Negotiation

Jerrick smirked. His long bony fingers elegantly wiped the blood dripping at the corner of his lips. Covering her with the blanket, he sat on the bed with his back to her. All his actions were elegant and careless as if he wasn't affected even a little bit.

Jessamyn, on the other hand, was panting hard. She wanted to move but her heart was pounding so hard and her entire body was shaking. She couldn't move an inch as she felt giddy.

A few minutes later, he limped his way to the dresser at the far end of the room and wore a robe. "Have some rest," he said as he rekindled the fire in the fireplace. On the way, he picked up his belt.

Jessamyn gathered some strength and sat up. "I am leaving," she said. 

She won't be able to rest in a dangerous place like this. She needed to find Isadora. She probably would have returned to the town if she was safe. Otherwise…

She hoped Isadora was safe.

 Also, she needed to run away quietly lest rumors spread. She wouldn't want to be talked about with this man again. 

Placing his big hand on the wall, he turned to look at her. A menacing smirk danced on his impeccable face. "Leave? No, you're not going anywhere stealing away my…" he scoffed. 

"What did I steal? I am asking for my clothes!" she asked dryly. She put his accusation on the back burner. 

Her entire body ached. The wound on her neck stung.

"Your clothes? Are you talking about that purple hood?" he smirked as if he got her.

Jessamyn gulped. He got the purple hood she wore during her mission. She might be helping others but others thought of her as this mindless killer who killed innocents. 

Mutts. That's whom Jessamyn hunted.

The original shapeshifters used to rule Ayberia but they had died out. There weren't any known shapeshifters in their kingdom for ages, but lately, there are sightings of mutts who were accidentally transformed by the original shapeshifters.

They cannot change their forms back to human form like the shapeshifters. Shapeshifters—the highest-class beings, could change their form at will; then there are werebeings whose shifting abilities depend on the moon cycle. 

As for mutts, their human form was dead the moment they were "touched" by the shapeshifter. They were stuck in that beastly form until they were relieved from their suffering. 

Whether they were underground all these years or whether some original shapeshifter had returned, Jessamyn didn't know. The Council would be looking into it. 

But some wicked people were taking advantage of these mutts for their nefarious plans. The Council wanted to protect Ayberia from the wicked and Jessamyn aided them by weeding off the pitiful mongrels. Only silver killed them. Normal swords were useless against them.

She would love to be called "The Silver Arrow". She wanted to be known by her weapon and not by what she wore while hunting. 

But sadly, she was only known for what she wore. 

Jessamyn knew that outing that secret might be harmful. But she was not willing to let him blackmail her with that fact for she despised rumors about her spending the night with him more.

Also, she trusted that the Council would find a way to keep her secret. 

"No, I am talking about my widow's weeds," she said in a crisp voice. 

She didn't know if it was her words, but the smirk on his face got wiped out. Glaring at her, he limped to the door. 

Jessamyn gathered her strength while clutching to the blanket. She would make a run for it when he opened the door. 

As she watched him limp his way to the door, she got an answer to the thought she had put on the back burner. Women did have the incredible capability to think about a hundred stuff at the same moment. 

"I am not pregnant if that's what you meant," she said. 

Steal, he said. She only got one thing from him that she couldn't return. 

He stopped. "You're awfully... sure about that," he said. 

So, that's what he meant!

"I am," Jessamyn answered with her eyes bright. 

 She couldn't be pregnant. She dealt with poisons; her body got used to some of it. Unless her body flushed off the poison, she wouldn't get pregnant. It was a fact. 

"What if you are?" 

"I am not."

Again, he stared at her with a stoic expression. She couldn't figure out what he was thinking. She never did, anyway. But she needed to convince him to let her leave if she wanted her life back.

She got down in an attempt to get closer to the door. He proceeded toward the door.

"If you want, I'll stay in the town for a couple of months until a physician of your choice confirms I am not pregnant," she said hurriedly walking to the door. 

He didn't stop and walked out. The door shut on her face and she heard him locking the door. She leaned on the door dejectedly. 

Even if she walked out, what could she have done? This castle would be littered with his people and she would be caught before she could reach the end of the hallway.

Walking with the blanket around was hard and she went to check on the dresser he got his robe from. It was filled with his shirts and robes. She didn't want to wear any of that. She cussed at him in her heart for not even leaving her chemise or knickers in the room. 

Covering herself with the blanket, he went to the window to have a look. If this was his room, with his bad leg, he would be on the first or second floor. It wouldn't be hard to jump out. From there, she could find a way out.

The cold wind froze the tip of her nose as she opened the window. She could see the entire town from there and the forest in the distance. 

Is he stupid or does he want to be in pain? Why does he live on the fourth floor, that too, close to the servants' quarters? 

She looked down. Right under his room was a pavement that ran through the castle premises to the forest. Covering both sides of the pavement were tall hedges. If she managed to climb down safely, she might escape as there were not many staff on this side of the castle. 

She leaned out to check if there was a way for her to climb down safely. Although the afternoon sun was high up in the sky, the cold breeze was harsh. She put her hair into a bun as it fell on her eyes.

She sighed seeing the abyss below. The wind whistled in her ears. The architect must have taken into account of robbers, there wasn't much to hold on the wall. 

 She was not as skillful as Isadora in climbing but she could try. The worst that could happen is her getting caught for trying to steal in the Archduke's castle. Or, she might break her limbs. She'd rather risk her head or limbs than get entangled with him in other ways.

"Bernard!!!"

Jessamyn almost lost her grip hearing Jerrick's shout from behind her. He was standing ten feet behind her. 

When did he get here?

"Throw her out!!!" Jerrick shouted at the door. 

Throw who out?

Jessamyn was not left to her thoughts for long. Her heart sank hearing Isadora's scream. Jessamyn poked her head out. From the nearby window, Isadora was dangling. She could only see a giant arm holding Isadora by the collar like she was a kitten.

"Isadora!" Jessamyn shouted. 

She is here too? 

"Milady!" Isadora stopped screaming and waved at her. "I found you! Are you okay?" she asked, her smile reaching her pretty green eyes. 

"What are you doing? Let her go!" Jessamyn shouted at Jerrick. 

He was leaning casually on the door. 

"LET HER~"

"No!!! Don't!" Jessamyn interjected him. If he asked "Bernard" to let Isadora go, that guy would drop her. Isadora wouldn't survive the fall.

Her throat got heavy as she tried to swallow her emotions. Her eyes clouded. 

"What do you want?" she asked, choking on her tears. "Please, do not hurt Isadora."