Dark Lord's Obsession

Chapter 17: A Cold Night

Third Party's Point of View

The chamber became brightened with a presence. Or so Kayla thought. With a gasp, Kayla turned to her left only to find Dimitrov. Those bluish orbs were glaring at her. His tanned skin was replaced with several marks. Her eyes travelled to that unkempt hair, the sharp jawline and then towards his muscular chest. Her heart was hammering loudly. Dimitrov was finally here! That masculine scent lingered over her nose. Her lips shivered as her moist eyes blinked. Was she dreaming? Her hand voluntarily approached his face only to gain a harsh rejection.

“What on earth are you doing here?” Dimitrov yelled.

Kayla moved her hand quickly. Shadow of sadness covered her face again as she muttered, hanging her head, “sorry!”

“You touched these parchments and this box. How dare you? Do you think you can spy on me like this?” Dimitrov shouted, making Kayla shiver. His eyes were flickering between dark red and blue, and a slit appeared in the pupils. She had never seen this side of Dimitrov; even when they attacked Arak, he was much calmer.

“I…” Kayla wanted to justify her actions but never received that chance.

“First, you stabbed me and now this. Get out of my chamber,” Dimitrov let out a feral growl, shaking the entire chamber. His eyes were burning in anger. She was startled for a moment.

“Dimitrov…” Kayla mumbled, taking a step back.

“I said, OUT!” His voice reverberated in the room.

Kayla kept staring at him blankly. She waited all these days for him but never in her mind she had imagined such an outcome. Before she could reason with him, a knock gained their attention, followed by a timid voice, “I have brought dinner, my lord.”

A humble servant was standing by the opened door. His eyes were glued to the floor.

“Bring it in,” Dimitrov ordered, walking towards the dining table.

The servant followed his order and arranged everything on the table. Kayla stayed in her place. Ignoring her existence, Dimitrov started to eat his meal. The Servant stood there quietly. His gaze travelled back and forth to Dimitrov and Kayla.

“My lord, do you need anything else?” The servant asked when Dimitrov was done with his meal.

Dimitrov stood up from the chair and stared at Kayla again while he spoke out loud, “send someone to serve me tonight.”

Kayla stood there like a statue. Her face became paler than ever. She could hardly believe her ears. A sharp pain raised in her heart, making her shiver. Since the day she was in this chamber, she never had seen Dimitrov spending the night with anyone else. A pale hope was building up in her chest. But everything changed suddenly. A coldness surrounded her heart, making her numb.

“As you wish, my lord.” The servant spoke, bowing his head, after peeking at Kayla once.

Kayla couldn’t take the humiliation any longer. She stormed out of the room at that instant, without even waiting for any further words from Dimitrov. As soon as she stepped out of the room, she realised she had nowhere to go. The only room she was living in was Dimitrov’s chamber. Before that, it was the dungeon. Arak was miles away, and she wasn’t even sure if she could leave the castle. 

Slowly, she walked through the corridor as her eyes were fixed at the garden beside it. It was still lashing down. Her legs carried her to the garden, under the rain. She closed her eyes to feel that pure water was coming down from heaven, trying to erase all her pain, her losses. Slowly her legs gave up, and she sat on the muddy ground without caring about her attire. Why should she care anyway? She wasn’t the lady of the Arak anymore! Her home was burnt down, and she was nothing but a slave.

Dimitrov’s words kept repeating in her head. Someone will be there tonight in that chamber. Why did it hurt so much? They shared no relation. The pain of betrayal filled her heart. Her tears became one with the rain, and her low screams turned into a whimper. Slowly she leaned on the ground, trying to be one with the earth. Why did her life become like this? Why didn’t she die on that day? Neither she could save her people, nor she could kill the enemy. Death would have been better than all these. 

~~~~~********~~~~~~

Inside the chamber

Dimitrov was standing near the wooden table where the parchments were, holding onto that tiny wooden box. His face showed relief as Kayla left the room. The servant was about to leave the damp chamber when Dimitrov stopped him.

“No need to send anyone in. And check once where she went.” He instructed. A sigh made its way as he continued, “don’t let her soak in water. That fragile human will catch a cold for sure.”

The servant was surprised by his action. The dragon lord had never cared about anyone’s whereabouts before, especially for humans.

“Yes, my lord.” He replied.

“You may leave now,” Dimitrov added.

The servant left the chamber quickly. Dimitrov sighed loudly, putting the box back in its place. Slowly he made his way towards the bed and leaned on the soft mattress. He was scared tonight, seeing Kayla with that pendant. She was just inches away from touching it. A shiver ran down his spine, thinking about the outcome.

His senses became blur again as he felt immense pain. His scales were burning his skin. Closing his eyes, he placed his arm on his burning forehead. That was happening again. His breathing became heavy. The loneliness surrounded his heart and soul. The pain became unbearable. Even so, his mind didn’t give up on her thought. It was pouring outside. Would she be okay? Only if he had enough strength to stand up he would have checked on her himself. A unique sensation of hot and cold was wrapping his frame, making him shiver violently. He was on his verge. 

Suddenly he felt a touch on his forehead, with a voice rang on his ears, “I knew it would become worse. You did the right thing to keep that human away from it.”

His senses became so dull that he didn’t even realise Hayden’s arrival. Dimitrov tried his best to open his eyes but couldn’t. Hayden sat on the bed and held the same sack hear his nose, making him inhale the herbs.

“I will ask two warriors to guard the door. You are not going anywhere in the next two days. Then this stage will pass. We can’t let others know about this phase. The darkest stage we all suffer. The Brumation.” Hayden ordered.

“A curse… to our… kind,” Dimitrov spoke with much difficulty.

“Indeed, a curse.” Hayden sighed. “All our ancestors had suffered except one.”

Dimitrov didn’t reply, though he knew the answer. He kept his eyes closed, trying to find comfort. The darkness was spreading across his veins, making him vulnerable.

“Rest well, brother,” Hayden caressed his forehead once, knowing the same pain he was going through. He was about to leave the room when Dimitrov suddenly held his hand.

“Keep... an eye… on… her, will you?” he mumbled.

Hyden sighed, “I will send someone to look after her.”