The Demon And The Siren [Completed]

|Forty Six : The Engagement|

I'd rose from my sleep at the first rays of sunlight emerging into the room from the open windows.

Zander was out cold beside me, his heavy arm draped over my torso. When I'd tried to lift his arm, he'd frowned in his sleep then literally glued me to his body like a possessive caveman.

I'd scowled openly at his slumbering face before a wide cheeky smile had pulled at my lips.

He almost looked like a stubborn kid clutching onto his favorite teddy.

It had taken up a lot of effort to will myself to detach from his hold and leave his side. I'd almost wanted to wake him up from his sleep with lingering kisses and jump his bones all over again.

I didn't even know yet what new sensations would bud with now both of us mated. And I didn't think I could handle it with him awake and staring at me.

With the engagement ceremony now just hours away, I could spare both of us the gloomy mood we'd surely endure when we had to part ways.

So I'd leaned closer to him, brushing his hair out of his face and kissing his cheek.

Zander had stirred in his sleep but before he could wake up, I'd insistently slipped from under his grip and fleed his room.

Coming back to the present with the said ceremony just minutes away, I was seated in front of the mirror fully dolled up.

I could've sworn the gown I wore weighed half my body weight.

A heavy corset the colour of sparkling gold decorated with white laces along the neck and bodice snug to my body like a fitted glove. The shimmery ivory silken material of the lower skirt flowed from my waist down to the very tips of my toes.

I couldn't understand the reason for such an extravagant dressing. And perhaps old. Who even wore corsets these days? No one except Layla and her somewhat of a possessed court.

I took a look of myself in the mirror. My hair was a wild mess atop my head. Sighing, I gathered them from the sides and clipped them with gold oyster shaped clips.

Without sparing my reflection another glance, I rose from the chair in front of the dressing table making my way outside the room and into the isolated hallway.

Music buzzed downstairs, loud and clear and eerie. Something about the screechy violin and the echoing piano didn't seem quite right. If not anything, it sounded like a melody from a haunted lore.

I took a deep breath prepping myself one last time before descending down the stairs step-by-step, the golden heels I wore leaving a click-clack sound behind.

Music ceased. People stopped in their actions to glance up my way. Their blank, hollow stares were unnerving but I'd lived here long enough to be not affected anymore.

My gaze did a quick sweep over the ballroom taking in the well-dressed nymphs and merman and mermaids.

All of them abducted and glamoured to only listen to Layla's commands and do nothing of their own.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and raised my chin high. When I got down the last step, that was when I looked to the center of the ballroom.

Layla sat in her full glory dressed in a gothic emerald silk gown with tiny pearls belt holding the snug off-shoulder top of her dress and the champagne skirt in place. A diadem of pearls adorned her hair and a similar beaded pearl necklace was hooked around her neck. She looked beautiful.

Something tugged at my heart as I took in how her eyes were fixated on the man beside her dressed in a similar emerald coloured tuxedo with his raven hair gelled away from his eyes to stay perfectly over his head.