Chapter Five: Beneath the Devil’s Gaze

The following morning, the castle’s halls were even colder, the stones seeming to absorb the chill that lingered from the night before. Elara moved through her tasks in silence, trying to push away the memory of Lucifer’s touch, the low rasp of his voice that had haunted her dreams. But it clung to her, refusing to be banished, like a shadow lurking just out of sight.

As she swept through the main corridor, she found herself glancing toward the grand double doors that led to Lucifer’s private chambers. Her fingers tightened on the broom’s handle, her chest squeezing with an ache she couldn’t quite name. She shouldn’t care where he was, what he was doing—she was just a maid, bound to his service. And yet, the memory of his eyes, burning like molten gold, kept pulling at her thoughts.

She forced herself to focus on her work, scrubbing the stone floors until her fingers ached. But as the sun began to sink beyond the castle’s high windows, casting long shadows across the floors, a deep voice broke the silence.

“Thinking of sneaking off again, little maid?”

Elara’s head snapped up, and she nearly dropped the bucket she was carrying. Lucifer stood in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame. He looked as though he had stepped out of the shadows themselves, his dark clothing blending with the dim light. But his eyes—their gleaming intensity fixed on her—held a heat that sent a shiver through her.

She straightened, clutching the bucket to her chest like a shield. “I—no, my lord. I was just... cleaning.”

He arched a brow, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

The accusation made her breath catch, and she fumbled for words, her cheeks flushing under his scrutiny. “I haven’t... I mean, I would never—”

“Liar,” he said softly, the single word slipping from his lips like a caress. He pushed away from the doorframe, crossing the room in long strides until he stood just inches from her. She could see the smirk on his lips, the way his eyes glinted with amusement at her discomfort.

Elara took a step back, her back bumping against the wall. The cold stone pressed into her, a sharp contrast to the heat radiating from him. Her fingers trembled around the handle of the bucket, and she forced herself to meet his gaze, even though it made her feel small, exposed.

“I don’t mean to... to avoid you,” she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. “I just...”

“You just what?” he pressed, his tone both mocking and curious. His hand moved, taking the bucket from her grasp with effortless ease, setting it aside. She was trapped, the wall behind her and Lucifer’s towering presence in front. His fingers brushed a strand of hair from her face, a touch so light it sent a shiver racing through her.

She closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing, but his nearness, the heat of his body, made it impossible to think clearly. She felt as if he could hear the frantic beating of her heart, could see the flush creeping up her neck. And maybe he could, because his smirk deepened, his fingers lingering just a moment longer against her cheek.

“You’re trembling again,” he murmured, his voice low and rough, threading through the silence between them. “Does the darkness frighten you that much?”

Her lips parted, but no sound came out. She didn’t know how to answer him—didn’t know what he wanted her to say. His touch was like a brand, searing through her fragile defenses, stirring something inside her that she had never felt before. It terrified her as much as it fascinated her.

Lucifer’s thumb traced the line of her jaw, his touch lingering with a softness that contrasted with the darkness in his eyes. “Or is it me that frightens you, Elara?”

“Yes,” she whispered, the word slipping out before she could stop it. She felt a sharp pang of regret as his eyes darkened, but he didn’t move away. If anything, he drew closer, his breath mingling with hers, a tantalizing heat between them.

“And yet, you stay,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Why is that?”

She opened her mouth to speak, but the words tangled in her throat. Because I have no choice, she wanted to say. Because I made a bargain with a devil. But even as the thoughts twisted in her mind, she knew they weren’t entirely true. There was something else, something deeper, a pull that kept her rooted in place even when everything in her screamed to run.

Lucifer’s smile turned colder, as if he could see the war waging inside her. His fingers brushed down the side of her neck, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. Elara’s breath hitched, her skin tingling under his touch, and she found herself leaning ever so slightly toward him, as if drawn by a thread she couldn’t see.

“Perhaps,” he mused, his lips so close to hers that she could feel the faintest brush of his breath, “you’re not as innocent as you pretend to be, little maid.”

The accusation made her flinch, but she couldn’t look away, couldn’t pull back from the dark promise in his gaze. His hand cupped her chin, tilting her face up, forcing her to meet his eyes. They burned like molten gold, a heat that she felt deep in her bones, leaving her dizzy, unsteady.

“Or perhaps,” he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper, “you simply haven’t yet realized what you truly desire.”

Elara’s cheeks flamed, her body tensing under the weight of his words. She felt as if he was peeling back every layer, exposing parts of herself she had never known existed. Her hands clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palms as she fought to maintain some semblance of control.

“Please...” she breathed, though she wasn’t sure what she was pleading for. Release? Understanding? Or the answer to the questions he had stirred in her, questions that twisted like shadows in the corners of her mind.

Lucifer’s smile faded, his expression turning sharper, more predatory. His fingers tightened on her chin, his eyes narrowing as he studied her, as if weighing her every breath. “Be careful what you beg for, Elara,” he said softly, a warning hidden in the velvet of his tone. “You might just get it.”

And then, as suddenly as the moment began, he released her, stepping back with a smooth, fluid grace. The loss of his touch left her breathless, the chill of the castle seeping back into her bones. She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling the wild flutter of her heart, struggling to catch her breath as he turned away.

“Go to your chambers, Elara,” he said without looking back, his voice echoing off the stone walls. “And remember—your place here is mine to decide. Don’t forget that.”

She bowed her head, swallowing the knot of emotion in her throat. “Yes, my lord.”

She forced herself to walk away, to put one foot in front of the other, even as her legs threatened to give out beneath her. But as she hurried down the hall, her thoughts spinning, she knew that whatever game Lucifer was playing, she was already losing.

The devil had claimed her life with their bargain, but now she feared he was beginning to claim something far more dangerous—her very heart.

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