Chapter 40 Mixed feelings
Chapter 40: Asher
"Why isn't it healing?" I hissed, already closing the distance between us.
She looked up at me and slowly shook her head. "I— don't know. It should have healed by now."
Shit. "Did you really have to be so careless?"
"But I didn't —"
Rage bubbled through me as I marched to the door refusing to hear her explanation. "Just stay here and don't do anything stupid! I'll get the damned healers!"
All of these was that stupid Luciano's fault. If the fool hadn't pushed Scarlett then I wouldn't be marching across the palace searching for the damned healers!
"Guards!" I roared, causing about five of them to run towards me with urgency.
"Yes, my King!" They chorused.
"Get me Luciano and make sure that fool is in your custody when I walk back to my room—"
"Asher!" Albert's voice cut through the echoes of my command.
I turned a cold glare in his direction, dismissing the guards the moment I saw the two older women flanking his side.
"I heard you needed healers, so I brought you the best I could find in the city," he said as he got closer to me.
My eyes narrowed at him as I couldn't remember asking anyone to get me healers. But there was no time to ask questions. I needed them and that was all that mattered.
"Follow me." I growled and turned to my room, where Scarlett was waiting.
As soon as I stepped into the room, my heart dropped. Her condition seemed to be worsening. There were now dark circles under her eyes and the cut seemed to have changed color. From the healthy red, to an orange sort of shade.
"What is wrong with the cut?" I hissed as we all moved closer to Scarlett's paling form.
The first woman, took Scarlett's palm from mine and observed it closer. A scowl instantly formed on her face and I knew I wouldn't like whatever she had seen.
"What is it?" I asked.
Rather than respond to me, she simply raised her hand, gaining her colleagues attention. "Bring the bag." She whispered and then turned to Scarlett. "I am going to need you to lie down. This will take some time."
"I asked you a fucking question—" I started to growl at the woman but Albert instantly stepped between us.
"Asher, she is a special healer that doesn't like interference."
"What?" I snapped. "She fucking works for me? Why do I not interfere?"
"We need her services. We don't have much of a choice... Please. Let her just do her thing..." Albert pleaded.
I wasn't going to listen to him of course but as soon as I made to cut him off, pain shut through my arm and I froze, turning my eyes to the source. Scarlett!
"Aah! It burns! Make it stop!" She yelled and my heart skipped.
I pushed Albert aside and crossed over to the healer. "What is going on? Why does it— fuck!" My words were barely out as the pain shut through me right before Scarlett screamed too.
"What is happening?!" I roared, grabbing the healer's arms.
Her cold tiny eyes flashed as she dragged her arms out of my hold and observed me closer. "You are mated to her, yet you treat her like she is nothing?" Her cold eyes moved to Albert and she added. "What is happening here?"
"You do not ask the fucking questions here!" I snapped, pointing a finger at her. "And whatever we are or what I do to Scarlett, is none of your business—"
"Well, unfortunately whatever happens to her became my business when my godson brought her to me!" She countered.
My rage had reached boiling point at this stage and before I could stop myself, my claws were already aiming at her throat. But right before I could reach it, they froze.
My claws fucking froze!
"What. Are. You?" I gritted, glaring daggers of flames at her.
Her beady eyes expanded and a cold smile danced on her lips. "You might be a Lycan, but there are creatures with willpower strong enough to battle even you... But thankfully, I am not here to fight you. I am here to help. Her."
She waved her hands and somehow, my claws dropped from the air.
Confusion and shame washed over me as I blinked my eyes around the room, thankfully there was just the strange woman's apprentice and Albert, none of whom would dare speak of this to anyone.
"Now, back to more important things," She hissed, moving her attention to Scarlett. "We have a problem."
My eyes shifted down to Scarlett, and I noticed that she was now pretty much unconscious from the pain. Her breathing was ragged and the palm now looked purple.
"What sort of problem?" I whispered as my heart started aching and this time, I couldn't deny the fear that clutched the muscles around it.
"Whatever was used to inflict this injury on her, was poisoned... I have given her something to keep the poison from moving but I am going to need an antidote and for that, I will need the source of this poison..." The strange woman explained, before facing me.
"What— Is that all you need?"
As if that was what she had been dying to hear, she smiled and folded her arms. "For now, yes..."
I gave her a curt nod and turned to Albert. "Get the cleaners. Those who worked in the reception... I want them to bring back the broken glasses from earlier today..."
"Yes, my lord." Albert gave a bow and quickly left the room.
My eyes returned to Scarlett, my heart racing as I watched her struggle with breathing. Why was this happening? How did she get poisoned and who would—
The moment the thought came to my mind, everything else froze and the spotlight remained on the culprit. Luciano!
"That bastard!" I hissed and stormed out of the room.
"My king! Thank the goddess you stepped out! These fools thought they could just—"
My hands instantly grabbed his neck and pushed him against the wall at the same time. The guards around him, stepped away, leaving him open to my assault.
"How dare you poison, Scarlett!?" I growled, blinded by rage. "Who gave you that right?"
His wide eyes started blinking in shock as he tried to find the right words to deny the obvious.
"My king, I swear! I didn't poison her! I didn't even push her! She cut herself because... Because she wanted to hurt you! She knows that—"
"Lies sound good to my ears." I spat, glaring into his wide eyes. "Now, tell me the truth, and let me judge how that will sound."
Tears filled his eyes as he saw death flash before him. I wasn't bluffing and he knew it.
"My king I am not lying to you... Please believe me— I wouldn't put my life at risk. She did it to herself—"
"Why would she hurt herself?" Came my simple response. My rage was on the ends of my control and it was taking the grace of the fucking Goddess for me to not kill. Yet.
"I don't know... I swear—"
"Asher!" Albert called, pulling my attention off the idiot. "Fiona found something and I think you should see it too."
Dropping Luciano like he was some rotten garbage, I rushed after Albert, my brain figuring out who Fiona was.
As I stepped into the room, Fiona was standing before me with a transparent satchet dangling at the tips of her fingers.
My eyes narrowed at the object, a sense of awareness suddenly wrapping itself around me... It was almost as if i knew it—
"What is that?" I growled.
"This comes from caves. It's a mutt that is dangerous to not just her but you as well... Whoever wants her dead, ultimately wants you dead too."
With the word cave on her mouth the first suspect on my list was Willow.
But would Willow dare to do this? No. The pumpous old woman needed me, she wouldn't dare.
Or could she?
Not waiting to hear the rest of the explanation from Fiona, I stormed out of there and went straight to the parking lot to get my car.
I started the engine and in seconds I was swerving down the road once again, to see my suspect.
I hated games and whoever had the nerve to play it with me, needed to do it to my fucking face or die with the idea!
"Willow!" I growled when my vehicle finally stopped in front of her cave.
Cracking the door open, I jumped out and marched down to her lair, pointing my finger right into her scarred face.
"How did the dirts of your cave get into my palace?" I growled.
At first there was surprise, then her usual irritating smile returned.
"Ah, finally, you are here to admit that you love the girl..."