Kainaaz stared in disbelief at Charlotte, Baloch was telling the truth all along, but it felt so surreal to her, things like this only happened in the movies and not in real life.
"We must find a way to get out of here and return to where we came from," Kainaaz sounded scared, but Charlotte seemed calm and collective, "aren't you scared? We are in another world and imprisoned by a beast!"
"Nay, I'm not afraid, if the ..." Charlotte never got the chance to finish her sentence, the trembling of the ground shook and both women turned to face the stairs.
"He's coming back!" Whispered Kainaaz frantically, as both women huddled together in the corner.
The beastly monsters beaded eyes looked around the prison cell before his sweeping gaze settled on the women. His nostrils flared and a thunderous rumble escaped from his throat before he spoke.
"You will come with me without resistance if you want to live, if you give me a reason I will squash both of you like bugs!"
His tone of voice did not sound threatening, but his words sent a chill up and down Kainaaz's spine.
Wasting no time, the beast unlocked the iron cell door and swung it open, "Make haste, dinner is being served and I don't like to eat a cold meal!"
Both women scrambled out of the cell and ran all the way up the stairs. When they reached the top, they hesitated before they stepped onto the main floor of the castle.
The beast pushed past them and roared angrily, "if you disobey me there will be consequences!"
Charlotte narrowed her eyes, took a step forward and placed her hands on her hips, "You do not scare us, we are not intimidated by your appearance and tone of voice, furthermore...."
The beast threw his head back and roared with laughter, but Charlotte did not find any humor in her words.
"How dare you make fun of our situation!" Charlotte yelled angrily, "you are an ugly beast!"
The beast stopped laughing and sobered up, anger settled in his heart, she was right, he was ugly, but it was not his fault, he was cursed to this awful fate.
"You would do well to watch your tongue unless you want to be thrown back into your cell!"
Charlotte opened her mouth and was about tell him off when Kainaaz threw her a murderous look, "Charlotte will not speak again, I promise!"
The beasts eyes shifted suspiciously from Kainaaz to Charlotte, before he turned around and walked away.
The young women followed after him and were surprised to enter a dining room that was exquisite and fit for a king.
Kainaaz did not miss the elegant tapestries that adorned the walls, the crystal chandeliers, and the fine linen cloth that was spread on the cherry wood table, her appreciating gaze swept over it admiring the crystal goblets and gold china, forgetting for a moment that she was a prisoner.
Charlotte and Kainaaz both pulled out a chair and sat themselves down, but to their dismay, that seemed to anger the beast.
"You are prisoner's in my home, not guests!" The monster growled, "get your arses off my furniture and go get my dinner! When you are done serving me, you may eat the left overs."
The young maidens stared at the monster with disbelief, not sure what they should do.
"I am no ones slave, nor am I your prisoner!" Charlotte was quick to yell, as she lifted herself to her feet, "I will sit here and be served as a guest, and ignore the fact that you sir are a ruthless, inconsiderate, arse!"
Kainaaz watched fearfully as the beasts eyes turned a darker shade of grey and knew that if Charlotte continues to run her mouth, she will get them both in a lot of trouble.
Jumping to her feet, Kainaaz quickly tried to save the day, "Master please forgive Charlotte, she is frightened and speaks without thinking. We will abide by your rules!" She said and narrowed her eyes at Charlotte throwing her a warning glance. "Come on Charlotte, stop being difficult, ''tis but a privilege to be upstairs amongst such luxury instead of being locked up in a prison cell."
"I am no ones slave and I shall not serve an arrogant beast!" there was a soft gasp from the small crowd of servants that had gathered at the kitchen doorway, but Charlotte wasn't aware of anything but the fact that she was sick and tired of being mistreated.
The beast jumped off his chair and the floor shook as he angrily made his way to where the young maiden stood. Kainaazs hand wrapped around her throat and her heart pounded against her chest. "Charlotte shut up or you'll get us both killed!" She called out from across the table.
Charlotte ignored her and stood her ground, even when the beast came to stand in front of her and snarled.
She did not flinch.
"You will do as I say or I will torture you!"
Placing her hands on her hips, Charlotte yelled, "you don't have the balls to torture me!"
The beast was trying to control his rage that was building up inside him. "Watch your tongue or I promise you I will cut if off!"
"You don't scare me," Charlotte said, "you don't have it in you to harm a hair on my head!"
The beast was lost for words, who was this maiden that knew his heart, he thought, as he blinked in disbelief that she was able to see right through him.
**************
The sun rays filtered through the ivory curtains that framed the French windows in the guest chambers where Alana slept. Evan who was in the corner of the room hiding in the shadows watched the beautiful druidess sleep and clenched his jaw.
Whore, he thought angrily, just like all the rest of them. His chest tightened and he squeezed his hands tightly into a fist. "I shall make you pay for giving yourself to the archangel, to this I swear!" He cursed under his breath and zapped himself back to the library, and poured himself a glass of ale.
Drinking it in one gulp, the Fay poured himself another just as his mother walked in.
