The next thing I remembered was someone massaging my forehead to relieve the stress. I felt someone sitting right beside me as I moved closer to the heat source, shrinking in the form of a ball. Then the hand that had been pressed against my forehead went over my back, caressing it gently. “Get up. I know you’re awake.”
Liam’s soft voice echoed in my ears, but I ignored him and shuffled closer to him. I was already exhausted to the point of dying before I fell unconscious. At this time, I just wanted to fall asleep in Liam’s embrace and never wake up.
Grief of killing someone again and losing Olivia was still stinging my heart. It would be better if I just end up dying anyway.
Tears formed in my eyes and my nose went sore at the thought of Olivia. Was she punished ruthlessly? I was too scared to find out. I just wanted to escape.
Sensing my emotional mood, Liam sighed and laid down beside me, tugging me in his arms. I could feel his warm breath against my face. The hand traced my spine again and again as I felt myself calming down. I moved closer and wrapped my hands around his waist, sticking my face closer to his chest. I sniffed his perfume that seemed to give me a sense of relief. My shoulders gradually relaxed.
His fingers moved from my spine toward my cheeks and wiped my tears.
“How’s Olivia?” I asked in a hoarse voice.
“The council detained her at her home. She can’t come out and meet someone for a few years.”
My eyes opened in an instant and I looked at his expressionless face. Tears again formed in my eyes, but this time, it was out of relief. “She’s alive.” I repeated these words to lessen the sadness in my heart.
“Shh, it’s okay. She’s fine.”. Liam said softly as he kissed both of my eyes.
She was fine. Olivia didn’t die. This was such a relief that I had even forgotten about everything that had transpired yesterday. And if Liam had found out about my uncontrolled powers, he didn’t say anything else. He pulled me closer in his embrace, caressing and kissing me all over.
This was the first time I felt that Liam could be reliable in terms of reciprocation. He had never taken care of me personally like this.
But when I thought of how uncontrolled I had been yesterday, blood stained from my face. I had the urge to cry and hide all over again. What would Liam think after knowing I killed another person? Would he urge for a divorce? The thought was so scary that it stuck in my throat like a bone that didn’t let me breath.
I can’t lose him now. And thus, I stayed silent and closed my lips. But I was still struggling in my head. I gripped his shirt tightly as moved closer to his neck, taking a deep breath.
We stayed on the bed in each other’s embrace for a while before I finally had the courage to open my mouth. “It wasn’t Olivia.”
“I know.” He said softly, caressing my back.
I was surprised by his reaction. My eyes widened as I looked up at him.
Sensing my gaze, he smiled. “What? Did you think I’d leave you just because you can’t control your power?”
I bit my lips. “N-No. That’s not it!” I denied instantly.
“Did you forget that I can suppress everyone, even you?”
I pursed my lips and averted my eyes. I had really forgotten about it!
Before I could change the topic, he pinched my chin and forced me to look up. “We’re already married. How can I let you shoulder all the problems alone?”
I felt my nose sore again as my eyes went blurry. Pursing my lips, I tried to control myself, but a teardrop slid down my eyes, falling on his arms.
Seeing me like this, a helpless expression appeared on his face as he awkwardly scratched his head. “Why’re you crying so much today?”
“I-I…” Any girl would cry if she hears something like this! It was all Liam’s fault to say something that made me way too emotional.
But I didn’t say anything else. I just averted my eyes and shuffled closer to him.
After a long time, I couldn’t help but asked, “How long was I out?”
“A day. It’s already morning.” Then he looked at the wall clock. “It’s going to be afternoon.”
Both of us fell into silence again. I closed my eyes and sniffed in his scent again. How I wished to stay like this?
But before I could fall asleep again, I heard him speaking. “There’s bad news.” He paused and spoke. “They’re going to choose another council member to fill up the seat, and they chose Barbara.”
My eyes widened at that. I sat up instantly and stared at him with bulging eyes. “Why her?”
“Don’t you remember?” He glanced at me and sat up as well. “The hunters have a spy in the American council with all the cabinets wagging their tails after him like a group of stupid dogs.”
I cursed under my breath.
…
I stood under the porch beside Liam with a darkened face. My dear husband had warned me of Barbara’s arrival, but why did she have to come so fast? It was afterny and this girl was already arriving?
I glared at the car that had just stopped in front of the porch. Sensing my foul mood, Liam patted my hand gently before rubbing it with his thumb. Instantly, my shoulders relaxed and wrinkles on my forehead released. I glanced at him from the corner of my eyes and mouthed a ‘thanks.’
I really needed his support now when I was facing such a vile person.
