Chapter 35

Zezi shot right out of bed.

In a blink, she had ran straight to the window, her hands on the heavy red fabric as she threw the curtains aside. The sunlight that flashed through the thick transparent glass burnt her eyes. She staggered back, her breathing quick, her hands on her fast raising and falling chest, her eyes widened with realization and fear, as she looked around.

Daylight.

Full daylight.

She gasped almost inaudibly.

She had slept.

She had slept!

How could she have done that?

Her family!

Her memories of last night were hazy, but she knew that her family was still in danger. She rushed towards the door at wolf's speed, not minding what she smelt or looked like. Just as she was about to get to the door, a wave of darkness hit her, sending her head a little dizzy as her hand quickly grasped the doorknob for stability.

The emotions that rushed over her were immense.

Rage.

Anger.

Coldness mixed with cruelty.

She blinked, shaking her head.

These emotions felt foreign, like they weren't hers.

There was also that smell of the first rain that stuck to her nose, a scent she knew belonged to the King. It was almost like he was there, standing right next to her, like she could touch him if she only tried-- no-- closer, like he was her.

She blinked, shaking her head vigorously, trying to understand what was going on with her.

Why was she feeling this way?

Anyways, that wasn't important. What she had to do right now was knock this door down and find her family.

Her lips quivered with tears as the dreadful thoughts of what might have become of them while she had been passed out, rushed through her mind.

A cold that seemed to chill her to the bones went through her, whimpering gasps of half-expectant grief slipped through her lips, and slow, hot tears ran down her cheeks.

Her daughter.

Her mate.

She just hoped that she wasn't too late.

She pressed down the doorknob once, to confirm if it was really locked

It was.

So she moved back and ran at it with full force, hitting her weight against something hard.

It wasn't wood though, like a door.

In fact, it was a body.

"Milady!"

"Gwen." She said breathlessly, giving her a one-over quickly to ensure that all was alright. She looked a bit shaken, not by surprise but by pain. Overall, she looked fine.

"Milady, you are awake." Gwen moved into the door, slamming the door shut behind her.

Zezi looked over to the slammed door, protest at the tip of her tongue, but when she looked at Gwen's face, she observed how worried she seemed to be, and fear increasingly filled her mind, making her eyes mist with unshed tears.

"How long?" Her hands grasped Gwen's arms, while Gwen held her elbow, most likely trying to push her into a seat and calm her down. She really didn't need that right now. "How many days have I laid down here while misery befell my family?! Where is my family?"

"A night." Gwen quickly provided, looking up at her. She had now given up on leading her to her bed so that she could sit and calm down. From the looks of things, that would be useless. "You have been asleep for only a night, Milady."

Zezi nodded, but she refused to waste much time on the relief that the answer had brought her. She needed her next question answered immediately. "My family, tell me about my family."

"They are alive."

"And well?" Her grip tightened around Gwen's hands. "Are they well? Tell me."

"Y-yes, Milady," she gulped, forcing a smile. "They are very well. Lady Delice was a big help."

Zezi blinked, her unshed tears wetting her eyelashes, her grip loosening around Gwen's arms, as her face formed into a frown, relaxed back then scrunched right back into a frown.

Something didn't seem right.

"I want to see them."

She let Gwen go, heading to the door.

"Milady, wait! The guards at the door will not grant you passage."

"Then I will break this door now to the ground!" Her eyes flashed blue, her hands curled to fists by her sides. "That was exactly what I was trying to do before you came in anyway."

Gwen immediately went in front of her, her eyes wide, her body... jittery?

That was strange.

She stepped back a little, her heart going cold with loss.

"Did you lie about my family? Did your King kill th---" her voice trailed off with tears. "Tell me the truth, please."

"No!" Gwen shook her head. "No, absolutely not. They are fine, they are perfect." Her gaze dropped to the floor, next thing Zezi knew, Gwen was on her knees. "I have done something... something huge. You have to forgive me, Milady. I didn't know what else to do. I made a bloodoath on your behalf to save your family---"

Zezi sighed in relief.

Now that sounded like the truth. Although she didn't know what the bloodoath was about, it made her believe that her family was alive. It was typical of a devil-like the King to want something in the place of something.

"Thank you."

Gwen stopped short, looking up at her Mistress with shock. "I don't think you understand, Milady. You are bound to a bloodoath I made on your behalf. I must tell you from the beginning."

"I don't have time for this."

Zezi took a hurried step closer to the door but Gwen stood up abruptly, once again blocking her path. Despite Zezi's unwillingness to listen to this whole story, Gwen was quick to tell.

"The bloodoath contains--"

"I don't care about what the bloodoath contains, Gwen!" She snapped then her voice dropped with the tears that threatened to choke her throat. Despite the reassurance she had felt earlier, she couldn't help but feel that she was getting lied to again. The way Gwen kept standing in her way was starting to be very suspicious.

They must have done something to her family; maybe they were alive, but certainly not fine. She just couldn't see the King letting her family go like that. She still remembered how he had made a promise on his so-called honour and broken it easily.

She didn't trust him. Or anyone.

"I want to see my family."

"Of course," she stepped aside, her hands held together tightly.

If Gwen had a heart, right now it would be racing. Madly.

"I will tell Lady Laura who will--"

The door swung open at that moment and Gwen stepped back, bowing instinctively in greeting.

Zezi stood up straight.

Even without looking, she knew who had stepped in. The feeling that washed over her was enough to tell. The strange thing that had taken over her this morning wasn't helping matters.

There he was.

The devil himself.