Chapter 10 10: We are murder suspects

Chapter 10 INFERNO
    DARYL

I stumbled out of my room with a throbbing headache. My wolf senses had deserted me this morning, otherwise I wouldn't feel like a car ran me over.

"Fuck," I mumbled, pressing my fingers to my head.

"Good morning, Your Highness."

"Oh shit, you startled me," I snapped, catching myself before I stumbled over her. I blinked and raised a questioning gaze at the girl. "What the hell are you doing standing in front of my door, Karter?"

Rage simmered in my golden eyes as I regarded her. She raised a sheathed sword to my face. "I am resuming my duties as your companion guard."

"Indeed," I muttered bitterly, running my hands through my hair.

Soraya put down her sword and adjusted her bag strap. "Where to, your Highness?"

Perhaps it was the boldness with which she spoke, or the hardened stance she carried, but somehow it rattled my resolve to stay wary of the mysterious girl. I clenched my fist, reminding myself that someone like her was dangerous. Someone who appeared out of nowhere and seemed to know everything and everyone.

She was dangerous and had ulterior motives. How else would she have gotten my Father to make her my guard without consulting me? Though my father hadn’t consulted me on anything since marrying Nyx.

"You have not answered me, where are we headed this morning?" Soraya repeated, cutting my thoughts short.

I made no move to answer her question but instead began walking away, making Soraya scurry after me.

"What would it take you to answer my question? It was a harmless one after all!" she pressed.

I snapped my head back, glaring at her. "I liked you better when you were quiet," I hissed.

"Ha..." She smirked. "So you liked me?"

"Shut the fuck up, Karter."

"Of course, Your Highness."

We resumed walking in silence. I pressed my hands against my sword every time she was closer than normal. I did not trust her. I would never trust her.

"Are we going to pick up your sister from her dorm?"

"No, we are not."

"But I thought..."

"When did you become such a fucking talkative, Soraya Karter!" I spat out.

"I am only trying to keep calm because I am supposed to be your companion, Your Highness. But I'd rather you lowered your voice if you would like to keep up a sane conversation with me." Her voice was low, underlying with undeniable menace.

I came to a stop on the staircase, turning to face her. "Are you threatening me?"

"You flatter me, Your Highness," she answered. "I do not do threats, I only make warnings."

Defiance shone in her hazel eyes, coupled with a hatred that simmered on the surface.

"My sister is fine on her own, she would not need you to guard her," I said in reply to the question that had brought about the argument, then turned around and began walking again.

---

SORAYA

Prince Daryl was on edge this morning, I noticed. My sight caught his hands going to wrap around his sheathed sword countless times as we made it to our first class. He did not trust me. Lucky him for figuring out I wasn’t to be trusted. Most people never see the arrow until it’s already in their chest.

Dare I admit, Prince Daryl was smart.

The first class was over, and then the second, and then the third. The Principal fitted my schedule into the Prince's own so that we had all classes together. 

The dining hall was our next stop because it was time for lunch.

"You do not have to come with me for lunch," he gritted at me as we made our way into the Hall.

I gave him a look. "Are you tired of me already, your highness?"

"You are insufferable," he muttered as he went to stand in line.

"Did you lose your tooth in the night, Your Highness?"

"What?"

I shrugged. "Because last I remember I was the touchy one, but then the roles have suddenly been reversed, don't you think?"

Before he could form a reply, Ethan Farrow appeared right in front of us, a wicked grin dancing on his lips. "I see you are relaxing into your life of being guarded by a female witch huh?" His tone dripped with hatred even as his face mirrored a smirk.

"Do you want me to strike him down?" I whispered to Daryl.

He bit back an annoyed groan. "Step back, Karter."

I did not give heed to him. Instead, I raised my sword and pointed it at the Alpha's son, earning a gasp from the students around.

"What the fuck are you doing, Karter?" Daryl muttered sharply.

"Protecting you. Is that not what I was hired for?" I answered with a lazy drawl.

"I would drop that sword if I were you, witch."

I stepped closer to Ethan. "And if I don't?" I challenged.

One minute I had my sword to his neck, and then the next I was thrown across the room, my back landing on one of the tables with a crack. The sound of the table breaking projected through the room, echoing.

"What the fuck, Farrow!" Daryl exclaimed as he rushed to my side.

"Are you okay, Karter?" he asked, reaching out to help me up. I glared at him, slapping his outstretched arms.

"I can help myself up, thank you!" I hissed out, groaning as I stood up slowly.

"The witch was getting too confident," Ethan purred, advancing towards us.

"Stay back, Farrow, or you would not like what I will do to you next."

"Are you threatening me, Prince Daryl?"

"It is a fair warning, Ethan Farrow," he stated.

"And if I do not heed your warning?"

Daryl raised his gloved hands, and with his teeth took off his right glove. "My hands can end your life in seconds," he said harshly.

Ethan's eyes widened and he stumbled back a bit — he was not the only one. Every other person did. Every other person in the room took a step back.

Who wouldn't?

He did not wait to examine their faces. He did not wait to feed on the fear that their eyes gave once they saw his bare hands. He did not wait. He could not even.

He put his gloves back on and stormed out of the cafeteria.

And for the rest of the day, I did not see the Prince until our sparring class.

Instructor Sorren was just explaining the basics of weapons that supernaturals used in wars when the Prince walked in with his two friends and his sister.

There was something different though — his smirk was back, and for some reason, I feared it.

"Very nice of you to join us, Prince Daryl," Instructor Sorren said in a scolding manner.

"Is it? I am of the notion that I do not need any training to be useful in wars, I am a weapon myself."

He did not need to elaborate — everyone knew what he meant. Even Instructor Sorren had a look of fear on his face before he blinked it off in an instant. 

"I will not tolerate tardiness in my class," Instructor Sorren said, purposely ignoring the Prince's statement.

Prince Daryl smiled. "I will do well to remember that, sir."

What had happened to him in the five hours that he had disappeared? I caught him looking at me and gasped when he winked in addition.

"What the hell?" I mouthed wide-eyed.

I clenched my fists tightly. I had thought his curse was his weakness, but it seemed like it was not. I noticed the wide berth the students gave him, all of them wary not to touch him though his hands were thoroughly covered. Even Elle Farrow was no longer staring at him like he could give her the world — she was clamping her lips down in fear.

"Scared much?"

A muffled sound of surprise escaped my throat at the Prince's sudden appearance by my side. I had been so focused on the reaction of everyone to him that I had not noticed him come to stand beside me.

I let out a sharp breath, steadying my pulse before replying to him. "Where have you been?"

"As my companion, shouldn't you know all of my movements?"

"As your companion, shouldn't you let me know all of your movements?" I retorted sharply.

"What?"

"You left the cafeteria without letting me know where you were going, and then suddenly you are back, acting like you have not been missing for the past five hours!" I whispered harshly, earning stares from the students closest to us.

"Oh dear Karter, do you worry about me?" Daryl grinned, draping his hands against my shoulders, making me flinch.

I hissed and pushed his hands down. "I am only doing my job."

It was a lie from the ruins because my job was to kill him, not worry about his disappearance like he meant something more to me than a prey whose head I would soon have on a platter.

Prince Daryl chuckled at my defensive utterance. "You are quite unpredictable, Soraya Karter."

His sunburned orbs peered down at me, glowing golden like the sunlight that streamed into the room through the windows. Heat traveled down my skin and coursed through my veins.

I had not even started yet, but I was already failing. How else would I explain the rapid beating of my heart as Daryl Ender's stare burned, seemingly branding my skin mercilessly as a raging inferno?