Chapter 23: please kill me

Larkin sat by the edge of her window reading a book. Her eyes brushed past the words as she reimagine it as her own fantasy land.

"I just wanted to know if you're alright" those words has been in her head for the past two days.

Whenever she remembers the look on Oona's face, Larkin feels burdened. She could tell the girl was passing through things beyond her power.

"You should be more worried about yourself" Larkin talks to her book and sighed while closing the pages. She turned to the garden outside her window and stared at the flowers.

"You should talk to her you know" Manasseh sat on a couch reading a book as well, he had tea served in front of the beautifully carved center table.

"I don't talk to murderers" Larkin scoffed out

"But you talk to me" Manasseh arched a brow and turned to her with a smug face. "I don't really know much about this girl and even if I wanted to I can't" Larkin turned to Manasseh and rolled her eyes. "But I know one thing for sure"

"Which is?" She questioned while stepping down from the window frame, the room they were in was more of a lab than a drawing room. There were alot of tables at one end of the room with different kinds of shaped bottles and substance in it.

"She needs a shoulder to lean on, one I know Sage would never give" Manasseh's lips curved upward.

"You want to use a weak soul for your benefit" Larkin cast on irritated gaze on him.

"You can't blame me, either that or I sit and wait for Sage's sword to decapitate me" he closed his book and placed it on the table, turning to his mistress with a sharp domineering gaze. "You're going to meet Oona and apologize for what you did. Get on her good side and when the time is right pull her to me"

Larkin bowed to him with a twitching face "as you wish Lord Manasseh"

SAGE'S MANOR

Oona read the history book in front of her intensely, the library was quiet and very cold. Cornette had glimmering eyes of uncertainty while her aide looked at Oona with awe.

For the past two days Oona had taken all lessons without complaint and even completed all the assignments given to her. It was almost too good to be true.

"What is the heirloom of the royal family?"

"I don't really know that" Oona answered in a dull and sullen way. This infuriated Cornette.

"Let me get this straight" Cornette slammed her hands on the table causing her aide to gasp. "When you decide to be happy, you're a numb brain, when you finally decide to be intelligent you're gloomy and sad"

Oona stared at her book not wavering from the insults Cornette had poured on her. For the past days she has been strangled over and over again. Her mind is in a mess, her heart is wary, she has no idea when she'll finally be killed. What sadden her the most is the fact that Sage has been cold to her. She had cried every ounce of water and blood to satisfy the pain in her heart but it still doesn't go away.

To devoid her thoughts from the gruesome nights ahead of her, she decided to engross herself in studying. At least she could acquire a few knowledge before parting to the other side.

"I'm talking to you, a lady doesn't ignore her teacher, no matter her standing in the chain of power" Cornette roared at the top of her voice.

Oona closed the textbook she was reading and looked up to Cornette's eyes. "Get out" her voice was cold, no chilling and her eyes were deadpan and deadly. She looked like an assassin about to commit mass murder.

"What did you say to me?" Cornette didn't flinch at Oona's gaze instead got more irritated.

"I said get out" her voice roared in the room and the shelves shook. Cornette's women all jolted out in fear and left the room. Cornette stepped back a little bit terrified by the aura Oona was giving off.

"I'll leave " she studdered out "but you will not go unpunished" she hurriedly left the door and slammed it. Oona was left alone in the room to the silence. To her surprise the silence settled her turbulent heart.

A few minutes had passed when a maid walked into the library "Milady" Oona turned to the maid calmly but didn't smile. "You have a guest"

Oona was taken aback by her words "guest?" She asked and her maid nodded immediately.

Oona tailed behind the maid slowly, she kept pondering on who might be here to visit her.

Larkin sat in the huge drawing room, her hands held each other, she didn't know why but she felt very nervous. What was she supposed to tell the girl?

She still felt unsettling anger towards Oona, the image of her family dead laying on their blood still haunted her. She wasn't in support of playing emotional support for the girl.

She looked round the room and sucked her teeth, everything was white and gold. "I wished the person who owned this manor had a bright heart like it's walls"

She turned to the door when Oona walked in. They both glanced at each other in the most awkward way ever. Oona bowed to Larkin nervously, she was a little bit threatened by Larkin's aura.

"Welcome Lady Larkin, what a surprise I didn't expect you'd be my guest" Oona sat on a couch opposite Larkin "is there anything I might help you with?" Oona looked calm and composed but one could easily point out that she was fidgeting with sweat forming on her face.

Larkin closed her eyes to calm herself. "I'm here to apologize for the way I spoke to you"

Oona looked at Larkin in the eyes, she could tell it wasn't by her own will. She then turned to the maids in the room and ushered them to leave the room.

"You don't have to apologize if you don't want to" Oona replied after her maids had left. "I can still sense your hatred towards me" Larkin tilted her head and folded her hands and glared at her. She couldn't hold up her act anymore. "I guess I don't need to smile anymore"

Oona nodded slowly and smiled "I apologize for the death of your family" her words made veins pop on Larkin's head.

