CHAPTER NINE 'The Silver Slice'

By daybreak, Violet didn't find any trance of Poison and when she asked the maids, they said that Poison left before she woke. Violet was a bit relieved. Now she could carry out her plan accordingly.

She stood in front of the building where she saw the brown eyed and waited patiently.

After a few minutes, she saw someone coming out from the building. But it wasn't the brown eyed. It was the boy she saw naked in the pool— The boy with gray eyes and he seemed to be walking to her direction.

Violet sighed and turned away. Which of them owned the building? The brown eyed or the gray eyed.

“Hello miss?”  A silky voice murmured behind her.

She sighed and turned around to face the gray eyed.

“Hi.”

“I was informed that a female specie called Saintess Musa is here outside my yard, do you happen to be her?”

“Rude! How dare you refer to a woman with such dignity as a female specie?”

“Aren't you a female specie?”

Upon not receiving a response, the gray eyed boy bowed.

“Please forgive me, I've never talked to someone from your species and my people regard females as though they're from another part of the world. I'm really sorry If I offended your in any way, your grace.”

Violet shook her head. This guy was hopeless. It was obvious he had never stepped outside of star rock. She wouldn't be surprised if he didn't know how babies were made because men, were too egoistic to admit that they needed women to reproduce. That was how she pictured the leaders of the star clan anyway.

In star rock, they were all men before she arrived but now that she was here.. she felt it wouldn't be a bad idea to educate the boys about women.

“My name is Musa and I'm indeed the Saintess of Lagsu. Whenever I'm in contact with other people, I am addressed as Saintess or your grace but to my friends, they address me by my name and sometimes by my nicknames but to my lover it's different. My lover is supposed to be reasonable and call me sweet names like darling, sweetheart, baby, my love, my heart and so on.” 

Violet smirked at the horrified look on the boy's face. He looked as though he had just seen a ghost and it amused her.

He really was clueless.

“Have you read about how men and women have sex?”

Before the boy could respond, Violet folded her hands and looked to the side with a roll of the eyes, “I'm sure you haven't.”

“Actually..”

“Saintess, what are you saying to Kian?” The brown eyed interupted. He looked pissed.

The smirk on Violet's face disappeared as she cleared her throat, taking in the situation. 

So the gray eyed was Kian..

“Alaric?” Kian said, “I saw that she was outside and decided to ask why. It's not often I receive guests.”

The brown eyed was Alaric.

Alaric glared at Violet, “I asked her to come see me. She's your wife to-be, I wanted to keep her abreast of the situation.”

Something in Kian eyes shifted.

“Alaric, let's talk.” He said sharply, his eyes still darting into the distance. “Your grace, please excuse me.” 

Violet bowed too and watch the two boys argue in the distance and she could still hear their words loud and clear.

“Did you know your father would arrange a marriage for me?” Kian asked. He looked really angry, his face showed it but his voice was unusually calm.

“Yes.” Alaric voice was kind and soft, “But I think this marriage is good for you, the saintess is young and kind. A perfect match with your handsome look and gentle personality.”

Violet shuddered. So Kian was the one the saintess was matched with. He wasn't bad looking but he looked like a harsh person. His gentle behavior seemed like a facade.

She couldn't say Alaric was better but his intentions for his brother or friend looked pure. He really cared for Kian and it showed. 

“I don't want a marriage. I just turned sixteen, why can't father and uncle trust me when I say I'll find—”

“—Shh” Alaric interupted when he noticed that Violet was still standing there, listening to their conversation.

“Go to your room. I'll tell you something important later.”

Kian walked away in a graceful yet straight line.

Violet lips unconsciously parted as Alaric walked towards her. He dragged her to the garden and said, “Why did you let Kian approach you?”

“W—what? I thought he just a guard. Turns out he's the one engaged to the saintess.”

“I heard your guard left star rock early in the morning.”

“I sent him to fetch an important scroll from Lagsu.”

“Pretending to be the saintess won't get you anywhere.”

“At least, it'll free my people. Sacrificing myself to protect three lives is worth it but if I'm to die, it won't be by your hands, Alaric.”

Violet pulled out the knife she kept hidden inside her dress right sleeve and aimed for Alaric's neck but she couldn't reach him. There was some sort of magnetic force around Alaric's body, preventing her from hurting him.

Shit. She cursed under her breath. 

Alaric stared at the horrid look on Violet's face and chuckled. He snatched the pink kitchen knife from her hand and stared down at it. He shook his head sadly.

“Don't tell you thought you could kill me with some petty weapon?”

Violet did not respond.

“It's such a shame because I can kill you right now and I won't hold back.” 

The humour disappeared from his eyes and he punched Violet hard in the stomach. She gasped as she tasted something metallic in her mouth but she didn't have time to react as she fell into the pool. Her vision became blurry and she held her breath while forcing herself to swim to the surface of the pool. Thanks to her aunt's strict teachings, she easily reached the surface of the pool but when she reached, she realized she had lost her wig.

