The Reaper's Wicked Obsession-Chapter 214: Scarred

Nyssa snapped her gaze back to him. "It’s Lord Raven to you," she growled. "And my heart desires are none of your concern." She turned and walked away.

The door slammed shut behind her.

Releasing a sharp breath, Nyssa stepped away from the house, but suddenly ran into Rav.

"Rav!" she said, surprised.

"Where have you been?" Rav asked, then he paused, discerning how uneasy she looked.

His scarlet eyes briefly shifted to the house she had come out of.

"What do you want, Rav? My personal life doesn’t concern you."

"You’re needed in the training grounds," he replied.

"Then let’s get to it," she said, walking past him.

Rav’s eyes lingered on the house until he peeled them away and left.

~♧~

The Sea

The ship sailed the calm sea, the skies were bright, and the sun was at its highest peak.

Below deck, in a cabin, Kraven scrutinized Isadora. She was asleep the instant they boarded the ship.

It was a habit she had suddenly maintained for days now. She barely stayed awake, and when given the chance, it was off to sleep land.

Kraven tipped his head to the side the moment she stirred awake.

Isadora turned, groaning as her eyes slowly opened and found silver eyes pinned on her.

"You’ve been sleeping quite a lot, barely eating, too." He briefly looked over at the plate of untouched food on the barrel.

Knowing Isadora should have gobbled the entire thing down and asked for more... This loss of appetite indicated she wasn’t okay.

"Care to tell me why? Or should I force it out of you?" he teased.

Isadora licked her dry lips and said. "When I sleep, I see nothing or feel... It’s peaceful."

"Hmm... the darkness is now peace?" he asked, scowling at the idea of sleeping as a means of peace when he could give her enough darkness if she desired.

"I can’t dream, so when I sleep, it’s endless, quiet. I like it."

Kraven reached for her, but she reacted, her hands digging into the sheets as her body tensed at the incoming descent of his hand.

Kraven sensed this but didn’t stop his action, his thumb grazing against her soft cheek. He observed as her features contoured in fear.

The sound of her harsh heartbeat filled his ears, it was louder to him because of his sharp hearing.

"Why?" he asked in a cold tone that sent shivers down her spine.

He didn’t look pleased. The dark look covered his silver orbs and overtook the light until they looked like shadows were cast upon them.

The stream of light from the circular window did nothing to bring light.

"Does my touch remind you of theirs?" He asked with venom laced in his tone, causing the air to spiral in tension.

She turned away, her lips quivering, but suddenly he grasped her chin, forcing her glassy eyes back on him.

"I’m hurt, darling. You consider my desire for you repulsive."

"I’m s-sorry," she said faintly, her voice crackly as the emotions weighed on them.

She didn’t want this. She didn’t want him to feel or think that way, but she couldn’t help it. Her body still... remembered.

Kraven had made no attempts to touch for weeks; he had kept a desired space, and she was thankful for that.

But now he crossed the line, she was scared to the core that she might never erase the memories that haunted her from the depths.

"Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault."

Isadora tried to read him, but she couldn’t; he held onto an indistinct expression that made the situation far too firm.

"I—" She couldn’t finish, because he leaned down to her in a heartbeat until his warm breath flushed against her face.

"The mere idea that you think I’d touch you the same way they did makes me enraged."

Her breath grew unstable, his lips almost brushed hers, but they lingered... feeling the soft flesh instead. freēnovelkiss.com

Her body latched tightly, chilliness seizing her.

Kraven glimpsed how stiff she was, a complete contrast to how her body came alive for him, but now it was akin to being dead.

His teeth gritted as the veins from his sharpened jawline bulged.

"The dead shouldn’t scar you, Isadora," he growled. "They’re trivial."

She shook her head tightly, cramming her eyes shut as if she couldn’t bear to be in the same breathing space as him.

Kraven’s vexation rose; he wanted to push and force those demons away, but an invisible tug in his heart stopped him.

The sensation intensified as she murmured the word ’please’.

Inhaling sharply, he pulled away from the bed and made as enough space as possible until he stood in a corner, like an unwelcome shadow.

Isadora curled in a ball, grasping the blanket tightly around her small frame.

Unable to bear the sight of her in such a state, he left the cabin.

~♧~

Isadora awoke, her breath convulsing, sweat beading her features. She swallowed hard and groaned, holding her throat.

After minutes of trying to grab her bearings, she faced the window. It was nightfall.

’How long have I been asleep?’ she thought.

It must be hours or longer. But the trace of Kraven’s touch on her cheek steeled the timeline.

Her body tensed as she reminisced about what had transpired, regret storming through her.

The look in his eyes, the glimpse of hurt and haze. It caused a squeeze in her chest just thinking about it.

She swung her legs off the bed and stood, but her body felt heavy, and the room spun briefly. It was far worse staying on her feet because of the gentle sway of the ship.

Swallowing thickly, she put on her boot and grabbed the blanket as she stepped out of her cabin.

Her boots made the wood creak under her weight, but the sound coming from the top deck drowned it.

She climbed the stairs and reached the top, where the fresh breeze brushed softly against her face. The scent of the sea was rich and refreshing.

"Oh, come on! Not again!"

A laugh followed.

"I warned you not to go all in."

It was Logi’s voice. Isadora skimmed the deck and found them at a corner, a lamp positioned at the center. The warm light was bright around them, showing the cards and dice on the barrel.