Bloods Of Power

11

Aranya quickly pulled herself away from his body, as though her sense had been taken away from her for the few minutes she had been ensconced in his arms. She plastered a hard expression on her face and moved a few feet away from him. She tried to turn back and walk away, suddenly angry at him and she didn’t know why. No, she was sulking her face and a part of her told her that she should be angry because he had left for a few days and he hadn’t informed her. If she had left before he came back, she wouldn’t have been able to see him, right?

He smiled and adored the pout on her lips and the sulking expression on her face. “Having a second thought, already?” He asked as he held her wrist, stopping her from walking away from him. Aranya turned fiercely, but the smile she saw on his face made it so hard for her to stay angry at him. It wasn’t the kind of smile he used to flash at her, that smug and arrogant smile. This, she could say, was a sweet smile.

She shrugged his fingers off her wrist and walked further into the market because she didn’t know what she would say to him. Didn’t know how to act and not give away a part of her secret, if not everything. She walked further into the market without her thinking and then she realized the flush of relief she had felt when she saw him. She had never thought that she could feel frightened and relieved at the same time upon seeing someone until she saw Lorcán because the first thought that fell into her mind was that, what if Betla had traced him down and took him to Zinambra herself if she had already sensed Aranya’s hesitation?

She was walking so fast the she wasn’t sure where she was landing her feet and in a few minutes, if she continued this way, she might really be walking on air. Someone pulled her abruptly away from the road and when she looked at what she was prevented from, it was a huge sharp rod that aimed at her chest and from the one running it toward her, she didn’t have to be told that it was those young men, she clearly saw them.

Angrily, Aranya turned to Lorcán and she furiously swatted her hand away from him, how he had reached her this fast wasn’t the least of her worries. “I need to go and teach those men a lesson. Just what do they think they would have done?” She didn’t bother to conceal the rage in her eyes nor the fire she could feel already flashing in her eyes. 

She was about to walk away when he held her back and forced her to sit down on the stone close to them. She looked up at him, fuming and he found a spot beside her and sat down. With his hand now entwined with hers, he began to brush his thumb on her knuckles. “That’s not how to do it, Avyannah. And besides, how can you fight them even if you want to? I don’t think that’s possible, is it? They might kill you.”

She rolled her eyes at him, having a glimpse of that shiny and sharp rod that might’ve already spurted into her stomach and she didn’t know what would’ve happened if Lorcán wasn’t close by to push her out of the way. She knew for sure that rod wouldn’t have killed her, but she would be sick for a long time and might not be able to carry out her duty. She wouldn’t even be able to go back to Zinambra herself. And she knew she didn’t trust anyone enough to tell him to take her to Zinambra, the cursed and abandoned kingdom.

“I can’t let that slide, what do you think they might’ve done?” She was fuming, the fire in her eyes visible so as the one circulating through every nook and cranny of her veins. Lorcán stared down at her wrist and something shook in his heart. She had the most beautiful type of skin, he had never noticed until today. It was like a porcelain adorned with the smoothness and beauty of the pearl.

“Your skin is so beautiful…” he uttered absentmindedly, not remembering what they were discussing and how furious it made her. 

She looked askance at him, “What do you mean? We’re talking about…” she wasn’t able to complete her sentences when he looked up at her and she realized for the few minutes they had an encounter, she had forgotten how much his eyes can unnerve her soul. 

Amidst the crowd of the market of Elara, Lorcán could only think of one thing, which was her lips. And if he was fortunate enough, he might take her to his bed today. He knew he had claimed that he was her captor, but in actual words, she was his captor because she had his heart in her hands. From the look she was flashing at him, how weak her pulse were beating under his touch which was an assurance that his touch and presence had affected her as much as her mere existence did him.

He leaned in and tried to kiss her but Aranya quickly turned away from his face, she didn’t want to kiss him again. She knew deep down rejecting Lorcán in all ways possible would hurt her as much as she could see the hurt now in his eyes, but that would be the only way to save him. She had to do fast and find a mate she would kiss, take to Zinambra and from then, she would find a way to come back to Elara and see if she could meet Lorcán again. Even though she didn’t know what she was feeling yet in her heart, she was certain that she would love to meet Lorcán again after she had taken her hunt to Zinambra.

He was just staring at her, wounded. He didn’t know why she shun his kiss the way she did, was she still angry? Or she didn’t want him like he thought she did? That run toward him, that bone crushing hug and beautiful smile that showed just how happy she was for seeing him? “Where did you go to? I haven’t been seeing you for quite sometime now.” Her voice brought him out of his reverie and he blinked twice before he stared into her eyes.

