Claimed by the Prince of Darkness novel Chapter 148

Chapter 148: The Summon

Ruelle’s heart dropped at the sound of the stick breaking and the man’s question. Even Hailey turned pale as though not expecting the stick to make that much sound.

"Our friends must have finally caught up!" Ruelle blurted before looking behind with a hopeful expression.

"Finally!" Hailey breathed, and this had the three men turn to look back. She quickly handed Ruelle the other half of the stick.

Ruelle shifted the wooden stick along her arm, steadying it in place, and at her slight nod, both women moved at once, stepping forward as they slipped free of their loosened coats in a single, swift motion.

The sudden weight in the men’s hands made them turn. In that same moment, Ruelle stepped in, driving the sharpened wood into the man’s side, the force pushing through into his abdomen.

On the other hand, Hailey jammed the broken stick into the man who reached for her, piercing into his open palm before he could grab hold of her.

"ARGHH!!!"

"You bitch—!" A string of curses left the men’s mouths. Ruelle kicked the man’s ankle before bolting.

The sudden yelp drew the bearded man’s attention at once, his head snapping up just in time to see the two women break free and run. His eyes went wide and he demanded in anger,

"How did you lose them? Two women—and you still could not hold them?!"

Ruelle and Hailey ran as fast as they could. With having left the alley behind, they didn’t have to worry about running into another dead end, but the frozen ground beneath their feet made every step uncertain, and they forced themselves to stay upright, knowing they would not be so fortunate a second time.

They ran past the row of houses, their steps uneven against the frozen ground, when Ruelle’s gaze caught one house that stood apart from the rest ahead of them.

Its iron gates hung rusted and crooked, half-open as though no one had bothered to close them in years. Dried shrubs had grown wild around the entrance, their brittle branches clawing at the iron.

The entrance doors looked broken along with the windows. The walls had long since faded, their colour drained to a dull, lifeless grey.

"Ru—elle... my legs are going to give way," Hailey said, her voice breaking as she struggled to keep pace.

"Just a little more. You can do it!" Ruelle encouraged, though a quiet guilt stirred within her, knowing Hailey had been pulled into trouble that was never hers.

A sudden crash sounded behind them, forcing their steps to halt. Ruelle turned and caught sight of Claude. He had thrown one of the men hard against the wall, leaving the human groaning.

"Who the hell are you?" the man with the broken nose demanded. "Leave. This does not concern you."

But Claude didn’t answer. His eyes moved to where Ruelle stood, quickly skimming for any injuries. He asked,

"Are you both alright, Miss Ruelle?" His voice was steady, though there was a trace of concern beneath it.

"We are alright," Ruelle assured him with a smile, her chest rising and falling as the tension left her all at once, leaving her momentarily unsteady. She was glad to see him.

Beside her, Hailey’s legs gave out and she sank onto the cold ground before the rusted gates. Her friend muttered faintly, "We... did it."

The man with the broken nose lunged toward Ruelle but before he could reach her, a figure jumped from above and landed between them. It was Edward. The prince straightened and remarked,

"I told you it is far easier to spot people from the rooftops than from the ground."

The broken-nosed man faltered, caught off guard by the sudden appearance. The same time, not far behind, Hermes and Kevin hurried towards where they were.

"Get out of my way, beggar!" Soon the broken-nosed man went to attack Edward with his hand pulled back and ready to punch.

"It is beginning to annoy me," Edward said in a lowered voice, his composure slipping at last. He caught the man’s arm and twisted it sharply, drawing a sharp yelp. He snapped with gritted teeth, "I am the prince! Who exactly are you calling a beggar?!"

Before the man could answer, Edward struck him. The blow landed hard enough to send the man to the ground, and he did not stop until the man lay unconscious at his feet.

Edward huffed, "I swear if I hear another person address me like that—"

"Edward, watch out!" Ruelle shouted as the third man jumped forward with the rusted rod that he had plucked out from the gate next to them, driving it into Edward’s chest before it protruded from his back. But the prince didn’t flinch and only looked down at the rod where blood could be seen coating it.

"Your Highness!" Hermes shouted.

Ruelle watched Edward turn as though he hadn’t been stabbed. He then caught the man’s hair before kicking the human’s stomach and punching him. When the man staggered backwards, Claude raised his hand and with one hit to the man’s neck, the person fell to the ground.

Arriving at the spot, Hermes ran to Edward and Kevin went to check on his friends. Worried, Kevin asked, "What happened?"

"They were trying to sell us. The little girl was not little. She was a woman..." Hailey replied, still seated on the ground, her breath uneven. When she shivered, she asked, "Could someone... fetch our coats? It should be somewhere in the alleys."

Kevin nodded at once and turned.

"Phew, what a day. Quite an adventure, wouldn’t you say?" Edward said brightly, as though he had merely taken a stroll. His gaze flicked to the fallen men and their bloodied faces before he turned at once to Ruelle and stepped toward her, catching hold of her hands.

"I was worried about you," said the prince, his tone softening slightly. "You are not hurt, are you?"

Ruelle couldn’t bring herself to look away from the metal that pierced through him, her worry plain in her eyes.

"I am fine," she said, her voice softer now. "But you are bleeding..."

"Pfft." Edward gave a dismissive wave of his hand. He responded, "I am perfectly fine. I am a pureblooded vampire, Ruelle. A very strong one, at that. I will be fine. I just need to take it out and it will slowly heal—" His words broke into a sharp cry, "—OW!"

Claude had pulled the rod free without warning. He murmured, "It is rusted."

Edward stiffened, his expression tightening for a second moment before it smoothed into a smile. His voice was strained as he spoke, "See? All good."

But Ruelle could not look away. Blood continued to drip from his wound, the fluid seeping through the pale, tattered fabric he wore.

"Your Highness, you are losing too much blood—!" Hermes began, alarm rising in his voice, when Edward swayed from his spot. Claude moved at once, catching Edward and steadying the prince’s weight without a word.

’For you.’

’Oh my, that’s a whole plant. We should have it planted in a nice pot,’ she heard a woman’s voice. ’What do you think?’

’Yes, Daisy.’

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