Chapter 16

"Hey"

"Hi.. " His head was hanging low, cheeks flashed red, hands behind his back.

"Look at me. Baby, come on." He placed one finger under his chin to raise his head up a bit, his voice soft.

He still refused to look at him, eyes stuck to the ground.

He sighed and wrapped his arms around him, careful not to break him apart.

ERROT

"What are we doing in the middle of the forest, exactly?"

"Stop being so loud this early in the fucking morning" He said and rubbed at his forehead.

We were currently in a clearing in the woods, leaning against Canton's car, waiting.

For what I have absolutely no clue.

I tried not to think about the fact that the king of Ink Blood can actually drive.

The trees were incredibly high and their green almost resembled the shade of his eyes. It was a bit misty and cloudy, the weather freezing cold as always. There wasn't anybody else here except from us and it's making the forest so silent, I started getting a bit creeped out.

Canton had his arms crossed against his chest and his eyes closed, looking completely unbothered by the fact that we were all alone in a damn forest.

"It's almost noon." I raised an eyebrow at the hangovered king.

"Same thing." He mumbled coldly.

"King Canton"

I jumped at the sudden foreign voice. I looked up only to see an Ink walking towards us.

She was a bit short, her skin complexion brown with a few small white tattoos on her face and fingers.

I couldn't make out the tattoos clearly because they were tiny but I did manage to spot a small crown right under her left eye.

She looked gorgeous. Her dark brown hair were in dreads and she was wearing a black coat above her short -also- black dress. The only accessory she was sporting were her long silver earrings that were shining so bright under the sun. She was glowing.

I blinked at her presence. She gave Canton a small bow the moment she approached us and then glanced at me briefly and monotonously.

"Nerissa." Canton said indifferently. "I'm listening."

Nerissa hesitated for a slight second and looked at me, her gaze threatening.

"He won't talk." Cold.

She sighed and then she was back at staring at the ground, respectfully.

"We couldn't find anything yet again. We thought we were approaching the matter but..."

"But nothing." He said coolly and started rubbing at his forehead once again.

"We are gonna keep looking but I really believe its not worth it anymore. They're gone, Canton."

I blinked, stunned.

Canton?

Is she digging her own grave or what?

I dared to side glance at Canton, mentally preparing myself for the outburst that was about to come.

To my great surprise, Canton looked exactly the same. He was not affected in the slightest bit. In fact, his face was utterly unreadable.

I feel startled.

Is this a joke?

"You'll stop when I tell you to stop."

She nodded at the ground.

I think I'm still startled.

"Hey...uhm." she paused for a few seconds. "How is she?"

Who?

"Who?" Canton said coldly enough for me to almost miss the tiniest bit of amusement on his tone.

I believe she whispered a name I didn't quite get. Glad to see my hearing is still in tact.

Note the sarcasm.

"Come by and find out." He said indifferently.

Are they casually conversing right now or am I losing my fucking mind?

And did he just invite her to his castle?

"I doubt they will be happy to see me. Plus, I have a load shit of work to do here with the research."

Canton clicked his tongue. "I have a new task for you, I don't really care if they throw themselves off a cliff when they see you. Tomorrow night."

She sighed inaudibly. "9p.m.?"

"Don't ask useless questions." Canton walked to the drivers side of the car and got inside without another word.

I glanced at that strange girl with the white tattoos one last time and sat at the backseat of the car, like I was instructed to.

♛♛♛

He started driving in his usual comfort silence. Silence that I always have to break with my curiousity.

"Who is she?"

"Zip it."

I rolled my eyes at his back and was actually about to reply when my phone buzzed.

I opened it and got straight to the text messages only to find out that a number I don't recognize had texted me.

Hey, babe. Still alive?

12:33 p.m.

?

12:33 p.m.

Forgot all about ur new bf already?

12:34 p.m.

How did you find my number?

12:34 p.m.

I have my ways haha.

12:34 p.m.

R ya still in the woods ?

12:34 p.m.

How did u know we r in the woods? The cunt woke up pretty secretive 2day. Didn't say a word to anyone.

12:34 p.m.

I know cotton candy too well, kiddo.

12:35 p.m.

So you must also know a hot girl named Nerissa, right?

12:35 p.m.

Hahahahaha are you acting straight on me?

12:35 p.m.

I do know Nerissa.

12:35 p.m.

And? Who is she?

12:35 p.m.

Santos' step sis.

12:36 p.m.

Elvina's ex 😜

12:36 p.m.

I'm pretty sure I've been staring at my phone screen for over a minute wondering what in the living hell is going on between these elves. The more I learn about them, the more complicated it gets.

You there? Did he kill u?

12:38 p.m.

Well, she's coming over tmrw.

12:38 p.m.

Shiiiit fr?

12:38 p.m.

Hahahahaha

12:38 p.m.

I'd love to see that

12:38 p.m.

