Jasmine Scent

Scarlet hastily rushed out upon hearing of Ilvia's disappearance, leaving Emily with Vera and Edward following close behind. All Scarlet's mind could fathom was: Is Ilvia in danger?

"See who I caught, my little thief," Vera taunted with a sly grin. Emily unconsciously stepped back and attempted to run, only to have her hair yanked by Vera. Emily winced in pain from the force.

"You're coming with me," Vera declared, dragging Emily who refused to budge and pleaded to be released.

"Please..." Emily begged with tears in her eyes as Vera dragged her along the ground.

"You should have searched before plotting to steal from me," Vera scolded, tightening her grip on Emily's hair.

Emily scratched at Vera's delicate skin upon realizing that Consort Vera had no intention of releasing her. Vera winced in pain while Emily fell from her grasp. Emily tried to make a run for it, but Vera immediately grabbed her by the arm.

"Do you know how valuable that ring was? How dare a lowly servant steal it," Vera shouted, slapping Emily across the face and causing her to stumble and bleed from her lips.

Vera then proceeded to drag Emily by her hair along the cold dungeon floor. Emily cried out in pain as she was thrown into a cell and the door was swiftly locked behind her.

"Save me!" Emily screamed from her prison, pushing at the door in desperation. Her appearance was disheveled, with tears staining her face and her clothes covered in dust.

"Do you honestly think you can leave here without my permission? Even His Highness cannot release you, why? Because I have him wrapped around my finger. Watch closely," Consort Vera taunted with a smirk.

She then turned to leave, but stopped to tell the guard, "Do not give her any food and torture her until she reveals the whereabouts of my ring." Vera's expression was serious as she gave the command.

Meanwhile, Vera's trembling handmaid was waiting for her outside.

"My lady, His Highness has requested for your presence," the handmaid informed, avoiding eye contact with Vera as she spoke. Vera bit her lip seductively upon hearing this.

Vera smiled smugly and declared, "Consort Scarlet needs to learn her place. Only I can possess his highness. Alvin is truly amazing, to be able to take Scarlet's maidservant, Ilvia, without leaving a trace."

"Yes, my lady."

Vera entered Jareth's throne room, leaving her maidservant behind. She straightened her clothing entering.

"Your highness," Vera greeted with a smile, curtseying, but Jareth did not even bother to look up at her.

He tossed a stack of documents at her feet, piquing Vera's curiosity. As she picked them up, he raised an eyebrow.

"I see my consort has been working diligently to claim a portion of Ivory Land," he remarked.

Vera could sense trouble brewing. This was not what she had come for, but she was determined to achieve her goal before leaving. Jareth shouldn't be concerned about Scarlet or Ivory. Never!

"Your highness, I had a valid reason for doing so," Vera attempted to explain as she moved closer to him.

She sat beside him and took his hands in hers, caressing them. However, he pulled his hands away and refused to meet her gaze.

Vera let out a fake cry and leaned on Jareth's shoulder. "Your highness, you have been hurting me lately. Have you forgotten the promise you made to me? That you would love me forever? Do I no longer hold any meaning to you?" she sobbed.

This was the woman he loved, so why was he suddenly distant? He vividly recalled making a promise to her during the New Year festival to love forever. He used to be happy in her presence, so what had changed? He couldn't help but question himself.

In an awkward gesture, Jareth patted Vera's shoulder, causing her to lean in closer, her hands gripped tightly around him. An alluring jasmine scent wafted towards Jareth, triggering a dizzying sensation in his mind. He was all too familiar with this scent, one that could drive demons insane, not to mention the devil himself - it was his weakness.

"Your highness, are you alright?" Vera's concerned voice snapped Jareth out of his daze. He turned to face her, only making the situation worse. Unable to resist any longer, Jareth grabbed Vera and kissed her with an intensity that left them both gasping for air. The scent was driving him to the brink of madness.

"My lady, you cannot enter. His highness is occupied at the moment," one of Vera's maidservants attempted to stop Scarlet from entering.

With a scoff, Scarlet watched as Jareth devoured Vera with his passionate kisses. It pained her to see that he had kissed her the same way he was kissing Vera, but she tried her best to control her emotions.

Breaking the kiss, Jareth turned towards Scarlet upon catching her scent. "Mate," he growled lowly, shocking Vera to be utterly speechlessness.

