CHAPTER 3: The prince of the underworld

Devasena's breath was unsteady as she tightened her hold on the reins of her horse, her mind racing as Irene's words echoed in her ears. A goddess?, a ruler of storms?, a lost legacy waiting to be reclaimed?.

No.

It was too much to comprehend.

She had fought for her throne, for what was rightfully hers- but this was different. A divine destiny was certainly not what she wanted. Her hands trembled. If she accepted her fate now , she would never be free.

And so she made her choice.

She turned her horse toward Notheris.

She would return, find another way - forget the prophecies, the power, the storm inside her. She was going to leave it all behind.

But fate was not so easily evaded.

As she rode through the forest, the air shifted, the wind stilled. The shadows spread unnaturally agains the trees.

Then - a voice. Deep, rich and impossibly smooth.

"Running from destiny huh,little storm"

Devasena turned to face who owned the voice that sent shivers down her spine.

Tall. Undeniably beautiful. His ink- like hair cascaded in waves past his shoulders, framing a face like that of a god's. His sharp jawline, piercing midnight eyes and rosy looking lips curled up in an attractive corner, these features of his made him the most devastatingly handsome man she had ever seen.

But something about him felt wrong.

He was dangerous.

Devasena's hands flew to her sword, but before she could draw it, he vanished. Only to reapper beside her, his hot breath ghosting her ear.

"Careful,"he murmured,his voice like silk laced with steel. "That little weapon of yours is not going to help you against me."

She spun around, her heart racing. "Who are you"

The man tilted his head, his smirk widening like he enjoyed seeing her distraught.

"I am Zuriel, the prince of the Underworld." He placed his hand over his heart in a mocking bow.

"And you little storm,are walking into a mistake.

The prince of the Underworld?, what did he want with her?

And why did her heart betray her with its rapid beat?

Devasena squared her shoulders, forcing herself to ignore the way her pulse raced at the sight of him. Zuriel. The prince of the Under world.

Power radiated from him in dark unseen waves, thickening the air, making it difficult to breathe.

But she would not cower.

She tightened her grip on her sword, her voice sharp and defiant.

"I don't care who you are. Get out of my way."

Zuriel chuckled- a dark, deep sound that sent an unsettling gush of warmth through her body. "Brave words, little storm".He took a small step closer, his midnight eyes glinting with amusement."But we both know you don't know what you are fighting for".

Devasena clenched her jaw "i know enough".

"Do you?", he tilted his head, studying her. "You flee from your destiny only to return where? The father who betrayed you?,A throne that was never truly yours?". He let his words sink , then leaned in, voice low and hoarse. "Or are you afraid?"

The air crackled between them.

Devasena's hands curled into fists. She had never been afraid- until now.

Because deep down,he was right.

She was not running towards something, she was running away.

Zuriel took another step forward, close enough for her to feel his unnatural chill."Power follows those who want it, but you?... You want to bury it." His voice darkened and his smirk faded "it never ends well".

A gust of wind whipped around them, the storm responding to the turmoil inside her.

Devasena forced herself to meet his gaze "And what do you want, why does the prince of the underworld care what i do?"

For the first time, his expression shifted. A flicker of something undeniable passed through his eyes. But then, just as quickly, the smirk returned.

"Because watching mortals struggle is entertaining" he spread his arms lazily."And you, little storm is the most fascinating of them all."

Her nails dug into her palms. He was toying with her. But she was not allowing him win.

Devasena took a breath, forcing down the storm inside her, she turned her back on him and started walking.

A gust of wind slammed into her, cold as death. She gritted her teethand kept walking.

Zuriel's voice followed her, dark and menacing " You can ignore me all you want princess. But fate is not so kind."

The storm howled back in response- and with that , he was gone.

But some how she knew this was not the last time she would see him.

And worse, she was not sure she wanted it to be.

She hated her heart and the way he made her feel.

She tried removing his words from her head but she knew she couldn't because that was the only thing she could think of.

Why did he leave?, Why did his smirk drop when she asked what he wanted?, what did he actually want. These were the questions running through her mind.

She gritted her teeth. Enough.

She had wasted too much time already. She was going back to Notheris no matter what, back to the life she had always known. She did not care much what her father and his illegitimate son were going to say or do to her, all she wants is to be free from the shackles of destiny-one she was unwilling to accept.

She turned and mounted her horse with practised ease, ignoring the trembling in her hands. With a sharp pull of the reins, she galloped towards Notheris. But no matter how fast she rode, the silence felt wrong.

The usual sounds of the wilderness-the chirping of insects, the hoots of owls and other strange creatures, the rustling of leaves - were gone.

Swallowed.

She subconsciously increased her pace as she kicked hard.

And then...

A whisper. Not his.

Suddenly, black smoke hurled itself towards her "Tsk, and here i was, thinking you would last longer".

She felt familiar with the whisper, it was her 'destiny'. Whoever it was, sounded dissapointed, like they expected more from her.

No matter what, she was returning to Notheris...