Rafael opened his eyes when he finally heard the rhythmic heartbeat of the girl who was looking on edge for some reason. He felt that she was behaving oddly today and was sure that it was related to her family.
The way her so-called sister was trying to have her way with him and her father was trying to stop him from going back to her, he was sure they had troubled her.
He had noticed the mark of scratches on her hands and was sure that he was not the one behind it.
Were they tormenting her physically? But if that was the case why had she not told him.
He stood up from their bed, from where he was sleeping towards the sofa where the girl was taking soft breathes. Her face was looking calm and beyond worries.
If only, she could stay that peaceful while she was awake too. He wanted to leave her back here thinking that she was too agitating and vigilant all the time while living amongst them but who would have thought it would be more worrisome to leave her here.
He held her gently in his arms, making sure that she did not wake up in the process. Bringing her back to the bed, he laid her gently on the left side of their bed, where he had seen her sleeping all this time.
He continued to stare at her calm face for a while as if it was able to calm himself too. The candle on the stand flickered, indicating that it was soon going to end its journey there and finally the night creature moved.
Picking up his coat from the other side, he walked towards the window and jumped out in one slick motion as if he was habitual of doing it all the time. Licking his lips in the dark, he disappeared among the walls towards the garden that seemed to be empty.
Recalling how Hazel had told her, he roamed around a bit and finally stopped in front of the annex building she had told him.
“That was the place where the hamster used to live!” a smile curled on his lips as he walked in.
He was expecting one or two nights guarding there but he was surprised when he saw none.
The place was covered with cobwebs and too dark. The night creature had good vision even in the dark so he did not trouble himself by lighting a candle as he walked in.
His eyes scanned the whole area. Looking at the condition of the place, no one would believe there used to be a person living there just a few months ago.
There was no portrait on the walls or any other kind of decoration. He was sure even the house of commoners would have a better interior.
Finally there was a room that looked better than the whole palace. It has a bed and a study table with a few books around it.
There was a small portrait of Hazel where she was baring her teeth but she was alone in it.
It gives a lonesome feeling and so does the girl who was trying to smile but her eyes were dim.
Walking in, he opened the wardrobe only to find clothes that even the maids of his palace would never wear.
They were old, torn and worse than rags that the beggars were bringing a frown on his face immediately.
He wondered what kind of life she had lived here that she wanted to run from his palace from the first day she had come there?
Did she think living here was better than living with him? It was nothing but a dark cage with no light and no warmth.
He would rather run away and live among commoners that live here. After visiting here, who would believe that she was a princess.
He had thought that he would find Anne there but looking around he was sure he would only find rodents there.
But when he turned, his eyes glowed. Instead of walking towards the exit, he turned and walked towards another room.
He scanned the whole room with an ambiguous smile on his face that did not look like a smile from the other side and started moving the statues of knights.
Soon the wall moved and a dark passage opened up.
Who would have thought that he would find something like that while visiting her room. With a look of excitement on his face, he walked in the dark passage when he heard the sound of closing the wall again.
There was no fear in his eyes when the darkness took over the passage and no way out of this place could be seen.
It took him a while as he continued to walk with his hands on his gun making sure that he would be able to shoot at once even if more than a dozen people attacked him at once.
How much time had passed, when he finally saw the rays of light coming from the other side, but before he could move further, he heard voices too.
“That monster! He was flaunting that he was alive when he entered the palace. I thought that we would only welcome his corpse. That was the first place I have accepted the order of greeting him at the entrance.”
“And that dumb girl! Was she trying to show off power because she thought that her monster husband would protect her? I am sure he must be feeding on her like a parasite. How could one be so foolish to love a blood sucker?” The contempt and hatred was so clear in his voice that he was sure it was Liam without even seeing him.
“I saw even your sister followed him. Not only has she welcomed him. She even went to her father’s study and tried to entertain him when he left. She said he was handsome! If she remained spell bound then I would kill her too after killing him and Hazel.”