Royal Masquerade

Chapter 31

Astrea was about to get a better view of the frighteningly beautiful man-like creature’s before her when a sudden shake in the bush startle her out of her trance-like situation. She step backward a few steps as a hissing rattle snake slithered towards her. Astrea’s eyes goes round at the sight of the venomous creature. Knowing that the creature wants nothing but to harm her, she tried to escape, but failed as when she tried to run, her legs felt as if it’s frozen. She fell down onto the ground and felt piercing and excruciating pain as the snake bit on her upper thigh, injecting it’s venom in her veins.

She felt the inevitable pain immediately, searing her body with scorching and unbearable fire in her blood. Astrea’s head started to cloud, and she couldn’t see properly. She closed her eyes, tears fell onto her cheeks as she felt the venom rushed in her veins, flowing so steadily, consuming her, torturing her. She clutches to the place where the snake has bitten her, and tried to calm down as she struggle to get up to get help, but failed, as the venom consumed her entire being. She fell down, as she heard an evil cackle in the distance.

“Yes, that’s it princess, die…you shall die this time, and no one will come to your aid.” a woman’s voice ringed in her ears, but she couldn’t be so sure if she really heard someone say such thing, as the internal burning started to steal her consciousness away.

“Narc…help…” she whispered softly, unable to even manage a scream to save her own life. She closed her eyes, saddened that she will die this way. She had not enough. She haven’t love Narcissus enough. She wanted to live and continue to love him.

Then, after a while, she felt light, as if she’s flying. For a moment, she though she had just died and had gone to heaven, but she can’t possibly die yet when she’s still feeling the burning of the snake’s venom in her blood. She tried to open her eyes, and saw the very same man in her vision. The man with magnificent black wings and intensely piercing pair of eyes. She clutches to the man, trying to words things out, but her words were all but burnt in her throat. The scorching pain that she’s feeling in her throat prevented her voice from materializing. The man said something to her in his soothing yet strong voice. She struggled to stay awake, trying to fight off the venom’s effect, but clearly it’s consuming her faster than she could fight it. After moment, she closed her eyes, and could no longer hear the frantic voice that’s calling out for her as the fiery and scorching hot darkness claimed her entire being.

It felt as if an eternity has passed when Astrea started to regain consciousness and started to be aware of her surrounding.

“Astrea?” a worried voice called out to her as her eyelids flickered opened. She saw the intense eyes again, and tried to focus and was surprised to discover that the eyes belongs to none other but ‘Zachary’.

“Zack?” she asked, trying to get up, but slumped back. She felt weak all over her body, and her body is still burning, and she was surprised that she haven’t been turn into ashes yet.

“Shh, don’t get up,” came his soothing voice.

“What…” she tried to ask. Her voice came out hoarse and feverish. Tears of pain and frustration sting in her eyes immediately as she stared into his eyes. Her mind whirls. Was Zack the man with wings? No, it couldn’t be. Such thing did not exist in this world. She must have been imagining things in the state of her feverish delirium.

“You’ve been bitten by a snake. I found you in the garden,” he explained to her in a rush, as if he knew what she’s trying to voice out. Her tears cascaded again as she fought the pain to speak.

“You saved me?” she finally manage to say, ignoring the dryness of her throat. Narcissus helped her her to sit up as he fed her a glass of water that she drank greedily to quench her thirst.The cool water runs down her throat, and she sighed appreciatively as it somehow sooth the scorching pain that she’s feeling in her throat.

“Young master had suck out some of the venom, but there are remains of it in your blood, Miss Sinclair. You were convulsing and trashing about and lost conciousness soon after he suck it out. We’re not sure if you would come around, but it seems that the venom is out of your system enough to let you regain your conciousness.” Zephyr explain from the corner of the room, watching both of them with worries. There’s concern and compassion in his eyes.

“What are you…?” she asked as she’s suddenly aware that Narcissus’s hand is clutching her upper tight. Her cheeks flamed in embarrassment at the almost intimate action. She tried to brush it away, but was stopped immediately by him.

“The venom is still there, Astrea. If let it go without getting the rest out of your system, you could die.” he warned.

“Narcissus…where is he?” she sobbed.

“He have been told. He’ll be here soon,” Narcissus lied smoothly, not wanting to provoke her at the moment. He looked at her tortured expression and winched at the sight of her suffering. He felt as if a part of him is suffering with her.

“I want him…I want him to…” she said, but was unable to continue as darkness claimed her again.

Astrea doesn’t know how long it have been when she regained conciousness again, feeling the pain on her upper thigh. She started to scream and trash about, but it did not help to get rid of the pain. She saw Narcissus, and he was holding her hand worriedly.

“Do it now.” she heard him command. Before she could register what is going on, another wave of fire consumed her. She screamed and having no control whatsoever over her own burning body she she pulled Narcissus to her and bit his shoulder. She heard him gasps as his flesh tear and as blood gushed out of the wound. Realizing that she’s hurting him as soon as she taste the sweet blood on her tongue, she let him go immediately, and threw him an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry…” she managed to whisper.

“It’s okay Love, it’s okay. You’ll be fine… we’ve given you anti- venom, you’ll be fine in no time, now lie down, let the anti-venom spread. You’ll be fine,” he assured her. Worry left his expression as she slowly drifted to sleep, finally feeling more comfortable and free of excruciating pain that’s inflicted by the burning venom.