A Hunter's Curse (Closed o/o with Nyx)

Nathaniel tried his best to keep her from shaking holding her close, holding her still, anything. He wiped away the tears with his thumb, trying to muffle her whimpers. “Good. Nothing will ever be able to hurt you.” He rasped. His teeth had a tinge of pink to them. Clearing his throat, he shuttered from the taste that crept into his mouth. “I’m fine. Just a slight—.” What excuse could he use? Demons didn’t get sick and he definitely didn’t know what was going on. He did know, however, it was a price. “Just got something stuck in my throat.” He murmured. “Why do we go eat something..” Nathaniel stood up, waiting for Ember to stand too.

(I survived my first day)

Nathaniel took a deep breath, walking with Ember down to the private dining room. “I’m positive. I feel just fine. Nothing is going on behind the scenes.” His voice was breathy. He struggled to breath, trying not to show his struggle for Embers sake. “We’re going to the dining room and have a nice breakfast.” He stepped off the last step, trying to catch his balance. Crossing the grand hall, he entered the same dining room where he smashed the cup. The carpet had been cleaned and was in tip top shape. “Sit down where ever, Ember.” He pulled out the okay chair sitting at the head of the table. His usual spot. “I’m glad to see you have collected yourself.”

Nathaniel rested his head against his hand, trying to catch a stable breath. He looked ill. "I swear I'm okay, Ember. I promise. I'll tell you if I'm not doing well." His eyes darted around the room, looking at all the portraits hung upon the wall. The fake fire place had small cracks in the furnishing and a few of the skulls had broke. He waited for the servants to bring food, leaning his head on Ember's shoulder (assuming she's very close to him). "I'm glad to hear it." The scent on his breath had a hint of peach, kinda like what his blood had tasted like. A servant brought the king an interesting unidentified stew and brought Ember some venison. The servant left after looking at the two, not wanting to disturb their moment. "I'm just—exhausted. That's all."

Nathaniel's face turned ghost white. "Yes—Ember. It does. I've been coughing up blood for the past few days, but I'll be okay. I don't need to rest or anything, just need to take away the curse…but I can't touch the book." He murmured, giving her a kiss on the neck. Sitting back up, he swirled the stew around with a steel spoon. He scooped away from him and brought the utensil to his mouth, taking a bite. "I don't think eating is going to help, dear. I think only you can help me. But I don't want to be bedridden, either." He set the spoon down, resting it against the rim of the ceramic bowl. "The spells I had conducted were dangerous and could have possibly costed my life." Pausing, he rested his head back on Ember's shoulder. "I just don't want you to worry about me."

"I'm..s-sorry." Nathaniel still struggled with that word. It was almost foreign to him. "I'll tell you the truth next time. I just didn't want you to know. To be alarmed." The kings had presented his softer side to Ember. It's like all his brashness melted away when he was around her. But if anyone tried to kill or manipulate her? They'll be dead. "There is a way you can help, but I don't want it to cost you your life. The spell is too much. You don't have that much power." He wasn't used to having people coddle him, risks their lives for him. He was used to dealing with the pain and hurt alone. "You're the first person to tell me that." He whispered, slumping into her arms further. He liked the feeling of someone brushing through his hair. Despite the heat of hell, his hair was soft and thick.

Nathaniel nodded his head, leaning into Ember. "The costs could kill you. Do you really want that?" He rasped, holding back another cough. "I'll let you help me, but— I will murder greatly if you wind up dead." He closed his eyes, listening to Ember's heart beat. She may have fallen for him, but he still couldn't believe he loves a random werewolf. It was strange to imagine, especially after how he'd maimed her for being a werewolf. Well, he wasn't particularly too mean. But he did claim to adopt those whom were not wanted. Why not marry a werewolf. No harm in it—well except for some kinks in his lineage. But with his birth, Nathaniel had destroyed his lineage himself. Would he trade it for a pure lineage? No. No other demon could take care of him like one with a pure beating heart. Nathaniel blushed and kissed Ember back, keeping his head on his shoulder a little. "I'm going to go lay down. Will you come with? Maybe grab the book with the broken spine and peeling cover in my study… If you need any help lifting the curse, please call upon my lieutenant. He's short, has white hair, and is the sin of lust." Nathaniel sat up, stood up, and walked out of the dining room while coughing, abandoning his breakfast. The king lugged himself up the spiral stairs and into his spacious room across from Ember's. He flopped onto his round bed, crawling under the sheets and bringing his knees up to his chest.

The book on the desk had an ominous aura, almost as if it was going to corrupt your soul if you didn’t back off. Nevertheless, Ember was able to pick it up. Although, the book was only in an old demonic language and Latin.

