Chapter 7:
ROSABELLA P.O.V
I gawk up at the enchanted ceiling Othilia had told me about earlier. The moon, the stars, even some dispersed clouds seemed so real that as I walked it moved like the actual night sky.
"Lovely isn't it?" A woman holding a champagne glass approaches me as she too locks up.
"It's a wonder." I say.
"It's magic." She says smiling at me.
"I'm Sonia, Sonia Tellurian." She held her hand out to me.
"May I ask," I shake her hand. "You're the sister who..."
"No." She kindly pulls her hand away and takes a sip of champagne. "I'm her wife."
Ah... So the sister married a human?
"Are you?" I began.
"I'm a witch my dear, not everyone in the first realm happens to be immortal and dead inside." She chuckles.
"Do you have a name?" She asks.
"Rosabella..."
She smiles and cocks her head to the side. "Such a lovely name for such a beautiful human."
"Thank you."
"I must take my leave." Her eyes follow someone behind me and out of my view. She smiles at me.
"I'm sure we are to meet again, Rosabella." She waves and walks past me.
As she walked past me I felt my quick sharp pain rattles in my head but as fast as it appeared it vanished.
What the hell?
(Cayden's P.O.V)
"Fancy seeing you here." I say leaning against a tree as I watch Sonia try to slither into her car.
"Serpente Giarrettiera di San Francisco."
"Did you just call me a snake?" Sonia asks as she avoids her car and makes her way to me.
"Consider it a compliment," I say. "A San Francisco Garter Snake is a true rare beauty."
"For a snake?" She adds as she laughs.
"Although beautiful, a snake is still a snake."
Gabriel adds as he is followed by Othilia, Olympus, Zarra, Ken and Lilith.
"Ah..." She nods while giggling. "Wondering over Bethany I presume? Why else would you three want to have a word with me?"
"I'm still a little offended I wasn't invited to your wedding." I say, a bit being true.
She scoffs. "Bethany would rather see you burn in hell than to ever see you three happily attend our wedding."
"Ouch." Othilia mocks as she too giggles. "I'm pleased to hear you share her black heart Sonia."
"Delighted to be of service." Sonia smiles.
"Why are you here?" I ask bluntly.
"Why wouldn't I?" She asks.
"I do not remember ever requesting your precious." Gabriel spoke.
"Oh my dear King... You don't seem to know much... but all in good time." She chuckles. "By the way..." She darts her eyes evilly at Gabriel. "How's your marked one?"
"Why do you ask?" Othilia asks.
"I overheard a bird saying he has taken a sweet
liking to this particular marked one."
No one spoke.
"I see it's true."
"I respect my marked ones, unlike Bethany who is constantly requesting new ones before the three year marks." Gabriel snaps.
"Something her daddy seemed to have passed down, wouldn't you agree Gabriel?" Gabriel's eyes shifted to red as he took a step closer to her.
"My, my, short tempered I see... You and your sister sure are the same." Sonia taunts.
There was a sudden scent in the air, I gaze to my brother to see he had frozen, he glared at Sonia who only smiled evilly at him.
"I must be on my way." Sonia says before casually strolling back to her car.
"Gabriel what the hell?!" Zarra yells.
"I smelled it too." Othilia looks over to Gabriel then me.
"That's Rose's blood."
*12 minutes before*
(Rosabella P.O.V)
I wandered past the tree as the faint sound of people shouting and laughing crowd brought my attention.I wonder if Lord Gabriel is there? I managed to slither my way through the crowd of people but felt my heart drop to the ground. Before me, only a few feet away, stood a man brutally slapping a kid who seemed to be the age of eight. The poor kid's eyes glow red as he tries to hit back at this fully grown man who's eyes glowed yellow. I glanced around the crowd and noticed that I knew no one. How these people stand and watch as a grown man hits this poor child?!
"Fucking vamper!" The man yells before landing another hit.
"Stop!" My legs moved before I could think, I blocked the kid from being hit again but by doing so I was met with such vicious force that sent me to the ground. I groaned as I cupped my left cheek, he struck me hard. The little boy took hold of my arm and held me tightly.
"I'm sorry Madame." He says in such a scared voice.
I smile at him. "It's alright." I stood up and looked down at my hand. I had blood on my hand. He must have opened my skin with that hit.
I bravely glare at the man who stood glaring right back at me.
"Dare hit a child?"
"He's a fucking vamper you mundane." He spits.
"I care not his kind!" What the hell am I saying?! He can kill me! All of them can kill me if they truly want. I am but a human surrounded by deadly predators and I'm the sheep.
"What are you gonna do, mundane? Fight me?" He laughs sadistically with his peers amongst the crowd.
"I will stand here and defend him." I spat angrily.
