Crimson Trails

Caught!

Aaron's POV

I paced around the room irritated. It had been two days and I have been only sitting in the room doing nothing.

Claramay went out everyday, locking me in or people would get too suspicious, and I was free to roam within her quarters.

I mean I couldn't go out into the balcony, nor could I use the bathroom without the fear of anyone questioning how flushing noises come from empty rooms.

So I just sat there all day, cramped up — brooding about the scenario and what I should have done about it.

A slow, almost silent knock on the door froze me.

Claramay comes in just like that as she has the keys. Why would someone knock on a closed door? I went still, not daring to even breathe, hoping against hope that whoever was out there just would leave me alone.

But the knocking sounded again. Fiercer this time.

'Amethyst, or whoever you really are, I know you're in there...' a sing song voice called out.

I froze.

Not her, not the enchantress again.

'Dear, I know you're here, no use hiding.' she gave a high pitched laugh.

My blood curdled at the unwelcome sound.

'I know what you want from me, handsome...' her voice seemed to be floating around me, engulfing me in a mist, compelling me to move my legs towards the door.

Her voice was deep, seductive and of the kind which could actually peel the skin off your flesh.

'If I come in there, it'll be the end of you,' she threatened.

I sat very still, ducking my head in my hands.

Hide.

I needed to hide.

Anywhere. Somewhere.

But it was too late. Before I could even make a move she cast the spell.

'Spáste tin kleidariá' echoed through the room followed by a swift click of the lock and she was in the room, a glass of sparkling red wine in her hand.

She was dressed in silk finery, her smoky eyes lined with exquisite kohl... My breath caught my throat again.

That beauty is a sham — I kept reminding myself — that beauty hides all the souls like yours that she has stolen.

I knew my heart was racing and it was almost as if I could hear its beat.

'Did you rally think I was a fool? Didn't Sapphire tell you that once Garnet sets her eyes on someone she owns him for life?' her eyes were half closed and I knew she was going to kill me but my mind was doing a double take, my hormones surfing.

'Aren't you a beauty. It would be a shame to devour you before the right time. I wanted to save you and savour you for dessert, but what to do, you forced my hands,' she moved swiftly until she snatched my arm in an iron grip.

I tried to break free but she twisted my wrist behind my back and with one swift stroke she smashed the glass against the wall.

The broken pieces of crystal rained to the floor like a million drops of diamond. And I found her holding a glinting shard in her hand.

I tried to break free again, but my muscles felt weak, drugged. It was as if I was intoxicated in her presence itself. That woman was more than toxic, she was pure evil.

She deftly place the edge of the broken glass to my throat.

I whimpered, powerless before her.

She dragged it on my throat, grazing the skin,drawing blood. I winced in pain and cried out, trying to tug free from her deadly grip.

I could see blood dripping off the glass.

And for the first time in my life, I was afraid of death. I had always contemplated how death could be peace, how death could be the final solution for all my miseries.

But standing there, facing death, I realized that I didn't really wanted to die. I wanted to live and maybe that desire — the primeval instinct for survival kicked in.

The haze broke.

I elbowed her ribs with all my strength, making her let go off me.

She shrieked.

I ran to the wall which was decorated with a shield with two ancient swords in it. It was a beautiful ornate piece with jewel studded brass handles and it was freaking heavy.

I gave it a tug. It didn't even budge.

Something wrapped around my neck from behind and I realized it was a pair of hands, claws rather, pressing down on my artery!

She was cutting off the blood supply to my brain.

I struggled with her but her grip was iron and I was losing strength, my head was whirling and it felt so heavy. I knew it was, the end and I'd collapse soon.

Suddenly a commotion drew my attention and before I could fathom what happened around me, a flash of lightning snatched the sword from the socket and someone had Garnet cornered to the wall.

She was shaking like an autumn leaf in the wind with the blade at her throat.

She gurgled something and sputtered like a fish gasping out of the water. It was evident she hadn't expected the recent turn of events. 

And then I saw, the person standing in front of her — thin, gaunt, towering and very intimidating.

His green eyes were flames and his handsome face was contorted with rage, a rage of a different kind, like a tornado that destroys everything in it's path.

The rage was directed towards her. He pressed the sword further and she screamed just like I had.

I dropped to the floor, exhausted. I was too tired to fight. If the witches destroy me now, I wouldn't be able to fight back.

The magical world really was too dangerous for me.

Just then Claramay rushed in and finding me on the floor with blood on my throat and soaking my dress, presumed the worst.

She went completely blank, staring at me and at that moment I noticed the true message.

She was strong, she had trained her heart and pretended all this time. In one vulnerable moment when she thought she had lost me, all the love, longing, unfelt, unsaid desires in her were smothering her, rendering her useless.

In that very brief second I got to know the answer to all my queries.

Maybe she was helping me for her personal gain. But she was irrevocably in love with me, without a hope of ever letting me in to her feelings. She was in denial.

Little did she know that she had already bared her soul and I had already found the real her hiding in there?