DROPPED | A Witches Garden

thirteen

ELIETTA

The letter was just sitting there. Asking me, begging me to read it. But I didn't. I couldn't.

A maid had entered my room, handing me a small letter. Simply saying it had been from Duke Finnsweld and that it had arrived this morning. It had been two weeks since I'd last seen Roye, out at that library where he acted very... strange. And now he decided to send me a letter after having been silent for two weeks?

No. Just no.

Nothing good ever came of him. I'd be better off just never opening that letter. Or maybe even burning it.

What would he have to say to me? Definitely not something good that's for sure. What if he'd been spying on me when I wasn't looking?! Trying to find hints as to how I may actually be a witch!

No... he would never do that.

Or...?

I sighed. Slumping my body against the desk and into my arms. This was way too much for me.

Ugh. Screw it. I'll just ignore the letter.

###

Well that didn't go well. I had planned to ignore the letter, act as if I had lost it even if someone were to ever ask. But from doing that all I got was Roye actually coming to the Pumchell estate himself to talk.

Each time I acted sick, hoping that that would've been enough for him to catch the hint that I didn't wanna talk. Yet he either never got it or simply just ignored it.

And now I was here, pulled along with his schemes to the Forbidden woods. I basically just gave up. He was giving signs that he wouldn't have taken a no for an answer and would've just followed me along like a nuisance. So to get it over with I decided to just listen to what he had to say. He'd mentioned that the Jeart knights were on duty to patrol the Forbidden woods and that he offered for me to come along. Having said that because I liked jewels it would be good for me to go in case we'd happen upon some.

I had wanted to say no but something told me that I had tested his patience a bit too much...

So I accepted.

"Lady Pumchell, this isn't the space for you to be lost in thought. Focus." One of the knights said. I looked at him and then sighed, giving him a nod.

Though he was right, did he really need to say that in such a mean way?

Though Roye was behind me, I could still feel his eyes on me.

He didn't actually take me here just for some stupid jewels. We both knew that yet neither of us could let it show.

I scoffed in annoyance and lifted my dress to make it easier to walk. A night out in the forest patrolling isn't the exact place I would think of wearing a dress in but it couldn't be helped. My father, who rarely ever comes out of his room, just so happened to come out this time to tell me that I couldn't go out wearing pants, especially not to meet the Duke Finnsweld.

Stupid.

But I was not in the mood to argue so I simply just nodded and did as he said.

I slowed my pace so that I could walk next to Roye. Though he barely acknowledged me at all as his eyes stayed focused on the front.

"How long will I be out here?" I asked as I eyed him.

"These patrols usually only take up to five hours," he said bluntly.

"Five?!" I shouted, causing some of the knights to turn around in annoyance. "Do I really have to be out that long?"

"It shouldn't be any problem for you." He finally looked at me.

"Why's that?"

"I'm sure you can handle a little walk in the woods."

"A little— Are you trying to annoy me?"

He smirked. "Maybe."

Before I could tell him off a loud screech stopped me. It was a monstrous, grimy scream that made my blood run cold.

I jumped back in fear. "What was that?!"

Roye simply stood silently, his brows knitted and one hand on his sheath.

One of the knights grabbed my arm while looking at Roye with fearful eyes. "Sir, isn't it too dangerous to keep Lady Pumchell here? We need to escort her back don't we?"

Roye looked at the knights eyes only for a moment. And then at mine. Not looking away. To the point where it felt suffocating.

His lips parted. "We..."

"The sky!" One of the knights shouted.

I looked up, my eyes wide and stricken with fear. Giant bat-like creatures with glowing red eyes and sharp white fangs were hovering above us. Descending down. Looking at us like we were their prey.

Roye pulled me behind him, one sword in hand and the other covering me. His eyes stayed fixated on the bats that had now landed.

There were only three of them and five of the knights counting Roye. But those bats were gigantic and looked so much stronger. If only the other knights were here as well... We were twenty at the start but the knights divide themselves in teams of five during the patrols.

Two of the knights jumped to the front, swinging their swords but their blades barely pierced the beast's skin.

"Stand back!" Roye shouted but it was in vain. The beasts swung their claws and took down the two knights. Red. That was all I could see.

My body was frozen in fear.

The feeling of death.

It felt like this was the place where my life would end.

One of the bats had disappeared, it wasn't on the ground anymore. When I looked up all I could focus on was the glowing red eyes set on me.

I was the next prey.

It flew down, its claws out and even though I wanted to run my feet wouldn't move. Was this the first time I had ever experienced such fear?

All I could do was shut my eyes.