CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: FAVOR

'Why did i felt pity for her? Why are my emotions flowing when I already cut off the roots? Who is she?' Tani asked herself as she ran down the hall.

She isn't just a witch, but the must powerful witch in the witches' empire.

Her bonds, and spell, are unbreakable. Everyone who tries breaking it ends up loosing their life or something more precious to them.

"Why are you panting heavily? What is pursuing you?" A voice asked from behind.

"Who are you?" In both anger, and fear, she asked without turning her gaze to the direction where the voice came from.

"Are you so angry that you didn't realize my voice?" The owner of the voice asked before he walked to her front.

She gasped at the sight of who stood fiercely at her front. "Your highness, please forgive me". "I didn't know it was you. I seek for your forgiveness". She went on her knees as she pleads.

Her pleas made him burst into sudden laughter that made her heart sank in awe.

"Tani, you don't have to beg me. After all, we are friends". He paused before he embraced her in a warm hug.

"Good thing I met you here. I was about to visit you". He continued. "How is it going? Isn't she mad at the decoration?"

His questions made her swallow the lumps in her neck before she could utter. "Since we are friends, can I call your name, and talk to you like we usually do?" She asked before she walked up to the empty seat that was closer to where they stood.

"Yes". She smiled after she heard him utter the single words that sounded sweet, and heart melting.

"Dryan, I did everything you instructed me. I was excited to see her smile, and complimented me. I was happy to hear her talk softly to me, unlike some rude princess". She paused as she held back the tears clustered in her green eyes. "I really want to know who is she, and the reason you want to slowly take away her energy with the decorations". She muttered sadly.

In amusement, he asked. "What did you mean you were happy? Did you not block your emotion flow? Isn't the root dead?"

She nodded her head as she let those tears pour down heavily. "I started to feel my emotions when she complimented me. No one has ever done that, not even my parents. How did she do that?" She asked sadly.

"I don't know who she is, but something in me tells me she is something precious to Dasya, because Dasya I knew, would never protect anything that wasn't of his advantage". He muttered with his hand firmly holding Tani's hand, which was already shaky.

She adjusted her seat before facing him. "Let not just jump into conclusion, let wait for the young goddess, and know who she is before killing her. Anyway, extracting her energy slowly is useless". With that, she took her hand off his, and walked away.

'I hope she turns out to be nothing useful'.

***

'Will Mel come? Will Mel not come?' Taliyah kept echoing those words as she plucked out each leave from a leafy flower she held tightly.

She missed him, and can't wait to be with him, and have him all to herself.

"You are at it again? Plucking out leaves, is that your specification?" Prince Dasya who was walking towards the waterside, asked.

"Does what I do, have anything to do with you?" She asked loudly as she continued to pluck out leaves from the flower.

Dasya, who already knew Taliyah would yell at him, chuckled softly with his hands holding his robe tightly. "It doesn't".

"I am here to ask for your favor, and not mingle with your problems". He muttered sweetly.

"What favor can the devil ask?" Taliyah question made him devastated as he felt like strangling her.

Since he knew Taliyah, he had never, for once, asked her for a favor, and now that he do, is it okay to get hateful words from her?

Didn't she know he was a devil when she asked him to save her friend?

"Taliyah. I know I expected nothing much from you, but I did not expect you to turn down my first request…" He gritted his teeth as he held back the anger that burnt within him.

"You save my friends, you save me from the edge of death, does that change you from being a devil? Does that change the fact that you are a monster? Does a monster ask for help from a human? Does he really deserve it? Have you ever ask yourself those—" Dasya did not wait for her to finish what she was saying before his hand made way to her neck.

"Will you kill me? If you will kill me, why save me, and my friend?" Her questions made him feel pathetic as his hands began to shake.

"I came to ask for a favor, and not your trashy words!" He yelled before he slapped her.

The slap, made her cough out blood as it bruised her soft red lips.

"Is this all you can do? Hurt humans because they would rather not do your bidding? Burn them because you are a monster? Made them miserable because you belong in hell?" Taliyah, who does not care either she will lose her life, kept saying things that will make him angry, and lose his sanity.

"Is it not nice seeing your flame?" She asked again, this time, she managed to force out those words as he pressed her neck.

A faint smile made it way to his face as he watched her struggle to breathe. "If only we sorted this out silently, we wouldn't go this far".

He gently released his hands from her throat before he burst into loud laughter as he watched her try to breathe.

"I don't care if you will kill me, I will never do your bidding!" She yelled slowly as she watched him smirk dangerously.

Dasya, who knew Taliyah would never agree to grant him what he wanted, echoed softly. "What about I grant your desperate wish, and you grant me your favor in return?"