The fire was gone, or better, smothered. She was looking at him with a keen interest of knowing where he had been and the thought of her going to his suite while he was away seemed flattering and Lorcán didn’t know when a smile escaped his lips. “Have you missed me?” He asked, and she rolled her eyes exasperatedly at him.

“Just answer the question, will you? If you won’t, I’ll better be going.” She leaned to stand up when he held her back and she stared at his hand that was firmly holding her wrist.

“Easy there, Avyannah, it was just a question.”

“Which I don’t want to answer. You’ll chose not to answer mine if it will be a bother too.” She cut him off almost before he had his lips clasped back.

She was fast, fierce and so sharp, he thought. He sighed and released his hold on her wrist when he felt her relaxing under his hold. He sighed and palmed his face, it was talking a toll on him. Maybe sharing it with someone wouldn’t feel so bad. “I went to a nearby village, I think it’s named Hadeera. I didn’t get what I was looking for though.”

She stared at him, “What were you looking for?” She could see the disappointment in his eyes, and it was palpable that whatever he was looking for was so crucial to him. 

“A woman, she wasn’t there as well…” before he closed his lips, Aranya was already on her feet and if she were to be asked why she was furious, she wouldn’t have an answer to it. So, he went there looking for a woman and here she thought, he cared for her and even while he was away, he came back for her.

“And she certainly isn’t here, that’s why you went to Hadeera. I think at this point, I’ll be on my way.” In a flash, before Lorcán finished assessing her words, she had already left his sight and while he stared at the path he was sure she followed even though there were no traces of her anymore, Lorcán doubted if this fairy was but a mortal. Even if she was, there must be something hidden somewhere.

Relaxing back on his stone, he smiled. What he saw on her face was certainly jealousy, there was no doubt to that. Whatever it was going through her mind about him was strong enough to make her jealous when he made mention of another woman. He didn’t know where she had gone to from here, but he would have to go and look for her. Not now though, maybe later. When she had finally cooled off and that fire he saw in her eyes was no more visible.

•

Aranya came out of her room after Portia had brought her dinner and she sat at the place she usually sat at night, starring at the moon while today she had the privilege of seeing the stars. Not much though, she figured out and counted it with her eyes, barely ten. Maybe they had figured out the moon was so lonely and they came to keep him company? She wondered.

She moved her hands around her arms to calm herself down and relieve herself of the chilly wind, she wanted company just like the moon had been lonely for a long time before the stars had come to keep him company. She heard as someone cleared his voice behind her, just when she was about to let the nagging thoughts of Lorcán to creep back into her mind. She couldn’t believe he came to Elara for a woman and even travelled to Hadeera without telling her all looking for a woman.

She turned with a frown on her face and when she saw Jaromir standing behind her, she didn’t know when her face eased into a smile. No, he wasn’t the one she wanted to see, she was even disappointed that he was here instead of Lorcán. But what made her smile was because she knew she would finally be done with this hunt and go back to Zinambra, forget all about Lorcán and live the life she had always lived. 

She rushed to his arms and hugged him, not knowing where that weakness all came from. She thought she had stopped hugging men from Lorcán? She felt as he sighed, exhaling a deep breath he had been holding for so long and hugged her back. “Verena, I’ve missed you so much.”

She broke their hug and he circled his hands around her waist and brought her closer to him, “I’ve missed you too, Jaromir. How was your trip?” She asked softly and he smiled, bringing her closer. From the look in his eyes, she knew what he meant.

“It was fine, I’ve been wanting to come back but palace works kept me for long. I hope you haven’t been lonely while I was away?” He asked, and she pouted her lips, knowing so well how Betla had turned her too, more enthralling and beautiful.

“I have, so lonely. But I’m relieved that you’re back.” And when he leaned in, Aranya closed her lips and lightly took his lips into hers. She kissed him back almost as immediately as he kissed her, with her eyes closed, she silently prayed that Betla would accept Jaromir as her hunt, for she even though Lorcán made her felt what she felt, she still wanted to protect him.

From where he stood, Lorcán watched as she passionately kissed him back and he wanted to pluck his heart out of his chest. He wanted to rush to where they were and break apart their kiss but he couldn’t even find the energy to move from where he stood, staring as his blood boiled within his veins. So, she shunned his kiss because she was looking forward to this hungry yet passionate kiss with this Dragon prince?