The Crimson Snow (A Realm of Chaos and Void #1)

Chapter 21

The Tempted Fox

Blood is a funny thing when coming from another being.

It can mend, it can cure, and somehow heal the sore

But cannot be trusted or deceived.

That is why in the Otherworld water is thicker.

Retrieved from Ancients and Primals

by Elowent Sorrowspring, Ch. 2, p. 10.

Evren Wraithwood

Evren couldn’t hide his smile even if he tried to. Oh, how much I will enjoy this moment. He had sensed Seraphine and pretended he was asleep, and it was entertaining to see her all over him, even if she was trying to check his room for something she could use against him. Daring enough, she approached him to peek at his tattoos, which was torture enough. It was so hard to keep my facade of the sleeping beauty incarnate.

Evren could not resist the idea of pulling her close to him. It was early, and he had never been a fan of mornings, and he undoubtedly found her so deliciously perfect against his body that he could not help but snuggle her closer.

However, things worsened when he finally fully opened his eyes to see a shocked Seraphine, stunning against the sweet light. The worst of all, she was wearing a black silk dress—a very tight and soft black dress made of linen tree. It was a treasure, and his heart, or whatever was left of it, became stuck in his throat as a memory returned to him.

“I made this especially for you,”

he had said centuries ago, yet she never used it.

For once, I shall thank you, Nemera, he thought. This view—he could get used to it. The dress, her hair slightly pulled up, her eyes.

Her.

However, for that, Seraphine needed to like him. While they had become closer in the past few days, closer as he forced her into a blood pact, he knew she still hated him.

And with reason.

Evren knew he should pull away, but he was selfish and wanted her closer, at least for a few more seconds. Is it because of what she said when she got drunk on those berry roses? No, but he could use that as an excuse for himself.

“Were you spying on me, Crimson Eyes? Drooling over my handsomeness while I was asleep?”

he said, pulling himself and her up so he now rested on the frame of his bed, and Seraphine was straddling him. Something else replaced the shock on her face.

She huffed and put on the impassive expression he knew so well. Luckily, he knew the game well too. “I was not.”

However, she made no movement to get away from him. If anything, he felt Seraphine arching slightly closer to him.

“Hmm,”

Evren purred at her. “Did not seem like you were not, Crimson Eyes.”

He moved his hand and motioned to her hair. “You look beautiful this morning. Tell me…”

He moved his head closer to her until there was not a single inch of space between their bodies, and he could see Seraphine’s lips parting. Oh, she may hate me, but I know she wants me. There was a primal necessity that could not be erased and had nothing to do with feelings.

“Tell you what?”

Her eyes were a little hooded, her lashes lowering, and Evren could see her chest rising and falling more rapidly. That dress was the greatest investment he had made, tight in all the right places.

“How is your headache?”

he muttered. While he intended to mock her, he was truly concerned about her well-being.

She moved nervously, and Evren had to shut his eyes for a moment to suppress the feeling of her. Somehow, she was unaware of the effect of her moving on his lap. “It still hurts. I feel like my head is cracking and slowly killing me, and I do not remember a thing.”

“I told you to not—”

he started, but the look on her face was enough to shut him off. Evren was smart enough to know what battles he could win. With her looking at him that way, he had already lost.

Instead, he went to a safer approach. “I can help you with the headache. And after that, we can get something to eat... and start the research for the quest,”

Evren muttered, way too focused on Seraphine’s neck, where the bonding-inked tattoo mingled with some beauty marks.

How many does she have? Do they make a constellation?

Seraphine bit her lip a little and said, “I do recall that part. You mentioned that we need to look into something that could lift whatever curse was placed on you, but I still have a lot of questions.”

“Of course you do. I expect no less.”

“So, you will help me with my headache?”

“Yes, my blood does have healing properties. You can just take one drop, and you will feel better.”

Evren’s lineage blood was highly desired due to its healing properties. People would trade blood from lesser-related people linked to his heritage all the time.

“Right. Of course. You are so wholesome and holy that your blood is the key to the health issues in the realms.”

He laughed slowly. “You said it, not me. And it is the truth. Now, you can also deal with that headache. Berry roses are as deadly as they are holy.”

Seraphine scrunched her face, and Evren laughed again, louder. “It is just a drop, Crimson Eyes. And it’s not like it’s normal blood. Besides, you will feel like new. And we need to move with this, Seraphine. While I do enjoy having you here, I do wish to complete this quest and, for better or worse, free you.”

That seemed to trigger something because her eyes were now stormy, Seraphine experiencing too many thoughts in a second. “That is really what you want? To free me?”

she asked, doubtful.

However, Evren was being honest. “Yes. While my ways were not exactly beneficial to you, which I will regret for the rest of my life, I do wish you to have your freedom. That, I can swear.”

