<i></i>Chapter 71
A sleep free of nightmares – he should have known better.
Alejandro had told himself he’d finally slept. Peacefully, even.
No shadows in the corners, no voices in his head. No blood on his hands. But the moment the dream took shape, he realized he’d spoken too soon
Alejandro’s first conscious <b>breath </b>came in a garden.
Not just any garden. The dreaded garden.
At first nce, it was beautiful–serene, even But Alejandro knew better. This ce was never what it seemed
The garden was quiet. Too quiet. The wind didn’t rustle the trees, and the birds that usually chirped in this memory were silent. It was dusk. Or dawn. He
could never tell in this ce,
His breath turned erratic <b>as </b>he turned slowly, his <b>eyes </b>darting through the dense foliage and empty path.
He knew this ce. Knew it like he knew the sound of his own gun cocking. This <b>was </b>where it always began. Where it always <b>ended</b>.
His breath caught in his throat, and he slowly turned. Dread crawled across his skin like frostbite. The breeze carried <b>a </b>familiar scent–cologne and blood.
No, he told himself. Not here. Not again.
ce he had bee
And then came the voice he had been waiting for.
“Looking for me, little demon?”
Alejandro froze. That voice was carved into his bones. Gravely, cruel, soaked in the scent of blood and fire.
He turned, and there he was the figure that always haunted him,
The man stood beneath a twisted archway, shadows clinging to his figure like a second skin. His smile was all teeth,
<b>“</b>What a
are you doing here?” Alejandro demanded, his voice raw
“You look surprised. Thought you got rid of me, didn’t you?”
“What are you doing here?” he asked again, though he already knew the answer.
The <b>man</b>–no, the monster–smiled. A twisted thing
“Did you really think you got rid of me? You can never get rid of me, Alejandro. You are my demon. My little demon. The one I trained. And you’ll do me proud.”
“I am not your little demon,” Alejandro snarled, taking a step back. His eyes scanned the garden for anything–anything at all–that he could use to defend himself & branch. A rock. Anything
But there was nothing
“This <b>is </b>my world,” the figure taunted. “You can’t find anything here that I don’t want you <b>to</b>.”
Alejandro’s breath came faster and his fists clenched. He hated the helpless feeling he always had whenever he was around him
“You can’t run from who you are, the voice continued. “You try to hide behind that charming smile, that yful act. You act like you’re sort. Juvenile, Human. But we both know who you are, Alejandro. You’re worse. You’re the devil himself. And you’ll prove it to me very soon.”
Then the figureughed, and it was low and cold.
“Unless, of course. Your little doll softens you. What was her name again? Nivera? Such a pretty thing.
“Keep her out of your mouth?” Alejandro hissed.
“what happens when she finds out who you really are? When she realizes the man she’s culling up beside is more monster than man? Wit the rand Or will you end up breaking her fon? Or maybe someone else will do it.”
That was the final straw.
The fear evaporated and something darker took its ce.
Alejandro lunged, fists first. A scream ripped from his throat – a mixture of rage and desperation.
And then
He gasped as his eyes flew open, and he was met with the sight of <b>a </b>familiar ceiling. The sunlight slipped through the windows. Sheets angled around him. The rush of breath in and out of his chest.
He was back
His hands were gripping the bedsheets, sweat clinging to his skin. He blinked rapidly, disoriented, pulse pounding in his ears.
“Alejandro?” He heard a <b>soft </b>voice, gentle and unsure. He turned and saw her,
She was beside him, now staring with wide, worned and curious <b>eyes</b>. One hand rested gently on his shoulder, which she pulled back when she realized he was already awake.
Without a word, Nivera turned, poured a ss of water from the carafe on the bedside table, and handed it to him.
He took it, the ss cool against his heated palims. He drank all of it.
“Nightmare?” she asked softly
He nodded.
“You okay?” she then asked.
He didn’t answer at first. His chest still heaved with the weight of the dream. The nightmare. His <b>past</b>.
Hmm.
She studied him for a moment, and he could feel the weight of her gaze.
“Do you want to talk about 177
He shook <b>his </b>head, voice still caught somewhere between then and now
“<b>Okay</b>,” she said simply.
She then slid out of bed and walked toward the bathroom. Just before stepping inside, she paused at the door.
“Thanks for bringing me up to bed.”
She disappeared into the bathroom without waiting for a response.
Alejandro let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding
Why now?
It had been years. Years since he’d buried that devil. Since he took care of him. He should be free. That chapter should have been dood
He leaned forward, elbows on knees, hands dragging down his face.
Why couldn’t he get rid of him?
He’d done what he had to <b>do</b>. Hadn’t he?
His jaw tensed as he stood. The memory still wed at his skin,
He strode to his room, not bothering to turn on the lights, and went straight to the small drawer beside his bed. He opened it, took out small bottle of pills, unscrewed the cap, and popped two.
They tasted like guilt.
Needing to clear his thoughts, he walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Cold, just what he needed to get him back to himse
The water hit him like a wall, but he didn’t flinch. He let it soak into his skin, hoping it would wash away the remnants of the dream, the voice, and the
taunt about Nivera
When he was done, he towelled off quickly got dressed in dark cks and a navy shirt, rolled his sleeves <b>up</b>, and grabbed his phone
He scrolled through a few messages, ignored most of them, then tapped Antonio’s name.
His brother picked up on the second ring
“Alejandro“, Antonio’s voice was rough like <b>gravel</b>. He didn’t sound like he’d slept at all.
“How’s ZabelleT”
“Still unconscious. Doctors are monitoring. No changes yet, but the doctors are optimistic, her vitals are holding.”
A pause
“I stayed with her all night. I’ll stay until she wakes up.”
“You sound like shit.”
“Thanks. You sound like you saw a ghost.”
Alejandro let out a breath of dry <bughter</b>.
“Maybe Idid.”
They spoke a few minutes longer, short words, mostly plence. Then they hung up.
Alejandro dropped his phone on the bed <b>and </b>moved toward the window, armis crossed as he stared out at the <b>sky</b>.
And then–a scream,
It was sharp, clear, <b>and </b>female
It was N
Nivera.
He didn’t think he just moved.
He raced out of the room and down the hall. His heart thudded like thunder in his chest, and all he could see was blood, all he could hear was that
monster’s voice whispering her naine.
He threw the door opens with a bang.
“Nivera?! What happened?”
His eyes scanned the
She was standing by the bed, phone in hand, moutls open in surprise at his entrance.
She looked perfectly fine. Not a scratch. Not a drop of nd.
He then scanned the room quickly for signs of a break in, threat, or anything
Nothing
“What was that?” he asked again, breathing hard.
She blinked, still stunned by how fast he’d barged in.
Then sheughed
“I just got a job offer,” she squealed voice breathless. “After almost seven months
Alejandro just stared.
Then he exhaled, long and hard, and pressed a hand to his chest
“You screamed like someone who was attacked!” He hissed in annoyance as his body calmed down.
was excited,” she said with <b>a </b>smile.
He narrowed his eyes. “Warn me next time.”
She rolled her eyes and went back to staring at her phone, still grinning
Alejandro lingered in the doorway, letting the panic go <b>away</b>.
Nivera was fine, and that bastard wouldn’t be able to do anything to her.
He was dead and had been for years.
But what about you? The voice in his head whispered,