Nathaniel laid curled up in his big bed, knees drawn up to his chest as he heaved. He could feel the blood well up into his throat, the peachy taste sickening in his mouth. He coughed it out, blood gathering on the sheets and the ash wood floor. The book had cursed him. It cursed him for summoning his ancestors and for killing off a piece of Haiti buried deep in himself. His punishment was supposed to be his everlasting fate as the ruler of hell, not dead the next day. Ember was right, nobody else could be the ruler of this forsaken place. Only he possessed royals blood. But his lieutenant could take over the empty throne if needed. Nathaniel held his chest, coughing up more of the reddish purple blood. The pain in his chest has become unbearable at one point. It wasn’t his fault. None of it was.

Nathaniel looked up at Ember, specks of his blood covering his mouth. "Open the book." He rasped. "And hold it open long enough for me to complete the spell." His coughs started to get consistent. He grabbed Ember's hand and squeezed it tight. "It won't be hard to complete. Just a few Latin phrases and it should all go away." The look in his eyes was one of begging, pleading for her to stay by his side. And possibly stay here for the rest of the cycle. "I'm not going to die. I won't allow it to happen. This shouldn't be able to kill me."

Nathaniel did his best to sit up, leaning his back against the headboard. He squinted at the book, the words look like gibberish to him, but he continued on. "Aufer hanc maledictionem aut redde partem quam amisi." He coughed up more blood, trying his best to complete the spell before his lungs gave out. "Paenitet me actus, qui me dolorem effecit. Appellare eam ad pulsum cordis mei." A little breeze started to pick up and the king shut his eyes. He groaned, holding his chest as an invisible force both left and entered. He was silent for a long while before taking a deep breath and coughing up one last splatter of blood. Nathaniel was soaking in the air, his sides rising and falling quickly. "That was— too much." He laid his head on his pillow, ignoring the blood stains on his bed. "Lay the book on my nightstand and stay with me." He murmured weakly.

Nathaniel smiled, turning over the face Ember and hugged her. Well, more like cuddled. “I wouldn’t let myself die. Not today, not tomorrow.” He kissed her, the hint of peach still on his breath. “I had to regain what I gave away. That’s all. I paid my price, now I wanna snuggle.” Pouty demon over lord. He ran his fingers through Ember’s hair, slowly falling asleep from draining himself. “I love you. It may be insane to say say, but it’s true. I do actually have a heart despite what people say.”

Nathaniel smiled. Softly. Not insanely. And it's about the first time in his life he’d done that. The sleepy, energy-drained demon yawned. “Good, because I’m going to fall asleep soon and I need warmth.” He whispered, his breathing slowing. He stopped running his fingers through her hair, wrapping his arm around her waste. He blushed when she said 'I love you' back. Nathaniel's eyes threatened to close on him, his hair messily falling in his face…and soon— the demon was asleep. He truly looked peaceful in his sleep.

Nathaniel mumbled something about being a demon and that demons are always cold. But it was largely unintelligible. He pulled her closer in his sleep, dreaming of the force that tried to use his own blood to choke him. And then if he was caught by the hunters'. Demons did have nightmares, believe it or not. Well, mostly Nathaniel. The dark force that tried to choke him filled his mind with voices of the dead, dark blood leaking from the mouth of a spirit. Nathaniel had rolled into his back, and his eyes shot open. He sat up in bed with a cold sweat. He didn’t know where he was, what had happened, or why he had those dreams. Shaking his head, the memories started to come back clear as day. He was in his room…with Ember. He laid back down, unable to fall back asleep.

Nathaniel closed his eyes, trying to soothe his beating heart. “I just had a nightmare.” He mumbled, wrapping his arm around the small of Ember’s back, fearful of potential future events. “It’s nothing major, dear.” He flexed his claws, staring at the void that was his ceiling. “Ember? What do I do if I feel something I haven’t felt in a long time?” Fear crept into his throat. A powerful creature like him shouldn’t be able to feel fear.

Nathaniel’s face reddened, a pink blush growing on his cheeks. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his beating heart and the voices in his head. He rolled onto his side, pulling Ember closer to him. “I feel— fear. I have not felt fear in forever. It’s been such a long time… I have forgotten how it feels.”

Nathaniel clinched his jaw, staring Ember in the eyes. "That the dark force that tried to kill me will return and finish me off for good." He looked away, watching the bright red take over the sky. A new cycle. Had it really been a whole night? It seemed to pass by quick. "I cannot die by some—stupid—force of darkness. I'm the force of darkness! NOT IT." He growled, closing his eyes. He let Ember root through his hair, liking the soothing feeling.