Chapter 5

Kent hurriedly dives inside the water to save Donna. Yes, he didn't like her but she couldn't commit suicide on his ship and have her blood on his hands.

"Throw down a ladder!" He said lifting her in a princess carry.

Donna's lips were ashen and she was pale. She almost looked like a corpse.

Kent checked her pulse at the side of her neck.

"She's alive." He said.

"Maids prepare her chamber change her out of her wet clothes and let her take a hot bath. That water was extremely cold."

The maids carry Donna inside carefully whilst everyone disperses.

She lay on the bed shivering, muttering all sorts of nonsense.

"I told you to jump, didn't I? So he could be mine and I'll have one person to go." The person said to Donna.

" I didn't want to jump… You made me do it and you said you would catch and you didn't. I almost died!

"But you didn't."

"Who are you even? Why do you want me dead?"

"Oh darling, I thought you would have figured it out by now." The person said, lifting its cloak.

"You?"

"Yes my lady, that's what I'll call you, or would you prefer to be called something else."

"Why… How did you even do this? What are you?"

"You're asking too many questions now and wasting time for your departure to the underworld."

"Why do you want to kill me?" She asked shakily.

"It's true what they say about royalty being as empty as a hollow bowl."

She moves closer to Donna, pushing her to a corner.

"It's time for you to die. Say a big hello to my sister when you get down there."

Her long scaly fingers begin to go around her neck as she looks into her eyes, ever smiling as she choked her.

"No no, I don't want to die," Donna murmured to herself.

"My lady my lady are you alright?" Echoes of people's voices sounded all around her.

Donna opened her eyes gently and looked around seeing it was her chamber maids and she was still alive.

The door opened.

"My lady, these are just some snacks the kitchen thought you'd like," Lilith said, holding two trays in her hands and trying to close the door with her foot.

Donna's head turned sharply recognizing that voice.

She screamed. " Get her away from me, she tried to kill me, she's going to kill me now."

"My lady?" Lilith asked, confused.

"It was you who pushed me off the edge and it was you who tried to strangle me and you did all of that to try and kill me so he'll be yours."

"I don't understand what you're saying, my lady."

"Acting all innocent and coy now after almost killing me."

"You're a killer and a witch!"

"My lady, perhaps you have a fever."

"No, you tried to kill me! And it's you that'll go meet your sister in hell!"

"Sister?"

"Kent must hear of this that his concubine tried to drown me and then tried to strangulate me."

"I don't understand what you speak of."

"How did you get inside my mind, you witch? You're going to die."

Everyone stared at Donna blankly.

"You all must believe me she…" she said pointing to Lilith."She tried to kill me, she pushed me off the ship's edge and she was strangling me!" She cried hysterically.

"My lady… you fell off the edge by yourself even when the sire told you not to go and no one tried to strangle you. You were just fidgeting as we ran a hot bath for you. Maybe you do have a fever, I'll inform sire." A maid by Donna's side said.

A loud slap resonated in the walls of the cabin. Donna had just slapped her chambermaid.

"Do you dare call me a liar you little thing? Maybe you and this witch are cohorts trying to kill me!"

The maid held her cheek now red and quietly looked down at the floor, tears brimming in her eyes.

"I apologize for my insolence, my lady." She muttered sobs, choking up her speech.

"One of you go and call Kent right this instant. He must know that his staff tried to end me and my chambermaid went against me and they both plotted to kill me." Donna said.

One of the chambermaids rushed out heading towards the office of Kent. She knocked quietly.

"Come in." A deep gruff voice sounded from within.

"Good day, sir." She said bowing slightly.

"What seems to be the issue?"

"There seems to be a problem with Miss Donna sire."

"Whatever do you mean?" Kent asked.

"Well…" she hesitated.

"Speak."

"She's insisting that the new maid, Lilith, pushed her off the edge and tried to strangle her, and when one of the other maids tried to explain what happened. She slapped her and now she's asking for you to come and send both of them out of the ship and feed them to the vultures."

"That's preposterous!" He said, banging his hand on his desk.

"She said to tell you to come right this moment, sire."

"Oh, barnacles. Let's go."

They walked to Donna's chamber only to see her hysterical screaming at all the chambermaids as they trembled in fear.

"You all are together, right? This witch has conjured images in your heads and all of you want to get me."

"Donna, what on earth is wrong with you?" Kent asked angrily.

"It's her." She said pointing at Lilith. "She wanted to kill me so she could have you all to herself."

"Kent… don't you see? She's trying to get in between us. She's going to enchant you now and kill me."

"Donna, remember there is no us. And you jumped off the edge of the ship by yourself. Lilith was nowhere near the edge. As soon as you climbed the edge I ordered all maids to leave the area. You jumped by yourself. And no one tried to strangle you. There are no marks on your neck so what are you even talking about."

"I-"

"And I hear you slapped a maid? You hit my staff and falsely accused my staff of almost killing you when you did that yourself..." He paused.

"...As soon as we get back to New Ford. You shall return to your father's house and I shall recommend a good physician for you and your illusions." He continued.

"You must already be enchanted. That's why you won't believe me. I love you Kent. Don't fall under her spell."

"I am under no spell. Good day, Donna." He said walking out of the room.

Lilith looked at Donna confusedly. She felt in her soul she wasn't lying but she didn't try to kill Donna then who did?

"Get out! All of you. I don't want to see your disgusting silly faces." Donna cried.

They all left. Lilith was lost in thought when she bumped into someone.

"Oh sorry excuse me." She said to the girl.

"I've been looking for you." The girl muttered.

"Did you say something?" Lilith turned back to look at the maid which she had never seen before.

Their eyes met. Hers a strange glowing purple.

"Go back now, you don't belong here. Go back now you don't belong here.

Go back now you don't belong here.

Go back now you don't belong here.

Go back now you don't belong here.

Go back now, you don't belong here."

She muttered the same words over and over again.

Her pupils changed from a light purple to black.

"I don't know what you mean and I don't know who you are. Have a good day." Lilith said fast and began to walk.

The girl grabbed her arm tightly still repeating the same words, her pupils a shining black color "Go back now you don't belong here. Go back now you don't belong here. Go back now you don't belong here. Go back now you don't belong here. Go back now, you don't belong here."

"Let me go!" Lilith shrieked, removing her arm from the girl's hold.

"Who are you? Who sent you? Why did you try to kill Donna and pin it on me?"

"It didn't work, you're not hypnotized. That's very strange." The girl said.

"Who are you?'

Her pupils turned back to light purple again.

"Huh? What's going on?" She said looking at Lilith confusedly.

"I apologize for keeping you," Lilith said hurriedly walking away.

"There's an Ursalaian on board but how did it even get here and why does it want me to go back? I need to be careful now and protect the ones I love before anything happens."

*****

"It didn't work Sir."

"How? What do you mean it didn't work? Isn't no one immune to your hypnosis?"

"Perhaps only she is."

"I paid you but you can't even hypnotize a simple human."

"I tried the…"

"Maybe it's the presence of water around her. Wait for her to get to land and try again."

"Okay, sir." The weird creature said swimming away.

"We would have been together Lilith. Reuling this kingdom with you by side but you chose a flimsy human over me and I'm going to make you and that human pay dearly for this." Finn said with a sinister smile.