Chapter 5

The prince-warrior held my hand and led me to the cave, acting with a lot of conscience and wisdom along the way. During all the time I followed him, I couldn't help but notice how restless and suspicious my soul seemed. I felt not only that I was willingly heading to death, but also falling like a fly into a trap.

The cave was even colder and wetter than all the rest of the purgatory. Whether it was for the vegetation that covered the roof of the place, or for the trees that made shadows at the entrance, I would never know. However, I was very sure that my sneezing and itching in the throat region, which began to devastate me a few hours after we intended to rest, reminded me a lot of the eminence of a cold caused by the cold.

"Use this," Vraxlon suggested as he stretched a blanket towards me.

The heavy fabric fell on me and crawled against the most boring stones inside the cave. I was sitting and wrapped my arms around my legs, leaning my head against my knees. Vraxlon sat next to me, then I stretched out one of my hands to offer the warmth of the blanket, and he accepted it, closing us again under the fabric.

The cave made of stones made the heat impenetrable. But it offered above-average security against the creatures we heard crawling outside. The flattened stone floor was a little uncomfortable, especially if you sat for a long time, and the walls were so cold that it was almost impossible to lean against them without feeling the cold penetrating deep into the bones.

However, as bad as it was, that place was the best we would find before continuing the pilgrimage. Vraxlon took the flashlight out of his backpack and pointed it at the ceiling again, spreading light to all sides of the cave. Small insects fled from the focus of light and took refuge in the depths of the darkness of the cave. And I let myself be fooled by tiredness and increasing sleep, as I leaned my head on Vraxlon's shoulder. The prince-warrior offered caresses in my hair until I slept, and continued to caress even when the drowsiness got the best of me, and I erased it.

I didn't have dreams. And if I did, I wouldn't remember anyway. When I woke up, my head was fully supported against Vraxlon's lap, still receiving affection on my scalp. The cave still illuminated by the lantern pointed at the ceiling. The prince-warrior offered me a brief smile when I stretched and raised my torso. I took a look at the opening of the cave it was still day, which meant that either the hours did not pass, or I had slept for a whole day. The discomfort from the cold was gone, thanks to the blanket that enveloped me during those long hours of sleep.

"Did you sleep? "I asked, bringing our backpack to my lap and searching for it.

"I don't need to sleep, Elena," he replied, opening a fragile smile at my surprise when he heard him say my human name. "I don't have the energy to recover if I don't have magic to use.”

"It must be good to have supernatural strength” I said, taking a sip of water. "I would very much like not to worry about diseases or distances traveled on a walk. But, as you've noticed, I'm so sedentary and weak that two minutes of walking and I'm panting, not to mention my terrible human immunity.”

Vraxlon laughed, and the sound reverberated through the walls of the cave.

"You know you're as strong as all of us, don't you, Elena?”

"It's one of the many things I need to know," I said, arching my eyebrow. "Find out where I keep all these powers and this strength that I haven't found so far.”

Vraxlon leaned his head against the icy wall behind him and watched me in silence for a long moment. I was also silent, corresponding to his gaze. There was no magic involving him, no drop of that power made of lust and promiscuity, and even so, kept captive under his gaze, I felt snatched.

He could very well be just a human with an enviable physique and an absurd beauty, and yet, he had a power over me that I would never know how to describe the reasons. I didn't even know if I could have that same overwhelming effect on him, but I made a point of maintaining eye contact. A moment later, still focused on my eyes, Vraxlon stretched out his hand and provocatively slid his fingers against my throat "only space of free skin since the rest was covered by that combat suit. The gesture gave me goosebumps, and, curiously, the necklace on my chest shone and went out.

"How did you do that? "I asked, looking quickly at the pendant now totally asleep.

The prince of lust threw me a malicious smile.

"The energy we produce in my territory is entirely provided with sex. That's why even the smallest demons can have powers.”

I curled my lips, shaking my head.

"I always knew that sex strengthened you and your servants. I just didn't know that magic could be created through him.”

"Did you forget that everything we do with magic is the equivalent of copying any existing reference? "He said, arching his eyebrow. "Even our power is a copy of some known memory.”

"And... you want... "I pawned, and the prince of lust opened a smile when he noticed the words between the lines.

"If I want to produce magic with you? "He asked.

"Yeah, something like that," I replied, feeling my cheeks blush.

"It would be more than a pleasure, Elena," he pronounced in a low and hoarse voice.

Vraxlon leaned towards me, and his fingers ran smoothly around my jaw. I closed my eyes to the sensation, and when his face approached mine, rubbing his beard against my cheek as his mouth approached mine, I thanked him mentally for sitting, because the feeling made my knees tremble.