King Beast - Vicious Flames

Chapter 20

Odette POV

My first pick was the purple grape on the silver platter, among cheese and chestnuts. I clutched a bunch, my eyes checking out the rest of the tasty offerings. Roasted chicken, potatoes, and some peculiar-looking bread – a buffet fit for a royal.

My gaze lifted.

I froze, my hand suspended mid-air, grapes dangling like forbidden fruit, and there it was – the scaly horror unfolding right outside my window.

My heart thudded like a drum solo, and I was convinced the basilisk could hear it.

Vivid yellow circles with a thin black stripe in the middle locked onto mine. Its snakey tongue slid out occasionally, savoring the air, maybe contemplating the taste of potential meals.

Me included.

The basilisk didn't bleed when gazing into my eyes.

I snatched a fork from the table – chaos ensued, a tray crashed, potatoes rolled away.

A pitiful attempt at showing violence, but hey, survival instincts on overdrive!

The nasty-looking creature, coiled around some statue or structure, seemed to ponder its choices. Deeming me not worth the effort, it slithered away into the shadows where it called home.

Shoulders dropping, I breathed a sigh of relief, only to spot an odd, lumpy thing in its stomach as the beast retracted.

It wasn't its body wrapped around a statue, for there wasn't any statue... or any logic. It was something thick and substantial inside the basilisk's gutt!

When one of those protuberances twitched, I screamed and fell on my butt.

Turns out, the monster had already chowed down on a meal.

"Curse you, fatty worm," I muttered, bringing my hand up to my mouth.

My palms were a chaos of purple, a grape carnage. Apparently, I had pressed the fruits a bit too enthusiastically, their demise mirroring the horror I felt.

I backed away slowly, on my palms, butt and feet. One arm reaching up, I cautiously unlatched the door, my gaze still fixed on the now empty window.

As I scurried out of the room, I bumped into something. Or rather, something ran over me.

"Draglin! Are you now a crab? Out of the way!" The figure that had irritated me, as well as disrespectfully saved my life, stumbled upon me.

I tested my waist and shoulder, hoping that no part of the spirit figure got stuck inside me.

It fluttered away and disappeared behind a corner, probably off to terrorize someone else, most likely annoying them to death.

Everything fell into silence, desolation lingering in the corridor made of old stones, with blue flames flickering on the walls. No windows, no natural light. Just like Zerberus. Dark, cold, devoid of light.

The blue flames acted as a reminder of his burning coldness.

"My lady?"

I screamed when Fergus appeared out of nowhere.

"Oh, hi again." My thumb pointed at my room. "There was a huge beast outside my window-"

"Oh, you met the Lord's Pet!"

My eyes rounded. "My Lord's pet?"

He grinned, his single tooth gleaming. "Okay...um," just then my stomach growled as if a dragon took residence there.

"Nourish yourself, My Lady. Your personal maids will knock on your door when you ring the bell."

A bell? It sounded inhuman to do that. But then again, there wasn't again human here.

"So, are you a dragon?"

He shook his head, showing that single teeth again. "Dragons are busy. I'm just Fergus." His pointy, flowing beard reached the floor, and he too was wearing a long red cloak. He seemed human enough, but I knew it better.

He was bold, and his beard made up for the lack, with eyes that had a long shape with sharp angles and no eyebrows.

"And who is the crazy clocked spirit?"

"That was my companion. They are authoritarian but have a good evil heart."

I was lost again. "They?"

He nodded.

"Oh. No offence, but they are like a serious bitch."

He burst out laughing. He did take my statement seriously for he added, "They can be according to human standards. Their sexual desire is immense, constant. I'm happy when they go seek other companions when I can't satisfy them."

I blushed, also feeling bad for this old man. A flicker of sadness crossed his ancient eyes. "How long have you been together?" I asked, standing up.

"Just over 567 years. A newlywed couple," he said cheerfully, eyes never meeting mine, "My Lady, have your supper now. Human bodies need substance."

The idea of going back to that room sickened me.

"Fergus, would you know if other humans during the run made it back home?"

"I don't have access to that information..." He played with his beard, his hands had three fingers, covered in grey wrinkled skin. "Only the humans that release the dragons are kept. Like you. The others are recollected and sent back. Their memories wiped."

So Gianni must be back home? My stomach fell. Would he forget about me?

"If they had stayed on the path," Fergus added.

"What...what about the other creatures..." shivers ran down my spine at the memory of that horrid green monster that had chased me and tried to eat me up.

"Only the dragons have mates, the lizards don't as an inferior species. If the lizards convinced some humans to go with them, then..." he shrugged.

"Please Fergus, I had friends in the run. Can you help find a way to see if they are alive?"

"May I suggest you ask the Ajdaho?" Ajdaho? Ah, that was the way the called that freaking Lord of a mate of mine.

"He won't tell me." I snapped.

Curse him!

And curse that hideous worm of his pet!

As the day, or night, trudged on, my isolation became more apparent. The mere creak of a floorboard or the rustle of a fur sent me jumping, my secret fork hidden under my vest offering little comfort.

I convinced myself I heard hurried footsteps pass by my door, but the uncertainty lingered. My skittishness transformed into full-blown paranoia, intensified whenever shadows danced across my window.

Maybe it was just passing clouds. Or perhaps a basilisk, patiently plotting an attack.

"His pet," I muttered, seizing a honey-cooked pear from a tray and devouring it in a single gulp, the sweetness bursting in my mouth. "He couldn't settle for a dog or a cat. No! A freaking slime monster that wants to make a snack out of me!"

Fueled by anxiety and rage, I paced back and forth, honey and oil from the roast smudging my face, but I didn't care. "He'll hear me when he shows up! Oh, if he will!"

Last time he saw me was this morning.

But where the heck was he?

Wasn't he supposed to miss me?

AN/ NEXT UPDATE NEXT SATURDAY LOVES!!!