Jasmine found herself caught in the middle of a quarrel between two brothers and, without hesitation, she quickly made her way to the first Prince. A brief smirk appeared on his lips before disappearing as he started to walk away, with Jasmine following behind, her head bowed.
"You're not so smart, are you?" Nikolai suddenly remarked as they reached the castle doors. Jasmine looked up at him, a slight frown masking her face.
"You could have chosen to follow Lucian, but you followed me instead," he added. Jasmine held his gaze for a moment before realizing she should be bowing her head. He could have pretended to care, even if he didn't. He knew what his brother would have done to her if she followed him. A flash of anger crossed her eyes, and she clutched her gown.
She was right; all men think women are objects to use and discard as they please. Her own father had thrown her mother out, so why would she expect anyone to care about another woman not related to them?
Bowing her head lower, Jasmine decided to leave as soon as possible. "I'll take my leave," she began to walk away when he spoke again.
"I'll be gone
for two days. Stay in your room, Lucian will look for you," he instructed. She turned to thank him, but he continued.
"If someone has to kill you, it should be me and no one else. Stay out of trouble."
Jasmine could only glare at the ground before turning on her heel and walking away without bowing again. All this arrogance! He would be so disappointed! She huffed to herself as she made her way to her room, ignoring the gossip from the maids, most of whom had attended the evening event.
In the far east of the castle, a white curtain fluttered in the windy night as a window opened and closed. Someone peered outside the window and then jumped out, rolling on the ground as they landed. It was Jasmine.
Rising to her feet, she looked around to see if anyone had heard her fall. She stood up, dusted off her gown, and felt a sharp pain in her leg. Looking down, she saw she had scratched herself on the twigs on the ground. Hissing to herself, she began to walk towards the back gate of the castle. Before she could get far, she heard a groan and froze. The sound came again, louder this time. Someone was in pain.
She debated whether to check on the person or escape from the castle. Silently pleading for forgiveness, she turned back and walked towards the source of the sound. In one of the gardens, she found a small lantern knocked to the ground but still burning. Nearby, a man crouched on the floor, groaning in pain. It was Peter.
Rushing to his side, she saw the blood on his back and her face went cold. "Mr. Peter! Mr. Peter," she called out, but he didn't respond, keeping his head down and biting back his pain.
Jasmine was grateful she had returned; this man had been kind to her, and she couldn't forgive herself if he died when she could have saved him. Crouching beside him, she shook him gently.
"Mr. Peter—Aaahh," he flung her hand away.
"Go away!" he howled, but Jasmine was rooted to the spot, frozen in fear and shock as she saw his face. His eyes were bloodshot, his skin looked like it was shedding like a reptile's, and he appeared terrifying. Despite this, his eyes held pain and guilt as he looked at Jasmine before turning away.
G
athering herself, Jasmine stood up and ran back inside the castle, her feet echoing on the cold floor as she headed towards the kitchen. Grabbing a jug of water and a glass, she turned to leave when a scream tore through the air. The jug and glass slipped from her hands, shattering on the floor as water spilled out.
Standing before her was a maid she recognized by her gown, but her face was twisted into a terrifying visage. Her eyes were bloodshot, her skin peeling, and a long snake-like tongue slithered from her mouth. Black wings sprouted from her back.
T
urning on her heel, Jasmine tried to run, but a strong force pushed her to the side, causing her to hit her waist on a slab. She winced in pain, wondering what this creature was.
"Aaaaaaarrrggghhhh!" screams echoed through the corridor as chaos erupted in the castle. Distracted by the commotion, Jasmine dragged herself up and limped out of the kitchen through the back door, tears welling in her eyes from the searing pain in her side. Before she could move further, something dropped from the castle's heights, and Jasmine wished she weren't there. Another scream escaped her lips as she saw a maid's body lying on the ground, limbs dislocated and covered in blood, her eyes fixed eerily on Jasmine.
A figure with black wings flew overhead, and Jasmine realized they were faes. As the figure ascended, she spotted Peter still crouched on the ground, his back adorned with black and white wings, his face contorted in agony.