Ch. 23: Trusting A Stranger
Whoa, writing on a constant basis really takes it to a whole new level. I kept worrying if I will be able to finish the next chapter in time before writer's block or procrastination settle in! The things I do for my B. Immortals. Smh. LOL, just joking - I love ya all to the moon and back <3 I notice the lack of comments from my B. Immortals and just want to kindly persuade you to let me know that you exist somewhere :) I will dedicate chapters to loyal B. Immortals who constantly show support and I'll even check out their posted stuff!
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As soon as the door clicked shut behind us, the real business started without a moment of hesitation. "Missy, you have a lot of explaining to do," Mr. Edwards began, crossing his arms.
Darting my eyes to Lincoln, I tried to signal him to make up an excuse for me. You owe me since I spilled the truth to you and Desmond! I said in my mind, hoping the brat possess the same mind reading powers like my step-grandfather.
He frowned at me instead.
Before I had the chance to lunge at him, he spoke up. " I believe Artemis do not need to explain anything to you. In fact, you should respect her privacy."
A hint of annoyance appeared in Mr. Edwards' eyes before it disappeared as soon as it came. A mischievous smile spread across his well-aged face, sending shivers down my spine. This is no simple man, an inner voice warned. Or a vampire, I corrected. Even though this sounded very strange - even to myself, I got a little worried for Lincoln's safety.
Mr. Edwards turned his attention to the vampire twin with a subtle challenge. "I don't need someone younger than me to tell me what I should do. Artemis should decide for herself, am I right?"
The intensity of their stares on me ignited fear within but I could feel someone watching over me like a silent guardian. Out of the blue, a gentle breeze kissed my skin and lifted tendrils of my dirty blond hair in such a familiar way it almost hurt. Desmond... A tear was on the urge of spilling but I blinked quickly before it could happen. I knew I took enough time to reply to Mr. Edwards' question.
"Yeah," I said with a voice devoid of anger or fear. "But I think you have something up your sleeves if I don't do as you say."
"There is no doubt that you are King Marcus' granddaughter," he mused with a grin. "Yes, you saw through me; I was just about to make a simple... deal with you. I'm willing to trade intelligence about your grandfather's whereabouts in exchange for knowing your little secret."
A stray beam of sunshine scorched my skin when I shifted around, deep in thought. A yelp involuntarily left my lips while I backed away with hurry from the exposure of the sun. I probably would not even notice it was afternoon if that did not happen. If it were not for the shade of the roof, I would have been burnt to a crisp in no time. A fine sheen of sweat clung to my skin as I struggled to understand this vampire's intentions. Why would he want to know about me so badly? My mind wondered.
Despite all the little voices in my head begging me to take their advice, I had to take the risk to find my step-grandfather. "Deal. I'm only going to say this once so listen carefully."
I saw Lincoln shaking his head out of the corner of my eye. However, Mr. Edwards did not even budge at my words. Maybe he thought that he got the better part of the bargain but I was going to prove him wrong.
"I was saved from Oblivion by King Marcus. However, all of my memories were lost. Whenever I do certain actions, a piece of my memory would return. I have no idea why I said part of the oath earlier but I'm guessing it's because it's a part of my memory." I blurted out, worrying that dragging this conversation any longer than necessary will make my courage falter.
"To reaffirm my suspicions, you are actually not related to King Marcus by blood at all?" His deep voice boomed, heavily laced with anger.
When I opened my mouth to answer his question, a loud banging on the door soon replaced by crashing noises that originated from downstairs caught our attention. The first thought that registered in my mind was the same creatures that ambushed us in New York. Werewolves. Panic began to take control of my body but Lincoln managed to snap me out of it when he grabbed my hand.
"Form your sword now!" he barked, spending no time in draughting downstairs.
I took a few deep breaths while picturing my midnight colored claymore in an attempt to calm my wrecked nerves down. A sense of satisfaction overcame me when I could feel the familiar weight in the palm of my hand before I sprinted towards Lincoln. How I wished my eyes were playing tricks on me when I saw the increased number of our enemies. Mr. Edwards' spotless living room turned into a terrible wreck consisted of splintered wooden furniture and pieces of glass scattered around the floor. It went without saying that the damage done by the werewolves were irreversible. The pack of werewolves formed a circle around us, searching for any openings.
