Chapter Eleven

I had sat for what seemed like hours on the floor of my room when it grew dark Tricia lit the candles and left me there looking at me with pity. The skirt of my ivory-colored dress spread around me like a puddle, dirt from the floor covered the skirt, and yet I didn't have the strength to change. I kept remembering how it felt to have my fingers running through Rowan's silver hair, his hair was just as soft and silky as it had looked. Those memories made my heart tighten in my chest, and yet each time the memory of Rowan's lover would ruin those little thoughts of mine. "Rowan," I whispered his name aloud to the shadows of the room expecting no reply. And no reply followed, my shoulders shivered. I couldn't help but blame myself.

The door to my room opened and tiredly I lifted my head. "Rowan?" I stood quickly, and in the doorway was a wild looking long haired king. Without thought I ran to him, throwing my arms around his neck. I didn't know him well, nor did I particularly like him. I was just so relieved that he was alive. His body tensed up with the sudden hug, with that I quickly let him go when I realized what I had done. "Are you alright?" I asked quickly, as I smoothed down the front of my dress with my cheeks turning bright red. "I was going to stay till you woke up like you asked me to but your lover-"

"My lover?" Rowan asked, his face was stone like and gave nothing away. The air around him was cold, a shiver ran up my spine. He quickly closed the door behind him, locking it. With the click of the lock my heart began to pound. "What in the world are you talking about?" The candles looked like they were flickering in a horror movie.

"The man." I mumbled. "He kissed you." I was starting to get scared as he grew closer to me.

"Perhaps." He purred. "But he is not my lover, nor is he my type. I prefer my lovers to be female." I mentally kicked myself in the butt, I knew I should mind my own business. That it didn't matter who someone was into, or what. But I couldn't help it, normally I would turn a blind eye but it hurt me to see that other man kiss Rowan.

"So you are alright then?" I asked him, he seemed to move like a tiger stalking his prey. It was slow, his eyes never leaving mine and my heart was racing so loudly in my ear, it was making it hard to concentrate. He stayed silent, and I was looking for a way out. "Then, why are you here if you are alright?" My voice shook, and it wasn't long until I backed into my bedpost.

"Perhaps you can tell me why you poisoned the tea? After I so kindly stepped in to dance with you yesterday evening when everyone else was too disgusted to dance with you," I winced at his comment. "I even gracefully went to the garden with you." He was right against me, he had his right arm above my head and his left hand tilting my chin up to meet his cold gaze.

"I didn't poison you." Tears were forming and getting ready to fall from my eyes. I refused for him to see me cry. "I didn't want you to get hurt."

"Why do you do this to me?" He growled, his voice was low as if to himself. He stared into his hands, before clenching them into fist. "Why do you torture me so?" He slammed his hand into the bedpost, causing me to flinch.

"Why are you doing this?" I closed my eyes, hoping that he was just trying to scare me and then he would leave me alone, but the way he was gripping my chin I felt like he was just getting started. "Ow, you're hurting me."

"Look how weak you are. Nothing but a weak little human." He laughed and that's when I bolted for the door. As easy as drawing a moth to a flame, the Dragon grabbed the sleeve of my arm throwing me across the room, ripping the sleeve in the process. I landed against the wall, my head hitting the stone wall with a loud smack. The world around me was distorted. "Get up." He ordered me. I cradled my head in my hand. I wanted to stay down, but my body began to react on its own. I slowly made my way up.

"I thought what the maids gossiped about you were lies." Tears were starting to fall. "I didn't do anything to you. So, why?"

"Human." His voice was cruel, but it had a softness to it. That's when I noticed his eyes, they weren't their lovely golden color but a bright crimson red. Eyes of a demon. "You are a cruel temptress, just look at what you are doing to me now." He opened his arms dramatically. "Our fates, intertwined by our elders and yet you pretend not to remember me. How cruel you are."

"You are acting like a mad man," I shouted, and I prayed that a maid would hear me and send some help. "Calm down, please." I begged him. "You're frightening me."

"Good." He purred and grew closer to me. "I want to kill you, my sweet Miriam." My eyes widened and my heart raced as two glowing orbs moved towards me. "I want to see the fear in your beautiful brown eyes, just like they are now. I want to hear your voice weak from youryou beautiful screams. I want to watch your life slip away right in front of my face." His voice was emotionless. No humor laced in with his voice "Do you know why a human girl?" He moved slow, with such arrogant confidants. "Because you vex me."

I took a step back. "Please stop it, your highness." I went for the door again, and once again that was a failed idea. He easily caught me and tossed me near the bed, I quickly jumped to my feet but he was already right against me.

"Scream for me." The Dragon mumbled. "Scream for help." I pressed my lips tight and shuddered. I refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing me scream. I fell backward onto the bed, he trapped me there. His body on top of mine, I could feel his body heat and could smell his sweet cologne. I knew that he was dangerous, that I needed to fight for my life, but there was something that made me trust him for some odd reason. I meet his eyes, trying to calm my breathing down. My head was throbbing, I probably had a concussion. But right at that moment, it didn't hurt as much as they looked in Rowan's eyes that had flashed by. "Miriam." He moaned my name so softly, that I almost didn't catch it.

"Why?" I quivered him, my voice didn't shake and I thanked God for that. I grabbed his wrist, holding them tightly.

"I don't get it." He was ignoring me, he was lost in his own thoughts. He trailed his finger over my cheekbone, then around my jaw. "You are not afraid of me, either that or you're good at hiding your fear." Bingo. He hit that right on the nail, I am actually terrified of him, and yet I felt like I wasn't even hiding it very well. "And even today you wept for me. Why? I don't understand." The way his voice sounded right then melted away my fears. Swallowing hard I reached my hand to his cheek, there was literally nothing soft about him. His face was boney and sharp. TheIn the orbs stared back at me. He didn't move or pushed me away.

"How dare you slap a king." He fell over to my side, some of my hair underneath his weight. I hissed and yanked it out. "Do you not realize I could easily have you severely punished, killed even, for such actions."

"Oh yeah, like I am scared of you." I snorted, trying to sound brave. I was pushing at him, trying to get him off me. He shifted his weight but stayed there.

With a shaky breath he slid his hand at the base of my neck. I went still, surely he wasn't going to kill me? But his hands gripped my neck and he started putting pressure down on my throat. I clawed at his hands and arms as he added his other hand on top, which was making it difficult to breathe. My head was beginning to feel like it would explode and my vision was getting blurry. It felt like forever when my body grew weaker, and my clawing became slaps. I closed my eyes, my eyelids were heavy. And then it stopped, right before blacking out he released me. I gasped and coughed for air, my lungs felt like they were burning.

"Miriam." Rowan smoothed my hair off my face, I looked at his face. Horrified, I noticed his eyes were the lovely golden color when mere seconds they were black as the night. "Forgive me." I laid back, my body too weak to run. I held my throat, my heart was racing and tears burning my eyes. I felt like I couldn't speak. "I won't do it again." He promised and laid next to me. This stranger tried to kill me, I knew then all the stories that Tricia warned me were true. Rowan was dangerous, and maybe he deserved to die like the Erlking mentioned. But I couldn't kill him, he would kill me before I even had the chance.

I knew I needed to stay clear of him, he was dangerous. I looked over at him. He was laying on his side, his hands folded in front of him and he was staring at me. I closed my eyes for what felt like a minute and when I opened them again, Rowan was gone.