The low, urgent voice whispered in Kalliope's ear: "Run, and don't stop. Look back, and..."
She didn't wait to hear the rest. With a surge of adrenaline, Kalliope took off, her feet pounding the earth as she sprinted into the darkness. Her hair flew behind her, and her heartbeats thundered in her ears. Tears streamed down her face as she ran, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
Thorns tore at her flesh, ripping her cloak and sandals. She ran barefoot, her legs bleeding as she stumbled through the underbrush. A particularly large thorn pierced her foot, sending her tumbling to the ground. Her head struck a stone, and she cried out in pain.
As she clutched her injured leg, she heard the ominous hiss of a serpent emanating from the tree beside her. Closing her eyes, she prepared for the worst, expecting the serpent's deadly strike.
But instead of fangs, flames engulfed the serpent, casting flickering shadows on the surrounding trees. The burning ashes illuminated a figure standing before her - Kieran, his dark eyes fixed intently on hers.
Kalliope's voice trembled as she muttered:
"Please... don't hurt me... I don't want to die..."
Prince Kieran's gaze remained blank, his face a mask of emotionless stone.
"You shouldn't have run away," he said, his low tone devoid of feeling.
Yet, his actions contradicted his words. He tore a strip from her tattered clothing and wrapped it tightly around her bleeding foot, applying gentle pressure.
Kalliope's head drooped, her tangled hair cascading over her face like a veil. Her body went limp as she succumbed to unconsciousness.
Kieran looked away, his eyes narrowing slightly as internal voices whispered in his mind:
Fire, his dragon, spoke first,
"Poor girl is hurt because of you..."
Kieran scoffed, his expression unchanging.
"When did you start to care?"
Fire replied, matching his tone,
"Since you started losing control around her."
Kieran scoffed again, disdain evident in his voice.
Then, Silver, his wolf, interrupted,
"Claim her, she's a beauty... and merely a slave anyway."
Kieran's mental response was immediate – he pushed both voices aside, his mind closing off the suggestions.
Reluctance evident in his movements, he lifted Kalliope's unconscious form into his arms and carried her deeper in the woods.
****
In the Tenebrous Kingdom, an announcement spread like wildfire: everyone was summoned to the Royal Dais, a place where the ruler addressed the people.
Prince Kieran has an announcement: he's acquired a new slave. By his order, no one touches her - not even Queen Ember has say in her fate."
Curiosity spread fast as people made plans to attend.
Inside the palace, Queen Ember talked to Princess Calista, who looked stunning in her royal dress.
"I hope you understand why this is necessary, Calista," Queen Ember said, looking concerned.
"Yes, for the kingdom's sake," Calista replied.
General Gryson, Prince Kieran's guard, entered and bowed briefly.
"Your Majesties," he said softly.
Queen Ember nodded for him to continue.
General Gryson hesitated. "He's not in the palace. He left last night and hasn't returned."
Queen Ember's eyes widened in surprise as she jumped up. Calista stood up too, equally shocked.
"What about the slave girl?" Queen Ember asked urgently.
General Gryson shook his head. "We've lost all trace of her... and her maids, Brixa and Lyrixa."
The two women exchanged alarmed glances, their faces filled with worry.
*
Morning dawned in the woods, darkness lifting as fog swirled everywhere. Small beasts darted through the mist as Kalliope lay beneath a tree on a large leaf, her makeshift bed.
She woke with a start, eyes squinting against the faint light. Her body screamed in agony – scratches and aches lingered from her ordeal.
Memories rushed back: the chase, the fall, Prince Kieran...
"Where..." she groaned, looking around frantically. But she was alone.
Her gaze dropped to her leg – the wound was healed, no longer bleeding or painful.
Similarly, her head barely hurt where she'd hit the stone. Kalliope's eyes searched the thick fog wildly – why would Kieran leave her alone?
Fear crept in, glassy tears forming as she realized she was lost in the woods with no idea how to escape.
