FARAH

Chapter 3 - Cursed And Broken Beyond Repair

~F A R A H~

I stretch my arms over my head, drained of all the work I've done today. A few weeks passed so quickly that I didn't even notice it. Prince came to the store several times, he only asked for Kiara and waited for her either in the store or outside in the car.

Kiara was very off today, she didn't once smile or joke like she usually does. She came late and didn't say anything, she was in the garden the whole time.

The only time she spoke was a few hours ago when she was leaving. She asked me to tell her brother, Prince if he came to ask for her that she'd soon be here.

I look at the clock and it's time to close the shop but I'm just waiting for her brother. I yawn, rubbing my sleepy eyes. Maybe I can take a quick nap while I wait, with that I put my head down on the desk and let the sleep take over me.

"Mama don't leave me I'm s-scared," I say with all the courage I could muster but it still comes out more like a whisper. Warm tears being to fill the brim of my little lower eyelids.

"I know baby I know you are scared but don't be, mama promise she'll come back to you" she takes my hands in hers "and do you remember what I told you to do when you are scared?" I nod as hiccups begin making their way down in my throat "w-we breathe" I answer.

"Yes, now breathe with me" mama inhales and signs me to do the same. I repeatedly inhale and exhale until my body really begins to calm down, but the burning pain on my shoulder persists.

My eyes widen and I sit up straight as my chest pounds. I fist my eyes, struggling to settle them in the bright light. I move my hand away and then see that I had tears on my eyelids that I had just wiped a second ago.

why was I crying? It could be because of nightmares.

When my eyes settle in the light, I look up to find Prince, crossing his arms and waiting for me to answer his questioning look.

I know what he's going to ask so without wasting time I quickly say "She said she'll be here in a few minutes" He leaves the store to wait in his car before giving a slight nod.

My work is done here so I must leave before it's too late. I put my stuff in my bag and start cleaning the shop wherever it is required. I look at the clock and fifteen minutes have passed so quickly.

I sigh and go to the counter table, picking up my bag ready to leave but the main entrance opens and Prince walks in towards me with large steps.

"What exactly she said before leaving," he asks, annoyance lacing his tone. "She told me she'll be here in few minutes, that's all she said" I recall correctly.

Frustrated, he looks at the floor, lost in thought. After a minute or two of pure silence, he raises his head to meet my eyes, his facial frown now completely gone and a strange expression on his face.

He places his hands on the counter and leans on it, reaching a bit closer to my face "you aren't lying to me," he questions weirdly "are you? Farah" he adds, raising an eyebrow.

Why would I lie?

I notice he has a deep cut on the left side of his face as well as inside his eyes. it starts from his eyebrow to his lips, almost like a knife cut.

He gets more closer and my heartbeat accelerates. His eyes stare deep into my eyes, and I study the deep cut in his eye. Because of the color silver, the deep crimson mark looks more noticeable. But it still manages to look so flawless.

I take a step back, creating distance between us "I'm telling you the truth" I speak, making him stand upright "Fine" that's all he said before leaving in a jiffy.

~P R I N C E~

I try to call Kiara who's too busy to pick up my calls. I tried enormous time to get her to call me back but she hadn't so I'm just going to check if she's at her shop.

I drive to the shop, looking through the large see-through window and door, but nobody is anywhere to be seen inside. I see light coming out of the shop so perhaps she could be in there. I walk to the door and the sign is turned to close, however, the door isn't locked.

I walk in, looking around as I catch the sight of a raven head, Farah. She might know where Kiara is, with that thought in my mind I go to her. I hear her heartbeats and they are even, she's asleep.

"Farah" I whisper but no response from her "Farah" I whisper a bit louder this time but again no response. I bend and move her hair away from her small face, tucking them behind her ear.

I move closer and see tears coming out of her closed eyes. Why Is she crying? She tightly squeezes her eyelids "No..." A soft mumble comes out of her mouth as tears begin to pour out. "Farah, wake up" I now say with a clear voice.

