Chapter 8: Lotus flower mark

"What serves this mean?" I inquired, feeling odd.

Lorcan was working something on it. He asked me to pull down the sleeves of my dress, showing him my pale yet sluggish skin as he put oil in it making the mark vanish.

"The lard will be effective temporarily," Lorcan advised us. "You must put an oil in it every time it peeks."

I glanced at Hades who doesn't have any facial expression while taking notice of the old man who was just holding my hand while peeping at my eyes and went back to my palm. He halted, it seems like he got surprised when he set the minimalist bottle of oil above my hand.

Terrified flickered on his face. His eyes went white and started mumbling words I couldn't comprehend. Hades, on the other hand, he shifted in his position and got alarmed.

"What is it, Lorcan?" his voice went frigid.

An abrupt force made Lorcan and I split from each other. He ricocheted at the ground as well as I am who was deeply hurt when I was about to hit my head on the floor but Hades got my head quickly.

I squirmed in agony. It feels like my body was electrified by some unspecified force making the shit inside me infuriated.

I thought Hades entrusted me with his hands for me to get up. I was about to wield it when he crossed his arms making me blink twice, leaving my hand in the air hanging.

Oh, God! What's with him? Why the hell would he lend me his arms if he wouldn't grab it? Damn it!

"I'm not lending you my hands, idiot. Assuming," a voice slipped through my head.

My cheeks turned red hearing those words from him. Ugh! He could hear me, why the hell did I forget it, by the way?

I put my two hands on the ground and slightly rose. My body wasn't offset at all but I resided standing while equalizing my carcass.

"What was t-that?" I breathlessly mumbled, almost couldn't wheeze, and wondered what transpired.

Lorcan was already standing when I dwindled my eyes on him. Hades, on the other hand, glanced in my direction.

"Maybe he tried to discern something deep inside you," he hypothetically enunciates.

I scowled. "There's nothing else to see. I have big b-obs, yes, but he shouldn't invade my privacy!" I upheld myself, thinking it was the stuff Hades was telling.

His eyebrows puckered. He was stunned by what I told him as bitterness crept on his face.

"The f-ck are you saying?" he heaved.

"You said he's trying to see something deep inside me! He's old and a pervert! He shouldn't have done that!" I almost scream, feeling nauseate while glaring at the old man who was in front of us.

When I peeked at Lorcan, there was no violent reaction written on his face. Instead, there's none. As in, none.

Hades solely turned around and diminished his eyes on me. He pursued his lips and scoured his hair using his firm and veiny hands.

"Stop reckoning nonsense things, Leandra. It's not what you think," he enunciates. "Lorcan is a seer. He can read your future. He's one of the most reputable people here in our kingdom and what you have just said could be employed against you if the King and Queen learned about this," he roughly said.

My jaw dropped. My mouth was half-opened but no words came out of my mouth.

Lorcan went back to his seat, the swivel chair where he was earlier when Hades and I came in. Silence crept through the whole place, creating the eerie vibe I don't want to feel.

Vampires are true. I'm not sure what else they could do but if we're going to talk about their King and Queen, of course, they're the dominant people in a kingdom or realm. What if they got entangled and Lorcan would try to tell them what inappropriate things I just said?

You're not just audacious, Leandra. You're stupid as well! I should've bandaged my mouth next time, don't you think? What am I going to do, then? Should I run away? Supposing Lorcan might execute something horrifies me.

Is this my end? Oh my God! I'm not ready to die yet–

"Could you please tell me where you came from?" Lorcan's calm voice sent shivers down my spine.

I bit the inside skin of my cheek. My hands start throbbing thinking about the question he asked. "My parents are dead. If you're g-going to–"

"Would you like to train under me?"

Hades halted what he was doing. He's currently prowling around Lorcan's office, holding different kinds of things he saw but the moment Lorcan uttered those words in front of us, he stopped.

He narrowed his eyes on Lorcan, to me then went back to Lorcan. Slowly, Hades trudged forward as turmoil flashed in his eyes.

"She's my slave. I'm his master, I should be the one who's going to train Leandra under my knowledge and skills," he firmly announced, giving me goosebumps.

It took a few seconds before Lorcan spoke. "Of course. I respect and understand that, Lord Hades,"

Nothing more came out from their lips. Lorcan bowed at Hades and simply walk away from him. Feeling uneasy about earlier, I grab the chance to tell what's on my head and apologize.

I was fiddling with my fingers, looking at Lorcan who got back from his seat and opened a book.

"I... U-uh," I stuttered. "J-Just want to apologize because of what I've s-said earlier, sir," I formally said while biting my lower lip and looking down.

Lorcan didn't say anything.

"I hope what I d-did earlier wouldn't have made you any less. Apologies, sir,"

After instants of waiting for his answer, I didn't bother to talk again. I feel vile saying those improper things toward him without knowing who he was and his position.

How stupid.

I closed my eyes and started to walk away thinking and realizing the stupid thing I had just done. I was midway walking towards the door when Lorcan spoke.

"No matter what happens, you shouldn't let anyone see that mark on your left arm, young lady," the tone of significance slipped through his voice.

The moment I ceased, I swerved over and glanced at him, standing bewildered.

"S-Sir?"

"Always wear clothes that could hide it. Correlate the oil I gave you and when it's nearly not sufficient, go to my office and I'll request a new one for you,"

I can't comprehend what he's saying. I have no plans of talking back or questioning him as I heard Hades' annoying voice lecturing inside my head, inquiring about where I am.

"What could possibly occur if... others would see it?"

"As much as possible, don't let anyone know about your hidden mark. Or else, the King would throw you out of this kingdom and made you a viper. Worse is, you can be killed."

Feeling thoroughly petrified about what he said, there was no other alternative but to run away and pushed the abrupt idea at the back of my head.

My feet run towards the open free door and saw Hades outside puffing on his cigarette.

"You're late," he annoyingly sounded before hurling his cigarette out of nowhere.

Vampires can't walk outside in the middle of the burning sun that could burn their skin. However, in my case, my skin didn't burn when Hades and I started walking to nowhere. Actually, there's a slight abrupt pain tingling whenever the sun reflects on my skin.

Because of it, I rolled closer to where Hades is and made him the obstacle to quell the sun from hurting me.

"I'm not scorching..." I hissed, trying to circumvent the rays.

"Olga already prepared you before you wake up. We have something we use to prevent us from burning and can go outside freely," he informed while both of us are sauntering.

My forehead creased. "How is that possible?"

"It's possible no matter the circumstances are,"

Hades started walking fast, leaving me hanging behind him. Because of fear that the light might completely burn my skin, I ran toward him as fast as I can but not at the speed every vampire has.

Obviously, Hades already turned me like him. A beast who drinks blood and eats human flesh. I never thought that the quirks I always see on television are also real and could harm you.

And I don't like it.

We entered a door, a place that has many plants inside showed up. More likely, a garden.

It holds different types of flowers. Green grasses, dancing butterflies, different types of roses, and other things seized my attention and made me fascinated.

My eyes narrowed at the only plants in the middle. It's a shining lotus flower placed in the middle of the garden with thorns and was caged. Slowly, I took a step forward to see it closer and was dumbfounded to watch that it was moving!

Also... It looks like the mark on my shoulder! Does that mean it's also a lotus?

The cage wasn't that big. You can still get your hands inside. I was intrigued by its color and the way it shines like how the moon does.

Slowly, I lifted my hands and tries to get a touch of it. I'm not sure if it's allowed to fondle or pick it but I was about to do it halfway when a firm hand gripped my arm was hanging and ready to pick it up.

"Touch it and you'll die,"