He chuckles. "So brave." He walked up to me and solidly punched me right over where he had slapped me before.
The side of my head smashes against the marbled floor before my whole body crashed against the floor. I groan in pain: this really fucking hurts. This time my head is spinning with the intense pain, a headache, my ears are ringing. The boy cries next to me and repeatedly apologizes but at this point all that I can make out are some words. I gotta get up. I have to defend him! I smile at the boy while I try to balance myself against him so I may stand. His eyes were overflowing with tears as he watched me with extreme sadness. He must be feeling guilty. It isn't his fault.
"Don't cry." I mummer with a sideways smile.
"Rose!" Othilia appeared before me, eyes red and worried.
"What?" She wipes some of the blood out of my eye.
"Who dared harm my marked one?!"Lord Gabriel furiously shouts causing everything to come to a complete silence. I look over Othilia's shoulder and see Lord Gabriel standing only a few feet away from the man who had hit me.
"I didn't know she was yours." The man lowered his face but spoke firmly.
"I do not care what you lacked knowledge on, what I do care is that my marked one is fucking bleeding and drenched in her own blood while you beasts laugh in enjoyment." He growls in rage.
"It was that vamper who started it all." Another man yells as he points at the boy who cried besides me.
Lord Gabriel looked over his shoulder, his eyes moved from the boy to me, for a sudden second his eyes had been grey, but the moment he saw me they turned bright red, his vein at the corner of his forehead bulged out and he turned to face the man.
"Don't look!"
Cayden steps into my view looking oddly phlegmatic to me. Othilia hugged me tightly as did the boy, Cayden simply studied my injuries and seemed dissatisfied.
The room grew silent once more... I heard the sound of flesh ripping followed by a hunting thud, I assume that must have been the man's body. My eyes skipped around and saw all but the same expressions, some bowed their heads while the ones with glowing yellow eyes all had a look of detest.
"Lord Gabriel." A man came from the other room surrounded by men. "That was one of my members you just solely thought to rip his heart out from his chest cavity... I thought you had invited us as your honored guests Lord Gabriel." He spoke calmly although his demeanor wasn't close to that. He stood arm and legs apart ready for anything.
"I decided his punishment had to be death... he laid his hand on Lord Ezra, a pureblood." Lord Gabriel says nonchalantly. "He hurt my Marked one, and as you know... 'Tis Law that I have the right to seek his punishment for harming a marked one... But not just any old vampires Marked one." Lord Gabriel came into view as he walked closer to the man. "But mines! The King of the first realm!"
The man simply grins. "That is law, he would have died either way... Yet," His almond eyes darted to me, he had a green eye and a brown eye. "Your blood could heal that mundane within seconds, displaying such rash actions in order to defend your human-marked one is staggering to see." He turns to the room. "The reaper, Gabriel Tellurian, killing a crescent over a mundane! I have never seen a vampire stoop so low in pedigree." He laughs low.
"Watch your words Kamado." A Very muscular and tall man stood besides Lord Gabriel.
"Simply an observation Jeremia." He threw his hands up gesturing 'I come in peace.'
I glimpse at Lord Gabriel's left hand, it was covered in blood even his white dress shirt has been tainted with blood.
"Disagree with my methods, Kamado?" Lord Gabriel asks tauntingly.
Kamado glares but returns to his cool stance."I don't, in fact, I have adjusted to the barbaric ways of your kind, especially you, Tellurian." Kamado sharply spoke.
Kamado's eyes move away from me and back to Lord Gabriel.
"Me no tame no me."
He scoffs and motions in a circular motion upwards with his index and people begin to disperse but are making their way out of the room.
He bows. "I will take my leave. Thank you for such a lovely party." He smiles and walks out of the room.
Gabriel appeared before us, his eyes scanned me and the boy next to me. He brushes his hands against my cheek, he looks so dejected as he takes me in.
"Gabriel," A beautiful woman stood besides him.
"You fool! How are we to explain to the Masters you fucking killed a crescent for your pet!" Her eyes filled with disgusts as she looks back and forth between Ezra and me.
"A marked one isn't a pet Zarra." Cayden retorted.
"Plus its law! Gabriel had the right to decree his death."
"Law states he may punish whoever harms his marked one if harm is done and if proof can be found of the deed! Not fucking take his heart as a Goddamn trophy!" Zarra shouts back.
"You," He points at the very tall muscular man who had been quietly observing. "Take Ezra to his room, I believe he has had enough thrills for one night."
"I am sorry Gabriel, he just began to hit me." Ezra spoke as he sobbed. "She stepped in out of nowhere! I wish she hadn't! She's all hurt because of me..." I turned to face Ezra and took hold of his cold small hand.
"I would have stepped in front of you as many times as it took, no grown man has the right to hit a child. You don't need to be worried for me." I smile.