After a moment of silence, Evren saw how she took a deep breath and looked at him again.

“Well then, how do I take your blood? Should I bite you? Are you a vampire of any kind?”

Her mind is perfection. “I am not a vampire. I do not think they exist here in the Otherworld,”

he said, more amused than anything.

“Then how?”

she asked, genuinely curious. “Should I cut your whole finger and be done with it?”

The shine in her eyes appeared. Evren loved her cunning nature, and each day, he knew he would see more of her come alive.

Evren proceeded to bite his lip, strong enough to cause an open and small cut. “There, just take a drop and drink it. It is tasteless, but you shall feel good immediately.”

He was teasing her, but he had no control. The closeness of her was driving him to the edge.

Seraphine furrowed her brows. He then moved his finger and touched his lip, slowly smearing the drop of blood provocatively. “Like this. Just take some—”

He never finished the phrase.

Seraphine moved and put her lips on his.

Seraphine Ashcroft

Seraphine told herself she should have asked for an alternative. However, being close to Evren made her feel an intoxicating warmth. Despite him being the mastermind behind all her suffering, his nearness clouded Seraphine’s mind.

The closer I am to him, the fewer shards of ice I feel. When Seraphine felt him beneath her, and he bit his lip, something primal ignited within her.

My reasoning is gone.

There was just necessity, like the need to breathe and eat. Even was that—a need and want she couldn’t understand but felt deeply natural.

Seraphine bent a little, her initial intention to draw a drop of his blood. Her head pounded, feeling as if rocks were being thrown at her. However, as soon as her lips touched his, everything changed.

Perhaps it was the lack of warmth, the years spent in shadows, or the events that had transpired, but she felt a deep hunger—a need for more. It was the same need that emanated from Evren when he had pulled her closer and opened his mouth to hers.

Seraphine had read enough books to know the basics of a kiss and had kissed Maxwell once. Still, this was different. For once, she let herself go, losing herself in the softness of his lips and his sweet, calming warmth.

Evren’s hand moved in slow, tantalizing motions up and down her waist, and she moved her hand to his chest, surprising herself by pulling him closer. The kiss was everything a tale should be: sweet and caring, yet devouring and igniting.

She had never felt anything like this before. When Evren broke the kiss, she wanted to protest, but he had other ideas. He trailed a path of kisses down her neck, and she swore there was no better feeling than that. She could survive on those.

Somewhere between the kisses, Seraphine sighed in bliss. She knew she would scream into her pillow about this later.

One nightmare at a time.

However, this didn’t feel like a nightmare at all, and that was very troublesome.

“You are the most exquisite being I have ever seen,”

he murmured, kissing her neck and lower, caressing her cleavage. “And I love these little spots, like constellations.”

What is he talking about?

She needed to remind herself that she had marked him as her enemy and promised to destroy him, even as he gave special attention to the corner of her ear.

Still, Seraphine couldn’t understand why she wanted this so much, why she needed it. She decided she wouldn’t care. Trouble is overrated today. She moved her hand, unlocking the pin of her hair, letting it fall around her shoulders. Using her other hand, she guided Evren’s mouth back to hers.

This time, they kissed like they had been waiting centuries for this moment. Perhaps they had. Yet, she noticed how Evren remained controlled, caressing her but also keeping his hand from moving too far. That warmed her veins.

Yet, she wanted more.

Seraphine broke the kiss, making Evren sigh, and then she closed the distance, trailing kisses from his cheek to his ear.

I may regret this someday, but that’s something for later.

She whispered, “More.”

Just like that, Evren was no longer still. He moved, lifting her for a moment, and then, he had her on her back, kissing her softly, biting her, drowning her in warmth and light.

She let her hand roam freely over Evren’s chest, marveling at him and the sensation of it all.

“Seren...”

Evren said between kisses as she drew him down on her. He slowly drifted, his mouth never leaving her skin, his hand slowly moving the hem of her dress, drawing small circles on her thighs until she opened up for him, waiting for more. She wasn’t sure exactly what, but it felt right.

Evren followed her lead, once again covering her mouth with his, letting his hand roam freely to a spot below her navel, lower and lower, until her breath quickened, and he moaned against her lips at the feel of her.

“Evren,”

she gasped his name as his talented hand continued to caress her most sensitive spot. “Please,”

she sighed, her voice barely audible.

He smiled, a predatory grin, watching her squirm and arch as she continuously asked for something she couldn’t name. Then, he lowered his head again, biting her lower lip as he pushed harder into her sensitive spot, and she cried out, her hips lifting to meet him. She was on fire, every nerve ending alight with sensation. She writhed beneath him, lost in a sea of pleasure.