"What is that supposed to do for me? Bring back the lives you took? Bring back my village?" Her peach glowing eyes glared at Oona intensely but Oona kept her gaze low, very low, she didn't want Larkin to be killed.

"No, to be honest I wish I could bring them back " she started " I wish I could rewind the hands of time and take me back to the day it all started"

Larkin's face twitched in annoyance " don't you dare act like you need pity" she suppressed her anger and calmed her nerves. "You're a murderer, you've taken hundreds of lives and here you are enjoying the beauty of the same life you took from others"

Oona bit her lower lip, her eyes were watery once again. "I never asked for this" she studdered out while clenching her hands. "I never wanted this, I was never meant to live"

"Oh please drop the act, I know your kind. You find pleasure in taking from others" Larkin spat out angrily. Oona sat still and pondered on how far she has come in life.

"I'm sorry for murdering your family " she started calmly "if death is the only way for you to feel satisfied, I beg you " she looked at Larkin in the eye, tears pouring down her eyes "please kill me"

Larkin felt cold, her heart banged in her chest and rang in her ears. She realized she was losing strength and quickly cast a spell on herself. Oona immediately covered her eyes and curled up in the couch.

"Thank you for coming today" Larkin gripped her chest and staggered up slowly. She stared at Oona in disbelief. "the maids will see you out" Oona quickly stood up and left the room.

Oona felt more miserable than a cripple man. Her head banged endlessly and her eyes burned. She quickly ran to her room, she needed rest before she would slump. But then again she didn't want to sleep, she was terrified by her dreams and the lady who kept strangling her.

Once she was in, she locked herself in the closet and cried her eyes out. Letting all her pain out as tears.

Sage walked into the dinning hall, he wore a white shirt and red pants. Most of the servants had their eyes on him while others on their feet. He quietly ate his meal totally ignoring the fact Oona had missed both lunch and dinner. Though it bothered him a little bit, he wondered if it had something to do with him. Bjorn had popped veins and sharp eyes, he controlled the anger bubbling in his heart.

"Milord" Sage's butler looked at Sage warily, he turned to Oona's empty seat and then to Sage. Sage didn't say anything nor did he look at Oona's empty seat. He wasn't in the mood to do anything except eating.

"The Lady Larkin visited milady today" the butler stated with a shrewd look on his face. Sage's eyes narrowed, the spoon he held in his hand vibrated. He turned to the butler then at his servants.

"Where is she?" He asked coldly, glimmering eyes filled the room and Bjorn puffed out happily.

"Milady haven't left her room since the Lady Larkin left" the butler replied. Sage stood up abruptly and left for his room. All the servants sighed in relief while others jumped while Sage's butler adjusted his suit in a regal way.

Sage walked into his room slowly, he had felt a little bit guilty for the way he treated Oona recently. He still felt annoyed and unhappy but he knew he had done her wrong and had to make up.

He looked round the room, it had a few candles lit while the moonlight shine in from the window. To his surprise there was no one in.

Oona walked out of the bathroom with a white towel round her body, her wet black hair stuck to her pale milky shoulders and parts of her neck. Her eyes were slightly red from all the crying but at least the hot water eased up her tensed self.

Sage stood still like a statue while he watched Oona walk out of the bathroom. She looked like a ghost. He felt light headed and his body heated up, her appearance triggered something in his head. His throat ran dry when she turned to him. They both stared at each other for the longest time which wasn't up to a minute. Oona's face turned red and her reflex kicked in

"(Gasp) Sage" she turned back to bathroom and closed the door, Sage blinked a few times trying to assimilate what just happened. "I didn't know you were back" he could hear Oona stammer behind the door.

"Em... I wanted to check on you, since you didn't have dinner" he's words were all ups and downs. 'Sagius what's wrong with you' he yelled at himself internally. He turned to the door and stared at it blankly, his ears were completely flushed 'this isn't the first time you're seeing her like this'

"Ohh I was just about to come down stairs" Oona replied, she opened the bathroom door and peeped through, when she noticed he wasn't looking she quickly ran into the closet. A smile creeped up Sage's lip.

He sighed and walked to the bed, his eyes glued to the closet door. He felt like pulling out the door and staring at Oona's bare skin. 'Sage!!!!!' His inner mind screamed. Why was he behaving this way, a while ago he wanted to apologize to her so why the body pheromones.

Oona walked out of the room wearing her nightgown, it was a green gown with long sleeves and a round neck. Sage felt a little bit disappointed. Oona stood by the door staring at Sage as he did same.

"Wanna go somewhere?" Sage asked calmly though his inner man wasn't. Oona looked a little bit excited, an expression he hadn't seen in a while. "Come on" he stood up and walked up to her. Oona took a step back when she noticed they were too close. "I have to carry you"

She pressed her lips together and stiffened, Sage gently carried her and walked towards the window. Oona looked at him a little bit confused. "I can walk to the window"

"I know you can, but you can't jump out" Oona instinctively round her hands around him the minute she noticed Sage was about to jump. Sage jumped out the window and at the point where he was about to reach the ground, roots emerged out it and swallowed them.