"He looks like a child now, but he will soon be in his teens by November." Othilia ruffles his hair.
"Othilia," Lord Gabriel says nonchalantly. "Please take Rosa to her room, have Antonia heal her wounds." He smiles before facing away from me.
"Cayden, Ken... and you, in my office." Lord Gabriel snapped his fingers and the others disappeared. "Olympus and Othilia, whenever you two are done meet us there as well... We have much to discuss." He vanishes.
"Alright, let's get you healed."Othilia smiles.
After I was taken to my room, Antonia rubbed some VB on my open wounds and instructed me to take a shower to calm my muscles and body from the adrenaline it has suffered from my recent events.
I wore a silk like pj shirt and a matching short, felt soft against my skin. I walked from my bathroom to my bed as I squeezed the excess water out of my hair into the towel.
"Feeling much better?" Lord Gabriel spoke softly.
Startled, I had let a small cry escape me, my heart raced for as I almost shit myself.
"Jesus christ!" I breathe. "You almost scared me to death."
He had been sitting at the chair that was recently placed in the corner of my room by the window/door for me to read comfortably from. He no longer wore his fancy attire, for what I can make out he wore a simple black t-shirt and black pj pants and his hair was loose and messy. He's such a sexy being. What am I thinking?
"Standing up to a crescent didn't scare you, but my simple presence did?" He asks.
"Not what I meant." I sat at the edge of my bed facing him. "I just wasn't expecting you in here is all."
"What compelled you to do such reckless behavior tonight?" He flatly asks.
I stared into his eyes as he watched me like a hawk. I took in a deep breath and sighed trying to ease my rattling nerves.
"I couldn't bear to see him hit Ezra like he was... Everyone simply watched and didn't do anything." I answer looking straight into his eyes.
"There are rules here Rosa," He began. "Rules in which you need to be aware of... Ezra Comes from a very strong line of purebloods, in fact, his family so happens to be the second royal family in the first realm... Why did everyone watch but did not dare do anything? Because they would be struck with the law enforced by the Masters." He said.
"Law?"
"Ezra needed to deal with this on his own. He is a Balan, next to the Tellurian name they are the most vicious family known to ever exist. Ezra so happens to be born weak."
"He is not weak." I snap.
He raises his brow, "No?"
"Why do you say he's weak? He's just but a child Lord Gabriel." I felt disappointed with what he is trying to insinuate.
"He couldn't defend himself against a crescent." He shrugs.
"A grown wolf Lord Gabriel." I snap angrily. "Against a small kid."
"A PUREBLOOD VAMPIRE!" He shouts at me.
"Vampire or not HE's a child! Not just a title to be thrown around to justify him being left to be bullied by some crescent!" I stood up furiously.
He appeared before me, inches away in fact. He looked down at me angrily. I have never went toe to toe with anyone, much less a vampire.
"You dare speak to me in such a way? I am you King!" He says coldly.
My eyes began to water. "I know... a King is someone who rules with heart... A tyrant is someone who rules with rage and greed and sways with fear." I began to cry as I felt myself quiver at the thought he's done with me, he's going to surely kill me after speaking out to him.
"Rosabella," He spoke my name in his Italian accent. "Are you calling me a Tyrant? I have been nothing but kind to you since you arrived! None of which you deserve! Marked ones are to be fed upon, no need to have such luxuries." He gestures to my room.
"I do not care for such luxuries, Lord Gabriel." I took a step back. "I knew from the moment I saw those metal gates my life meant nothing! It never has!" I shout between sobs. "You are to do with me as you deem fit! I am simply human, a human who doesn't belong to herself, who to your kind are nothing but a blood bag, a sex slave or a means of entertainment." My body trembled in rage.
He simply stared at me, no emotion slipping through, he didn't even dare speak. I dare say he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.
"If you Lord Gabriel wish me dead then so be it," I gave him a sad smile. "I'd be free."
His eyes widen in sudden shock as he tries to think what to say next.
"Dramatic as Cayden." He scoffs and looks away. "No need to be wishing for death so soon." He stops besides me and looks down at me.
"I have never slept with another woman... nor vampire and much less a human... I have never even fed before on my bed." He spoke closely to my ear. "Do what you wish with this information."
As he makes his way to the door I call out for him.
"Why me?"
He gave me a shrug.
"I once knew someone who told me Humans were much more than food... I just never understood her till I met you." He walks out the door and closes the door behind him.
I stood speechless. Did he mean it sympathetically? Is he toying with me? Who did he mean by her?
Gabriel...
-Hey my lovelies 🥰❤️ hope you enjoyed! Leave a comment or a '⭐️' if you liked this chapter 🥰 If any of you have a question let me know ❤️