The hours passed but I couldn't see green land anywhere but plants in pots.
"Is Dastien Diablo King?" I asked, recalling the word from an ancient book.
His gaze turned to me and his smile dropped. He opened his mouth. I saw his lips parted and moved. I could hear nothing.
A forceful gust of air circled me. I glanced around with a horrible expression. My gaze darted back to James. He was looking unaffected. He was still talking.
A beat of tense silence fell over me. Fear gripped me. The wind picked on my hair, moving them awkwardly in the air, some were whipping over my face. I lifted my hand to tame them.
My heart was running in my chest. Whirling on my feet, I looked around. I couldn't figure out anything. There was no one.
My feet halted. A particular dark spot attracted me. I couldn't dare to move my feet under unknown gaze, couldn't look away. I felt attached to the darkness which I couldn't comprehend that why it was there at this time of the day. My eyes were searching for something special. But what? I couldn't comprehend. I was just staring. I could feel my wolf was calm. She could be only calm around one person.
My eyes widened. Dastien! I heard a loud voice in my head.
He's around us. He's there.
I tried to move my feet, tried to pluck them forward. Helpless made tears burnt in my eyes. I was paralyzed on the spot. My eyes were fixed on a particular spot in the dark as I was anticipating for someone to walk over to me cutting through the dark.
I struggled against the spell over me. But it felt so strong. I couldn't even blink my eyes. It was only my breathing that was going in and out without any trouble.
I forced my hands to move. I felt a strong touch over my shoulder. My eyes blinked. The spell broke. The dark spot where I was staring attractively. It wasn't anyone there. People were going to and fro for their daily chores.
It felt as if I wasn't here but somewhere in the dark.
"Emma, are you listening?" James' voice dragged my gaze to him but I couldn't shake off my shock.
"I think I saw something. Something dark. I wanted to go to it, touch it, feel it. But I felt my body paralyzed under a strong spell. I couldn't even blink." My heart was still pounding in my chest. Sweat tickled down my back. That was horrible to feel yourself stuck in the moment. I've felt it before, but it was different.. It wasn't frightening me.
His eyebrows crushed together as he moved toward me, his eyes stayed on me. "What are you saying? You were here all the time. You were listening to me one second ago and now you're looking at me with big shocked filled eyes." Worry clouded his eyes.
"I don't know." I didn't want him to call me mad. I wasn't. It felt real. It was genuine. Was I stuck in a dream with my opene-eyes?
His brows puckered in confusion. "Did you see someone?" His gaze drifted
I let out a soft sigh. At least, he trusted me. "No one, but a big ball of darkness as it was calling me. But I couldn't move." I blinked, looking in that direction again.
'Mate' I wasn't certain. My wolf, inner voice could feel him. But it was gone the moment the spell broke. The curse has prevented me from relishing my life. I am still not finding any path that would lead me to him. All I'm doing is waiting. It would have been easy to embrace my destiny with him next to me.
Fear clawed within me when the dark fell over us. I lifted my chin. The dark grey clouds covered the blue sky hiding the sun. A cool breeze blew, making my hair dance in the air. It was caressing my skin. I felt goosebumps raising across my skin. My mind was still stuck there.
The rough voice clearing throat interrupted my thoughts. My wolf leapt happily as he recognized him before seeing.
With my pounding heart in my chest, I turned on my heels. My eyes glued on him. His hair were longer than I remembered. they were looking so glossy and silky that I wanted to run my fingers through them. I clasped my hands together. His forest green eyes were already on me. There was no expression on his face. His look was regal. A black trousers and a black shirt was resting handsomely on his muscular body, not too tight not too lose, it was just perfect. a dark long cloak was completing his King like look. Every part of him ooze power and authority. His never ending forest scent was less and smoke more. He was smelling like burning fire.
"Your majesty," James was on his knees, his head bowed. I didn't move. All the people around us bowed at their King's sight.
His eyes flashed fire. Did he recognize me? Why was he standing there, just looking at me?
"Accept our apology, King. My sister doesn't know the proper etiquette. She's from earth." James said.
My gaze drifted over him blinking in disbelief.