I started typing out my answer to Adan when the car came to a stop. I looked outside of the back window only to realise that we weren't in the castle. We weren't even close. Tall trees were still surrounding us and I suddenly got a bit nervous.

"Get out" he stated and opened the door and got out.

I didn't put my phone back in my pocket, feeling safer with it on my hand.

I got out as well and then he locked the car and started walking towards a small wooden house.

It looked simple but creepy.

Haunted.

Old.

Abandoned even.

But when he opened the door and walked inside, I knew I was required to follow him.

So I did.

The inside of the house was the complete opposite of the outside. Which reminds me not to judge a book by its cover -or a house in this case-.

It actually looked occupied. It was still slightly dirty but nothing compared to what my imagination had driven me to.

It seems like it's been taken care of once in a while. There aren't a lot of furniture in sight. It's quite minimalistic.

We were met with the small living room which was conjoined to an also small kitchen. There was a single couch in sight and in front of it you could see a tiny table stuffed with a few books.

No t.v. anywhere, no picture frames, no other furniture, nothing.

It was then that I noticed that my phone buzzed once again and Canton unfortunately heard it, his eyes falling to my hand.

"If it fucking beeps one more time, Merlot..."

"It won't."

It did.

I closed my eyes shut.

"Give me that." He sounded angry.

My eyes widened. "What? No."

As if I could ever oppose to the guy.

He snatched it out of my grip and when I thought he was gonna throw that poor device out of the window, he opened it and possibly went to my texts.

Fuck.

That's worse.

I called him a freaking cunt.

Well, then again. What's the worst that could happen to me?

He can't kill me and I'm already enslaved to him.

Nothing to lose. More to win.

So, I smirked.

I smirked and looked up at his face so I could read his facial expressions and enjoy making him angry.

But this boy is full of surprises.

He's as expressionless as a stone.

I can see his eyes moving left and right, reading every single text I shared with Adan.

Unreadable.

Indifferent.

Not a single emotion on his face. He doesn't even look stiff.

I'm disappointed.

Once he finished invading my privacy, he locked the phone and stretched his hand out so I could take it back.

I reached to grab it the same time he dropped it to the wooden floor, with force.

I heard it crack.

I heard the screen shatter.

Cunt.

His glassy eyes were staring at me when I looked up at him, obviously annoyed.

Still, his gaze gave absolutely nothing away.

He was the first to break the eye contact. He walked to the couch and sat down comfortably.

"Go to the kitchen and bring me something to drink. "

I turned around instead of turning my fist to his face and started heading towards the kitchen.

"And clean after the mess."

I blinked but kept going.

I told myself to keep it together. I needed to keep it together.

Like, who the fuck raised this kid. He's literally insufferable.

A nuisance.

Psychotic.

A Piece of shit.

A psychotic piece of shit.

I started opening the drawers until I found one with loads of alcohol .

I pulled a random bottle of Vodka out and walked back to him, ready to bang it against his head but I held myself back.

He grabbed it from me and pointed with his eyes towards my old phone, laying defeated to the ground.

He opened the Vodka and started drinking it.

Straight. He's drinking it straight.

I shuddered and went to pick what was left from my phone up from the floor so I could throw it to the trash.

Once I was done, I went back to him and tried not to acknowledge his presence.

Is this a repeat of the last two nights with him cause it's getting boring.

"Will you get drunk again? You've barely recovered from last night."

"As if you give a shit." He said, nonchalantly.

Well couldn't argue with that.

"But how are you gonna drive us back if you get drunk again?"

Canton scoffed. "Don't you worry human, I despise Vodka with my whole being." Cold.

Good. "You keep drinking it though."

"It's alcohol. That means that it's drinkable."

I eyed him carefully. "So this is how you spend eternity?"

Canton glanced at me.

"Getting drunk before noon, killing whoever does as much as looking at you, plotting wicked strategies, using people for your entertainment and then laying on a damn couch at night while getting even more drunk?"

He kept looking at me intensely his face vacant of any emotions again.

I thought he would never reply.

"Strip."

I blinked.

I realised that I do that quite a lot.

"Strip for me, love. All of it." He said and took a sip from his Vodka.

I looked a bit around me, suddenly feeling self conscious.

Used.

"Merlot." He warned.

I took a deep breath and pulled my shirt off from behind.

"Slower. Make a show."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I started unbottoning my jeans and pulling them softly down as well.

I looked at him.

"I-"

"Everything."

I exhaled and dropped my boxers down at once so I would get this over with as soon as possible.

The thing is I've never been too shy about my body and I didn't think it would be much of a problem for me to get naked in front of anyone.

But it is. I feel humiliated.

Raw.

Exposed.

Like a piece of meat.

His eyes are travelling up and down my bare body in an insufferable slow pace.

It looks like he's trying to take it all in. To examine every part of it, every small detail.

"Turn around." He said, coldly.

I did.

I felt the burn of his gaze on my back, my legs and everything in between.

Searching. Piercing holes into my skin.

"Front."

I turned around again.

