The Damned Demon

791  Freed, But At What Cost?

The air was thick with heat, the molten river below bubbling and churning, sending thick crimson vapors into the air, wrapping around the two figures like a suffocating embrace. The cliffside trembled under the weight of the scorching winds, but neither Asher nor Rebecca moved—locked in a silent war of wills.

Asher's dark yellow eyes burned into Rebecca's gaze, his expression unreadable as he stepped closer, his movements slow yet deliberate.

Rebecca clenched her fists, her breath shallow, but she refused to look away, even as her body stiffened.

"You know who she is, and you kept it from me all this time?" Asher's voice was cold, controlled—but beneath it, there was an underlying edge, a weight that made Rebecca's pulse quicken.

She swallowed hard, but she wouldn't let him see her waver. Instead, she squared her shoulders, lifting her chin in defiance.

"I never said I knew for sure," she countered, her voice sharp, "I said I only have an assumption. And why would I give away my only bargaining crystal to you? Ever since you forced me into becoming your slave, I have been waiting for a moment like this—where you'd be desperate to know what I know in return for my freedom. That is precisely why I never let you take control of my memories."

Asher's fists tightened, his jaw clenching as his eyes flickered with a dangerous light. He hated that she had played such a long game, outmaneuvering him in her own way. He knew he couldn't force her to tell him since the control he had over her didn't extend to her memories.

"A slave like you is trying to bargain with me?" His voice was icy, low, lethal.

He took another step forward, making Rebecca unconsciously step back, though she quickly stiffened, keeping up a brave front.

"I-Isn't it obvious why?" she said, her tone laced with irritation as she tried to ignore the way her body reacted to his intensity, "I can't wait to get away from your cunning and perverted self."

Asher's lips curled into a smirk, but it was devoid of amusement.

With a flick of his hand, he pressed his forefinger against her chest, right near the soft valley of her deep cleavage, making Rebecca stiffen.

The cold bite of his touch, combined with the sweltering heat around them, sent goosebumps rippling down her skin, making her nerves tingle.

But then he pushed forward, making her stumble back.

Her breath hitched as she realized what he was doing—pushing her towards the very edge of the cliff.

"I doubt it's that," Asher mused, his voice mocking, cruel, as he took another measured step forward. "I remember how much you enjoyed moaning under me, especially when I punished you for your disobedience."

Rebecca's face burned as a rush of emotions surged through her chest. Anger. Embarrassment. Shame. Something else she didn't want to name.

She gritted her teeth, but her footing was slipping, her boots nearly touching the crumbling edge where the scorching vapors swirled hungrily.

"Y-You can't seriously be planning to kill me, are you?" she stammered, her breath uneven, though she hated how uncertain her own voice sounded.

Asher merely tilted his head, his expression serene, yet his eyes dark.

"Why not?" he murmured, stepping even closer, his body grazing hers, the warmth of his breath brushing against her heated skin.

Rebecca's pulse hammered violently as she felt the edge of the cliff beneath her heels, the air around them dense with tension.

"Why would I need a slave who wants to run away from me?" he continued, his voice deadly calm. "A death like this to a slave like youwould be a luxury. Don't you think?"

Rebecca's chest rose and fell rapidly, sweat trickling down her back—not from the heat of the magma below, but from the unnerving sense of powerlessness she felt in this moment.

"It must be nice to have the power of ice flowing through your veins," Asher mused, his gaze flicking down to her trembling body, "Any other vampire would have succumbed to this heat. But I wonder if your powers will help you once you're drowning in that hot river down there."

Rebecca's eyes widened, her stomach twisting in both fear and frustration.

Then—her heel slipped.

Rebecca gasped, clutching onto Asher's broad chest, her heart hammering against her ribs.

Asher held her there, his grip firm, his expression unmoved.

"So you are afraid of death," he murmured, his gaze dark, piercing. "Then you should know what to do to avoid it."

Rebecca's fingers trembled, but then she clenched her fists, shoving down her fear.

Her jaw tightened, her pride warring with her survival instincts.

With a deep breath, she lifted her chin and stared directly into his cold gaze.

"D-Do whatever you must," she forced out, her voice shaking yet resolute. "But I-I won't tell you anything until you free me!"

Then, she shut her eyes as if bracing herself, gambling everything on a single, desperate chance, not knowing if he would really let her die. But somewhere deep in her heart she held hope that her life held some significance to him to at least care about her life and death.

Asher watched her in silence, his grip still firm, feeling her body tremble under his grasp.

He could feel her fear, but why was she being this stubborn?

He was angry at her for hiding such important information from him, and why was he hesitant to force that information out of her?

For a long moment, neither of them moved.

Then—

"You win, Rebecca."

Rebecca's eyes snapped open, blinking in disbelief.

Before she could even process his words, Asher abruptly yanked her back, letting go.

She stumbled slightly but caught herself, her breathing ragged, her mind whirling.

Had he... let her go?

Had he given in that easily?

