Chapter 118 - Al, My Love!

''What… you…Nooo!" He screamed, with his eyes widening in horror. 

Esme twisted his neck with a snap and his breathing stopped.

Keith died with his eyes wide open.

His red pupils gradually regained their original colour.

Esme's fingers loosened around his neck and his body fell on the floor.

She elegantly stepped back from him and glanced at her palm that just touched his neck, ''Dirty,'' she mumbled under her breath and shifted her gaze to the man who was lying lifelessly on the floor, ''A reckless human,'' her eyes remained indifferent as ever.

''Ahh…'' Esme pressed her hand on her forehead, feeling a splitting headache out of nowhere but her eyes widened when she noticed Keith's body lying on the floor.

''Not his body…. His corpse…'' she looked around the place but her gaze eventually landed on her palm as she tried to feel her numb fingers.

Esme carefully looked around the place. There was no one else. It was only Keith and her. ''Am I possessed…?" 

There is no way he would commit suicide because he pitied her tearful face. Then does it mean she killed him?

How?

Her numb fingers seemed to be screaming at her.

''I killed him with bare hands?" As unbelievable as it sounded, it was the only possibility. She remembered she was crying when he leaned closer to her.

The lust in his eyes disgusted her beyond anything. It took her back to the days when they used to live in the small village and those officials looked at her with that filthy lustful look. Her powers weren't working and she felt helpless.

Even Aleister was not awake and she started crying just at the thought of it.

Only if he was not unconscious then none of this would have happened. The more she thought about it, the more she cried.

But after that, there was a gap in her memory.

The next she remembered was opening her eyes with a splitting headache and being greeted by the sight of Keith's corpse.

It could have been Liz who killed him out of hatred after his betrayal but for some reason, Liz was not here yet. If it was Liz, then how would Esme explain her memory gap?

No matter how she tried to console herself, nothing made sense.

''I should get out of here first…'' Esme picked up her gown.

She had just taken a few steps when an eerie voice sounded beside her, ''I was in a daze after what I witnessed but what made you think you could run away from me again?"

Esme almost stumbled on her gown when she heard Liz's voice.

She turned around, taking a few steps backward as she watched the woman moving towards her in a flash, ''Mr. Reiner is dead. Was it you who killed him?'' Since she was here, then maybe it was Liz.

''Me?" Liz laughed. She glanced at the corpse with disgust apparent in her eyes, ''I thought I'd protect him from the whole world. For him, I became this…'' she pointed her finger at her bloodied face, bloodied hands, her pupils turned red, ''But who knew he'd do the same, not for me but for a bitch like you. And look at his fate. He died in your hands. I was here, I was watching everything. I could have saved him but I didn't. Why would I? He dared to betray me so I let him die by your hands. Bitch! You were really something,'' she laughed maniacally.

''Hah. A bitch?" Esme stepped back from her as she gazed at her from top to bottom, ''To have a man, you'd stoop so low to become someone unrecognizable, and you are calling me a bitch? I would never do this for any man, you know.''

''You…'' Liz's eyes flashed with unbridled fury, ''How dare you act all mighty in front of me? Bitch… Bitch…''

From Liz's words, Esme concluded that whatever Liz was at this moment, it was not something she was born with. It was something she became, ''See how disgusting you look. Do I even need to act mighty in front of someone like you?'' While speaking to her, Esme continued stepping back from the woman who seemed  to be in a daze.

''No…No…''

It looked like Liz was losing her mind.

Esme took advantage of the chance as she turned around to make a run.

But Liz was faster than her. She moved in a flash and fisted her hair, tugging off a few hair strands in the process.

''Ahhh..'' Esme closed her eyes in pain. Suddenly, she understood what soulmates meant.

The man who died grabbed her hair. Now the woman who was his lover did the same. Truly a pair made in heaven.

Esme gritted her teeth.

''You thought I was going to let you go?" Liz tugged at her hair harshly and turned Esme towards her.

Esme's eyes widened when Liz raised her right hand, ''I will disfigure you with the very same thing you stabbed me with,'' the silver dagger flashed under the moonlight.

Esme remembered that she had dropped it earlier mistakenly when she was trying to get rid of Keith.

Liz pointed the tip of the dagger at Esme's face, ''Fair enough?"

Esme instinctively closed her eyes, ''That's unfair,'' she screamed, ''I didn't stab your face, did I? Liz, we can talk it out,'' she wanted to cry but she lacked tears so all she could do was stall for some time even though she knew that no one would come to save her.

But she had some hope in her powers. Maybe they will start working.

With that hope buried in her heart, she continued looking into Liz's eyes trying to control her mind. At this point, Esme did not want to go back to the room.

Aleister was unconscious. She did not want to risk his life. She could barely save herself and if anything happened to him then she won't be able to forgive herself….

Her thoughts trailed off when she realized the direction in which they were moving, 'Ah, for god's sake, death is sitting a few inches away from your face, can you stop thinking about him?' Despite her inner thoughts, that man had her constant attention till this moment.

''But…'' Liz dazedly stared at Esme when she heard her words.

Esme inwardly sighed in relief. For some reason, Liz reminded her of a deranged beast who was dangerous but confused. She was easily distracted by a few words.

Back in that secret passage, Esme assumed that Liz was a witch after she saw that pentagon shaped structure on the floor and mirrored wall, the illusions were another cause of her suspicions.

It was said that witches need pentagon shaped structures to cast spells and to perform rituals.

But would a witch be as naïve and foolish as Liz who was easily distracted by a few words? And even Keith…. He was distracted by her tears. There was something else that she could not put her fingers on.

''No buts…'' Esme shook her head slowly trying to get her hair out of Liz's grip but the woman's fingers tightened on her hair, ''Liz, your lover just died. Do you have so much time to spare for me?" she looked at her worriedly.

''Lover?" Liz smirked, tugging at her hair harder.

Esme pursed her lips, barely stifling a groan. This woman… why was she crazily after her hair and face?

''Keith Reiner, this bastard, betrayed me. A lover? He betrayed my trust. He said he was using me as a pawn to get closer to you while all this time, I was trying to kill you behind his back to keep him and his affections only to myself,'' Liz yelled as a crazed look appeared in her eyes.

Esme sighed helplessly.

''What are you sighing for?'' Liz glared at her.

''That's because you don't know anything…. Ahh,'' Esme winced, ''If you keep holding my hair like that, how will I talk? It hurts.''

Liz continued gripping her hair.

''Stay unaware of it then. I am not telling you anything. Go ahead, kill me,'' Esme glanced at her with a challenging look in her eyes.

Liz let go of her hair. She glanced at her with a frown, ''Don't play tricks on me or I won't spare you. Speak now.''

Esme slowly massaged the back of her head, feeling the ache in the roots of her hair, ''It's simple. Things like these are common between lovers. If they are angry or disappointed at each other, they say things that they don't mean. Mr. Reiner also did the same.''

''Why would they do that? Do you take me as a fool?" Liz raised the dagger in her hand.

Esme barely managed to hold back her scream when she saw the sharp blade shining under the moonlight, ''No, I am talking from experience.''

''Huh?"

''You see,'' Esme lowered her head as she blushed, ''There have been countless times when I told Al… Oh, you won't understand Al. I mean, the Prince. I call him Al out of love,'' she scrunched her nose slightly at her own words. 

''The Prince? What did you tell him?"

''I told him that he is the worst man in this world and I hate him the most but things are quite the contrary,'' she paused and to make it more believable, she decided to bring in Aleister's side of story as well, ''And whenever we fight, my love threatens me.''

At this point, Liz looked genuinely bewildered, ''He threatens you?"