Flowers For The Devil

by Vlad Kahany

The West End knew him as the most elusive villain. The East End hailed him the hero of the poor. The city called him the gentleman-devil. He was the man Alina would get to know as Harlan Krow.

Ubuntu in the Nguni language means “humanity.” But that is an English word. In the local understanding, it means, “I am because you are.” You see, Father, humanity is a reflection on itself. We don’t act alone but rather with the consideration of others. Our acts are contagious. Wickedness sprouts like weeds, kindness like fresh grass.

How my angel ended up there was a mystery that I got to find out later. Countess Alina Bronskaya. The night I saw her, I thought she was lost. Only later would I realize that I was the one who was lost. Until she found me without looking. Ubuntu. I am because you are. I found my angel in the dark, Father. And she showed me the path to light.

If this was darkness, Alina didn’t need light. If Harlan Krow was the devil, she wanted a lifetime of hell.

True love is not prejudiced, Father. It transcends social barriers. It’s the most free-spirited creature. It can’t be bought, lured, or invited. This makes it so much more precious.

💜

For a person who has traveled as much as I had, home is not a place but rather a feeling you get when you anchor somewhere that makes you content. The countess had become my home. My heart anchored in her.

We love you Harlan!

“You are the one who knows both sides of me. All of me. And you wanted me despite everything. Even though you are angry, I know you feel things for me. You are scared. I am. And when the devil is scared, the only one who can calm him is an angel. You are my world, Alina. You are part of everything good that has ever happened to me. And there wasn’t much of it until you came along.”

When you came into my life, I couldn’t wait for a new day as long as you were in it.

The best moments of my life were with you. The most tender, too. I’ve never felt so alive as I feel next to you.

“To heal means not to become the monster that caused you pain in the first place.”

The strongest hearts come from suffering. The brightest souls from darkness. The most captivating things are covered in scars.

“Every man needs a place to call home,” he said finally, his speech slow and measured. “I never had one. You became my home, for that is where my heart is.”

Home and heart ❤️

She was mine for the rest of my life, and suddenly I wanted to be immortal.

🥹❤️

She smiled. “This is magical, is it not?” She turned her head to look up at her husband. Her eyes were the only light Samuel wanted to see. He kissed her on the forehead. “It always feels like this when you are next to me,” he said softly, his heart flaring with tenderness.

Swooooon