Chapter 357 Big Dreams Need Sacrifices

“Oh! What are you doing here?” the man asked Anne who was stained with blood all over.

Anne who was still holding the girls for their first aid and looking at the burning fire that had spread all around turned to look at Declan who was adjusting his glasses and looking at her with furrowed brows as if wanting to ask “what are you doing here?”

“The lord had sent the forces to help everyone who was caught in fire.” she explained their predetermined excuse for the fire.

“But you are..” he paused and then walked closer to her. “Let me help then.” he took the girl that she was holding in her arms.

Their hands brushed and he took his hands away with the witch in his arms.

“There is a small camp there where a physician is taking care of the casualties!” ignoring the embarrassment on the face of the man, she pointed at the tent with a blank face when he tilted his head and followed her finger and nodded his head.

There was a small temporary tent that was guarded by a bunch of vampires. He was not sure if he should take the woman there since it looked like a witch.

But he followed her guidance and took the woman there. To his surprise the physicians in the camp were all human.

“Vampires do not need a physician since they have strong healing power. They did not get sick or injured.” he nodded his head and felt like a fool as he coughed and looked away.

He placed the girl on the temporary bed made there where already a few girls were laid. All of them were witches.

“I thought witch has strong healing powers too.” she nodded at his words, “yes, but tormenting them for a long time or keeping them hungry breaks their strong powers or a witch stronger than them could attack them and disable their healing capacity.”

Anne had a blank face yet the man looked at her with surprise. He was not expecting her to reply and that also perfectly.

“I have worked under a lot of witches.” as if reading the questions in his eyes, she added with the same indifferent expressions when he nodded.

They both helped other witches to bring in silence. None of them looked at each other or spoke a single word until the last one was brought.

Anne took a deep sigh as she leaned on the tree nearby.

Though her wounds have healed, she was still feeling exhausted after working for so long.

Her face had gone pale and she was drenched in sweat all over. She looked like she was in too much pain.

She sucked a deep breath as she stretched her body and the sound of breaking bones could be heard all over.

“What a pain!” she muttered when she saw a bottle was presented to her to drink water.

She tilted her head and stared at the man who was looking embarrassed and shook her head.

She still took the bottle but instead of drinking water from it, she spilled the whole bottle on her face and hair.

The cold water felt good on her burning skin.

“Thank you!” she passed the bottle back to the man who was staring at her with a stunned look.

“What are you doing here?” she asked after a few seconds when he did not leave but continued to stand there and staring at her.

She had always found the unneeded stares annoyed. But surprisingly, she did not feel annoyed by this little lamb who was finally learning how to roar.

“The council have sent the group of people who live nearby to see what happened here.” his voice turned serious as he looked back at the fire that had started to cool down. Yet the whole place was covered with smoke and dust.

The sound of screaming and running was still in the air.

“How did that happen? The place was just fine in the morning and now…” he shook his head as he looked at the amount of loss.

It would cost a fortune to make this place again.

“This is black market. Anything can happen here.” There was warmth in his voice that made a chill run down his spine too.

He looked back to the girl who looked full of anger. Her whole face had turned color that did not suit her at all.

“Yeah! But it is good that it burnt. I never liked the place and i am sure everyone share the same view.” She did not respond to his questions but continued to stare at the building as if she could see the strange images on the flames of fire.

“We will know that soon when the nobles would come complaining to the council.” she chuckled at the end, thinking how Rafael was going to use this chance to press the council man to let Hazel handle the matter.

It was the hunting of two birds with one stone. But she did not care as long as everyone was saved and she got the chance to heal all those slaves.

“They are a pain!” he said as he rubbed his forehead with a troubled look on his face. “But then, who cares much about those greedy people? I am glad that the place where humans were sold as a commodity is gone.”

For a second Ann felt that his voice had a certain pain and he looked lonesome. The other side of his face was covered in dark while the flames were dancing on the right side that looked red because of the reflection.

She stared at him with surprise when a grin formed on his face,

“I have always wanted this place to burn so that anew would start from its ashes and everyone can get freedom.” he said and then turned to look at her, “but every big dream needed a sacrifice and many were not ready to do it.”