“Your Mistress must be crazy, how could she send a weak girl like you? You can't even take a punch.” Alaric said from the side of the pool. 

Violet held her breath and went back into the pool. Alaric was surprised. What sort of lunatic was this girl with purple hair?

He looked into the pool and shook his head when he saw that she was looking for her wig. Alaric shook his head and sighed.

“Keitan's killer association has really lost their touch, how can they send such a weakling here.”

Violet seemed to have no intent of going back up, she kept going down and it was beginning to annoy Alaric. He lifted his finger and Violet was pulled out of the water and onto the spot beside Alaric's feet. 

He watched as she coughed out both blood and water but the blood seemed a bit much—

Now he felt stupid. No matter if she was a trained assassin or not, she was still a girl. An awfully young one.

“Get up.” He commanded

Violet stood up quickly, her chest forward, shoulders down and chin upright.

She must've been through so many harsh trainings for her to be so responsive to my order even though her mouth was full of blood. Alaric stared down at his hand.

But.. I didn't smack her that hard, why is she still bleeding?

“There's no need to kill me,” Violet said, “Pass me the knife, I'll do it myself.”

Alaric scooped Violet into his arms and started walking to the guest house across Kian's building. Violet didn't struggle. Alaric already put a spell surrounding the nerves around her brain so she was unable to make a single movement.

The next thing she felt was her back hittting a soft bed. 

Alaric tore open her dress and ignored the scars and cuts on her body.

“Have you ever had surgery? Your heartbeat seems irrelegular. Is that why you're bleeding so much?”

My heartbeat has already been slower than the others since young but it never affected my everyday activities. Violet thought, she wished she could stop the insane man from doing anything stupid with her body but she couldn't. He completely shut her from making any movements.

His fingers ran through the spot in between her boobs down to her stomach, he gasped afterwards. “Amazing! Your heart beat is too slow to send blood to your main organs but somehow you're fine?!”

“I guess your mistress isn't that lame to send you here after all. But where is the bleeding coming from? There doesn't seem to be any major problems so you should be fine for now..”

Alaric walked away from the bed and Violet used the moment to struggle but nothing she did worked. A tear rolled down her cheek as Alaric arrived with a wooden box, he opened it, revealing sharp needles in different forms and shape.

He grinned and grabbed a knife from the table. Without hesitation, he made a huge cut near her heart and put a needle in to inspect the organ. With a smile, he said, “You're not an ordinary person, are you Violet? Half of your heart is the other piece of Xenia's soul! Father always thought the chief had the other shard, who could've expected it would be in a freak's heart?” 

Violet closed her eyes as Alaric pulled her heart out with his bare hands. 

By then, she'd lost consciousness and breath.

Excitedly, he placed her heart in a box and headed out with a grin.

When he arrived at Kian's mansion he smiled when he saw Kian sitting in front of a table with a paintbrush in his hand.

“Hey Kian, I wonder what you're up to this time.”

Kian did not acknowledge his existence.

“You reek of blood. Did you kill that girl?”

Alaric grinned before walking towards Kian. “She's not the real saintess of Lagsu so don't worry. This time, I come to you to ask to enter your father's treasure room.”

“The key is right by my waist and you could easily snatch it from me, Alaric.”

Alaric sighed, “What can I say? I'm a gentleman.”

“The bloodstain in your hands prove otherwise. Wash your hands Alaric and if you tell me what you're up to, I'll let you into the treasure room.”

Alaric clicked his tongue and disappeared into the hallway.

*** At the treasure room

“You are not allowed to touch anything untill you tell me what it is you want.”

“Xenia's soul. It has been preserved in a box around here for decades.”

“What does that have to do with the girl you killed?”

“Half of the girl's heart is Xenia's soul. I don't know who she is but her coming here is going to be very beneficial for Star rock.”

“Can it bring back my sight, Alaric?”

“I don't know. Why do you want to see anyways? You lived most of your life blind.”

“Check the top drawer to the right. That's where the first half of Xenia's soul is hidden.”

Alaric stuck his tongue out and disappeared to the front of the shelf. He opened it and gasped at the sight of the crystal box hiding away the transparent ball of purple light. He opened the other box containing Violet's heart and the two light started to engulf one another, untill they be came a whole, floating in the air.

Alaric grinned and a strong wind passed him and disappeared out of the room.

“Kian, this is Xenia's full soul. After I capture it, we'll be able to do so much with it. We can even retrieve your sight.”

Alaric lifted his hand to touch the light in front of him but it dissolved into the air and became nothing. 

He was surprised.

But then he heard the footsteps of guards within the hall.

Startled, he walked towards Kian.

“Please cover me. If any of the guards find me then—”

A hand fan flew into the room, slapping him against the face. He stumbled and dropped the box revealing the half bloody heart.

Alaric stood back up with bloody forehead as he stared at the cold look in Leader Avon eyes.

“DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!”

