Hiraeth

Chapter 31

Samara Shaw
The moon was up and so was the creature by my window. It's silver eyes pierced through the darkness and tore straight through me. It looked beautiful and yet I could feel the rage at a distance. I stayed unafraid, waiting patiently for it's next move. An hour passed already with all four paws on the cold ground of the balcony and I was more than certain that if something would happen, it would already have. Courage came at a time I didn't know it would. Whether it was the assurance I wouldn't get hurt or the position I held, I didn't know which but it was the only reason I stayed still.

The room was cold and dimly lit with the only source of light a single candle by the corner. It reminded me of the last night I spent running through the passageways. I, one way or the other, brought to life something I couldn't manage and it initiated the decision to run away. Had I not, maybe I would still be right here but with feelings different from the ones I felt. It was a mistake but I didn't regret a bit of it. It opened my eyes to the truth and all I was risking as each second passed.

Vince jumped off the balcony on all fours and immediately, the door clicked open. I assumed it to be one of the maids I saw earlier and I stayed still, waiting to hear a low 'miss'. Seconds passed, if not minutes and I could still feel a figure waiting in front of me. Whoever it was didn't move, as if waiting till I acknowledged a presence before me. I did not care who it was or the reason he came. Had I not been uncomfortable, I would not have moved a single muscle.

"Please go away" I whispered out and still, no movement. It may have been a whisper but was definitely loud enough to be heard by anyone in the room. It was then I realized that it could not just be anyone. It was someone with some sort of power. I took a glance and standing before me, in black leather clothes, was Lucinda.

"Lucy?"

"It's Lucinda to you"

Her words were harsh and even worse than it was before. She was never the nicest person and her choice of words wouldn't put a smile on anyone's face but there was something different about the way she spoke and it was quite easy to see she was very angry with me. What I didn't understand was the reason for her annoyance. There wasn't a doubt my absence here caused a lot of worry but if it did to everyone, it shouldn't to her. It was obvious from the start that she didn't like me, neither did she do well tolerating me without snapping every once in a while. It almost looked like she wanted me gone.

"Go away Lucy"

"Quite a stunt you pulled there Samara, what were you thinking? You'd run away and we'll never find you?"

"What does it mean to you if I run away? Is that not all you ever wanted?"

"Accius will never save you, he's just as much of a loser as you are"

"If we're all losers then you're the biggest loser. You've been trapped here for years now, obeying every command of a man no one chose as King. You didn't bother to search for Astra or what happened to her. It almost looks like you want Vince to be king cause he's the only one that'll make your miserable life a little less miserable than it already is"

Words flew out of my mouth before I understood the meaning of what I said. It came out of pure anger, anger that i lost the opportunity to be where I wanted to be and after everything, I would sit and listen to someone scold me. No one understood me or my intentions and it would be foolish of me to imagine that out everyone in that building, she would.

"What did you just say to me?"

"She said the truth and you would not go as far as touching a strand on her head else I will end you" Vince was the only reason why she didn't lunge at me and that was one of the very few times I was grateful he stepped in. I didn't know what would become of me if he didn't. She was physically capable to rip me in pieces, I could only imagine what other things she would have done to me if he didn't arrive on time. Lucy, or Lucinda as she would prefer, walked out of the room with each step loud against the wooden floor. I felt a sudden rush of relief and eased the muscles I didn't realize were tensed.