Chapter 180: Monsters

Chapter 180: Monsters

Sloane shivered profusely and backed away, eyes wide like she couldn’t believe who stood before her. "Y-You monster...!"

"Monster? That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? I wonder which one of us is a better monster. Would you like to try the theory?" I slowly raised my hand, and the fear blossomed in her eyes, knowing what I was about to do.

"When my house hears of this, you won’t get away with it!" she yelled, chest heaving painfully before she smiled like she had got something to stop me. "When they find out their lady has been imprisoned, what do you think they will do?"

"Why don’t you enlighten me?"

She smirked shakily. "They will wage war if they have to! We have the numbers. My house is ancient and as old as the Balthars, you cannot bring me down that easily!"

"Oh, about that..." I deadpanned. "They cannot do much now when your trial shall begin tomorrow."

"T-Trial?" she stuttered. "What trial?!"

I leaned forward so that she could see my face and how deeply amused I was, and not shaken by the power of her house. They don’t hold a candle to how much advantage I have.

"The trial of Sloane Altherin for the attempted poisoning of the queen consort, assassination, and treason."

Her eyes shook at my words, and she gulped, fingers gripping the dirt. "You planned this, didn’t you?"

"There was

Regret became her gaze. "I-It won’t work! I-I have my house... I have my house... I have... the Dowager!"

"Tomorrow will tell, my dearest Sloane. Get some sleep, you’re going to need it." I turned to leave.

"Wait, wait!" she crawled closer. "Please..." she begged with bloody tears. "Make it stop, take the ice away, please!"

I tipped my head, going low to her eye level. "Does it hurt?"

She nodded, sobbing, snot running down her nose. "Y-Yes, it h-hurts."

"It also hurt when you scarred Talia for life..."

At my words, her gaze flickered to Talia behind me, staring down at her with a dark expression.

"She was bandaged from head to toe, bleeding out and suffering in silence. It hurts too."

Sloane looked at me with wide eyes, and I gripped her chin.

"The pain you feel now is nothing compared to the months she spent bedridden, nor when she was mauled mercilessly. I expected much from a Lycan; you only just scratched your face, and here you are begging like a baby."

"Please..." she appealed. "Please..."

I moved my hand closer to her wound, and she sighed in relief, thinking I would make it stop, but I didn’t.

She screamed once again as I made the ice move. Her flesh squelched, and swelling as the ice fought to respond to my call.

"PLEASE STOP! MAKE IT STOP!"

I retreated my hand and she collapsed on the ground, heaving uncontrollably. I rose to my full height as Talia handed me a handkerchief to wipe my hands.

I toss the silk at her. "Clean yourself up. Tomorrow you shall answer for your crimes, be prepared."

"Eloise...Eloise...Eloise!... ELOISE! ELOISE!"

She screamed as we exited the dungeons. We walked up the stairs into the sunlight, the soft rays filling the corridor.

Out of that dark dungeon, it gave me a breather I didn’t know I needed. As much as I enjoyed Sloane’s suffering, I couldn’t stand that place. It was suffocating.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Thank Garrick, too. He was the one who gave me the keys to the dungeon. When I told him everything and the plan I wanted for Sloane, he didn’t want to leave, but I insisted."

Talia’s gaze softened, and a smile formed. "That sounds like him."

She was about to say something else when her eyes moved behind me. I turned and saw Damon waiting, leaning against the column with arms folded and eyes to the ground.

"Wait here," I told Talia as I neared, and his gaze slowly moved to me.

I could never get used to those obsidian eyes. They may be drained of color, but they held emotions I have never seen before, and when the sun rays touched them, there was a light unlike any other.

Because of the phantom mark, I could feel the torments of guilt and despair. No matter how much I wanted to believe this was his trick, that he was the same Damon who’d try to seize this opportunity to destroy everything just to have me... I wanted it that way, but because of the mark, I knew it was nothing like that.

I was scared that maybe he’d truly changed, and I hated him even more.

I said nothing to him as I walked the corridors, and he followed beside me.

"You know I could have you arrested," I began.

"I know."

"You crashed my gathering, and that is an offense." I halted. "I can lock you away where you can never see sunlight; your confinement will simply become a vacation in your eyes."

"I know."

I whipped my head to him. "Then why did you do it? Where did you come out of nowhere and save my life?"

He finally looked me in the eye. "Impulse."

"Impulse?" I said scornfully. "Impulse made you watch me? And come to my rescue? What kind of bullcrap is that?"

"You know the saying... old habits die hard."

I huffed. "You should have stayed in your wing and rotted there. Showing your face like some hero, what were you expecting to achieve?"

"Your pupils are dilated; you haven’t had blood," he said so suddenly.

"That is none of your business!"

"My blood doesn’t appeal to you anymore, does it?"

I froze at his precision. It was something I had noticed for the past week.

"You have drank from me, Lou. So I know. Your body not only rejected my mark, but now it does my blood too. It’s the balance."