"What's the story behind this?" And he pointed at his own lower stomach, his eyes stuck on my still healing wound.

I glanced at my own stomach and run a hand over the wound, gently.

It's slowly fading away.

"Got stabbed." I narrowed my eyes at the memory.

"Yeah. I can see that. My eyes are working just fine." He probably paused to mentally curse me and then proceeded. "Details" He ordered.

"It was..." I kept trailing my finger over it. "it was the first time I let myself slip a little bit. My father was killed. Grief drowned me. I knew I had to move. Run away. It was a matter of time for them to come and kill me too. "

I gulped. "But I couldn't move. I didn't...I didn't want to leave him just yet. Say goodbye." I dug my nails deep into the palm of my hand. "I was just crying. I don't even know how much time I spend crying on the floor, next to him. I heard footsteps. This immediately triggered my fight or flight. But I knew damn well I couldn't fight. Not in the situation I was in. So I...I run. "

Silence.

"That's what I do best anyway. But I wasn't fast enough. Not this time." I took my finger off and looked at Canton.

I had completely forgotten that I was wearing nothing right now but the shame was long gone.

He literally managed to strip me naked.

Canton's eyes were still fixed on my injury. Face empty and cold.

He took a sip from his vodka.

"Legs?" He asked, his gaze falling to my knees, ankles and thighs now, examining every single scar.

"They tried to burn us alive in our sleep. Woke up last minute. "

I also realised that I talk about my traumas as if I'm talking about the weather. As if they didn't screw my whole life up. As if they are insignificant.

I was so busy running away from them that I never actually faced them.

Canton nodded and finally tore his eyes away from my body. "You can put your clothes on now." He said indifferently and went back to his safe space. Alcohol.

He then shivered at the taste and placed the almost half empty bottle on the table. I started dressing up again as he got up from the couch.

"I'll be right back." He said and considered me for a second.

He then grabbed the bottle and poured the rest of it on the floor.

My eyes got extremely wide at that.

"Here. Something to occupy yourself with." He started for the small hall at the right side of the house and locked himself into what looked like the bathroom.

I'mgonnakillhimI'mgonnakillhimI'mgonnakillhim.

Someday.

Hopefully.

Only he can turn a so emotionally charged situation into an awakening of murderous intentions.

I picked up a mop I noticed earlier leaning on the kitchen counter and started cleaning the vodka off the floor.

I looked up at the bathroom door but he was still in there.

I sighed and looked around the house once again.

So tiny. I wonder if he owns it.

He probably does. Hence the extreme amounts of liquor on his drawer.

It was then that I noticed there was another door next to the bathroom.

I frowned and then rolled my eyes at my own idiotic curiousity.

It will get me killed one day, I just know it.

But I can't help it, damn it.

I looked at the bathroom door, in hopes it wouldn't suddenly open.

It didn't.

I carefully turned the knob hoping it wouldn't make a sound.

It.. didn't.

I smirked at my success and walked inside the room.

It turns out that its actually a bedroom. A very simple one.

There is a double bed on the far corner, an ancient wardrobe and a poor excuse of a wooden desk.

A desk that is filled with random stuff.

I got further inside the room and reached the table to satisfy my undying curiosity some more.

As I got closer though, my heart kept picking up its pace.

I suddenly froze dead on my spot. My eyes glued on a specific item.

On a picture.

A very old picture at that.

It was a bit faded and it had turned slightly yellow but it was very easy to make the faces out.

Horror. Goosebumps. Shock.

I immediately took the picture on my hands and stared at it at a close proximity.

Once the surprise settled in and I was ready to breathe again, I blinked at what I was seeing.

They told me that we look exactly the same.

They told me that it was like staring at a mirror.

That we were twins.

But words are just words.

I couldn't understand. I didn't understand.

I thought they were exaggerating.

That we just looked extremely similar.

But if I didn't know any better I'd argue till my last dying breath that this person in the picture was somehow me.

That it was just amazingly photoshopped.

But it's not. That's apparently Tristian Valder.

He's laying on a bed with a smiling Canton buried on his arms.

I repeat.

With a smiling Canton buried on his arms.

Smiling.

He is not smirking, grinning or wearing his usual sadistic sneer.

He's just smiling.

And Tristian is smiling back. And staring at him.

He literally looks like he's staring into his soul.

They are both fully clothed. And they are cuddling.

Actually, Tristian is cuddling Canton.

Another man is cuddling the king. Not the other way around.

Was Canton even a king then?

I didn't realise that I was frowning the whole time.

I turned the picture over and was met with a few neatly written words.

The person who wrote them probably used a fountain pen.

Yes, it's that old.

'Hope eternity treats you well, your highness & I wish you never remember to forget me. Goodbye.

-T '

"Who told you, you could step into this fucking room?"

I flinched at his dark voice, the picture now frozen on my hand.

I didn't dare to turn around.

I did the only thing I could do right now.

I closed my eyes and prayed.

♛