Xhemin need not to answer the question. Darryl saw the guilt in her eyes and the sight of it only brought a piercing pain right through his heart.

"Of course not!" Xhemin denied. "I mean, I would be lying if I say it wasn't the reason at all because somehow it was… but it wasn't just that and I know you know it,"

​​

"Milad—"

"Darryl please, I need to go," She begged of him. Xhemin knew that their conversation as far from over and would probably end up with some hurts but she was ultimately not in the mood to sit by her husband to talk it through. Not now. Tonight, should be for Huzey and she was determined to set aside her husband's confrontation to finished what she started. "We will talk again when I come back,"

Xhemin went to that side of the boat where Darryl's hand had a hard grip on the boat and she tried to shove it away but instead of letting it go, Darryl jumped into the boat and joined her.

"I'll come with you," Darryl said and took the paddle that Xhemin previously had. "It's not safe for you to go alone,"

"Darryl you don't have to do this" Xhemin protested, surprised as to how their argument ended with her husband accompanying her into her Acamilla Apparaus haunt.

[The version of the novel you are reading might not be the complete and updated version. To check whether you are reading the full chapters, visit the author's site and check whether you are reading it on the correct site https://www.facebook.com/Zijay-Qui-632638733778378]

"Say no more," He breathed with finality and said straight to his wife's deep ink eyes, "The options you have is that I'm coming with you or you are not leaving"

Xhemin wanted to plead a little further but she knew it would be useless. Besides, their argument stole much of her time and arguing further would only end up with her missing her chance of leaving so she just let him tag along although deep within her, she feared for her and her husband's life.

For who knows what lies along the Devil's lure?

***

The body of water they crossed toward the Devil's lure was a calm one. It probably was a spot where the lake water and the sea met and probably the spot that gave Xhemin most of the chills. She had searched for the Acamilla Apparaus before, but this place was far more mysterious and creepier than all the places she had previously searched.

Their boat was steady as they crossed, but Xhemin's insides were trembling. Although she heard nothing but the water being tossed off by the paddle, the looming quietness between her and Darryl as well as the mystery of the Devil's lure gave her some fright. Aside from that, she kind of expect that any moment from now, something weird will happen but then they neared the Devil's lure with nothing scary but the Lagdameo heir's angry mien.

In the midst of the clothing darkness and the fog, the couple was welcomed by what looked like a boat duck that had already surrendered to its own weight. The sight itself gave both the couple a quiet surprise as no one would probably think about the monster child making such a thing. But it stood there, decaying to time.

[This novel is currently on going in English version, if you are reading this novel in another language, it means you are reading a stolen outdated version. Please email the author at [email protected] or visit her site so she can provide you details and an access to the full and updated version as well as the bonus words for each chapter. Link to original site is https://www.webnovel.com/book/10355083706015805/The-Genius'-First-Love]

Xhemin raised the lamp to give the place some light as Darryl find a place to duck their boat safety. In just few minutes after, the couple had stepped foot on the devil's lure safely and just then, the wind howled in a bone-chilling way mimicking the hushes of a mother trying to tuck a baby to sleep. It blew across them—Xhemin and Darryl and chilled the tips of their bones.

"Stay close," Darryl told her and took the lamp from her hand. The moon above them suddenly brightened a little more, removing the blanket of darkness that made them blind. For once, as they walked a little father from the duck, they both saw a decrepit house-like structure that breathe out a mysterious frightening vibe, engulfing some more apprehension into Xhemin's lungs.

The abandoned house stood in way that it seemed it had chosen solitude for itself. Standing in the end of a big opening and huge lawn, the house was the only thing that tells that someone was indeed here, living in solitude apart from the civilization that lingered in the island.

Despite her fear, Xhemin walked toward it without hesitation as if she had no more control of her legs. She waded into the front lawn of the house that was filled with weeds that grew past her knees until she reached the front door.

"Seems that the Devil's child knows how to make a house," Darryl broke all the tension that was eating up Xhemin's insides. Darryl by his tone, seemed to be unaffected by the fact that they were in mysterious place at the moment. There was no fear in his voice but rather some sense of curiosity and a bit of excitement.

"It seemed that no one had been here for a long time," Xhemin answered, trying to hide her fear. She raised her hand to feel the texture of the wooden door before she gently pushed it. Her pushed was accompanied by a cracking sound and when the door finally opened, the fear that Xhemin feel earlier faded away replaced by thorough sadness.

Xhemin didn't understand why she was feeling sad in all of a sudden but she came here expecting for something monstrous, violent and a disgusting sight but what welcomed her was a notion that someone— a child to be exact was imprisoned in this lonely island, feared and loathed by everyone. The Devil's lure unlike the Pearl haven was a lonely place and Xhemin couldn't imagine how lonely it was for a child to grow up here for so many years.

"What could had happened to it?" Xhemin asked unconsciously as she stepped into the empty room. She scrutinized the place and only found dust layered floor and cobwebs hanging off the walls.

'To what?" Darryl turned to her confused as to what she meant.

"To the child," Xhemin cleared. "To the devil's child everyone was loathing off in the island,"

"Don't tell me you believed to such superstition my dear wife," Darryl responded arching a brow.

"Don't you?" Xhemin threw him the same question and shook her head slightly "I can't blame you if you don't. You were not here during the red moon,"

"Whether I was here during the red moon or not wasn't part of the story," Darryl defended. His tone didn't falter, and his curiosity only increased when he caught something in the window "The point is, I don't believe that the person who live here was anything like a monster or something. I don't even think he or she is one of the Manggan people,"

"What?" Darryl's conclusion got Xhemin's attention. "How could you say that?"

Darryl only smiled at her before he pointed to somewhere "Look…"