Blinking my eyes, I squinted them as I wasn't able to open them properly because of the throbbing in the back of my head, where I had been hit. The moment I did, I realised my hands were tied by my back and I had been forcefully made to sit on my knees in a posture that was making my legs ache. I had been stripped off my sword, whip and the Fire. I saw Dan leaning against the opposite corner, fully healed, smirking at the scene in front of him.
Ian was tied the same way as me and was being beaten by the cloaked figure. He no longer had the hood covering his head, exposing his hair that were the same silky black as Ian only; they were shorter. I couldn't make out anything else as he had his back turned to me.
" Oh look! The sweet little princess is finally up. " Blair cooed, walking towards me. " You, my dear, are quite a deep sleeper. " She trailed her long nails along my right cheek, digging with enough pressure to draw blood. All the while, I glared at her.
This drew the attention of both Ian and his tormentor. His red eyes made the hair on my neck stand uncomfortably. High cheek bones, perfect nose and pink lips; I felt nothing but more disgusted on seeing his face. He was the murderer and my attacker. He deceived me into believing that Ian had betrayed us.
Thrashing, I tried to break the ropes but they wouldn't bulge.
" Yeah, they are charmed. We aren't fools to bind you with ordinary ones. " Blair rolled her eyes at my attempts.
All this while, I could still feel Ian and the cloaked stranger staring at me. I was getting uneasy by the red eyed stare, he after all, was the creepy spy. Somehow sensing my discomfort, Ian headbutted the stranger's stomach, making him fall. He swiftly got up and throw a right hook at Ian.
" Why, Blair? Why would you do all this? " I asked her softly. " I thought we were friends. "
The moment those words left my mouth, Dan let out a bark of laughter, making Blair throw a glare at him and them pin me with it.
" Friends? " She spat, " No, we were and are anything but "friends" " She air quoted, " You ,Arianna Fate, are my nemesis, and you don't make friends with your nemesis now, do you? "
By now more people, whom I thought to be students, had gathered in the opening, wearing black cloaks. They were kneeling with their eyes on the ground; they were their soldiers. I froze when I spotted a familiar auburn head among them.
" Carter? " I didn't want to believe my eyes but had no choice when he looked at me with those guilt filled hazel eyes, before looking away.
" But how... " I looked back at Blair, " Blair- "
" Don't call me that! " She snapped, making me gather myself.
Using her distraction, I discreetly pulled a knife from my boot and started cutting the rope binding my hands.
" What do I call you? " I asked her calmly. By now, Dan had joined the cloaked figure as Ian was giving him a hard time coming under control.
" My name is Duzzatt, Duzzatt Tears. Don't call me with that disgusting name again. " Blair or should I say Duzzatt had wrapped her fingers around my throat and started chocking me. " You have no idea how long I have been wanting to do that; to take what's mine. Fate's throne and Damien. "
My eyes widened at her confession but I couldn't do much because of the pressure on my throat.
" Hands off her, Duzzatt! She's mine. " The cloaked figure snarled. The pressure immediately disappeared.
" What do you mean? " I wheezed.
The cloaked figure pushed Duzzatt away and knelt in front of me. Pushing a strand of hair behind my ear, making me stiffen, he said softly, " My name is Adam Claw, I'm the Dark counter. And that is Daniel Dashkov, Light's nemesis. We were created at the same time as you, Fate's magic to balance you all out. " His red eyes bore into mine. When I didn't give him any reaction, he sighed, pulling away and went back to where Damien was tied down.
The new information had my mind running at thousand miles per second. Our nemesis. This meant they were equally powerful as us. This all did nothing but made me increase the pace at which I was cutting my ropes.
Daniel leisurely strolled towards me and sat down next to me, the exact same moment my rope came off around my hands I kept still, pressing them against the wall to hide them. He continued from where Adam had left,
" For the last 18 years, we have been banished, never been acknowledged while you got to be the royalty, being served everything on the silver platter; throne and now soulmates. " He snarled, turning to me, " We have to share our soulmates with someone else. Basically, they will decide whether they want us or the other piece of dirt as their mate. Turns out, you are Adam's soulmate and that pain over there, is Duzzatt's. " He gestured between me and Ian.
I laughed, " You have some guts, " I stared at the red eyed monster, " Calling me yours, after everything you have done. "
" I call you mine, because you are, mine. " He growled.
" You attacked me! " I accused Adam, " What soulmate does that? " I snarled.
" I didn't know then, I only knew once I turned 18. If I had known, I would never have hurt you. " Looking away from him, I exhaled.
" Why do you think Damien attacked us? He found out who we were and what threat we posed to his friends, family and his fated. " Daniel spat glaring at him.
This made me look at Ian, desperation clear in my eyes along with worry but most of all, apology. Apology for ever doubting him. His dark, deep-set eyes surprisingly held their own set of emotions; forgiveness, sadness, rage and something I couldn't point my finger on.
" His fated? " I asked confused, my eyes still trained on him. My heart sank a little, he knew who his fated was. But I on the other hand, was still clueless, with my emotions all over the place, I knew my heart wasn't free to concentrate and find him just yet.
Adam pushed Ian on his all fours and drew out a whip, my whip. And started hitting him but Ian didn't let out a single reaction, denying him any satisfaction. This only frustrated Adam and made his each stroke harsher than the previous one. All the while, Ian continued looking in my eyes.
When I couldn't take it anymore, I shut my eyes tightly and yelled, " Stop! " Opening my eyes, I looked at Duzzatt, " You say he's your other half, how can you let this happen to him? "
" What? He hasn't accepted me yet, plus he did try to kill me after knowing who he was to me. I believe, he deserves at least this much. Maybe, this will make him realize we are meant for one another. " Shrugging at me, she went and sat against the opposite wall.
Helplessly, I started at him and oh lord, were his eyes talking.
They said it all, they tried to reassure me that everything will be fine, that he's fine and again it was there, the anonymous emotion swirling so strongly in them. I couldn't control the tears that welled in my eyes on seeing his bleeding form being tortured like that. It was almost as if I could feel his pain, as if-
My eyes widened as I recognised the emotion shining in his eyes. Love. I sat up straight, my spine stiff, shoulders squared and jaw clenched. Closing my eyes, I cleared my mind and tired to concentrate to confirm my suspicion. Once I did, they snapped open, looking around, falling on the Scythe lying to Daniel's left.
I might be mistaken, but it was worth the risk. Catching Duzzatt's smug gaze with a glare of my own, I reacted. Stabbing Daniel in the neck with my knife, I flashed past him towards the Scythe. I reached it just in time as the army sprang to its feet ready to pounce at me. I could see the panic in Carter's eyes, as if he was scared for me and I could hear Daniel cursing as he healed after pulling out my knife.
Pointing the Scythe at Adam, I said, " Let go of him. "
In reply, he only smirked at me, " No point trying princess, that Scythe only works at the hand of the Dark heir, only my captive can make it work and catch fire, in your hands, it's of no significance. "
When I made no move to let go of it or surrender, he stabbed Ian right in his mid back, with the same dagger he used to kill those soldiers. The sight before me as well as the flashes my dead soldiers, made rage course through my veins like hot lava. I was furious.
So furious that my eyes changed their colour on their own, so furious that steam started rising from where I was holding the Scythe. With a loud hissing and sizzling, the Scythe roared as deadly blue fire lit along its blade, making everyone freeze in sheer shock.
My golden eyes clashed with Adam's red ones.
" I said, let go of my fated. "
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