Chapter 8 Poison

• —Fiona—
• Someone, or some people—it was fucked up at this point—had been in my room.
• The orgasm was too real to have been a dream. I woke up to damp pants and finger marks on my inner thighs. The confusion fills my mind as I take my bath and head for breakfast.
• I am the only one at the dinning. I guess the others are busy with preparations for the banquet judging by the bubbly atmosphere in the house.
• At noon, I decided to take a walk in the garden. I was walking around, my mind filled with thoughts of what secrets the three kings were hiding when my fifth ability vision started. I have lost count of how many times I have had past and future visions by now.
• My body turns rigid, my hands are stiff and I stand still in the middle of the garden as my surroundings changes. It barely lasted a second, the vision, all haze of fuzzy images and muffled conversations.
• Hollowed screams. A black gloved hand. Broken glass and gold liquid staining the floor, mixing with the crimson red of strong blood. The tips of a white rope covered in the liquid mess. I can smell the blood in the vision.
• I am pulled out the same way I have been drawn in. My breathing comes out in pants as I bring my hands to my knees.
• Every ability has its downside and while I may be able to live some of these moments, it's life threatening as it drags me directly into another universe. Into a world I do not belong to.
• I have read in a book how the ability changes people and makes them a danger even to loved ones. It's why they are banned into the deep pits of hell.
• I inhale and straighten, the smell of blood following me to reality. For a moment I was worried that I was still stuck on my vision until I heard the annoying deep tone.
• “Piona!”
• I gave the man a glare. “It's Fiona.”
• Xander stands in front of me, his forearm coated in blood from a wound that is already closing up. “Oh don't worry about me, Elijah nicked me because I have a bigger cock.”
• I winced, disgusted by the sound of it on his lips. “I wouldn't give a fuck if you were running around headless.”
• “Ouch.” Xander smiles, beautiful teeth perfectly on display. He has dimples marking both his cheeks and it makes him almost impossible to look at. All hatred aside, the man really is handsome.
• I glare at him and try to walk past him, but he stops me with his words.
• “Being wolfless isn't the only secret you have is it?” I met his gaze, eyes burning a different shade of hue into my head. It’s intense, indecipherable and taunting. “Why did that demon disintegrate when it tried to ingest you?” He leans a bit to my height, breath fanning my nose while the words from his mouth blow hot against my lips.
• “I have learned your scent by heart now. You act weak, but your desire for power is strong.” I push him back just enough for me to breathe and gather my thoughts.
• “I like you the least, Your Highness.” I mock and he looks impressed. “And it's because you talk trash.” I could see the words brimming in his eyes, so I quickly added. “It's nearing party time and I have to get ready.”
• I sauntered off not giving him the satisfaction of seeing me crack. Once I got into my room, I inhaled deeply, wondering for how long I will have to hide in the shadows?
• How much power do I need to be able to walk freely among these people?
• About three hours later, the party started and the servants had just finished my makeup. I step into the banquet and find it teeming with the crowd already, most of which I know as they are Southern decision makers.
• A bit farther to my left is Christian conversing with a priestess. As though he could feel my eyes on him, he tilted his champagne flute to me, dark eyes twinkling and I returned a courtesy bow before walking to the food table, my stomach a flurry of butterflies.
• My dress is overflowing and a bit tight around the waist so I couldn't eat too much. Minutes later, Elder Zach takes the microphone and addresses the guests while I quietly move to grab a flute of champagne.
• “Thank you all for being here on this lovely night.” The crowd cheers. “My estate has been blessed with the rarity of catering to royalty. Please, let us all welcome the Kings, Witch and of course our Nonarch!”
• The crowd applauds while he deviates to talking about the laws of our country and the importance of truce—a topic I noticed everyone seems engrossed in.
• “Boring isn't it?” Elijah's gentle tone caresses my ears and I almost swoon when he leans closer and adds. “You look beautiful Fiona.”
• “Thank you. You look dashing, your highness.” I flushed, slowly sipping the champagne.
• “How was your night?” He casually asks and I almost choke on my drink.
• “It was…” Erotic? “...fine. It was fine.”
• “Good.” He lowered his tone and whispered. “I was worried you might be in pain because of the mark.”
• “No. Nothing unbearable.”
• He nods and stands next to me, watching as people begin to take a partner and dance. He is the most quiet if one doesn't consider Christian. The gentlemanly one but a dangerous entity on his own.
• Elijah is the type of king that is full of smiles and jokes and perfectly carved respect yet could put a dagger in your heart in the next second.
• And that snake-like rogue, I hope he rots in hell. As if I had just summoned him with my mind, Xander begins to walk towards us.
• “Excuse me. I think it just saw someone I know.” I lied and quickly walked away, aware that Xander's eyes were on my back.
• I stop near the table of drinks and stare at Chloe laughing with some elderly priest I didn't recognize. The witch looks carefree compared to the stuck up bitch energy I always get from her.
• I pick another flute off the table and bring it to my lips, mind wandering off until someone bumps into me from behind and the champagne spills across my dress.
• I am about to speak when I feel a sharp pin prickle my lower back, turning my sight blur until I am dragged into another vision.
• I am transported into a world where the cloud is an eerie color of grey and black. The surroundings this time is very familiar. Although I haven't physically been to the treaty palace, I recognise the massive and magnificent structure from the Internet.
• I am in the middle of the moonlight dome, the circular roof before me trembling like a giant was walking over it. I look around, noticing the several balconies that sparred across my left and right.
• It was then I saw it. A white cloaked entity carefully trudding on the second floor, black-gloved hand spread into the air as lips keep moving. Lips that have no face.
• Several black cloaked figures follow behind, chanting words that now echoed back to me. Words that made the building tremble as gold antiques start to fall and the floor begins to crack. Fuzzy flames and fires shielding my sight while the entity continues to walk around, lips never stopping. A black shadow starts to emerge from within it, cloaking the person in a shade of dark fog.
• I start to choke, the dark fumes traveling across the ground. The dome above me shakes as the concrete falls piece by piece.
• The chanting gets louder now. They start moving faster. The black shadow has covered the whole building and I can only make out the white cloak now. The rest have blended with the shadows. My eyes are burning as the floor roars alive with anger and the dome finally shatters.
• I screamed, and the white cloaked figure stopped moving. Head slowly turned to the floor to look at me. A rope-like shadow emerges from the figure and starts heading towards my legs, but I am pulled out before it can get to me.
• A strong hold on my wrist makes me shriek and jump as glass shatters across the floor. The banquet room comes alive again. It feels like I have died and have been resuscitated as my chest is burning hot.
• The person holding my hand is clothed in a floor length white robe stained at the edge with crimson red and gold liquid. Black gloved hand on my wrist as blue eyes access my paled expression.
• “Fiona, are you okay?” Elijah asks and I look at him, the blood dripping from his forearm and staining the floor, re-creating the strong scent I smelled earlier in the garden.
• It reminds me of my first vision and I realise it was one of the future.
• A gasp is forming in the base of my throat but as I open my mouth, thick black blood pours from it. Continuously. Non-stop. Staining my peach dress.
• My sight turns faint as I fall back into a soft body, the same feeling I had before coming back to me. Like a sharp pin had been pricked against my lower back.
• “THE NONARCH HAS BEEN POISONED!” Elder Zach screams as I slip into unconsciousness.