Chapter 36: Chapter 36

Aranya watched as they spoke in hushed tones and she didn’t take her eyes off them until Desdemona walked to her and spoke, “We’ve spoken with her and she has a few conditions herself.” She nodded her head in a manner that told her she can go on with the conditions to see if she could do it. “You have to be her maid for the time being if you want to see Lorcán.” She knew this meant two things. Either she wanted to keep her under her watch before they all figured out how to tame down her power, or they too, wanted to harm Lorcán.

She was about to say a blatant No when she remembered that she had to stay in this palace even after she had killed Lorcán to avenge for Betla, and being disguised as Keres’s maid would be much easier for her. She shrugged and stood up, “I can only be disguised as her maid, we both know I would never be one. So, take me where Lorcán is.” They must’ve thought that she wanted to see Lorcán because she loved him and was afraid of him being hurt. Funny how they would think they could get to her through him.

Desdemona turned to look at Keres as they shared known looks before she lead the way out of the chamber and Aranya followed suite, not even minding to flash Keres a second look. The moment they were out of the chamber, Keres winced and held her arm where it hurt, Xanth walked toward her in calculative steps and stood above her head. “Is everything all right, Your highness? Should I call the physician for you?” He asked, and she looked up at him with eyes blaring with anger.

If only she had the chance to meet the King today, she would’ve told him to get rid of this man by her side. Didn’t he have other men he could assign for her protection? “Will you get out of my sight?” She flexed the muscle in her arm and slowly lifted her garment and she saw that Aranya’s invisible fire had burnt her arm slightly. It was red and beginning to soil.

Not tending to her order, Xanth walked to where the first aid box was being kept in the living room, he picked it up and walked toward her. She didn't know what he was doing, busy examining her arm as she winced silently until he knelt before her with an opened box by his side as he tentatively pulled her arm toward him. She yanked her arm away from him instantly.

“What do you think you’re doing? Didn’t I ask you to go away?” Her eyes burnt with rage and he looked so calm that she wished she could strangle him to him. But she needn’t be told that he could be so strong with the way his muscles flexed out of his garment.

“She might be poisonous, Your Highness. For a woman to be as powerful as she is, we don’t know what her fire might cause. If you don’t want a physician to come, then I have to check it myself.” She was about to protest again when he held her arm and he lifted his face up to her eyes. Their eyes met, and with the way Keres felt his masculine touch on her bare arm and the concern she saw in his eyes, somehow, she lost the will to speak.

She took her eyes off his face and felt the way he was examining her wound softly. He applied something that surged painfully into her being and she wailed softly before she clasped her hand over his shoulder and he lifted his eyes to look into hers that were about to water. “It’s painful.” It sounded more than a whine than a statement and he nodded his head.

“I'm sorry. It will hurt for some time and won’t hurt anymore.” Slowly, she peeled her hand off his shoulder and looked away. And from then, no matter what he applied, and as much as it hurt her, she didn’t make a sound until he was done and she walked directly to her room and the painful tears she had been holding in rolled down her cheeks. On god, Aranya had to pay for this! She avowed as she softly touched the place he had bandaged for her.

•

Aranya was taking note of the routes they followed and it turned out it wasn’t an exaggeration all the things she had heard about Belrynna. It was indeed the biggest palace she had ever heard and seen in her entire life. Betla had magically changed her clothes for her into that of a maid and from the brisk glance of her self she took in the mirror while passing by a flower seller, she could say it looked beautiful on her, even though bedgrudingly.

The place he was kept was moderate. With only one room, a living room and a kitchen. How long had they been here? Or had this place been always available for people like him? Men that would die in the hands of the woman they loved? She almost choked herself for thinking that way.

If only he had truly loved her. For she had come to the conclusion that he only said he did because that was the only way he could get to her without her getting suspicious and could be able to get his revenge on his brother. Because that would only be the way to explain his behavior. He snuck his way into Zinambra when he found out that she was the one that murdered his brother and then he turned out to be the one that saved her even though he had the chance to let her die at that time? She had been foolish all this while.

Then he took her to Elfnour, after she had betrayed the woman she loved the most. He took her there so he could have a recollection of what their memories were with his family so he wouldn’t feel bad about taking his revenge on her. Different thoughts were roaming through her brain that by the time they stood in front of the door, she was fuming with rage.

“You can leave now.” She told Desdemona whom looked at her with eyes that were amazed by how angry she looked.

“At this point, I'd really pray for Lorcán’s life.” With the look Aranya flashed her way, she didn’t utter another word when she backed away and walked off. Aranya had to take a few breaths to calm herself down before she knocked on the door, she could as well play her cards well if he was able to do that himself.

