Chapter 37

Chapter 37

As he approached her, his face and hands were stained with the blood of his people. She saw the hurt in his eyes and began to question whether this marriage was a mistake. It only fueled the hatred the people had towards her.

"Ana," he said, gently cupping her chin in his hand.

She considered fleeing the castle, hiding somewhere far away. But where could she go? Back to her home, where her mother was no longer alive? Or leave the kingdom altogether? What if she was captured by the villagers while traveling?

"Why didn't you hide?" he asked.

"That wouldn't stop them from wanting me dead," she replied.

"Perhaps I should run far away from here."

"If you run, I will chase you until I find you," he said, his eyes locked on hers. "Don't fret. I can protect you from your enemies."

"By killing your people?" she asked, her voice laced with pain.

He remained silent for a moment, his gaze still fixed on her blue eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

"You don't need to be sorry," she said. "This isn't your fault."

She stood up, but he grasped her arm, pulling her back down.

"I know you're angry, but it's not safe for you outside right now," he said, his voice firm but gentle.

"Why don't you teach me how to fight to protect myself?" She asked.

He pulled her chin closer. "I could turn you into a vampire and no one would try to harm you."

Anastasia quickly pulled away. She knew what would happen if he turned her. She could die during the transition because she was a mermaid and there was no such thing as a hybrid.

"I don't want to be like—"

"Me?" He asked.

"You think I'm a monster because of how my kind enslaves the humans?"

"Stop turning my words," she said. "I don't want to turn into a vampire because I like being human. This is who I am and I don't want to change myself."

He stood up, taking her hand in his. "We should leave so the guards can take the bodies away."

As Anastasia strolled with him, she realized the number of people he had killed. They were more than dozens, all lying on the ground dead. Her eyes met Maggie's, and she remembered the words she had told her.

Anastasia turned to Cassius. "What do you think of Emily?"

"The Elders are trying to ship us together. They want me to take her as Mistress," he replied.

Anastasia felt a feeling in her stomach - a feeling of jealousy at the thought of having to share Cassius with another woman. The thought made her jaw clench with anger.

"What's wrong?" Cassius asked, and she shook her head. Why was she thinking like this? It's not as if this marriage would last for long. He could take whoever he wants as his Mistress or even second wife.

"Nothing," she said.

They walked downstairs to the living room, which was now cleaned. The guards were doing their job, dragging the bodies away.

"What would happen to the bodies now?" She asked.

"They'll be burned," he replied.

"Burned?" She asked, surprised. "Why not bury them?"

"They committed treason and this is their punishment," he replied. "They cannot be buried in this land."

His words made her think about what could have happened to her body if the commander had executed her. Would they have burned her too?

"I will be in the court house, Ana," he said. "If you need anything, ask the maids."

"Okay," she said, and she watched him leave the castle with two guards.

As the guards were cleaning the mess in her room, she decided to go upstairs to read in the library. While she was reading, she fell asleep. The sound of a mermaid screaming in her dream woke her up. The only thing she could remember in her dream was the loud scream.

The chandelier light reflected off the book she was still holding. The castle was quiet. The servants had gone to finish their tasks. With the sudden attack at the castle that morning, Anastasia didn't feel safe. She stood up, staring out the window to see that it was early afternoon.

She left the library, going downstairs to receive some fresh air in the garden. As she stepped outside the castle, the wind brushed her body, her hair scattering all over her face. She didn't know why, but she didn't feel calm at all. It felt as if something evil had occurred. What was it?

She heard a loud cry and snapped her head in the direction it came from. It was from the servant's quarters.

She walked forward, following the cry to the servant's quarters. She didn't know what had happened, but she could feel the dread.

She reached the servant's quarters to see a maid crying, covering her mouth with one hand.

"What happened?" she asked the maid.

The maid was shaking, her face covered with tears. "I... I don't know what happened," the maid cried. "Eva... she looks very sick, and I feel she might not see another day."

"Take me to her," she said, following the maid.

They entered the room, and her eyes fell on the dark wound on Eva's neck. The area was inflamed and swollen, with a dark shade of red. A thin, yellowish discharge oozed out of the wound. Anastasia's eyes widened at the wound.

"What happened to her?" she asked.

"We... we don't know," the maid replied. "We went to the river yesterday to swim, and when we came out of the river, this wound appeared on her neck."