"Whaaat?" Elena whispered, her eyes bulging in disbelief. Wasn’t that Vathin? How did he end up being Gabriel’s mother?
"Vathin is your mother?" She asked just to confirm she wasn’t losing her mind.
"There’s no Vathin El. There always was no Vathin. It’s been her all this ti, in the disguise of Vathin," he explained.
"If Vathin is your mother, do you think us fleeing is what she’d want?"
"It’s what she’s been trying to do all along," Gabriel replied. So of the guests threw inquisitive gazes at them.
"How long do you think we can stay without being noticed?" Elena asked. And that’s when Gabriel sanity ca to him. The disguise wore off after a while, especially if the spell was cast more than once. His spell was cast twice and he was not as strong as his mother. That ant...
Their eyes locked with Vathin’s from across the hall, the horror in his eyes sending a ssage Vathin easily deciphered. Gabriel’s heart raced, a part of him that he realized only after Elena ca into his life. Her presence only made him more human, while his mother’s presence made him more demonic.
And as if to confirm his fears, he felt sothing crawl under his fake skin, slowly slothing to degenerate under his feet.
"What’s happening?" Elena asked as she felt her skin wearing out, loud enough to catch everyone’s attention. The people around them gasped in surprise as they made their way to leave the duo in a circle.
From the raised platform, Andrian’s eyes scanned the crowd, trying to search for the source of their fright. He spotted a woman’s skin washing off before her true self was exposed.
"El?" He called silently before descending the flight of stairs to make his way through the crowd. The knights followed him quickly making way for him.
Gabriel’s guise fell as he leaned on the floor, his shoulder length hair coming into view. He lifted his golden orbs slowly to et with Andrian’s feet. He travelled his length until their eyes t. Jeez! The human was staring daggers.
"You!" Andrian said, his lips twisted in disgust. Gabriel’s fangs lengthened enough to scare off the Lords and Ladies before they returned to their normal size. He pushed himself up to et with Andrian’s eyes.
"You could have taken the earliest opportunity to make yourself scarce. Instead, you chose to infiltrate my walls and kill a king!"
"He didn’t...!" Elena said as she struggled in a Knight’s grip.
"Quiet!" Andrian said, his voice loud and sharp. And turning to Gabriel, "I gave a chance to live but you wasted it. I can’t believe you’re so hellbent to die!"
"Chance?" Gabriel scoffed. "You an locking up in a cellar and trading Elena in marriage for my freedom?" He asked, loud enough for everyone to hear.
"It was the only way to end your marriage," he replied in defense.
"Your sister thinks otherwise," Gabriel pointed. Andrian’s eyes montarily shifted to Elena before locking with Gabriel’s once again. The gold in his eyes intimidated him but he couldn’t afford to show it in front of his court.
"Who cares about the opinion of won?" He asked. Gabriel let his eyes settle on Andrian’s dark ones. It was a trick. His eyes, he had co to learn, always had this effect that made one feel guilty.
"We live in a patriarchy. A royal bastard must have known that." Now he was trampling the wrong buttons! Gabriel stared daggers at him, his claws digging in the palm of his hand. It’d only take a minute to squeeze the life out of him, especially those black eyes. Gods, he hated them.
But Andrian was more useful alive than dead. Besides, Elena would not forgive him if he was the one to take her brother’s life, however dim witted he was in the na of a king. Was it the sa thing he felt for his mother? A part of him despised her, wanted to unleash all the anger and pain he kept inside all these years on her. Yet, deep inside, there was a part of him that longed for her touch.
"Charles wants to torture !" Elena blurted before soone’s head would get snapped off. Everyone’s attention shifted to her. Biting hard her lip, she gave a stern look at the knight holding her. He let go of her with an apologetic look before she stood by Gabriel’s side.
"He whispered it to on the dance floor. Said he’d do to what you did to him years ago, but it’d be everyday!"
"Why should I believe a word from you?" Andrian asked. "Is this so attempt to free yourself from a marriage you don’t want to be in?"
Elena swallowed, fighting hard not to slap him again in front of the guests. He knew she never wanted this marriage but went ahead and planned it irregardless!
"Because our parents would never forgive you if you did," she said, her voice low and cold. If there was anything that Andrian respected, then it was the mory of their parents. He couldn’t risk doing anything to enrage them, even if they were dead. And right now, he realized they would be against what he wanted to do.
"Father would be mad at ," he admitted. "But one thing I’m certain he’d never agree to is siding with the bloodsuckers!"
"You did it once, you can do it again," Elena tried to put so sense into him.
"They broke the truce irregardless. Since when has the prey trusted the predator?" The knights hands rested on the hilt of their swords but Andrian held his hand to stop them.
"Gabriel is different. He’s not just like the rest of them," she voiced.
"He is," Andrian agreed. "And that’s why I’ll let him walk out alive, never to set foot in Mysthaven again. But your companion killed one of my guests, a cri only punishable by death. Unless we find him, you’re not going anywhere!"
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