It took a few seconds before she heard the sounds of his footsteps and that alone was nostalgic. She could remember how his footsteps sounded in Elfnour, in Zinambra, everywhere. She pushed that thought aside and reminded herself that it was because she was so soft toward him that she believed his lies and her mother ended up being killed.

He slowly pulled the door open and she walked in without staring at the way he looked. It was after he had closed the door behind him that he turned to have a full view of her face with a smile that could touch his ears. “I can’t believe this, Aranya! I thought you weren’t alive!” He rushed toward her to engulf her into a hug and when he was an inch close to her body, he felt her fire that instantly burnt him and he had to rush backward with a yelp.

“What’s this, Aranya?” He asked? Holding his hand as he tried to blow air on the place that had already suffered her vile. He stood straight and when he looked into her eyes, she had the most furious look he had ever seen on her face and the fire and power that she exuded was too much that he doubted if it wasn’t her mother’s soul that was returned. “Aranya...” He whispered, because she didn’t have to speak for him to know what she had in her mind. She hated him.

She flicked her tears back and feigned a strong expression. She almost gave herself away when he was burnt for she nearly walked to him to see if he was fine. “Do I have to tell you what this is, Lorcán?” When she spoke, her voice reverberated and it sent a chill down her spine. It felt as though she wasn't the one that he knew and loved with all his soul. This woman was dangerous and he didn’t need an explanation of what this meant. He knew this look, because he had once had it on his face too. She wanted to kill him.

“Why, Aranya?” That was all he could ask for and she shook her head. Letting out a chuckle that unnerved his soul to the point that he had to take a step back. He didn’t even try to stand up against her for with a mere look, one could know she was as powerful as a woman could ever be.

“You killed my mother! You planned everything with them and killed Betla!” She howled dangerously and he was certain he wasn’t mistaken about the smoke he saw coming out of her mouth. She took an enigmatic step toward him and he stepped back. “I thought...” She choked on her words, hating that her emotions were trying to outgrow the anger she felt, her unquenchable thirst for revenge on him. “I thought you truly loved me, dammit!” When she howled again, the intensity of her angry threw Lorcán to the wall, he bounced on it and fell to the floor, spurting out some blood.

He was just wordlessly staring at her. “I'd have to kill you for making sure I saw the death of my mother, Lorcán! No one has ever betrayed me the way you did! You made me hurt her, left her not knowing she needed me the most by her side. I've told you countless times, I wanted to see her, didn’t I? I told you that I’ve missed her, Lorcán!” She cried this time and when she got to where he was sprawled on the floor, Aranya pulled out her claws for she wanted to kill him not as the human figure he fell in love with, but the dangerous wolf she was.

She strangled his throat with her claws and lifted him up, not minding the way blood was oozing out of his body. She was certain she had sucked out all the powers he had out of his body while staring directly into his eyes that watered with a feeling she didn't care to know what it was and spoke, “Was it this gratifying when Betla was killed? How did it feel to watch her dive that sword in her stomach? How stupid you must’ve thought I was...” Her eyes were a shade of blood. She could vividly see the hurtful look on her mother’s face. That painful smile, how she dissipated into thin air; that was what hurt her the most.

He was struggling for his breath, but her claws were diving more into his veins as his eyes filled with blood. The words struggled before they came out of his lips, “I’m gl..ad..you’re alive...I thought...they’ve killed you...” Those words made her mercilessly etched more of her claws into his veins and he throttled, she felt and watched as more veins were ruptured and blood drenched her fur. “I love you.” Those words managed to come out as one, and somehow, tears cascaded down her fire filled eyes as though a molten magma.

She pulled her claws out of his neck and threw him to the other wall of the living room as she slumped on the floor and howl at the pitch of her voice. Why? Why did she have to love him so much to the point that she couldn’t even take his life? Why did she have to be so weak when it came to this man? Betraying not just her mother, but herself. If only he hadn't uttered those last words...if only.

She stared across the room at the pool his blood made and thought to herself, if she left him like this until midnight, he would have to die no matter what. And at least, she wasn't the one that killed him, that thought wouldn’t rupture her mind for the rest of her life. She would have to go back to Keres, kill both her and Desdemona for taking her mother’s life and finally...look for wherever King Bhaltair was, she had to kill him too.

She stood up, forcefully wiping at the tears that rolled down her cheeks before she quickly walked out of the place, because if she dared make the mistake of looking at his dying body, she would have to change her mind. Walking out was the best thing, or it might not be the best. Would she really let him die?