His scent was drawing me to him. It would be safe to keep my gaze on my fake brother.
I was startled when I felt heat engulfing me. He was in front of me in a blink. I felt the fear through my bones as Aragon's words echoed in my head. I didn't want anyone to find out about me until my head restored my memories. He was looking at me with confusion as he was trying to grope through his memories but didn't recognize me.
He inhaled my scent. He grabbed the chunk of my hair. His eyes turned to them as he rubbed his thumb over them. He inhaled again.
"DIablo king," I was startled with sudden voice of Aragon and his presence behind him. "They will be waiting for you." His eyes turned to me. He wasn't looking bothered.
"Princess Serafina, isn't she?" He asked, tilting his head to one side.
He was a dark King and gorgeously handsome but also deadly. He wasn't looking like the Dastien I knew.
"Yes, she doesn't want to come here but it's time she should learn everything." Aragon gave me a knowing look.
My eyes were speaking thousands of questions. I couldn't utter a word under the spell of his gaze and strange demeanour. He was pretty different.
He withdrew his hand back. When my hair landed on my chest I felt heat seeping through them.
"We should start now. She will accompany me." He said, his eyes never leaving mine. It felt like he was trying to find something. He couldn't ignore the pull I felt for him either.
"But, Princess Cecilia is already waiting for you in the ballroom." esme suggested.
He waved his hand in a dismissive way. Did I really love this person? My human side couldn't keep her mouth shut. My wolf was already angry with her mate after hearing another woman's name for him.
"I have decided." He said with full authorship.
"Excuse me. What do you mean you've decided?" I asked him angrily. What this place have done to him?
Esmeralda glanced at me with big eyes and disbelief filled them. What was she expecting? A girl made after him. That's not me.
Aragon shook his head clearly telling me to shut up.
His fingers wrapped around my neck. I gasped. My body tensed under his touch. His touch was always full of care and love. It was the opposite. I could feel his anger. He pressed me closer to his body. His eyes were pools of fire glaring at me. He didn't like people questioning him. It frightened me when his fingers tightened as I felt immense heat.
"What's wrong with you, Dastien? Leave me." My voice was breathless as I panicked. He had never hurt me.
His eyes blazed with anger. The temperature increased around us. It got unbearable for me. What was wrong? He never hurt me, not with his magical fire. But it's hurting me. I felt my skin burning.
I saw his anger turning into wrath. "What did you call me?" He snarled. His burning eyes were full of wrath.
"King, she's my sister." Aragon said, stepping forward. But he didn't try to reach his hand.
"That's saving her from burning." One corner of his lips lifted up. Sadness grew inside me.
'He doesn't know us. He hurts us. '
"She's coming with us, " He announced. I was stubborn. His gaze turned sharp on me.
"Serafina." Aragon said, coldly. But he couldn't hide the disturbance over his face. Was he thinking it too?
I was taken back with my mate's cruelty toward me and Aragon's rudeness. Dastien acted like a deadly enemy. Why was he behaving so crude to me? Time was holding the dangerous secret. I glanced at Cold King asking silently - Is he truly my mate? The person I know I love - Is this he?
My eyes caught Esmeralda and James. They were watching everything with dropped jaw. I snorted. They looked away immediately. They weren't any help. If I were with my friends they must have done everything in their power. Though, they were aware they couldn't win over him. Still, I don't see them backing off.
It felt like the curse was still running through my veins. Was he under a spell? His wolf is the most powerful creature. It couldn't be ruled by spell.
As quick as the bubble came up, it burst. He doesn't know me. He had a totally different personality. A King full of wrath.
I was accustomed to his darkness and cruelty for people, I had always seen his soft side. I could feel the burning pain on my throat. I didn't want to go with him.
'We're going with him.' My wolf shouted in my head.
'I was glad when you were mute. I know what I'm doing. He's going to burn us at the end of the day.'
'I'll protect you.'
'Yes, of course. I've seen the demo, just now.'
She just growled low. I ignored her. Abruptly, she was an essential part of me which I wasn't aware of before. Cursed life was better. It was for a short period but I have my mate. I had seen the happy side of our relationship which I wasn't expecting now. He would never hurt me, until now.