A hungry growl echoed through the fog, making her blood run cold.
Then, a terrifying creature emerged – a vampire with horns and blank, soulless eyes. Kalliope screamed.
But before the creature could attack, flames engulfed it, reducing it to ashes.
Kalliope's frantic gaze swept the fog – she knew Kieran was near.
She tried standing, but her legs buckled, and she stumbled. Desperate for support, her hands grasped something solid –
Prince Kieran's arm.
"Mr. Prince..." she exclaimed, releasing her grip abruptly.
Kalliope landed hard on her butt, looking up at Kieran's impassive face – his expression as blank as ever.
Kalliope's eyes met Prince Kieran's glare as he asked,
"You want to run away again?"
She shook her head vigorously, nodding "no" – her cheeks still flushed from the earlier fall.
He held out a black shirt, saying, "Wear this."
Kalliope's curiosity sparked – where did he get the shirt from? Everything about him was shrouded in mystery.
Her gaze dropped to her dress, and her face grew even redder – it was more torn than she thought. The fabric was ripped open, exposing her laps and other areas.
She felt a surge of embarrassment – why hadn't she noticed this earlier?!
Prince Kieran's expression remained neutral, his eyes fixed on hers without any hint of reaction, as if he hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary.
Kalliope wondered if she was misreading his expression – did he really not notice, or was he just pretending not to care?
Kalliope felt a surge of discomfort as she prepared to change in front of Kieran. She lacked the courage to ask him to turn away, so she hesitantly undid the torn cloak, revealing her undergarments.
Kieran's gaze lingered on her transparent garment, and Kalliope's face flushed with embarrassment.
Suddenly, his inner beasts, Fire and Silver, emerged, their voices whispering tempting demands.
"She's beauty incarnate, inside and out," Fire whispered. "I wonder what she tastes like"
"Grab her, claim her," Silver urged. "Look at her backside, so inviting."
Kieran's eyes flashed with a hint of warning as he locked away the beasts' dirty whispers. He forcibly tore his gaze from Kalliope, aware that he, too, teetered on the edge of losing control.
Kalliope finished dressing in the shirt that reached below her knee, inhaling the scent of dark spices – unmistakably Prince Kieran's aroma.
She smiled faintly to herself as he stood up to leave, and she followed him anyway, knowing they were heading back to the palace.
However, her foot still ached from the previous injury, causing her to limp behind him. He walked ahead with long strides, not glancing back once.
Kalliope struggled to keep up, her frustration growing – she began to mutter complaints under her breath.
Then, a clever idea struck her. She deliberately bumped her leg against a nearby stone and whimpered softly.
Prince Kieran stopped abruptly and strode back towards her, his voice low and almost yelling:
"Can you be less clumsy?"
Kalliope's eyes welled up with glassy tears, but before he could notice her deception, ominous growls echoed through the fog.
Dark figures emerged from the mist – the terrifying vampire creatures from earlier, their eyes fixed menacingly on Prince Kieran.
It seemed they had come for revenge, knowing their companion had met a fiery end at his hands.
Kieran stood firm, his hands summoning flames that danced like liquid fire, consuming the creatures that dared to attack.
More emerged from the darkness, but Kieran's power only grew.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished, becoming a silent, invisible force that tore through the creatures with deadly precision.
Their screams echoed through the air, a chilling testament to Kieran's ferocity.
As abruptly as it began, the battle ended. The creatures fled, disappearing into the fog. Kieran reappeared, his presence as calm and imposing as a monument. Not a hair was out of place, his breathing steady.
Kalliope watched, awestruck by the display of power. Her admiration was palpable, her eyes shining with wonder. But her reverie was shattered when a lone vampire burst from the shadows, its fangs bared, ready to strike.
Kalliope's cry of terror was cut short as Kieran's gaze locked onto hers.
