BLOOD.FANGS.N'.FIRE

Florah just stayed in her position and shut her mouth.

An eerie silence fell upon them, Florah felt the King's hold on her tighten every passing minute.

The carriage ride felt like it was going forever for the captive redhead.

"But you just said that you can't drink my blood." Florah finally voiced carefully

"Hmmmmm," the king only hummed slightly as a response.

'Knock, knock' Gavriel knocked by the side of the carriage for it to stop abruptly.

Florah pondered in confusion. "What now?" she dreaded the upcoming event.

Gavriel let go of her but still held her hand firmly. He was the first out of the carriage and tugged her hand to follow him.

She wanted to ask where they were going but decided against it, knowing that her position didn't allow her that privilege.

"Sire.." The coachman who was also confused about the turn of events tried to ask, but the king just bypassed him like he wasn't even there to begin with.

He looked at Florah, who had worry lines across her forehead, and pitied her situation because he presumed that she was the cause of the king's foul mood. And whatever was going to happen would be bad for her.

Gavriel dragged Florah along with him, away from where the carriage stood into an alley.

"Your hi.. ..highness...," Florah wanted to ask the king to at least not drag her too hard, but her words were barely coming out because she was already out of breath.

"Splash....shushh" "mmmmhmmm" muffled sounds came out of Florah as she unintentionally drank the ocean water.

Her whole body was submerged under water along with the king, whom she clinged onto like her support.

She could not breathe, "aahhahhhah." Flashbacks of people screaming in the water came to her, scaring her more, which made her struggle and inhale more water.

Gavriel's dark eyes stared at the girl's scared ones as she continued to drown.

Florah felt immense pain all over her body. Was she going to die in the water because the only one she looked at for help just stared at her passively.

Her eyes stung, her nose was itchy, and her body fell heavy.

She couldn't breathe, and as an impulse, her body forced her to inhale, hence drinking more water.

Gavriel looked at her actions and knew that she would start drowning very soon, but he just watched her suffer.

Her hold on him was loosening, and her eyelids were fluttering.

Her eyes pleaded with him to help, but he just looked at her, but 'why would he save her?'

People like her never lasted for long anyway.

A day ago, if he hadn't intercepted, who knows what would have become of her at the hands of those witches.

His dark eyes bore no pity or happiness at her plight but simply watched like a bystander.

In his situation, he wanted to submerge fully in cold water.

There was nothing to do with the girl, but he wanted to see what else she could do that most peasants didn't know how to.

She could read, and if she could, that meant that she could also write, implying that she had been educated.

Her clothes also contradicted her peasantry background.

She was a liar. So why would he save her? For all he knew, she could have come to kill him.

Florah heard more screams in her head as she slowly closed her eyes, tired from all the struggle.

Maybe she should submit to the darkness. It seemed peaceful like a warm blanket.

Letting go, her body sunk deeper into the water.

Gavriel blankly watched her body go down into the water.

But if she was here to kill you, why would you kill her instead.

'She could end your misery.' A small voice said at the back of his head.

Looking at the dress going down that was almost at the bottom, he started swimming towards it.

Jeremiah walked inside the maze, admiring its design.

His ears picked up the singing of a humming bird, and he knew his messenger was back.

He put out his hand, and the bird landed on his. palm, he looked at its gray eyes that were still in his control and closed his.

The bird stayed still, bringing his other palm towards its head. He started seeing the world through its eyes.

It had followed Florah like he had intented, from the carriage to the theatre.

He watched his friend look at herself in the mirror and smiled softly.

At least he knew that she was okay physically, but what he didn't understand was why she was in a play in the first place.

The king must have had everything to do with it.

He furrowed his brows at the thought.

He watched her rehearse and was perturbed by why but proud that she was doing it well.

He saw the butler come to pick her up, taking her to a certain exit.

The bird seemed to have lost them from there as it started wandering around aimlessly.

By the time he was done seeing the vision, the bird was already dead.