Seeing Lucy's smirk and sensing the malice in her tone, Felixa felt something warm rising from her soul. A feeling so dark and yet brings a certain excitement that makes her heart pound.
She is so familiar with that feeling. That dark feeling rises from the pit of the stomach making the blood coursing through her veins warm. It would make her palms that hold the sword itch; It would stop only when her sword gets drenched in the blood of her enemies and none of her enemies are left standing.
It's the same feeling she gets when she stands at the frontline, in front of thousands of her enemies – to kill them all to have a bright future; a future with the one in her heart.
People call it bravery, courage, and whatnot. From her memory, she had a reason to think of the noble cause she was fighting for. She just wanted to attain the goal so that she can live the life she wanted – as his wife.
But the feeling now… It is somewhat different and more powerful from the one she felt before on the battlefield. There is a threat to her life, but it is not as grave as when she's on the battlefield.
And she realized the difference as her hand gripped the tieback around the drape. She loosened it a little and wrapped the tassel around her hand to have a good grip of the rope.
She feels different because this time, she wants to kill to protect herself. And she didn't remember ever killing someone without a sword. She used to be a Knight after all.
Felixa didn't know being selfish could give her more strength.
"Then I'll send you to hell first," Felixa uttered in a low voice. And yet, it was strong as a spider web.
Yes, a spider web – thin and fragile in appearance but holds great strength and resilience. A web created by the hard work of the spider for its purpose.
[Maybe this is the first step to the path of evil! Or is it? Aren't I already a traitor? But should I take an innocent life?]
Her mind wavered a bit.
"How, wastrel? Will you beg the ferryman? Do you have "
Her lips curved to a smirk as Lucy started to sneer.
[Oh, but Lucy is not innocent!]
The haughtiness in Lucy's sneer washed away the little amount of guilt Felixa felt for her.
She is willing to take the path of evil. Nothing matters more to her than her survival.
Nothing!
With just a push, Lucy stumbled on the drape. Without thinking twice, Felixa wrapped the tieback rope around her neck and pulled it.
It was hard. It took a lot of effort. She felt her hands tear away, she lost all her energy trying to ensure the struggling woman doesn't escape, and she felt like she lost a part of her soul, but she didn't regret it.
[It is needed!]
Only when the little twitches of Lucy's extremities stopped did Felixa let go of the rope. It was stuck to her palm and she removed it with her other hand.
And it was then she realized she had no plans on how to dispose of a dead body. And people who kill others are called murderers and would be hanged to death. At least, back in her days that was the norm. She didn't know how it is these days and if she should just leave the body where it is. But murder must be a crime still, her heart said. And so she needed to find a way to get off the bind.
[Here comes another struggle for my life! Oh, when will it end?]
As she was hacking her brain without getting any answers, she squatted on the floor. She used to be a Knight and there was no need for her to hide the bodies of the people she killed as her kills were justified. But now…
From her memories, she didn't know about many murders. But the one she remembered was one where the wife killed her husband and pretended that she found him dead. But she was proved guilty very easily.
And so Felixa knew she cannot pretend to have found the body of Lucy. She'd then become the prime suspect.
As she was contemplating deeply, she heard someone approaching them. She knew she didn't have any time to waste now.
Her eyes ended up at the cat laying by her side as if it got tired waiting for her. She got an idea suddenly.
"Hey, cat!" she tried to touch the cat but it sprang off to its feet unwilling to be touched by her. But she didn't care.
"Will you make her disappear just like you are invisible to others?" she asked the cat.
The cat stared back at her intently. Although Felixa didn't understand clearly, she felt like the cat is pitying her for her stupidity. But she had no time to think about it all.
"Will you?" she repeated.
The cat turned and looked at the drape and Felixa felt a surge in the air. The cat didn't say anything but she had a feeling that a spell is cast and no one can see Lucy.
She could see her and so she still had doubts and so she covered her in the drape before leaving the hallway.
The cat is very smart and it has led her to the library. And so she sat on a chair and checked her wound. It is a large wound and if anyone notice the wound, she'd get caught.
Well, it's a good thing no one can see Lucy!
"What a pain! All I wanted was to read a book! Right, cat?"
The cat looked at her and proceeded to lick his leg once more. Felixa has to say, the cat looked adorable as it licked its paws.
She tried to touch the cat but it purred making Felixa startled.
"Who are you?" she asked the cat and it looked at her, deeply. "And will they smell it if Lucy starts to rot?" she asked the cat.
She looked at the eyes of the cat and it looked more of a human eye with its round pupils. She thought cats have slit eyes. And those blue eyes seemed to be judging her.
[Is it not a cat?]
That seemed to be the more rational observation from what she has known about it till now. But it is on her side and it tries to help her whenever she is in a bind. She feels some sort of attachment to the cat. She feels easy around this cat.
She is grateful for this fluffy little thing that likes to evade her touch.
{The spell is broken. I knew it would be useless to hide it.}
She heard a very serene voice that could be comparable to the gentle trickle of a stream. Although she didn't like the word 'useless' as it is harsh, the way it was spoken negated the ill feelings that word brings her.
Heard? That would be an odd way to describe how those words reached her. She felt those words in her. It was not like how she can hear the flapping of the window curtains.
She looked around to see who uttered those words.