With a subtle gesture, he signaled her to remain still. She froze, her heart pounding in her chest.
A spark of energy seemed to pass between them, and the vampire's body erupted into flames, its ashes dispersing in the wind. Kalliope exhaled a shaky breath, her relief tangible.
"Climb onto my back," Kieran ordered, his voice low and husky. Kalliope obeyed, and as she wrapped her arms around his neck, he transformed into a magnificent dragon.
The dragon's scales glistened like polished obsidian, its wingspan wide enough to block out the sun. Its eyes burned with an inner fire, and its roar thundered through the forest. Kalliope felt a thrill of excitement mixed with fear as she touched the dragon's scales, marveling at their smooth texture.
As they soared through the skies, the wind whipping her hair into a frenzy, Kalliope couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder. She had never seen a dragon up close before, and she found herself rubbing its scales fondly, as if it were a giant cat.
Their flight was short-lived, and soon they landed back in the palace courtyard. Kalliope slid off the dragon's back, staring up at it in awe as it towered over her, its chest heaving with each breath. The dragon's eyes seemed to gleam with affection as it regarded her, and Kalliope felt a strange sense of connection to the beast.
As she gazed into the dragon's eyes, Kieran's transformation back into his human form seemed almost seamless. He stood before her, his chest still heaving with exertion, his eyes gleaming with a fierce inner light.
But her reverie was short-lived, as Kieran's voice cut through the air, his tone icy. "Wait for your punishment," he growled, his eyes flashing with anger.
Kalliope's heart sank, and she felt a surge of fear. But before Kieran could turn away, she reached out and grasped his cloak, stopping him. He turned to her, his face frozen in a mask of ice.
"Your hands?" he spat, his voice dripping with disdain. Kalliope hastily released his cloak, her eyes downcast.
"Can you forgive the maids?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "They were innocent. You can double my punishment instead."
Kieran's expression didn't change, but before he could respond, Calista and the queen appeared, their faces etched with concern.
"Kieran, where did you go?" Calista asked, her voice tinged with worry. She hugged him tightly, her eyes scanning his face. For a moment, her malice and disdain were masked by genuine worry.
The queen's gaze turned to Kalliope, and for the first time, she seemed to notice the girl's disheveled appearance.
Kalliope's hair was tangled, her black shirt was rumpled and fell above her knee, and her legs were bare. Calista's eyes widened in surprise, her gaze flicking to Kieran's face before returning to Kalliope.
"Raise your head, child," the queen ordered, her voice firm but gentle.
Kalliope lifted her head, meeting the queen's gaze. "Are you hurt anywhere?" the queen asked, her eyes scanning Kalliope's face.
Kalliope muttered a barely audible "no." Calista's eyes flashed with a mixture of worry and disdain, while the queen's expression turned suspicious.
"What happened to her?" Calista asked, her voice laced with concern, but with a hint of malice beneath. "Did she escape, perhaps?"
Kalliope's heart skipped a beat as she waited for Kieran's response. But to her surprise, he spoke up, his voice calm and even.
"No, she didn't escape. I took her out myself."
Kalliope's eyes almost widen in shock, but she hid her reaction, her face a mask of calm.
Queen Ember's expression turned stern. "The announcement has been delayed, and we should proceed to the throne room. The people are waiting."
Kieran's response was immediate. "Cancel it. I'm not interested."
The queen's and Calista's gazes widened in shock. "This is a must, Kieran!" the queen almost yelled, her voice rising in urgency.
Kieran's expression remained unyielding. "Count me out of it."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving the queen and Calista staring after him in dismay.
"Kieran! Kieran!" the queen called out, but he didn't respond.
Calista turned to the queen and said, "I'll go talk to him."
She walked off in the direction Kieran had taken, leaving Kalliope standing alone, her mind whirling with thoughts.
Did Kieran cancel the announcement for her sake? The thought sent a flutter through her chest, and she couldn't help but wonder what it meant.