"You said you wanted to go back home and I can't take you back there because I still need you as my wife. How can I take you back home on the first night of your marriage." He sounded disappointed.

"Take me with you. Am willing to go with you?"I hurried to say.

"Have you accepted me as your husband or not? I can guess you have just agreed to go with me because you can't go home all alone in this darkness." He said smiling.

"Exactly" was all I replied.

"Well. Come hold me tight and we go." He chuckled softly as he stretched his arms.

"Hold you?" I looked confused.

"Yes, you heard me right. Hold me and we go. Remember I have no car with me anymore. I have destroyed it when you refused to go with me but thank God the lion made you scream my name." He teased. I had no choice but to wrap my arms around him before we left.

Like that, we were already somewhere in a place that looked like a desert, it was very hot like fires of hell.

"Where are we?" I asked when he landed." This is our land."he replied.

"Why is it so hot?" I asked.

"Can you stop it already. You are becoming too much. I was nice to you because we were still on Earth but since we are now here, you have to behave yourself." He said with a commanding tone.

"Oh God! Where have you brought me?" I talked to myself.

"What did you just say? That word isn't allowed here and if my father hears it from you, he won't spare you. Take this as a warning." But I haven't said anything." I pointed. " Yes you haven't said anything but you have thought of it. Some of us here we read people's thoughts so mind what you think, say and do." He said as he walked towards a huge tunnel and of course I had to follow him inside.

Reaching at the end of the tunnel, there was a huge golden gate designed with skulls. Oh my God! The place looked like a palace, I have to admit that I admired the place but later remembered I was here by mistake and slowly by slowly my smile faded.

Anu whispered strange words and the gate opened right away. "Impressive! Things here are done magically."I thought.

"You are right about that and this means this place is going to be your prison from now on. No stepping out without my permission." He pointed.

"Indeed it is going to be a prison for me since I don't know the strange words he has just used to open the gate."I reminded myself as we walked inside the big hall that led to huge building where we found many people gathered there, chatting, drinking alcohol and wine and some beautiful ladies were entertaining them.

"Here they're..." The old woman with grey hair from my dreams said smiling. " Congratulations son. You have finally made me proud of you for the first time." Anu smiled and never said a word.

Wait! Was Anu the devil's son? Was the old woman his mother? Then who were those people acting as his parents at the wedding?

"That's what I wanted you and your family to see. There was no one in real sense. You were just seeing illusions. I can't believe I even fooled your mother."

"My mother! Is she special from everyone else? How?" A lot of questions ran through my mind but this time he ignored me and never replied to my thoughts.

"I wanna see everyone dance. Let's celebrate my son's wedding please."the old woman seemed excited. Her words seemed like a command to these people because everyone stood up and joined the dance floor to cerebrate us. Though everything was going perfectly for them, for me I wasn't enjoying any bit of it. I was still not able to believe that Anu was the devil's son yet I had more than enough reasons to believe so. The whole night these people danced, drank alcohol and chatted. We never got time to rest.

A beautiful morning came with the blue skies with pink clouds. I remembered how I used to stare at clouds every morning from my window but this time I was in a strange place surrounded by strangers. My husband too was a stranger, whom should I talk to, laugh with, or smile for?

"Oh Lord have mercy on me." I breathed.

"It seems you want to rest. Let me take you to my room." Anu said getting up from his seat. I tried to get up on my legs but couldn't. Maybe I was so exhausted? Yes I was. Anu looked back when he noticed that I wasn't following him and found me teething trying to get up."easy easy."he said rushing to me and carried me in his arms.

Just like that we were in his room. The walls were painted with white color and designed with the pictures of bats. This reminded me of my tattoo and I thought I could check. For some reasons I felt guilty for not marrying my friend Bat instead of this monster.

"Where is the bathroom." I asked.

"That's the door to the bathroom."he said pointing to the door near the bedroom's window. " But there is no mirror."he teased. And that's when I remembered I had no privacy for my thoughts.

"Am sure you know what I wanted to do there so tell me."

"Anyway am sorry I don't interfere in people's personal matters." He sounded serious yet he was interfering my thoughts." But why can't you check on your tattoo from here. This is the dressing mirror, that's also a mirror and the other one is a mirror too." He said pointing at every mirror in the room. But how would I undress before him. "No! I really can't do this."I started to nag around.

