Terror seized Islinda’s chest when she could not make out a trace of Aldric, only thick black and thorny vines that must have squeezed him to death.
It was laughable that she was worried about him when she had wished him dead. Perhaps, this was the gods fulfilling her wish. So why didn’t it feel good? She could have gone over to the spot to look for him, but no, she didn’t want to die yet. At least not that way. It looked painful.
If Aldric was really dead, then what? Was she free to return to the human realm? She couldn’t wait for the other Fae he sent away to return and lay claim to her as well, right? She had to move now. Yet, her legs wouldn’t make a move and she had a strange hope inside of her that Aldric would make a miraculous comeback.
And then she saw it.
At first, Islinda thought it was a trick of the eye but shafts of bright ivory light began to leak from the spaces between the vines. A startled gasp tore from her lips while her eyes widened at the sight of ice creeping onwards and encasing each of the vines till it was frozen.
A chilling wind swept through the path, shuffling leaves and shaking trees while goosebumps appeared on her arms. Just like in the ballroom, the frozen vines scattered across the space and Isjinda screamed, bringing up her hands to protect her face as huge chunks of ice flew towards her.
However, she did not feel any pain as thick darkness formed a protective barrier around her. Without opening her eyes, Islinda instinctively knew it was Aldric’s doing and it strangely warmed her heart. The Fae was quite lovely when he wasn’t being an asshole.
She finally opened her eyes to see that Aldric had escaped the debris of the carriage and the trapping of the vines. But that evil vines must really have it out for him because the branches whipped out towards him again, but that was when a portal opened and Issac appeared. Finally.
"Prince Aldric!" He hollered, drawing the Fae’s attention and hurling a sachet towards him.
Aldric caught the small bag and Islinda could not look at the scene as the branch was perilously close to reaching him. However, the dark prince whirled around at the last second and sprinkled a white crystalline powder in the air and the vine retreated with a shrill cry that had Islinda covering her ears with her palms.
She watched as Aldric scattered the rest of the powder and the vines continued to shrink and shriek until it collapsed and transformed back into small harmless plants, only then did Islinda lower her hands. What in the name of the gods was that evil?
"Are you well, Prince Aldric?" Issac asked him, but Aldric was focused on ripping apart the small plants with his dark powers with a vengeance in his eyes till they were nothing but ruins on the ground.
Even when Aldric was done, he turned towards Islinda, his glowing blue eyes boring into hers and she almost choked on her saliva. What now? Perhaps, she should have run away when she had the chance. But she stupidly stayed and now would bear the consequences.
He started towards her and her heart skipped a beat. Coming towards her, the wind which weirdly picked up toyed with his blueish-black hair that was completely dark in the night. His glowing blue eyes pierced hers and she suddenly had difficulty breathing. What was going on with her?
Aldric’s beauty was devastating and a demon had never looked so perfect in her eyes. He stood in front of her, towering over her figure and she swallowed. Now that she looked at him, Aldric was bloody all over and she realized how injured he was.
"You’re bleeding," Islinda said, looking at him all over. He looked worse than her injury, even his jacket was tattered and his perfect hair mussed. He was a mess. A hot mess.
Isjinda shuddered at the thought, what the Fae.
Yet Aldric did not answer and she wondered what she had done wrong this time. So she tried one more time because standing so close to him was awkward.
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