“F—father,”

“You released an ancient god and now she's possessed the Saintess body! The entire guards are trying to restrain her but.. Kian! How could you be so reckless and give this bastard the keys to the forbidden room?!”

“I don't understand what is going on, Leader Avon.”

“I thought you were only blind. Turns out you lack common sense as well. Come with me the both of you and see for yourself!”

***

Violet felt raw energy engulf her as she floated in the air under the mortals magic. She did not remember what happened beforehand all she knew was that she was angry and she did not remember why.

A burst of energy exploded in her chest and she let out a soul piercing scream as the energy became hot in her veins. Tears rolled down her cheeks as the pain engulfed the rest of her body. Desperate, she moved her hand around to try to ease the pain but she ended up shooting ice out of her fingers which killed the mortals surrounding her in one strike.

Scared, she felt her feet land on the ground after hanging in the air for so long.

Another wave of energy hit her and this time, it exploded in her stomach, burning her insides.

She screamed and fell on her knees, surrounding everything with ice.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to get back up but it did nothing.

More mortals were approaching with items that aggravated the energy inside of her. She struggled to stand and she was able to with willpower.

She started heading towards the gate and her speed increased.

In seconds, she arrived at the guarded gate.

Terrified, she stared at the mortals that had their arrows pointed towards her. 

“Don't..” She shook her head, another wave of energy forming in her head. 

She let out a loud scream and fell onto the ground as memories forced themselves into her head.

She remembered when she was a goddess and blessed people but then she got married to a mortal who took advantage of her and captured her soul to enrich his energy. Then she remembered that she was Violet, a princess of Thestryn. She followed her mother to Keitan to look for her biological father but her mother got kidnapped and was forced to work in the Killer's association to get her mother back.

She was confused.

All of the pictures in her brain felt unreal to her.

“Senior Lance.. I cannot seem to move my hands and feet.”

“Me neither!” The other guard commented.

“Her magic is too powerful.. I can't break out of her spell either.” The man with Stormy blue eyes said, his gaze fixated on her.

Violet was confused.

But.. she didn't do anything.

She looked behind her and could feel the effect of the mortals magical instruments so she stood on her feet and ran out the gate and into the forest in confusion. 

Tears rolled down her cheeks for no reason and she placed a hand on her throbbing chest. It hurt, a lot. 

She stopped crying when she spotted a stream.

She rushed towards it and stared at her reflection.

Violet hair, glowing purple eyes and pale skin. Under her eyes was a total of six black dots, three on each, which made her unique eyes stand out.

She shivered unsure of who she was.

She looked entirely different from the two memories she had in her head and it scared her. So she just sat by the stream in a daze. Right under her eyes, it became night and she did not budge. She felt nothing but two distinct energies flowing in her veins and it numbed her.

A loud roar echoed next to her and all over the forest. Bored, she refused to take a look at it.

No matter how she thought of it, nothing made sense.

There was no way she was a goddess and there was no way she was a princess. It didn't make sense.

The wild boar moved to attack her but someone threw a needle at the wild bear, knocking it into unconsciousness.

“I've been looking for you, Lady. I thought you'd hide in the core parts of the forest who knew you'd be here and unconcerned for your life.”

Violet turned, taking in the man with stormy blue eyes.

His soul was gorgeous but he didn't look like his body encompassed his soul feature.

He took a step towards her and she fell on her knees, staring him in the eye.

He stood still, confused

“Why do you kneel?”

Violet lips parted and she gazed into his stormy blue eyes that held a sea of questions.

“So you are unable to use your hands and feet.”

A scoff grazed the corner of his pink lips.

“Fool.” 

He took another step forward and Violet shivered.

Didn't kneeling work that time? Why were her powers flopping now?

“I—”

”—My name is Lance and I need you to get up right now.”

Violet lips quivered. 

In both memories, she was taken advantage of by two attractive men like him. She had no idea what to do. She was lost.

“I can't promise I won't hurt you but I have a thousand questions to ask.”

Lance lifted her with a hand and together, they appeared in front of a cottage.

He dragged her with him inside and pushed her into a bed situated at the end of the hall.

He grabbed a wet napkin and started wiping the small puddles of blood on her feet. She stared into his eyes, realizing a truth.

“You saved me from your people, didn't you?”

“Well, boomer.”

“Why?”

“Although inside of you is godess Xenia energy, you're still the Saintess of Lagsu district. Don't worry, I'll find a way for you to live a normal life again and I'm really happy I can bring you back.”

“But—”

“—Enough Saintess, you should rest early, you're hurt.”

Violet stared at the stormy blue eyes gazing into hers intently. She froze. Was that love she was seeing in his eyes? That wasn't right.

How did she even know such things?

She shook her head to dismiss the thoughts and Lance smiled, “Go to sleep.”

“How am I supposed to do so when you're staring right at me.”

He lightly blew on her face and she fell into a deep sleep.

While unconscious, he pierced a lot of needles through her skin and head.

Then he disappeared.