"How dare you, consort Scarlet, invade his highness's privacy! Drag her out!" Vera's face was marred with deep furrows of frustration.

"Your Highness," she pleaded, tears staining her cheeks. "I need your help. I can't find Ilvia." 

"What are you waiting for? I said drag her out!" Vera's voice echoed behind her, filled with exasperation.

Without a word, Scarlet obediently left the room, not wanting to cause any further trouble. As she made her way out, she couldn't help but remember the expression on Jareth's face. She needed his help, and she couldn't find Ilvia anywhere. She hoped nothing had happened to her.

Left alone with Vera, Jareth's heavy breathing showed that he was barely keeping himself in check. He stood up with great effort, trying not to succumb to the overwhelming scent and arousal. Why did she have to come see him now? The memory of her painful expression pushed him to leave before he did something he would regret.

"Your highness?" Vera's voice snapped him out of his thoughts as he swayed slightly.

"Leave," Jareth's tone was cold and final. 

He felt as though he was engulfed in a blazing inferno, and the mere presence of scarlet only added fuel to the flames of desire within him. She was his mate, and only she could satisfy his insatiable hunger.

"Scarlet, where are you?" she cried out to an empty room. She had been searching for hours, but to no avail. Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed to the ground. She blamed herself for ilvia's disappearance – if she hadn't transmigrated, none of this would have happened.

She longed to return home, but it seemed like an impossible feat. She felt utterly hopeless, and seeing jareth and vera had only heightened her despair. She had sought for his help in finding ilvia, but seeing them do nothing only added to the pain in her heart.

Scarlet was about to stand up when she suddenly felt a sharp blow to the back of her head. The world spun before everything went black and she crumpled to the ground.

When Scarlet finally regained consciousness, she groaned in pain and slowly opened her eyes. It dawned on her that she had indeed been struck.

"My lady," she heard the voice she had been yearning for. Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw that ilvia was safe and sound.

Scarlet winced, feeling the sharp pain in her wrist. As she looked around, she realized that both she and ilvia were bound by chains.

Ilvia couldn't hold back her sobs at the sight of her lady by her side. She never could have imagined that they would end up chained and in danger, with no one to save them. She cried even harder at the thought that her lady might not make it out alive.

Scarlet desperately wanted to comfort ilvia, to wrap her arms around her and reassure her that everything would be okay. But she was restricted by her chains.

"Ilvia, please don't cry. I'm here now," she tried to console her.

The door swung open, revealing two menacing figures. One of them had a scar on his face, making him all the more terrifying. With each step they took, ilvia and scarlet's hearts pounded with fear.

"See our little prey for today," the one with a scar said, revealing his dirty teeth.

They were humans, Scarlet thought.

"When is Master Alvin coming?" the other asked, his big belly protruding.

"Instead of waiting for him, won't it be thrilling to taste what the rumored devil has tasted?" he said, licking his lips.

Scarlet knew all too well what they planned to do with her, and fear consumed her.

"What if Master finds out, Drakon? He might want to do the same to her," the other said, undoing his belt.

"You fool, what could Master possibly do? He probably did this because Consort Vera asked him to. You are just a weakling, scorpion," he retorted, removing his belt and laughing.

It no dawned to scarlet that it was all Vera's doing.

"What are you trying to do?" Ilvia demanded possessively, but instead, she received a stinging slap to her face, rendering her unconscious.

"What does it look like? It would be exhilarating to sleep with the devil's whore," Drakon said, raising Scarlet's chin with a rough grasp.

Scarlet spat at him. "I am not his whore," she declared confidently, though deep inside, she was begging for someone to save her.

Drakon stood up, landed a blow to Scarlet's face, and forcibly removed her clothing. She tried to resist even when she could feel pain on her face but she was unable to move due to the chains restraining her.

"Why are you so stubborn, little prey?" he sneered, pulling Scarlet's head back by her hair. But Scarlet bit his hand, causing him to release her.

He slapped her again, and she gave a bitter chuckle.

"Aren't you supposed to be afraid if His Highness, the devil, finds out you touched his mate?" Kayla asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

Drakon's expression faltered slightly, but he tried to hide his fear. "Do you think I believe the rumors, you whore?"

He reached for her head again, but instead, he collapsed, a sharp, shiny knife plunging through his heart. It was swiftly removed, spilling blood onto the floor, revealing a head of flaming red hair. Her strikes where powerful as she went for Scorpion. But one thing was sure, she wasn't human.