Chapter 10: THE LETTER FROM THE DEMON KING (2)
At her door stood a man cloaked in shadow. His midnight blue hair fell in soft waves to his shoulders, and his eyes were a pair that were a shade of amber yellow that stared at her unblinkingly. They were unsettling and reminded her of a serpent's eyes. He was tall, much taller than Arella, who was already much taller than many men she knew. His features were sharp, almost inhumanly so, with a dark beauty that she had never seen before.
"Who are you?" Arella demanded crossing her hands over each other.
The man did not smile; however, his gaze flicked down to the Shadow Hound that hovered behind Arella. "I am here to deliver a message to Arella of the House of Camael." His words sent a chill down her spine.
Her eyes narrowed at him. "From whom?"
"The Demon King." His voice was deep, "His Majesty King Varziel."
Arella's heart skipped a beat upon hearing his name. She swallowed, forcing herself to remain composed even though she was anything but. Of course, she knew that men usually sent proposal letters to the families of the female they intended to take as their bride. She was not sure if the same customs applied to demons, though. 'Why would the king send a message to me directly?' she was tempted to shut the door at the demon's face.
"Is it not to be delivered to my family?" Her voice was steady, and for that she thanked the lands.
"This letter was written with explicit instructions to deliver it to you personally, my lady." That revelation made it all even more personal, intimate even. She could feel her fingers tremble, but she stepped aside, allowing the tall man to enter.
He was no celestial messenger, but Arella knew she had to give him respect if he worked directly for the Demon King.