Her gaze flicked to his broad back, facing away from her now, standing against the smoldering horizon.

Her heart twisted, conflicted by emotions she didn't want to acknowledge.

Did he... really care?

Did he not want to hurt her after all? She expected him to even try torturing her for the information, but he did nothing of such sort.

But Asher simply let out a long, tired sigh, his voice cutting through the heated air.

"I have freed you. You are no longer my slave" he said, turning back towards her, his eyes glinting with finality. Rebecca had her lips parted in surprise as she just realized he really did free her! She could no longer feel his chains around her body or mind. Yet why was she feeling a certain void in her heart the moment she could no longer feel his presence within her?

Why was she feeling like this when she should be celebrating this?

It was annoying!

"Now, I want you to tell me everything you know."

His gaze darkened, sharp, unyielding.

"If you lie to me," his voice dropped, chilling, "or hide anything... you will pay the price."

Rebecca exhaled sharply, her nails digging into her palms.

She had won... but at what cost?

She finally had her freedom, but she couldn't ignore the sinking feeling in her gut.

Because now—she owed him the truth. Would he hate it and kill the messenger?

No…this must be for the better. He should know!

Rebecca crossed her arms and let out a sharp harrumph before she said with a sneer, "Hmph, do you remember asking me who killed Rowena's mother and humiliating me in front of all those filthy, lowly perverts just because you couldn't believe I didn't kill her?"

Asher's jaw tightened, but he remained unfazed as he muttered, "I got your point. It wasn't you. Just tell me what I need to know."

Rebecca's lips curled into a small, bitter smirk. She tilted her head slightly, eyeing him with amusement before she continued, "That quest we all took that day? It was just a cover to hide our true purpose from everyone else. It wasn't about treasure or honor. It was to explore some kind of ruins—though I never got to explore much of it."

Asher's brows furrowed, "Ruins?"

The word struck him, sending a chilling wave of realization through his mind. Could she be talking about the same ruins he and Lori had been trapped in earlier?

Rebecca gave a curt nod, "Yes. Now don't ask me more about it because Zane didn't tell me much—except maybe his wife. But that's not important here." She took a deep breath before her eyes burned with cold anger, "What is important is that a certain bitch found out one of my secrets and blackmailed me into making a deal with her. She said I should follow her instructions… lest she leak my secret to everyone."

Asher's expression darkened as he took a small step closer, "What kind of secret would make you bend over like that?" Asher knew someone like Rebecca was hard to crack unless it was something that affected her deeply, like her son.

Rebecca's shoulders stiffened, her fingers twitching slightly before she clenched her fists. There was a brief hesitation, a crack in her usually unshaken composure.

"I-I can't say that," she finally muttered, her tone low but laced with frustration. "That doesn't even matter to you or what I am about to say."

Asher's gaze sharpened, his voice steady, unrelenting. "No. I want to know. Only then will I believe that the rest of your story isn't a lie. I need to know if there really was a good reason for you to get blackmailed."

Rebecca let out a small, frustrated growl, her lips curling back slightly before she turned her head away, her long silver locks cascading over her shoulder. She knew she couldn't push him too far—not when he was already at his breaking point.

Finally, with a begrudging sigh, she muttered, "F-Fine! If you want to know that badly..."

There was another hesitation before she finally spoke, her voice lower, guarded, as if revealing this truth was somehow worse than anything else.

"She somehow knew that my marriage with Seron was just a cover to protect our children."

Asher's brows subtly lifted, but he didn't seem too surprised.

Rebecca let out a dry chuckle, shaking her head, "Silvan is not my son. Seron made that little bastard by copulating with a lowly maid who paid for her crime not long after."

Asher's eyes gleamed with realization, "That makes sense why you were a virgin even after all this time."

Rebecca's face reddened briefly as she shot him a glare, remembering the damned day he stole her virginity. She still couldn't shake off those memories or what he made her feel that day.

Meanwhile, Asher was already piecing things together.

His expression shifted, his voice now laced with curiosity, "But Oberon… how is he your son then? Or did you just steal someone else's child from your House?"

Rebecca's face darkened, her gaze flaring with genuine offense, "No! He is my son and has my blood flowing through his veins!"

There was a moment of raw emotion in her tone—something rare, something fragile.

She let out a slow, shaky breath before she steadied herself, her voice cooling into something more composed.

"But he wasn't born in the conventional way."

Asher's gaze narrowed, "What do you mean?"

Rebecca's lips pressed together, her crimson gaze darkening, "I couldn't begin to imagine copulating with someone as pathetic as Seron or someone beneath me for that matter. But at the same time, I wanted to have my own child… someone of my own flesh and blood. Someone to call my own."

Her voice softened, but it wasn't from affection—it was from something else entirely. A longing, a desperation.

Asher calmly listened while Rebecca's eyes glazed over briefly, as if recalling something from the distant past, before she said in a chillingly calm tone, "So I used a forbidden art to conceive him in my womb… and ripped open my own belly to give birth to him."

Woah...