DEMENTED | Romance | Fantasy | Slight Thriller

Chapter Thirteen: Astrophel

Chapter Thirteen: Astrophel

The heavily-clothed man continued to drag Ebony across old corridors and passageways, enough until she was sure they were heading in circles. He's trying to throw me off, Ebony thought to herself. Seems I'll need to pay closer attention.

They circled around only once more, and that was when Ebony noticed it: The symbol of a star, hastily etched into the wall with a knife--the symbol that only confirmed her suspicion: Astrophel was ahead.

Doing her best to brace herself for what was to come, Ebony ceased to struggle. Instead, she thought of the Prince. Where was he? Had he been taken as well? She desperately hoped he hadn't; for if they'd managed to capture the Prince of Death Himself they were truly facing a strong opponent.

At last, they came to a halt in front of a modest door frame, its door shut tight. Ebony felt her nerves jolt as the man dragging her knocked on the door. "I've brought the girl."

A low voice responded, likewise to the Prince's only in pitch and nothing else. "Good. Send her in."

The door creaked open, and he shoved her through the entrance forcefully. Ebony had to bite her lip not to protest, stumbling to regain her footing.

The room was simple; it seemed to have once been the asylum's head office. Everything was pearly white, save for some unmistakable bloodstains on some furniture and parts of the walls that had been furiously scrubbed at but never fully cleaned. Where she assumed the desk had once been was instead a decadently furbished chair that sat upon a pedestal, yet none sat on the chair itself

Then she saw him. The Prince, on his knees in the corner and surrounded with guards bearing tasers, bound and blindfolded. His shirt was torn, and she could see a flash of muscular ivory flesh before he struggled to break free. They-they'd caught him?! But how?

Then she noticed the collar at his throat--encrusted in bloodred rocks that glittered like gems... wait, they weren't rocks, they were--

"Rubies." A voice spoke from behind her, the same voice who'd sent her into the room, and he spiraled her toward him with a simple gesture on her shoulders. "I gather you like them?"

The man she now stood in front of was... beautiful. He seemed a little younger than the Prince, maybe a year older than Ebony, but after a first glimpse of his face it was impossible not to notice the countless scars and lines he was too young to hold on his perfect caramel skin. His hair was so dark it almost seemed black; in low light one would've been unable to know it was brown. Ebony would've swooned had the threatening smile now spread wide appeared on his face. "Ebony, is it? I hear you're from Absinthe, am I correct?"

Ebony nodded, avoiding his face and looking at the ruby collar around the Prince's neck. If the Prince was a symbol of death, then rubies were a symbol of life, bearing an impossible resemblance to the lifeblood that flowed from nearly all of the Goddess's creations. It only made sense that such a gem would be fatal to him.

Then she remembered who she stood in front of. "A-Astrophel?"

His grin grew wider. "The one and only." He bent to kiss her hand, and Ebony did her best not to recoil. He certainly was handsome, and he'd seem normal... from a distance. Up close, one could easily tell something was off. "I hope you've enjoyed your stay here in our quarters so far."

Ebony couldn't help it, she laughed. "Is that a joke?" She asked scornfully.

Astrophel's eyes and smile unwavered, yet she could tell he was amused. "It is if you want it to be. Now, let us take a seat."

He gestured to a table and chairs set to the side of the room, furniture perfectly matching the pearly-white hue of the room. Ebony hesitantly walked over to the chair and sat down, unsure of whether to comply or protest. Astrophel didn't take the chair across from her as she'd thought he would; instead, he walked up to the pedestal and sat on the lavish chair.