"Hmmmm. Sometimes you amuse me wife. Come on we are married now and I have every right over you. Do you really want to check on your tattoo or not? Tell me before I use my magic on you."

"I don't want to." I hurried to say before he could do something. I knew he was capable of doing anything he feels like.​

He was unpredictable, sometimes he would sound good and sometimes rude. "Okay. Let's go have a shower together and rest for some time." He suggested.

"A shower together? I can't bath with anyone." I said.

"Oh! How sweet! You mean you can't even have a shower with your husband. Am your husband mind you." He pointed.

"Husband my foot." I cursed thoughtfully. " Hmmmm. What was that?" He asked coming to me. I started to shiver waiting for him to yell at me or do anything to me but he didn't instead he made his way to the bathroom and after a while he came back wrapped in a very white towel. " You may go freshen up and check on your tattoo. I have fixed the mirrors there." For the first time he sounded like someone who is concerned about me.​

Without realizing, my lips had curved for a smile. I then remembered that I shouldn't be smiling no matter what happens. This man is already on my bad side so I should be acting as an enemy to him.

Checking on my tattoo, it was there. " Am so sorry my dear friend. I regret refusing your proposal the other night but how was I going to say yes when you only visited me in my dreams? It's all my fault, and sometimes I think that maybe am cursed. Bron left me at the altar without saying any word to me and for that matter I had to marry this stranger who is more like an animal. Can you please tell me what's wrong with me. I know you can hear me and please if you can take me back home." I talked to my tattoo but my friend Bat ignored me.

" Are you angry with me? Don't ignore me like this at least say something. Abuse me if you want to but don't just keep quiet." Still there was no response from him.

Coming back to my room, Anu was already asleep on the bed. Maybe he was pretending to be asleep because when I got a pillow and blanket to sleep on the couch, he immediately got out of bed and shifted to the couch. "Enjoy my bed, I will be fine here."he said.

I didn't hestate since I was feeling sleepy and tired.

After sometime, two beautiful woman came with trays of meals. I didn't want to eat anything because I never trusted those people yet I was so hungry. "Inform Your Highness that meals are ready." They told me.

"Your Highness? Is Anu a prince?" I asked them because I wanted to know about him.

"You mean you don't know who your husband really is?" One of them asked. "Yes, I don't know anything about him yet."I said.

"How foolish!"another one taunted. I knew she was right but she didn't know the whole story and the reason behind it all. I didn't marry him willingly and neither was I forced to marry him. It just happened suddenly and unexpectedly but I didn't have to explain myself to everyone. I wasn't really sure who to trust and who not to. I considered all of them my enemies.

When they left, I thought of waking Anu up but how? I tried cleaning my throat so that he could wake up because of noise but he didn't. "A...Anu.. please wake up." He didn't open his eyes still but I could see he had woken up and was trying to give me hard time just, I could see his lips curving to give out a smile so I turned back to leave him but he grabbed my dress and pulled me into his embrace. "Can't you wake me up in a romantic manner? You are my wife and it's your responsibility to make me feel good and happy all the time." He whispered.

"The meals will get cold. Let's go to eat first." I whispered back. "Wow what a great time! You have started to like me I guess, right?" He asked looking at me which made me shy away and smile at his rubbish. He was really talking rubbish. As if he read my mind, he never let me go. He carried me in his arms to the table from where we were going to have our meals.

"Why do you have meals from your bedroom?"I asked. "Am married now."

" And so ?"

"They think we need to spend time together." He replied leaning towards me and my heart skipped a beat.

"I need to go out for a few minutes."I asked. " Who told you that you will leave this room whenever you feel you need to? This is my home, my house and only my rules work here."he shouted as I panicked.

"What have I done now, I just asked him." I asked myself confused.

He laid down on the couch again and fell asleep. It was a great opportunity to call my family and inform them about everything that was happening but where would I get a phone?

Looking around I didn't see anything like a mobile phone or landline phone. "Now how will I inform my family?" I wondered.

For a moment I thought asking for a favor from my friend Bat. Going to the bathroom to check, my tattoo was gone. " How could this be possible? Why did you leave when you know my life is in great danger. You said you will never leave me alone and now you have broken your promise. Where are you. I need to send you home to inform my family about the danger am in."I talked alone like a crazy girl.

