Blood & Cinders- Choose your Own Adventure Story

12. A

"Oh, I'm going to turn in early. I'm not feeling very well," Isabelle lied as she walked up to the group of girls, clutching her stomach for emphasis when in reality, she should have been clutching her heart where the real pain festered.

Truthfully, she just wanted to be alone. Socializing had become stressful and she was tired. Guilt and sorrow had stolen her sleep away and she'd spent the night wishing it had all been a terrible nightmare and that, perhaps, she was still asleep and would soon wake up from this horrible dream.

Oh, if only wishes like that came true.

"Fine," Jacqueline pursed her lips in frustration, rolling her eyes as though Isabelle's words had just ruined the evening's plans. Isabelle was not at all sorry for it.

"What a bore." Jacqueline whirled on her heels, blonde hair whipping sharply across Isabelle's cheeks. As the blonde walked off with the other girls towards a nearby stall to survey the limited selection of clothes and trinkets, Isabelle could hear the girl's snarky comment. "Bet she's just embarrassed at having uncrossed her legs so early."

Indignation coursed through Isabelle at the implied idea that she had done anything of that sort with the king. The other girls let out giggles in response, reminding a disgusted Isabelle of exactly why she didn't like them.

Good riddance. She was glad to be free from Jacqueline's piercing stare and her little cluster of followers.

Liberation lifted the weight of fear and loneliness from her chest and she reveled in her moment of false freedom. If only for tonight, she could pretend that her life was her own, as though her choices were her own, at least until the grey dawn rose and she was pulled back to the palace once again.

Isabelle took her time as she headed back to the palace, meandering through the web of people in the night market. It was the liveliest affair she had witnessed in quite some time.

Lamps hung from every stall corner, illuminating the stalls and all their goods, while the lampposts erected in the square shed a warm glow, seemingly to drive away the darkness and all that lurked within it. Isabelle spotted a few horned heads, and caught a glimpse of a tail or two, but it appeared that most of the crowd were human. The smell of fried bread and sweet cakes mingled in the night air, mixing in with the scent of damp earth.

She had been too immersed in her thoughts to realize she had been standing in the middle of the street. A man carrying heavy bags of flour roughly shoved her out of the way, plowing through the crowd.

"Watch it!" he growled.

Isabelle opened her mouth to call out an apology but another person bumped into her, causing her to lose her footing. She teetered to the side, slipping on the damp ground. Before she could actually fall, a pair of strong hands grabbed her by the shoulders, steading her until she regained her balance.

"Oh, thank—" She had turned to thank her savior but the words died on her lips when she saw the familiar glow of red eyes and the curled horns peeking from beneath his cowl. His clawed hands moved to release her as quickly as they had to catch her. He also took a big step back.

And then another, bowing his head to conceal his wide-eyed expression. Isabelle took a tiny step forward, ducking her head to see his face.

"Adam?"

The sound of his name on her lips seemed to send a jolt of electricity through him. He jerked, raising his hands up.

"I—I'm sorry."

The quiet, deep sincerity in his strained voice made it painstakingly obvious that he was not referring to what had just transpired. Isabelle blinked as fear suddenly shot through her body, her mind bringing forth the horrors of that night.