Chapter 13 - Broken Head

''Your Majesty!''

Zavian's thoughts were interrupted by the voices of his soldiers. They had followed the noise in the woods and finally found him. When they approached where he stood, one of them quickly lifted Neera up. Zavian wanted to take her himself, but he resisted the urge. She was not Delilah, and if he kept acting like he cared about her, rumors would start spreading and it would not be safe for her.

''Take her back to the tent and attend to her wounds; the rest of you will come with me. We still have some creatures to catch.'' Zavian said as he tossed the heart of the soul eater away and walked away with the rest of the soldiers.

Neera woke up with a splitting headache and she struggled to open her eyes. When they were finally open, she looked around her. It was day, and she was lying in their tent. Neera instantly remembered her near-death experience in the woods and she touched her head, which was banging with a splitting headache. There was a cloth wrapped around her head and when she looked at her hand, it had some blood on it.

Neera closed her eyes as she remembered the events of the previous night;

The soul eater had almost killed her when the king appeared and saved her. She thought no one would come to her rescue. She had already felt her soul leaving her body, but just when she lost all hope, he appeared. Neera had wondered why everyone described him as fearful and extremely evil when all she had seen of him was was mesmerizing beauty, but the previous night had shown her how fast he could switch from a beautiful being to a terrifying monster.

When she saw him that night, she could barely recognize him. His eyes glowed like red coal, and his canines were longer and sharper than normal, she had watched the soul eater fall in front of her but she did not know why until she looked at the king's hand and saw a heart which was still throbbing and dripping blood down his hand; she was shocked to her bones, but she was too weak to say a word and that was when everything went blank.

The image of the fearful-looking King was engraved in her memories. She was not sure she could forget it that easily. But why did he save her? Neera asked herself.

If he had sent her to fetch wood knowing how dangerous it was, why did he bother saving her? Neera couldn't find a reply, but she was still grateful to him. If he had not come, she would have been dead by now.

Neera was brought back from her thoughts when the tent door was lifted and Adeline, accompanied by another maid, walked into the room.

"You're awake!'' Adeline said as she forced herself to smile; ''How are you feeling? Is your head still hurting?'' She asked, but Neera did not reply to any of her questions. She just watched her angrily.

''Quickly, go tell the King that she has woken up,'' Adeline instructed the maid, who had come with her and she nodded and left to go report to the king. The King had asked that they tell him when she woke up.

When they were finally alone, Adeline turned to Neera;

''I'm sorry Neera… '' Adeline said shakily as she sat on a chair beside the bed where Neera lay. She looked terrified as her eyes glanced at the entrance of the tent as though checking if someone was coming in.

Neera frowned; why was she apologizing? It was not entirely her fault that she went to the woods? In fact, knowing Adeline, she would be glad that she almost died. Except…

''Don't tell the king that I asked you to go fetch wood, okay?'' Adeline said as she took Neera's hand in hers, and Neera's eyes widened;

''You are not serious right now, are you?'' Neera asked, anger written all over her face. She instantly withdrew her hand from Adeline's grip as she stared at her in disbelief. Even though she hated her, did she seriously intend to send her to her death? And she was only apologizing now because she came back alive?

Adeline was visibly shaking now. She was sure the king would kill her if he found out what she did. Not only did she disobey his orders, but she had also sent Neera into the woods, knowing fully well that the soul eaters would feast on her. The only person who could save her was Neera, and she did not have any other choice but to beg her before the king came in.

''Please Neera, I'm so sorry. I did not know what came over me. I later regretted my actions and came out to tell you not to go anymore but you were already gone,'' She lied.

''Please help me, I promise never to treat you harshly again, Neera… ''

Before she could finish her words, the tent covering was lifted, and the king walked in. Adeline stood up abruptly and bowed before the king.

Zavian walked to where she was lying on the bed, a visible frown on his forehead. When Neera saw him, she dragged herself up from the bed and bowed;

''What were you looking for in the woods?''

Zavian was yet to understand why she would go into the woods without permission and telling no one, even when she knew it was very dangerous. Was she asking to be killed?

Neera glanced at Adeline, who had her head lowered behind the king. She was trembling like a fat rat under the rain, and at that moment, even though she had done so many terrible things to her, Neera could not bring herself to put her in trouble. She knew the moment she told the truth, Adeline would be killed. She had lied to the king and had even disobeyed him. The king would not think twice before slitting her throat.

''I… I… wanted to get some herbs… '' Neera lied.