"Am here", my heart raced in joy before he added " but unfortunately I won't go there."

Disappointed, I turned to see him and found Anu standing behind me.

"What are you doing here. I thought you were sleeping." I panicked.

"I have been sleeping but unfortunately you woke me up."he said. "How.. when did I do that?"

"You just called for me. Don't you need to send me to your house to inform your parents that you are in danger, right?" I couldn't believe my ears.

"No. Not you. I was talking to my friend Bat." I told him. "Where is that friend of yours." "My tattoo is my friend. You can't believe it's a magical one. It can talk to me whenever it wants to." I praised it before him.

"Really. Can you show me. Am curious I need to have a look at that magical tattoo of yours." He said tilting his head to one side.

Proudly, I removed my long black hair from my neck and back to show him.

Laughing, "are you trying to seduce me baby? Am not seeing anything like a tattoo on your back. You have to admit that you just wanted to show me your beautiful body, right?" He said coming closer to me. I was just wondering if he was telling the truth, I had to check for myself again and was disappointed still. "How could you disappoint me like this dear."I breathed inwardly.

"No please. "Don't call me dear, call me husband instead." Anu said accidentally.

For a moment things started to make sense, " when I called for my friend Bat to send him home, Anu woke up from his nap and when I called my friend Bat, dear, he accidentally replied to me that I shouldn't call him dear."

Wait! Could Anu be my friend Bat? And if not, why did he respond to my questions that were meant for my friend Bat?

"Are you somehow connected to my tattoo?"I asked Anu and waited for his harsh reaction but surprisingly he didn't yell at me.

"Yes. I am your once friend Bat but I hated that name though I never informed you about it before."

"What?" I asked before I fainted and collapsed.

Gaining conscious, I found him laying next to me and it was already night time. "Oh you are up. How do you feel now?" He asked as if he cares. I ignored his question and tried to sit on the bed. "Careful please."he helped me sit upright.

"Why did you betray me like this? Am now certain that you were behind everything that happened to me yesterday. You made me yell at Bron's parents so that they can call off the wedding. Wow! Congratulations sir. But why did you do that!" I cried and I could see him getting hurt. Why was he hurt?

"Am so sorry for everything. I know Bron loved you so much but what could I have done since I wanted you. I see you are very hurt that he didn't say anything to you, that he just listened to his parents, trust me he wanted to stand up for you but I didn't allow him to as it would have been foolish of me to watch you getting married to someone else. Am so sorry please."he apologized.

"You wanted me? Why?"

"Well. You see... before he could say anything his mom appeared in our room.

"Won't we have privacy?" I wondered inwardly. "I have come to inform you that you should join us for dinner downstairs." She said.

"Be going mother. We will join you." Anu responded. "Let me take my daughter-in-law with me. Let's go dear." She said grabbing my hand.

At the dinning table, mother-in-law served an extra plate and whispered strange words. Just like that the meals were consumed by an invisible creature. I only thing I heard was the way that creature breathed. After the meals we went back to our room. I couldn't stop thinking about what I had just seen. I thought of asking Anu but I knew he wouldn't tell me anything.

" How can meals disappear from the plate? What's that creature that mother-in-law is feeding and why?" I guessed something was not right. I needed to talk to my family about the whole situation. But the question is how?

I then tried to sleep. Anu came from the bathroom and sat on the bed next to me. "Am going to sleep here with you tonight."

I panicked at the sound of his voice. I had never shared a bed with anyone so this sounded strange to me. " What do you mean?"I asked.

"I mean we need to share this bed like a couple tonight." He insisted.

"Couple? I don't understand anything."I asked with a confused expression. "You will understand everything don't worry so much." Smiling," I meant sharing everything, bed, bodies and feelings."he said caressing my cheeks while kissing my neck.

For some strange reason, I got out of the bed and shouted at him." Don't touch me. I still don't understand why you tricked me into marrying you. I know you know that I don't have any feelings for you and there is nothing to share with you because I don't love you."

I thought that maybe after hearing that he would leave me but it seems my words didn't affect him in any way.

"So what are you trying to tell me? That am a bad guy? I married you without your consent?" He asked getting up and coming towards me. "Yes. You tricked me into marrying you and here you are demanding for your rights as my husband. You don't even care to ask what I like and what I don't. You are only concerned about yourself."I said walking backwards till when my back hit the wall.