and looked at her.

She nodded and swallowed the food in her mouth. "Yes but...Lucian didn't let him take you away. He believes Lothaire is the one who kept you away from visiting him." She explained.

Irene knew her son was in too much pain so he was trying to find different reasons as to why his mother didn't visit him. It was understandable.

Hazel put her fork down slowly on the table as if she wanted to say something important. "Irene, I want to help but I need you to show me the rest of your story. I want to know everything."

Irene nodded. "Alright."

Once they were done eating they went back to the chamber and Irene decided to show the rest of her tragic story to Hazel and this time she would not leave any details out.

"Close your eyes." Irene ordered while holding Hazel's hand.

Hazel closed her eyes and Irene took her back in time, to when she was married to the King.

Weeks had passed since she arrived to her knew home and so far she didn't like it here. Her husband treated her well and she was his favorite but his wives and mistresses were a pain to deal with. They envied her and felt threatened by her beauty and wits. Nyx wouldn't mind if she had other friends she could spend time with, but she was utterly alone. The other wives and mistresses would invite each other from time to time without including her and make sure to spread bad rumors about her every time they got the chance.

If the King didn't believe in her she would have been in trouble, but she had him by her side. She was thankful for that yet he didn't take away the emptiness she felt. He was only there at night, to satisfy his needs without thinking of satisfying hers and then in the morning she was back to laying alone in her bed again. She didn't want this life and she decided to speak to her husband about it. Maybe he could let her stay with her family from time to time. He often granted her wishes.

When the sun went down Nyx dressed beautifully and waited for her husbands arrival. He caught her attention as soon as he walked into the room. He was handsome, she couldn't deny it but tonight he was something more. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but he made her heart race. "My lord." She stood up from her seat and walked over to him.

She took his hand to kiss his knuckles but he turned his hand and kissed hers instead. His lips felt cold yet his kiss warmed her. Strange, she thought. He never made her feel that way.

Nyx helped him take off his crown and his royal robe before he sat down at the table. A maid served him his night tea and Nyx went to sit in front of him. She studied him carefully while he took a sip of his tea and wondered why he seemed so different. If her mother had returned her magic she would have been able to read his thoughts.

"My lord, I have a request." She began

He put down his cup and looked at her carefully. "And what is your request?" He asked.

Nyx got a strange feeling as he spoke but she shook it away. "I was wondering if I could stay with my family from time to time. I know that the rules don't allow such thing but can't you bend the rules for my sake once. I feel…"

"Suffocated." He finished.

Nyx looked up at him surprised. How did he know?

He stood up and reached his hand out for her to grab. She took his hand and he drew her into his embrace. His closeness made her heart skip a beat. "If you feel that way, why have you never called for me yet?"

Called for him?

She looked into his eyes and realized that this gaze did not belong to her husband.

"Lucifer!" Startled she pushed him away.

Lucifer let his disguise fall and showed his true self.

"What do you want?" Nyx asked.

She knew the Devil never wasted his time on meaningless encounters.

Lucifer narrowed his cold gaze. "I have been unable to stop thinking about you since I met you. I believe you are the one."

The one? Did he mean his mate? She shook her head. Nyx knew demons could know if someone was their mate with only a few encounters but she had only met him once.

"I believe not. I am married."

"That doesn't change anything." He said coldly.

She knew nothing could change the fact that he thought she was the one. Demons claimed their mates despite everything.

"I am a witch." She said hoping the hatred between their species would make him change his mind.

"I know. It still doesn't change anything."

"I don't want to be your mate." She said taking a few steps back.

Spending her life with the Devil? What kind of nightmare was this? "I thought you wanted to leave this place." He pointed.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that I want to leave with you."

He strode toward he with determined steps until he trapped her between him and the wall. "I won't force you to come with me but I can tell you this. I would never let you spend your days alone, or leave you frustrated at night, or leave you alone in bed in the morning, or stop you from living your life the way you want. I would never suffocate you. I would treat you like an equal, give you the life you deserve."

Nyx looked into his cold eyes that didn't match his warm words. The life he described was tempting but he was the Devil and tempting people was his specialty.

He took a few steps back, "Think about it. I'll come back tomorrow." He said before vanishing and just as he promised he was there the night after.

Her husband had just taken her to bed and once he was done with her he fell asleep, leaving her unsatisfied once again.

Disappointed Nyx slid into her nightgown and wrapped a shawl around her shoulders before going out to the garden. She looked up at the sky. If she only had her magic, she would fly among the stars for a while or maybe she would fly away from this place forever. Maybe that's why her mother took away her magic. If she knew she would have protected it.

Suddenly the air became cold and a chill went down her spine. Someone was behind her. Turning around slowly she found him standing there, blending with the darkness as if they were one. His silver hair glowed like the moonlight and his cold blue eyes stared at her with a blatant appreciation. It reminded her that she was only wearing a nightgown which made her wrap the shawl around her shoulders even tighter.

"I am not coming with you." She said.

"People complain too much about their lives, yet when they have the chance to do something about it they don't." He said thoughtful. "Don't you wish to live the way you want?"

"I just wish for you to leave me alone."

He strode toward her slowly. "You are already alone. I wish to take your loneliness away. Together with mine."

Yes, she was alone. Alone, frustrated and unappreciated. She felt useless. No! She felt used and then forgotten. How long would she be able to put up with this?

"How will you take my loneliness away?" She asked.

"Like this." He said lowering his head and then captured her lips with his.

Nyx never knew a kiss could make her so deeply aflamed. She was breathless, her stomach bubbling with excitement as he grabbed the back of her head and deepened the kiss. All rational thoughts fled her head and her body came alive. The intense feeling shocked her and soon she pushed him away appalled and disgusted with herself.

"I can't." She shook her head in denial. "I am married and you...you are the devil."

Yes, he was the devil and he just made her sin. She ran back to her room without looking at him, because if she did she might have changed her mind.

But the devil was persistent and he came every night, at first only stealing kisses but he was also slowly stealing her heart. She found herself opening up to him and trusting him because he always kept his word. Sometimes he would take her away from her boring life and show her the world and sometimes he would just hold her and chase her loneliness away. All that without asking anything in return. Or so she thought.

"Come with me." He said one night.

"I can't."

He grabbed her face between his hands. "Even if I say that I love you? I love you Nyx."

The words echoed in her mind. Words her husband never said to her. Her eyes teared up. Why did the man she loved had to be the devil?

"I can't Lucifer."

"You can, but I can't. I can't stand the thought of you laying in the same bed as that man. I can't stand the thought of him touching you and...I just can't. I feel...suffocated."

It was the first time she saw him vulnerable and at that moment she knew his feelings were true.

"Come with me. I want you...I need you next to me."

She wanted to leave with him so badly but the consequences would be grave. The witches and even the demons would do anything to destroy their relationship. She knew they could never be and that suffocated her. She grabbed his face and kissed him softly while tears ran down her cheeks. This would be the last time, she would let him go. That night she let go as well and they made love under the starry night sky. But who knew the best night in her life would lead to 25 years of misery.