IMPRESS. [Book 1]

Chapter Seventy-Six: The Broken Pieces.

IMPRESS.

Chapter Seventy-Six: The Broken Pieces.

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"Won't people be curious as to why I am unharmed, considering how long we've been in here together for?" I worriedly questioned, suddenly overthinking and feeling a pang of gut-wrenching guilt in the pit of my stomach at the thought of Pres.

I was numb and disgusted in myself but I knew something was wrong... Deep down I knew my heart had chosen Preston, wholeheartedly I wanted to be with him no matter what. But, as if my fate was already written for me and as if the 'said' prophecy was fighting against my true feelings, something just kept bringing me back to the Prince instead.

The prophecy had to be the only reason why I was lying on top of the future King of Asten naked, and not on the King of the Shadowlands. It was either that or Prince Zachary himself had me under his compulsion. Whatever it was that was trying to stop me from giving Pres my whole heart, it was scarily strong... because the more I wished to stop lusting for the prince and his touch, the more the feeling intensified.

I pulled my top lip down between my teeth and anxiously bit down on it whilst peering at my naked body which was wrapped around the prince's torso on the cold chamber cell floor. I squeezed my eyes shut and shamefully sighed.

"Natalya my love, you should free your mind of worry. Have you not yet recognised the power I hold to control the minds of others, I can enter, read and manipulate the thoughts of others until satisfied." Zac pridefully bragged and I fluttered my eyes up at him. "Trust me, I've got a plan and it involves one big ole crazy illusion."

Zac tightened his arm around my body and pressed me further against him. I yawned in response to the comfort of his chest and kept my head rested on him. The Prince was cold-blooded but he somehow kept me warm.

As he softly stroked my arm in circular motions, I launched my head up at his plan. "An illusion?" I quizzed, confused at what he was suggesting.

The Prince chuckled at me for having underestimated his powers for so long. Honestly, I don't even remember the last time I witnessed him actively use his powers on anyone but me... and even when he would enter my mind, he always said he could never read my thoughts and feelings, only create new ones that would linger in my mind.

Something has been telling that all this time the reason he could never read my thoughts was my emerald pendant.

It was a protection charm after all which makes sense why my cousin Todd told me to never take it off.

"Let's just say... I am going to make it 'seem' like I punished you, by creating a bloodied image of you in everybody's mind when in reality you are perfectly fine," he easily explained and I hummed in understanding.

The black witch had performed a similar illusion in everyone's minds the time that I was still a competitor of IMPRESS, and everyone including myself thought I had really drowned in a glass tank of water.