A Bastard's Allure-Chapter 98: Missing The Package

Jophiel descended a flight of stairs that lead to the cellar. The place smelled of dust and blood it instantly made her feel the urge to throw up. The cellars were dark, with only red eyes of imprisoned vampires gleaming in the dark. She swallowed hard as she made her way forward.

He was locked in the cellar at the farthest end together with someone they called prince Charles. But she wasn’t interested in princes. The ones she’d encountered so far had brought enough trouble in her plate.

He was leaning on the wall when she arrived, his eyes fixated to the damp walls above. On his left was a curled white haired guy she presumed to be prince Charles.

His eyes moved swiftly and settled on her face before traveling her length. There was nothing lustful in his gaze but he made her swallow.

"And?" He asked, shifting his eyes back to the damp walls. She followed his line of sight to see a drop of water form and land on the dusty floor.

"I came to see you," she stated the obvious, her voice drawn into an audible whisper.

Darion’s eyes darted back to her. "Here I am, locked in a damp cell by the very person you work for. How honorable of him?"

"If Gabriel wasn’t as honorable, you’d be dead by now," she reprimanded.

"What’s stopping him from killing me?" Darion asked, his gaze never leaving hers.

"With King Andrian dead, Elena will be the next ruler of Mysthaven without a doubt. Gabriel will use her army to get back Eldoria. He’ll need strong men by his side, men he can trust."

"And you think I’m that man?" Darion asked, pushing himself up. He walked closer to the cellar and gripped the iron bars with his hands. His close proximity was meant to intimidate Jophiel but she didn’t waver.

"It’s your only chance to buy your freedom," she deadpanned.

Darion chuckled lightly at her calm demeanor despite her racing heart. "Say, through some mysterious miracle, I accept this ridiculous offer, eh? And immediately a sword is put in the man’s hand, at the earliest opportunity, I get to kill your fancy prince?"

Jophiel stared at him long enough for Darion to raise a brow. "What would you do then, eh?"

"You want to kill a man whom you were sworn to serve because he didn’t come looking for you the moment you disappeared?" She asked.

"Tell me, Sir Darion," she said, referring him as a knight for the first time. "According to the law, who’s supposed to serve the other? Is it the knight or the crown?"

Darion poked his lips with his tongue, the obvious answer on the tip of his lips. But he was too arrogant to admit it.

"Gabriel went an extra mile to look for you all over Eldoria, his sworn knight, and the least you can do is to hunt him?"

"We are bastards, Jophiel. A bastard’s station is even worse than that of a human in Eldoria and you know that better than anyone else. He was like a brother to me."

"He’s the crown prince," she pointed.

Darion rested his head between the cold metal, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. "And I am no one?" He asked.

"You’ll be by Gabriel’s side when he claims back what’s rightfully his, even more. The choice is yours to make."

He smirked his lips annoyingly. "What’s the other option?" He enquired instead.

"Death by hanging is the sentence in Mysthaven. In his wisdom and mercy, Gabriel has however decided to save you the pain of hanging, with eyes bulging out as you fight for your life against the rope. A swift and painless death by taking your head off your shoulders."

"You talk as if you were born for this job," Darion jested, but it was true. For the last couple of minutes, she had spoke like a professional mediator, not even a single stutter or an ounce of emotion on her face. But deep down, he knew she was doing this for him.

"What if I choose to die?" He implored to see her reaction. Did her heart just skip a beat? But the stoic face she had put on now! Gods! Was there any perfect actor than Jophiel?

"You’ll be missing a lot in this bleak life, short it is," she replied.

He stared straight into her eyes, reading her soul like an open book. As if with a mind of its own, his left hand moved to tuck the stray strands of her hair behind her ear and a soft caress of her cheeks.

He drew closer, his eyes settled on her slightly parted lips before he gave her a soft kiss. He moved back to see her eyes closed before they flattered open and blinked twice.

"Is this included in what I’d be missing?" He asked.

Jophiel was at a loss for words now. The kiss, though simple and shortly outlived, had a great effect on her entire body. The stoic composure she had tried to put up for the last few minutes crumbled down into nothingness at his simple touch.

"Yes," was the word that left her traitorous lips.

"Tell him I’ll have an answer by evening," he said and walked at the back as if nothing had happened.

Jophiel stood there for a moment before she could process everything that had happened. Embarrassed, she felt the heat creep into her cheeks before she hurriedly left, her eyes cast on the floor all the way.

"She loves you that one," Charles said, still curled in his corner.

Darion leaned on the wall. "I thought you were asleep," he said instead.

"I learned it when I was still a young boy. My parents would make love while I pretended to be asleep. She was a screamer, my mother."

"Who doesn’t love that sound when making love? It shows that you’re dominating," he replied jokingly.

"Is she a screamer too?" Charles asked, now leaning on the wall too.

Darion rested his head and looked at the damp ceiling. "She’s another thing," he replied, his eyes casted on the descending drop.