All Chapters of BOUND TO THE DEMON LORD: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

🎀 CHAPTER FORTY-NINE🎀 She stumbled back a step. He stepped forward at the same time, blocking her path, a slow laugh leaving his lips. “Funny how the world works,” Marco said.“You ran off with my money… and here you are, right in front of me.” Something hot flared in Zayla’s chest. Fear mixed with anger. “I didn’t ask you to lose,” she said sharply. “You lost. I won.” His expression hardened. “You’ve got a mouth on you,” he growled. “Talking back now?” He shoved her. Zayla cried out as she hit the ground, pain shooting through her side. The breath was knocked from her lungs. Marco loomed over her, his shadow stretching across the floor. “Fine,” he said coldly. “If I can’t get my money back...” A slow grin spread across his face. “....I’ll take my pleasure instead.” He stepped closer. Zayla shrank back, her hands trembling as she pressed into the cold ground. “No…” she whispered, her voice breaking. His hot breath brushed her face, fingers reaching f

🎀CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE🎀 Zayla exhaled slowly, her chest rising and falling. “How… cunning.” The woman let out a quiet, knowing laugh. “Indeed. Very cunning.” She leaned closer to the fire, as the flames crackled. ”Let's get back to the story..” “The demon eventually claimed his body,” she continued.“At first, the prince was still aware of himself… but slowly, the demon took full control. Then came the strange deaths. Unexplainable events. Fear spread through the palace like a sickness.” Zayla’s eyes widened. “And… was there a way to stop it?” “Yes,” the woman replied, nodding once. “But it demanded the painter’s gift. Her late mother belonged to a rare clan, artists whose drawings were not mere images, but vessels of power. Their art could bind, awaken… even imprison.” She paused, staring into the fire. “Most in her mother’s bloodline could bring life into their creations. The painter, however, never believed she possessed such power.” “She had to draw,” the woman

🎀 CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE🎀 Zayla sighed, rubbing her temples, and picked up a boot that had been lying in the corner. “Alright,” she muttered to herself, slipping it on. “Let’s do this… somehow.” She stepped cautiously into the enclosure, her eyes scanning every inch. The cows looked at her lazily, chewing cud as if mocking her, while the ground… well, the ground was another story. Her stomach twisted at the sight, the enormous piles of dung sprawled across the dirt like some grotesque sculpture. She froze, stepping back instinctively. “Nope,” she whispered under her breath, shaking her head. “Nope, nope, nope. Not happening. Not yet.” She eyed the mess warily, calculating, her hands tightening into fists at her sides. The breeze carried the pungent smell straight up her nose, making her gag slightly. “Okay… deep breaths, Zayla. You’ve survived worse,” she muttered, her voice shaky but determined. “Maybe…” She swallowed, eyeing the nearest pile, “…maybe I just need to get

🎀CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE🎀 Zayla stared at her, disbelief flashing across her exhausted face. “What did you just say?” she breathed. Maera’s smile stretched, slow and unsettling. “You heard me,” she said lightly. “Or has all that labor dulled your ears as well?” Zayla’s jaw tightened. Her gaze dropped for a heartbeat, then lifted, resolute. “I’ll fetch the water instead.” she said hoarsely. Maera laughed softly, almost fondly. “Good luck then,” she replied. “Do enjoy it.” --- By the time Zayla reached the well again, regret was already clawing at her chest. The bucket felt heavier than before. Her arms screamed in protest as she lifted it, water sloshing dangerously close to the rim. Maybe I should have taken the strokes, a traitorous thought whispered. Just five… right? Her stomach twisted. And with what? A cane? A whip? Would she aim for my back… or my face? The thought alone made her flinch. She was still wrestling with it when something, some instinct

🎀CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN🎀 She blinked. Then scrambled off him immediately. “I... I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she panted, breath uneven. Asher pushed himself up, spitting a stray strand of her hair from his mouth, his gaze icy. “Did you do that on purpose?” he asked. “No,” she said quickly, gathering her hair back into place. “I didn’t. I just...I don’t like snakes. I have a phobia for them” He looked at her flatly. “So out of this entire garden,” he said slowly, “you found no other place to jump?” “I said I’m sorry,” she murmured. Asher rose from the ground. His height alone was enough to remind her painfully, that she was small, or perhaps that he was simply too tall. “Tell me why you’re here,” he said. She hesitated, then forced the words out. “My attendant. Lyra.” She clasped her hands together. “I came to ask, please, if you could release her. I mean it. It isn’t right for her to be locked up.” His expression hardened. “So....” he said coolly. “You interru