The Pure-Hearted Princess and the Kiss of Darkness

20. My Secret

- KATALEYA-

His eyes snap up to mine, and I'm scared he'll get angry again, so I quickly continue. "I've been working on something for some years, and I wanted

to give it to you. But things didn't go as I thought... I knew it was going to be hard, but I never realised how difficult... I came here and things happened. You hate me... hate us...'NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

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It pains me to admit those words out loud, but there is nothing I can do but explain this in the best way I possibly can without upsetting him.

"And what exactly did you need to give me? Because I can assure you, I don't want anything from you," he counters icily.

“I know... and that's why I was hoping to stay here until you were more accepting of me... to give me a chance to prove that we didn't mean to make things worse for you. We had no choice but to end the Djinn-"

"There are always options!" he growls, stepping closer.

“No... there wasn't, because my aunty was going to kill the Djinn and give up her life in the process." I whisper. “There was no other option, or my family would have taken it."

"Lies!" he snarls, grabbing my chin painfully.

"No. It's the truth! I asked my dad the very same questions, Enrique! I promise you. I didn't want you to get hurt. I wanted to know why it came to that. I asked if there was any way to save your father, but it was too late for him, the Djinn had destroyed his body, without him he couldn't survive," I whisper, gripping his wrist, my heart pounding as I gaze into those cold hazel eyes, hoping he believed me.

But my words don't mean anything to him. "Yeah, of course, he would tell you whatever you want to hear, anyway. Besides, did they carry out tests to confirm he was too far gone to be saved?" he spits, his gold eyes blazing with rage.

"It's not like that."

"Oh, yeah?"

"I've spoken the truth." I look down, saddened.

He suddenly wraps his hand around my throat, forcing me to look up. "Next question..."

My heart pounds as I gaze up into his gorgeous face.

Goddess... he really is the most handsome man I have ever seen. One right out of a dream... even his body is the type both Azura and Skyla would approve of.

I blush at the thought of admitting to admiring a man's body, but even feeling shy, I'm not able to look away from those sexy eyes.

"Actually, you haven't answered properly. What did you want to give me that brought you so far from home? You're good at avoiding answering honestly," he remarks dangerously.

"A one-of-a-kind, bionic engineered prosthetic that you never need to remove unless you want to. One that you can bathe with, one that you can control with your mind... one... that will shift with you. One that is a weapon stronger than anything you could imagine," I say, my voice breaking. We finally did it, we made it.

My heart is hammering nervously as I gaze up at him, seeing the change that is morphing his face. From shock, disbelief and it's changing back to... rage.

"And who said I'd ever accept anything from a Rossi whore? Let alone charity!" he snarls, slamming me backwards onto the bed, his grip on my throat tightening and suddenly I can't breathe.

It hurts.

"It's not charity. You lost your h-hand because of me," I manage to choke out, my vision darkening as I struggle to breathe, but I don't want to fight him. I need him to understand.

"I'm doing perfectly fine without it! Are you doing this to make yourself feel better?!" he growls.

"No... I want..." It's hopeless. Does he not see that it's not that?

His eyes blaze gold, his anger filling the room like a blanket. He finally lets go of my throat but instead, he grabs me by the hair, yanking my head as I'm forced to sit up.

"You're doing this for you! Not for anyone else!"

"No, Enrique! I swear, I always remembered you. At the darkest time of my life, you were there! To me, you were my hero! You gave me food and tried to protect me!" My eyes blur with tears that frustrate me.

"Darkest time... then you don't fucking know darkness or pain." He snarls, his eyes glimmering orange. His hand twisting painfully in my hair, making me gasp.

"I love you!" I blurt out, my eyes widen in shock as I realise what I just said.

Voiced my most treasured feeling...

He stills for a moment, but before I can hope for anything, he smirks coldly.

"Well guess what, Princesa?" he whispers, leaning closer to me, his nose brushing my hair. My heart thuds and even before he speaks, I know he's going to say something harsh. But nothing I predict can prepare me for what he does say.

"I hate you; I hate you more than I hate your father. I wish I never fucking met you, I wish Father had finished you off, I wish I never showed you any mercy, and fuck do I wish I never found you down there!"

Each word, each sentence, cuts through me like a whip made out of fire and poison. "If you want to do me a favour... then leave, or better, go to fucking hell!" he snarls, shoving me aside. I fall sideways onto the bed, my hair covering my face.

I've had things said to me before... I've had vile remarks thrown at me by men... been mocked by girls for my weight... made fun of, but these are comments that cut like a blade...

He's the boy I dreamt of...

"Get the fuck out of my pack, now. Or I will kill you."

I look up sharply, his words shocking me, brushing away my tears as I gaze up at the man before me, trying to calm my emotions.

One who wears an expression of complete hatred.

He's the boy I thought of every night as I fall asleep...

The one I lived for...

My cold-hearted knight.

"Then kill me..." I say softly, getting off the bed and looking at the man who towers over me. "If it will ease the pain in your heart, I will die willingly."

His eyes blaze, but before he can speak, the room seems to darken. A familiar foreboding feeling surrounding me.

He's trying to find me!

No, not now!

'Sha...za...sha.. the deep menacing

sound that never makes sense

begins to get louder and suddenly I'm in that dreaded crypt once again. The tatt shadowed being in the corner writes something on the wall with his long knife-like claw.

Ve

A crawler, but not just any crawler. there's something far more terrifying about Kim than any other crawler... There's not as much smoke around him, he's taller... stronger...

This is their leader, and he's the one who's coming for me.

I can't move.

Please don't turn...

My heart pounds as he stops scraping away at the wall and turns to face me.

My blood runs cold as it does every single time when our eyes meet.

Death, darkness, and otherworldly evil.

He slowly advances towards me, sniffing the air.

Fear...

They feed off it...

He opens his mouth, his huge teeth drawing in a rattling breath.

"I don't fear you," I whisper, feeling the pungent evil dripping off him as I look him dead in the eye.

He looks more sinister than the Crawlers, if that's possible.

'You will...sha... za...sha. You will hmt nswt Ashetaaa!' he lashes out at me and this time I can't hold back the scream as he gets closer.

He's never gotten so close!

Suddenly pain erupts through me and I know I need to cut the connection between us - now!

The taste of blood fills my throat, and I scramble to remember Dante's orders.

'Focus on your light.'

Kiké...

My eyes sting when his hurtful words return, cutting into me.

I scan the crypt, my powers fuzzy around me. They don't work here!

Focus on my light...

It's not working!

It's not working!

A rattling chuckle leaves his teeth, and the stomach-churning smell of his breath fills my nose.

'Soon... soon you will come to free me... soon your essence will feed me... and I have finally found you.'

His mouth stretches and he lets out a blood-curdling roar as he raises his hand.

My light!

Focus...

I close my eyes, but I'm not fast enough, feeling crippling pain tear through me as he slashes into me.

A piercing scream fills the air as my entire body numbs, the pain is far too intense to bear.

I hear Enrique's faint voice calling me. I can't make out what he's saying, but I try to focus on it. Letting it guide me back to my body.

He's calling me...

There is always hope.

I open my eyes, staring at the monster who is trapped for now, feeling myself being pulled away, but unlike the other times when he could not touch

me, he now can.

I know soon he will be out, and he will come for me, because he has already promised me that he will be my end...

And he will be.

I have not told anyone... but I have foreseen my death.

On the night of the Blood Moon... when the moon disappears from the night sky; I will die.