Pov, Evander.
"Mr. William, open the door."
I frown and knock lightly on his door, and for the third time I get the same answer.
"I won't open until you tell me the whole truth."
I sigh softly and rest my forehead against the door with my eyes closed.
He's right. My answer didn't make any sense.
That's what made him even more angry with me.
Or, more accurately, scared.
"Okay, I'll tell you, but please don't stay mad at me."
Just as I'm about to walk away, the door opens and I lose my balance and stumble. William grabs me by the arm to save me from falling.
We look at each other until he pulls his hand away and shoves me hard, pushing me up against the wall and putting our faces very close together.
He looks at me with a serious look in his eyes. "You're telling me you were kicked out of your world and came here to live with me as a homeless person? Is that enough of an answer for you?"
I swallow hard, and my body shakes as his voice raises, "Why is my ex-wife's name the same as your mother's?
He doesn't look away from me, and what he just said confuses me.
His, ex-wife?
So I lower my gaze and stare at the ground.
...
Flash Back.
I hear the cries of prisoners being whipped every day, and I'm one of them.
But this time, it's a special punishment from the queen for what I said.
The fake queen.
I'm lying on my side, my whole body scratched and sore.I cross my arms over my chest and close my eyes, I can't take it anymore.
The sound of the door opening startles me, so I open my eyes again. Moments later, the visitor is standing in front of me, and all I can see is a blurry image of a pair of shoes.
It's hers.
She's back again to enjoy watching me suffer.
Pathetic.
I sit with difficulty, and she leans in, her fingers gently running through my hair. Then, she grabs my hair and lifts my head to make eye contact.
She pulls out her venomous smile and says in a whisper. "How was my punishment? Will you dare to defy me again?"
She's waiting for an answer, and she tilts her head. I smile faintly, daring her with my gaze, and then I answer her question with a response that won't satisfy her. "Is that all you've got?"
She raises both eyebrows and stares at me silently. I can almost see the sparks fly from her eyes as she grits her teeth, trying not to be mad at me.
She nods lightly, as if to say she'll do something, and then, in a flash, she moves away from me and grabs a whip from the executioner's hand. She starts screaming angrily, inflicting more pain on me.
"Just apologize! I only asked you to apologize! Why being so stubborn, Evander?"
She keeps torturing me, and I just won't give in. I keep my eyes closed, bite my lip, and try to muffle my screams because if I don't, she'll think I'm just pretending to be strong.
That I would give in and fulfill her ambitions.
It's easier for me to just go ahead and die than to do that.
"Your Majesty, that goblin you locked up in the hut in the western region, Luciana, is standing in front of the castle gate and insists on seeing you." One of the guards says after checking out the place.
The vampire standing near me is shocked, tilting her head in confusion. "How'd that naughty one escape?"
She smiles and replies to the guard after looking at me with the corner of her eye. "Let her in. I want her to watch me torture her son."
...
"Cynthia, keep your hands off my son!" My mother is standing close to me, staring angrily at Cynthia.
Then she runs over to me and cups my face with her warm hands. I see the worried expression on her face. "Are you okay, sweetie?"
I nod slowly.
"Mom, look out!" I yell to my mom, and as soon as she turns to face Cynthia, Cynthia surprises her by grabbing her by the neck and pulling her towards her. Then she pushes her away so hard that her back hits the wall.
"Leave my mother alone, you little bitch!" I scream, trying to get my wrists out of the chain, but it's no use.
I'm feeling weak as I look at Cynthia, who's grabbing my mom by the collar of her dress, lifting her up, and saying in a really hateful tone. "How'd you get out of the hut, even though I've got the key to the iron door?"
My mother smiles sideways and replies provocatively. "The fairies are always on the goblins' side."
"Next time, try hiding the key somewhere safe, stupid."
Cynthia furrows her eyebrows and lowers her gaze at her necklace, then realizes it's broken and the key is gone.
I see my little fairy, and she's trying her best to cut the chains that bind my wrists with a sharp blade.
"You bitch!" The gray-eyed vampire screams, trying to sink her long fingernails into my mother's chest. I finally break free and run over to her, grabbing her by the collar of her dress from behind to pull her to the ground.
She really went too far.
She looks at me with an innocent face, then gets up from the floor and moves closer to me.
She looks at my face and tilts her head, and I can feel the coolness of her hand as it runs over my cheek.
Then she says. "I've given up so much for you, Evander. My own kind kicked me out just because I fell in love with a goblin. Isn't that unfair?"
I just listen to her, and it's clear she's losing her marbles. Don't you see that our love is impossible?
We're silent until my mom says something that Cynthia doesn't like, and she glances at her out of the corner of her eye.
"You know you're not supposed to break the rules."
My mother keeps talking, coming closer to her until they're almost nose to nose, challenging her with her gaze.
"That's why you decided to take revenge on me and my son, who didn't care about you at all, to steal the royal throne from me and imprison me in a place you made sure no one could find me, and then cast your curse to force all the goblins in the kingdom to obey your orders while you enjoy a power that isn't yours."
Cynthia's reaction to my mom's words is a smile, which quickly turns into a loud laugh. She takes two steps back and stares at her, and there's an awkward silence.
Then, with a deep sigh, she says. "At least I didn't fall in love with a human like you did, Luciana."
"Your Majesty." She says in a mocking tone and leans lightly, then crosses her arms over her chest.
What I just heard really shocked me. I'm lost between them.
"Is it true, Mom?" I ask my mom, who just stares at me without saying anything.
"Luciana, come on, tell him the truth."
"Shut up!" She shouts, her voice ringing through the cell, startling all the guards who prefer to stay away from the place.
I don't move a muscle as I watch my mom jump on Cynthia, knocking her to the ground and trying to strangle her.
Cynthia is trying to break free. If she can't get free, she's going to die.
"I'll kill you, Cynthia!"
"You can't kill me easily, Luciana!" She lets out a wild laugh, and then she just... disappears. Like a speck of dust, she floats right away from my mother's grip.
"She ran away!" Mom says, her gaze darting around.
At the same time, I start to feel a weird warmth and weight in my body. I put my fingers on my neck, feeling my veins pulsing as if they were about to pop out.
Then, I hear Cynthia laughing, and her deep voice sounds like she's...
Inside of me.
End Flash Back.
...