Your word is my law, my purpose, my all.
Feeling numb from the wine in her system, Gwyneth strode confidently into the main room of the manor, with two guards by her side.
Though she was moved by Kai's words, they were not enough to fill her heart with terror and unease.
She ran her tongue along her lower lip, placing a hand on her chest. Her eyes fluttered shut as she tried to feel her heart beating...Yet her senses remained devoid of sensation.
The moment the lord's deep, mirthful laughter echoed through the bright, luxurious space, her attention was snapped away from her own thoughts. She stopped in her tracks, a blank look of shock spreading across her face.
Lord Evans, a man in his middle years and a protruding belly, reclined on a sofa surrounded by a trio of naked women.
His eyes met with Gwyneth's, bugging out like saucers. "Princess Gwyneth!"
Gwyneth raised her brow, clearly annoyed by him. "How long have you been aware of my presence here in Calidra?"
Evans greeted her with a lascivious grin, his gaze lingering on her body like a predator assessing its prey. It was almost as if, in that moment, he saw her not as a princess, but as a prize to be claimed.
The guards who had escorted her left the room without warning, and Evans, for his part, did not seem to want to talk to anyone without his women in tow.
Still...
"Your Lordship, I would like to speak with you alone." She gave a small, polite bow.
"We are alone! Please have a seat." he laughed, excitement bubbling up inside of him.
Gwyneth exhaled deeply. Moving on, she sat down on the chair in the opposite corner of the room from him.
"Your Highness, to what do I owe this honor?" he questioned, grinning at her.
The women who were lying on top of him looked at her in disgust with obvious jealousy in their heavily makeup eyes.
She paid them no attention. "Luck was on your side. For the ball that evening."
Hearing those words, Evans tensed up. "W...what?"
"The interaction between humans and vampires at large is unprecedented, and you missed it." Gwyneth continued, almost carelessly. "It cannot be for what you normally do. Tell me. Attending the ball would have opened a myriad of opportunities for you. So, why did you choose not to go?"
Evans' lips quirked. Unease pulsing through his veins, "I would rather not discuss this."
"Oh, really?" Gwyneth asked, cocking her head innocently. "How come?"
Evans shook his head, his gaze hardening. "What are you hoping to achieve? Do you mean to add me to the list of your victims, killing me as you did the others? Clearly, you possess great power, able to annihilate even vampires. If that's your intent, then by all means, do your worst! Kill me now!"
Gwyneth found it fascinating that they all identified her as a murderer rather than a survivor.
Sirius! This was entirely his fault!
She put on a serene, cozy smile. A smile that avoided her angry eyes. "To prevent any bloodshed between us, I suggest you disclose every detail of my father's dealings with the vampires, including the involvement of those gems."
Evans burst into laughter. He pointed at her, a look of amusement lit up his features, as if Gwyneth's words were a jest worthy of a court jester. "Look at her! She thinks she can give orders! And here I am, fully capable of making her death look like an unfortunate accident!" he cackled.
His laughter grew more annoying, and his ladies chimed in, their shrill cackles piercing the air.
"Death... huh?" Gwyneth's hand instinctively drifted to the side of her hooded neck, a reflexive gesture as her thoughts returned to the scorching memory of the previous evening.
Every sensation, every feeling, was laid bare in that moment. The prickling heat that seared through her throat as his tongue caressed her vulnerable skin came rushing back, threatening to overwhelm her once again.
She swallowed, lowering her arm. Her resolve to push aside the heated memory was short-lived, as a bone-chilling cold, all too familiar, cascaded through her, sending a shiver of terror to her core.
She got up, doing a perfect job of hiding her expression from the smiling Lord. "I will return, and when I do, be prepared to defend yourself." And with that, she walked out of the room, not waiting to see his reaction to her words.
Gwyneth Let out a long sigh and eased herself against the closed door, oblivious to the smug man standing next to her.
"You called for me, Sunshine. What is the occasion?" He asked, his words bringing her back to his letter.
'Call on me, and I will free you from the shackles of your formidable obstacles.
He had predicted that she would find herself in an extremely difficult situation. Was he trying to manipulate her?
"Death." She breathed, closing her eyes.
The burning chill spiraled out of control, stealing her breath and forcing her eyes open.
A perilously close Sirius stared back, his closeness and danger saturating the space between them. "My Angel," he hissed, voice laced with lunacy, "Death bows down before you." His fiery breath skimmed her cheek, the proximity simmering with dread.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Suddenly, her heart began to race. She could actually feel her heartbeat! It was absolutely terrifying!
Gwyneth swallowed hard, pushing herself further against the door. The door that led into the room of a half-naked lord.
"Take me away from here." She whispered, turning her head away.
Sirius's lips twisted. Seizing her chin, they disappeared from the scene, reappearing in an abandoned room.
"Don't touch me!" Gwyneth slapped his hand away and stepped away from him, glaring angrily.
"Aww! How disappointing." He teased.
"So that's why Uncle Gerald warned me never to utter the word death. He feared that if I called upon you, you'd answer." Gwyneth realized, putting her hand to her chest trying to slow her heartbeat. "Heavens!"
"Your uncle has been protecting you." Sirius spoke abruptly, his eyes growing gloomy, his smile disappearing. "On my command." Then his eyes lit up once more.
"What?" Gwyneth could not believe her ears. "On... your co... How can you expect me to believe you when you're the source of the problems in my life?! This world has become a suffocating nightmare because of you."
Gwyneth's fiery words barely registered on Sirius' features as he sauntered closer, a deliberate step at a time, bringing them within breathless proximity.
A wicked smile slithered across his lips, his eyes glittering with the gleam of madness. "Do you want me to burn this world for you, my Sunshine? A single whisper of your desire, and I will gladly execute your bidding without a moment's delay. Your word is my law, my purpose, my all."