My Beloved

Chapter Eighteen

~KAIRAV~

As I approached Kaira's room, a sense of dread coiled in the pit of my stomach. Some other maids and guards were gathered around, outside her room. The door was slightly open, and the flickering candlelight within the room was casting eerie shadows upon the walls. My heart was pounding in my chest with each step I took towards it, and as soon as I pushed the door open, my breath caught in my throat at the sight before me.

A woman's body was lying on the floor, her lifeless eyes staring blankly into the void. Her face was covered with her hair, which looked just like Kaira's. My heart clenched with sorrow as I rushed to her side, my hands trembling as I brushed her hair from her face. Relief washed over me, and the next second it was replaced by anguish. It was Salma's body, the personal maid appointed for Kaira. Where is Kaira, then? I looked around the room, among the people present. When I couldn't find her among them, I stood up and searched every corner of Kaira's room, but she was nowhere to be found.

Then my eyes fell on the piece of paper Salma's lifeless hands were holding onto, which sent a shiver down my spine. Salma must have fought with whoever did this, showing her true loyalty towards the kingdom, but got defeated. I closed her eyes that were still open with my palm and took out the note from her hand, keeping it safely in my court pocket. Only after I laid Salma to rest with the reverence she deserved, when I was alone in my office, did I open the note. "Your soulmate has been abducted," the note read, its words etched with malice. "If you wish to see her unharmed, you will agree to our demands."

It felt like something was piercing into my heart and was ripping it inch by inch as I read the threatening words, my mind racing with a thousand questions and negative possibilities. Who would dare lay a hand on her? And what demands could they possibly have?

The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the Oasis into the embrace of twilight. I paced the office floor, my heart heavy with worry for Kaira. The whispers of her disappearance echoed through the palace. Everyone was thrown into a maze of mystery, with first their king, my father, killed, and now their present king's guest was abducted. That thought struck me at once. Yes, no one knew about Kaira being my soulmate. They just knew her to be my guest; I kept it like that for her own safety and also to avoid unwanted attention from the council members towards her. Otherwise, those old grizzly Aireths would have taken her up as a test subject, as a human can be mated to an Aireth, the King at that. But the point here was that no one knew, except maybe...

A soft knock on my door shattered my trail of thoughts. The door creaked open after being given permission to do so, and in stepped Aisha and Kabeer, their faces etched with concern. Aisha's eyes were red-rimmed, and the tears were still on the verge of falling for her new friend. In these past few weeks, Aisha was the one who gave Kaira company most of the time, and it's evident from Aisha's condition that they had developed a bond within that time. Kabeer's expression was unreadable; his gaze was distant and troubled.

"We heard about Kaira," Aisha began, her voice trembling with emotion. "We came as soon as we could. How are you holding up, Kalil?"

I managed a weak smile, though my heart ached for Kaira. "Thank you for coming, both of you. I... I don't know what to do."

Aisha placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, her eyes brimming with sympathy. "We're here for you, Kalil. It must be hard to experience your soulmate being taken away from you like this. Whatever you need, we'll do everything in our power to help."

Kabeer remained silent, his gaze fixed on the floor, until Aisha pronounced the word soulmate.

"How do you know about Kiara being my soulmate, Aisha?" I asked her, shocking her with my change of tone.

"Kabeer told me on the day you arrived in Oasis, and he also explained to me why it must be kept a secret," she answered.

"And why is that?" I asked her, getting up from my seat and making eye contact with Kabeer.

"What's going on?" she asked, confused with all this interrogation.

"The truth is, I never disclosed her being my soulmate to anyone... unless someone eavesdropped on my conversation with Kaira that day, on the boat." I replied to her and, with each word, moved towards Kabeer, whom I had considered my closest friend.

"Why?" I asked him, my blood boiling with each passing second and my heart breaking with the betrayal.

"Why, what? What are you implying, Kalil?" Aisha asked frantically.

I didn't waste time in answering her and continued to question Kabeer, "Why did you do it?"

"I had my reasons." He replied, and my first fist landed on his jaw. Aisha covered her mouth, seeming shocked, which means she was not in on this.

"Guards..." I roared.