Thankful for my vampire senses, I assessed the situation and safely concluded that our chances of survival were pretty much next to zero if Mr. Edwards would not lend his help. Not so thankful now, huh? My inner voice said in a sarcastic tone. Unable to make a comeback, Lincoln and I covered each other's backs, watching their movements.
My poor half human heart pumped in such a frenzy as if it became a bird eager to escape from its cage, unable to ignore the deadly suspense in the air. After what seemed like forever, the largest werewolf stepped out of the pack with bristled black fur and pale blue eyes. It looked rather familiar to its previous Alpha. Perhaps its sibling born from the same mother? I wondered. Recognition crossed the newly made Alpha's eyes when it laid his eyes on my slightly trembling figure. A low growl emanated from its throat right before it made its move.
Everything happened in a matter of seconds.
One moment we were standing still, counting till the moment of the showdown. The next thing I knew, Lincoln stood in front of me and blocked the incoming blow from the monstrous creature. The sound of metal colliding with the Alpha's claws echoed throughout the room. Wide-eyed with my feet glued to the ground, I watched them competing to overpower the other. The gap of strength between the two of them could hardly be seen but Lincoln's hold over his sword began to waver due to his awkward stance.
"Stop staring like a fool!" he shouted, struggling to maintain the stalemate position.
I swerved around and managed to prevent a werewolf from attacking Lincoln's unprotected back in the nick of time. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I deflected the multiple slashes from the werewolf; focusing on my own battle instead of worrying about Lincoln. Words could not describe my feelings when my cold blade kissed the attacker's thick skin at the nape of its neck, leaving behind a trail of crimson blood. A yelp tore from its throat as it backed away from me.
The corners of my lips lifted upwards when Lincoln said a word of encouragement. Our backs met for a fleeting moment before we sprung back into action again. Pushing my limits till the brink of being Crazed, I relied on my increased stamina as a vampire for the sake of winning this difficult battle. The scent of blood, the sound of the delicious veins pumping the sweet, red juice to the werewolves' hearts, and the sight of their muscles tensing teased my ultimately magnified senses to tear their bodies apart.
I became hungry.
With a flick of my tongue over my dried lips, I allowed the dark voices to command my body at will. Everything blurred as I lunge towards one of the less diligent predators due to inhumane speed and tore a limb out with ease. Today I am the predator and you are the prey, I said mentally. A scarlet fountain emerged from the gaping wound, stirring fear and anger among the pack. I could not stop a smile spreading across my bloodied face at the mere sight of blood. Unlike the rest, no emotions could stir me or cause me to hesitate in ending their lives. My only guidance was the uncontrollable hunger.
The sound of a heavy meat falling onto the messy floor barely registered in my mind until a hand grasped my arm. Lincoln stood in front of me, then he pointed at the lump of meat with his index finger. My eyes followed the direction he was pointing and saw the Alpha's severed head. Its eyes mirrored surprise and with its tongue rolling out, excitement bubbled in my chest - there was no doubt that I would take charge of finishing off the remnants of the leaderless horde.
Lincoln understood. He released his grip on my arm before stepping away from me. I bent my back and released a laughter that resembled a lot like a maniac's. I could see Mr. Edwards observing me out of the corner of my eye but I did not care at all. The remaining circle of werewolves started to dissipate; their furry tails between their legs. You can't run away, a voice that did not belong to mine whispered. For the first time in my life, my enemies quake in terror at the mere sight of me.
I licked the blood on my sword's stained black blade before exclaiming with joy,"It's playtime, puppies!"
My claymore resonated with obedience as I sliced molecules of the air before greeting the matted furs of a werewolf, leaving a beautiful line of blood behind its wake. It did not have a single chance of retaliating since I made my next move after picking the right momentum. The rest of the pack cowered in fear, abandoning their own brother to death. I wrapped my fingers around the grip of the sword and knocked back the exhausted werewolf with renewed energy. The impact of its body slamming onto the concrete walls caused the walls to collapse on top of the creature. A barely audible noise escaped from it before it took one last breathe.
