Chapter 136 A promise of hell

Chapter 136 A promise of hell
He didn't offer an explanation. He didn't look at her like he always does. Without another word, he turned around and walked out. The sound of the door shutting echoed loudly in the quiet room.

Her gaze fixed on nothing. That made twice. Twice in a single day, that door shut in her face, leaving her alone in the room. A crushing wave of rejection washed over her. The realization settled over her with a painful certainty: she did not belong here. She was a human in his immortal life, someone who was only meant to stay for a short time. In the end, she could be replaced.

Suddenly, she couldn't breathe.

She tried to draw in air, but it caught in her throat. Panic took hold. Her chest rose and fell in quick, uneven breaths as her heart raced. The stress was becoming too much for her, and dark spots began to creep into her vision.

“Breathe,” she whispered, but her throat felt tight.

Her knees buckled. Anastasia slid off the edge of the mattress, her body collapsing into the cold floor right beside her bed. She gasped, her hands clawing at the marble floor as she tried to force air into her lungs, but nothing came. She was suffocating in her own grief and panic, curled into a small ball on the floor, unable to breathe no matter how hard she tried.

The doorbell rang, but Anastasia couldn't move. A moment later, the bedroom door opened. Morgana walked in.

When she saw Anastasia on the floor, fighting for breath, her eyes widened.

“Anastasia!" Morgana shouted.

She rushed to the floor and pulled Anastasia up, holding her close from the side. Anastasia's chest was heaving, but no air was going in. Her face was pale. Realizing she was having a panic attack and struggling to breathe, Morgana closed her eyes and whispered a quick spell.

Instantly, Anastasia gasped. It was as though a sudden rush of air filled her lungs, and she snapped out of the panic. She took a long, deep breath, trembling violently.

Morgana wrapped both arms around her, holding her tight. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she whispered. Anastasia clutched Morgana's clothes and cried out loud. “He does not want me anymore," she sobbed.

Morgana said nothing. She just held her until the worst of the crying stopped. Then, she gently helped Anastasia up from the cold floor and led her to the bed.

She lay down, exhausted. Morgana sat on the edge of the mattress beside her, softly patting her hair to soothe her to sleep.

When Anastasia opened her eyes, she was back on the bed. She swung her legs over the edge. The moment her feet hit the cold marble floor, she noticed Morgana on the couch.

Morgana sat up instantly. She had fallen asleep right there since the night before. She rushed to the side of the bed. “How are you? How are you feeling now?"

Anastasia did not speak. She just leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her grandmother. As they held each other, Morgana's phone buzzed in her pocket. Morgana pulled it out with one hand and read the screen. The message was from Zevrak. She quickly slid the phone back into her pocket and kept hugging Anastasia.

Anastasia pulled back a little. “Isn't that Zevrak?"

“Yes," Morgana said, her voice soft. “But it can wait for later."

Anastasia pulled away completely. “I'm fine now. You can go to him."

Morgana looked at her, her eyes serious and sharp. “How do you want me to believe that? You are always ‘fine’ Anastasia, even when you are not.”

Anastasia forced a faint smile onto her face. "But I'm fine now. See? I am much better than yesterday.”

Morgana exhaled a long breath. She looked like she wanted to argue, but she stopped herself. "Fine. I will go, but I will come back quickly."

Anastasia nodded. “Okay."

Morgana picked up her heels and left the room.

Later in the day, Selvara came by. She was in the room with Anastasia for two hours, talking and keeping her company. It helped pass the time, but eventually, Selvara had to leave too.

Once again, Anastasia was all alone.

She walked around the quiet room, trying hard to keep her mind blank. She knew that thinking about William or the princess only made her chest tight, and she could not risk another attack. Her body was too weak for the stress.

Just as she sat down to rest, a sharp sound cut through the silence. Her doorbell rang. She expected whoever was at the door to enter. It rang again, so she stood up to get it.

At the door, she stood frozen as Aeliana stepped further into the space, her eyes scanning every corner with open disgust.

“What do you want, Aeliana?" Anastasia asked, her voice tight.

Aeliana turned slowly, a mocking smile on her face. “I told you. I am just visiting. Is it a crime to visit Lord Liam's little… girlfriend?”

“We both know why you are here," Anastasia said, crossing her arms to hide how much her hands were shaking. “You have hated me since the first day William introduced us."

"Hated you?” Aeliana laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. “Oh, sweetie, to hate you, I would have to care about you. You are ‘just’ human. You're like a houseplant he brought home. Cute for a while, then it dies and gets thrown away.

Anastasia felt a sting in her chest, but she held her ground. “I am his girlfriend. He made that clear."

"I don't know what he was thinking. There has to be a reason, why you're his girlfriend. I can feel it in the air. I could even say you blackmail him. But that's not possible."

She walked toward her. “You know my father was the king of our kingdom, a place out of this realm, a place you can not fathom, not even in your dreams. Human, we are immortals. We are made of magic. And you? You are a blink of an eye.”

"If I mean so little, why are you standing in my room trying to convince me how human I am?” Anastasia shot back, her pride flaring up. "If he wants you, I wouldn't be here. And do you know, me being human is what made me so special.”

"Listen to me, you fragile little thing,” Aeliana hissed, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I have loved him since before your ancestors even built towns. I have waited for him. I am not going to let a sick, dying human girl get in my way. You think he loves you? No. He didn't and you know it. He was just tolerating you for whatever reason I was really dying to find out now.” Now standing in front of her. "Last night, I heard everything, he stood right here and told you to shut up and tolerate me, didn't he?”

Anastasia gasped slightly. ‘How did she know that?’

Aeliana sneered, seeing the shock on Anastasia's face. “He told me all about it. He protects me. He respects my crown. If I tell him you are being difficult, he'll throw you out into the street with a single thought."

