ALL US VILLAINS

Chapter Fifteen

The disputed territory reeks of blood, battle and regret. There are deep gashes in the trees from sword strikes. Beneath Diana's feet, copper red blood stains the grass.

In the distance, swords clash. The sound easily reaches the sorceress's ears, despite being miles away from the battlefield. Based on the scenery around her, Diana can only imagine what the front lines look like. She is certain there will be a lot more carnage and suffering.

At her side, Liam trips over a tree root. She considers catching him before he falls to the ground, but decides that a few bruises would not cause any permanent damage. Somehow, he manages to catch himself.

"It's not wise for you to be out here with me, mouse," Diana claims.

Liam does not take the bait, continuing to push forward without saying a word to her. Since their night stargazing, the prince has been actively avoiding her. He only speaks to her when he has to. When he doesn't, he always ensures that they are in separate rooms as one another.

This treatment comes to no surprise to Diana. What surprises her is the fact that it took two months for the prince to do this. She had thought that this treatment would have been guaranteed.

Stepping around the body of a fallen soldier, Diana clucks her tongue. "I'm surprised mommy and daddy allowed you to come to such a dangerous place with a dangerous woman."

Quickly snapping his head in her direction, Liam glares at Diana. "I am an adult. I am more than capable of taking care of myself."

Diana nearly laughs at his statement. Though Liam may be an adult, he is not very capable of protecting himself. He's naïve, overemotional, and impulsive. The only thing that Liam seems to be good at is getting himself into preventable situations.

He is similar to his parents in that way. That's why he had released Diana in the first place.

A grin grows across the woman's face. "Ah, so you can speak. I was beginning to think that someone had spelled your lips shut."

Liam rolls his eyes, passing under a low hanging branch. "I had nothing of value to share with you."

One of his gloved hands rests upon the hilt of his sword. Diana still has not gained any clarity as to why the prince suddenly decided to wear gloves everywhere.

Gloves, in her opinion, are only unnecessary accessories that cause harm. They can cause swords to slip from hands, which is especially dangerous on a battlefield. Gloves can also weaken a sorcerer, creating a disconnection with the world around them.

Some jewelry can cause the same effect, like silver, which is why Diana only wears gold.

"I always find your words useless, but that never shut you up before." Her eyes flicker over the surrounding area before settling back onto the prince's gloves. "Why are you wearing gloves?"

Instead of responding, Liam looks toward her own hands. "Why are you wearing gold chains on your hands?"

Diana holds her hand out toward the sun. Then, she wiggles her fingers and listens to the sound of the chain wiggling. The chain is loosely wrapped around her middle finger and trails down the back of her hand to wrap around her wrist. "They're new, thank you for noticing."

Overhead, the trees rustle from birds leaving the perches. A slight breeze begins to pick up, carrying the stench of death with it.

The sorceress's nose scrunches. "And, to answer your question, I like to make my hands look good when I am facing my enemies," Diana states.

Suddenly, Liam stretches out an arm to stop Diana in her tracks. The back of his hand hits her hard in the chest. She glares at him while muttering a complaint of his hand placement.