Dawn of Blood and Magic

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 4

Zahrah's arms were straining under the weight of the pile of books she was carrying to the training room. What Adika and Haider needed with this many books, she would never know. They weren't even the good books. They weren't stories of dashing princes that would sweep their true love off their feet. How Zahrah wished she could be one of those heroes who would fight to the ends of the world to reunite with the love of their lives. Oh how she yearned for a love like that. She wanted a man who would pine for her, an empathetic soul who had the heart of gold, and the courage of a lion. She knew it was a dream and that it would never happen. Especially in this kingdom. They all had the need to impress and brag. They all needed the satisfaction of being the best or simply being known. They strategize how they could make it to the top. Even if they have to break a few hearts and bury a few bodies in the road to the top. Every marriage, every fling, every flirtation was a thought out plan to the top. Zahrah just wished that there was a guy who could simply love her for her. She chuckled to herself, no wonder she had never loved anyone. All the men here lusted over one thing. Power. It was the object of everyone's adoration. The only time she had ever seen pure love was the look in Haider's eyes as Adika passed by. Oh, how she wished she could find a guy like that. Alas, that only ever exists in fiction, why else would she immersed herself in the hundreds of books that surround her every day. Why else would she have a new book in her hands every day? Why else did she never voice her need for love, and why else would she dismiss the flirtations of the scumbag who would enter her library, especially when it's only ever in the need for a distraction. She rolled her eyes as she made her way towards the training rooms, with a load of books in front of her and in her bag. Why she wasn't allowed to bring a trolley she would never understand, but Adika was the head of this operation and what she says goes. Those of years of being tutored by the best teachers in the kingdoms must mean something.

Zahrah speeded up realising that the longer she was away from her post the more people were going to mess around in there and she did not want to walk in on another couple doing it on the floor next to the horror section. She gets that it's the least popular genre here, but when she thought horror she did not think about something that horrific. She was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the giant approaching her, well that is until after they collided.

Weapons and books clattered against each other, some books, unfortunately, were pierced with spears. Oh, the torture. As Zahrah fell back, a sword landed point first into her scarf.

"THE GODS," she screamed when she saw the blade next to her face. She looked over at the guy she bumped into it. Her eyes widened. No one knows about these tunnels except for her, Adika and Haider. She pulled out the sword from next her and lurched forward onto the man in front of her. The blade brushed against his neck as she held him down onto the floor. The ends of the bastard's smile were upturned. Strands of his hair fell perfectly in front of his eyes. Her mouth fell open when she realised who he was. Well, how could she not? He was the epitome of beauty. A replica of the heroes from her books. That still however did not explain why Jai was in the tunnels.

"What are you doing in the tunnels?" she prodded, taking deep breaths between words, "How did you get in here?"

Jai beamed a smile up to Zahrah, "What could you possibly mean? I was just minding my business before you bumped into me." The audacity. "Also, um, your scarf fell off," he gestured to the top of her head. Zahrah scrambled over to grab her scarf. She was suddenly tossed onto her back. She winced when her head banged against the floor. Jai was on top of her now. His face close enough to feel his hair strands brush up against her forehead. She could feel his breath moving her eyelashes slowly. The sword that was in her hand had slid across the room and lay still next to the wall. Jai's arm was pushed on top of her shoulders, his other hand went behind to the side of his waist and unsheathed a dagger from it. A side of his mouth was upturned as he said.