Raising an eye brow, his mother asked, "What pray tell, has you drinking so early in the morning?"
Lady Mara wrapped her hand around her throat when Evan threw a murderous look her way, "Mind your own business woman!" he growled, bringing the second glass of ale to his lips.
Lady Mara angrily grabbed the glass out of her sons hand and slammed it against the wooden table. "How dare you speak to me with a raised tone of voice, I am your mother and as such I demand respect!"
When Evan saw the hurt in his mothers eyes he regretted immediately his words and he threaded his fingers through his thick mane of hair. "Forgive me mother," he told her quickly, "I didn't mean to take my anger out on you."
"What ails you my son!" Lady Mara asked, troubled by the the way her son was conducting himself. "Your soulmate sleeps upstairs in the guest bedchamber, this is a time to be happy and celebrate, it is what you have been waiting for your entire life."
Anger filled Evans veins when he heard his mothers words. Grabbing the glass of ale off the wooden table, the Fay whipped it across the room.
Lady Mara watched in horror as the glass crashed against the stone wall and shattered into a million pieces before it scattered across the marble floor.
Raising an eye brow, Evans mother could not help but say, "Is this your way of showing your affections for Alana?" She asked him, wanting desperately to rattles her son until he got a hold of his senses, "If Alana sees you in this state of madness she will never consent to a connection with you, is this what you want son?"
"Should I then connect with a whore who has given her body to Gabrielle, is that what you want of me mother?"
"Oh my," lady Mara gasped, "are you sure son, or has your mind gone mad?"
"My mind is in tact mother, I have witnessed the archangel naked alongside Alana's bed!" Evan said, not realizing the impact of his words. The blood in his veins pumped wildly and he smashed his powerful first on the cherry wood table, slicing it in two.
Surprised, Lady Mara took a few steps backwards, "Impossible, she is your soulmate and is pure as the day she was born!"
Evan threw his head back and roared with laughter, and lady Mara thought for sure her son had gone mad. "You speak without thinking son, your accusations can damage Alana's reputation, watch what comes out of your mouth before your soulmate is held accountable for your rubbish!"
"''Tis not rubbish I speak of mother, your precious daughter in law to be has bedded Gabriel!"
"But she's your soulmate son, how can she sleep with another?" His mother asked, confused with her sons behavior.
"Gabriel and I are both her soulmate!"
"No son you are wrong!"
"No mother I am not wrong, I have seen her blue prints and she has two soulmates!" Evan yelled, crazy out of his mind with hate for Gabriel.
"If you speak the truth son then there is only one thing to do, you must claim her body and make a connection quickly before it's too late!"
"She has already slept with Gabriel mother, don't you see? Alana is in love with him and will not be able to connect with me, tis too late for that now!"
"No son you are wrong, I know without a doubt that you are her true soulmate, an angel can not fall in love and sleep with a human." His mother explained, "when an angel lowers his frequencies and comes to earth he feels human things, but those feelings are not real!"
The Fay stopped breathing and allowed his mothers words to soak into his heart before he spoke, "How sure are you of this?"
Lifting her chin upwards to look into her sons eyes, she said in a firm and unwavering tone of voice, "I am damn sure of this son!"
Evans heart beat wildly against his muscled chest, if his mother speaks the truth, then he still has a chance to connect with Alana.
Looking into her sons eyes, lady Mara expelled a sigh of relief, he wasn't giving up, there was still hope. "Hurry son, go claim your soulmate!"
The Fay warrior swished past his mother faster than the speed of light to go claim his bride.
*************
When Alana opened her eyes it was with a melting heart that she saw Gabriel standing above her.
"Alana." His thunderous voice matched the passion in his eyes.
Quickly pulling herself into a sitting position, Alana pulled a strand of hair away from her face and wiped a single tear that rolled down her face.
"Gabriel," his name fell from her lips in a soft whisper.
"Alana we don't have much time, please hear what I have to say before it's too late." The archangel begged. "You must forget my existence and connect with Evan, he is your true soulmate, not I. He will come to you soon and you must accept your fate, time is very important and you must make the soulmate connection before time runs out!"
"No Gabriel I can't, how can you ask this of me? I thought you loved me!" Alana cried, as more tears glided down her face.
"I love you with everything inside me, but 'tis forbidden to claim you mine. Our lives are not ours to indulge in life's pleasures Alana, you are the light of the world and carry a heavy burden and I am archangel Gabriel, protector of Heaven and earth!"
"No, no, no, Gabriel, we belong together you and I," Alana desperately tried to convince the archangel that she spoke the truth, "please, Gabriel love me, give yourself to me, I need you, I love you!"
Gabriel desperately tried with everything inside him to convince himself that his feelings were not true, they were that of the human realm, but his heart argued that fact. He had fallen in love with her, his feelings were not that of a human but true everlasting love that soulmates feel. He knew now that even if he wanted to stay away from her, he could not. He was losing his self control and felt himself falling on dangerous grounds.
The archangel finally lost the battle within himself. He loved her, and there was no going back now, for he had crossed the threshold even before he had time to fight it.
************
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