"You're lying,” Anastasia whispered, though her chest was beginning to tighten.

"Am I?” Aeliana pulled her hair violently, drawing her head near her. "Let's test it then. Soon, we are leaving for my kingdom. My brother is getting married. I told my father about you, and you are invited, lucky you. Then, I'll show you what I was made of.”

“I am not going anywhere with you."

“You will," Aeliana said, her fingers twitching like claws. “And when we cross into the Fae realm, you will be entirely in my world. There are no human laws there, Anastasia. No one to save you. Even if you look at him wrong, I will ensure you never make it back to this world alive.”

“Are you threatening to kill me?" Anastasia asked, her voice trembling but fierce.

“I am telling you your future," Aeliana whispered harshly. "You are already dying, aren't you? Your body is weak. A little accident in the Fae woods… no one would even question it. He won't even remember you for a day, and then he will come into my bed to forget you.”

Anastasia's heart hammered against her ribs. She wanted to slap the princess hard in the face, but she gave William her word. “Get out," she choked out. “Get out of my room!"

“Make," Aeliana mocked, tilting her head. “Go on, cry for him. See whose side he takes."

“I don't care what damned underground hole you clawed your way out of," Anastasia said, trying to stand taller. "He choose me, and he will choose me again. He will chose me over you again and again.”

Aeliana's eyes went completely dark. The insult hit her hard. Before Anastasia could even blink, Aeliana raised her hand and swung it forward.

The slap rang through the room.

The sound was loud and sharp in the quiet room. The force of the slap knocked Anastasia sideways. She stumbled against the edge of the bed, her cheek immediately burning with a bright red mark. The room spun for a second.

“How dare you,” Aeliana spat, stepping over to her. Before Anastasia could recover, Aeliana reached down and forcefully grabbed her by the jaw. Her fingers dug deep in Anastasia's skin. She forced Anastasia's head up, making her look into her eyes. “You think you are special? Look at you. You are trembling. You are bleeding from a simple touch. You are a weak, pathetic creature.”

Anastasia tried to pull away, but Aeliana's grip only tightened. It hurt to move her mouth. “Let… go,” she squeezed out through her teeth.

"Look at me when I speak to you,” Aeliana demanded, squeezing her jaw even harder until Anastasia whimpered. "You are going to come to the Fae realm. You are going to keep your mouth shut. And you will wear whatever rags I give you, and you will watch me take what is mine. If you say one word to Lord Liam about this, I'll make your remaining days on this earth a living hell. Do you understand me, human?”

Anastasia looked at her. Despite the pain, despite her lungs burning for air, her pride refused to break. She gritted her teeth staring at Aeliana's face. "You're crazy.”

Aeliana's expression turned murderous. She raised her hand to strike her again. "You little rat…"

The doorknob suddenly clicked and turned. In an instant, Aeliana stepped back. The hostility disappeared from her face, and she released Anastasia's jaw so sharply that she almost fell to the ground. A smile appeared on her lips as she straightened her dress on the shoulder.

The door opened.

William walked and looked between the two women. “What's going on here?" he asked.

Aeliana clasped her hands together, her voice suddenly sweet and high. "Oh, Lord Liam! Here you are. Nothing was going on. I was just visiting Anastasia and pleaded with her about yesterday. It was a mistake on my side. I also told her about the invitation to the Fae realm for my brother's wedding. She is so excited to join us.”

William's eyes traveled slowly down to Anastasia, who was still leaning against the bed, holding her bruised jaw and gasping for breath, her face pale and her cheek totally red.

He rushed to her side. “Why are you on the floor for heaven's sake?"

Anastasia removed his hand from her waist. "I'm fine. I just got dizzy."

“Anastasia," William called worriedly.

She glanced at him without showing any emotion. “I said, I'm fine."

Aeliana quickly stepped in front of him, holding his hand with a sweet pout. "She is fine, my Lord. She just got a little dizzy. You know how fragile humans are. I was actually just helping her up when you walked in. Right, Anastasia?" She turned to Anastasia, a knowing smile on her lips.

Something about this felt wrong. Earlier, Aeliana had treated Anastasia as though she barely existed. Now she was practically speaking for her.

Anastasia stared at her and swallowed hard. She gave in. Not because of the princess. Not because of her threats. But William had asked her specifically to tolerate her. “Yes. She was."

William removed her hand from Aeliana and faced Anastasia. "You want me to believe that,” he said. "Your face tells me one thing while your heartbeat is telling me otherwise. I'll ask you one last time. What is the problem?”

Anastasia glanced into his eyes, the exact way he was staring at her in that moment. Like he was piercing into her soul. She wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him the way she had threatened her. That she didn't want to go to the fae kingdom. But she had promised him. “Nothing,” she said. "There is no problem."

William looked at her for a long moment. She did it again. Telling him she was fine, even when her heartbeat beat abnormally. “Fine," he said at last, though he clearly wasn't convinced. “Get some rest. We leave for the Fae realm in three days. You need to be strong enough to travel.

Anastasia nodded slowly. “Don't worry. I'll make sure to use my herbs."

William glanced at his watch and looked back at Aeliana. “The training started in 30 minutes. We should leave."

"Then we should get going,” Aeliana said.

William stared back at Anastasia, still disturbed, he knew she was hiding something from him, but couldn't put his finger on it. But he let it be since it wasn't the first time, she had said she was fine, when she was not.

Without another word, William turned and left the room.

Aeliana looked back at Anastasia. The sweet smile she had shown William disappeared.

“See?" she mouthed. “He doesn't care. Get ready for your funeral, human.”

A smirk lingered on her lips, turned, and walked out, leaving Anastasia alone once more.