Then, just when she thought she could take no more, he brought her to the brink and pushed her over. She shattered, her body convulsing in waves of ecstasy. And somehow, she wanted more, as if whatever she had lacked had been transformed into an insatiable hunger for this. For him. For whatever could make her feel alive.

“There is time, Crimson Eyes,”

he said under his breath against her mouth, as if he had read her thoughts, his hand caressing her waist and hair, kissing her one last time before he pulled her up to his chest and held her.

It felt like the most natural thing in the world.

For a moment, she lay there, hearing Evren’s heartbeat and wondering if all of this was a terrible reaction to everything she had gone through.

Seraphine had never experienced anything like that before. While part of her thought she was mad to let Evren go that far, another part of her wanted him. Badly.

I am still going to be his doom. Without a shadow of a doubt. However, somehow, she did not regret what had happened. Maybe this could be a distraction. A way to own him.

It wasn’t that good anyway.

Liar, liar, liar.

“Seren, I—”

Evren said a few minutes later, both in his bed, his voice unsure. “I swear my intention was not…”

Seraphine studied him, her face still flushed. “Mine neither,”

she said shyly, though she knew she was lying to herself.

He cleared his throat, avoiding her gaze. “I-I just…”

She laughed, a bright sound that broke the tension. Clearly, he was more shocked than she was about what had just happened. “I liked it. I still despise you. But maybe we both needed that? I know I did… I’ve never… you know.”

Evren’s eyes softened, and she could see snowflakes in his gaze. She found that trail very calming to her heart. “Good. I deserve nothing but your hatred. But—”

He moved and kissed her nose quickly. “If you want to use me in any way… this way, fantastic. You are… better than berry roses. But if you want to one day yell at me, tear me to pieces, do it. It is only fair.”

Seraphine nodded, feeling somehow relaxed and warm. There was a thrilling comfort in his words, as twisted as that was.

“But,”

he said finally, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I would prefer you to use me more frequently this way.”

He winked at her, and she pinched his side in response.

“Ouch,”

he said, smiling. “Such devastating fingers, Crimson Eyes. Now, let’s have something to eat and get to work, shall we?”

As he dressed, Seraphine couldn’t help but steal glances at him. His well-built body, the scars that told stories she wanted to uncover, the way his muscles moved—it all made her pulse quicken. She found herself imagining what it would be like to touch him again, to explore every inch of him.

Evren caught her staring and smirked. “Enjoying the view?”

She rolled her eyes. “You wish.”

His eyes darkened with desire. “I do.”

The way he looked at her, like he wanted to devour her, sent a shiver down her spine. Seraphine bit her lip, the memory of his touch still fresh on her skin. She could still feel the way his hands had roamed her body, the way his lips had teased her, driving her to the edge.

However, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing just how much she wanted him.

They headed to the same room where they had enjoyed supper yesterday, a spread of food awaiting them. Seraphine’s stomach growled.

Evren pulled out a chair for her. She sat down, trying to maintain her composure, but the heat between them was palpable.

As they ate, their hands would occasionally brush, sending jolts of electricity through her. He would smile at her, a knowing look in his eyes, and she would have to remind herself to breathe.

“So,”

she said, trying to change the subject. “What’s our next move?”

Evren leaned back in his chair, looking every bit the confident, infuriating man she had come to know. “We need to find information, perhaps a book that will guide us on how to lift any type of curse.”

She nodded, trying to focus on his words and not the way his lips moved when he talked. “Right. A book. Do you have any idea where it might be, one that mentions that?”

He shrugged. “Somewhere in this library. It’s a massive place, but we’ll find it. There are some sections we can start with, and Raggart can always guide us.”

As if it would be easy to explore a castle made of books.

She inhaled deeply. Perhaps I can distract myself with books rather than him.

“I have a question,”

Seraphine said.

“Of course you do,”

he muttered, not lifting his eyes from his plate.

“Can a hag or maybe another being lift whatever curse was placed on you?”

she wondered. She knew that there were some creatures powerful enough to remove curses.

“No, this type of curse can only be lifted by the one who placed it, and trust me,”

he said, lifting his head and looking at her directly in the eyes. “He has no interest in doing it. Ever.”

“Why not? It’s been... decades? What if you ask him—”

Evren moved his plate, cutting off her reply, and moved to the side of the table, leaning down so they were both at eye level.

“Mmm, you are so very curious about it, aren’t you?”

he said, his eyes warm enough to melt her resolve. She tried hard to push away the memory of his closeness.

Seraphine cleared her throat. “I just wish to understand more. That way, I know what I should be searching for,”

she said, smiling politely and ironically.

His eyes moved down to her lips, and he purred, “That you do.”

Then, he broke whatever was happening there and stood up, offering his hand to her.

She looked at his hand as if it were a trap.

An alluring trap.

Put it together, Seraphine.

Evren laughed. “I want to show you something, please.”

