She threw the door open to the emptiness of the Bride's room
Of course, she had taken off.
She had seen the pesky bodyguard when he had shown her the mask.
She didn't deserve Eli. If she loved him as much as Eli claimed, then she would be here sacrificing herself for him.
He deserved someone better, someone, who would stay with him through his trying times as she had done with him, and not take off at the first sight of trouble.
Coward.
Stupid girl.
She didn't love him.
No one could ever love Eli as she do--
Her thoughts screeched to a halt when she saw someone make it into the empty hallway.
She frowned, surprised when she realized that the person had been the little pretty thing.
Lady Bell.
Well, it was good that she was here.
Now she could just walk up to her and request for her to give up her soul for the ritual.
There was nothing a little convincing couldn't do when it came to Belladonna. Just the right twist and she would be down with the idea, taking it hook, line, and snicker.
But as she opened her mouth to call her attention, the Bride took a turn and went down the stairs.
She was going down to the den?!
Kestra had thought she had been here to look for her, to seek advice or beg for her to help Eli with her abilities, but no.
Instead, she was going straight to the den.
To the dragon!
Was she stupid?
Kestra's grip tightened around the railings of the stairs, her frown deepening.
She couldn't dare go there.
If she were to go like this, with Eli down, she would be done for.
The dragon had been looking for every opportunity to attack her.
She would have to look for someone else and hopefully, she would find that prey soon.
___
The noise of the chaos had not spared Raquel's room. Her feet were weak as she planted them against the floor, her sight a little and her mind filled with jazzy thoughts.
She didn't know what was happening.
For a while now, that was how she was.
Ignorant, although not by choice. Collin could wear the blame of that ignorance like a crown.
He had told her, on many occasions, that everything was fine, massaged her body, and taken away her pain till she would fall asleep and her worry would seep away.
She had been sleeping so much these days, she didn't even realize it.
He had also, always been there to assure her that there was nothing to worry about, but it had been a while since she had even seen her husband today.
With no body massages and reassurance from Colin, she was really starting to get worried. Although, Collin had clearly warned her not to leave the room many times, her worry for him was starting to override her obedience to his rule.
What if something had happened to him?
What if the nightmares she was having recently were coming true?
At one time, she had heard the deep growl of the dragon and she had told him about it, but he had discarded her worry and told her that everything was alright. That it had been a mere dream and nothing more.
Now, she was sure, despite how dizzy she was, that something was definitely wrong. She looked at the drawing hung on the wall for a moment and started trying to reach for the door.
She stumbled, the door flinging open at that moment and Lady Kestra coming to her aid.
Her touch was cold and Raquel flinched from her, her body instinctively rejecting her help.
Raquel couldn't tell what it was but there was something about Lady Kestra that made her terrified.
She always wanted to run away whenever she came into play.
"Are you alright, Raquel?" She asked with the calmest voice that Raquel had ever heard.
Raquel gave her a jerky nod and she attempted to look over her shoulders so she could see what was beyond the open door.
It proved impossible.
Lady Kestra was a tall woman and there was no way Raquel could see what she wanted, with her in the way.
"Colin--" she started to say but Lady Kestra cut her off immediately.
"I sent him to get some herbs for you."
"I heard---" she swallowed, gulping, seeming like it was hard to say each word and she had to pause in between, so as not to fail totally in pronouncing it. "Growls."
Lady Kestra lowly chuckled, closing the door behind her and Raquel shivered at the cold that passed over her skin.
"You are hearing things."
As if to contradict her, at that moment the dragon had growled and the sound vibrated through the walls.
Raquel looked straight at her, her eyes seeking approval of what she had just heard.
Approval.
"Did you hear it again?" Lady Kestra asked with scrutinizing eyes as she strained her ears in pretense. "I didn't hear it. You see, you are hearing things."
Her shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Let's get you seated. You must be tired." She started leading her to the bed, her struggles nothing in comparison to Kestra's firm grip.
This would have been so easy if the soul could be forced out, if the spell didn't require a willing submission.
She would have yanked it out and made use of it already.
She was running out of time, Eli was too.
She needed that soul already.
"I want to see--"
"Collin will be back soon."
She made her settle in bed and she stepped back, pretending to inspect the bottles on the table.
"You have been using your herbs?" She turned back to Raquel who looked back at her like a deer caught in headlights. She had to ease into this or she would frighten her away and her consent would never be gotten.
Raquel nodded finally.
"Regularly too?"
"Colin says yes."
Kestra tsked in her head in observation.
No mind of her own.
But that was expected with all the herbs.
She was bound to be decreased to nothing.
"You have no improvement though. Is there anything that is bothering you? Something that might be hindering your health? Let me see if I can help you with it."
"I really appreciate your concern--Lady Kestra-- but I am fi--" she panted. She had said too many words at once. After a while of breathing in and out, she replied, "Fine."
Kestra nodded, and turned to the wall.
"This is beautiful. Did you draw this?"
"My daughter." Came a frail reply.
"Oh." She commented, pretending to be sad.
"You know something." Lady Kestra trailed the painting on the wall carefully with her fingers, then stopped and walked back to her.
The tears that welled up in Raquel's eyes showerd that she had struck the right chord.
Lady Kestra took a seat by Raquel's side and cupped her face in her hands.
"Tell me what you want. For a little favor in return, I can grant you a wish."
Raquel stared back at her blankly, her almost lifeless eyes going even more ridden of color.
Was she stupid too?
She would have to be more direct then.
"If you only ask, I can let you see your daughter again."