Alluring Trap

Carolene's eyes flew wide open when she heard her name in the empty room.She sat up and quickly lit a candle then her eyes surveyed her environment.There was no one in the room except her.She suddenly felt her skin crawl.

"Who's there!"she called out.

"You don't need to be frightened,I don't intend hurting you"

When the voice came again she realized it was telepathy.Whoever it was was communicating through her brain and just any demon could do that.

"Wh..what do you wa...nt from me?"she asked In a trembling voice, beads of sweat running downher chin.

"You do want to see your family again now don't you"

"I do,it they are all dead and long gone_"

"I can bring them back!"

Carolene's eyes widened as few drops of tears fought their way down her chin, memories flowing backto her.

"Ha...how?"she asked and a loud laughter rang in her ears.

"Of cos In order to do that you have to do something for me first".

Carolene wiped her face with her hand

"You know you are a pretty good liar, the dead cannot come back alive ,that's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard and dont you ever!wake me up next time when am sleeping"Carolene rested her head on her pillow and shut her eyes.

"Such a big moron"she cursed.

"Meet me in the courtyard garden by midnight and I'll show you just how possible it is.Come with no one".

Carolene reopened her eyes and stared at the candle.When the voice didn't come again she knew the link had been severed.

She tried to pull herself together knowing who ever it was couldn't find Fiona's chambers thanks to the Emperor's barrier that was why he needed her to come to him.

She had stopped trembling but left the candle burning,her huge eyes staring into the little flame for a very long time.

At midnight Carolene staggered up,the words she had heard had kept her up all night.When she was a child her village was raided by outlawed demons.She and some other young girls of her age had been captured and sold as slaves to slave merchants,then to the imperial palace.The small village had resisted and that caused the slaughter

Everyone died including her parents and younger brother Malvin,only the captured survived the raid.

She would give anything to see her family again.If there was a way she wanted to know.She badly wanted her family back

And now someone had told her there was a way,she would go see for herself but wouldn't be so reckless to go alone.

Carolene exited the room and made her way through the empty hallway.She passed multiple pillars,opened an old door then turned down a spiral stairway.It was a hidden stairway which connected the Empress quaters to the knights quaters that probably the Empress never knew about.She would need help and the only one she could trust at this point was Gerald.

As she opened the door at the end of stairway, running a long corridor with rooms on either side she prayed she would find Gerald at the knights quaters because he was always with the Emperor.

"Pls be in your room Gerald"she said as she raced down another flight of stairs,candle in hand.

When she arrived at the knights quaters her eyes sighted two knights from a distance,she knew what it meant, interrogations and she didn't have the luxury of time for that.

Carolene turned to go the other way, but one called out.

"You there!"

She stopped and turned their way .As they drew near she noted the color of their armour,green and red patrol knights.She wanted to make a run for it but froze when a sword pointed at her.

"Let down your sword mate, she's but a servant here"one of them said calmly after eyeing her from head to toe."I have seen this face around the imperial palace before"he muttered.

"Who are you and why snooping around at this late hour"the other knight questioned, watching her warily,his eyes not leaving her face as he replaced his sword back in it's sheath

"Carolene,the Empress personal maid".

Carolene watched as one of the knights whispered into the other's ears and they both nodded.

"Am here for Gerald"she continued"is he in?"

They both threw glances at each other and laughed.Carolene's eyes went from one knight to the other wondering what was so funny.

"Didn't know he would pick this pretty,so knights do get horny.Smart ass he is,bet she would taste good".

"What!"Carolene looked puzzled.Are these men actually thinking she was having a fling with the Emperor's knight?

"Bet that's why he slept here tonight, didn't want to wake the Emperor with her moa...ninggggggggg"he stretched the last word and they laughed out even louder now.

"Wait hold on it's not what you think..."Carolene corrected and they both stopped laughing to look at her.

"What do you think we think?"One of them asked and the laughter commenced again.

Carolene stared grimly at the two knights,her two hands tightened on both sides into a fist.She didn't have time for this,it was past noon now and she hoped who ever spoke to her earlier was still waiting.

From what she heard, Gerald was in today but these knights were still in her way.

"Please I really want to see him".

"Seems she can't hold it any longer either best let her go before her hands do Gerald's job for him in front of us".

"Oh hell I want to see that"one of them said with excitement in his voice.

"Bastard!I'd rather do it myself than let her do it"the other said hitting him lightly on the head.

"Bet Gerald kills you if you mess up his play thing"

Plaything? Carolene paraphrased in her head.She clenched her jaw,now breathing rapidly from fury.From impatience,her mood was gradually turning to anger.

The longer she stood in front of these morons,the more she boiled up.

Suddenly footsteps approached them,the hand held a flame in it bright enough to light his way through the darkness around him.

They all turned in the direction and watched as Gerald's figure came into view wearing a white shirt which exposed the upper half of his chest over a pair of black pants.

The trio bowed as he reached where they stood.

Gerald's eyes shifted from the knights and settled on Carolene's and She quickly averted her gaze to the concrete floor.

"Why all the racket at these hour?"he questioned.

When no response came from the knights Carolene bowed and replied,

"I came looking for you".

Gerald narrowed his eyes,she was still not looking at him.

"What for?"

She grabbed his arm and led him out of the knights earshot then she filled him in on everything and they both raced to the courtyard.