RED EYES

Chapter 13

Isabella POV:

Lucian tossed the crumpled note to the ground, his words echoed through the room, freezing me in place. "Don't move," he warned, his eyes ablaze with an intensity I'd never seen before. Fear clutched at my chest as I watched him.

Unable to resist my growing curiosity, I approached the discarded note cautiously.

While contemplating my next move, a distant crash outside drew my attention. The atmosphere thickened with tension as I approached the door, only for a wisp of smoke to slither through the tiny opening. A shiver ran down my spine, and I hesitated.

I instinctively recoiled as the door creaked open, revealing two armored men. Their presence was foreboding, and I began to retreat, my injured leg hindering my escape.

Panic set in when a hand clamped over my mouth, stifling any attempt to scream. I struggled against the unseen assailant, the desperation to break free pulsating through me.

A familiar voice sliced through the chaos, and I froze. "Bella, it's me," the voice whispered, immediately recognized as Liam's. Relief washed over me as he removed his helmet, unveiling not only his face but Louise's as well. Questions swirled in my mind, why were they here?

I embraced them, despite the impossibility of physically doing so due to their size.

"What are you doing here? Did you just blast in there?" I asked.

"Yeah, let's head out," Louise said, taking my hands in his. however, I stopped him and withdrew my hands.

I asked in confusion, "What, where should we go?"

He pulled me out without even listening to me further and said, "Isabella, we are here to take you back to kingdom Fiore, we can't let you live with them."

As they led me through the castle's hallways, my attempts to halt the rush fell on deaf ears.

In the castle kitchen, we trio faced the tiny door that would lead us to safety. Frustration gnawed at me, they seemed determined to whisk me away without heed to my protests.

Desperation clawed at my throat as I tried pleading with them, my voice cracking, "Listen to me both of you, please." What were they doing? I couldn't let anyone die, not under Lucian's wrath. If he found out about their reckless escapade, he wouldn't hesitate to unleash his fury upon them, and the entire kingdom would pay the price.

As we entered the forest, I grabbed hold of Liam, his eyes glinting with misplaced confidence, and I pleaded with an edge in my voice, "What are you two idiots? Do you realize he will kill both of you and our people? Don't you care about them?"

Liam smirked, dismissing my concerns with a casual wave of his hand, "Listen, he doesn't know who we are. We've planned everything. He won't find us now."

"But you do know that wolves are roaming," I retorted, my eyes scanning the surroundings. In the distance, the haunting howls and growls from the direction of the castle filled the air. It was a dangerous game they were playing, Lucian's guards were not ordinary humans, they were beasts, and we were in their territory.

"Come quickly, we must go," Liam said when a brown wolf barked before us, blocking our path, its fangs gleaming. The glow of its yellow eyes sent shivers down my spine. Louise and Liam, however, drew their swords, taking defensive positions in front of me.

Footsteps approached from the forest, and in the distance, I saw the glow of Lucian's red eyes. Panic seized me, and I tugged at both of them, "Please, both of you, listen to me. I can't lose you." My pleas fell on deaf ears as Lucian emerged before us.