Chapter # 16

Nathaniel was staying at Cinzel's place before finding a convenient place to stay for the time being. He was looking out of the window until Zariah was sitting beside him, forming her lips in a thin line. 'What are you thinking, Zari? Nathaniel noticed her lowered gaze, anxiously fidgeting her fingers and decided to ask only to hear her sigh. 'I have been here for a month now," 'Hmm. Can't believe it's already been a month." He smiled faintly, turning to her. Before he intertwined his fingers with hers, she turned to him worriedly. The way she thought things to occur and the way they did were contrary. 'It feels like I am living with a stranger, it feels like I don't know you." To her worrisome confession, he replied nonchalantly. 'Because you don't." 'What?" 'Of course. We lived only as teenagers. Years have passed, we have changed. Things are not how they used to be." 'But-" 'How much you lived with me to know, right?" He placed a valid reason but it arose a question in her heart. ‘Did the feelings change too?' Gulping, she asked faintly, fearing to grip his arm. His nonchalance, attention towards his rage and revenge was distressing her. 'At least, among all things and chances… You.. want to live with me too, right?" She gulped. His mouth gaped, taking her hands and kissing them affectionately. 'Yes, I certainly do," She hummed, resting her head on his shoulder to place her weight on his shoulders and not be tense about needless stuff anymore. Before she could immerse in his presence, he took a deep breath and rose from his seat. 'Where are you going?" 'To De Villiers. I have some work," She called innocently, grabbing his wrist, 'When will you come back?" 'Soon," He smiled, pinching her cheeks. 'I will wait for you," Nathaniel couldn't imagine Zariah could be this clingy and affectionate towards him but all this time she only needed him. She didn't want to waste a single second. 'Take care," Rubbing his temples, Nathaniel was leaning against his seat with a grimace plastered on his face. He was in De Villiers' apartment. Humming a melody, Amanda was cooking dinner with a grin, finally having something normal to do in her hectic life. He attempted to act unaffected but growing frustrated from De Villiers stare, he finally decided to ask. 'What? Why are you looking at me like this?" 'You can fool this world but not me." De Viliers hissed, leaning forward. 'Fake execution, left Zariah, gave her power. Do you think I don't know you?" 'Hmm?" To which he arches an eyebrow, pouring himself a drink. 'You- who was dying to be with her would let her so easily." 'I promised-" His consolation and explanation was left hanging in the middle when De Villiers cut him off. 'Oh, leave it," Obviously, he had been living with him for years. He knew his actions always had a meaning behind them. 'Couldn't be all about the promise." Sighing, Nathaniel finished his drink in one go and curled his lips downwards, almost with discontent while informing De Villiers. 'I have told Zaviyaar to free my prisoner. I am letting go of Guru and I am sure they would attempt to reach me through Zariah," His jaw dropped, 'So you are using her-" To his disbelief, Nathaniel growled, slamming his glass down with a hiss. 'Can't she help me with my revenge?" To say De Villiers was shocked would be an understatement. He never expected Nathaniel to reach out such depths to grasp Zariah… for his purpose. 'If I would ask her she would gladly do this but I want her to rule freely, let her, she has done it now it is time for help me," He demanded to which De Villiers only blinked, exchanging a tense glance with Amanda. They did not like how he placed those words. 'What exactly are you going to do?" Amanda asked softly, serving the dinner. 'I need Zariah's blind faith in me," 'Don't tell me you are going to hurt her for your insane revenge too," She gasped, placing her hand over her chest. 'Certainly not, why would I hurt my doll?" 'Don't lie to me, I know how demonic you can become for your purpose. You can use anything, Boss," De Villiers hissed. They were becoming stressed, his intentions felt wrong but disobedience or going against was not favorable too. 'My life is no longer the same after what happened, De Villiers and you know it," Nathaniel said strenuously, rising from the seat. They know, they understood too, but it was saddening to watch him lose his identity for an old grudge. De Villiers whispered sadly, 'You will die if this continued, Boss," 'Then so be it," Enunciating, he had dinner at their place, not wanting to discuss it further. He was there to consolidate his orders, not to distress his mental capability. Later, he returned around midnight only to find Zariah in their room, waiting for him. 'Hey," She smiled, offering him a glass of water. 'Hey, sorry, I lost track of time," He smiled back. 'It's alright," He freshened up and came out, watching Zariah waiting for him sweetly. Her eyes shone with adoration watching him with immense devotion. He came closer, glancing down at her, De Villiers' talks were rendering his ability to think. But, gulping down his thoughts, forging his frontage, he came closer and raked his fingers on the side of her face, calling her huskily. 'Zari…" 'Nathaniel…?" She paused, holding the hem of her dress worriedly when he placed them dangerously closer. 'Zari, you love me right?" He asked breathlessly, moving his fingers across her jawline, bringing them too close that her breaths hitched. 'N-Nathaniel? What happened?" 'You can do anything I say for my sake, right?" He mumbled, brushing his lips against her ears to send a satisfactory shiver to her core. 'I feel so afraid to lose you now. I want you to trust me, to hold faith in me, Zari," He continued seductively. One hand secured around the side of her face possessively as his other hand pressed her into him hardly. Heating her body in an uncontrollable fire. Curling her toes, she releases a soft voice, tensing at the intimate contact. She looked down worriedly, hopelessly, lustfully, 'I-I, um," She knew his voice chanted a spell on her, she found herself weak between his resonance. He had taken over her mind and body. At her reaction, his grip tightened, biting her earlobe to entangle her in his deceptive words. 'Right, my Darling?" When she gained the privilege of his endearment, she lost her mind. Finally locking her eyes with his, she gobbled all her hesitations. Lips parted, panting to be pressed rigidly against him and utter those words he wanted to hear from the ‘worshiper of his existence'. 'Anything you say, Nathaniel," He smirked, darkly, unveiling the malevolent hint momentarily before hiding it perfectly behind his smile. Things he intended to release from her pretty lips reached his core. How he imagined and after the patience of a devilishly long time- it was here and would only exist for him. 'I have been alone for too long, I need your acceptance, I need your companionship, Nathaniel," Voice breaking, she rested herself entirely against him to sink into his world without any intention of returning. She yearned for it. She needed him and him only. She couldn't wait longer. And taking advantage of her blindness, he hummed on her neck. 'Hmm, I know, Darling," Kissing it lovingly to wrap her in his darkness while placing his one requirement. 'Then help me destroy- no obliterate, Zoran," 'But- but," ‘I wanted us to live together peacefully-' Which he didn't allow and curled his lips downward, almost with disappointment which she would never allow to occur this time. 'Can you do at least this for me or not? For my peace?" Something seemed odd, unrealistic. Something was wrong, she could feel it. Something was seriously wrong. Yet she blindly believed in him. 'I can," 'That's my Zari," Causing him to laugh wickedly before pressing his lips passionately, greedily upon hers, kissing her, not allowing her to comprehend. So he could push her down on the bed and satisfy her cravings emotionally and physically… To the point nothing but ‘him' exists for her.