Chapter 21: What wants me dead...
Emily POV
After several minutes of examining perfect dresses under the dutiful eyes of my lady's maid, Desire, I settled for a pair of jeans and a bogus sweatshirt.
I never had a thing for dresses and I wasn't going to start now. No to the hell!
I could see the disappointment on Desire's face. The way her lips pouted and her eyes lowered on intervals only to roll when she thought I wasn't looking. I would be concerned about her attitude except I needed to get my hands to stop shaking and my heart to stop pounding so much.
I closed my eyes briefly and exhaled through my mouth. I just needed to keep myself in one piece for the three hours flight to Zolcovia and sneak out without arousing suspicion even though I was going to be the center of interest for everyone.
"Everything is going to be o-k-a-y, Emily"
When I finally turned my attention to Desire she was staring at me like I was a lunatic.
"Do you fucking mind?!" I said through my still terrified and presently clenched jaw.
Desire nodded and walked out of the room.
I stood in front of the king sized mirror and I exhaled shakily.
There was a knock on the door and a little pause before another one. At first I thought it was my mother but she doesn't usually wait to be asked to come inside before she enters.
I turned around, my curiosity peaked and my nervousness increased in ten folds as I steadied my breath.
"You may enter" I murmured loud enough for my called to hear.
I clasped my hands together as the door opened and Zuri entered.
He was in a black tuxedo and he looked human enough for me to throw my signature nonchalant look at him while I waited for his reason for invading my privacy.
"Your majesty"
Was I supposed to bow or hop on one foot?
"Emily…sister, what are you wearing?" Zuri had a relaxed smile on his beautiful devilish face that I didn't for once mistaken to be anything but deadly. He was the devil of castaway afterall.
I pressed my lips together as I had enough to worry and my choice of fashion was on the list.
"It's jeans and sweatshirt"
I watched as my half brother walked across the room to the place where the dresses were and picked up the peach colored low cut gown with beautiful stone.
"Wear this, trust me sister…it will compliment your eyes" Zuri handed the dress to me. I took it without talking and when I turned around, I caught my reflection in the mirror.
"Are you going to be choosing what I wear every other day also, Zuri?" I asked him without taking my gaze off of the mirror.
Zuri moved closer to stand behind me. I could see his reflection in the mirror too as he towered over me like an oak tree.
"Oh no, Emily, I couldn't care less about your choice of clothing but we are royalty visiting another royalty, the least I can do after King Cypher's kind gesture, is to make sure that my bastard sister doesn't show up in a pair of tight jeans and sweatshirt. Wear the dress, Emily"
Zuri turned away to pick out some jewelry from the box Desire left open to go with the dress he chose for me.
I watched my reflection in the mirror. The girl that stared back at me was a stranger. Where was my grin that always appeared when I looked at the mirror? What about my mischievous eyes? They seemed to have disappeared alongside my cheerful demeanor and now, I am left with a sourpuss face that seemed to have aged in the past day and green eyes that looked like they had just about given up on life. I was no more.
But that can't be true, can it? I can't be gone, right?
Where are you, Emily Sanders?! I longed to yell at myself. Where was the defiant girl who told the queen bees of black silver highschool where to shove it. I can't be the hollow sunken beaten down girl staring back at me, a girl that was letting a mistake for a sibling pick out an outfit for her. This can't be me.
I can say no, can't I? I can say I prefer the jeans and not the mechanical grown he wanted me to wear.
No! Fight Emily. Fight goddamn it. Tell him no!
"No"
I turned around. I didn't survive the likes of Uncle Phil, Alpha Noah and Owen to be anyone's lap dog that plays fetch whenever my owner feels like it.
I watched my brother take a step closer to me. His eyes, getting darker by the second and with each step he took. I couldn't escape his rage, there was no where to run to.
"What did you just say to me?" Zuri's voice was barely a whisper.
Now was the time. it was time to make a choice.
The time to cower like a broken porcelain doll and forever live in the shadow of my tyrant half brother or stand up for myself and have my neck snapped like a twig.
I weighed both options and one seemed especially palatable. I took a step forward.
"I said that you can wear the stupid dress, Zuri!" I spat out.
Zuri was quiet for a few seconds. His eyes were completely different like he was wearing contact lenses. He took a step towards me again.
I should take a step back with each step he took but I didn't. In truth I couldn't, it was like my feet were permanently glued to the ground and I was going to need a hell of medical supplies to unglue myself.
He was standing so close to me now that if I reached out, I could touch him.
"Do you want to die, sister?"