The widening Gap

Chapter 8: The Widening Gap

The soft rustling of leaves in the royal gardens accompanied Evelina's quiet steps. She had spent most of her day within the palace confines, her head tangled in a web of thoughts which her father had set in place for her. Now, when the evening was varnishing flowers with golden color, she wanted to be left alone. The beauty of the gardens helped to soothe the turmoil within her, but it couldn't silence the question that had taken root in her heart.

What was she to do about Kaelen?

Her reverie was cut short as her eyes alighted upon the unmistakable figure of the demon, standing tall and commanding at the edge of the garden, as if the earth itself bowed to his whim. Kaelen. Even from afar, she could feel the tug of his presence, the magnetic pull that seemed to draw her to him despite every instinct yelling at her to keep her distance.

She hesitated, her heart racing in her chest. Her father's warning still rang in her mind: "Stay away from him." But the more he warned her, the more she found herself wanting to rebel against him, the more this uncontrollable need to understand Kaelen-to look beyond the demon's cold exterior and find the man beneath.

She took a step forward, her feet moving of their own accord, her body drawn toward him like a moth to a flame. The moment she stepped into his view, Kaelen turned his head; his red eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that ran a shiver down her spine. His gaze was unreadable, but the air between them seemed to thicken with something unspoken.

For a long moment, neither of them moved. Evelina's heart was racing, the tension palpable. She had never felt so vulnerable to anyone before, and yet there was something about Kaelen-something dangerous, something undeniable-that made her feel alive in a way she couldn't explain.

"You shouldn't be here," Kaelen's voice finally broke the silence, low and rough, like the growl of a beast.

Evelina did not shrink from his aggressive tone, though the words cut deep. She had come here for answers, and she was not leaving until she got them. "Why?" she asked, her voice very slightly shaking under the storm surging inside of her. "Why do you want me to stay away from you?

For a moment, something flickered in Kaelen's eyes that might have been annoyance; then, in the same moment, it was lost again to the cold mask. He folded his arms-the posture becoming almost aggressively defensive, setting him for a fight. "Because you are human and I am not. And you don't belong in my world.

Evelina stepped closer, her courage growing even with the fear in her chest. "I don't belong in your world, you say? But what if I want to?" Her voice was steady now, a quiet challenge beneath the surface. "What if I want to understand you, Kaelen?

The silence hung between them, building up the tension. Kaelen's gaze flickered, and in that one second-that split second-something in his eyes seemed vulnerable, raw, and caught at her breath.

But in the very next instant, it was gone, supplanted by that cold indifference he could wear like a cloak with such ease.

"Your curiosity will only lead to pain," Kaelen growled, his voice low with warning. "Stay away from me, Princess. This is not a game you want to play."

Evelina's heart clenched at the words, but she refused to back off. "I don't care," she said stubbornly. "I need to know why you seem so bound and determined to keep pushing me away. What is there about me that makes you feel so sure I don't belong with you?

Kaelen's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, frustration crossed his face. He uncrossed his arms, taking a step closer to her. The air between them seemed to crackle with something dangerous, something that sent Evelina's heart racing even faster.

"You don't understand," he said, in a voice low and dangerous. "You don't know what kind of creature I am. The things I have done, the things I have seen—they would destroy you. The world I come from isn't a place for someone like you."

Evelina swallowed hard, her gaze unwavering. She couldn't explain it, but she refused to be intimidated. The fear that had gripped her when she first encountered Kaelen was gone, replaced by something stronger—something that burned deep within her chest.

I don't care about your past," she said, quiet but resolute. "I don't care about what you've done. I care about you--Kaelen, the man before me now. I will not let the walls keep me away."

Kaelen's body froze, his eyes widening ever so slightly at her words. The slightest of tremors ran through his body before he regained his composure and his face went back to an impassive mask.

"You are a fool," he muttered, but there was no malice in his voice, only something akin to regret. "A naive fool."

The catch of Evelina's breath seemed to coincide with her reaching out, her hand quivering as it made contact with his arm. A tentative gesture, it sent what felt like a shock wave through them both. She looked up into the crimson eyes, her heart racing in her chest.

"Why won't you let me in?" she whispered, hardly audible in the cool night air.

For one telling instant, the tension between Kaelen's eyes relaxed, and behind that mask of politeness and quiet, a stirring of the human turmoil beneath suddenly gleamed bright. And the next second later, he pushed her back with him, shunning her as though touch itself might scar him.

"Because I am dangerous," he murmured low. Weighty inside words Evelina received right through in her very marrow. "And I do not wish to harm you.".

She didn't move, didn't speak as her hand fell to her side, her heart thundering in her chest. For the first time, she saw the true weight of Kaelen's burden: the weight that kept him distant, kept him cold.

But it didn't change how she felt. And she knew, in that moment, that no matter how many times he pushed her away, no matter how many warnings he gave, she wouldn't stop. She couldn't.

"Then let me help you," she said softly, her voice steady. "Let me in, Kaelen. I'm not afraid of you."

For a moment, Kaelen just stared at her, his expression unreadable. Then, wordlessly, he turned and walked away, his back rigid with tension.

And Evelina, despite the ache in her chest, knew this was far from over.