Chapter 259: Chapter 259 How the Tables had Turned
"Gratitude?" She chuckled. She seemed and felt different.
Her laugh died down, her eyes turned colder, "I wonder, who among us owes the other gratitude," Her gaze lowered, she touched her chest.
"Now that you are okay," she walked closer to me, a knowing smile formed on her lips. "I just bought you back from the land of the dead... You belong to me."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
...
(Ember POV)
Seeing the frown on his face, I tilted my head. ’What do you mean? Good question... it is time for payback, and of course with interest.’
"Confused?" I drawled.
"Aeris, can you stop going around the bush? Just tell me what happened, and how I’m alive again." He walked closer, his frame towering above me.
Those black eyes that had once looked lifeless, burned with dangerous intensity, carrying a hint of sharpness and a look that could burn.
My fingers twitch beside me. "You died Damon,"
"I know," he leaned closer to me. "Did you return my heart to me?" His eyes shimmered with curiosity.
I turned to my side. "Your heart was shattered... your heart is gone." My voice was cold and monotone.
He stumbled back from shock, he touched his chest, unable to believe me. "Then, how am I standing here?"
I let out a bitter laugh. "Because I gave half of my heart to you." I walked closer to him, I grabbed his collar pulling him closer, until he was just inches away from me.
His warm breath fanned my face, I closed my eyes, relinquishing the warmth. "You belong to me." My eyes fluttered at the sight of disbelief in his eyes.
"No you didn’t." His expression hardened. He pulled away from me. "You could have died," he muttered under his breath. "Why would you risk your life for me?!" Anger contorted his face.
"Why did you risk your life for me?" I shot back.
"Because, I love you and... you are my mate." He said, his gaze softened.
My heart remained unmoved. "What a beautiful reason. I’m not concerned about that... what you must know is, I’m your master now... and you are my... pet."
"What..." Confusion and disbelief marred his face.
I raised my hand to silence him. "You mustn’t talk back to me especially when I didn’t give you permission."
His cold eyes narrowed at me, the intensity made my spine shiver, and the temperature dropped low.
"Really?" He walked closer, every step he took made me want to take a step back, but I held my ground. If I were going to be his master... I needed to show him who was boss.
"Yes." I held his gaze.
His eyes searched mine, I didn’t know what he was looking for... but his emotions washed over me, almost blocking my senses.
He was amused, and relieved... Why? Isn’t he mad that he was reduced to nothing but a pet?
"Fine... Master," he said with a hoarse gentle voice, it was so warm yet my hair stood at their end.
....
(Third POV)
Back on the battlefield. Body parts littered the forest floor, and the moon shone brightly, illuminating the gruesome view.
Black and red blood painted the ground in a masterpiece, even the trees were painted by its grotesque art.
Far at the edge of the battlefield, a figure wearing a black cloak lay motionless on the ground, her clothes had numerous holes in them revealing the gruesome holes on her body. The wounds oozed with black blood. Her grey hair spread across the forest floor.
Suddenly, a gasp tore for her throat, followed by a wheezing sound.
She snapped her eyes open, her white eyes sparkled with fear and shock.
Her blackened teeth bared as she hissed, she stretched her hand, and the bony snake which was lying dead under the weight of numerous vines, awakened.
Its eyes burned a dull red light, then it burst out from under the vines and slithered back to the bone witch.
Getting to where she was, it turned into a crooked staff. However, the staff looked broken and in bad shape with splitters and some parts missing.
With the help of the staff, the witch stood to her feet, she glanced around. The dismembered body of her followers littered the ground, her face contorted in pain.
"I’ll make sure your deaths are not in vain." She struck her staff against the earth, mustering the last bits of her strength, and she muttered incantations, disappearing from the scene.
Cough. Cough.
The bone witch sputtered blood, as she fell to her knees. When she raised her head, she sighed faintly seeing the fog... it was the sign that she was home.
Gathering the last bit of her strength she made her way through the fog, leaving trails of blood behind her.
Her darkened nails curled tightly around her staff like her whole existence depended on it.
She stopped midway, when she felt another presence, it was familiar yet it held malicious intent.
"Derailed?" Her voice rang through the forest.
She looked around but there was no one, she continued walking, and she came out of the fog, arriving in a more dense forest. The canopies of the trees blocked the moonlight, and it was almost pitch black.
The pungent smell of body rotting invaded her nostrils, and then, she felt the familiar presence again.
"Derailed, I know you are here. No need for the cat and mouse game." She said taking a defensive stance.
An eerie laughter followed immediately after the bone witch finished speaking. "Sister bone, you really know me." The Derailed witch said in between her laughter.
She stepped out from the cover of the tree, her silted golden and black eyes glistened with mischief, her long black gown sweeping against the ground. Her long black hair looked unkempt and dry.
Her long black nails slowly curled into claws.
The bone witch coughed out more blood. "Help me..." She leaned her weight on her staff.
However, before she finished her words, long nails pierced into her chest...