BLOOD AND Lightening

Chapter 16

NIMAI

For some reason I couldn’t sleep, Asteria finally slept off after making sure I ate with her, at first I was happy for the new friendships I got from the east palace but ever since the changes in me began manifesting I have come to find myself drifting apart from them day by day, the older one don’t seem to care, they are more into their work and appearance in the palace, while Belle and Asteria rarely got to do anything, so they have a lot of time to come looking for me, or sticking to my side.

I got tired of laying down in bed and slowly went out, my mind just couldn’t swallow the thoughts of a murderer residing in the same place with me, I still can’t stomach the fact that the Emperor made me believe he was a common enemy but the look on his face was the happiest I have even seen him.

“You never sleep” I heard his voice, I turned around to see him, and the burning anger which had died down ignited itself, I hated myself for being too weak, I wish I could end him and make him burn. I ignored him and averted my gaze

“Do not feel betrayed for he owes you nothing” I hear him say now standing exactly behind me, he moves with the speed of air or light cause I don't even see him take a step.

“I am not disappointed” I shamelessly lied

“You are terrible at lying, I appreciate that,” he said, this time I saw him move, he came facing me

“What have you come to do? Finish what you started? You could've just killed me alongside my parents, why are you here!” I asked him unable to hide and hold back my pain, his face held no emotions but rather indifference face, and the way he stared at me annoyed every fiber in me.

“They are not your parents,” he said,

“What!” the audacities of this man, to stand and tell me they are not my parents.

“They were to me, she was the mother I know, she groomed me into this lady I am now even when I wasn't hers, for once I didn't believe my father nor doubted being their daughter till the day you killed her!!” I shouted from my guts pushing back the lingering fear that his eyes were putting in me.

“Because you are a little too slow, you looked nothing like them, you look foreign even when surrendered with people that you can easily be seen, the people you called your parents looked nothing like you and smelled a lot different from you that I could tell immediately I entered your home” he looked vexed while talking like something was disgusting him, do I disgust him, can he smell my blood

I took a step back from where I stood before

“The young Emperor owes you nothing, although he should have made a deal and not be corny,” he said confusing me, he seems like he knows a lot and everything which annoyed me more, he moves and speaks like he owns the place while as he is an intruder

“I came for you, young witch,” he said with a smirk, I hate him so much, he had no single look of regret or remorse, you killed a person's parent and just show up in front of them with a heavy attitude

“I did not create myself, nature made it so, I killed your parents to survive, humans kill animals wild and domesticated,” he said as if he could read my mind, could he?

“Because of them, I won't be feeding for a while,” he said, the constant reminder from everyone that they weren't my parents can't change the hurt and damage in my heart

“I came to make a deal with you” I heard him say, each time he opens his mouth to speak I feel like cutting his tongue, I found myself chuckling after his words settled, and my legs began to lead me to him, I stood right in front of him.

“I wouldn't have been so disappointed if you had this attitude with the Emperor,” he said, his deep voice sending chills down my spine, maybe coming too close was a bad idea. his eye color nothing I have seen before, I found myself taking in the detail of his face, he looked paler than the Princess like the sun never touched his skin before, a strong scent hit my nose, it was coming from him, strong and at the same time seductive

“Do not come too close or you will be drunk” he warned me, I looked up to see him smiling, Heavens forbid that I found him attractive but he was indeed the finest man I have set my eyes on.

“I thought you hate me” I heard him say again, and then I remembered I was supposed to glare hardly at him but it was too late perhaps I was indeed drunk in his scent, it is indeed true that they are seductive creatures for me to not have attempted fighting him not like I stand a chance yet.

“I want you to come with me, I will take you far away from this kingdom,” he said to me taking a step away from me, I did want to leave but not with this man

“I do not want to leave, why would I leave a place that gives me comfort,” I said to him

“You lie with so much ease,”

Was he reading my mind?

“I can't read your mind,” he answered my question making it harder for me to believe

“ your expressions are just easy to read” he pointed out making me try my hardest to keep a poker face

“I am not like your corny Emperor, I am an ancient creature, we take deals seriously so give me just a quarter of the trust you have for him” the more I looked at him the more unbelievable he sounds, how did he expect me to trust him of all creature, bloodsuckers are not just monsters but they have a lot of guts,

“The Emperor hasn't done a single bad thing to me” I found myself answering

“Really?”

“I will take you away from here either by force or peacefully but I have chosen to give you the option of a deal,” he said with a changed demeanor, I had forgotten for a second what he is capable of, he can drain me of every blood and fiber and here I am fighting words with him.

“Can't you just leave me alone, you have wreaked me already, please I beg you” his face seemed agitated again before he quickly replaced it with a smirk

“That's why this deal is important, with a deal I can no longer be able to cause you pain ever again” what? Is that true? No, I can't trust him

“My kind never makes deals because of how powerful it is, consider it an apology for killing your fake guardians”

Pathetic, that's how I feel, I can't stand a chance against him either.

“Tell me what exactly you want from me,” I asked already tired of battling with him

“I need your help, you are a witch, am a creature who can only walk in the night, I need a few spells from you,” he said looking keenly at me, so he really can't walk under the daylight.

“How am I supposed to do that, even if I can do that, I don't want to help you, you are a monster,” I said to him hoping it's stings

“What are you? You aren't human either? You are a creature greatly hated by both humans and my kind alike”

Moment of realization, he wasn't wrong, I noticed him go cold, oozing a terrifying aura from him, every of his mood shows a different person, and the presents reminds me of the first time I saw him, an unforgettable experience,

“Come with me, I will prove to you how corny your savior is,” he said to me, I didn't get it immediately but my heart sank realizing he was talking about the Emperor, the man here seems like he knows everything, I want to scream at him and tell him I Don't care but a path of me wanted to know who exactly who the Emperor, was, he began moving ahead of me with confident not even looking back, perhaps he already knows that I would follow him, he didn't seem to care that he would be seen by anyone, I followed his to the Emperor's chambers luckily there were no guards around which was rare, I wouldn't be surprised if he had a hand in it.

He stood by the slightly opened door, he nudged me to get closer with his eyes, and not even attempting to do the same, I was scared but him standing behind me with his hands folded behind somehow assured me of my safety, I leaned in to see sir Nicholas with a vexed face looking at the Emperor who I couldn't pinpoint the look on his face, I have never seen Nicholas angry not to talk of at the Emperor of the land.

“How can you let in a mysterious creature strong enough to destroy the kingdom in, your majesty” I heard Nicholas say

“I have my plans, the final key to achieving everything I want is finally here, I can't let that slip away” I heard the Emperor say, never heard him speak in that tone before

“Is Nimai not enough?” I heard my name slip from Nicholas, what? What do I have to do with their fight

“You wanted her powers to rule the world why add another” Nicholas said again, what? My power? Rule the world? Is that even possible

“Nimai is worthless before a vampire, she isn't immortal, and she can't help me live forever, her powers are taking a lot of time to fully manifest and she is becoming uncontrollable”

That can't be his Majesty speaking, no I looked over at the man behind me, he looked uninterested I swallowed the hard lump forming in my throat and leaned in again to listen,

“She is only but a common tool, that I will groom into however I want, with the power of immortality and the power of a witch I will be unstoppable” I heard the Emperor, I saw him touching his rod on Nicholas while chanting a spell, he was compiling him, I watched in bewilderment till I felt someone drag me away.