The Substitute Cinderella

Chapter 18 "Craving Secretly"

Ella's POV

I watched the creature, Adrien, talking non-stop trying to convince me and to help me understand what was happening.

Somehow, knowing his name made him look a lot more like a human being than a dark deceptive monster.

Though I knew I couldn't be sure of the honesty part.

I shivered with the sudden cold wind, my arms were crossed to feel warmer and safer, away from him although I was still wrapped in his dark cape that was too big, almost like the actual darkness keeping me imprisoned.

"Ella!" Adrien suddenly held both of my arms, shook me harsher than I would've liked. "I am not sure you comprehend what I'm saying. Are you even listening?" His amber eyes lightened with anger and disappointment making me feel ashamed. I tucked a strand of her blond hair falling on my face bothering me, behind my ear and continued to talk.

"Adrien, you're right I'm sorry but it's just too much. I don't understand any of what you've been talking about." Or I didn't want to understand.

"The only thing I am concerned right now is to feel warm and that flood to end. But you are too oblivious to the social cues." I continued.

That sounded selfish for a moment after seeing his facial expression. He wasn't trying to hide anything but hiding everything at the same. Like he was trying to reach me from seven feet under the ground.

I didn't want him to.

The growl in my stomach cut through the wall of intense silence. I immediately pressed on it, embarrassed. I looked away again.

"No, you are right. I am going to collect some pieces of wood and find something to eat. I am hungry and cold, I'm human too you know?" He was telling the truth, partially the truth.

"I never said you aren't." No, I did and he looked at me in disbelief because of that. But why was feeling guilty about it so suddenly when he did so many inhumane things to deserve to be called 'a dark creature' ?

"Anyway, how do you intend on doing any of those things when that flood is still going on carrying everything away?" Why was I even warning him? The flood could save me from him, actually.

"You ran through it, didn't you? I have..ma-  a skill or two." He said mischievously.

I furrowed my eyebrows for further explanation. A skill or two?

But he was already gone.

***

As Ella sat in the cave walking up and down feeling glad the cave was not deep so there was no way another creature would come up. The sound of the rain had already become part of a usual background noise for her.

There must have been a long drought in this town, she thought. Because the rain of a whole year, maybe even a whole decade, was falling down at once.

In the meantime all Adrien did was to go to a place where Ella wouldn't see him, so that he could use his magic.

And it was not far.

His yesterday self, or so he thought,, would punch his today self in the face for using the limited amount of magical power and life span for a useless situation like this.

Ella wasn't meant to be saved. She was just collateral damage.

Someone who should not have entered his bookstore in the first place.

He had to go back before killing someone was necessary again.

But again, he felt like he had to.