CHAPTER 13: WOULD YOU RATHER STAY?

Forneius' head was on fire. It felt like there was a storm going on in his brain. His lungs ached as he tried to breathe and his chest was burning. He stumbled as he climbed down the king-sized bed. He accidently pushed the bottle of wine on the vanity and it fell. The glass bottle shattered on the floor and the remaining wine was spilled. The bowl of red grapes at the side of the mirror also fell to the ground. He stepped on the pieces of glass, which bore into his skin, but he didn't feel anything, his feet were numb. He groaned in pain as he fell to the ground.

'Master,' Lara called in shock as she watched him slump. She had assumed he was intoxicated from the wine when he left the bed, but now she was truly scared. She let go of the sheets she wrapped herself in and ran to suffering Forneius in her birthday suit.

'Master Forneius, are you okay?' she asked as she lifted his head and placed on her thighs. His body was hot.

'You slut!' He said with resentment, fury and pain evident in his voice.

'Uziel!' he summoned with all the strength he could muster.

Lara's eyes widened in realization. She was in trouble. She stood, letting Forneius' head hit the floor.

'Arhh!' he groaned.

Lara scanned the room for her clothes.

'Oh God!' She said in panic as she found her garment ripped to shreds. The events of the previous night flashed through her mind. Forneius had torn and burnt her clothes as she watched excitedly.

'Master…' Uziel was saying when he walked into the lewd scene. Shredded and burnt curtains, broken glasses, wine-stained grapes and most importantly, Forneius unconscious with his robe untied.

Eerie cold wind blew Lara's back. He was here! There was no escaping now.

'I didn't do anything.' She explained even though she knew Uziel wasn't listening.

Uziel sensed great energy in the shabby room. Forneius' body exuded ominous power as he laid on the floor. Uziel looked at the bed. He noticed the both sides of the bed weren't made and Forneius' slippers were on the left side.

'He wasn't laying down here all night,' Uziel said to the naked mistress, not removing his gaze from the bed.

'No, he wasn't. He woke up… and… and he fell down,' she stammered, not sure what he was going to do with her. Torture? Amputation of parts of her body? Death? Death seemed like a fair option, she concluded as she recalled the notable events of her cursed life.

'You may leave,' Uziel said coldly, still looking at the bed.

'Huh? I can go?' Lara spluttered as cold sweat ran down her back.

'Would you rather stay?' Uziel asked, crouching to touch his Master.

Lara didn't reply. She hurriedly took the bed sheet and used it to clothe herself. She ran quickly leaving behind all her jewelry and not looking back. All she could think of was where to run to. There was no question in her mind that she wasn't safe despite the fact that Uziel had let her go unharmed.

'You slut!' she recalled Master Forneius say. The look in his eyes! Did he really think she did something to him?

*Thud

'Watch where you're going!' Gloria said as an oddly dressed woman bumped into her on the stairs. The woman held the sheets tightly under her arm as she fell to the ground. Not waiting for Gloria to offer her help, she crawled and then sped off.