I turned my head around; daring the remaining two werewolves to challenge me. The final standing werewolf barked at the betrayer when it ran away with its tail between its legs. Unlike the Alpha's eyes which had the faintest hue of blue, this challenger owned a pair of opaque aquamarine eyes filled with fury. With just a gesture of my hand to come forward, he surprised me with a zigzagged attack; forcing me to attack with precision.
Jolts of pain traveled through my body, sending another rush of adrenaline to fuel my attacks. Thanks to my current condition, the whispering voices in my head numbed any sorts of pain in order to make continuous blows. I savored the look of surprise in the creature's eyes as I ripped open its chest with a heavy slash. It staggered a few inches back, clutching the gaping wound before it fell on the floor with a satisfying thud.
When I was about to turn around to face Lincoln, I saw him behind me, poised to attack. The unquenchable thirst for blood vanished along with my consciousness as I fluttered my eyes shut after catching the last glimpse of Lincoln caressing my cheek. The next thing I knew was darkness.
I heard several muffled voices in the dark, pulling me out of my slumber. My attempt to open my eyelids failed when I tried to see where the voices came from. With tremendous strength to move my seemingly dead limbs, I could only manage to lift a finger before slipping away into unconsciousness again.
"Unconscious or not," A disembodied voice said. "We need her blood now."
After a short pause, another voice that sounded younger replied,"Can't we wait for a little longer? She must be tired."
The heavy anchors that seemed to place themselves on my eyelids could finally be lifted after a long time. A groan escaped from my lips when it felt like a hammer was pounding in my brain without any mercy but I did my best to not give in to the migraine and looked at the two pairs of eyes. The red ones had a hint of worry while the other simply dismissed the whole ordeal. As soon as I came back to my senses, I started making out their faces and noticed it was the cold duo; Lincoln and Mr. Edwards. The invisible hammer above my brain took another hit on me at the mere sight of them.
"She's awake now," Mr. Edwards declared without blinking. "Let's do it."
Do what? I asked inwardly, unable to produce any noise from my parched throat. Lincoln's eyebrows connected to form a frown before using one of his claws to make a slit on my wrist. Blood started to pool around, threatening to spill at any given moment. Lincoln, however, took immediate action by pouring the blood into a cup before licking my wound in order to seal it. The strength that controlled my body earlier seemed to betray me as I watched Mr. Edwards conduct the ceremony for Gwendoline. So that's what my blood is for? I tried to process this idea in my mind but truth to be told, I was still halfway in the clouds.
After what seemed forever, Mr. Edwards said," "Then having sworn these solemn oaths, know now that We, King Marcus and Princess Artemis Columbine, by right of arms, King and future Queen of the Kingdom, do dub you with Our blood, High Blood, and by all that you hold sacred and true."
"Once for Honor." He continued again after a brief pause, waiting for Lincoln to pass the cup to Gwendoline.
"Twice for Duty," They repeated everything. "Thrice for Chivalry." And again.
The fog that surrounded my mind eventually cleared, allowing me to think with clarity. As soon as the ceremony ended, Gwendoline ran into my arms and bawled her eyes out. I suppressed the feeling of awkwardness the best I could while I gave her a few pats on her head - a sense of relief washed over me when Lincoln pulled Gwendoline away from me and told her to behave herself.
"So, Gwendoline is now my maid as well?" I inquired, unable to hold in my curiosity any longer.
All the heads in the room bobbed with agreement, including Margaret. She looked better now; her eyes contained a spark of life and a smile played on her lips. I turned around to face Mr. Edwards when he cleared his throat and asked me more questions regarding King Marcus or better known as my step-grandfather and his lineage.
"We are not blood-related but the bond between us were sincere," I said, hoping to convince him but he laughed at my answer.
"Maybe that is your current mindset," he replied after a short while. "But you won't be thinking like that when something bad happens to King Marcus and the throne is left empty."
As if someone threw a bucket of icy water on me to wake me up from my dream, I was left with the harsh reality; too stunned to produce any comeback towards Mr. Edwards. "I told you the secret, now its your time to spill yours too."
"Fair enough." Was all he said before proceeding. "King Marcus came to meet me a short while ago - just before you and your group of adventurers decided to stop by as well. He mentioned about you, his granddaughter, every now and then with pride and sometimes, a little sadness."
One of my eyebrows raised, urging him to continue his talk.
