𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒

Bestiolae

After they finished the lessons, Seraphina noticed Regan's distress and asked what was bothering her.

"It's nothing," Regan said quietly, "Just the fact that I still don't know why I'm here."

Seraphina sighed in understanding, "Why don't you go and ask him? About your questions?"

Regan felt a knot in her stomach. She didn't want to ask him about anything, but his cryptic words were like a thorn, nagging at her mind. He had said she was his enemy. But she didn't even know him.

"I'll think about it," she said. The truth was, she didn't want to think about it, but she knew he was hiding things.

Seraphina gave her a reassuring smile and collected her magic books.

"Are you coming, or are you going to stay here?" she asked.

"No, I'll stay here for a while," Regan simply answered.

Seraphina nodded and left. Regan took a deep breath, trying to focus on other parts of the nature, not on the bloody roses. She saw the little creature from earlier, a half rabbit, half something else, and decided to take a further look at it.

She approached the small animal attempted to touch it. The animal had touched her ankle before, so she didn't think it was a big deal to pet it.

The animal seemed friendly as it approached Regan as well. She took it in her hands and looked at the small, fluffy and cute creature that she couldn't describe.

"What are you?" she asked the creature, who only batted its cute green slitted eyes.

She petted the animal and wondered what would happen if she brought it with her. At least the small animal seemed loving and would give her some sort of company. But what if they saw?

She would to be sneaky about it.

The garden was like a maze and she didn't even remember the way in. As turned, she saw the walls of the castle that were punctuated by a series of arched alcoves. These alcoves formed a colonnaded walkway with rich oak doors here and there. She didn't want to go anywhere bad, because it would probably end when she tried to escape and stumbled in his bedroom.

The creature was adorable and it was nuzzling against her. She could felt its tiny claws scratching her cloth slightly.

Suddenly, Althea appeared from the colonnade and rushed to her, her expression confused l. "My lady, why are you holding that?"

Regan was caught off guard, but felt a wave of relief wash over her. Althea could led her back to her room. "I wanted to bring it with me."

Althea's eyes widened, "No no, if anyone sees you, you're going to get it trouble. If lady Vesper sees you, she's going to get mad about it. She's allergic of them and she's going to throw a fit about it. And if the lord sees you, he's going to-"

"Be furious because his mistress threw a fit?" Regan interrupted, feeling a surge of anger through her. She didn't care about Vesper or Sirius. May they go to hell for all she cared.

"My lady, he doesn't allow animals inside," Althea whispered.

Regan rolled her eyes, "I don't care, just lead me to my room."

With a reluctant nod, Althea led her to the colonnade and to a rich oak door with two twin dragons carved on each side. They entered a dimly lit corridor with carpeted red rug and tall plants on the wall's side. As they walked, the corridor split in two, and Althea took the right.

The took twists and turns that confused Regan even more. But she had to memorize them, especially if she planned to escape from here. She could feel the creature's tiny heart beating. But it stayed quiet and didn't squirm.

Just as she was walking, she felt an icy wave of water wash all over her that made her heart skip a beat. Althea looked at her with a shocked expression and turned around to see Vesper standing there with a wicked grin on her face. She had a water orb in her hand and had clearly thrown it at Regan.

"What do you think you're doing, you pathetic excuse for a witch?" Vesper spat, her eyes burning with spite.

Regan didn't answer because the cold spell numbed her tongue. She couldn't even move her legs. But the small creature had plans. It jumped from Regan's grip with a hiss and landed on Vesper's blouse. Vesper screamed in horror and tried to swipe it away, but the creature clung onto her, its tiny claws—now turned surprisingly larger, ripping her fabric and leaving small scratches on her skin.

"Get it off me!" Vesper yelled. "G-get it-get it off!!!!"

Althea's eyes widened with shock and she rushed to help Vesper, who was now flailing and screeching in a dramatic display of fear. Regan couldn't suppress a smug smile as she watched the creature, now revealed to be a small, fierce protector, cling to Vesper's blouse. The fabric was ripping away, revealing the tanned, unblemished skin beneath.

Althea managed to peel the creature off Vesper, who was now coughing and spluttering as if she had just encountered something toxic. Regan felt a strange kinship with the little creature, and her curiosity about it grew stronger. She decided she'd name it Amore, only if she kept it.

"You piece of filth!" Vesper shrieked, her face red with rage as she slapped the creature out of Althea's hands. It flew across the corridor and landed with a thud. Regan's heart clenched and she rushed to the small creature's side, but Vesper shot a dark spell, knocking her back into the wall.

"How dare you bring that disgusting thing here?" Vesper continued to yell, her voice echoing through the corridor. "And you," she spun around to face Althea, "you should have stopped her!"

Althea cowered, "I-I'm sorry, my lady, I-I didn't know she had it."

Vesper's eyes narrowed, "Silence," she snapped. "Take this creature and get rid of it before I do something you'll both regret!"

"You deserved it," Regan spat, her body shivering from the cold water, "You think you own the place just because you're with him."

Althea's eyes widened with fear, she couldn't believe Regan talked to Vesper like that.

"And you're jealous," Vesper shot back, her arms turning red from allergy. "I have everything you don't. You think you're so clever, don't you? Well, let's have a duel then. And then you'll see how truly pathetic you are."

Althea meanwhile was holding the creature, its small body now limp but it was still alive. Regan was on her feet, her fists clenching. "Fine," she retorted through gritted teeth. "Let's fight."

Vesper's smile was bitter, "Of course, loser. Meet me in the garden, before sunset. You'll beg for mercy, you little fool," she sneered, her eyes filled with hatred and disdain.

"We'll see about that," Regan retorted, her voice a warning itself.

"Kill it!" Vesper yelled at Althea, who was still holding the small animal, now called Amore. She scooped away and Regan went after her. They both disappeared from Vesper's sigh.

"No, no, don't throw it away!" Regan hissed as Althea was opening a window, preparing to throw Amore away.

"You're going to get us all in trouble," Althea shot back, "She's going to tell his lordship about it!"

"I don't fucking care," Regan spat. She slammed the window shut and snatched Amore from Althea's arms. Then she rushed in her room and locked the door.

"Oh, God," Regan said as she laid the small animal on the bed. Its eyes were closed and she had no idea how to wake it up. She shook it but there was no response. She grabbed a water pitcher and spilled a little on its mouth and thankfully Amore began to stir. Her eyes opened, revealing irises that changed into purple and green.

Suddenly, she jumped from the bed and threw herself at Regan's neck, licking at her skin. Regan flinched, not expecting it, but it reminded her of the dog she had when she was little. She laughed, hugging the small animal and keeping her close. She couldn't care less about Vesper's words although she knew she had to go there before the sunset if she didn't want to be called a 'coward'.