She grabbed his hand and let him pull her up from her seat. Then, he motioned her toward the second floor through a hallway she knew very well.

Evren Wraithwood

They moved across the second floor and reached a particular hallway where certain old paintings were hanging on the wall.

They used to be different.

The paintings showcased what was once a beautiful story, and Evren had cherished them.

Then, when everything had gone down centuries ago, the paintings twisted and changed.

Instead of showing a love story, they displayed the tale of his own downfall. At that time, Evren had been so angry that he ripped them apart. Still, there were some pieces nobody could capture in the paintings.

Pieces of him.

Pieces that he hoped could help the crimson-eyed girl understand that he was not the greatest evil.

He wanted her to understand him, not to hate him as much as he hated himself.

Such human desires, he thought.

He looked at Seraphine, who was gazing at him expectantly. Her crimson eyes shone with curiosity.

And want.

Evren needed to remind himself that whatever desire he had should be shadowed by the objective of it all. Her. He sucked in a breath and focused on the painting once more.

“Did you have a chance to look at this stunning work of art?”

he mocked, knowing full well this was by far not a work of art. The canvas was dirty and old.

Chaotic and torn, just like him.

Seraphine took a step forward, touching the canvas. “I have,”

she said, moving her head as if thinking of her next words. “I have tried to piece this together. Searched for books that could give me some idea of what this story was about.”

She lifted her eyes to him. “I asked Dorah, but it was like there was no record of it. I even tried to illustrate the paintings on paper, but as soon as I left the library, everything I drew was erased.”

“Those are enchanted paintings.”

“You don’t say,”

she said in jest.

Ah, I could drown in her irony.

Sighing, Evren moved. “I placed these when I built this place. The paintings, the content at least, were linked to my memories. They are rotten and dark now, but they used to be bright. The images used to be something I once loved, the remains of what could have been but never was.”

Seraphine moved across the paintings and reached the last one. A visible neck, his neck, was the only thing left intact. That one he had ripped apart, leaving behind a glimpse of him on the painting. He could recall that day, centuries ago, how much he hated him, hated the library, his memories, and he wanted to tear it all down. How incredibly hypocritical of me to lead Seraphine to the same fate.

“This is you, isn’t it?”

she said, looking at the painting, focusing on the visible neck. It was a fox, a replica of the one she also had on herself, just slightly larger.

It wasn’t a tattoo but something Evren had done by cutting himself for years and years until his skin couldn’t grow or heal. Looking back at her, Evren noticed she didn’t seem to be waiting for him to confirm her words. Her eyes were trying to piece the story together.

“Why did the content of the paintings change?”

Seraphine finally asked, and for a moment, he wondered if it was better to let this go.

Still, he needed to remind her that he was no good. That while he was a victim too, he should keep his word and focus on the matter at hand and not the impossibility of it.

“Because the one I loved died, and the memories of her too. What replaced them was a moment of darkness that took over me completely. A moment I wish I could erase, but ironically, it is placed in the canvases.”

Evren closed his eyes, remembering very well what lay on the paintings before and what was now.

The story of how I killed the one I loved the most.

“I am sorry,”

she whispered, and he looked at her with surprise. Always kind, even to me, the person she should hate. “After my father passed… I realized heartache and losing the one you love can trigger darkness within you. Wasn’t that the reason I reached out to you and let myself into this mess?”

“Seraphine, I am—”

She cut him off. “I know,”

she said, looking at her feet. “It was my choice. I could have run away or done other things, but it was my choice. Whether you interfered or not, it was meant to be that way. So I get it, the need to numb it all, run away from the overwhelming pain. Now, was your... I mean…”

Seraphine once again turned to him and focused on the paintings. “Was the one you loved why you built this whole place?”

“Yes.”

It was an engagement present. “And I still love her.”

“That must be nice. To be cherished like that still after death.”

When Evren looked at her again, she darted her eyes. Seraphine examined her black dress, a look in her eyes he could not decipher, but then she gazed at him again, her expression impassive.

“Does this have anything to do with your curse?”

It has everything to do with it.

“Before she died, my... father did not approve of our union. He is a very well-connected being here, and he decided to rip most of my essence. At that time, the veil was created, and he also left me in the human realm and forbade my return.”

His voice shook a little. “Then, he orchestrated the assassination of my fiancée.”

“He killed her just because he did not approve?”

It’s more complicated than that.

“Well, he might do something worse if he finds me, and he will find me. I just need to be whole and have my power back before that happens.”

Otherwise, my father will kill me and eventually you.

“What if there is no way to break your curse?”

Seraphine muttered slowly, her back stiff.

If there is no way... No, there has to be. Evren turned her life upside down just for this. He would find a way. “Then, you’ll need to kill me. I’ll be freed of my pain, and you’ll all be free of me.”