Soon the door opened and revealed feet with black heels. Her legs were so fair and smooth that it almost reminded me of a porcelain. But when I noticed what the girl was wearing, I was too shocked to utter a single word. She wore a pure black sleeveless dress that ended in her mid-thighs. Her straight hair was black this time without a touch of highlights.
She was even carrying a black purse. This time, she looked nothing more than a member of the hunter group, not some undercover spy.
But she wasn’t alone. Behind her, a few men in black were also present, eying me with squinted eyes.
What did this mean? I narrowed my eyes at her. Was Barbara here to attack Liam once and for all?
Before I could say anything, Barbara glanced at me lazily and snorted. “Greetings crown Princess, or should I say trouble maker?”
I wanted to say something and had just opened my mouth when Barbara interrupted.
“Say Emily, why is it that someone dies every time you go out? Is it just a coincidence or…”
She didn’t have to say anything further. Her words made me frightened. Color drained from my face, and I pursed my lips.
She knew clearly well who killed the cabinet member this time. Perhaps she even knew that the spell I had used for the dangerous weapon was altered to make me go out of control as soon as I’m agitated.
I wondered if Barbara was herself involved in this.
Well planned lady. If I was reading such a novel, I would have appreciated such a villain. But when it had actually happened with me, I realized what misery and helplessness was.
I simply averted my eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. “I’m just a human, miss. How could I have harmed a vampire?”
“Who knows?” She took a few sniffs and smiled widely. “Maybe you’re hiding something.”
That bitch! She knew what I was hiding, but my identity was hidden for now until we could deal with council members. If someone would find out about this, I’d be dead!
I didn’t say anything and stayed silent, focusing on my breath. Just as she walked and came beside me, she stopped and whispered, “Let’s see for how long you can hold on.”
My heart skipped a beat hearing her voice that only I could hear. What did she mean by that? Did she come here just to agitate me into revealing myself? A chill sent on my spine.
By the time I recovered my senses, Barbara was already gone. Even Liam was missing and I stayed beneath the porch on my own. A chilly wind passed through me making me shiver, but my gaze stared at the distance with determination.
I would not let her play with me this easily. If she came here to trick me into revealing myself, I could do the same thing! I would reveal her identity as the member of hunter before the cabinet! I would reveal that the hunters weren’t good people! Let’s see how the spy among the council members would be able to save her.
…
I paced back and forth in the bedroom while constantly sneaking a glance at the door every now and then. Why wasn’t Liam coming? It’s already 11 o’clock at night! Was it so important to entertain a guest who was his ex girlfriend?
Even though I knew he didn’t have feelings for her, I was still angry upon seeing them spend so much time together. The seed of jealousy sprouted in my heart.
Just then, the door opened and my heart lurched in anticipation. I stared at the door thinking it was my dear husband, but the person who came was an old lady.
Disappointment filled in my bones as I sat back on the bed with my shoulders hunching down.
Seeing my expressions, Daleri sighed. “You should sleep.”
“Daleri, please tell me what’s going on?” My face looked so depressed that anyone could tell that I was going to tear up soon. “Why didn’t he come?”
“What can I say, my lady? She kept him back to talk about business. Master wanted to get out two hours ago, but she wouldn’t let him go.” Daleri’s voice changed the next moment as if she was venting her anger. “That lady villain made sure to make you misunderstand master.”
I clenched my jaw that I was so angry that I wanted to rush over to her bedroom and give her a slap. But I knew that I would only be fulfilling Barbara’s wishes by getting angry. She was doing all of this so that I could release my power and reveal myself to everyone.
But then again, the palace was filled with Liam’s bodyguards, and most of them already knew about it. Does it matter if I revealed it all in front of them?
But before I could go out of control, Daleri’s gentle caress over my head brought me back to the senses and I looked at her. “My lady, you mustn’t let your emotions go out of control. If you were to reveal yourself, you’d be sentenced to death. No one will be able to save you then. Do you want master’s efforts to go in vain?”
I shook my head, but I was still confused. “But Daleri, the palace guards already know everything about me. How will that count as revealing myself?”
Daleri let out a bitter laugh at that. “Barbara knew you’d think like this, so the first thing she did was to replace all the guards with common vampire residents. If you revealed in front of them, and if you accidentally ended up killing even one innocent vampire, your truth will be out in the open.”
When I heard this, I felt my heart sinking in a deep pool filled with ice.
“So she really came prepared.”
For a while I remained depressed, not daring to get angry over that woman. But in the end, my determination to fight back only increased.
With a firm resolve in my eyes, I glanced at Daleri. “I need your help.”
“What is it, my lady?”
“I want you to find a microphone and install it in her room. Don’t worry about money. She will talk to her father or any hunter’s leaders right? We will record it and put it on for the resident vampires.” A glint of determination flashed in my eyes. “Let’s see who wins this time!”