Chapter six
Liliana
Fear gripped my chest as Damon grabbed me from behind, putting me easily in a headlock.
"I have no idea how you escaped from the ravagers, but you're not leaving this place alive."
"Please," I choked out. "Don't do this."
He laughed darkly; the sound made my stomach curl.
I had never seen this side of him before, and it sent chills down my spine.
Cold metal pressed against my forehead.
"Say goodbye..."
"Wait!" A familiar voice sounded from the door.
My eyes widened when I saw him.
Gerald.
What was he doing here?
"What are you doing here?" Damon asked.
"She escaped when we were about to execute her; I traced her all the way back to your pack. If you just give her back, we'll finish the job."
"How could a tiny woman like this escape from your grasp?" He asked with scrutiny.
"The incompetence of a newbie... it won't happen again." Gerald answered, his voice stable and firm. It shook me to the core.
He'd followed me, but why?
Damon's nostrils flared.
There was a long stretch of silence before Damon finally let me go and pushed me towards him.
"Make sure you take care of it this time. I'll be expecting her corpse in the next 12 hours," he said coldly.
I shivered at the lifeless coldness in his eyes.
I had known Damon for years. In those years of knowing him, he'd never acted with anything but compassion and love towards me. I had a huge crush on him by the time I was twelve, and it was better when I found out we were betrothed to each other.
"Of course," Gerald said.
"Please," I whispered as he grabbed me by the neck and slapped me across the face hard.
I screamed, falling to the ground at the impact, my face inflamed and hurting like I had been hit by a bat.
He picked me up and put me in a headlock and then took out a needle; he whispered, Sorry, in my ears.
My stomach twisted in fear before I felt the prick of a syringe against my skin. For a split second, I forgot to breathe. Not from the pain, but from the shattering sound of his betrayal echoing louder than the slap itself. My ears rang. My heart stung. He'd really done it.
The last thing I heard was Damon calling for his guards to see us out before I lost consciousness completely.
*****
I felt a prickling sensation all over my body like I was being pricked by ice-cold needles, and then my eyes snapped open.
I blinked, stunned for a second.
I was in an open space. Some type of clearing.
The moon stood high in the sky, full and bright in all its glory.
I immediately sat up when the memories came crashing.
"Where am I?" I whispered to myself. I can't believe I'm still alive. Was I just spared because I was useful? Or something deeper?
"You're awake," A familiar voice said behind me, confirming that I was really alive or we were both dead.
I turned quickly to see Gerald crouched by a fire, eyes unreadable.
"I had to make it look real," he said. "If Damon suspected anything, you'd be dead."
I nodded and rose. Something fell off me, and I realized it was a jacket.
Gerald's jacket, to be specific. His jacket still smelled like pine and leather and something I couldn't name; it was a feeling of safety, and I didn't know how long it could last.
I picked it up and wore it over my shoulders, walking towards him.
I took a seat beside him and stared into the eyes of the flames.
"So, you are really not going to kill me?" I asked, feeling a bit flustered around him.
His gaze pierced me.
"Do you really think I'd go through all that trouble just to end up killing you?"
Silence.
"I didn't say the method had to make sense."
"I am not a man that wastes my time on frivolous kills."
Our eyes locked, and the air around us became denser.
I quickly looked away, still confused. Why was he still keeping me alive?
"Why not? You don't owe me any loyalties. Why not just kill me?" I asked, staring at his ruggedly handsome and beautiful face.
The scar that ran from his forehead through his ears glistened like an intricate accident tattoo under the full moon's reflection and the reflection of the flames.
Gerald didn't flinch and even moved to look at me. Just stared at the flames.
"I felt like it," he shrugged.
I stared at him completely baffled. That answer made no sense and made me feel even more uneasy than I did five minutes ago.
"I see." I said, looking away.
"Where are we?" I asked, deciding to drop the subject for now. He'd saved my life. There was no need to start acting funny now.
"Jade garden,"
"An odd name," I murmured, staring into space. We were surrounded by shrubs and trees. It gave me some kind of hidden comfort.
"Yes, that's because I named it."
I blinked. "How did you find a place like this, much less name it?*
"I found it when I was a teen. It was my favorite place in the whole world. Only two people know about this place. Well, three now." He looked at me pointedly.
I wasn't sure why he was telling me this, but I felt closer to him now. Like I had gotten a glimpse of how egoistic he was.
"Oh. I see." I said, looking around, taking in the absolute beauty of the place. Somehow the illumination of the place by the full moon gave the place a celestial feel. "It's beautiful."
"It's home," he murmured, his eyes locked with mine. His big amber eyes were unreadable but mesmerizing. It made me itch to dig into his head to reveal all the secrets and skeletons I knew he had buried in his chest.
My lips parted to speak, but nothing came out. His eyes dropped to my lips.
The air grew thick with tension.
He suddenly looked away and then abruptly stopped.
He put out the fire by simply stepping on it.
"Let's go, kid." he said and began to walk towards his motorcycle.
I stood from the log I was sitting on and followed him.
He climbed on his motorcycle like he'd done this a hundred times.
I stared at him, feeling grateful for his decision to save me.
He handed me a helmet, and I put it on, climbing behind him.
"Thank you," I whispered to him, wrapping my hands around his waist.
He didn't say anything in acknowledgement. Just gave a stiff and curt nod and then ignored the engine.
And then we drove out under the moonlight.
As the cold breeze of the night hit the exposed body parts, I finally stopped holding back the pain in my chest and the tears stinging my eyes and threatening to burst out. I remembered the way Damon once tucked a flower into my braid during training. How his fingers trembled when I got injured. That man was nowhere in those eyes now. Only frost remained.
My entire world has crumbled in less than 48 hours. I was nothing but a refuge and a fugitive now. I pressed my forehead to his back, letting the wind dry my tears. I couldn't go back to who I was. I wouldn't. That girl was gone, and the woman left behind would learn how to survive.
I had lost my home, my title, and the man I thought I loved. One day, I would return. Not as the broken girl they tried to bury, but as the storm they couldn't outrun.
But one question kept running through my mind, Gerald. He could've killed me. He was supposed to.
But he didn't.
And that terrified me more than anything Damon ever did.
Why did Gerald spare me?
I didn't know if it was mercy... or something far more dangerous.