But she still doesn't want to wake up, she's a sleepyhead for sure. I sigh, bringing up my hand to shake her.

My fingers are only inches away to touch her arms but out of nowhere she just sits straight almost hitting my chin with her head in the process, but my reflexes help me to back away in time.

I wait for her to start talking. She finally looks up at me and speaks before I could say anything "she said she'll be here in a few minutes" I nod and leave the shop, hoping Kiara wouldn't waste more of my precious time.

I silently wait while sparing few glances at Farah, working here and there inside the shop. It has been fifteen minutes and there's no damn sign of Kiara.

I get out of the, slamming the door shut. I have no idea what's up with her behavior lately. I open the door and go to the counter.

"What exactly she said before leaving" Kiara often tells me where she's going but she has been avoiding me ever since the incident with Celeste's spies.

"She told me she'd be here in few minutes, that's all she said" Farah answers and I look down, frowning. She's gone for four hours and no one knows where she's. What if.... What if something happened to her...

No, of course not. Even if anyone did attack her she's absolutely capable to protect herself without a doubt, she's the third most powerful creature in this world after all. But it's not what I'm worried about.

Wait, is Farah lying to me? She could be settled here to distract me while the clan members are busy doing their dirty work on the other side, and if that's the case then they did a pretty good job cause I already wasted fifteen minutes doing nothing.

And it's not about only Kiara here but also Azov's safety. It's not like I care about Azov, I care only for the contracts they deliver me.

I raise my gaze and look at Farah "you aren't lying to me" I place my hands on the counter, leaning on it and bending closer to her so I'm up to her height.

"Are you? Farah" I add in an intimidating tone. If she's really something other than just a mere human and is here from some organization or something, she'll easily start showing typical vampire or ghoul-like traits, she won't be able to resist but attack the target so close.

The only effect I've given him so far is the rapid heartbeat. I begin to push the tension hard into my gaze. I don't take my eyes off her turquoise doe eyes for once, but still no reaction.

If she's so good at resistance then I have other ways of bringing out the horrible aspects she's putting up with. I'd know if she's from Celeste, Maverick, or Zehra's clan by her scent. I get closer to her, trying to recognize her fragrance.

A familiar scent fills my nostrils but I can't quite acknowledge it, The feeling is like I know this but I can't remember. I inhale again, trying to get something but she takes a step back creating a distance in between.

I also straighten my posture and put my hands inside my pockets. I ain't going behind the counter just to sniff her, that would be very bizarre. Whatever, back to Kiara.

Wait, what date today is? Then it hit me, Oh s**t! I knew I had this feeling that I know what she was up to but I ignored it, how can I be so foolish.

Without wasting a second I get out of the shop and drive to Thelse's house. As I walk inside the huge hall I immediately caught Thelse sitting next to his sister and so-called guards Zendaya and Tony standing next to them. I walk to him, wanting to just tear him apart right now.

"Prince-" When I grab his collar and pull him up off the couch, his voice trails off, leaving Dahlia startled. The guards ran towards me protectively, trying their best not to show the terror, but the accelerated heartbeat, the crease on their forehead, and the panicking vampirism in them tell it all.

I turn my head to the right, sending them a glare filled with warnings and threats that immediately halts their movement. I turn my eyes back to Thelse.

"Did you give my contract to Kiara?" I try my best to stay calm. "She said she needed them but didn't say why!"

"And you just gave it to her! You dumb fuck." There's no time to waste on yelling, I'll have to find her before she does anything stupid.

I know where the targets typically stay or hide and I'm sure Kiara knows where they are as well, she has the contract that is filled with locations of my preys and the techniques they use so clearly she was just diverting me away in the meantime, she can serve her purpose.

After looking for her in empty streets and deserted buildings, I couldn't find her anywhere. I walk into the pin-drop silent and empty building, keeping my ears up for any unusual motion.

