As the connection disconnected, the gemstone's light dimmed. The Santa Maria aquamarine gemstone rested on the small table as Kian stared at it in silence. While still sitting in the chair, he leaned his cheek against his fist and tapped the armrest with his other hand.

“That went well,” Ezrel commented, holding up a beautifully crafted box as he walked toward the aquamarine.

Kian snorted. “Is this what you think?”

The black-haired demon carefully stored the gemstone in the box. “You have an army under your command and the loyalty of the Lords.”

“Loyalty? Army?” Kian said caustically. “None of them can be fully trusted.”

The clacking sound echoed in the silent room as Ezrel closed the box. He patiently waited for his king’s command. Turning to face Kian, he watched him carefully. The calculating and cold gaze sent shivers through his spine. Ezrel’s heart pounded in excitement as he carefully controlled his facial expression.

“We will need to keep an eye on them,” Kian muttered with a frown.

They had money, shelter, and food. There was nothing lacking in comfort for them. But it wasn’t enough. Kian desperately needed subordinates. He required men he could trust and had no affiliation with his allies. This was his priority, along with Zakhar Zeytsev’s assassination.

“Please leave it to me,” Ezrel added as Kian stared up at him.

“What do you plan to do?”

“We are fortunate to have a big selection of slaves.”

Kian thought about it for a moment. He heard from Malak that the slave market did not only sell human slaves. And, he trusted Ezrel that he could identify capable workers. Çiçek and the maid were among them.

“Don’t let Malak see you.”

It was almost enough to make him smile after seeing the warning glare. Kian’s deep red eyes bore into his head as Ezrel lowered his eyes to the ground.

“As you wish.”

Kian stood up and walked out of the office. A few steps behind, Ezrel followed him. The two of them went back to the garden, where Malak was waiting. A shiver ran down Kian's spine as he felt the magical pressure. Slamming the back door open, the sight surprised both men. The grass surrounding Malak was scalded as the flowers withered. A few birds laid dead on the ground too. Taking no time to think, Kian rushed to his beloved even as he kneeled immobile.

⊙△⊙

Alone in the small but beautiful flower garden, Malak closed his eyes. He enjoyed the soft wind caressing his cheeks. In the air, there was a subtle hint of jasmine's sweet and rich scent. The birds chirped happily as the garden felt separated from the city’s chaos.

While Malak carefully sipped his tea, he faintly heard distant voices from the second floor. He hoped everything went according to plan. Being Kian’s husband, Malak shared his joy, sadness, and troubles. Conquering Acrilas was the first step to taking back the throne. Unwillingly, he remembered the slaves at the market. He tried to push the thought away, but it only became more and more vivid.

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In the midst of the cheering crowd, Malak watched the slaves being sold one by one. They could be men, women, children, humans, or demons. It didn’t matter. They all met the same fate. Once used, they would be discarded on the streets or sold to another person again. As Malak pinched himself, he wished he could wake up from his nightmare. Yet, the crowd only got more excited as the auction went on. Helplessness reminded him of the trauma he had experienced as a child. In time, the slaves' faces became blurred as those of his father, mother, and friends replaced theirs.

Panic settled in as he had difficulty breathing. Malak crumbled down to his knees and wept. Unable to escape the nightmare, he clawed at the ground. He dug his nails deep while clenching his teeth. Malak wanted to save them all, but he kept doubting his own capabilities. Without Kian, he felt powerless.

“This is why you died,” his own accusing voice echoed through his head. “Anka died because of you.”

“She told me to run,” Malak responded shakily. “She said she would catch up.”

“She cried for help. Your mother did too. Why didn’t you help?”

Their deaths flashed in front of him. His mind was plagued with images of them being defiled in any way possible until blood pooled out of their lifeless bodies. Malak felt the sorrow, the pain, the anger once again. Instead of taking revenge, he ran. And failed. He was grabbed by the arm, by the horns, before being insulted and tortured.

“What could I have done?” he stammered as the memory became unbearably vivid.

“Fight.”

With everyone dead around them, his assailants got bored. Malak tried to escape, but his strength failed him. There were too many of them. To spice things up, they tried to make Malak look human again. With cruel and sadistic smiles, the human soldiers slowly carved Malak’s horns off. Malak's screams fell on deaf ears. Ignoring his pleas, his eyes followed as they were gauged out.

“Coward.”

A hand grabbed Malak’s shoulder. Without thinking, he unleashed a wave of magic at the owner’s hand. The energy blasted out of Malak’s body. Unlike the gentle and warm light, he used for healing, darkness crept into this one. It was black and red with purple hues. The intensity of the magic power forcefully pushed the stranger away.

Surprised by the attack, Kian didn’t have the chance to protect himself from the attack. The magic blast ripped his hand from Malak’s shoulder and propelled him away. His body flew across the garden and slammed against the brick wall of the house. The shock made him lose consciousness for a moment.

Ezrel, who witnessed everything, was shocked by Malak’s magical power. The once calm garden was now falling into chaos. Malak’s magic ran rampant. The wind picked up, and the earth started to tremble. Failing to protect his king, he quickly snapped out of it. In seconds, Ezrel set up a protective barrier around the house. A red, pale cloth wrapped the perimeter like a dome. From the exterior, the passerby will notice nothing out of place. The magical pressure will also be blocked off. Alarming the authorities would be a disaster.

Regaining consciousness, Kian grunted in pain. As stars clouded his vision, he shook his head to clear it. Struggling to get to his feet, he winced at the pain in his shoulder. It was dislocated. Unconcerned by his injury, he quickly popped the bone back in place. After a few rotations of his shoulder, Kian sighed in relief. With the pain gone, his attention now focused on Malak. Both men carefully assessed the situation.

“We need to stop him before he destroys my barrier,” Ezrel explained with worry as Malak’s growing magic power kept pushing against his shield.

Malak didn’t seem aware of the chaos he was creating, and Kian wondered what could have caused such chaos.

Gritting his teeth, he gave Ezrel his order. “Let’s knock him out.”

Without hesitating, Ezrel gathered a pool of energy around his core before unleashing it around Malak. Another dome was created. In contrast to the large barrier that surrounded the house, the new and small one was meant to separate and protect. No harm from the outside could affect Malak. There would be no exchange, even of air.

Kian added another layer above Ezrel’s barrier. Gradually covering the red dome, the darkness swallowed everything in his path. Behind both shields, Malak's figure vanished, and his magic became muffled. Peace returned to the garden. Both men waited in silence. They both felt Malak's breath becoming slower as he became weaker.

Cancelling their powers, Kian ran toward his unconscious husband. Confirming his pulse, Kian sighed in relief. Gently lifting Malak’s body, Kian carried him inside the house.