The One after my Heart

The young lord stood there, standing silently. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off the delicate figure in front of him who seemed to stir inexplicable strange feelings within him.

He gently brushed back a few loose strands of Kyra's luscious dark-brown hair, tucking them behind her right ear. His right index finger lightly brushed across the thin knife scar across her neck on the left side.

"Young Lord, I apologise, but I have to ask what have you done with the two young girls? Did you.. kill them?" asked Bree with a concerned look flashed across her eyes, trying to keep her rough tone as neutral as possible.

If he had indeed caused them harm, then she would cancel the deal off right now without any hesitation. But somehow, she was betting on her instincts that he hadn't harmed the two young girls.

The handsome young man slightly shook as he was jolted from his thoughts when he heard the words.

"Annoying witches.", he muttered with a sigh as an annoyed expression flit across his handsome face. He grinned mischievously as he thought of the hot-headed blonde teen.

"Wait here", he ordered Bree, and without any sound or flash, he disappeared, leaving nothing but a small wisp of a wind that blew where he previously stood.

Bree felt a cold sweat run down her spine and let out a sigh as she tried to relax her tense nerves.

Only she knew better than anyone how much of a risk she had taken a few moments ago by standing up against the man previously.

She stood there standing looking at Kyra with a deeply thoughtful expression on her face as she recounted the events that happened tonight. A rare small smile appeared on her lips as she found the person in front of her showing signs of waking up.

Kyra, who was on the table, scrunched up her eyebrows as her eyelids flickered. Mumbling incoherent words, she woke up to see Bree standing in front of her with a grin on her face. Ignoring the slight headache throbbing in her forehead and dizziness, she looked around.

"I see you've had a good nap, Kyra", grinned Bree as she looked at Kyra, who was looking around with an astonished expression on her face.

Kyra noticed the dead bodies at a distance away from her and felt nauseous as she looked at her surroundings in a circle. On one side was a straggler's mutilated body. In another direction was the dead body of the old witch. In another direction was a huge trench that seemed to have been dug out and continued into the forest.

Perhaps the only untouched and undamaged place was the direction where the man had appeared from. Trying to calm her shaking nerves, she took a deep breath and looked at Bree.

She couldn't help herself from questioning Bree. "What happened? Did the man in black do this? Where did he go? Did he save Maya?"

Kyra looked around and upon Nisa missing too amongst them threw a panicked look and held Bree's arm tightly as she hoarsely asked," Where's Nisa?!"

"Calm down, Kyra. Yes, it was him who did this", sighed Bree frustratedly and tried to calm her fellow inmate.

Bree tried her best to give a brief explanation of what had transpired until now, omitting a few details like the deal between her and the man in black. She had no idea of what had happened to Maya though but hoped that the little girl had not faced any harm and told the same to Kyra.

Kyra worriedly asked Bree," Who is that man? Do you know him?"

"When did you meet him?" Bree confusedly looked at Kyra, wondering when did the latter ever meet the young lord since she was unconscious all this time. Was she really a spirit witch, just as Nisa had said earlier?

Upon seeing Bree's confusion, Kyra hurriedly shared details about their first meeting a while ago and her deal with him if he managed to save Maya.

"That's the Young Lord from the neighbouring domain. He's here for me since he needs something in return." Bree didn't say exactly what it was about, and on noticing her distant expression, Kyra guessed it was something private that Bree didn't want others to know about.

Kyra nodded in understanding tactfully.

Bree remembered the look on the man in black's face earlier and tried to warn Kyra subtly in a friendly tone, "This person's someone way too dangerous and fickle-minded. If I wasn't desperate I wouldn't have asked for his presence. I hope you'll be very careful around him. Hundreds of people have ended up dead around him due to his whims and mood swings. I don't know what exact promise you've made to him, but be very careful. He's not someone you can cross."

Kyra nodded gratefully at Bree's warning. Before she could speak out further, she heard footsteps approach them from afar as the shadow of two figures came closer.

The blonde teen Nisa's annoyed tone echoed out loud as she cursed at the person who was holding her at the waist as she struggled in vain.

"Stop! I need to find my sister! What are you doing?! I still haven't found her!! You damn Blackie put this princess down right now!...let me gooo---"

"Stop trying to move, brat. Unless you want me to spank you right here? See how I'll discipline you later", growled the black-cloaked man in a cold voice. But the mischievous look that flashed across his blue eyes was obvious that he was enjoying himself.

Nisa struggled in vain as she helplessly tried to get out of his grip. She had tried everything, but apparently, nothing seemed to work against this demon. She was blindly searching for her young sister in vain when out of nowhere, this bully who had earlier pointed out the direction and distance appeared and captured her.

Upon noticing Kyra and Bree, she hollered out," Sister Bree! Sister Kyra help me! I need to find my sister!" Her eyes started to tear up in helplessness, and it looked like the girl would bawl out any second.

"Kyra", the man murmured in a low voice as though making a mental note, acknowledging the name of the woman who had captured his interest tonight.

"Put her down right now!" said Kyra fiercely as she glared at the man walking towards them with Nisa in tow. Without any consideration for danger, she walked forwards and grabbed Nisa, trying to pull her out of his arms.

Bree stiffened and seemingly prepared for the worst to happen as her fists clenched, ready to take action.

The handsome man with an amused expression let Nisa get taken away from him without any resistance and stared into Kyra's dark-brown eyes. Kyra immediately pulled Nisa behind her back as opened her arms wide, as though preventing him from grabbing Nisa.

His eyes flashed, brushing past Bree for a split of a second and then he looked at the woman in front of him.

With a cheeky smile, he stepped two steps forward immediately and opened his arms wide, mirroring Kyra. But then, at the next instant, his open arms circled lightly around Kyra's waist like a snake and held her lightly with just a small distance barely separating them.

Bree who just moments ago shivered when she felt the man's gaze at her for a second, as though he knew her exact thoughts, now at this moment stood there like a petrified chicken looking at the two. His actions completely took her by surprise.

Nisa stood there gawking behind Kyra for a moment, looking at the two. She stood behind Kyra who was helpless. Nisa noticed her body had gone stiff as though it were paralysed from the moment she was taken away from the man's arms. She knew it was all his doing.

"What do you think you are doing?" came out Kyra's voice in a low growl bubbling in anger.

She could feel the man's hands on her lower back despite the clothes on her, warming her back in the cold night.

As their bodies lightly touched in almost half an embrace, she could feel the warmth radiating between them despite the chilly cold forest air growing colder by the second.