The sight before causes me to halt my steps and look at few dead bodies lying on the floor. An only girl who's alive yet is lying and begging for mercy from the white-haired woman who's towering over her; her hand is trembling.

I sprint towards them and harshly turn her around. My eyes meet Kiara's eyes filled with tears. "What is all this!" I run my hand over my hair, furiously and her reaction changes into a furious one, too.

"What the f**k are you doing here!" She yells. I snatch her blade and throw it on the ground. "It's the exact question I wanna ask you"

"I'm here to do what's best for you!" What's that supposed to me mean? "This...is this best for me?" I indicate to her the chaos she has caused "Stealing my contract-" she interrupts, her eyes turning red.

"Contract? Really? Do you mean your victims whom you butcher just to munch on? Don't use the word 'contract' just to make yourself feel innocent. Name them what they are to you, Preys"

Each word coming from her mouth is hitting me like a sharp dagger in my heart and the worst part is that they all are facts.

"Fine, preys, victims or whatever they deserve to die, they've committed a crime and are our enemies" as soon as the sentence passes my lips her bitterness intensifies.

"Enemies, that they are but they aren't for you to feast on. If you want to be so helpful to this good-for-nothing Kingdom then just kill the threats, don't eat them like a shitty cannibal!"

"For God's sake Kiara please don't start this again"

"Please Prince I just wanna help you" she takes a step forward "Look at me, I'm cursed. you can't help me, you can't change me, No one can. Do you remember what happened when I tried? Or do you need a reminder, I nearly attacked Elijah"

"This thing" I brush my fingers on the deep crimson veins in my neck and continue.

"This thing doesn't care about anyone nor you and Elijah, my own blood. All it cares about is slaughtering and seeing people suffering amuses it and so do I"

"I k-know but you can't give up, you have to try again. Imagine you'll be able to live a simple life with your family away from all this...misery. I and Elijah can never live happily, knowing that we couldn't do anything for you.

You used to be so joyous, warm-hearted, and crammed up with so much goodness but now look at you... When did you become...this heartless and unlikeable creature. Just try once again to be a better person" the pain in her voice is making it so much hard for her to talk properly.

"The person I used to be died when I realized what the real world is, how selfish and greedy it is. And for the heartless and unlikeable creature part, I'm glad that I'm something like that cause at least I don't have to care about people's feelings like you guys do.

I don't want to change, I'm happy to be the most powerful instead of being a weakling who was too easy to be taken down. You asked me not to feed on humans and I haven't since that day, I can't do anything more. I just can't"

I exhale and put my hands on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

"Listen carefully Dumbo, I want you to have as great a life as you've wanted. You have what you've always wanted, your own shop, and Elijah has what he's always wanted, his own company. You both have what you wanted, please live your best life and remember that I will always be there for you.

You'll never have to get your hands dirty because that type of thing is for me to take care of, okay?" She nods as she begins sobbing "I love both of you the most in the whole world and would do anything for you.

The hunger is out of my league to stop so fighting is absolute bullshit. Someday someone would come and free me from this abomination, I'll find my peace one day, maybe, maybe not"

"Come here" I open my arms to hug her but she refuses and proceeds to argue.

"W-what mummy would say if she sees you like this-"

"No, no Kiara don't bring ma into this. She was naive and too forgiving to survive in this world, and I'm not like her, you shouldn't be either."

I realize now that my chest is heating up with anger and the tears are not stopping on Kiara's face. I hug her and she completely breaks down.

Even after all these rantings and explanations, I know she won't give up trying. She just doesn't give up, let's just say it's a family thing.

"Don't ruin my coat with your tears and snorts" she snickers and then again starts sobbing.

"Why do you always have to be an asshole" pushing me she walks away, still bawling her eyes out. "Now, who's going to take care of the bodies?". " I don't know" in a matter of seconds she disappears in thin air.

I almost forgot I should keep an eye on Farah.

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