"Well, he came to me to discuss something serious but do not expect me to leak that information for you. Before any of you wants to complain, I did tell Artemis that I will give her hints only regarding King Marcus' whereabouts." he drawled, emphasizing on the word "only".
I was on my verge of patience when I snapped,"Hurry up!"
Anger flickered in his eyes before it disappeared as soon as it came. "King Marcus touched on the topic of traveling to Oklahoma. However, he did not tell me the reasons why."
That hint alone spurred me into action. I rose from my bed, giving orders to my newly appointed maids and told Lincoln that we are heading to Oklahoma as soon as possible. A pang of sorrow hit my heart when I realized someone was waiting for me in the attic, causing me to bite my lip and rethink my decisions. Lincoln looked like he understood what was on my mind.
"Order one of your servants to escort the dead -" he stopped in mid-sentence, avoiding the daggers sent from me. "I mean, escort Desmond back to his Elven tribe. They might know how to bring him back to life with their magical rituals."
I downright rejected his idea within a second. "I know that they are my servants but King Marcus is their true master - I think he will want them back by the time we found him."
We looked at Mr. Edwards, silently asking him to do a favor for us but to our disappointment, he shook his head.
"How about Liliane?" I suggested, running out of ideas.
Lincoln could barely mask the anger displayed on his pale face when those words left my lips. "No, of course not!" he shouted in such a threatening voice, it sounded as if he wanted to swallow me alive for speaking of it.
"But why?" I dared to prod him further, curious of what would happen next.
"Because I say so!" he said with a slightly shaky voice while looking flustered.
I rolled my eyes at him before telling him the truth. "You sound like a brat."
"You - " he began but I managed to cut him off in time.
"King Marcus disappeared when the house burnt down - as if he saw it coming. The question is why didn't he tell us?" I shot him down with questions. "He couldn't even tell the Infamous Twins about this, can it be because the culprit is someone he knows?"
After a few minutes of silence, he murmured,"Must it be Liliane?"
I nodded and he sighed.
With that, he left the room to search for his twin sister. I took this opportunity to ask Mr. Edwards about something I was dying to know.
"Why didn't you help us?"
"I didn't need to." Was all he said before he left the room.
Concealing a soft sigh, I had a little chit chat with two of my maids and felt a burden was lifted off my chest when they told me that their condition improved with great strides. After that, they excused themselves in order to start packing things for the trip to Oklahoma so I made up my mind to stalk the star-crossed lovers' forced parting.
I could not help but feel satisfaction building up in me as I walked out of the room and began searching for the couple. The ten minutes of search came to an end when I saw them holding hands with emotional gazes towards each other. I quickly duck under a table from a safe distance and used my heightened hearing to eavesdrop their conversation.
It would not take a fool to guess that their love for each other was stronger than anything else in the world; it almost shattered my heart to see them like this. Highlight the word "almost". I studied Lincoln's expression with precision - the way his deep crimson eyes reflected inner hesitation and sorrow, the way his lips moved in a rather charming manner whenever he talked, and the way his strands of hair shone with the faintest color of brown under a single stray of sunlight.
Before I knew it, I was gawking at him like a love-struck admirer. I gave myself a good ole slap on the face in order to focus on the thing that I came for.
"Yes, we have to," he said, sounding too hurt to be the type of Lincoln I know. "I'm sorry, Liliane."
"But..." Liliane could not even finish her sentence before turning on the waterworks.
Lincoln held her in his arms, soothing her with sweet words and empty promises such as returning to her side within a few days' time. We all know that's not true, I scoffed in my mind. She looked like a complete child, she wept without stopping and made her little black dress stained with tears but Lincoln did not seem to mind it at all. In fact, he looked just as sad as she was.
"We have to go to Oklahoma, Liliane," he said after a long pause. "Do you want me to do anything for you when I'm away?"
Much to my surprise, she seemed to gather enough willpower to talk. "Just promise me that you won't get tangled up with Artemis. I don't trust her."
That little emo bitch.
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I wrote a longer chapter to compensate for the almost late update :) Gosh, I noticed my rating dropped a little when I took my time to update! Well, anyway, please remember to vote and comment :D
PLEASE VOTE! IT'S MORE CONVENIENT THAN COMMENTING AND IT'S JUST A CLICK OF THE STAR!
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