I'm doing a double update today since I haven't uploaded in a while :)

[E D I T E D]

♕✿~♕✿~Chapter 9//: Little Red Girl♕✿~♕✿~

Turns out it isn't very fun to spend a whole day in your room with nothing to do.

After an hour of trying to find something to do (trying to find an interesting book to read, trying to play my viola but then having a maid come to my room to tell me that one of the girls was complaining, trying to sit down and draw but failing), I finally give up. Looking out my window, I just wanted to go outside into the gardens.

I sigh with relief as I take off my uncomfortable dress and put on a t-shirt and jeans, along with a pair of sneakers. I just wanted to take some time to myself with nature around me.

I hesitantly opened my door and walked out into the hall. I didn't exactly know where to go to reach the doors of the garden, but I was sure I would be able to figure it out easily.

After going down the stairs, I rounded a corner and stopped when I saw Fiona, Emily, and Alexis there, casually talking with each other.

Nope, I am definitely not wanting to have a conversation with them. I tried to turn back around the corner I turned from, but my body stopped on its own. I felt a shiver run through me as I heard Alexis' voice in my head. You aren't going anywhere, you poor little Red girl, she taunted me in my head. My body turned around, controlled by Alexis. I faced the three smug Silver girls, whose eyes glinted with hunger. Hunger for blood. I saw Fiona grab at the metal studs on her outfit. With a single snap of her fingers, the studs melded together to form a very sharp knife. I gulped. I thought they enforced the rule that Silvers couldn't use their abilities on Reds at the Choosing? But I'm not surprised that they broke the rules. They don't feel a need to follow the rules.

"Looks like you're a bit lost, Red," Alexis says in a taunting voice. "What? Can your small mind not figure out where to go?" Alexis adds with a raised brow.

"Red filths like you don't belong in a palace," Fiona snapped. "You're all just worthless, made to serve us." My teeth grind in annoyance but Alexis still has a hold on me. Then Emily does something to make me feel fear. She smiles sadistically, her blue eyes filled with mischief.

"I think the little Red girl needs a reminder of her place," Emily says. Alexis and Fiona stare at me maliciously. They are all smiling, clearly liking the idea of 'showing me my place.'

The knife that Fiona had crafted starts to slowly circle around her wrist. I can see the sharp point of the knife. I feel sweat trickle down my neck as I realize that they could possibly be planning on killing me. I knew Silvers were cruel, but I couldn't believe these teenage Silvers were actually going to do something like this.

Then again, they did try to drown me in the pool.

I was still stuck in my position as Alexis had control over my body, forcing me to stand still and tall. Fiona took her time, squinting her eyes to take aim. It looked as if she was aiming at my face. In my head, I called out to mom, Sydney, dad, Rose, and even Ahren. But I knew they couldn't hear me. I was alone here and Alexis knew that with the way she was smiling like a grinning cat.

Using just her mind, Fiona threw the knife towards me. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as the knife hurtled towards me. I let out a grunt in pain as the knife met my right cheek, creating a wound that cut from the corner of my mouth to almost my ear. Alexis finally let go of the control she had over my body and I fell on the floor. I gasped as the stinging pain intensified. I felt red blood ooze from the wound and felt dizzy.

"What happened? What did you do?" a commanding voice asked. I looked up to see Ahren facing Fiona, Alexis, and Emily. He looked furious and I saw fire engulfing his arms. He turned to me and I gasped at the sudden fire in his eyes. He looked frightening, dangerous. Like the Silver Prince he was raised to be. His fire went out as he reached towards me, intending to help me up, but I flinched away from his touch. I didn't want to be near any Silvers. He looked hurt but retracted his hand from me.

"Can you get up, Madison?" He asked me softly. I nodded, pushing myself up but wincing from the pain. "Let's go to the infirmary. The healers can patch you up." He goes to walk next to me, but I back away from him, the fear evident in my face. He looks down at the floor and allows me to run up the stairs towards where I think the infirmary is.

I get lost, like I always do, and groan in frustration. The wound was stinging and it felt like fire was thrown at my face. The blood oozing down my cheek didn't help either. It was getting on my clothes and ruining the only shirt I brought with me. I felt the guards watching me with amusement. I couldn't believe they liked the sight of me bleeding and feeling frustrated.

A man in a security outfit walks up to me. I immediately flinch and back away. I didn't want to be near anyone right now. The man, who looks to be in his early 20's smiles at me in reassurance.

"Don't worry. I just want to help. I'm a skin healer. I can heal your wound," he tells me. His voice is like honey; it's smooth and sweet. I find myself trusting him and I nod to let him know that he can heal me. He takes my face in his hands ever so gently, and I feel his ability course through me. I gasp as the feeling of his ability courses through my system. I feel newer, better, and stronger. I realize I had closed my eyes after I had felt the pleasurable feeling of being healed and opened them again to see the guard smirking.

"Thank you," I breathe out, still in awe. I've never been healed before since Reds weren't given healers to heal them. The guard chuckles. "I'm Nick Skonos. And you are?" He asks me, flashing a charming smile. He was handsome in his own way, with pale skin, tawny hair, and green eyes.

"I'm Madison Williams," I introduce myself to him. He smiles even wider, which makes me smile back.

"Nice to meet you."

I open my mouth to tell him the same thing as well, when a warm hand grabs my arm. I look behind me to see Ahren with a look in his eyes.

"Madison, I thought you were just going to the infirmary, not chatting afterwards," Ahren tells me coldly, looking between me and Nick. I wonder if Nick and Ahren had some sort of past with each other.

"Relax, Ahren." I tell him. "I was going to the infirmary, but got lost. Nick helped heal me," I explain to Ahren. He still looks suspicious as he looks Nick up and down. It was obvious at this point that they had had some sort of beef with each other in the past.

"Alright, if it bothers you so much, Ahren, let's go," I say, trying to get out of the tense atmosphere between the two guys. Ahren purses his lips before he nods at Nick, grabbing my arm and pulling me along.

He leads me back to my room, assuming that's where I want to go. I don't bother to tell him that I was actually planning on going to the gardens.

We stand in front of my door, me tapping a beat on the floor with my feet and Ahren pursing his lips, obviously wanting to ask me something.

"What?" I ask, giving him a chance to ask me whatever it is he wants to ask me.

"What happened back there between you and the girls?" Ahren blurts out, obviously curious.

I didn't want to make such a big deal out of this, so I just shrug and tell him, "Girl drama. Girls can be crazy."

Ahren lets out a half laugh, shaking his head. "This Choosing might just be a nightmare for me if this is how girls act towards their competition," he murmurs. I crack a smile at that.

"You'll be fine. Just say the right things to the girls and they won't turn on you," I tell him jokingly.

Ahren stares at me, his eyes wide with horror as my words sink in. I laugh at his facial expression. "I was just kidding. For the most part," I add with a shrug. I walk around him, and he turns around to follow me with his eyes as I walk away from him.

"Thanks for dropping me off at my room, but I was actually going to the gardens," I tell Ahren as I start down the stairs to go back downstairs.

As I finally find the garden doors and get outside, I try to calm down my racing heart and breathing. What happened between me and the other girls had sent a rush of adrenaline through me, and not in a good way.

My throat tightened as I recalled what they had called me. Little Red girl. For some reason, those words kept on repeating in my head like a broken record. But I hoped that it would leave my mind once I took a relaxing walk through the garden.

It didn't once leave my mind throughout my walk in the garden.

♕✿~♕✿~♕✿~♕✿~♕✿~

Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'll probs post the next chapter soon.

Glass_Sword