MARIA“What?”“Give me your hand, Maria.”“Why?”“Why else would I be asking for your hand?”She didn’t know why she was arguing, really. The only reason he would be asking for her hand would be to help her treat her injuries—or to inflict more, but from the look on his face, she was leaning towards the former.The question was; why did he want to help her? Wasn’t he the same person that hard ordered the man to cut her hand?Nevertheless, she couldn’t refuse him. Not because she particularly wanted to, but because she had no choice. She really needed it to be treated. Even if it meant being civil with the one man she couldn’t stand right now. Even if it meant that he would do the treating.Why hadn’t he just asked Edgar to do it? That man treated her better than any other person on this damn realm.Gingerly, she extended her hand to him, expecting him to smirk at her cruelly and mock her. Maybe she would find out that he didn’t really want to help her. Maybe he would throw her into he
BRANThe vampire realm, unlike many of the other realms—for instance, the realm of Sorceri and the realm of Valkyrie who frowned upon the entrance of creatures that weren't of their kind—was one in which creatures of different species co-existed. Most of them didn't even live in this realm. They were either passing by and had decided to camp here for a few days before continuing on their journey and some had somehow crashlanded in the wrong realm and didn't know their way out. The Sorceri weren't friends of the Vampires, so there was no way a portal opener could be found amongst us which was why many of them that had landed here against their will, had simply started living here. Seeing as a considerate number of other species had started living here, few bars and restaurants had been established around the kingdom. Bran, when he sometimes felt like it—which was extremely rare—, visited one of the bars. He wasn't one of those uptight kings that wanted their ass worshipped whenever
BRAN If the man’s aim had been to pique Bran’s interest, then he had succeeded and that was the only reason he was still breathing right now.Bran’s heart raced in his chest in hope, but his instincts told him that he should be careful. He knew better than to easily believe this strange man. For all he knew, the man could be lying to him.And Bran was in the absolute worst mood to deal with a liar.“My sister?” Bran asked, releasing the pressure on the man’s neck in order for him to speak.“Yes.” The man gasped, choking. “Princess Iris.”Bran’s face tightened in anger at the mention of his sister’s name and pain lanced through his heart. Without knowing that he was doing it, his fingers tightened around the man’s neck to the point of constriction and the man’s eyes bulged out so much that he thought they were going to pop out.He dropped his hands and the man staggered back several steps, clutching his neck as he dragged in breaths both through his nose and his mouth. Bran didn’t spa
BRANToday was taking the lead in being one of his most shitty days.From the bar to the spineless sorcerer and now, to this.Bran’s eyes followed his wuss of an uncle as he paced across the room, his mouth moving with his words. The man had not shut his mouth once since Bran came and Bran was starting to have a headache. Honestly, this could have been avoided had the man dropped a notice that he was coming.Like the other times, Bran would simply have the guards tell him that he wasn’t around and his uncle, as always, would yell at them at the top of his lungs, before tucking his tail between his legs and storming back to whatever shithole he came from.He probably knew that was exactly what was going to happen, which was why he didn’t bother letting Bran know beforehand that he was coming.The sneaky little piece of shit.His uncle, Elijah, swiped his hand across a surface. “Is this dust?”Bran cocked a brow as if to ask ‘so what?’“When last was this place cleaned?”“I fail to see
MARIAThe small window didn’t allow for much light, but it was enough for Maria. Not like she had a choice. She’d gotten used to it.The sun was beginning to show signs of going down, which meant that her food would be delivered soon. She couldn’t wait; she was starving.With the way she was anticipating the food, one would think it was a good meal. They wouldn’t know that she was being fed crumbs that barely filled half her stomach. But she couldn’t complain, could she?She was lucky that she was getting food in the first place. Ariti’s prisoners weren’t usually fed.But then again, Ariti was a monster. She wasn’t quite sure if her captor was too. She didn’t know what to make of him yet.Of course the reason for her hesitancy was due to his reaction to her hand being chopped off. It spoke volumes that he had arranged for the torture—had ordered it. Yet, called it off the moment the blade made contact with her skin.She couldn’t decide if that was because he had other plans for her or
MARIA If she focused on the sound of the person chasing after her, she would go crazy, so she tried to block it out and instead, tried to put as much force into her starving limbs and run faster.As fast as she could considering that she had not eaten a decent meal in a while and she was weaker than ever.Running back in the direction she had come from would mean going back to her cell and even though that might be a better alternative than letting whomever was chasing her catch her—she had a very strong belief that it was her captor—she still wanted to leave this fucking place.She had to find her way out. She had to go back home. She didn’t know how, but she would find a way. She just needed to get hell out of here first.Her steps almost faltered when the suspicion that there was no way she was going to be able to escape hit her.What exactly did she think she was doing? What was her plan? Did she hope to run out there and scream for help? And even if she did, did she really belie
BRAN She blinked, then blinked again. Her eyes were hazy and with the amount of blinking she was doing, it looked like she was trying to clear herself out of a fog.He shook her hard, repeating the question. “Why has your hand not healed?”The faster she answered his questions, the earlier he was going to be done with her. The close proximity was already fucking up his brain as it was. He didn’t need to spend more time with her than necessary.“Its been just three days.” She shrugged, her eyes falling from his and fixing on his chest. He wondered why she did that. “I don’t know how it works here, but in my realm, healing usually takes longer than that.”He ignored her sarcasm. The fact that she still managed to talk back at him even in her situation surprised him, but he was not going to let that show. She obviously had no value for her life.He had a sinking suspicion about why her hand had not healed. Actually, that suspicion bloomed from a seed Edgar had planted in his head. That t
BRAN One look at the man’s face and Edgar already knew what had happened.It was so easy to guess.Maria’s previous form had been striking, but she had not been beautiful, nor had she been she attractive. With her new form however, all a man had to do was look at her and he would get hard as a pike. And that was exactly why Bran had put Edgar in charge of delivering her meals or pretty much anything that had to do with her. Not only was Edgar the most controlled man Bran had ever met, he would also a good man. He would never touch a woman without her consent.That goodness was exactly what had carried Edgar into the throne room, pulling him back away from his uncle, whom he had been just a few seconds away from killing.When the rage had evaporated and he could think clearly, Bran grudgingly admitted to himself that he was grateful Edgar had stopped him. He already had enough on his plate. Adding the death of his uncle by his hands on top of all that might just push him over the edge