"BREATHE," I WHISPERED TO HER. "TRY TO CONTROL your breathing and your heartbeat. It is beating like a drum," she bit her bottom lip.
"How can you hear my heartbeat if your senses aren't heightened?" Fuck, that's a very reasonable question and one I don't like to answer.
"The right question should be 'who can't hear it?' Sabrina," she went silent and did as I told her to.
Most people forget that heightened senses are a type of magic that directly affects one's body. It's a necessary point to become a Knight or Dame, and it's common among everybody. And because of that, they treat it as ordinary and non-magical.
I was born with it, just like Valerian and Dalilah, while Octavian wasn't. Both my parents also have it. But somehow, when Bob robbed my ice magic and my telepathy, he left me with this. So, I always wondered that he must have also been born with it, so he didn't need mine.
Although most people forgot about it, I didn't mind that. Because I also treat it as ordinary, while ice magic is unique, just a few people in all history were reported to have it. And I used to think that Bob did that to humiliate me by taking away what was precious and rare to me and leaving me with something a lot of people have.
Kate first went inside White Rose Boutique, and after two minutes (I was bored, so I counted the seconds until she got out), she came out with Gwen, who had a worried gleam on her stunning eyes. They assisted me in getting off the vehicle and into her shop, so she closed and locked the doors as we got in.
"For fuck's sake, Princess!" She clamored, horrified with the state of my clothes and hands. "You shouldn't taint your clothes with those scumbags' blood," to think I was here, worried that she would freak out about me killing some people. "What gives me comfort is that this dress was already destinated to go to a trash can."
She guided us to her home at the back of the store. Thankfully, this time no protection spells or a little girl was waiting to torture me until I spilled out all of my secrets. Then I laid Sabrina on a huge couch. That is more like another bed than a couch itself.
I like it. It must be good to lay down on it and read to my heart's content.
"Miss Quinlan told me that Sir Asher's taking care of the mess," oh, so she's worried about him. He'll love to know that.
"Don't worry, Gwen. He'll be safe. Asher knows what he's doing," that made her blush.
"I... I am not worried," is she a tsundere?
"And I am a fictional character," I mocked her, making her face redder than before. "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell Asher."
Of course, I am.
But she doesn't need to know that, pfft.
"So, Gwen, can you take care of this kid for a while?" She nodded right away. "She may act all cool, but I know how frightened she is. How scared and traumatized. Something like what happened to her won't ever stop hunting you. Even if you reincarnate, you won't be able to forget it," I'm proof of that.
The dark-pink-eyed girl held my hands, not caring about the blood on them. "I will gladly do that. Don't worry. I'll treat her like a younger sister," she glared at my dress and back at me. Her disgusted face was hilarious. "Now, go take a shower. While you are there, I'll pick another dress for you. One that will enhance your good looks and the curves on your body," she knows what she's doing.
"Thank you, Gwen!" She bowed slightly and guided me to the bathroom, giving me a yellow towel to dry myself up. I turned to Kate, "Keep an eye on the kid, okay?"
After she agreed, I headed to the shower and took my time to wash up properly. I spread the soap on my body five times, trying to wash away the blood from my skin and its pungent smell. And I tried not to look at my hands, or I would see them wet with Val's and other innocent's blood, which would cause me to freak out and cry.
It's not the place nor the time to do it.
When I got out, Gwen dressed me in a light green dress and gave me a pair of fancy boots that were comfortable as hell. "Now, THIS color enhances your beauty, Princess."
"You are outstanding, Princess," Kate spoke with a motherly air around her. How adorable.
"Oh, and you will be able to have your sword on your waist with this design," she spoke excitedly, making me excited too.
"I loved it, Gwen. Your skills are amazing, thank you. How's the girl?"
"Still unconscious," it was Gwen's voice.
And when I took a good look at Sabrina, she was indeed unconscious. But because she fell asleep. She must have been tired. Poor girl. No one deserves to go through that. "Sabrina has good looks," Gwen began, closer to me. "While she's living with me, I make her look brand new and dress well. And I'll let her adopt my surname," that caught me off guard.
What a golden girl, damn. Gwen and Asher are indeed a match made in paradise. They are both softhearted and selfless. I couldn't wish for a better girl to be my brother's soulmate.
"You baffle me, sister-in-law," I spoke and headed to her boutique again, laughing at how she blushed. "I have to go now," Kate was already behind me. "But I'll come back after I'm finished."
And when we were about to get out, Kate stopped and handed me Kallisto. It was clean as the cloudless sky. "I cleaned for you. You can't go out with this thing bathed in blood," she's so reliable, Goddess above.
"You. Are. Amazing," Kate's relaxed smile made me happy.
I love to see her like this. Not being all awkward and rude. But this adorable side of her. It makes me want to hug her until I die... again.
And again, I saw myself going to Pierre's Bistro.
Oh, damn it, the geezer must be annoyed that I disappeared like that.